Kanawha County Sheriff's Office(CROSS LANES, W.Va.) -- She impressed beauty pageant judges with her fiddle playing and tugged at hearts with her personal battle with multiple sclerosis, but now former Miss Kentucky Ramsey Bearse is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The 28-year-old Bearse was arrested in West Virginia on suspicion of sending topless photos via Snapchat to a teenage boy, authorities said. "This is a very difficult day, and this is a shock to her, and to me, and to everyone else," Bearse's attorney, Al Emch, told reporters following her arraignment in Kanawha County, West Virginia, Magistrate Court. Bearse, an eighth-grade science teacher at Andrew Jackson Middle School in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, was charged with four felony counts of distribution or display of obscene matter to minors. She was arrested on Thursday after she admitted to investigators from the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office that she sent the victim at least four topless images of herself between August and October, according to a criminal complaint. At the time, the victim was 14 or 15 years old, sheriff's officials said. An investigation was launched on Dec. 5 when the victim's mother contacted the sheriff's office to complain that she discovered the nude photos of Bearse on her son's cellphone, according to the criminal complaint. "The parent informed me that her son attended Andrew Jackson his sixth through eighth grade, during which Ramsey Bearse was a teacher during some of that time," Detective S.D. Ferrell wrote in the criminal complaint. Officials at Andrew Jackson Middle School would only confirm that Bearse is a teacher at the school. "We cannot comment on personnel matters, but we will follow all applicable policies and procedures," Kanawha County Schools officials said in a statement. "The safety and security of our students is our top priority." Following her arraignment on Friday, Bearse, who has been married to a coal mining executive since 2016, told reporters, "I have no comment to make to you all at this time." If convicted of the charges, Bearse faces up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Emch's request to have her released on her own recognizance was rejected by a magistrate, who told him during the arraignment, "I don't think that would be proper at this stage." Bearse was released from custody after posting a $10,000 property bond, officials said. She was crowned Miss Kentucky in June 2014 under her maiden name Ramsey Carpenter. She went on to compete in the 2015 Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, placing among the top 12 semi-finalists and winning the preliminary talent competition for her bluegrass fiddle playing. The winner of the Miss America pageant the year Bearse competed was Miss New York Nina Davuluri. During her reign as Miss Kentucky, Bearse promoted the platform of multiple sclerosis awareness, speaking out in numerous interviews about being diagnosed in 2010 with the disabling disease of the central nervous system. She served as spokeswoman for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Sgt. Brian Humphreys of the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office said Bearse's case is a wake-up call to all parents of young children. "There are a lot of bad situations that can arise because of a naive understanding of how social media works," Humphreys told ABC affiliate station WCHS-TV in Charleston, West Virginia, adding, "So it's important as a parent to monitor those things, keep tabs on who your children are communicating with." Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 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 KEMP, Texas, Dec. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Larson Electronics, a leading industrial lighting company, has announced the release of a new hazardous location solar powered panel system with batteries that is rated for use in Class I Division 2 hazardous locations, where off the grid power is required or desired for continuing operations in remote or temporary environments. This solar powered control system features four, 190-watt solar panels and four 12V 250aH 8D batteries. 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Atletii veterani au dus Crosul Unirii la a 52-a editie Atletii veterani sunt cei care, an de an, la Alba Iulia, fac ca evenimentul numit Crosul Unirii, cu ocazia zilei nationale de 1 decembrie a Romaniei, sa se poata desfasura. De peste 10 ani mereu alaturi de echipa Nationala a veteranilor atleti ai Romaniei!!DATORITA LOR CROSUL UNIRII A [citeste mai departe] People run away from a burning car during clashes, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 in Marseille, southern France. The grassroots movement began as resistance against a rise in taxes for diesel and gasoline, but quickly expanded to encompass frustration at stagnant incomes and the growing cost of living. Read more Its October 2021. America is in a state of turmoil so much so that the ongoing felony trial of disgraced former president Donald Trump seems only a footnote. The chaos of the 2020 election has meant no honeymoon for Beto ORourke, the 47th president, whose narrow win over the GOPs Nikki Haley (the Republican convention in Charlotte having rejected President Pence) had only enraged both the right and an increasingly angry left, which was still insisting that Democrats had cheated Bernie Sanders out of the nomination at their divided, brokered convention. Still, President ORourke had small Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, and after a summer of record heat waves had left more than 250 dead in the Los Angeles wildfires and seen Hurricane Gigi swamp many of the same New Orleans neighborhoods that had been inundated by Katrina the charismatic, Kennedyesque chief executive had convinced Congress to pass, by exactly one vote in each chamber, a 40-cent-a-gallon gas tax to promote solar and wind power and subsidize electric cars. Within hours, angry truckers had parked their rigs across the entrance to every tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. In small towns across America, protesters encouraged by Sean Hannity on Fox News and by fake stories on Facebook that the ORourke administration planned to reopen Trumps Texas detention camps for immigrants and use them to imprison tax resisters gathered at gas stations. Many of their rallies were infiltrated by the political fringes neo-Nazis of the right and Black Bloc anarchists of the left and there were scattered reports of violence. In Charleston, S.C., a CNN reporter was reporting from a full-blown riot when gunfire was heard in the distance, just a cannonball shot away from historic Fort Sumter. Paris is burning. Youd think the rapid decline of Western civilization would get more news coverage in America normally, flaming barricades in the shadow of the iconic Arc de Triomphe and hundreds fleeing tear gas in the heart of the French capital might be considered must-see TV, especially when the other option is a panel of aging Watergate prosecutors but the latest chess moves in the Trump-Russia scandal and the embattled White House continue to trump most other headlines. Still, Saturdays news out of the City of Light, now illuminated by the glow of flaming cars, was both shocking and yet somewhat familiar, as the protests engulfing France raged into a fourth weekend with no immediate end in sight. This go-round, a massive police presence an army, really of some 89,000 officers turned Paris into a police state, with most tourist attractions and high-end stores boarded shut at the height of the holiday season. The law officers sought to put a lid on the so-called Yellow Vests," or gilets jaunes, before things got out of hand. Tear gas and water cannons were deployed early and often and 1,400 were arrested in an effort to limit damage from the casseurs young (mostly) men out for violence. The protests continued even though French president Emmanuel Macron has promised to roll back the fuel tax part of the governments response to climate change with plans to address the nation on Monday in a televised plea to end the unrest. I imagine one reason the mayhem in Paris hasnt been viewed with much alarm here in the United States is the notion of French Exceptionalism, that those crazy Gauls have always gone off the deep end with their protests remember 1789? and this is just one more. Perhaps. But everything Ive seen so far out of France is singing loudly that, yes, its a small world, after all and that whats happening on the barricades is both a reflection of whats going on in much of the developed world and a screaming alarm for what could come next. You dont need Google Translate to see the casseurs as their versions of our own torch-bearing white supremacists or black-scarfed antifa, while the gilets jaunes heavily male and middle-aged, from the forgotten towns" far from chic Paris, dependent on their cars and affordable gas for jobs that allow them to barely scrape by sound very much like Americas Fox News demographic, finally rousted from their couches and out into the street. We dont agree with the current system anymore; it doesnt represent us, an electrician named Julien Lezer who drove all night from his town near the Mediterranean to protest in Paris told the New York Times. Its not in the regions that things change. Its in Paris. Its when the people from the regions go to Paris that the politicians listen. It doesnt take much imagination to see the connection between Lezer and other Yellow Vests Ive seen quoted and the American Tea Party movement of 2009 or the kind of protests that likely would have been stirred up by Fox News or talk radio if Hillary Clinton had been elected on Nov. 8, 2016, instead of Donald Trump. Indeed, Trumps so vain, he actually thinks the riots are about him (although it should be noted that the protests had nothing to do with the Paris climate accord and not one soul chanted We want Trump!). That said...yes, it can happen here. Heres three key reason why we should be paying closer attention to France, even with the American presidency imploding. Economic inequality and rural resentment. Western elites breathed a sigh of relief last year when French voters rejected the candidates of the far-right and the far-left to hand their presidency to the young, charismatic, centrist and grossly inexperienced Macron and his just-invented political party of like-minded neophytes. But any era of good feeling was almost guaranteed to be short-lived. Macrons policies tough on middle-class workers while rolling back Frances historically high taxes on the wealthy have caused his presidency to post approval ratings that make Donald Trumps numbers look Lincolnesque. The gasoline tax caused those tensions to boil over because, according to the French rank-and-file, pampered Paris elites dont understand how rural workers must drive long distances just to eek out a living wage. Thats hardly a uniquely French complaint. Similar tensions between cosmopolitan, urban elites and the forgotten people in the countryside have led far-right, anti-immigrant parties in Germany (never a good thing) to gain strength as the Angela Merkel era winds down and to Englands rolling turmoil over Brexit. Here in the United States, that same conflict didnt only give us Trump but underlies antidemocratic moves in states like Wisconsin (where a top GOP lawmaker suggests that votes from urban Milwaukee and Madison shouldnt count). And moves like Amazon bringing even more six-figure jobs to New York and D.C are exacerbating these cross-currents. Paris is a guide to how things could go south. Fake news on social media is getting worse. Although most media coverage has focused on the gas tax, theres been some mystery about where the completely leaderless Yellow Vest movement came from and how it grew so quickly. The answer, as a BuzzFeed News report revealed, traces back to social media mainly Facebook and a disturbing web of conspiracy theories rooted in outright fictions and backed by various forms of prejudice or ignorance. The Yellow Jackets communicate almost entirely on small, decentralized Facebook pages, reported BuzzFeeds Ryan Broderick. They coordinate via memes and viral videos. Whatever gets shared the most becomes part of their platform. But many of Frances so-called Anger Groups on Facebook are highly conspiratorial stating that Frances problems are caused by a Masonic cabal of global bankers and linked closely to other out-there beliefs like chemtrails or anti-vaxxers. It all sounds remarkably similar to the QAnon wackiness that has flourished in Donald Trumps America -- with the only difference that right now the "Q"-believers are more motivated to attend Trump rallies than to protest in the streets ...for now. Climate change is hard and going to get harder. The raft of new scientific evidence -- including the latest report from our own federal government -- and yet another long, hot summer in 2018 of deadly wildfires and 1,000-year floods have made it clear that immediate and more drastic action is needed to combat climate change, to stop a global catastrophe as we get deeper into the 21st century. The middle-class isnt on board with this not in America, where consumer demand for less-fuel-efficient SUVs and small trucks is a key factor behind the General Motors layoffs at its smaller-car factories, and clearly not in France. And we know now that the federal government will do nothing of substance on climate change during the next two years, with Republicans controlling the White House and the Senate. What that means is that, even if Democrats whove pledged to address climate change do regain control in 2021, their proposed remedies will need to be even more dramatic to have an impact. The route initially taken by Macron placing the burden on the working class and not the rich seems a nonstarter. But what, at this point, could reconcile younger, more progressive Americans who demand a Green New Deal with older conservatives still convinced by Fox News or on Facebook that the whole thing is a hoax? The black smoke rising from the streets of Paris can be seen as a warning cry, but also as a guide for what not to do going forward. The tragedy of the Trump presidency isnt just a criminal wack-a-do occupying the Oval Office but that the current crisis is preventing America from doing the things it needs to be doing. That means policies to address income inequality universal health care, forgiving college debt and a meaningful minimum wage as well as climate change, and rebuilding journalism and the information infrastructure to blunt the impact of fake news. The best way to stop another civil war tomorrow is to start making sense today. First, there was the chaotic din of shouting and street noise. Then, David Sparks voice crackled onto the 911 recording. Somebody got shot. Somebodys possibly dying hes possibly dying on Bouvier Street. It was Sept. 4, 2006, Labor Day, and a Nicetown block party was pushing midnight. Teenagers, drunk on the dregs of summer, milled in and out of a corner Chinese takeout, ordering food through the Plexiglas. There had been a confrontation involving a 19-year-old man named Gary Hall. Someone had pulled a gun, firing at him as he rode away on a girls bicycle. He might be dead. He might be dying. At first, bystanders wondered if Hall had been hit at all, the way he kept pedaling down the block. Then, he fell. Please, could you hurry up, please. Hall did not survive the night. And Sparks, who was just 16 years old so young he was initially picked up for a curfew violation was charged with the murder. The trial, before a judge, took just three days, the main evidence against Sparks the eyewitness testimony of two teenage cousins whose accounts were malleable over the course of the investigation and trial. Even so, Sparks was convicted and sentenced to life without parole. Halls death and everything that followed traced well-worn contours in this community, which is tightly connected but also irreparably fractured then, as now, fraught with gun violence thats insulated by a profound no-snitching culture. Even Sparks himself, staring down life in prison, at the time refused to point a finger. Over the subsequent decade, with help from the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, Sparks has found a handful of witnesses willing to come forward though he hasnt yet convinced a court to take up his case. He does have access to a different source of relief, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled sentences like his automatic life-without-parole terms for minors are cruel, unusual, and, therefore, illegal. Since Pennsylvania began resentencing its 514 juvenile lifers in 2016, close to 80 percent have received new sentences. Philadelphia, once home to more juvenile lifers than any jurisdiction in the nation, has fewer than 60 cases left to process. Yet, those who claim their innocence have been left behind. Lawyers have likened the situation to a catch-22: Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Kathryn Streeter-Lewis, who is in charge of approving deals for juvenile lifers, says she cannot resentence those still fighting their convictions. Meanwhile, federal judges cant address their habeas petitions while state-level proceedings are incomplete. Its really saying you have to make the devils choice," said Jules Epstein, a Temple University law professor: "Stay in jail because youre claiming youre innocent, or bet on a chance at freedom now. Thats a horrible choice. For Sparks, 29, that means proceedings are stayed at both state and federal levels. Its like Im getting ping-ponged back and forth, and nobodys touching my case, Sparks said. Im saying, Just give me a chance. Just look at it. One advocate estimated there are 10 to 20 people trapped in the same dilemma. Its led some to contemplate giving up on decades-long quests for exoneration in favor of a plea for immediate parole. The thought has preoccupied Terrance Lewis, whos served two decades for a 1996 murder though a federal judge opined that he was innocent. He wrestled with the idea all summer as he watched younger lifers men he had mentored resentenced and released. They all have less time in than me," he said, but they are going home because they are guilty. A high price to pay The legal reason cited for denying the resentencing can be traced to a 2001 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision, Commonwealth v. Bryant. That was the case of a man whose death sentence had been vacated, while the underlying finding of guilt remained intact. He wished to be resentenced to life without parole while continuing to fight that conviction, but the court wrote that it would be wasteful of scarce judicial resources. Men like Lewis argue that, instead, its their lives wasting away. Post-conviction petitions can take years to wind through the courts. Lewiss son, born after he was arrested, is now a junior in college. In a letter to the court written by the District Attorneys Office, then led by Seth Williams, the DA argued adhering to Bryant prevents piecemeal litigation, avoids delay in the resolution in guilt-phase issues, and eliminates a potential misuse of judicial resources. Epstein said that the Bryant case is a poor analogy for the juvenile lifers' situation. In that case, the finding was that the resentencing, to death or to life in prison, could be rendered meaningless if a new trial is granted. "That doesnt apply here, Epstein said. At age 40, Lewis bought a composition book from the prison commissary and started making a bucket list: Put his feet in the ocean, eat a steak, bike Kelly Drive, get a job working nights, and go back to school. Recently, he saw a Papa Johns commercial on TV. The slow-motion close-ups of gooey cheese caught his eye. I promised myself Im going there, he said. But spending the rest of his life under watch of the parole board with no avenue to clear his name? Thats a high price. For now, Lewis has hung his hopes on the District Attorneys Conviction Integrity Unit, which is reviewing his case. Others are contemplating abandoning their innocence claims altogether. Frank Grazulis, who was convicted of a 1990 stabbing death just off South Street when he was 16 years old, is considering it, even though a key witness against him recanted, and a detective who took the witness statement has been implicated in other wrongful convictions. Grazulis, 44, is coming to terms with the fact that as long as he holds on to that claim, he cant get resentenced. Theyre punishing me, basically, for arguing my innocence. Some have been waiting for years to get a response from the courts. Aleem Williams, 32, serving life for a 2004 murder, filed new eyewitness evidence four years ago that he believed was the break hed been waiting for: the final, crucial proof of his innocence. The courts still have not answered my new evidence claims, which I cant understand, he wrote in a letter this summer. Similarly, Theopholis Wilson, 47, who was convicted on the testimony of a single witness to a 1989 triple murder in Brewerytown, has seemingly strong exonerating evidence but no court date in sight. The eyewitness, serving six life sentences for murder, has admitted he lied because prosecutors had secretly promised him a lighter sentence, involving commutation after just 15 years. Wilsons co-defendant, Christopher Williams, already has a new trial pending, but Wilsons identical claims have languished for seven years without a hearing. For those who do get evidentiary hearings, the outcome is far from certain. Robert Outlaw, who was convicted of a 2003 murder, is currently in Common Pleas Court with his innocence claim. Outlaw, 35, knows that if the judge rejects his petition, his last option is to seek relief in federal court, which could take years. But hes not backing down, even if it would get him out of prison sooner. Im going to have to exhaust my remedies, and thats that," he said. "Im passionate that I didnt do it, and whatever hardships Im going to face with that, thats what its going to be. At the end of the day ... Im just not going in there admitting guilt for something I didnt do. A suspicion that stuck Unlike many others who claim their innocence, Sparks says he knows exactly who did the crime. In fact, he was an eyewitness. According to him and other witnesses, there were two story lines that day in 2006: One, a teenage flirtation that kept Sparks lingering on the street when he probably should have been at home. The other, a simmering confrontation between the victim, Gary Hall, and two brothers, Marquise Lawrence, 15, and Ivan Simmons, 17, that turned to violence. Sparks said he was standing near the corner when he saw Simmons come through a vacant lot to 18th Street, gun in hand. He shot the gun a couple times, and I seen it was like slow motion, Sparks said. Hall fell. Simmons ran. Lawrence dashed into the corner Chinese takeout to demand the food hed ordered earlier, then hurried away with it. Sparks stuck around and called 911. It was just hours later that suspicion began sticking to him, like a stain that wouldnt wash off. It started when police stopped Sparks for breaking curfew. According to testimony at his trial, he matched a witnesss description of the shooter, and thats why he was taken to police headquarters for questioning. Sparks was never released again. He refused to point the finger at Simmons, though. He wasnt a snitch, he wrote in jailhouse letters to friends and family, asking them to help clear his name. I didnt know they were going to take my whole life from me, he said recently. It took me sitting in here to realize this. Police records indicate they sought to question Lawrence and Simmons, but never actually interviewed them. Then, in December 2006, while Sparks was still awaiting his preliminary hearing, someone killed Simmons. That shooting remains unsolved, though theories abound. Sparks believes Simmons was killed in retaliation for shooting Hall. Simmons family thinks Sparks had something to do with it. Going into his trial, Sparks still had hope. There was no physical evidence against him: no gun, and no gunpowder residue on his hands or clothes (the clothes, turned over to police, went missing). And at his preliminary hearing, a supposed prosecution witness Barry McShore, had stood up in the courtroom, raging: Gary died in front of my door. He related to my people. Then you get [Sparks] up in the jailhouse for something and the person who so-called killed Gary, he is dead. But the prosecution had better witnesses in Markita Reddy, 13, and her cousin Kalishea Reddy, 14, who said they saw the shooting before running into the Chinese takeout. They at times contradicted themselves, and each other, in the details of their testimony details like where the shooter was and even how many shooters there were. Neither saw Sparks with a gun. Still, they were adamant that he did the shooting. There was an eyewitness who pointed away from Sparks: Latisha Lowery testified she saw Simmons shooting. But that was Sparks' girlfriend, the prosecutor argued she had an agenda. In the end, Judge Sheila Woods-Skipper did not find her testimony credible. Twelve years of the same thing Sparks mother, Tameeka Sparks-Hawkins, still lives in Nicetown her tidy living room decorated with family photos and hard-earned high school diplomas the families of witnesses, victims, and perpetrators all locked in unbearable proximity. To her, it feels as if the murder helped kick off a cycle of street justice that continues to this day. The neighborhood claims the citys highest violent-crime rate; at least five shootings have rung out within a block of the murder just in the last six months. According to census data, men who grew up in the area are almost twice as likely to be incarcerated as to be married: 15 percent of all males from the census tract were locked up as of 2010. Around the corner, theres the bodega where she still sees Lawrence, standing with a crew of young men from morning until night. Down the block, theres the Chinese takeout, still encased in Plexiglas, with all the atmosphere of an ATM vestibule. There, in front of that chain-link gate, is where Hall fell. Sparks-Hawkins said the story of Halls death is an open secret in the neighborhood, like the scraggly bushes where young men can be seen tucking away their stashes in broad daylight. Its not even something where you would be snitching. It was done out in the open in front of everybody! To have nobody speak up? Tameeka Sparks-Hawkins People will say he didnt do it. But a lot of people do not want to go to court, she said. She tries to convince them: Its not even something where you would be snitching. It was done out in the open in front of everybody! To have nobody speak up? But people have spoken up. It took years, and the intervention of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, but several witnesses have come forward. One was Renada Council, a cousin of Simmons and Lawrence who made a statement that she saw the brothers talking about Hall, watched them run toward the crime scene, and later saw them again, back at her house, looking frightened. I just shot Gary off of his bike, Simmons told her, according to the statement. Another was Nael Reddy, a cousin of Markita and Kalisheas who says he, too, witnessed the crime and knows Sparks is innocent. He claims the Reddy family was close with Halls mother and conspired to pressure the girls to testify, to ensure there would be a conviction. Members of my family made Kalishea come to court and testify that Mr. Sparks did the shooting, he said in a statement. Markita and Kalishea Reddy could not be reached. Simmons' mother, Kisha Bivines, declined to speak on the record. Approached by a reporter, Lawrence would not confirm his identity; later, through Bivines, he refused to comment. Halls mother, Gwendolyn Isely, also declined an interview request. Sparks, who has an 11-year-old daughter of his own, wishes hed been more supportive of Bivines after her son was killed. He was still urging her to speak up on his behalf. It took me to grow up in here to see where she was coming from and stop being selfish, even though I had the right to want to get out of jail, he said. Hes still praying some new piece of evidence will prove to be the key, though as the years pass, his hopes have been worn threadbare. I look up and I got over 12 years in, and Im telling these people the same thing. Sen. Chris Coons (left), a Delaware Democrat, speaks alongside Sen. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) during an interview at the The Atlantic's 'The Constitution in Crisis' forum in Washington on Oct. 2, 2018. Coons has become a voice for civility in Congress, and has often cooperated with Flake. Read more WASHINGTON -- Chris Coons still hasnt gotten over that rant by Lindsey Graham. But hes trying. Coons, a Democratic senator from Delaware, sat just a few chairs away from Graham in September when his friend, a South Carolina Republican, unleashed a fiery tirade that went viral, turned the tide of the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation, and left bitter feelings that linger. Its a personal challenge for the devout Coons, who has carved out a role trying against the odds to foster some civility in Congress. Ill be blunt, I cant forgive Lindsey Graham on my own I cant. I will never get over that, Coons said recently at an event on easing partisanship, hosted by the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington. I wasnt watching this on TV. I was 10 feet away. But Coons who has a divinity degree from Yale, previously served as an elder in his Presbyterian church, and still preaches on occasional Sundays turns to religion. Faith, and looking at the two of us from a Kingdom perspective, is what gives me the opportunity to forgive, said Coons, a 55-year-old from Wilmington with a cheery demeanor and dry wit. His recent speech and interviews show a glimpse of how one senator is trying in small ways to soothe the acrimony that has become the defining feature of American politics, overshadowing every major public debate. Chris is in many ways a throwback to a kindler, gentler time, said Sen. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.), one of his closest collaborators. Coons, along with Sen. James Lankford (R., Okla.), leads a weekly bipartisan prayer breakfast. At the height of the Kavanaugh fight, he crafted the episodes one brief moment of cooperation, sealing a deal with Flake to allow for an FBI investigation into sexual-assault claims. In April he voted present in a committee so Sen. Johnny Isakson (R., Ga.), could attend a friends funeral without his absence creating a temporary tie and slowing the nomination of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Sen. Bob Corker (R., Tenn.), was near tears afterward. They are often small or temporary gestures: The Kavanaugh fight still stings. The Pompeo vote didnt change the outcome. It just extended a courtesy to a friend. Yet it drew national headlines. That says all you need to know about where we are, the fact that would be seen as such a singular moment, Flake said. He recounted how this past week, even a traditional dinner honoring departing senators was divided in two: one for Democrats, one for Republicans. The recent funerals for President George H.W. Bush and Sen. John McCain have shown a national yearning for decency and respect and exposed fears that those traits have faded, replaced by fury and intransigence. I didnt think it could get worse than in 2010, but it steadily has, said Coons, who was elected to the Senate that year amid the anger of the Tea Party wave, and had served in county government for a decade before that. Ive never seen anything like this and I worry that I dont see a pathway toward it getting better. A virus in our society Those fears go beyond the Capitol, said Carolyn Lukensmeyer, executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse. Since the middle of the 2016 election, she said, people have been calling, seeking help. Businesses complained of declining cooperation between workers on opposite sides of the Trump-Clinton divide. Clergy members said some congregants refused to sit together. Psychologists saw clients complaining about politics and news affecting their mental health. Some people just called for help at home. Weeks after the election, one woman called Lukensmeyer saying her two daughters, both at Ivy League colleges in New England, werent speaking. Verging on tears, the woman asked for suggestions that would just help us have a family dinner together on Thanksgiving. Lukensmeyer noted the American Psychological Associations 2018 stress survey: 62 percent of adults said the current political climate increased their stress. This is now like a virus in our society," she said. This is now way beyond whats happening in Washington, D.C., and how politicians treat each other. This has now seeped into our families, our communities, where we work together, where we pray together. Lukensmeyer was part of a panel at the New York Avenue church when Coons spoke in late November. The senator, around 5-foot-5 with a half-circle of sandy hair around his head, stood behind an eagle-shaped lectern in a church where Abraham Lincoln prayed during the Civil War. In the spirit of Lincoln, let me say that Donald Trump has been wonderful for my prayer life, he deadpanned as laughter rippled through the audience. Building trust behind the scenes Coons took solace in the idea that America has been through worse the Civil War, depressions, world wars (though he conceded that such comparisons speak to the dire current state). He described ways lawmakers can heal, pointing to the prayer breakfast, at which about two dozen senators gather each week to read from Scripture and sing hymns. A dozen are regulars. Others come and go. The group, Coons said, includes some of the Democrats' most liberal and visible members. Each week, one senator describes the role of faith in his or her life, revealing exactly the things you wouldnt want an opposition researcher to ever know, Coons said. One senator once talked about his parents divorce. Another about his father dying of cancer. Another about suffering injuries in war. A more complete picture of colleagues emerges. Often, they cry. We do two things that I never see us do otherwise, Coons said. We listen to each other and we trust each other, and I think therein lies the very simple path toward bridging our partisan divides. There are two other places where he sees senators interacting that way: the Senate gym and on trips abroad, when they spend long flights and meals together. What do these things have in common? No lobbyists. No media. No staff, he said in an interview. Flake and Coons have traveled together to 12 countries this year alone. Theres an old saying that you never question somebodys motives if you know the names of his children, and thats the kind of relationship that we have, Flake said. Together, they recently have tried unsuccessfully to advance a bill to constrain Trumps ability to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, head of the investigation into Russian election interference. But while bipartisan bills on big issues flounder, Coons also collaborates with Republicans on small, inoffensive, and sometimes symbolic measures just to develop goodwill. His calendar has every senators birthday listed, so he can wish them well. As some on the left urge more confrontation, a potential issue when Coons faces reelection in 2020, he said most people he hears from, including strong Democrats, want cooperation. And I will often say to audiences: Dont be surprised if I upset and disappoint you, because thats what working across the aisle requires," Coons said. But he sees a long road to a functional Congress. He worried that Novembers election wiped out many House Republicans and Senate Democrats inclined to reach for the center. Still, when Graham introduced a Senate resolution Thursday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Coons was one of three Democratic cosponsors. It was a step. But the Kavanaugh scar remains. That remains a point of some tension, Coons said, but, frankly, we have other things that we can and should work on together. Migrants from a caravan cross from Mexico into the U.S. on the Tijuana-San Diego border at La Playa. Dozens of mostly women and children squeeze through the fence on the beach or climb over the wall at low points, passing children over. All were detained after entering the U.S. Most migrants knew they would be immediately detained but preferred that to the limbo of living indefinitely in shelters in Mexico, believing at least their asylum cases would be heard. Read more Experts say theres a problem with President Trumps plan to build a wall at the Mexican line: Border barriers often dont work as promised. That is not deterring the president, who has threatened to shut down the government unless Congress appropriates $5 billion in starter money. And it hasnt slowed leaders of other nations, either. In the last 15 years, dozens of big-budget border walls have sprouted up around the world driven largely by the desire to block the flow of millions of refugees and migrants fleeing war or poverty. Only about five border walls or fences stood in place at the end of World War II. That number grew slowly, to about 15 at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Today? About 70, with more planned or under construction. That's according to research by scholar Elisabeth Vallet, who studies geography, migration and walls at the University of Quebec at Montreal. Building walls is a very costly enterprise, and its purpose is mainly electoral and political, said Vallet, author of Borders, Fences and Walls: State of Insecurity? Spending those dollars in less-visible programs such as overseas peacekeeping and climate-change efforts would foster greater stability in troubled countries, she said, but building a monumental wall allows the government to show that it is actually doing something. Vallet characterized walls as poor, monolithic solutions to complicated problems, expensive to maintain and ineffective in their purpose: keeping people out. That hasnt hindered construction in countries from Kenya to Pakistan to Austria. For instance: Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Croatia built or expanded border walls and fences during the last four years, seeking to block a million or more war refugees from the Middle East. Israel erected the 436-mile West Bank Wall or separation fence in the 2000s as security against terrorism. Palestinians refer to the structure, which stands 25 feet tall in places, as the Apartheid Wall. Saudi Arabia began building a 600-mile-long barrier layers of fences, trenches, watch towers, radar and night-vision cameras on the Iraqi border in 2015, to forestall attacks by ISIS and other terrorist groups. Norway constructed an 11-foot-high fence at its Russian border in 2016, saying refugees traveling north from Syria were illegally entering the country. In Northern France, a 13-foot-high concrete wall, derisively known as the Great Wall of Calais, was built along a highway in 2016 to stop migrants from sneaking onto trucks in efforts to reach Britain. This is in direct response to the unprecedented migration of people around the world, said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum in Washington. Countries think they can wall themselves off from the rest of the world, but history has proven otherwise. Worldwide, the United Nations estimates, 65.8 million people have been displaced, many by wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and Syria. Every day, about 44,000 people flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. The NIF, which advocates for the value of immigration to the U.S., asserts that even without a wall, the nations Southwest border has never been more secure. The government built nearly 700 miles of physical barriers with rugged terrain and the Rio Grande acting as natural barricades since passing border legislation in 2006, the NIF said. The 16,605 Customs and Border Protection agents stationed in the Southwest in fiscal year 2017 was nearly double the number in 2000. During those same years, Congress nearly quadrupled CBPs budget, from about $1 billion to $3.8 billion. What the country needs, NIF says, is an immigration system that promotes security and safety, benefits American workers, and offers legalization to law-abiding undocumented migrants already living in the U.S. Around the world, walls and barrier fences have met decidedly mixed success. Hungarian authorities told NBC News that their wall cut off a main migrant route from the Middle East to Western Europe, slashing undocumented-immigration arrests to five in April 2018 compared with 3,528 two years earlier. I hope it inspires the Americans, Asotthalom town Mayor Laszlo Toroczkai told the news network. In Africa, work on a 435-mile Kenya-Somalia border wall was halted in spring because of rising tensions among people living near the line. The Calais wall has been roundly criticized as useless, easily defeated by migrants who run to the far end of the barrier, loop around, then open security doors to let others cross, according to British media reports. Trump has made construction of a big, beautiful wall a signature element of his hard-line immigration policy, saying it would stop illegal crossings, help keep America safe, and cut crime and drug traffic. That resonates with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks much lower levels of immigration. It sees a wall as an integral component of immigration control and national security. As we have seen around the world, secure fencing is an effective way to control borders, president Dan Stein said last year, asserting that the billions spent on a wall would be a fraction of federal, state and local costs incurred due to illegal immigration. FAIR estimates the cost of undocumented immigrants to American taxpayers at $116 billion a year, though numbers on that issue are highly disputed. The president won a victory last Monday, when the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from conservation groups that challenged his authority to build the wall. The Center for Biological Diversity, the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Defenders of Wildlife contended that construction would harm plants, wildlife habitats, coastal birds and other animal species. Originally, walls were built as a defense, a means to protect territory. The Great Wall of China actually a series of walls, built across hundreds of years and thousands of miles became obsolete when it was overrun by Mongol raiders. Frances famed Maginot Line, considered an impenetrable barrier of concrete fortifications and obstacles, failed in 1940 when German invaders came up with a novel solution: They went around it. The cost of Trumps proposed wall, to line about 1,300 unfenced miles, remains a guessing game. The president put the price at $12 billion. Senate Democrats estimated $70 billion. The Department of Homeland Security says $22 billion. None of those estimates includes the cost of maintenance. Or a promise of success. Walls are not very effective at stopping movement. People can go around, over, under, said University of Hawaii geography professor Reece Jones, author of Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move. The way that walls do work is as a symbol. The material object of the wall stands in for all of the other complex issues about borders, migration, and trade. The biggest cost of border walls, Jones said, is the lives of people who die on the move. A tough border defense meant to deter migrants only re-routes them, often to more dangerous and remote passages, Jones said. In Tucson, Ariz., the hardening of border defenses saw migrant deaths grow from about 18 a year in the 1990s to about 200 a year in the 2000s, he said. The effectiveness of a wall, he and others said, depends on how well it is guarded. Thats hard to accomplish across hundreds of miles of border, even if a wall looks like a good solution on television. A wall is tangible, you can see it, take a picture of it, Noorani said. Smart migration policy, smart investment in other countries, thats difficult. And it takes a long time. A man allegedly sucker-punched a woman on the E train because he thought she was a lesbianand he hit her so hard she fractured her spine, according to the NYPD. Police say the incident happened just after 5 p.m. Friday, November 30th, in Queens on a Manhattan-bound E train. The suspect apparently became incensed after he saw another woman give the 20-year-old victim a kiss on the cheek. The suspect allegedly called the victim a "dyke," and they got into a verbal dispute. As the woman began to walk away from the suspect, police say he approached from behind, punched her in the back of her head and shoved her to the ground, causing her to strike her head on the train's floor. He fled the train at the next stop at Forest Hills-71st Ave. The victim was transported to Elmhurst Hospital Center with a fractured spine. Police say the Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident. You can see a cell phone video of the suspect below; he is described as 5'11", 220 lbs, and 50-60 years old. 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 Crime Stoppers website, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Opinion Get vaccinated In many parts of the world, or at least first world countries, the vaccination rates have reached a high enough level that we can return to an almost normal life. There are still some restrictions on travel, mask wearing is required in some circumstances and those that are not double vaccinated are excluded from some venues and activities. Paris: A total of 135 people have been injured after violence broke out between police and groups of masked youth in several French cities during protests against high living costs, said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. Besides, 1,385 people have also been detained. Created on social media, the "yellow vest" movement which got its name from the high visibility vests drivers keep in their cars, has lured people of all ages and backgrounds. With no leader, it had turned into a bigger movement denouncing a squeeze on household spending, high living costs caused by Macron`s fiscal and economic policy which they say favours the rich. Some even demanded Macron to step down. In a joint press briefing with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Saturday, the Minister added that 974 individuals remained in police custody and that the figure could rise. At least 10,000 demonstrators participated in the Paris march, while 125,000 protesters turned out across the country. Among the injured were 17 police officers who were hurt in the scuffles mainly in the French capital and Bordeaux city, Xinhua news agency reported. "The situation is under control," Castaner said, adding "...but totally unacceptable." "Time for dialogue. This dialogue has begun, it must continue. The French nation must find itself. No tax can threaten national unity," said Prime Minister Philippe, noting that President Emmanuel Macron would propose further measures to abate the social anger. After a calm start, tension flared in Les Grands Boulevards and streets near the Champs Elysees and the Republic Square where a group of hooded men joined the protest and hassled police by setting barricades and setting afire garbage bins and trees. Scores of vehicles were burnt and shops damaged, forcing the police to fire tear gas and use water cannon to push back the rioters. Armoured vehicles were also deployed for the first time in the capital since Paris suburbs riot in 2005 amid intensified security measures that the government implemented to avoid the chaos two weeks ahead of the peak of Christmas holidays. As part of an "exceptional" security plan, the government has deployed 89,000 officers in the French cities. In Paris, 8,000 officers have been put in place to maintain law and order to avoid any incident similar to last Saturday`s rioting that plunged the French capital into chaos, its worst unrest in decades. Earlier this week, the French government dropped a plan to increase fuel tax next year, bowing to the force of the streets. However, the protest movement shows no sign of abating. Protesters still demand concrete moves, notably a rise in minimum wage and lower taxes. NEW DELHI: Hundreds of Airports Authority of India employees will go on a three-day relay hunger strike from Monday to protest against the government's move to privatise six airports, a union representative said. The Airports Authority Employees Union (AAEU) has also warned that staff would go on mass casual leave from December 28. The government last month cleared a proposal to manage six airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI) under the public-private partnership. The aerodromes are Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru. In a release, the AAEU said it has been compelled to carry out hunger strike and mass casual leave under the banner of joint forum of union and associations of the AAI. Employees would go on a relay hunger strike for three days from Monday. "The relay hunger strike will not impact operations which will continue as we don't want passengers to face any kind of inconvenience," AAEU General Secretary BS Ahlawat told PTI. The AAEU, which represents 9,000 employees, had staged protests across the country on December 4 also against the government's decision. London: A joint team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) led by CBI Joint Director A Sai Manohar on Sunday left for the United Kingdom for court proceedings in connection with India's request seeking extradition of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya. The Westminster Magistrates' Court in London is expected to pronounce its judgment in the case on Monday. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss is wanted in India on charges of alleged fraud and money laundering worth Rs 9,000 crore. Mallya has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is "politically motivated" and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. "I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Kingfisher Airlines. Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud," he had posted on Twitter recently. He had also said that he had offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount. "Please take it," he had tweeted. The trial, which opened at the Magistrates' Court on December 4 last year, has gone through a series of hearings beyond the initial seven days earmarked for it. While the Indian authorities have been trying to make a case of fraud and money laundering against Mallya, his defence team deposed a series of experts to prove that the alleged default of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines' owner. The court was also told that a consortium of Indian banks, led by State Bank of India (SBI), had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to them. While the CPS argued that Mallya never intended to repay the loans he sought in the first place because his airline's demise was inevitable, the defence tried to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the company's control. The judge had also noted that the banks seemed to have gone against their own guidelines while sanctioning some of the loans to the embattled businessman's company. Mallya's defence team has also been questioning the prison conditions in India and presenting them as a reason to not extradite him. However, the judge has already indicated that she did not require any further information in reference to the prison conditions awaiting Mallya at Barrack 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after seeking a video of the cell. The judge's decision on whether to send Mallya's case to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid can be appealed with the UK High Court's permission, with the person to be extradited entitled to make an application for permission to appeal to the High Court within 14 days of the date of the Chief Magistrate's ruling. The Indian government would also have 14 days to file leave to appeal to the High Court, seeking permission to appeal against a decision not to extradite. Beijing: India and China will resume their joint military drills after a one-year gap on Tuesday in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu to improve capabilities in fighting terrorism and promote mutual understanding, officials said on Sunday. The opening ceremony of the drills will be held on December 11, they said. Each side will send 100 troops to take part in the 7th India and China joint military exercises - 'Hand in Hand' - which will focus on counter-terrorism operations, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Col Ren Guoqiang said last month. The exercises will be held after a gap of one year as both the sides were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector of the border in 2017. The strained relations between the two sides later improved resulting in an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Chinese city of Wuhan in April this year. "The drill will promote understanding between the two militaries and improving their capabilities in fighting terrorism," Col Ren said. The exercises, which will conclude on December 23, will include live shooting and adoptive and basic training, he said, adding that true to its name 'Hand in Hand', China and Indian militaries should also work hand in hand for the benefit of people in both the nation. Top leaders from both the countries met on November 24 at the 21st India-China border talks held at Dujiangyan near Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who are the designated Special Representatives, took part in the talks. They called for intensifying efforts to find a solution to the vexed border dispute. Earlier at the 9th Defence dialogue held here on November 13 between Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Lt Gen Shao Yuanming, Deputy Chief of Joint Staff Department of Central Military Commission, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, military ties, border control as well as regional and international issues. NEW DELHI: In a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre, National Conference (NC) chairman Farooq Abdullah has said that the ruling party has been fooling people on the issue of Ram temple. The former J&K chief minister said that the BJP government is allegedly fooling the people of the country by ''ignoring real issues of farmers, unemployment and Dalits, and is instead fighting for the construction of a Ram temple.'' "Today, India is not fighting for the issues that really matter - farmers, unemployment, the downtrodden, the Dalits. They (the BJP government) are fighting for Ram! They are simply fooling the people and destroying Kashmir, " the NC patron said. Abdullah then asked, Is Ram going to come from heaven and improve the situation.'' Today, look at secular democratic India. Youre (BJP) fighting for Ram. Is Ram going to come from heaven and give farmers something better? Or unemployment will disappear in a day because Ram is coming. They are just fooling people, he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The former J&K chief minister also accused the BJP of running a propaganda in the name of development in the state. The NC chief stated that the core problem regarding the issues between Kashmir and the rest of India was the fact that there was a ''complete lack of trust.'' "You think a Kashmiri Muslim is a Pakistani. Why the hell are you pushing us into Pakistan? When you beat a Muslim in a university just because he is a Muslim from Kashmir, what do you think that I, as a Muslim from Kashmir, must be feeling? Have I made the right choice to be part of India? Is this Gandhi's India or Nehru`s India? This is what is playing on our minds," Abdullah said. The veteran NC leader had in November asked why a Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya only as Lord Ram is omnipresent and belongs to the entire world. Remarks from Abdullah came days after BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya had recently claimed that the party is not thinking of bringing an ordinance as of now for construction of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya. However, he asserted that only the grand old party could construct the Ram Mandir as no one else has the guts to do it. He also rubbished oppositions claims that the saffron party rakes up Ram Mandir issue for political benefits ahead of elections. The BJP has not raised the matter, it was saints and other organisations that did. The party has never gone into polls with Ram Mandir issue. For us, the agenda has always been Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas, Vijayvargiya said. KOLKATA: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday claimed the TMC-led state government has not responded to requests for a meeting over the saffron party's proposed 'rath yatra'. "We had sent the letters on Saturday and had requested for a meeting. We are yet to receive any response from the state government," Ghosh said at a press conference. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court had on Friday directed the state's chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police (DGP) to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12, and take a decision on the matter by December 14. Ghosh claimed that a senior police officer called up party officials on Sunday and said the DGP was "very busy". "He declined to give us any specific time frame within which we can sit for a discussion with him (DGP) regarding the 'rath yatra' programme," he said. The state BJP chief said the party had also sent letters to the home secretary, but in vain. "This is really unfortunate that despite the court order, the officials of the state government are not ready for discussions," Ghosh said. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was also present at the press conference, also shared similar sentiments. He said he had specially come from Delhi to talk to the DGP, but the West Bengal government officials were behaving like Trinamool Congress' (TMC) cadres. "Even if the DGP is busy on Sunday and cannot meet BJP leaders to discuss the matter, he should at least give us a specific time, be it Monday or Tuesday, when he would be able to meet. Unfortunately, most of the police and government officials behave as cadres of the TMC," he said. Vijayvargiya dismissed allegations that the BJP's 'rath yatra' was aimed at creating communal tension in the state. "Not a single incident of communal riot has taken place in Bengal due to any BJP rally or programme. The allegations against us are completely baseless," he said. Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's December 16 rally in Siliguri, which was supposed to be a part of the 'rath yatra' campaign, Ghosh said he was still hopeful that it would take place. "We are hopeful that we would be able to conduct the rally of the prime minister as he has given us time. If we get permission for the 'rath yatra' programme by then, it will be part of it or else the rally will take place separately," he said. BJP national president Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from Cooch Behar district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The 'rath yatras' were to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal. The BJP moved the division bench of the Calcutta High Court after a single judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra. Kishtwar police on Sunday arrested a wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Reyaz Ahmad in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishwar district. Ahmad is known for luring youths into terrorism and encouraging them to join militants in terrorist activities. Ahmad is a resident of Sounder Dachhan village and a close associate of hardcore terrorist Mohammad Amin alias 'Jhangir' and was arrested by a police party based on specific information from the town, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Rajinder Gupta said. He said several pictures of Ahmad holding an AK assault rifle had gone viral on social media in the recent past and his name also surfaced during interrogation of two of his associates who were arrested in the town on July 1. Following the arrest of his two associates, a case was registered at the Kishtwar police station. The officer said Ahmad was also involved in another case related to militancy in the Parimpora locality of Srinagar. "Some more arrests and recoveries are expected at his disclosure," the officer said, adding he was a "hardcore motivator encouraging local youth to join militancy". Jehangir is the longest surviving terrorist active in the Kishtwar belt, he said. (With Agency Inputs) Thiruvananthapuram: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Kerala conducted a protest march towards Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's residence over the Sabarimala issue on Sunday. Following this, police used water canon and tear gas shells to disperse protesters. Kerala: BJP workers conduct protest march towards Chief Minister's residence over #Sabarimala issue. Police use water canon and tear gas shells to disperse protesters. pic.twitter.com/Q4TPG5WQDm ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 On Saturday, the Pathanamthitta district administration extended prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) imposed in and around Sabarimala temple areas till the midnight of December 12. Section 144 prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area. As per the decision of the Pathanamthitta district administration, Sabarimala, Elavungal, Nilakkal, Pamba, and Sannidhanam will be under the purview of the police control for four more days. Earlier, the police had submitted a report to the district collector, seeking to extend the prohibitory orders until January 14. The police on Saturday arrested BJP leaders including its state unit vice-president N Shivarajan for breaching prohibitory orders at Nilakkal. Around 69 people were arrested in November after they allegedly violated Section 144 imposed in the vicinity of the temple. A string of protests has been witnessed in the state after the Supreme Court's verdict allowing women of all age groups to enter the Lord Ayappa shrine. Till Saturday, no women in the 10-50 age group has succeeded in offering prayers at the shrine as various people have been protesting against the court`s decision. (Witn inputs from agencies) THANE/MUMBAI: Union Minister and Republican Party of India (RPI-A) chief Ramdas Athawale, who was attacked by a youth during an event in Ambernath town on Saturday, said on Sunday that he will meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and demand a thorough probe into the incident. The RPI-A chief also ridiculed the security arrangement put in place by the district administration in the Ambernath town and said there were many lapses in it. ''I'm a popular leader. This might have been done at the behest of someone angry over something. Security arrangement there wasn't adequate. I'll meet the state's CM over this incident. It should be investigated,'' Athawale told ANI. Ramdas Athawale on him being slapped by a worker of RPI(A) at an event in Thane y'day: I'm a popular leader,this might have been done at behest of someone angry over something. Security arrangement there wasn't adequate. I'll meet CM over this incident. It should be investigated. pic.twitter.com/Btud6fvU2s ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 A 30-year-old man, identified as Pravin Gosavi, was detained for allegedly attempting to slap Athawale at a public event in Maharashtra's Ambernath town in Thane district on Saturday night. The RPI-A chief was in the town to address a rally there on Saturday. Athawale had just got off the dais after delivering a speech on the Constitution when the incident happened at around 10.15 PM, a police officer said. Pravin Gosavi, on the pretext of garlanding Athawale, allegedly tried to slap him, following which people overpowered him, beat him up and handed him over to the police. The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavi's attempt to assault him, the officer said. Gosavi, who was first admitted to a hospital in Ulhasnagar town following the public beating, was later shifted to a state-run hospital in Mumbai, the police said. "We have registered a case under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code. Gosavi has been detained and not arrested as yet," said Ambernath Police Station Inspector KG Chavan. While a probe was underway to ascertain why Gosavi had tried to attack the Minister, a senior police officer said it could have been out of frustration for having been expelled from the RPI (A). "Gosavi's membership was terminated from the Republican Party of India (Athawale) a year ago for criminal activities as he was blackmailing people through RTI (Right to Information pleas)," PP Shewale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone IV), Thane Police, said. "He may have been frustrated over it (expulsion from the party) and may have tried to manhandle the Union Minister," the DCP added. Meanwhile, a video of the incident has also gone viral on social media. #WATCH Maha: People thrash Pravin Gosavi, a worker of the youth wing of Republican Party of India, who slapped Union Minister & party leader Ramdas Athawale at an event in Thane y'day. Gosavi has been admitted to a hospital. FIR registered against him, investigation on. (08.12) pic.twitter.com/zvYmNaV8Wi ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 The local RPI (A) unit has called for a shutdown in Ambernath and Maharashtra on Sunday as a mark of protest. A police officer said the situation in the town was calm and under control, with a large posse of police personnel out on the streets to keep vigil. No untoward incident has been reported since morning, the officer added. (With PTI inputs) New Delhi: Popular television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee, known for her role as Gopi Bahu in Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, has been detained by the Pant Nagar Police in connection with the death of Mumbai businessman Rajeshwar Udani. As per an ANI report, TV actress Devoleena and Sachin Pawar were asked to appear before the Pant Nagar Police station to record their statements in connection with the death of diamond merchant in Navi Mumbai. ANI tweeted, "Maharashtra: TV actors Devoleena Bhattacharjee & Sachin Pawar today appeared before Pant Nagar Police station to record their statements in connection with the death of a businessman in Navi Mumbai. The businessman was missing since November 29 & his body was recovered yesterday. pic.twitter.com/TrbpjUSB7L." Devoleena became a popular face in Television after playing the role of Gopi bahu for six years in Saath Nibhaana Saathiya, which aired on Star Plus. The actress was rumoured to be dating politician Sachin Pawar. The mission found out that five tanks (four T-64 and T-72) are still absent, as well as two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, and 122mm) were located along the withdrawal lines Open source The OSCE monitors in Donbas recorded two 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, four D-30 Zhaba howitzers. As the press office of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) reports on Facebook, the artillery was detected near Bile urban-type settlement in Luhansk region. "On the same day, the mission found out that five tanks (four T-64 and T-72) are still absent, as well as two self-propelled howitzers were located (2S1 Gvozdika, and 122mm) along the withdrawal lines. However, outside certain storage areas for heavy weapons in areas temporarily beyond the control of the Government of Ukraine," the JFO HQ reported. Related: Ukrainian serviceman wounded in Donbas today Earlier, according to the HQ, the situation in the JFO zone was tense but controlled. The militants opened fire 13 times, having performed shelling at the JFO positions near Krymske, Zaitseve, Avdiivka, Vodiane, Pesky, Opytne, Taramchuk, Chermalyk, Bohdanivka, Hnutove, Vodiane, and Pryazovia. The enemy was firing grenade launchers of different systems, heavy machine guns and small arms. Besides, the activity of a sniper was recorded in one of the directions. The Board of directors will discuss cooperation with Ukraine in the framework of the new stand-by program Open source The International Monetary Fund Board of Directors will convene a meeting on cooperation with Ukraine on December 18. This is reported on the IMF website. The agenda of the meeting includes, in addition discussing the stand-by program, termination of the expanded funding program, approved in March 2015. Earlier it was reported that before the end of the year, Ukraine could receive a new tranche from the IMF. It is assumed that its amount will be one and a half billion dollars. October 19, the government decided to raise gas prices by 23.5% from November 1. Within an hour after the relevant decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, a statement appeared on the IMF website that Ukraine and the IMF reached an agreement on a new stand-by program worth $ 3.9 billion, which will replace the expanded financing program (EFF), approved in March 2015 and expiring in March 2019. Earlier Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the organization, said that martial law will not influence the cooperation with the IMF, as the press office of the Head of the State reported. The Head of State informed Madame Lagarde about the adoption and the key parameters of the State Budget of Ukraine for the year 2019. Madame Lagarde noted that, according to the IMFs preliminary estimates, the key indicators of the State Budget of Ukraine are in line with the parameters agreed with the Fund, the message reads. The IMF Managing Director confirmed readiness to provide relevant technical support of Ukraine in reforming the fiscal policy and tax administration. Besides, the interlocutors discussed the further steps to be taken in terms of the session of the IMF Executive Board in December for consideration of stand-by program for Ukraine. Prime Minister of Great Britain Theresa May approved the list of six Russian oligarchs, who will be checked by law enforcement and financial authorities, reports The Telegraph. Owner of Chelsea F.C. Roman Abramovich, former president of Rusala Oleg Deripaska, founder of USM Holdings Alisher Usmanov, Arkady and Boris Rotenberg and head of Rosneft Igor Sechin will fall under sanctions in the United Kingdom. The last three names are already under sanctions in the U.S. and the EU. London believes that these businessmen are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and serve as Kremlins 'wallets'. The British authorities intend to withdraw visas from Russian billionaires, check the origin of their assets and the legality of the acquisition of real estate. London plans to ask the US and the EU to conduct similar checks. Since December 7, the UK has suspended the issuance of investor visas (category Tier 1) for Russians. The authorities explain this with measures to fight the laundering of "dirty" money. Investment visa was issued for a contribution in the amount of 2 million pounds to the British economy. It allowed wealthy Russians under a simplified procedure to obtain a permanent residence permit in Albion, and subsequently a British passport. The issuance of investor visas will be resumed in 2019, but applicants will need to report on the origin of their capital. Measures taken against the oligarchs are a response to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury with the use of Novichok nerve agent. London considers this incident as a use of chemical weapons on their territory by Russia. Open source President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko urged not to allow the revenge of the pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, so as not to give them a chance to interrupt Ukraines movement to the European Union and NATO. The head of state said this at a ceremonial meeting on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Prosvita foundation during a working visit to the Lviv region, 112 Ukraine broadcasted. "EU high-ranking officials, leaders of partner countries and allies have repeatedly pointed out that in four years Ukraine came closer to the European Union more than in the previous twenty-three. At the Brussels Summit of NATO this year, all the heads of state and government of the Alliance urged to provide the prospect of membership for Ukraine and Georgia ", said the President. He stressed that only membership in the European Union and NATO definitively guarantees our independence from Russia. And cautioned: Unfortunately, our enemies clearly understand this. Therefore, they are planning a revenge during the presidential and parliamentary elections in order to block our movement to Europe. And if they are lucky enough, they could also turn Ukraine back. Earlier Ukraine' President Petro Poroshenko said that on Monday, December 10, he would sign the law on the termination of the Treaty of Friendship with Russia. He stated this during a speech on the occasion of the Prosvita Society150th anniversary. The Verkhovna Rada approved the termination of a Friendship treaty with the Russian Federation on December 6. Taking into account the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, MPs decided to terminate the Treaty. Romania blocked a critical statement of the European Union about the situation in Moldova because of the "nuances in determining the most effective approaches." As reported by NewsMaker, the Romanian Foreign Ministry stressed that now we have the inappropriate conditions for the adoption of critical conclusions on Moldova by the EU. In Romania, they said that the EU "should directly communicate its position and expectations to Chisinau" regarding reforms. The Foreign Ministry noted that relations with Moldova are a constant topic of discussion at the EU level. The Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov, illegally convicted in Russia, has organic lesions of the heart, liver, and kidneys. His lawyer Dmitry Dinze said in a commentary to the Echo of Moscow radio station. According to him, Sentsovs hunger strike did not pass without a trace, and the doctors discovered organic lesions in his heart, liver, and kidneys. "His health condition is not so good, at least the organic changes that he had might be gone. Nobody can give 100% predictions about his health. The treatment continues, and it is not known when it will end," said the lawyer. As we reported earlier, Oleg Sentsov stopped his 145-days hunger strike in the Russian colony. According to the lawyer of Sentsov, the decision to end the hunger strike was made after Russian doctors and jailers issued an ultimatum to the director, suggesting either to voluntarily stop the hunger strike or agree to force-feed. Oleg Sentsov began his hunger strike on May 14, 2018. The main requirement was to release the Ukrainians, who became political prisoners of the Kremlin. European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers, and Gender Equality Vera Jourova wrote a letter to Russia's Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov. She urges to re-consider the case of Ukrainian political prisoner Oleg Sentsov and release him. "I strongly urge you to reconsider the case on humanitarian grounds and taking into account the international commitments of Russia in the human rights, to release Mr. Sentsov. Such gesture will send the powerful signal about the commitments of Russia on the observation of the international right and human rights to the world," Jourova wrote. She also urged the Justice Ministry of Russia to provide the Ukrainian side, including the ombudswoman, the access to Sentsov in the colony. On August 29, Lech Waesa, the Polish leader in 1990-1995, the holder of Nobel Peace Prize offered to nominate Ukrainian movie maker and political prisoner Oleg Sentsov for this prize. On September 12, the European People's Party nominated Ukrainian political prisoner, filmmaker Oleg Sentsov for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Oleg Sentsov, the Ukrainian political prisoner, has been starving in Russia penal colony of Labytnangi for 100 days now. He announced a hunger strike in May 2014, demanding to release him and the rest of Ukrainian political prisoners illegally held by the Kremlin. Sentsov already survived three health crises; the medics warn that the fourth one, which might involve the breakdown of the body's internal organs, could begin anytime. The Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine switched to enhanced duty mode, reports the press office of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Deputy Minister of Ministry of Internal Affairs Vadym Troyan headed operational headquarters, which was created to coordinate the work of all bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and monitor the situation. The headquarters include First Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Vasyl Servatyuk, Deputy Head of the National Police Oleksandr Fatsevych, First Deputy Head of State Emergency Service Oleh Melchutsky, Deputy Commander of the National Guard, as well as First Deputy Head of the State Migration Service Natalia Naumenko and others, reads the message. Related: Checkpoint upon entry to Odesa enhanced with armored vehicles It is noted that territorial operational headquarters were also set up under the organs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. All of them will work around the clock and will be engaged in the exchange of information and coordination with the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Security Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Intelligence Directorate General of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the State Security Directorate and the state special services. Satellite images from Google Earth, taken in November of this year, showed hundreds of Russian main battle tanks on a new military base on the outskirts of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov region. Relevant photos were published by Defense Blog. "A large-scale military base is only 18 kilometers from the border with territory held by insurgents in eastern Ukraine. The images show hundreds of main battle tanks, such as the T-64 and T-62M, while thousands of military trucks, artillery systems, and tankers are also located a little higher, "the publication said. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko urged not to allow the revenge of the pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, so as not to give them a chance to interrupt Ukraines movement to the European Union and NATO. The head of state said this at a ceremonial meeting on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Prosvita foundation during a working visit to the Lviv region. "EU high-ranking officials, leaders of partner countries and allies have repeatedly pointed out that in four years Ukraine came closer to the European Union more than in the previous twenty-three. At the Brussels Summit of NATO this year, all the heads of state and government of the Alliance urged to provide the prospect of membership for Ukraine and Georgia," said the President. "Maidan 2018" and Neo-nazi symbol Celtic Cross inscription was detected in Paris, Ukrainian media made a neutral/positive news about the fact that "A Maidan supporter has been spotted at the French protests" thus endorsing the white supremacist discourse The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) states about Russian influence in the protests of the "yellow vests" (Gilets jaunes) in France. Security Service press center with reference to the head of the service Vasyl Hrytsak informed. "International borders are not an obstacle for Russian hybrid aggression. By dirty methods, the Kremlin is destroying European stability because it sees it as a threat to itself," Hrytsak noted. The reason for such a statement was a photo with the flag of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) militants against the background of the Paris protest actions of recent days. Meanwhile, some sources (both Ukrainian and French ones) has also found a picture of "Maidan supporters spotted at the French protests." Notable, Ukrainian media made a neutral/positive news about the fact that "A Maidan supporter has been spotted at the French protests." The Celtic Cross, depicted below, has been in use for many years as a symbol of the White Power movement. Norwegian Nazis used a version of the symbol in the 1930s and 1940s. After World War II, a variety of white supremacist groups and movements adopted the symbol. Today, this version of the Celtic Cross is used by neo-Nazis, racist skinheads, Ku Klux Klan members and virtually every other type of white supremacist. Another rally of Gilets jaunes (Yellow vests) has come to an end In Paris, France. According to the French Interior Ministry, 125,000 protesters took part in it on December 8, Le Figaro reports. During the protest day, 135 people were injured in Paris. Interior Minister Christoph Castaner reported that seven law enforcement officers got injured. It is reported that the police conducted 1,385 detentions, 974 people were still left under arrest. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is electing a new parliament. 2010 polling stations across 13 electoral districts throughout the country have opened as of 08:00, December 9. The vote will be concluded at 20:00, and the ballot count will begin. Nine political parties and two alliances are running for parliament. Candidates are Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Citizens Decision Social-Democratic Party, ARF, aka Dashnaktsutyun, the ruling My Step Alliance, Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) Party, Christian-Democratic Rebirth Party, National Progress Party, Menk (We) Alliance, Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law, aka Country of Law) Party and Bargavatch Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party. According to official data, 2,573,779 people are entitled to vote. 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 9, ARMENPRESS. Acting foreign minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on December 8 received the observer delegation of the European Parliament led by EP Vice-President Heidi Hautala who arrived in Yerevan to observe todays early parliamentary elections, the foreign ministry told Armenpress. The acting FM introduced the guests on the recent domestic political developments in Armenia, stating that the priority directions of the government were strengthening of justice, rule of law, as well as guaranteeing equal opportunities in the socio-economic sector. As a key point the acting minister highlighted holding parliamentary elections expressing the will of the people and being in accordance with the international standards. At the request of the guests, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan also introduced the main directions and priorities of the governments foreign policy agenda which are based on the principle of continuation aimed at protecting the national interest of Armenia. The officials also exchanged views on the agenda issues of the Armenia-EU relations. They attached importance to the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement in the context of development of mutual partnership in bilateral and multilateral fields. The meeting participants also discussed a number of regional and international issues. Acting FM Mnatsakanyan presented Armenias position and approaches on the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, reaffirming the Armenian sides commitment to the exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan has wished the next legislative to contribute great efforts in developing the economy and welfare of the population. I think our main goal must be ensuring the security of Armenia and Artsakh, the further development and strengthening of the democracy that we have, and to uphold the values that we have struggled for until now, he said after voting in the general election today. 2010 polling stations across 13 electoral districts throughout the country have opened as of 08:00, December 9, as the country is electing a new parliament. The vote will be concluded at 20:00, and the ballot count will begin. Nine political parties and two alliances are running for parliament. Candidates are Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Citizens Decision Social-Democratic Party, ARF, aka Dashnaktsutyun, the ruling My Step Alliance, Lusavor Hayastan (Luminous Armenia) Party, Christian-Peoples Rebirth Party, National Progress Party, Menk (We) Alliance, Orinats Yerkir (Rule of Law, aka Country of Law) Party and Bargavatch Hayastan (Prosperous Armenia) Party. According to official data, 2,573,779 people are entitled to vote. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Prosperous Armenia party leader Gagik Tsarukyan says he is participating in the snap parliamentary elections in order to fully use his opportunities for the countrys development, strengthening and the welfare of the people, he told reporters after voting in 29/29 polling station in Arinj, reports Armenpress. Asked why he made a decision to enter the parliament and engage in politics being as an owner, Tsarukyan said: Today the most successful political figures of the world are the great owners who neither need position nor money. They love their homeland and want to do something good, he said and brought the example of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and current US President Donald Trump as successful political figures. In response to the question whether he considers acting Prime Minister Nikol Psahinyan, who heads the list of My Step bloc, a successful political figure, Tsarukyan said: The whole people believe and trust him, stand together with him. The rest depends on the economic revolution. Gagik Tsarukyan refused to comment on the arrest of former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan, noting: All in this country are equal before the law. Early parliamentary elections kicked off in Armenia on December 9. All polling stations opened at 08:00. The voting will be over at 20:00. 11 political forces - 9 parties and 2 party blocs, are participating in the elections. They are the followings: The Republican Party of Armenia, the Citizens Decision Socio-Democratic party, the ARF, My Step party bloc, Bright Armenia party, Christian-Peoples Rebirth party, National Progress party, We party bloc, Rule of Law party, Sasna Tsrer party and Prosperous Armenia party. The total number of eligible voters is 2 million 573 thousand 779. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The Criminal Code of Armenia doesnt have a political vendetta article, National Security Service director Artur Vanetsyan told reporters, commenting on jailed former President Robert Kocharyans statements regarding the arrest process. The Criminal Code of Armenia clearly defines the articles, the charges against Kocharyan are presented, everything will be clear in court, Vanetsyan said. Speaking about the wiretapping of his phone conversation with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Vanetsyan said the leaked audio recording is edited. The parts that arent [advantageous] for the wiretappers have been edited. Look, when the NSS director is reporting to the Prime Minister, he doesnt say where he has received the information from, who called, he doesnt specify, he only raises concrete issues. The Prime Minister said ensure the independence of the court, so that no one pressures the court. My mobile phone has been given to an independent probing body which has decoded it. All applications, even my personal texts, have been restored through a special software. This is all included in the criminal cases materials. Time will put everything in its place, he said. He said he hasnt done anything to be ashamed of as NSS director, or anything that his family or the society can be ashamed of. To a reporters observation that the wiretapping of the PM and the NSS director is a national security matter, he said: Dont assess it the way that if an official has been wiretapped then theres a national security threat. In todays world of technical development, even Merkel has been wiretapped, the Chinese leader has been wiretapped. A national security threat will constitute a turbulent situation at the border. He also spoke about the summoning of HHK candidate for parliament Davit Shahnazaryan. He has been invited to the NSS to give explanations regarding his statements. Davit Shahnazaryan didnt show up, without any substantiating reason. This shows what goal his statement pursued. He isnt coming to the NSS in order to give an official look to his statement, this means that there are no grounds in what he said. Everyone will assess to what extent Davit Shahnazaryans statement meets the reality, what value it has. I would like to take this opportunity to call on everyone to come and file reports in the event of having any information about conspiracies threatening Artsakh, Armenia, or about surrendering any part, he said. Vanetsyan said it is the public that is appreciating the NSS work, the majority of whom trusts this structure. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. Bright Armenia party chairman Edmon Marukyan today cast ballot in the snap parliamentary elections, reports Armenpress. Marukyan told reporters that he has voted for Armenias present, he has started, and future they talked about during the election campaign. My message is the following: today is the end of the fight between the old and the new. I call on the citizens to actively visit the polling stations and fulfill their civil duty, not to worry and think that everything is over. Everything will be over on this day. Today until 8:00 the citizens have time to reach all these to its end. Therefore, we all have to take action today, he said. He urged the Police to take respective actions immediately upon receiving all concerning reports. The number one responsible for todays elections is the current leadership and the law enforcement agencies. I hope all bad phenomena, that existed and their remains will try to do something today, will be detected, Edmon Marukyan said. Early parliamentary elections kicked off in Armenia on December 9. All polling stations opened at 08:00. The voting will be over at 20:00. 11 political forces - 9 parties and 2 party blocs, are participating in the elections. They are the followings: The Republican Party of Armenia, the Citizens Decision Socio-Democratic party, the ARF, My Step party bloc, Bright Armenia party, Christian-Peoples Rebirth party, National Progress party, We party bloc, Rule of Law party, Sasna Tsrer party and Prosperous Armenia party. The total number of eligible voters is 2 million 573 thousand 779. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The ARF, known as Dashnaktsutyun, doesnt hurry to comment on former President of Armenia Robert Kocharyans arrest. A political statement at this moment wont be appropriate, I dont want to give assessments, by leaving the matter to lawyers and the court, ARF candidate for parliament MP Armen Rustamyan told reporters. We will follow the process in any case, he said. He said that Kocharyans trial has such great resonance and significance that everything must be done in scrutiny, by respecting the letter of the law. He said this case will be a trial of the judicial system. This isnt a matter of defending Robert Kocharyan, we are proceeding with the same logic, from positions of independent citizens, if he is guilty he must be held to account. We simply wanted not to make political statements regarding the elections. I am sure we will have the chance to make a statement in its time, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 9, ARMENPRESS. The General Prosecutions task force has studied and recapped 64 reports on alleged violations relating the ongoing vote as of 13:00. The reports are being validated. Materials are being prepared on substantiating 31 of the reports for sufficient grounds for launching criminal cases. 27 of these cases relate to attempted double voting cases. 33 more cases of various natures are being validated, and several have already been cleared of wrongdoing. The prosecution said that the working group continues working. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan The storming of parliament was broadcast around the globe and also sent shock waves through PNG's political establishment. Not since the Sandline Crisis in 1996 had security forces personnel converged with hostility on parliament house. The incident occurred around midday, two hours before parliament was to convene at 2pm for the opposition to respond to the government's 2019 budget that had been presented a week earlier. MADANG - On Tuesday 23 November, just two days after APEC summit concluded, more than 300 police and correctional services personnel stormed parliament house, smashing windows, furniture and assaulting parliament security guards. The incident in 1996 had been led by the PNG military, challenging the Chan government's decision to engage overseas mercenaries to engage in the Bougainville conflict. It was planned and led by Major General Jerry Singirok who was pressuring then prime minister Julius Chan to resign. However, this time the issue was a civil dispute in which police and correctional officers were angry at the O'Neill government's failure to settle unpaid allowances. Eyewitnesses confirmed they were shouting that they had enough of the corrupt O'Neill government. After the incident, parliamentary officers and government members were quick to suggest the opposition was behind the storming of the Haus Tambaran. When the media sought a response from Chris Hawkins, the APEC CEO and ONeills chief media officer, he suggested they contact the opposition. As parliament convened at 2pm, the speaker of parliament, Job Pomat, announced he wanted an investigation into who was responsible, making reference to the opposition. Two days after incident, the police commissioner staged a press conference and implied I had something to do with the protest. This has been referred to since, including at last weeks Mining and Petroleum Conference in Sydney. So what credible evidence was produced to establish my involvement? Short answer - none. If I had command and control over 300 plus security forces, I would not have wasted their time breaking glass windows and stealing water coolers, I would have suggested they carryout sweeping arrests of corrupt politicians, senior public servants and foreign cronies associated with O'Neill - an act they would not have to fear being arrested for as the PNG constitution provides them with such powers. If anything the incident should be a stern warning to members of parliament, public servants and foreign cronies who have enriched themselves at the expense of our people. The incident, while regrettable, is only the beginning of what is yet to come. In February 2019, members of parliament will be afforded the opportunity to remove a corrupt prime minister and form a new government which will be committed to addressing the serious socioeconomic issues affecting our country such as the cost of living, unjustified and misused tax increases, collapsing health services, the influx of foreign nationals who have become overnight millionaires on public funds, an education system pushing out 50,000 school leavers without real employment opportunities, a kina losing its value and a country sinking in debt. These, combined with escalating law and order issues, are symptoms of social and economic breakdown caused by systemic corruption. Come February 2019, should O'Neill and his cronies continue to highjack and corrupt our democratic processes, then all bets are off. I will travel the length and breadth of the country to awaken the nation that these people must all be brought to account. While there are many critics who are quick to brand me as a first time member of parliament, what they forget is how much ground I've been able to cover in just one year. What is certain is that in 2019 O'Neill will be removed from office whether by democratic process or by the will of eight million Papua New Guineans. Photo: When security forces stormed parliament they damaged every office on my wing except mine, which was left untouched. More than 1,300 were arrested and dozens injured after violent anti-government protests engulfed France here's how the clashes unfolded Yellow vest protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday, in what quickly devolved into violent clashes with police. The demonstrators began by protesting a planned fuel tax hike weeks ago, but participants have continued even after the French government canceled the increase. The protesters continue to be outraged over French President Emmanuel Macron, economic inequality, and worsening living standards. For the fourth weekend in a row, yellow vest protesters took to the streets across France to demonstrate against President Emmanuel Macron, high taxes, and economic inequality. The weekly protests have steadily grown more violent, and French officials said by the end of Saturday, dozens were injured and hundreds arrested. Thousands of police officers were deployed to control the riots, eventually firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and repelling demonstrators with water cannons. Here's how the clashes unfolded: The so-called "Yellow Vest" movement was first sparked weeks ago, when protestors began demonstrating against a planned fuel tax increase. Many of the demonstrators are working-class or impoverished residents of France. In response to the growing outrage and violence, Macron eventually backed down and canceled the fuel tax increase on Wednesday. Source: The New York Times Nevertheless, the protests have evolved into riots about more than just a tax hike they are protesting against Macron himself, France's worsening living standards, and economic inequality. Though much of the action took place in Paris on Saturday, violence also erupted in the French cities of Bordeaux, Marseille, and Toulouse. Source: Associated Press Roughly 125,000 people nationwide are estimated to have attended the protests, with 10,000 of them in Paris. Source: Associated Press Interior Minister Christophe Castener told media that 135 people were injured in the demonstrations, including 17 police officers, and 1,385 were taken in for questioning. Story continues Source: CNN At one point, protesters even allegedly smashed the glass store-front of a Starbucks cafe and served themselves beverages. https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1071439416533639169?ref_src=twsrc^tfw Sources: Agence France-Presse, Associated Press US President Donald Trump has seized on the protests to attack the Paris Climate Agreement, from which he withdrew the US last year. Source: Business Insider "The Paris Agreement isn't working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France," Trump tweeted. "People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting 'We Want Trump!' Love France." Despite Trump's claim, there is no evidence the French protestors were chanting "we want trump." A school in Rhode Island hired a collection agency to recoup lunch debts, and this isn't the first time it's happened Cranston Public Schools notified parents that in 2019, debts owed on lunches would be turned over to a debt collection organisation that would act on debts above $US20. Cranston says current debts for the year total $US45,859. 43% of students in the district are eligible for free or reduced lunch. A Rhode Island school district has taken 'give me all your lunch money' to another level, hiring a collection agency to recoup lunch debts owed by parents. NBC reports that the Cranston Public Schools notified parents that in 2019, debts owed on lunches would be turned over to a debt collection organisation that would act on debts above $US20. Lunch in the district costs $US2.50 per day for elementary school students and $US3.50 per day for middle and high school students. "In an effort to reduce our unpaid balance, the District has retained the services of a collection agency. The company is Transworld Systems and they will begin their collection efforts effective January 2, 2019," wrote the school's chief operating officer Raymond Votto Jr. in a letter addressed to parents. Read more:'We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good': Trump budget would slash funding from program that feeds 2 million seniors Votto claimed that in the last two years, the school district lost $US95,508 from lunch debt. He says the debt for the current school year is $US45,859. The move has raised questions about the effect on struggling families in the district, where 43% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch, according to a Rhode Island report from February. Lois Clemens, who has a grandson at a Cranston elementary school told NBC, "Yeah, $US45,000 is a lot of money for the school district to not have, but then on the other hand I know what it's like not to have enough money." The school reportedly plans to still feed kids the same meal regardless of whether or not their parents owe money. Previously, the district fed kids who owed money a different meal. Cranston isn't the first district to send lunch debt to collections. In 2012, an Ohio district sent $US900,000 in lunch debt to a collections agency, according to HuffPost. In Davidson County, North Carolina, a 2011 policy ordered debts above $US37.50 be sent to collections. In Missouri, Columbia Public Schools began debating a proposal in November that would send debts above $US25 to a collection agency. New Zealand police have found a body which they believe belongs to British backpacker Grace Millane who went missing in Auckland about a week ago. Police told Yahoo7 they located the body of the 22-year-old English woman, who was travelling in New Zealand on the second leg of a year-long adventure, on Sunday. The body was found in a section of bushland off Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges, about 30 kilometres southwest of Auckland. Detective Inspector Scott Beard revealed the discovery of the body at a press conference near the search site about 4.30pm (local time) on Sunday. Earlier that day, Det Insp Beard said police were methodically combing an area of bush in the ranges. Grace Millane (pictured), from Essex, was on the second leg of a year-long trip around the world after graduating university. Source: Facebook/Lucie Blackman Trust The search started after the young woman was last seen alive on camera arriving at the Citylife Hotel with a man late on December 1 the day before her 22nd birthday. A 26-year-old man she was seen with will be charged with murder and appear in court next week, police said. A week-long search turned into a homicide probe this weekend, with officers saying a scene examination at the hotel and video footage had concluded Ms Millane was no longer alive. Police say there is no evidence she and the man knew each other prior, but have not commented on how they met. New Zealand police were combing an area of bush along Scenic Drive (pictured), a route along the citys Waitakere Ranges regional park. Source: Google Maps Street View Ms Millane, from Essex, was on the second leg of a year-long trip around the world after graduating university. After visiting Peru, she arrived alone in New Zealand last month and had been in touch with family and friends nearly daily until her disappearance. Her father, David Millane, arrived in New Zealand on Friday, and made an emotional public appeal for help in finding Grace, who he described as a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter. -With AAP A 19-year-old man has died and three people remain critically ill after attending a Sydney dance party. The teenager was among more than 18,000 people who attended the Knockout Games of Destiny Dancy Party at Sydney Olympic Park in Homebush, in the citys west, on Saturday night. He was transported to Concord Hospital after a suspected drug overdose and died about 4.30am on Sunday, NSW police said in a statement. Three people remain in a critical but stable condition also after suspected drug overdoses. Police conducted more than 200 searches at the dance party. Source: Facebook/HSU-Harder Styles United, file The man and two women, aged 19 and 25, were taken to Westmead Hospital. An additional 13 people were hospitalised and another 130 people sought medical assistance during the event. Auburn Police Area Command and specialist police units conducted more than 200 searches at the party and found 62 people in possession of drugs. Five people were charged with drug supply offences. A 19-year-old man has died following the dance party at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush. Source: 7News An 18-year-old woman was allegedly found with 390 MDMA capsules and was charged with supply prohibited drug. She is due to appear at Burwood Local Court on January 10, 2019. An additional three people were charged with drug supply offences and will appear in court at a later date. Officers from the Auburn Police Area Command are investigating the circumstances surrounding the mans death and will prepare a report for the Coroner. Police urge people to come forward with relevant information. More than 18,000 people attended the dance party in Homebush, west of Sydney. Source: 7News Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday she was beside herself that young people werent getting the message. Of course we want young people to have fun but dont take an illegal substance, it can kill you, Ms Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. Thats why we took the measure to increase penalties for people supplying these illegal substances to a maximum of 20 years. Asked if it was time to reconsider the governments position on pill testing, Ms Berejiklian said no. Unfortunately, we know that pill testing wont work because itll give people a green light to taking substances, which in the end could still kill them, she said. -With AAP An eight-year-old girl has been paralysed from the waist down after performing a cartwheel during a school dance class. The incident occurred in the province of Hunan in China where the girl, identified only with her nickname Han Han, fell during the dance class. She was then told by her instructor to have a rest, but later she was asked to rejoin the class. An eight-year-old schoolgirl has been paralysed from the waist down after performing a cartwheel during a school dance class. Source: AsiaWire/Australscope Han Han, who suffered a severe pain, later complained she could not feel her legs. After being taken to a few hospitals, she was diagnosed with spinal injuries that had caused paraplegia, which is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. Her parents were told their child may regain some level of mobility, but it might take years until she recovers, if ever. Han Han needs 24-hour assistance from her parents. She was diagnosed with spinal injuries that had caused paraplegia. Source: AsiaWire/Australscope However, the girls dance instructor has reportedly denied any responsibility saying that all other children were practising the same exercises. It is not known whether a report against the school or the instructor has been filed. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy AUBURN Marcus Penta's eyes lit up when he finally found the Elf on the Shelf toy he had been looking for at Walmart Saturday. Marcus, 8, searched for the female elf to go with the male elf toy he carried around during the sixth annual Shop with a Cop, where deputies from the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office took children holiday shopping, with $100 Walmart gift cards provided by the Cayuga County Deputy Sheriff's Benevolent Association. Marcus, Deputy Robert Guarnieri and Dalton Moniz, a student from the criminal justice program at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES, looked at the elf they had been searching for since they entered the store. Marcus decided to name the elf "Chrissy." Guarnieri said he loves volunteering for the annual program. "There aren't a lot of opportunities to put smiles on people's faces in this job, let's face it," Guarnieri said, noting that he takes every opportunity he can to have positive interactions with the community. Detective Lt. Brian Schenck said the event is his favorite part of the entire year. Children may be accustomed to the idea that they only see law enforcement when something bad happens, he said, so the event is a chance for members of the sheriff's office to show that they are "real people" and to interact with children on a happy occasion. At one point, brothers Damian Townsend and Jacob Moore hunted for Pokemon cards with Aileen Campanello. Jacob, 10, exclaimed "Cha-ching" upon finding the right collection of cards, which made Campanello laugh. Campanello said she was thrilled to make the holidays of children brighter, noting she has paid for items out for her own pocket for items in the past. "Best Christmas ever," Damian, 7, said. Damian grinned as the trio left the card aisle. Campanello noted that was the first time she had seen Damian smile as they gave each other a fist bump. Detective Nicole Stewart said that her partner for the day, Cole Kellogg, initially refused to buy anything for himself and planned to buy gifts for others. She eventually convinced Cole, 7, to buy himself something, so he chose a blender he plans to use to make smoothies and shakes. After getting free pretzels from the Auntie Anne's in the store, everyone went to the sheriff's office to wrap the gifts and eat pizza donated from Mark's Pizzeria. Deputy Brian Myers said as he wrapped gifts that he enjoyed the event immensely. "It's a blast from start to finish," Myers said. Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 9 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 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. The Moravia Town Council has voted to stop operating its summer recreation program after losing thousands of dollars on it in recent years. The town council made the unanimous decision at a meeting Nov. 28, town supervisor Terry Baxter said earlier this week. When Baxter asked the Moravia Central School District Board of Education to take over the program at an October meeting, he said the town had lost around $17,000 through the program over the last three years. The financial burden of running the program, though, is likely not something the school district will pick up, the district's superintendent said this week. The program involved various recreational activities over six weeks every summer at the Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, with a little over 200 children from kindergarten to sixth grade in the program earlier this year. Children in the Moravia school district are eligible for the program, with students from the town of Moravia, the village of Moravia, the town of Locke and the town of Niles participating over the last decade. Municipalities are supposed to pay for children in their area to participate, with the town of Moravia running the program, but the funds that were coming in weren't covering costs. The town calculated the cost per student to be about $210, between the cost of supplies, the $1,050 fee the park charged the town to host the program and the salaries of employees such as the program's two directors, program counselors, a nurse and a lifeguard. Baxter had previously said the recent program cost around $40,000 total. Baxter said municipalities would set aside a certain amount to pay for the program, but have to deal with factors they can't necessarily account for between November when municipalities typically decide their annual budgets and July, such as how much snow removal an area will require. As a result, some towns were not paying for their share of the program. Two of the municipalities have agreed to pay back some of the money from this year's loss, Baxter said. He noted that Locke also recently voted to no longer participate in the program, which would have raised costs for the remaining municipalities, as the cost would be divided between fewer entities. Baxter said he believes the school district is better qualified to run the program than the town "because they have the jurisdiction" over the municipalities, as municipalities send their children to attend school in the district and pay school taxes. "I think there's a good reason and benefit to having a summer recreation program for the kids," Baxter said. John Birmingham, superintendent of the Moravia school district, said in an email this week he has studied the issue since Baxter approached the board in October. He said he reviewed the town's summer recreation budget and the district's budget and "surveyed school districts in the area to see if there was a regional model of how this would run that we could look towards for specifics," but found none. Birmingham said the district understands the value of the program, but said taking it over is not financially viable. The program's annual cost in 2018 is equal to about 20 percent of the tax levy increase in this year's district budget, he said. "We are saddened by the loss of the program. Unfortunately, the school district is not in position to fill that void by assuming programmatic and financial control of the program. While we understand the benefits of summer recreation, the Board of Education cannot justify adding to the tax burden of its residents," Birmingham said. He said the district was willing to work with the town to find and secure revenue sources such as private or public grants, give transportation for field trips, allow the use of school facilities and more. Speaking of community reaction to the town's decision, Birmingham said he is aware of many parents voicing their disappointment at the town council meeting. "These parents and other community members would like to see the program continue and are willing to be part of a committee to help save this program. Many of the parents that have reached out to me personally do not believe that the school should assume programmatic and financial control of the program," he said. A community member has asked to talk about the issue at the district's next board of education meeting, which takes place Wednesday. Every person who wants to be heard will be able to do so under the established guidelines for addressing the board, Birmingham said. Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 6 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The New York State Compensation Committee last week announced at its meeting that it will be recommending significant raises for state lawmakers, commissioners and statewide elected leaders. It also said there should be conditions attached to the raises for legislators, including restrictions on their outside income sources and elimination of most legislative stipends now in place for committee leadership posts. The raise structure for legislators would bring base pay from roughly $80,000 yearly to $110,000 starting in 2019. It would then go up by $10,000 in 2020 and another $10,000 in 2021. Outside income would be limited to no more than 15 percent of base pay starting in 2020. At least, that's how it was explained at last week's meeting. In general, the structure followed what most good-government advocates and a large number of editorial boards, including this one, were calling for when the pay panel began its public work shortly after the election. The key, though, is what we'll find out on Monday. That's the day the compensation's committee's official report is due to be presented to the Legislature. The four people serving on that committee need to make sure this report's wording is precise in the restrictions that must come with a raise that will make our state representatives the highest paid in the country by far. The main reason for paying attention to the report's language is the way the commission's work would be implemented. Under the law passed this year, the Legislature could hold a special session before Jan. 1 to reject or modify the raises. Otherwise, the commission's report, including the raises, becomes law. And if that report becomes law, there must be no room for wiggling out of the vital restrictions that would not only make these raises a fair bargain for the state taxpayers, but would also be a solid state government reform. Don't forget the reason so many Albany watchdogs have railed against unlimited outside income for so long: It's contributed greatly to the state's notorious corruption. It's important to adjust legislative pay to make sure these jobs are attracting bright, effective and ethical candidates. Raises haven't taken place in roughly two decades. But it must be done in a way that's reasonable to the New York taxpayers that fund these salaries. The Citizen Editorial Board includes publisher Rob Forcey, managing editor Mike Dowd and executive editor Jeremy Boyer. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 LOS ANGELESAdult star Max Konnor, a 2019 nominee for GayVN Performer of the Year, on Saturday claimed he was a target of racial profiling when he was asked to leave a retail store in New York City. Konnor and a friend went shopping at The Leather Man at 111 Christopher Street, hoping to purchase his outfit for the 2019 GayVN Awards on January 21 at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. But after consulting with the leather maker and being advised the store would not be able to order the specific items he wanted, Konnor claims the Caucasian store owner rushed he and his friend out the door and then locked itwhen he was trying to call for a car service and planning to leave anyway. I went back upstairs because the leather shop is downstairs and the owner comes up to us and says, Guys, we dont have time to watch customers who arent buying anything, Konnor told AVN. Then he stood there looking at us for like a minute and basically went in for the kill. He didnt care what we had to say. We were the only African Americans in the store. He told us he didnt have time to watch uswell no one asked you to watch us. We came in for a specific reason. It was the way that he approached us. After we left, the other patrons left, too. Konnor added, Its horrible. Ive never felt like this in my life. Im literally still shaking. He tweeted his disgust minutes after leaving. Guys, I just experienced racism full force, Konnor said via his Twitter @maxkonnorxxx. The owner of @LeatherManNYC just kicked me out after coming in trying to get an outfit made for the @GayVN awards. Please let them know that this behavior will not stand. Do not support this company. Send them a message. Konnor also expressed his feelings in a video. Racism. I just basically got kicked out of a store because of the color of my skin. If you guys ever come to New York or if you frequent this place, please let them know how you feel, he said in the video message to his followers. Konnor also said one of The Leather Man employees came outside after them and apologized to him for the owners tone. "They locked the door after they kicked us out and the patrons that followed. And he unlocked it to come out and talked to us and then went back in and locked it again," Konnor noted. According to the hours posted online, the store closes at 8 p.m. EST. The veteran performer said Saturday was his first and last time going to the store. My friend who went with me sketched out the design for my outfit and he suggested we go there, Konnor said. A representative of The Leather Man told AVN Saturday he was not aware of what Konnor claims happened. I dont know anything about that, the employee said. But on Monday, The Leather Man issued a statement addressing Konnor's allegations. It follows in full: Red Dome Group, which worked for Harris campaign and others, was dissolved in 2017 by Secretary of State for failing to file annual reports The prospect Democrats will get their wish for a new election in the 9th Congressional District could be getting stronger.A growing body of news reports suggests coordinated election irregularities occurred in Bladen and Robeson counties, challenging last month's narrow victory by Republican Mark Harris, a Baptist preacher. Harris defeated Democrat Dan McCready, a solar investor, by 905 votes Nov. 6, according to unofficial figures. Libertarian Jeff Scott, a business intelligence and technology consultant, ran a distant third.Gerry Cohen, former special counsel to the General Assembly, said either the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement or the U.S. House of Representatives could order a new election if substantial anomalies in mail-in absentee ballots in Bladen and Robeson counties warrant it.Several senior lawmakers have scheduled a news conference for 11:30 Thursday at the General Assembly to make an announcement about irregularities in Bladen County.If the 116th Congress ordered a new election for the 9th District, it would be the first time the House has done so since the 1990s.At issue is whether campaign workers may have unlawfully filled in votes for Harris, and if ballots the voters filled out for McCready were trashed.Leslie McCrae Dowless, who has done what was termed get-out-the-vote work with the Harris campaign and other Republican campaigns, is at the heart of the probe.Dowless was an independent contractor hired with cash payments by the political consulting firm Red Dome Group , founded by Andy Yates. The Harris campaign paid Red Dome slightly more than $429,360 from Aug. 1, 2017, to Oct. 17, Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports show.While the Harris campaign was paying Red Dome, the firm had been dissolved administratively by the N.C. Department of the Secretary of State because it hadn't filed its annual report.Liz Proctor, a spokeswoman in the Secretary of State's Office, said Red Dome failed to file a required annual report for several years, leading to the administrative dissolution. Red Dome no longer has a corporate structure to provide tax or legal liability advantages and protections, but could function as a sole proprietorship. The Secretary of State does not have legal authority to order a business to close.Yates has not responded to Carolina Journal requests for an interview.Dowless, a convicted felon with several arrest records , apparently hired people to sign as ballot witnesses and collect absentee mail-in ballots from residents in Bladen and Robeson counties. Either would violate state election law limiting collection and submission of ballots to voters, near family members, or legal guardians. Two women have told news outlets they were among several people paid by Dowless to pick up the ballots and turn them over to him.The elections board voted to hold an evidentiary hearing by Dec. 21, though the board is slated to disband by court order Dec. 12. Legislation is moving through the General Assembly to reorganize the board into two agencies. The legislation attempts to overcome the court's ruling that the current board structure violates separation of powers.However the dispute over the elections board is settled, Cohen sees multiple potential election scenarios. In the worst case, the 778,000 voters in the district might not be represented in Congress for the better part of a year.The staff of current Rep. Robert Pittenger would continue providing constituent services and other administrative functions for the district until the new member was sworn in.Cohen quoted the portion of state statutes empowering the state elections board to call a new election whenBased on recent reports and publicly available voting data, those doubts may exist, Cohen said.Cohen said Republicans are right in one regard. The number of submitted ballots in dispute wouldn't change the election outcome to McCready's favor. But, he said, it may be impossible to know how many ballots for McCready might not have been submitted.An analysis by Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer determined Bladen and Robeson counties had the highest percentage of unreturned mail-in ballots in the state. A News & Observer analysis found 24 percent of mail-in ballots weren't returned throughout the 9th District. But 64 percent of mail-in ballots went unreturned in Robeson County, and Bladen County's figure was 40 percent. The number of unreturned ballots was highest among blacks and American Indians.If the state ordered a new election, Cohen said, only the three candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot could run - Harris, McCready, and Scott. March probably would be the earliest date for an election. A political party can replace its candidate in a new election, but only if the prior candidate died or moved out of state.Cohen speculated if the elections board seated Harris, and evidence proves he was involved in felony election fraud, the Democratic-controlled 116th Congress would expel him.Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, set to become Democratic majority leader, Tuesday told The Hill Harris wouldn't be seated in January if the election fraud allegations were unresolved. If a result favoring Harris appeared to be partisan, Democrats would investigate.Hoyer said.Even if the state called a special election, Congress could put it on hold to conduct its own investigation, or order an entirely new election, Cohen said.Cohen said.Mark Gaber, senior legal counsel at the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, said an appeal for a new election would go to House Rules Committee. In the past it appointed a bipartisan committee to conduct investigations.Gaber said. It was in California. A new Indiana congressional election was ordered in the 1980s.Hopes for a bipartisan probe may seem dim in today's politically polarized environment, Gaber said, though he expects the same nonpartisan process would be followed.A congressionally ordered election would require a filing period, and primaries in March if more than one candidate in a party filed, Cohen said. The Constitution or Green parties could jump in the race. A second primary could be necessary, likely in May, with a general election in July. If a second primary isn't necessary, the general election could occur in May, Cohen said.with post-election certification and canvassing, Cohen said. N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin named a three-judge Superior Court panel to hear the Common Cause v. David Lewis redistricting challenge.In the order , dated Nov. 27 but released Thursday, Dec. 6, Martin appointed Democrats Paul Ridgeway (Wake County), Alma Hinton (Halifax County), and Republican Joseph Crosswhite (Iredell and Alexander counties). The same judges have served on panels in previous redistricting lawsuits (see here and here ).No date for hearing the case was mentioned.The N.C. Democratic Party and 22 individual plaintiffs joined Common Cause in its lawsuit challenging gerrymandered legislative districts.Lewis was named a defendant in his capacity as senior chairman of the House Select Committee on Redistricting. Other defendants include Sen. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, chairman of the Senate Committee on Redistricting; House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland; Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham; the Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement, and its individual members.Plaintiffs argue the N.C. Constitution prohibits partisan gerrymanders and provides greater equal protection guarantees than the U.S. Constitution. They say the court should view the complaint under N.C. constitutional protections, toss out the 2017 plans written to satisfy the federal Covington v. North Carolina case, and order new maps for 2020.the lawsuit says. It noted Democratic candidates won a majority of the statewide votes cast in the 2018 elections, but Republicans still won a substantial majority of seats in each chamber.The 2017 redistricting plan harms the plaintiffs' freedom of speech and freedom of assembly based on their identity, viewpoints, and content of their speech, making their votes less effective, the lawsuit claims. Money spent by the Democratic Party on candidates for messaging is less effective because of the gerrymanders.The lawsuit further alleges the 2017 maps reduced the Democratic Party's representation and ability to elect a majority. That violates plaintiffs' rights of association by making it more difficult to register voters, attract volunteers, raise money in gerrymandered districts, campaign, and turn out the vote. efforts to advance equitable access to education; public service that addresses the needs of California's diverse population; research in a scholar's area of expertise that highlights inequalities; mentoring and advising students and faculty members, particularly from under-represented and underserved populations. In the nineteenth century, Oxford and Cambridge required dons to adhere to the 39 Articles of Religion, the basic creed of Anglican Church. Today the University of California requires faculty to adhere to a new creed-diversity...The old requirement of the British colleges was at least less intrusive. One had to profess a set of beliefs but did not have to do anything to advance their social realization. But under the California policy, a prospective faculty member must advance a designated social mission to advance his or her career. "The searches are designed to increase the potential for highly diverse pools," said Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter... "But what will make the campus most attractive to the kind of people we want are the values that the program itself promotes, underscoring our commitment to inclusive excellence." The successful applicant will contribute critical perspectives to a university-wide, interdisciplinary initiative to enhance curriculum and research focused on Equity and Social Disparity in the Human Condition (ESDHC). ESDHC is a strategic growth area that seeks to explore and analyze crucial issues related to diversity, especially those highlighted through the application of the analytical lens of intersectionality. Faculty engaged in this area seek to highlight the ways in which issues of identity, equity, and social disparity impact multiple academic disciplines, fields of study, and areas of inquiry. Ever since Justice Powell's lone opinion in Bakke allowed the camel's nose of "diversity" under the anti-discrimination tent, controversy has raged over preferential treatment awarded to college applicants of certain races.Just as hurricanes often change direction after landfall, the diversity movement has recently taken off in some surprising new directions that deserve public attention.First came the "diversity statements," introduced by a smattering of institutions for promotion or tenure and sometimes for all new hires.Both the prevalence and the required content of these diversity statements has expanded dramatically.UCLA's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, for example, recently released Version 2.1 of a comprehensive "Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement FAQs" attempting to justify why equity, diversity, and inclusion should "figure into faculty hiring and promotion" and laying out chapter and verse of what should be included in EDI statements.Helpful examples were provided, quoted from the faculty hiring guide An applicant's research must not only reflect publications, etc. but also(emphasis in original)UCLA's statement helpfully defined EDI. Particularly revealing was its effort to define equity:But that's just "formal." Where the rubber meets the road, however,At UCLA and many other institutions requiring proof of diversity for hiring and promotion, race matters very much.Not long ago Pomona College, for example, changed its criteria for tenure specifically stating that candidates must be "attentive to diversity in the student body." It does not take much imagination to imagine the fate of applicants who aren't obsessed with race and ethnicity.Northwestern law professor John McGinnis has pointed out that job and promotion applicants must go beyond affirming their faith in the diversity creed:Diversity statements are fast becoming a new kind of religious creed for faculty."Affirmative action hires" has long been a snarky (but not inaccurate) reference to faculty hired largely on their race, gender, or ethnicity. Now the University of California at Davis has taken affirmative action hiring to a new level.Inside Higher Ed reports As UC-Davis explains its policy,In other words, the candidates UC-Davis seeks should not only be of a desired color, but also of the right religion, i.e., proven acolytes of the Diversity Creed.said Phil Kass, vice provost for academic affairs.Those new hires need not possess any particular "disciplinary expertise" and the searches will be conducted "by college or school, not department." Once hired,At UC-Davis, diversity comes first. Academic expertise is an after-thought.In any event, if more institutions follow the example of Georgia Southern University and "require all students to take courses in 'diversity and inclusion,'" it makes a certain kind of perverse sense to hire professors whose "field" is diversity to teach them.Consider, for example, this recent announcement from Virginia Tech's department of sociology, which "invites applications for the tenure-track position of Assistant Professor in Black Feminisms." In addition to teaching the usual suspect classes in race, gender, etc.,Virginia Tech does not limit its required devotion to diversity to the softer fields. A new announcement for a tenure-track position in physics, for example, lists "commitment/sensitivity to address issues of diversity in the university community" as one of the "required qualifications."At least these diversity hires, even when they lack "narrow disciplinary expertise," are academic appointments. As I discussed recently, however, San Diego State University is now hiring diversity professors altogether outside the academic chain of command.As this email to SDSU faculty announces, an unnamed number of new "Professors of Equity in Education," led by a new "Provost's Chair of Faculty Diversity and Inclusion," will be appointed. Instead of reporting to an academic dean, they "will report to the Associate Vice President for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion."In the beginning, "diversity" was limited to lowering admission standards for some black and Hispanic students so that a few more of them could be admitted to selective institutions. That was followed by similar but limited efforts to hire more black and Hispanic faculty. Now, however, it has expanded into a whole gestalt, complete with its own enforced creed. It increasingly casts a pall of conformity (ironically, the opposite of "diversity" as originally understood) over the entire academy.One of the worst-kept secrets of diversity-justified racial preference has been that almost no one believes the official justifications. If administrators actually believed what they say about diversity, rather than limit their efforts to engineering just the right percentages of blacks and Hispanics, they would reach out to various religious adherents and other under-represented ethnicities and search for students who would also bring intellectual, religious, or political diversity to campus. They don't.Now, however, many university leaders seem to have swallowed their own kool-aid, insisting that diversity really is the heart and soul of the academic mission. The day after Michigan voters passed Proposition 2 in 2006, prohibiting state agencies from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment on the basis of race, University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman gave an impassioned speech , declaringAt the time that sounded like hyperbole, a cri de coeur not unlike George Wallace's "Segregation today! Segregation tomorrow! Segregation forever!" But it now sounds like an increasingly accurate description of universities as engines of "diversity" dedicated to enforcing and propagating the new progressive gospel.A good measure of how far we've come is that our new loyalty oaths, i.e., diversity statements, are regarded as not only acceptable but required by those who would react in horror at similar efforts to promote, say, patriotism or capitalism. Orthodoxy never seems orthodox to those intent on imposing it. On Friday, President Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, dropped some bombshell news : he says that the Robert Mueller special counsel team doesn't believe Trump when Trump claims that he was unaware of a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and a Russian-connected lawyer.Giuliani stated, "In the questioning of [former Trump campaign Paul] Manafort, they did tell them at the time that they believed he was lying about certain things related to us that he's not lying about." That meeting, details of which were revealed by Donald Trump Jr., surrounded an open attempt by a Russian go-between, Rob Goldstone, to dig up dirt on Hillary Clinton - an attempt celebrated via email by Trump Jr. Trump has denied knowledge of the meeting. Other attendees of the meeting reportedly included Jared Kushner and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Michael Cohen, who currently has a plea deal with Mueller, has also said that Trump had knowledge of the meeting. On June 7 , the day the meeting was confirmed between Trump Jr. and Goldstone, Trump gave a speech in which he stated, "I am going to give a major speech on probably Monday of next week and we're going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons. I think you're going to find it very informative and very, very interesting." The speech never took place, but Hope Hicks, a trusted campaign aide, said it had nothing to do with the Trump Tower meeting anyway. In the end, the meeting came to nothing, as the Russian lawyer wanted to speak only about lifting American sanctions pressure.According to Giuliani, the Mueller team tried to cudgel Manafort into attributing knowledge of the meeting to Trump in exchange for continuing with his plea deal. Giuliani said,It's unclear what, if anything, this Mueller bias would mean. Even if Trump were aware of the Trump Tower meeting, that wouldn't amount to criminal activity. If the Russian government had provided dirt about Hillary directly to Trump, without a quid pro quo involved, that wouldn't have broken the law according to UCLA professor of law Eugene Volokh. Volokh correctly points out that the Clinton team paid Fusion GPS to create an opposition research dossier, much of the material provided by a foreign citizen, for example. Unless Trump coordinated with the Russians to violate American law, in other words, the Trump Tower meeting itself wasn't illegal.But Trump has now told Mueller he didn't know about the Trump Tower meeting. So if Mueller believes he has caught Trump in a charge of lying to the FBI, that's a felony. As Reuters reported last week:Presumably, that's the next step. But we'll all have to wait to find out. On Friday afternoon, two major memos regarding President Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, dropped. The first concerned the Mueller investigation's recommended sentencing for Cohen in light of Cohen's repeated untruths as well as his testimony to the Mueller investigation; the second concerned the Southern District of New York's recommended sentencing for Cohen in light of his testimony regarding President Trump's campaign and payoffs to women including Stormy Daniels.Here's what you need to know about the Mueller sentencing memo.Mueller begins by stating that Cohen'sAccording to the special counsel's office (SCO), CohenThe SCO memo says that Cohen's lies werewere not spontaneous, and began in aAccording to the memo, Cohen "lied to Congress about a business project (the 'Moscow Project') that he worked on during the 2016 presidential campaign," while working for the Trump Company and for Trump personally. The goal of such lies was allegedly toand toAccording to Mueller, Cohen's liesMueller says that Cohen worked on the project and discussed it with Trumpand adds that Cohen,Mueller says that Cohen would have benefitted from the deal, and in a footnote, points out that Trump had personally approved reaching out to Russia before a meeting with Putin during Putin's visit to the United Nations in 2015.According to the memo,That person wanted to meet with Trump, and told Cohen that the meeting could have aimpactCohen didn't follow up on that particular reach-out.The memo suggests that Cohen provided informationPresumably, these people could include Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and Jerome Corsi.Thedoes not mean that Trump actually violated the law by doing business with the Russians during the election. It means Cohen lied about it, and Mueller is suspicious of a quid pro quo. Those suspicions are obvious from Mueller's language:Cohen's testimony could be damaging to Trump - but he's provided more dots that require connections. Those dots haven't yet been connected, but it's easy to see why Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani is concerned that Mueller may believe Trump lied to the FBI about the Trump Tower meeting, given Mueller's obvious belief that Trump was warm to Russia well in advance of the 2016 election. Sometimes I blog about something and it goes nowhere, much like this girl's domino: Sometimes I blog about something and it continues to weave its way to the many corners of the internet, much like this: But, sometimes I blog about something and it starts a chain reaction that looks more like this (I looked for a domino video that featured fireworks and confetti but came up short): In other words, it goes viral. Now, on November 11, I blogged about Tim Klein's "puzzle montages" and I believe it's the most-viral post I've written in my over-seven-year professional blogging career. While I don't have the exact numbers, I have been watching it quickly spread across the planet and I feel certain that it is. Today, I thought it would be fun to pull back the curtain a little to show you what "going viral" looks like from "backstage." [TL;DR version (and, warning, this post IS entirely TOO LONG): The post I wrote about Tim Klein's puzzle montages went nuts! Media outlets from around the globe picked up the story (digital, print, TV), some linked back to Boing Boing, some didn't. Tim got TONS of fan mail, all of his art sold, and now he's being offered gallery shows. Well he and I talked and we plan to take it to the next level together (note: we didn't know each other before all of this). We first want to build a community of people who love puzzle mashups. Want to learn more? Subscribe to our brand new (monthly?) e-newsletter called Pigjaw Suzzles!] Still here? Good. Tim helped me build this chronological timeline of how the "viral explosion" (his words) happened. Friday, November 9 A new friend, Marcia Wiley, shows Tim's artwork to me on her phone during a visit. I am immediately blown away by it. I know that, from experience, if I get really excited about something, so will others. Well, I was so excited about this that I could barely wait to start writing it up. But it's late, so I start researching cool puzzles on eBay instead because I'm inspired to make my own puzzle mashups. I also check to see if Tim's ever been written about (he hasn't) and I look to see if anything similar has been written about before (there has, though not exactly the same way: 2008 and 2011). Saturday, November 10 9:16 AM: Marcia introduces Tim and me via text. We are soon communicating and he's great (one of us! one of us!). We learn we have mutual friends in the art car world. 2:16 PM: He grants me permission to use his photos and share his story. We then connect on Facebook and realize we have even more mutual friends. I then spend my afternoon writing the post. Sunday, November 11 7:38 AM: The post goes live on Boing Boing. 8:26 AM: I text both Tim and Marcia to tell them that it's up. Tim texts me back ("Woo hoo!"). 11:19 AM: Tim texts me again to say that he's already getting "a few happy fan emails" from people he "doesn't know." I tell him that it's likely that other blogs will pick it up too. He replies, "I hadn't even thought of that!" [Insert foreshadowing] 3:07 PM: John Overholt, a curator at Harvard's Houghton Library, tweets the image of Tim's "Iron Horse" and it starts blasting off: Turns out jigsaw puzzle makers just use the same die to cut apart different puzzles, so you can mix and match. https://t.co/UGSj2vOCDP pic.twitter.com/Kk6v0o6AwW John Overholt (@john_overholt) November 11, 2018 Monday, November 12 Morning: Nag on the Lake is the first blog to pick it up. 4:18 PM Miss Cellania of Neatorama is the second. Sometime this day: THE Stephen King retweets (to his 5M+ followers) John Overholt's tweet. Sometime this day or the next: John Overholt's tweet becomes a meme: The meme starts spreading on Facebook and Twitter through various "viral" sites with no ties to Tim whatsoever. The one started on the "Texts From Last Night" Facebook page currently has over 23K shares. Because Tim is not mentioned in the meme, people start thinking John Overholt is the person who discovered that you can mix-and-match pieces of puzzles from the same manufacturer. Then, someone creates a meme that strips out John Overholt's name. Tim writes about that, "Later I started seeing an even more highly edited image with Overholt's name also edited out. And that version got shared around ad infinitem as well. Maybe that's when full "memehood" is reached when there's no attribution whatsoever, just an eye-catching picture along with an anonymous caption." Tuesday, November 13 Morning: Pee-wee Herman posts it on his blog, commenting Tim's art is "SUPER COOL." Later: Hacker News. 10:22 AM: MetaFilter. Sometime the same day: A redditor posts the image of Tim's "Iron Horse," but does not link to his site or Boing Boing. As of this writing, that post has 74,200 upvotes (!). It gets posted in a different subreddit this same day with only 608 upvotes. 11:26 AM: Tim writes me, "I'm getting fan mail and purchase offers from faraway lands, from Turkey to Trinidad." 3:26 PM: A reader of my inbox zine sends me a tip. He's seen something cool in Dan Lewis' Now I Know e-newsletter and is sharing it with me because he knows I'm "always on the lookout for new interesting art." The "something cool" is Tim's puzzle montages and the link in Dan's newsletter goes to my post. I tell Tim. Turns out he's a patron of Now I Know. I also know Dan, so I remark, "Small world!" 8:07 PM: Tim writes, "Meanwhile, a number of friends have told me they encountered a post about puzzle art and thought they should forward it to me only to discover that it IS me. :-)" Also this day: theCHIVE, TwistedSifter Wednesday, November 14 First thing in the morning: I share the story of me learning about Tim's montages in my inbox zine. Later this same day: Kottke picks it up, using John Overholt's tweet as its source. Then, Facebook page "Nerds with Vaginas" posts a grainy version of the Overholt meme and gets almost 11K shares. Thursday, November 15 3:43 AM: Archaeologist David S. Anderson tweets Tim's "King of the Road" as so: Mack Tut!!! Artist Tim Klein makes puzzle montages from different puzzles using the same die cut pattern. And of course there would be #ArchaeologicalOddities!https://t.co/0KFohaPFZb pic.twitter.com/q2yic5FnFt David S. Anderson (@DSAArchaeology) November 15, 2018 Later the same day: Tim's puzzle montages land on the much-coveted Twitter Moments. To this, I email Tim, "Wow. Your montages went mega-viral. This is MY top postever. Very cool to experience this with you :D" Sometime this day: Bored Panda publishes Tim's art, with permission, but adds the "clickbait" headline, "Artist Comes Up With Genius Way To Use Puzzles, Sells The Result For Up To $650." About this, Tim comments: The author mentions my acknowledgment of Mel Andringa as the originator, and never mentions the prices that I was selling my artwork for. But the clickbait headline, which I'm guessing came from someone other than the author herself, implied that I came up with the idea myself and that I'm doing it in order to make a lot of money. These two implications sparked lots of indignation among commenters. That Bored Panda Facebook post has over 1K shares. His art then lands on a Hungarian site called Femina. Friday, November 16 Austin Kleon includes a link to my Boing Boing post in his e-newsletter (yay). Same day: My Modern Met covers it. Their Facebook post has over 2,392 shares. 12:26 PM: Tim writes me, "I have a few dozen purchase requests to answer, plus journalist inquiries from England and Italy. Something called the Interactive Museum of Games and Puzzlery wants to organize an exhibition." 5:24 PM: After telling me about the long list of media outlets that want to feature his work, he writes, "Meanwhile, the sink is full of dirty dishes, the cat is hungry, and I haven't shaved in a week. I gotta walk away from the computer and take a break." Also this day: A Romanian TV station airs Tim's art set to some English-language soft rock. Then three new sites run with it: WhatTheyThink?, a Russian site, and an Italian site called FrizziFrizzi. Saturday, November 17 Tim reports that his images have started showing up in strangers' Facebook cover photos. Tim also reports that John Overholt wrote him and expressed remorse for not including his name in the original tweet ("If I'd had any idea 3 million people were going to see this tweet, I would have put your name in it"). Sunday, November 18 The Jealous Curator adds Tim's art to their blog. Later, a Turkish site called listelist runs the story (the first one to use a photo of Tim himself). On this same day: The montages land on a site by psychonauts called Acidmath. Later: Tim is approached by an agent at a major literary agency headquartered in New York, who writes "I love your puzzle montages and think they could make for an interesting art book!" Monday, November 19 Italian site Linkiesta covers it. 2:01 PM: So does an Indonesian site called Brilio. Tuesday, November 20 Colossal grabs it. They credit Kottke who, you may remember, credited John Overholt. Wednesday, November 23 A website called Awkward (they're somehow related to "Awkward Family Photos" their post had over 3K shares) posts Tim's art without permission (many sites did not ask to use his images), does not link to his site AND replaces the titles of Tim's artworks with titles of its own. They've since updated the page to at least link to Tim's site. Thursday, November 24 11:00 AM: Japanese site IRORIO grabs it. Tim comments on Facebook: "When I was constructing my puzzle montage "Mountain Plantation" from two thrift store puzzles during my limited spare time as a computer science grad student in 1993, the World Wide Web barely existed, even within the USA. So now, in the distant future year 2018, it's pretty darn wild to find myself looking at an image of it beamed to my home computer from a website in Japan." Saturday, November 26 12:26 PM: Tim: "I've made the jump from the lightning-fast propagation of online media to the slow slog of traditional print publications." He's referring to two newspapers that will cover it soon, the French bi-weekly Society and the British Sunday-only The Observer. They both have promised to send him hard copies in the mail. 6:52 PM: A designer office furniture company in Thailand named WURKON blogs about it on Facebook, after getting Tim's permission. Tim chuckles at how the translation software on Facebook has changed his name, it "can't decide whether my name is "Timberlake" or "Tim coli." Tuesday, November 27 Seattle TV station KING includes Tim's work on their "headlines" segment with Chris Cashman. A blog called Compulsive Contents also covers it. Wednesday, November 28 10:30 AM: A Hungarian site called Index picks it up. 12:20 PM: Another Hungarian site grabs it. Thursday, November 29 Tim's montages continue to move around the globe. On this day, a (what looks like a neat) Australian publication called Smith Journal added it to their blog. Saturday, December 1 Society magazine sends Tim a screenshot of the digital version of the article that features him: OK, so what's happening now? Well Treehugger.com will soon be publishing their story and a different online media brand wants to do an instructional video. They want to record Tim as he makes puzzle montages in his studio (he notes that he does not have a studio). Additionally, a major magazine (that cannot yet be revealed) has contacted him for inclusion in a future issue. On top of that, Tim and I have decided to join forces to take all of "this" to the next level. We talked and felt we had a good match. I have some ideas, he has some ideas, and we believe that together we can create something super cool! Again, we'll start by building a community of people who love puzzle mashups. Is that you? Then, subscribe to Pigjaw Suzzles, our brand new (probably monthly) e-newsletter! Plus, I've been working on a mashup of my own. It's fun, though harder than it looks. Not only do you have to find puzzles that have pieces that can be mixed and matched, you have to find puzzles that lend themselves to be mashed up together. Want one of Tim's pieces? Get in line. He's sold every single one of his current pieces (he delighted in selling his art to STRANGERS for the very first time) and there is a waiting list for future ones. (Pssst if you subscribe to our e-newsletter, rumor has it that you'll be the first to know when new puzzle montages are available.) Binding arbitration agreements were formalized in 1925, allowing two corporate entities of roughly equal size to resolve their disputes outside of a court, saving both parties a lot of money, but since then, the primary use of arbitration is to force employees, customers, patients and other comparatively weak parties to surrender their right to sue (or join class actions) as a condition of going to work, seeking care, or simply shopping. Instead, people who have been crammed into binding arbitration "agreements" are forced to argue their cases one at a time in a privatized courtroom, where the "judge" is often a contractor for the corporation whose conduct gave rise to the complaint. A notorious example of this is the gig economy, where employees are turned into "contractors" through a legal fiction and then deprived of their right to join class action suits over unfair treatment thanks to the arbitration clauses in the farcically long license agreement they click through when they sign up (Uber drivers can technically opt out within 30 days, but they'd have to read thousands of words of impenetrable legalese to discover this). As is so often the case, Uber is the granddaddy of the worst practices of the gig economy. When the company went to the court to argue that its employees weren't employees, it defended its binding arbitration, saying that the company would of course pay for the arbitration fees in the states that required it. 12,501 Uber drivers took the company at its word and filed arbitration claims in California. Under the terms of the contract that Uber crammed down these drivers' throats, it must now pay $1,500 per driver to JAMS, the arbitration service it uses a total of $18.7m. But Uber has only paid the filing fees for 296 of these drivers; and of those, only 47 have had arbitrators appointed to them. Uber has paid the retainers for only six of those arbitrators. As Larson O'Brien, a lawyer for the drivers, wrote in a motion, "At this point, it is fair to ask whether Uber's previous statements to the 9th Circuit about its desire to facilitate arbitration with its drivers were nothing more than empty promises to avoid litigating a class action. Uber's actions make clear it does not actually support arbitration; rather, it supports avoiding any method of dispute resolution, no matter the venue." On the one hand, fuck Uber, which is in the midst of an IPO that will make the people who designed this system unfathomably rich. On the other hand, these drivers are amazing and inspiring: having been stripped of their right to work as a group to seek justice from Uber and having been corralled into a narrow chute with no options, they rushed the chute and filled it, overflowed it, and forced Uber to reckon with them anyway: as human beings with legal rights, not as squishy, inconvenient stopgaps that the company grudgingly pays for while it races to perfect self-driving cars. The drivers' lawyers said in their filings that they proposed an alternative to arbitrating thousands of individual cases at a cost of no less than $1,500 apiece. After filing an initial batch of 400 arbitration demands in August, the drivers' lawyers suggested a bellwether process in which the two sides would select nine cases to be arbitrated, with mediation to follow. According to the drivers, Uber rejected that proposal and instead suggested four representative arbitrations and no mediation. Larson O'Brien said that plan was unworkable and proceeded to file more than 12,000 additional arbitration demands at JAMS. "At bottom, our clients are entitled to a resolution of their disputes," said drivers' lawyer Stephen Larson in an email. "By robbing its drivers of a forum to resolve their disputes, I believe Uber is charting a dangerous course, and if its strategy is successful, it would have significant repercussions for all workers in the gig economy." In addition to an order compelling Uber to pay the arbitration fees, the drivers are seeking a sanction against the company under the court's equitable powers. Uber declined to comment on the drivers' filings, which are before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis Westmore of Oakland. (The drivers have asked for the case to be deemed related to previous litigation before U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco.) Forced into arbitration, 12,500 drivers claim Uber won't pay fees to launch cases [Alison Frankel/Reuters] Uber's Arbitration Policy Comes Back to Bite It in the Ass [Bryan Menegus/Gizmodo] (via /.) (Image: Albert V Bryan Federal District Courthouse Alexandria Va, Tim Evanson, CC-BY-SA) Writing in New York Magazine, Naked Capitalism's Yves Smith draws on Hubert Horan's outstanding series on the underlying economics of Uber to describe why the company's IPO will be a terrible bet for the investors who buy into it. It's only been a year since Softbank offered to buy out shareholders on a valuation of $48B (and had more takers than they were prepared to buy from!); and now Uber is hoping to float on a valuation of $120B, asking suckers to pay more than double what the company's top execs were willing to sell their shares for a year ago. Uber claims it's a tech company and can benefit from the economics of scale that tech companies enjoy. But it's not. It's "a taxi company with an app attached." Uber's spent billions of its investors' cash subsidizing rides in a largely successful bid to kill local taxi companies, but even if every other cab company goes out of business, Uber won't be able to jack up the prices, because starting another Uber to compete with it just isn't that hard. Uber has disadvantages of scale. Beyond a certain critical threshold, adding drivers to Uber's pool of employees (who it claims are not employees) just lowers everyone's wages, and individual drivers spend much more maintaining their cars than yellow cab companies do maintaining their fleets. Uber's data-richness doesn't confer much of an advantage, either: no amount of data will change the fact that commuters mostly go in one direction in the morning and the other direction at night, leaving drivers with empty cars half the time (it's even worse with airport runs). Indeed, Uber's scale has many disadvantages: with tons of sunk costs and investors expecting a return on their capital, Uber can't afford to be nimble and flexible in the way that future competitors will, as they explore the regulatory landscape and changed consumer expectations that Uber paid to create but can't stop others from enjoying. Uber has enjoyed a long subsidy in the form of drivers' financial illiteracy: drivers failed to account for their cars' depreciation in figuring their take-home pay, and as they wake up to a take-home pay that is lower than a starting wage at McD's, expect them to bail. Of course, Uber might be able to replace all those drivers with autonomous vehicles a dream that, like AI, will likely be ten years away for the next forty years. Moreover, Uber is a high-cost provider. A fleet manager at a medium-scale Yellow Cab company can buy, maintain, and insure vehicles more efficiently than individual Uber drivers. In addition, transportation companies maintain tight central control of both total available capacity (vehicles and labor) and how that capacity is scheduled. Uber takes the polar opposite approach. It has no assets, and while it can offer incentives, it cannot control or schedule capacity. > The only advantage Uber might have achieved is taking advantage of its drivers' lack of financial acumen that they don't understand the full cost of using their cars and thus are giving Uber a bargain. There's some evidence to support that notion. Ridester recently published the results of the first study to use actual Uber driver earnings, validated by screenshots. Using conservative estimates for vehicle costs, they found that that UberX drivers, which represent the bulk of its workforce, earn less than $10 an hour. They would do better at McDonald's. But even this offset to the generally higher costs of fleet operation hasn't had an meaningful impact on Uber's economics. But, you may argue, Uber has all that data about rides! Certainly that allows it to be more efficient than traditional cabs. Um, no. Local ride services have backhaul problems that no amount of cleverness can remedy, like taking customers to the airport and either waiting hours for a return fare or coming back empty, or daily urban commutes, where workers go overwhelmingly in one direction in the morning rush and the other way in the evening. Similarly, Uber's surge pricing hasn't led customers to change their habits and shift their trips to lower-cost times, which could have led to more efficient utilization. If Uber had any secret sauce, it would have already shown up in Uber revenues and average driver earnings. Nine years in, and there's no evidence of that. Uber Is Headed for a Crash [Yves Smith/New York Magazine] (via Late Stage Capitalism) (Image: Tarcil, CC-BY-SA) News / National by Mandla Ndlovu A Harare Pastor Bright Mugayi has prophesied that Former President Robert Mugabe may pass on this December. Issuing a prophecy in his church he asked Zimbabwe to pray for the family of the former President to be comforted.Let us pray for the 16th of December. Let us pray for the 24th and 26th of December.Let us pray for the family of the Former President for God to strengthen then and to comfort them. I see the man tired , walking tired, tired and tired. But let us pray that god will strengthen in the might name of Jesus.I saw the late Joshua Nkomo with his white hair it's a representation of another leader from Bulawayo let us pray for his health.Watch the full Prophecy Below: News / National by Mandla Ndlovu ZANU PF Youths have opened up on the proposed increase of the Presidential age from 40 to 52 years. The proposal was done by the War Veterans and they want ZANU PF to adopt it during the December Conference.ZANU PF Youth League boss Pupurai Togarepi said, "I don't see anything wrong in proposing a position regarding age limits unless war veterans are not entitled to their opinion."Freedom of speech is a right to every Zimbabwean and that include individuals or groups. As regards to the view of the Youth League to the proposed age limit for Presidential hopefuls the Constitution of Zimbabwe guides us."Togarepi said the issue will be dealt with in parliament by political parties if the need to review the change arises."I am sure you know who talked about age, upper and lower limits but these are reactions in politics. The Constitution has already provided for this issue. Should there be a real need for either of the views again political parties will decide in Parliament."However, Youth League Commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu said he is personally against the idea of reviewing the age."Personally, I am against it. I will speak more at the rightful party platform but as for me this is not a priority. It's still a proposal that I am against."Early this week the Secretary General of the War Veterans Godfrey Matemadanda announced that War Veterans have adopted a position to lobby ZANU PF to push for a constitutional review of the minimum age of presidential candidates from 40 to 52. The move has been widely condemned by Zimbabweans from all walks of life. News / National by newzimbabwe MDC national chairperson Tendai Bit has hit out at finance minister Mthuli Ncube for travelling aboard at a time the country's economic problems have taken a turn for the worst.Biti, a former finance minister, was not impressed Thursday as it was revealed that Prof Ncube was not available for debate on his 2019 budget.According to Acting Speaker William Mutomba, Ncube is in the United States and sent his apologies to Parliament from New York.Biti was not amused."I am concerned the minister of Finance and Economic Development has taken leave of the country during the week that Parliament is debating the country's most important fiscal instrument (the budget)," he said."They are not even bothered to respect us by ensuring that officials from the Finance Ministry are actually in the House to listen to what we Honourable Members are saying."Speaker; that a minister of Finance and Economic Development takes leave of absence when the budget is being debated is not acceptable. It is not good enough and we as Parliament must reject that."Mutomba tried to explain that there were officials from the treasury, but Biti interjected telling the acting speaker that "there are no officials from the ministry".On Wednesday, MDC Zengeza West MP Job Sikhala also fumed over the absence of cabinet ministers from the House."We are expecting our ministers to be present," he said."Today, we only have the Leader of the House and a Minister of State who in terms of the Constitution cannot answer questions from members of parliament."Why are ministers not taking parliamentary business seriously? The leader of the House cannot answer all the concerns of MPs."Several MPs have raised this concern and it seems ministers are not taking parliamentary business seriously."Who are we going to ask questions today because the front bench is empty?" News / National by Mandla Ndlovu The Ministry of Energy and Power Development has blocked a venture by a local delivery company Fresh in a Box which had partnered with a fuel entity Heavy Fuels in delivering fuel to anyone over 60 years old, medical staff and critical care workers.The Ministry on Thursday issued a statement saying, "Section 29 of the Petroleum Act states that no one shall retail petroleum products without a ZERA license. EMA Act Chapter 20:27 & SI 12, 2007 requires anyone wishing to transport hazardous to have a Permit from EMA."In light of the statement Fresh in a Box issued a statement saying they are stopping the facility of dor to door delivery."To avoid faulting any Zimbabwean law and ZERA regulations , we will not be delivering fuel to your home. We will deliver coupons that you can redeem at your convenience at Heavy Fuels (Zimbabwes First EGarage). NO long waits for our vulnerable customers." Kuda Musasiwa the leader of Fresh in a Box said.Fresh in a Box had announced that from Friday they will be delivering fuel at pump price with delivery and logistics charge of $5-$15 to pensioners, critical care workers, pregnant women and people with disability.Heavy Fuels was founded in 2017 and is a supplier and distributer of bulk and retail petroleum products throughout Zimbabwe, and also building liaisons with companies throughout Africa. The company has grown over the year, resulting in it venturing into other businesses. News / National by Staff writer FORMER ZBC presenter Oscar Pambuka and ex-Zanu-PF legislator Psychology Maziwisa will appeal their Court their conviction and sentence for defrauding the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).According to New Zimbabwe.com, defence lawyer Jonathan Samkange told Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube Thursday that his clients would seek "bail pending appeal at the High Court"."I believe there are prospects of success on both counts," Samkange said after his clients were sentenced.The two were jailed for fleecing ZPC of about $12,000, while pretending to be carrying out public relations work through ZBC on behalf of the power utility.Court heard that, Maziwisa and Pambuka would bill ZPC each time news broadcasts on ZBC's platforms referenced the power utility, claiming they were responsible for the publicity.Court heard that the two managed to defraud ZPC by hiding behind ex-Energy minister Samuel Undenge's name.Undenge was convicted over the same case and sentenced to four years imprisonment. He is currently out of custody on bail pending appeal. News / National by Staff reporter FIRST Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa has urged women in Zanu-PF to desist from gossiping, which she described as a destructive tendency that causes discord within the party.Speaking at a Zanu-PF Women's League national assembly meeting in Harare yesterday, the First Lady said she had an open-door policy but she does not entertain gossipers."I urge all women to shun gossiping. Gossip destroys the party. Let us respect each other, love each and teach each other to do good for the development of the country."Zanu-PF women must be known all over for good works and it will be easy to woo people to the party if we behave well out there."My door is always open for all of you, but do not come with gossip. We should lead by example and stop the destructive tendency of speaking ill of others," said the First Lady.The meeting ran under the theme "Unshakable Women in Support of Unwavering Action-oriented Leadership".Zanu-PF secretary for Women's League Mabel Chinomona warned women against establishing parallel structures within the party saying the intelligence unit was watching them."Do you know that President ED Mnangagwa was the one who set up the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)? You think your plans are not known?"We are watching you. We do not enjoy firing people from the party and I urge you to desist from practices of destroying the party from within. Let us work together to build our party," said Chinomona.Secretary for Administration, Monica Mutsvangwa, urged women to be true Zanu-PF cadres who defend the ruling party at all costs."Be Zanu-PF at heart and also be prepared to defend your party all the time."Your actions must show that you are truly Zanu-PF," said Mutsvangwa. Mutsvangwa said Women's League should remain united."During the 'Thank You Rallies' in Mashonaland West this year, President Mnangagwa praised Women's League for unity saying the wing did not have any discord. News / National by Staff reporter INFORMATION, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday said media practitioners were a key stakeholder in the formulation of legislation governing the operation of the industry.Addressing a media stakeholders' consultative workshop in Harare, the minister said reforms should find takers among those they were intended to regulate if they were to be effective."Good laws are those that have a buy-in from those that they intend to govern The ministry is of the position that your views are very critical if it is to come out with laws that will create a vibrant media sector," she said.Mutsvangwa said her ministry recognised the critical role played by the media in society as opinion leaders.She encouraged media practitioners to identify any provision in laws governing the operation of the industry which they felt were not in sync with democratic tenets.Stakeholders are pushing for the amendment of draconian laws such as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Commercialisation Act, Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Broadcasting Services Act."If there is anything in these laws that you think is not progressive, this is the time to say it so that we make amends," Mutsvangwa said.She said the media should make recommendations to the ministry to assist the ministry in its advisory role to government.Addressing the same gathering, the ministry's secretary, Ndavaningi Mangwana, said some of the country's media laws had been overtaken by technological developments."Some of our laws have been overtaken by technology, rendering them obsolete and irrelevant. Key issues have arisen as to the efficacy of some of our legislation in light of the emergence of social media - the fifth estate," he said.He said government was keen to work with the media to ensure "a professional, responsible, ethical and above all, profitable media fraternity". News / National by Staff reporter LEGISLATORS have expressed dismay over the manner in which touts are causing havoc at transport pick up points, perpetrating serious cases of gender-based violence (GBV) and verbally abusing women.Parliamentary Women's Caucus deputy chairperson Sibusisiwe Bhuda-Masara yesterday told a breakfast meeting organised by Plan International and the Zimbabwe National Council for Welfare of the Children (ZNCWC) on the 16 days of activism against GBV that police must deal with the touts."We are now scared that our girls can be raped while looking for public transport, because these touts shout very filthy remarks about their dressing. Women are abused and some have even died after being harassed. And what is worrying is that at times it happens in the presence of police officers," Bhuda-Masara said.Parliamentary Women's caucus secretary Consilia Chinanzvavana said women were the biggest victims of GBV. She urged men to protect women in the streets as the harassment could also be meted out on their mothers, wives or sisters.MDC Alliance legislator Dorcas Sibanda said there was need for a round table discussion with the touts, transport owners and the police to end GBV on women in public spaces.Kumbirai Kahiya, the director of Girls and Women Empowerment Network Trust, said the violence perpetrated by touts on women happened mostly while police officers looked on."A majority of these commuter omnibuses are owned by the police, and that is why they do not care if any of us dies at the hands of touts. We cannot continue to regulate what is illegal, like touting - we need to remove it completely. MPs need to look at who owns these kombis," Kahiya said.Tafadzwa Goliati, the president of the Passengers Association of Zimbabwe, said the problem was that civil servants that are supposed to administer laws to protect passengers were the owners of most public service vehicles."It is now difficult for them to administer the law, because they are interested parties and businesspersons," Goliati said.Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, Levi Mayihlome said there was need to provide police with adequate budgetary support to get CCTVs and monitor the streets to deal with rowdy touts. News / National by Staff reporter DELTA Beverages says it has the capacity to supply beer, but will not be able to meet demand for soft drinks during the forthcoming festive season.Addressing journalists during a tour of the company's Harare plant on Thursday, Delta Beverages chief executive Pearson Gowero said although government had released foreign currency to enable importation of raw materials, the company would still not be able to produce enough soft drinks ahead of the festive season.Although many retailers have increased the prices for soft drinks, Gowero insisted that the company had not increased its wholesale prices as it was getting foreign currency from the Reserve Bank Zimbabwe (RBZ)."But I am happy to say that I have just received confirmation here that the central bank has allocated us some money to bring in some concentrates for soft drinks. Therefore, we are working over the weekend to get them in time for Christmas," Gowero said."As far as beer is concerned, we should be able to meet demand without too many problems. Soft drinks, clearly we are not able to do so. There is going to be some kind of shortage of drinks."The company requires at least $60 million to $100 million in foreign currency per annum to import raw materials. For beer, Gowero said they need about 35 tonnes of barley to produce over 220 million litres for the Harare lager plant, but operations have since been affected by intermittent supplies of foreign currency from the RBZ.Gowero said forex shortages were impacting heavily on the production of soft drinks, as most of the concentrates where imported from Swaziland. News / National by Staff reporter Retired army colonel Elliot Piki has blamed Commission of Inquiry chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe for his abduction, suggesting that he should help the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) with information that can lead to the arrest of his abductors.Piki was allegedly abducted at his home on November 25 a day before he was supposed to appear before the commission giving his testimony on the August 1 killings.His lawyers, Mbidzo Muchadehama and Makoni wrote a letter to Motlanthe suggesting that he is key to finding his abductors as he leaked a confidential document containing Piki's testimony.The document reportedly contained information on how the army was responsible for the post-election violence that led to the murder of six civilians."Our client disclosed intimate details outlining how the Zimbabwe National Army was being used as a weapon of violence against any opposing forces to the ruling Zanu-PF party and government, as well as the role played by the army in the August 1 shootings, because of his trust in you he thought you were going to treat the document with the confidentiality that it deserves."Our client advises that you are responsible for his abduction, inhuman and degrading treatment and attempted assassination by his abductors. He reserves his right to take legal action against yourself," the lawyers said.Muchadehama and Makoni said during his horrific experience Piki discovered that his documented testimony was the reason behind the kidnapping."Our client advises that you gave him a slot to testify as a witness on November 26, 2018. He in turn gave you the documentary evidence upon which his testimony would be based. The documentary evidence was accompanied with a summary of his testimony."Our client advises that the abductors were continuously referring to the contents of the document which he had submitted to you and which was known by yourself and no one else."He further advises that from this horrific experience, he learnt that the sole reason behind his abduction and attempted assassination was the document which he intended to use during his testimony before the commission," the letter said.Despite confirmation that the letter had been submitted, the commission's spokesperson John Masuku said he was yet to verify if the secretariat was in possession of such a memo.Piki's lawyers have advised Motlanthe to reveal the identity of the people whom he shared the document with.They also requested that Motlanthe helps the ZRP with information that could lead to the arrest of his abductors and guarantee his safety before they would hold him responsible for the kidnapping."Meanwhile, our client requests you to assist the police with investigations as he believes you are key to finding his abductors and bring them to justice."You impress it upon the authorities that the safety of our client was compromised and that they should give an undertaking to guarantee his safety, otherwise we would not hesitate to hold you responsible," Muchadehama and Makoni added.However, Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) dismissed Piki's kidnapping story alleging he was dishonourably discharged from the military for having an affair with his subordinate's wife.ZDF spokesperson Colonel Overson Mugwisi said Piki was working with unscrupulous opposition voices to denigrate the forces."We are disturbed by false allegations peddled in some sections of the private media insinuating that Piki, a former member of the Zimbabwe National Army, was abducted by masked armed men suspected to be State security agents using a vehicle similar to those allocated for use by senior Zimbabwe National Army officers," said Mugwisi."While it is true that Piki once served in the Zimbabwe National Army as a senior officer, he is not a retired colonel."He became an ordinary citizen after losing his commission when he was tried, convicted and cashiered by a General Court Martial for scandalous conduct of an officer on August 8, 2013."Piki had involved himself in an illicit love affair with his subordinate's wife who was also his junior serving member of the Zimbabwe National Army. Sadly, Piki was aware of the drastic consequences of such an illicit affair for serving members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces."This comes as the commission last week concluded investigations into the August 1 killings after gathering testimonies from different individuals and organisations in Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare.The public hearings which were characterised by interesting and dramatic testimonies began in October.The commission has since submitted it executive summary to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and is expected to give him the full report before end of the month. News / National by Staff reporter THE Government has set aside hundreds of millions of dollars that will see the construction of innovation hubs in six universities as well as infrastructural overhaul in the higher and tertiary education sector as part of the drive to ensure that institutions of higher learning contribute to the revival of the economy.According to the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) which is the Government's economic blueprint, six universities and tertiary colleges will have new infrastructure and infrastructural renovations at a cost of about $2,135 billion. The project which is intended to be completed by 2020, has proposed allocations of $134,6 million in 2019 and $106,8 million in 2020.The short-term programme running from October 2018 to December 2020 recognises that investment in education is a key poverty reduction strategy as well as a vehicle for producing a skilled and capable workforce which will greatly assist in the country's agenda of pushing the frontiers of production and it strives to ensure access to education for all.Building of innovation hubs would be done at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust), Midlands State University (MSU), University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Harare Institute of Technology (HIT), Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU), Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) and infrastructural renovations at teachers and vocational colleges."An estimated total cost of $91 million has been allocated for infrastructure at existing teachers' colleges, there will be construction and rehabilitation of student and staff accommodation, teaching and learning facilities at teachers' colleges, and the proposed allocations for 2019 is $16 million and $18 million for 2020."For infrastructure at existing vocational colleges the project will focus on construction and rehabilitation of student halls of residence and staff accommodation, teaching and learning facilities at vocational and industrial colleges. By 2020 the existing infrastructure will be rehabilitated, detailed designs and specifications for new infrastructure will be completed at an estimated total cost of the project $22 million and the proposed allocations for 2019 and 2020 is $10 million respectively," read part of the TSP project description.The universities were also allocated estimated total costs and proposed allocations for both 2019 and 2020 as the programme would prioritise the production of additional human capital at local polytechnics, teachers' colleges and State universities, through the rehabilitation and expansion of existing tertiary institutions."At the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in Harare there will be construction of a block comprising a laboratory, fabricating workshop, offices, studios and amphitheatre, garage and boundary wall. The estimated total cost is $9,7 million of which $6 million will be allocated next year and $1,5 million in 2020."There will be construction of a structure comprising laboratories, office, boardroom, exhibition room, computer labs, server rooms, reception, and teleconferencing rooms at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) in Bulawayo at an estimated total cost of $6,4 million and a proposed allocation of $4,8 million should be availed by 2019."With the estimated cost of $6,9 million and proposed allocation of $5,5m in 2019 the Midlands State University (MSU) in Gweru there will be construction of innovation rooms, co-working spaces, conference rooms, offices, exhibition room, electronic slab, biology labs, chemical labs and general labs. Intended to be finished 2019," read the TSP document.In addition: "The Harare Institute of Technology will have construction of an auditorium, 30 incubation units, main boardroom, seminar room, offices, communal dining, and ablution facilities which are estimated at $5,2 million and should be completed with the proposed allocations of $3,2 million."At the Chinhoyi University there will be construction of workshops, reception, and ablution blocks, 8 laboratories, boardroom, canteen and two rental offices. An estimated total cost of $6,6 million is required with a proposed allocation of $5 million to be availed in 2019."Moreover, an estimated total cost of $8,6 million and a 2019 proposed allocation of $6,6 million was set for the Zimbabwe National Defence University in Mazowe, construction of a structure comprising laboratories, offices, boardroom, and exhibition rooms, computer labs, server rooms, reception, and teleconferencing rooms."Sustained and consistent implementation of the TSP measures represents Government's commitment towards realisation of the aspirations of Zimbabwe's Vision 2030: "Towards a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle Income Society with Job Opportunities and High Quality of Life for its Citizens".Last month President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe's economic vision is premised on massive investment towards innovation and research in key sectors such as education, mining and agriculture.Officially opening the 8th Innovation for Africa Summit the President stated the importance of research and innovation as critical components to unlocking economic value, which should be implemented in sectors such as agriculture, energy and mining."Innovative techniques must be embraced along with new farming methods, new seed varieties and use of modern farming technologies. Equally, technology which facilitates the exploitation of new sources of energy, enhances our capacity to manufacture medical drugs and equipment for our health sectors in the context of African realities, must be developed."The vast mining resource endowments on the continent also demands that our science and technology, innovation and inventions are relevant and address the ongoing value addition, beneficiation and industrialisation drive," said President Mnangagwa.According to President Mnangagwa institutions of higher learning should be centres of excellence in scientific thinking and technological innovations. Presenting the 2018 budget, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube allocated $380,8 million towards research and innovation to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education. News / National by Staff reporter THE body of a suspected South African armed robber, who was shot and killed after he tried to rob a Nkulumane man who had sold his house last month has been repatriated to that country.Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the issue, saying the body was repatriated a few days after the incident, after his relatives claimed it.The man, who has since been identified as Victor Mkhudi, is reported to have been part of a three-man gang that tried to rob Mr Takawira Nhomboka of Nkulumane who had sold his house to a Zimbabwean woman based in South Africa. According to Mr Nhomboka the woman might have been followed when she travelled to Zimbabwe to finalise the deal."I suspect that she may have been followed from South Africa. She may have told someone about the transaction. It so happened that after it was done I left the money somewhere for safe keeping and went home. On that evening I had on me US$400 and about 150 bond notes," Mr Nhomboka.He said when he got to his house around 10pm he noticed three suspicious men loitering not very far from his house."Our road is very quiet and there are no people that walk around at that time of the night. So I was hesitant to drive to the house. I then phoned my wife and asked her to open the gate. As I drove to the house the robbers began walking fast towards the gate. That is when I became suspicious and pulled out my gun and fired a warning shot into the air. They then ran towards the gate and I carried on firing towards them," he said.He, however, ran out of ammunition and that is when they returned and hijacked his car."By that time I too had sought cover, as I didn't know whether they were armed or not. The police had already been notified when the gunshots were being fired, when they arrived and when we did our investigations we discovered that I had shot one of them in the back of the neck and he had died on the spot," said Mr Nhomboka.He said they traced his car and discovered it dumped in Rangemore and stripped of the upholstery."They had stripped the vehicle in search of the money but they didn't find it. All they took was the US$400 in the car and left my phones and everything else," he said. News / National by Staff reporter VILLAGERS from Goodwood in Inyathi, Matabeleland North province are living in fear after a series of mysterious fires razed down three huts at a homestead in four days.The fires also destroyed a single building at another homestead about 500 metres away forcing villagers to sleep outside as they fear that their huts might catch fire in the quiet of the night.A visit to the area by Sunday News revealed that the inexplicable fires started last Monday at the Mkhwananzi homestead.The Mkhwananzi family said the fire started after a huge gust of wind that "came from nowhere", blew a heavy metal cooking stand used to balance pots, into the air and sent the family scurrying for cover."We were seated outside as we were preparing our evening meal, when suddenly a huge gust of wind came from nowhere, so powerful was the wind that it blew into the air a heavy metal cooking stand that we use for cooking. It also blew away a metal gauze and huge logs, which just vanished into thin air. We found the gauze at a nearby bush but the logs as big as they were to this day cannot be found," said Mrs Siphilisiwe Mkhwananzi."The children, as well as my daughter-in-law ran to a hut for cover. My daughter-in-law decided to close the other huts, she saw that the hut was on fire and yelled for the others to run out. The fire was put out but my daughter started having trouble in breathing and said she was being strangled by unseen forces. We were all scared and tried to sit her up so that we could assist her but she would get into a frenzied and hypnotic state claiming she is being attacked by forces we could not see. It's only after we prayed that she calmed down. She hasn't been in a right state of mind since and says she sees visions of her attackers on a daily basis," said Mrs Mkhwananzi.So strange is the fire that after burning a hut at the Mkhwananzi homestead it razed down a hut at another homestead situated about 500 metres away the following day. Nothing was salvaged from the fire at the nearby Ndlovu homestead, when the first incident occurred."These fires just start on their own and it is frightening. We don't know what is going on but something has to be done. The first fire occurred at around 3pm on Tuesday and another hut on the same day started burning at around 6pm," said Mr Russell Ndlovu.It was all calm on Wednesday until Thursday morning when another fire broke out at the Ndlovu homestead again burning down another hut. Mr Ndlovu said their 17-year-old daughter suddenly started screaming saying she was seeing three undressed women and a man who wanted to strangle her for raising alarm about the fire. The family said they sought the services of spiritual healers also known as tsikamutandas."We have been sleeping outside because we fear that we might be burnt alive. We discovered when we woke up that another hut was on fire but we managed to put it out before it damaged the hut. That is when we decided to seek spiritual assistance," said Mr Ndlovu."We have lived here for more than 19 years and have never seen such a thing happen, where houses just catch fire mysteriously. Our option now is to have spirit mediums and healers tell us what is going on," said a local, Chief Heisman Zulu.One of the tsikamutandas who identified himself as Titus Sithole, said there was a great evil spirit, which was thirsty for blood and would not stop tormenting villagers until it was appeased."This spirit is very dangerous and is out for blood. There are goblins here and the owner will be shamefully exposed and will face the wrath of the villagers," he said.Sithole assured villagers that the fires would not happen again.However, after having promised villagers that the situation was under control another hut at the Ndlovu homestead was razed down at around 6pm. The local councillor, Abednico Maphosa confirmed the incident yesterday, saying villagers were now living in fear and were demanding immediate action."The situation is almost out of control. Villagers are demanding answers and that something be done to contain this whole thing. You must understand that such issues are very contentious in rural areas. We are working on solving the situation as we don't want people to begin pointing fingers at each other, which might result in bloodshed," said Clr Maphosa. News / National by Staff reporter MPILO Central Hospital in Bulawayo has bought a R1,45 million Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) machine for the radiation department, which will see radiation sessions on cancer patients being carried out without fear of power outrages, Sunday News has learnt.The UPS machine enables patients to have radiation sessions continuously without the challenge of power interruptions from the local power supplier. Dr Xolani Ndlovu the acting clinical director for the institution confirmed the development in an interview."The hospital sourced the money and paid for the machine which cost R1,45 million. The machine is currently being shipped," he said.Dr Ndlovu said the development was a welcome move that was going to see effective radiation sessions being carried out."When patients are undergoing treatment particularly with the Linear Accelerator machine, there is a need for uninterrupted power supply because the machine is very sensitive. If there is fluctuation in power due to lightning or if electricity current suddenly changes, the machine is damaged," he said.Dr Ndlovu said technical problems developed with the machines at Mpilo and they now need specialists to come in and fix them. However, he said the company that repairs the machines was based in Switzerland."The company which has the ability to repair the machines is Varian Medical Systems but they said they can come and repair our machines if we have a UPS machine installed at the hospital and we do not have one. This means that they may have to come in several times for repairs if we do not have the machine installed which is costly," he said.Dr Ndlovu said repairs were minimal when there was a UPS machine so they would enter into a contract with the company once they installed one at the institution. Currently, he said power fluctuations affect the hospital several times and their machines were always down.Dr Ndlovu further said they were forced to send their radiation patients to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare which was costly for them.One breast cancer patient who spoke to Sunday News said she was having a hard time as she could not travel to Harare."We have challenges as patients as we do not have accommodation in Harare. It becomes too costly if we are to find accommodation and also pay for treatment at the same time. We are hoping that the machines are installed and we can be treated closer home," she said.She also said some patients have been referred to Oncocare Zimbabwe, a cancer centre in Harare which they said was very costly especially for patients that do not have medical aid. News / National by Staff reporter Bulawayo prophet Madzibaba Mutumwa has started his tour of cities as he seeks to pray against the ravaging spirit of accidents that has hit the country of late.Concerned that in the past weeks, accidents have claimed more than hundred lives in separate road traffic accidents in the country, Mutumwa said the alarming rate of accidents was the work of satanists who have turned roads into death traps."Satanists are in full force causing accidents as they want blood for their satanism purposes. As a church we have started the tour of cities, the first being Bulawayo where we had a prayer at our Mganwini shrine. We are yet to release dates when we will be in Harare, before moving to Masvingo, Zvishavane and Mutare among others. I strongly believe that by the time we finish God would have intervened," he said.He invited transport operators and commuters to attend the tour of cities."May I take this opportunity to invite transport operators to attend these tours so that they will be prayed for, therefore be protected by the blood of Jesus. Members of the public have to attend as well," he said.Meanwhile, Mutumwa has been healing people who are mentally ill."One of the stories of a man who was mentally ill made screaming headlines in the media. The man had documents from Engutsheni hospital that certified him as a mentally ill patient. But after I prayed for him he got healed and stopped taking medication. He is now a devout member of our church," said Madzibaba Mutumwa.He also said people from as far as Britain, United States of America and from different parts of the world flock to his shrine for deliverance. He added that prominent people like politicians, businesspeople and the who-is-who of society also throng his shrine for prayers and deliverance.Home owners and authorities of public institutions such as schools and hospitals have also hired him to conduct cleansing ceremonies after being terrorised by goblins. News / National by Staff reporter With President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration desperate to restore public trust, a senior government official has said the anti-corruption dragnet has been extended to cover all judicial officers, among them judges.Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs secretary Virginia Mabhiza revealed to the 'Daily News on Sunday' that government has put everyone within the judiciary under the spotlight by launching internal investigations aimed at flushing out corrupt judicial officers.The investigations are going beyond any position, and will include the entire gamut, from prosecutors to judges."Everyone should be careful, because we are all being investigated and anyone caught on the wrong side of the law will face the full wrath of the law," Mabhiza said.Each year, corruption is draining billions of dollars from the State in rackets involving government officials and business people.When he was voted into power in the July 30 presidential election, Mnangagwa promised to stop the rot although critics say he has been targeting only his perceived enemies.Zimbabwe was last year ranked 157th out of 175 countries on the Transparency International index, which measures public perceptions of corruption in public institutions.This comes amid fears shortcomings in the judicial system, including bribable judges and prosecutors, could undermine even the strongest of cases.With poor remuneration being one of the major causes of corruption by judicial officers, Mabhiza said government was seriously looking into the issue.A shortage of staff and poor pay is regularly cited as a major problem.Some public officials are tempted to accept bribes in order to supplement their salaries as the economy continues on a downward spiral.Zimbabwe has over the years suffered a serious economic meltdown that people also attributed to corruption by senior government officials and ordinary citizens."We are also alive to the issue of the conditions of service of judicial officers and these conditions of service are being reviewed," she said.In 2015, the Judicial Services Commission together with other stakeholders such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Law Society of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and members of the public, launched a campaign to end corruption, dubbed Against Corruption Together (Act).During the launch, the issue of remuneration also popped up as one of the major causes of corruption by judicial officers.Mabhiza said this campaign did not yield the desired results."There wasn't much ground that was gained through this campaign. We suspected there was a cartel that was involved in corrupt activities and that is what the government is now trying to contain through other mechanisms," she said, adding that the new department under the Office of the President and Cabinet was also aimed at boosting the fight against corruption within the judiciary and all sectors in general.She also said the government had taken a wholesome approach in dealing with corruption within the judiciary through the deliberate transfer of magistrates and prosecutors across the country."The transfer of officers within the two sectors is also aimed at weeding out corruption," she said.Further confirming the severity of the issue, Mabhiza said there will be no sacred cows. She said no one will be spared in the investigations, including commissioners.Corruption in Zimbabwe has reached alarming levels, which has infiltrated several public and private institutions.Over the years, there has been a growing concern over the government's failure to bring bigwigs to book, as they are cited as the main culprits in corruption activities.Corruption in Zimbabwe has become a cancerous scourge that has left the majority of Zimbabweans living in abject poverty while the high-wheeled ones live lavishly.Over the years, government has been glaringly ignoring adverse reports by the country's auditor-general on abuse of public sector funds.In previous reports, the auditor-general has been unearthing massive abuse of funds in different ministries through flouting tender procedures and disobeying government rules, but nothing has been done to address that.The country has been losing significant potential revenue due to corruption, which in turn is playing a part in bleeding the country's economy. News / National by Staff reporter The country's education system is battling to preserve its integrity in the wake of an upsurge in academic fraudsters who are forging qualifications to secure jobs and gain admission into institutions of higher learning.Investigations by the Daily News on Sunday revealed that the cases of academic dishonesty that have been unearthed so far are just a tip of the iceberg because of the absence of robust vetting processes in most institutions.Human resource experts said the malpractices are getting worse due to stiff competition for jobs and places in top schools where higher grades matter.They said the crudest form of academic fraud has been the counterfeiting or purchasing of downright forged certificates, diplomas and degrees.Only recently, the United States embassy in Harare was shocked to discover that at least 30 out of 40 people who had applied for visas had used fake education documents.The case offers a peak into a thriving underground economy of cheating services.The problem is an urgent one.From an institutional perspective, the ramifications of failure to address fraud and corrupt practices are severe.Experts say the employment of individuals with bogus credentials can be a public relations fiasco for both private companies and government. Fraud and corruption in education is largely manifesting itself in the issuance of counterfeit academic qualifications to gain admission into education programmes and jobs. This comes as news of leaked exam questions and other forms of test-related fraud are now commonplace in Zimbabwe.Government has been forced to swing into action to crack down on the leaking of high school examination questions by corrupt educators.Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) spokesperson Nicolette Dhlamini told the Daily News on Sunday that the examinations body has been on a nationwide verification of academic credentials with employers, uncovering a shocking number of workers with forged school and college certificates.Dhlamini said this problem has always been in existence but more cases emerged this year. She said the examinations body was always on the lookout for forgery, but said there is not much they can do to stop the crime because they only depend on organisations or schools to bring documents for authentication."I can confirm that we have caught several people forging certificates, but as Zimsec, there is nothing much we can do to catch the culprits except waiting on organisations to send in their certificates for verification," she said.Dhlamini noted that Zimsec, in an effort to curb the increase of this crime, has been working with the Zimbabwe Republic Police."In terms of finding the root cause of the problem, where those certificates are faked, we count on the law enforcement to get to the bottom of those issues," she said.Most of these fraudsters reportedly get away with the crime for years before they get caught. The schools examinations body was forced last year to annul the graduation exam results of November 2017 Ordinary Level English Paper 2 public examination participating students due to "examination malpractices" an incident that was due to lead to the de-certification of corruption-plagued schools.The High Court later granted an order nullifying the rewrite of the public examination that had been scheduled and ordered that the overall results be based solely on English Paper 1.This comes as examinations fraud has become a lucrative business for underground crime groups. Rampant fraud, meanwhile, has caused the government to transport national high school exam questions in trucks under guard of the elite unit of the police.The crackdown on fake degree, diploma and certificates holders comes as another purge is underway, with many hauled before the courts.Anyone who knowingly uses a fraudulent, non-government document can face a jail term. Among those who have attempted to cheat their way to success is an aspiring nurse who was arrested in October this year after she reportedly submitted forged ''O'' Level results, intending to be enrolled as a student nurse at Harare Central Hospital.Agnes Dhliwayo, who was meant to be in the institution's Group C 2018 nursing programme, confessed to falsifying her ''O'' Level certificate with the help of an unnamed Zimsec officials in 2015.The hospital got confirmation from Zimsec on her fake document.Dhliwayo had attained four ''O'' Level results in different sittings, but reportedly paid a Zimsec official, whose identity was not revealed, to help her illegally combine them into one. In 2015 she is said to have paid a total of $500 between December and February 2016 to the Zimsec official, whom she claimed not to know.Dhliwayo was arrested and brought before the courts where she was sentenced to six months in prison.In June this year, a Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals nurse who used a fake ''O'' Level certificate to get employment was slapped with a 15-month prison sentence.Elizabeth Kalenga, 26, pleaded with Harare magistrate Nyasha Vhitorini to spare her the jail term, saying she was a mother of two minor children.Her pleas, however, could not find favour with the court, which only suspended five months on condition of good behaviour.It was the State case that sometime in May 2016; Parirenyatwa School of Nursing advertised in newspapers that they wanted to recruit trainee nurses.The posts required candidates to have five ''O'' Level passes with grade C or better and including English Language and a Science subject.Kalenga submitted a fake ''O'' Level certificate with seven passes, bearing candidate number 010400/3082 to Parirenyatwa School of Nursing to secure admission as a trainee nurse.The hospital acted on the misrepresentation and enrolled Kalenga as a trainee registered nurse.However, she ran out of luck after a team of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption got wind that she was using fake certificates, leading to her arrest.In February this year, another Harare woman was also jailed for four months for using a fake ''O'' Level certificate after working as an insurance agent at FirstMutual for 11 years.Harare magistrate Josephine Sande jailed Abigail Mhizha, 45, for contravening the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Act.One month was suspended on condition Mhizha deposits $100 fine, while the remaining three months were shelved on condition of good behaviour.Mhizha again pleaded with the court saying she was a single parent of four who worked hard at First Mutual and even attained awards.In October 26, 2006, Mhizha submitted an ''O'' Level certificate number Z1173-354 to First Mutual Holdings Limited to secure employment as an insurance agent.During Mhizha's tenure of office, the human resources department at First Mutual queried the authenticity of her qualifications and asked her to resubmit her certificates.In February 2017, a former student at Oriel Boys High School forged an ''O'' Level certificate and attempted to use it to gain admission for lower six at Goromonzi High School.He was slapped with a four-month wholly suspended prison term.Dick Chikadza of Ruwa was convicted on charges of presenting a forged certificate to a prospective employer or a learning institution with intent to gain employment or admission.In January 2014, a Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals nurse Caroline Hwata forged an ''O'' Level certificate and used it to acquire a nursing diploma and employment at the health institution.Mahwata was initially sentenced to eight months in prison, while four months were suspended on condition of good behaviour. The other four months were suspended on condition that she was to perform 140 hours of community service.There has been widespread speculation that former first lady Grace Mugabe was fraudulently awarded a doctorate by the University of Zimbabwe.The university's vice chancellor Levi Nyagura is standing trial over Grace's PhD thesis, after an anti-corruption watchdog probed whether the wife of ousted president Robert Mugabe was wrongly awarded a doctorate four years ago.And yet, accounts of persons being employed in critical positions based on fake degrees surface regularly in the news. Opinion / Columnist On the back of another, rather surprising, albeit welcome political somersault that has seen President Emmerson Mnangagwa embrace devolution, a hitherto Zanu-PF taboo, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube announced a budget allocation of some $300 million to the ministry, or is it the mission of devolution of power?Whether or not devolution of power is some panacea for dismantling "Bambazonke", that demonic, capital fixation of Zanu-PF and the hararenisation of Zimbabwe, whether it is a panacea for long yearned equitable redistribution of national resources, for more meaningful citizen participation and the release from governance exclusion of peripheral society and those ordinarily outside the ring-fenced myopia of the ruling party, whether it ushers in enhanced democratisation of our society or indeed whether it turns out to be a glorified Thank-You-After-Party for the "maramba-kufunga" peasant vote, only dressed up in legit constitutional smokescreen, is yet to be seen.The jury is still out on the extent to which devolution, as a governance approach, may be deemed a reliable guarantee of accountability and transparency, of effective service delivery, better lives and improved livelihoods for the remote ghost towns and forsaken hinterlands in the dark depths of Dande, Nkayi, Dotito, Siyabuwa or Ntshelanyemba. The jury is still out, whether or not and to what extent the government or the ruling party (for both are often unaware which is which) shares the same understanding of the concept of devolution of power as was expressed by Zimbabwean citizens in the extensive, protracted referendum that built up to the constitution of 2013. The jury is still out whether or not and to what extent the government machinery of Zanu-PF and the framework and institutions entrusted the onerous task to deliver devolution of power are even remotely capable, let alone willing to reconfigure the entire infrastructure of dispensing governance and to unleash devolution as a radical programmatic process and ideological re-engineering of governance and spheres of governance.What is known and virtually impossible to de-link from the very DNA of Zanu-PF is their compelling loyalty to centralised power (one centre of power) and their long cherished, unwavering faith in a unitary state and command centre culture conversely accompanied by a corresponding, terrifying fear of diversity and a discomfort with an alternative worldview and a decidedly violent distrust of dissent. Although modern times and political correctness may have muted their voices somewhat, the people in Zanu-PF fiercely subscribed to a one-party-state and fear multiple centres of power.Consequently, what is also commonly acknowledged and not in any dispute is that Zanu-PF were unanimously and violently opposed to any suggestion or mention at all of the possibility of devolved governance as an alternative approach to constitutional development. Robert Mugabe was literally dragged kicking and screaming to append his reluctant signature to the Chapter 14 provisions of devolution, so courageously championed by Welshman Ncube.Invited as a neutral constitutional data analyst at Copac, I watched in bewilderment as Mugabe and Mnangagwa's emissaries fought bitterly and literally wept at the fact that 64,4% of Zimbabwean citizens had expressly demanded devolution in the Copac referendum. The idea of regional autonomy and self-determination, so well articulated by their African hero and icon Mugabe at every global forum, was suddenly reduced to an epic mischief, utterly distasteful and unfathomable in the context of internal governance in Zimbabwe. Every possible loophole was explored in those Rainbow Towers Hotel wars leading to the constitution, to doctor and "chigumba" the will of the people, but so huge were the margins and so obvious, the V11's that the Chinotimbas and Biggie Matizas simply threw in the towel and the presidium was livid.That important, albeit cursory, background which points a window to the authentic view of the ruling party about Section 14 of the constitution and devolution of power is useful for anyone who has wondered why, since 2013, government simply cast a blind eye to a constitutionally enshrined provision of local governance; it explains why government has not found the energy, need, let alone the urgency to redefine, provincial, metropol and district governance in an Act reconfigured in sync with the supreme law of land; it begins to explain why, under his self-imposed pressure of new beginnings, deepening democracy and open government, Mnangagwa will appear to steal the thunder of devolution from democratic forces, but also how, in his hands devolution may well assume a completely different, tokenist meaning in practice than was intended by the people and the constitution.The pressure of political correctness, reform and the need to demonstrate some willingness to expand and deepen our democracy, coupled clumsily with faint political commitment for substantive and comprehensive change, makes a great ingredient for a spectacular devolution stillbirth.I have learnt that such things as devolution of power are never government gifts handed down as Christmas manna to citizens by their loving governments.But that always, these are democratic dividends of bitter wars that pit the state against civil society through relentless advocacy, toyi-toying, tear-smoke, jockeying for space and protracted advocacy. As government sets out to craft devolution legislation, it seems fairly accurate to assume the devolution that Mthuli Ncube allocated an arbitrary budget vote and the devolution Zimbabweans yearn for are worlds apart.I scribble this instalment in the privileged midst of an exciting and deeply engaging national tete-a-tete of eminent leaders of citizens and rate-payers from all corners of the country. I will be glad when I secure their permission to share their views, suffice to say:Citizens must never trust a sitting government to implement far-reaching reforms that threaten their control and power;Devolution is not decentralisation, it must entail ceding of real political, economic, legislative power and authority. Government must commit to devolving its entire budget and operations and work through provincial transfers;Without prior needs assessments, effective resource-financing and comprehensive capacity building and fundamental changes in institutions of governance, devolution risks being glorified baby dumping by government.Zii Masiye (ziimasiye@gmail.com) writes elsewhere on social media as Balancing Rocks. Opinion / Columnist We can praise the revolutionary parties for their unity on the two most important national issues facing the Zimbabwean people: The political impasse and the economic melt down. Some people do complain that the retention by vote of President Mnangagwa was not a good thing, and that it a support of a corrupt and failed leadership was not a plus for the organization or for the Zimbabwean people. Unfortunately for the ones who dislike ED he has five years to make things right.A very sad situation is being created by the opposition not only in Zimbabwe but world over. There is a developing agenda which encourages the losing parties to come back through national unity. It is a system where the losers are being rewarded for losing under the guise of national unity. It is a systematic way of usurping the wishes of the majority. Africa is being forced into a none democratic ways of forming a Government of National Unity. This where the losing party pushes an agenda of sabotaging the economy in a strong willed evil to force a GNU. After realising that they will not be able to win they make a ploy to cause an economic panic which will trigger unrest and force a unity of some sort.All other things being equal, national unity is an important collective and strategic goal under virtually any circumstance. However, unity is only of paramount importance when it is in the service of a functional policy or system. The question of unity is therefore subject to the condition of political functionality: if unity helps to achieve an indispensable national goal, then it is of paramount importance; if it is an insurmountable obstacle to an overriding national imperative, then it cannot be considered of the first importance. Sometimes, history teaches, functional national unity can only be achieved following a period of deep, sometimes even severe, disunity in order to achieve the primacy of a reasonable political approach over an unreasonable one. Lincoln's famous dictum that a house divided against itself cannot stand,was made in plain view of one of the most violent internecine civil conflicts in recent human history, and eventually came to constitute a rallying cry for the majority of Americans against a minority hell-bent on unworkable and unacceptable policies and practices. When political dysfunctionality becomes overwhelming, sometimes unity cannot, and even should not, be achieved or maintained.In the present Zimbabwean context, national disunity is mainly expressed through the split between the MDC and ZANU PF. This disunity is the product of a failed experiment in political cohabitation and divided government following two contradictory election results, the 2008 presidential rerun election won overwhelmingly by President Mugabe and a parliamentary elections that returned a solid majority for ZANU PF's MPs. As noted many times in the past, these results divided Our government between two parties which are pursuing not only incompatible but flatly contradictory agendas on both the national strategy for economic rejuvenation and the character of Zimbabwean society. It is completely impossible that they should be able to find a modus vivendi for sharing power, especially since the inclusion of MDC in the government led directly and inevitably to international isolation for the entire ZIMBABWEAN leadership.Since the violent split in the ZANU PF house in the summer of 2017 it has become commonplace among the powers that be and their allies around the world, to refuse to choose sides between these two irreconcilable and contradictory agendas and to simply call for national unity at all costs. It is extremely appealing to do so as it is, among other things, a copout on the essential choice ZANU PF and their supporters face between the nationalist agenda that seeks a negotiated agreement with MDC to end the Impasse and the Hardline agenda that seeks confrontation until victory? (whatever that means).In the most senior corridors the national unity imperative allows people to avoid all the most difficult questions in favor of a position that is hard to argue with and is ostensibly above reproach. This is also the position, more or less, of several key Friendly states, including SADC and AU who have been pressuring the party on all sides to reestablish national unity at all costs. This policy is driven by their own political discomfort, based largely on their internal domestic politics, the profound economical pressure resulting from the economical hardships in Zimbabwe.The problem, of course, is that national unity between the ZANU PF and MDC is as impossible now as it was in 2008-2013. It is still the case that the internal and national agendas of the two organizations are contradictory, and still the case that MDC behaviour is largely driven by its ambition to marginalize and replace ZANU PF and all nationalist parties as the dominant political formation and the international address for all things Zimbabwe. The push for talks by Biti and Chamisa is. Desperate measure of a power hungry outfit. MDC has nothing to offer to the nation but confusion and anarchy. Talks being initiated will yield completely nothing.The talks will go nowhere because agreement between these two positions is a practical impossibility. Until MDC seriously amends its policies such that it can be seen as a legitimate interlocutor by the international community (and, for that matter, for the neighbouring states as a practical reality), and accepts the goal of achieving a national end of conflict the costs of national reunification and reconciliation outweigh the benefits.In many if not most Zimbabweans this is a heretical opinion, but if thought about seriously, it is also readily understood. The practical consequences of such a reconciliation, in the absence of significant policy adjustments from MDC would certainly be disastrous, especially a return to the crippling period of economic meltdown. National disunity is exceptionally unfortunate, but surely the international isolation of all the leading national parties is worse than the isolation of some, and obviously it would be of no benefit to the Zimbabwean people if targeted sanctions is to be maintained.Moreover, from a practical point of view, everything serious the Nation can accomplish to improve their lot both in terms of living conditions and with regard to diplomatic progress towards economic revival requires negotiations with the opposition. The painful reality is that MDC with the support of its masters is in a position to block almost anything ZANU PF try to do to develop their society or move significantly in the direction of development. A situation in which the Opposition refuse to discuss anything meaningful with the entire government will mean, in effect, paralysis not only at the diplomatic level, but also in terms of institution building, economic development and most, if not all, registers of national and civic life.To achieve economic development, significant steps can be taken under the current circumstances, but without being patriotic most necessary economic, institutional and political development of society will remain impossible. What needs to be done now, and urgently, is to lay the groundwork for economic recovery diplomatically in terms of the political register, and on the ground in terms of institutional, infrastructural and economic development in so far as possible.Nobody wants to hear or read such words, yet every serious person knows that this is, in fact, the reality that we must face and deal with if we are serious about advancing our national interests. Only those who indulge in extravagant fantasies about milk and honey state from theZambezi to Limpopo or an opposition party to replace ZANU PF can fail to understand these ineluctable facts. The bottom line is this: as long as MDC continues to cling to policies that are completely dysfunctional and can only damage rather than advance the national interest in practice, and as long as their inclusion in government sentences all the national leadership and the whole of the country to international isolation, then disunity is, in fact, preferable to reunification. Better that only some elements of a people or national patrimony go charging suicidally off a cliff than for the entirety to do so in the name of unity.Which brings us back to the question of the Reason for a unity government. We don't have any illusions about the failings of Nelson Chamisa as a political leader, which are numerous and which are spelled out in some detail elsewhere. However, political parties, and for good reason, rarely dispense with sitting presidents, and naturally this proved to be another example. In addition, the practical alternative would have been a long, drawn out, possibly catastrophic, and perhaps even indecisive leadership battle that might have either split the movement irrevocably or resulted in an even less appealing and capable figure emerging as the new leader. One need only look at some of the individuals who showed party clout at the Conference to understand that for all his failings,ED is far from the least attractive person in a position of considerable influence in ZIMBABWE.By all serious accounts,ED has begun the painful and complicated processes of both anticorruption and good governance on the one hand and serious institution building ED's leadership on its own did not only prove capable of doing this, but it has proved capable of facilitating it, and providing the political basis for sound, or at least much sounder, administration. Failing to recognize this aspect of ED's presidency is to miss the biggest of big picture items. Under his leadership, ED is no longer synonymous with the Mugabe times which is good for both the party and the government, and this has taken considerable political will to accomplish and to maintain. The practical and economic benefits of this policy are now on display in the Country.And although the results are as dramatic as some people have maintained, they are obviously very significant and should be built upon and not squandered.Zimbabwe needs unity in the service of functional, practical policies that have both immediate and long-term beneficial consequences.but under the circumstances, on the biggest issues at stake, and compared to the practical alternatives, it is unity and unanimity that is both useful and well advised. In the real world, the choices are between actually existing alternatives. In this case, the unity demonstrated by the nation on ED's leadership and on the national strategy was far preferable to any realistic alternatives.The value of unity depends on the purposes it serves. All other things being equal, it is an exceptionally important value to be pursued, but in some cases, a measure of disunity that allows partial functionality is better than a form of unity?There are times when the imperative of national unity must give way to insistence on reasonable policies without which the most essential elements of the national interest cannot be advanced or maintained. Zimbabwean national unity must indeed be restored, and as soon as possible, but not at all costs; it must be accomplished in a manner that allows the national agenda of economic recovery to proceed and not atrophy or collapse.The reason for pushing for unity now is dubious. One time you say we will block any progress then you say lets unite. Is it a genuine unity seeking outfit.Who said MDC will turn the economy round. We are at the verge of seeing the austerity measures work. Why move back fifty steps when we are so near the finishing line. Economic measures being taken now are very hard but gives hope.We are not desperate as to buy the fake stories of GNU from the opposition. If a person risks all to join you, you must realise that you are the one with the keys to freedom. We can unite with those who are keen to see us down at our own peril.The talks of national unity are premature. We must resist them. Not now and not on their terms.Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk Opinion / Columnist Education and socialisation Media Gonocide On the 7th December 2018 saw some dedicated and culturally conscious Ndebele men embark on a long walk from Bulawayo to Harare with an aim of petitioning the government of Zimbabwe on cultural respect of Mthwakazi. "It is all about acknowledging cultural diversity in the country, all about showcasing our Mthwakazi cultures and identities and to say we are here it's action time" said Mr Thabo Siziba, the man behind the March."The mission to Harare is in two fold even though it could be summed up as one, we want to reawaken awareness of the role played by ZIPRA forces to liberate the country and to celebrate our Mthwakazi culture openly without fear, we are not infringing on anyone's culture" Mr Siziba said.The government's catalogue of Infringements on Mthwakazi culture:The education system does not respect the culture of the Mthwakazi people, this is aptly shown by the non-Ndebele speaking teachers teaching in predominantly Ndebele regions. This is the surest way of socialising the Ndebele children into a non-Ndebele culture. Is it wrong to learn other cultures? No it is not, what is wrong is to learn other cultures at the expense of your own culture and learning so under duress. The content or curriculum is insulting of Mthwakazi cultures, for example they peddle a narrative which says that King Lobhengula sold the country, this is a lie meant to demean a people. What they fail to teach our children is that in 1890 Rhodes' BSAC company occupied MaShonaland without any resistance by the locals.One of the biggest culprits in mutilating Mthwakazi culture is the media, the public media with a "mgodoyi narrative". The narrative which says there are no talented Ndebele musicians and actors and therefore no need to bother to play their music or plays on the public broadcaster. If this narrative was true why is that Ndebele people are successful in foreign lands, do you know people like Zinjaziyamluma, Madlela Sikhobokhobo, Nkosi ka Ndlovu, Tish Malaba and many others? These are some of the Mthwakazi people who have made their names outside the country because of the environment which was not enabling back home. The aim is to annihilate a people.This is a pervasive ideology which was implemented from 1980 upto date. It cuts across all facets of life but it's driving force is fear, self-hate, self-negation, cultural mutilation and destruction of the Mthwakazi identities and self-confidence.It is on that note that the organisers of the Mthwakazi March should be applauded in their efforts in recovering the confidence of a people, dust it up and set it on a trajectory to freedom. The walk to Harare from Bulawayo and back is no mean feat but a humongous symbolism which says we are prepared to become. That is to become who we are and freedom is never attained unless one reaches home, therefore going to Harare and back is an art of becoming. In solidarity with Thabo Siziba and his group of brave men I pledge to take a walk in my local park on a daily basis until they return back to Bulawayo. Opinion / Columnist A quick search on Wikipedia, specifies that, "the Logan Act is a United States federal law that criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized persons with foreign governments having a dispute with the US. The intent behind the act is to prevent unauthorized negotiations from undermining the government's position."The act was passed following George Logan's unauthorized negotiations with France in 1798, and was signed into law by President John Adams on January 30, 1799.Over the years, since the enactment of the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (ZIDERA) in 2001 by the United States of America, the act has been amended several times to make demands that infringes on Zimbabwe as an independent and sovereign state. When making those amendments, the Americans set up hearings and invite members of the opposition parties, civic society and few business persons to come and give their testimonies on why the sanctions should be maintained or repealed.These hearings exposes the United States government's hypocrisy as it chooses to negotiate and hear testimonies from their preferred individuals yet, they have the Logan Act that forbids its citizens from negotiating with foreign governments.It is on these hearing platforms that several individuals have shamelessly advocated for the maintenance of the ZIDERA and/or even asked for more sanctions for the country.On 12 December 2017, pseudo human rights activist Dewa Mavhinga, former selous scouts member Peter Godwin, MDC leaders Nelson Chamisa and Tendai Biti appeared before US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and presented their testimonies.Under his human rights watch banner, Mavhinga urged the US Congress to "maintain existing US policy toward Zimbabwe." In simpler terms, thus, he persuaded the US government to maintain the sanctions on Zimbabwe.On the other hand, Mr Biti submitted that, "we ask the international community and the U.S. to keep us in your hearts. Do not allow our country to be forgotten in our battle against tyranny and poverty and for democracy and human rights. Our election requires active support and oversight from the international community, including our American friends."Based on the inputs from Biti and Mavhinga testimonies, on 25 July, ahead of the 2018 elections, the US Congress and Senate passed the amended ZIDERA. Just over a week after the 2018 election, US President Donald Trump signed the amended ZIDERA of 2018 (S 2779) into law, effectively extending US sanctions against Zimbabwe.Fast forward to last week, the US Senate Foreign Relations Sub-Committee on Africa and Global Health, again heard testimonies from local business leader, Mr Joe Mutizwa and a one Todd J Moss.In his testimony, Mr Moss said, "the United States should be extremely cautious in its re-engagement with the government of Zimbabwe. It is far too early for the United States or other international creditors to give the government any benefit of the doubt on economic reform or to provide debt relief or new loans."One of the sub-committee convenors, US Senator Jeff Flake unashamedly claimed that, "the name of Tendai Biti has been raised a number of times. It would be difficult for the US to move forward with any type of relationship with Zimbabwe while charges are still levelled against him. He is a friend of this committee".It cannot be ruled out that Mr Biti could have contacted Mr Flake clandestinely to make the demand that he should be released without charge.These individual testimonies have had a detrimental effect on the country's re-engagement efforts.With the ushering in of the new dispensation, President Mnangagwa has been advocating for the re-engagement with the rest of the world, after noting that for the country to achieve more economic growth, it needs other countries by way of mutual cooperation.Moving forward, the country needs to act against these selfish individuals dampening the hopes of re-engagement with the US.The time is now to enact our own "Logan Act."It is imperative that the current crop of our legislators urgently craft our own laws to deal with future re-engagement saboteurs that have been calling for more sanctions on our country, just for a few pieces of silver. As Nova Scotia moves to allow for easier flow of alcohol into the province, people in the industry are hoping other provinces will be quick to follow suit. The premier announced on Friday that there is no longer any limit to how much alcohol can be brought into Nova Scotia for personal consumption. "I think Canadians can't understand the fact that we're out signing international trade deals and yet there's so many barriers inside of Canada," Premier Stephen McNeil said on CBC's The House on Saturday. Friday's announcement also included steps to reduce trade barriers between Nova Scotia and other provinces around transportation, business registration, technical safety and occupational health and safety. But while the move to allow more alcohol to enter the province from other places might sound like a bad thing for Nova Scotia producers, some in the industry say that's not the case including one brewmaster right on the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border. Emma Davie/CBC "There is a little bit of fear there," said Joe Potter, owner of Trider's Craft Beer in Amherst, N.S. "There is risk. But no risk, no reward. Someone has to take the first step, but I'm kind of proud of Nova Scotia for doing that and hoping the other provinces will follow suit. "I don't think anyone in the industry would want further restriction of trade between provinces, so we're very hopeful that it's going to go the other way." Matt Rogers, president of Bishop's Cellar, a private liquor store on the Halifax waterfront, said the freer flow of alcohol across provincial borders will benefit the entire industry. Jeorge Sadi/CBC "I thought it was a great move for consumers," he said. "Any time that the laws can modernize and change, we're all for that. "I'm not so concerned for our business, but a concern for our producers is that it's reciprocal." Rogers said he hopes to see a streamlining of alcohol policy across Canada, too. "Our local producers are doing really well. They're growing, products are getting better and better everyday and I think their products can stand alongside any in this country." By Nathan Layne and Brendan Pierson WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors said on Friday President Donald Trump directed his personal lawyer to make illegal hush payments to two women ahead of the 2016 election, and also detailed a previously unknown attempt by a Russian to help the Trump campaign. In court filings, federal prosecutors in New York and those working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller made the case for why Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, deserved prison time. The documents turned up the heat on Trump by confirming prosecutors' belief of his involvement in a campaign finance violation, while adding to a growing list of contacts between campaign aides and Russians in 2015 and 2016, legal experts said. "In total, the prosecutors seem to be saying the president was more aware than he has claimed to be," former federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin said. Prosecutors in both of the Cohen cases were required to submit separate memos on Friday on his cooperation to U.S. District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan, who will decide on the former lawyer's sentence on Dec. 12. While Cohen implicated the president in the hush payments to two women -- adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal -- in his guilty plea in August in New York, the filing on Friday marked the first time federal prosecutors officially concurred. It said Cohen made the payments in "coordination with and the direction of" Trump. Democrats jumped on that assertion and called for steps to protect Mueller's probe into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign. "These legal documents outline serious and criminal wrongdoing, including felony violations of campaign finance laws at the direction of President Trump," Senator Diane Feinstein said in a statement. The president has denied any collusion with Russia, and accuses Mueller's prosecutors of pressuring his former aides to lie about him, his campaign and his business dealings. Russia has denied interfering in the election to help Trump. In new tweets on Friday, Trump accused federal investigators and senior officials of having conflicts of interest, without offering evidence. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders called Cohen a liar and dismissed the filings as insignificant. "The government's filings in Mr. Cohen's case tell us nothing of value that wasnt already known," Sanders said. RUSSIAN CONTACTS Last week, Cohen admitted to lying to congressional investigators in an attempt to minimize his efforts to secure the Kremlin's help for a Trump skyscraper in Moscow. He has said he did so to stay in sync with Trump's political messaging, and that he consulted with the White House while preparing to testify to Congress. Mueller said on Friday that Cohen repeated his false statements about the project in his first meeting with Mueller's office, admitting the truth only in a later meeting in September after he had pleaded guilty to the separate New York charges. On Friday, Mueller said Cohen's false statements to Congress had "obscured the fact" that the skyscraper project held the potential to reap "hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian sources" for the Trump Organization. Mueller said that discussions about the potential Moscow development were relevant to the investigation because they occurred "at a time of sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the U.S. presidential election." In addition to coming clean on the Moscow project, Cohen provided information to Mueller about several attempts by Russians to contact the Trump's campaign, according to Friday's filing. In November 2015, Cohen spoke with a Russian national who said he could offer the campaign "political synergy" with Russia and repeatedly proposed a meeting with Putin. Cohen did not follow up on the offer, the filing says. Mueller also said in the filing that Cohen had provided "relevant and useful information concerning his contacts with persons connected to the White House" in 2017 and 2018. Mueller also detailed alleged lies told by Manafort during interviews with prosecutors and the FBI. Last month Mueller voided Manafort's plea agreement because, they said, he was not telling the truth. They said Manafort told "multiple discernible lies," including about his communications with a political consultant will alleged ties to Russian intelligence, and about interactions with Trump administration officials even after Manafort was first indicted in late 2017. PUSHING FOR TIME The filings followed a sentencing memo earlier this week regarding Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, who Mueller praised for providing "substantial" cooperation and argued for no prison time. Cohen had been hoping prosecutors would make a similar recommendation in his case. But the New York prosecutors were unsparing in their descriptions of his conduct, saying he was motivated by "personal greed" and that he "repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends." They said Cohen should receive some credit for cooperating with Mueller but noted he had not entered into a similar agreement with their office. They said his sentence should reflect a "modest" reduction from the four to five years they said federal guidelines would suggest. Mueller, for his part, praised Cohen for voluntarily providing information about his own and others' conduct on "core topics under investigation" and described the information as "credible and consistent with other evidence" they had obtained. Considering that cooperation, Mueller suggested the sentence for lying to Congress run concurrently with the sentence in the New York case. (Reporting by Nathan Layne; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Lisa Lambert, Richard Cowan, Roberta Rampton and Makini Brice; Editing by Paul Simao, Jonathan Oatis and Sonya Hepinstall) 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. . ..JNS.org..06 December '18..Maybe you thought that the discovery of tunnels built by Hezbollah under the border between Lebanon and Israel would generate a full-scale debate about the deadly nature of the threat from the terror group and its Iranian masters. But if so, you havent been paying much attention to the political atmosphere in Israel or the way the Jewish state and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are covered in the international press.The first mention of the tunnels incame in an article with the headline Suspected of Crimes, Netanyahu Is Also Suspected of Fear-Mongering. The upshot of the piece was to frame the issue as merely a distraction from the prime ministers legal troubles after the Israeli police recommended that he and his wife, Sara, be indicted on corruption charges.The charges against Netanyahu are serious. Or rather, it might be said that this latest problem is more serious than two previous cases where the police also recommended his indictment. Netanyahu is accused of aiding a wealthy cronys acquisition of the Bezeq Company. Bezeq owned a popular website Walla News that, in return for the prime ministers ability to use the governments regulatory power in its favor, provided positive coverage for him and his government. It remains to be seen whether Israels attorney general will accept the police recommendation that an actual crime was committed and a conviction can be obtained. The same is true about two more frivolous charges in which the police also sought indictments.The debate about these accusations has played into the discussion about whether the government will wait to hold a new election next fall, when Netanyahus governments term expires, or if he will move for an early election. The presumption is that if he were to be indictedsomething that is by no means certain in any of the three caseshe would wish to enter into legal combat forearmed with the endorsement of the voters. That is because, to the horror of his opponents, every poll predicts Netanyahus coalition will be easily re-elected.Israeli politics is just as nasty, personal and partisan as it is in the United States. So it was hardly surprising that cynics in the Israeli opposition and media, as well as their foreign counterparts, would interpret the furor over the tunnels as an attempt to change the subject from accusations of corruption. I recently started a Facebook group for the people in my city, called Pray for Ipswich. The idea came during a small prayer meeting, to create an online community with the goal of bringing local Christians and churches together. So, after a few months of putting it off, I created the page, emailed an invitation to nearly every church in the city, and hoped people would catch the vision. Seeing people engage with each other online around the purpose of bringing gospel transformation to our city has got me thinking: can an online community of Christians function as a church? Church online Life.Church, the American church that brought us the YouVersion Bible App, hosts the largest online church, with a weekly attendance of 70,000 people. Its been in existence since 2007. I visited one of the online services today to see how it worked. I found some things I expected, and some that I didnt. Youre greeted with video content which addresses you as an online community. If your timing is good, you skip the countdown timer and head straight into prerecorded worship music and a sermon. On the side theres a live chat, with Hosts and Lifegroup Leaders who warmly greet newcomers. Theres also live prayer, where you can ask someone to pray with you. Its much like watching a service on television, but more interactive. In this regard, I think its a step closer to real church than watching a televised service or listening to a podcast. The Life.Church website says that, Church Online is making knowing and following Christ possible for people where it is discouraged, illegal, or unknown. Hard to argue with that, and also with a testimony of one lady who has used Church Online to hold services in prison, through which 37 inmates have given their lives to the Lord. Online community cant replace the face to face interaction of traditional church, which offers accountability, shared meals, and deeper connection, amongst other things. At the same time however, I can see that having church online has its place in our increasingly digital society. In fact, I dont think we can truly, go into all the world, as Jesus tells us to in Mark chapter 16, verse 15, unless we do engage with people over the internet. Church online compared to church at a physical address One of the most interesting and important observations I came away with after my time attending Life.Churchs Church Online, was how similar many physical churches are today. In fact, many people who attend my moderately-sized church could leave with a near identical experience to that found on an internet church. You can listen or sing along to worship music at both. Both offer a sermon preached on Gods Word. You can even greet the other attendees in a not so different way. Whats scary is, that many people dwelling in the rearmost pews, dont feel any more connection to those around them than they could watching an online service. How should we church? We could complain about the way the world is increasingly moving away from personal, face-to-face relationships, but like anything in culture, the only way to change things is to enter in. The church has challenges ahead, but also great opportunity afforded by the digital age. We need to engage in the online space the best we can because thats where lost people are. We also need to reflect on how we do church, and make sure were offering something different to the world. Is our church a place that offers real relationships that go deeper than those you could find online? Where to for my online prayer group? Ive decided to treat my Facebook group more like a church than I originally intended. Im realising that while there are great difficulties in communicating over the internet, it is possible to go deeper; especially when a post triggers something for someone and opens up an opportunity for a conversation over private messaging. Im learning a lot about people and can see how an online group has the potential to encourage others in their faith. It certainly cant replace getting involved in my local church, but that doesnt mean it cant be considered a church. My involvement in the online space has actually led to meeting many Christians around my city that I wouldnt have met otherwise. This, face-to-face meeting, Im discovering is a crucial step for deepening online relationships. So, yes, I believe that a church can exist online, but it cant stay there. Just as a church cant stay within the four walls and structure of a Sunday service, a church online must also find ways to connect on a personal level. Tom likes Indian spices, French cars, British drama and Japanese gardens. He goes running nearly everyday, but early in the morning so that he doesn't miss time with his wife and two young kids. In his spare time, Tom is a Special Needs and Technology teacher. He is currently working towards planting a church. Toms other articles can be found at https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/tom-anderson.html If there is an under the radar cigar, it has to be the return of the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Reserva. Simply put this is an excellent cigar. It succeeds in its goal of delivering a refined smoke and delivers some great flavor. Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan (Condega, Esteli, Jalapa) County of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A Belicoso: 6 x 54 Price: $11.15 Review: Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Reserva Belicoso (5/31/18) Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 3 (2010, 2012, 2018) Coming in at #28 is Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Reserva Belicoso. This cigar puts a different spin on one of Joya de Nicaraguas most popular cigars, the Antano 1970. Back in 2005, Joya de Nicaragua released a special limited edition version of Antano 1970 known as the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Reserva. The Gran Reserva features a blend containing fillers aged up to five years. The idea behind this cigar was to create a more refined version of the Antano 1970. Given this a returning blend prior to 2010 (start of Cigar Coop) and its regular production, it qualifies for the Countdown. Thus far, the blend is the second Nicaraguan puro to land on the 2018 Countdown. Produced at Joya de Nicaraguas factory in Esteli Nicaragua, the cigar is highlighted by its Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro wrapper. The size that earns a spot on the Countdown is the 6 x 54 Belicoso. Joya de Nicaragua has done a great job at bridging its classic history with todays contemporary culture and this cigar reflects that. It delivers classic flavors like natural tobacco, wood, black pepper, and earth. It also incorporates some more exotic notes of bing cherry and brown sugar sweetness. It definitely is a more refined Antano with its medium strength, medium-bodied profile. This cigar is a stellar addition to the Joya de Nicaragua portfolio and one that earns a place on the 2018 Countdown. For details of the 2018 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2018 criteria. Photo Credit: Cigar Coop "Political language -- and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists -- is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." -- George Orwell, Politics and the English Language The Union Cabinet has approved the National Digital Communication Policy (NDCP) 2018 which aims to provide universal broadband connectivity at 50 megabit per second (MBPS) to every citizen. It will also provide one Gbps connectivity to all Gram Panchayats by 2020 and 10 Gbps by 2022. This estimated speed is much faster than the present speed being provided to Gram Panchayats and will enable fast Internet surfing and download of data. It aims to attract $100 billion investment and create 4 million jobs in the sector by 2022 in the digital communication sector. This will also ensure connectivity to all uncovered areas. The policy advocates establishment of National Digital Grid by creating a National Fibre Authority. The EVMs were transported to the strong room by Friday night following which all security was increased in the strong rooms. (Representational Images) Hydreabad: Heavy security was deployed to guard the EVMs in a strong room throughout Telangana state. A three-tier security was provided for the EVMs. The EVMs were transported to the strong room by Friday night following which all security was increased in the strong rooms. In Hyderabad there are around 15 strong rooms and the counting will start early on Tuesday morning. All the strong rooms had a single entry/exit and was locked. While one key was handed over to in-charge another was handed over to the person with magistrate powers, said Director General of Police Mahendra Reddy. As a part of three-tier security Central Armed Forces were deployed at the door at the first level with 39 officers who will guard the door in three shifts. At the second level state armed forces were deployed followed by city police cops at the third level. There is also provision for 24x7 electricity with the presence of a generator, if needed. No vehicles including those of the police are allowed into the premises. If any person wants to cross the second-level security, they should register their details in the login books which is in the control of the Armed Forces and will be videographed, added the official. The arrangements were made in such a way that the security forces can directly view the entrance of the main door into the strong rooms and in other places CCTV cameras have been installed. All the CCTVs installed at various strong rooms were directly connected to the Command Control Center in Basheerbagh. The returning officer will check the strong room every day and send a daily report to the Chief Electoral Officer. The central coast is experiencing heavy downpours and severe flooding, with Da Nang receiving the worst rainfall in history. Experts say the downpours are triggered by the northeast monsoon in combination with strong winds. People row boats to get around as Ham Nghi Street in Da Nang City got flooded. Major downtown streets like Le Duan, Hung Vuong and Nguyen Van Linh were also under 20-70 cm of water. Residents try to block street water from entering their homes. The Central Meteorological and Hydrological Station stated that the onset of monsoon, combined with strong winds, have caused the heavy rain. The rainfall in Da Nang in the last 24 hours since 7 p.m. Saturday is about 635 mm, the heaviest since archives were first available in 1975. Rainfall of 180 mm a day is considered heavy. The Dien Bien Phu - Nguyen Tri Phuong Tunnel in Da Nang was closed to traffic. At the end of the Hue Ba Be Crossing Bridge in Ton Duc Thang Street, the water was about 50 cm. Many cars are submerged at the parking area of an apartment building in Da Nang. People still drove through streets that were not too flooded. Some people busied themselves using bamboo traps to catch fish that escaped from flooded ponds and lakes. Local police officers were stationed at multiple street sections to direct vehicles, help them avoid potholes and heavily flooded areas. Huynh Duc Tho, Chairman of the Danang People's Committee, directed the municipal drainage and sewage company to continue mobilizing resources and means to open main sewers and quickly drain the rainwater. A landslide triggered by the heavy rains blocked a railway track near Da Nang, stopping a train for more than seven hours. Five other trains heading to Da Nang Station had to be rerouted. The Quang Nam - Da Nang railway joint stock company mobilized 70 workers and other resources to help improve the situation in landslide hit areas. Trains had to be used from both ends of blocked areas to transport passengers. Nguyen Van Ty, chairman of the railway company, said that the situation was brought under control around 3:00 p.m. The railway connecting northern and southern Vietnam is back to normal, he said. About two hours drive from Da Nang, the city of Tam Ky in Quang Nam Province also experienced heavy rain. A car is stranded in the middle of a flooded street after its engine broke down. At Tan Thanh Ward in Tam Ky, family members sit in front of their house. A landslide also damaged 100 meters of the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel embankment in Quang Tri Province. The management board of the citadel has restricted the area and listed it as unsafe for visitors. It is forecast that the rain will last for the next three or four days. Beside Da Nang and Quang Nam Province, the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Tri also experienced heavy rains. Two people have been reported dead so far. A scene from The Future Cries Beneath Our Soil, directed by Pham Thu Hang. Pham Thu Hang has won the best director award for a postwar documentary at the Singapore International Film Festival. The SGIFF award, given Saturday night, was for the documentary, The Future Cries Beneath Our Soil, which revolves around the postwar lives of four people in the central province of Quang Tri, the site of many clashes between Vietnamese and American forces. After the war, to survive, the characters work for a gold mine and remove leftover bombs. "When I was abroad, I thought of making a film related to the Vietnam War. The project kicked off in 2014 and was completed after four years," she said. Pham Thu Hang (middle) at the Singapore International Film Festival. Photo by VnExpress/An Nguyen Hang studied documentary filmmaking in Portugal, Hungary and Belgium. Before that, she was a researcher in Vietnam. Her next film is about leprosy patients. Beside Hang, Dao Thi Minh Trangs Never Been Kissed was awarded the Most Promising Project of the Southeast Asian Film Lab. The award carries a prize money of more than $2,000. The movie is about two women who are best friends; and one of them has never tasted flavor of love. The most sought after award, best picture, went to Singapore filmmaker Yeo Siew Hua for A Land Imagined, a movie about an insomniac policeman investigating the disappearance of a Chinese migrant worker. The last movie by a Singapore filmmaker to win this prestigious award was August, by Eric Khoo. SIFF also awarded Cambodian director Danech San with Southeast Asian short film award for A Million Years. Thai director Korakrit Arunanondchai received a special jury special mention. SGIFF is the longest-running film festival in Singapore. Founded in 1987, the festival has a focus on showcasing international films and providing a global platform for the best of Singapore and Southeast Asian cinema. The 29th SGIFF ran from November 28 till December 9. In the mountainous district of Cam Thuy, Thanh Hoa Province, dozens of families work hard to make tons of charcoal each month. Le Van Son, a 35-year-old resident of Cam Tu Commune in Cam Thuy District, said his family has been making charcoal for many years. They can produce about 6-7 tons of charcoal per month. After the fruits are harvested, the branches of longan, litchi and others trees are cut into short logs. After filling the oven with logs, the oven mouth will be filled with brick and mud, except for a small opening to put firewood in. The wood will smolder for 12-15 days. Then, charcoal producer will completely seal off the stove and let the wood sit for another week. Making charcoal is a tough job that requires a lot of hard labor. Even though this job helps many families make a living, it is very harmful for people's health, since they have to work in a dusty environment. Like Trinh Thi Phong, 54 years old, people wear gloves and masks to help protect themselves. Making charcoal is the main means of livelihood for many families in the area. After they are sorted, charcoal sticks are stacked up and ready to be delivered. Restaurants in Hanoi and neighboring areas will buy the charcoal at VND7,000 ($0.30) per kilogram and use it for cooking. IMF Executive Board to meet on Ukraine on Dec 18 The IMF says it stands ready to provide Ukraine with appropriate technical assistance. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter 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 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 President Sarkissian votes in early parliamentary elections (video) President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian cast his ballot today in the snap parliamentary elections, wishing for the elections to pass freely and independently. He came to the polling station together with spouse Nune Sarkissian. I would like to congratulate all citizens of Armenia on this day. This is an important day when the people must express their will. As this is the peoples most important right, therefore, this is a festive day. I hope each of us will fulfill his/her duty by visiting a polling station and electing, moreover, electing freely and independently, the President said. He expressed hope that the elections will be held free and independent. These should be elections for the future. Each voter should think and judge by his/her consciousness, think about his/her family, children, the responsibility he/she bears. And everyone, both the president, the prime minister, the parliament, the ministers, but first of all each citizen bear responsibility for the countrys future. This is a moment for each citizen to demonstrate his/her duty and responsibility. Therefore, I once again want to congratulate you on these elections and wish that elections will be really free and independent, the President said. In a letter to President Hassan Rouhani more than 500 student activists have condemned the expanding presence of security agencies and "the deepening atmosphere of repression" dominating universities in Iran. The students have also criticized what they say is "competition" between intelligence organs in suppressing Iranian students and others, including teachers, workers, and dervishes across the country. Meanwhile, commemorating Student Day in Iran (December 7), the Iranian Students Trade Councils disclosed in a statement that more than 300 students have been arrested this year, sentenced to a total of more than 100 years, thousands of lashes, and banned from leaving the country for a year. Implicitly referring to President Rouhani's catchphrase, saying that "I am a lawyer, not a colonel", the students have noted in their letter, "We voted for the lawyer, not the judge! However, what could we do? Today, the attorney and the judge have joined hands to create an atmosphere of strangulation to suppress rightful social protests." According to student publications and Ensaf News, the signatories of the letter have also accused the ministries of Interior and Intelligence, as well as the police of a "regrettable competition" among parallel intelligence organizations to silence everyone. Nevertheless, the students have directly addressed Rouhani, saying, "You still insist on merely denying (these facts)." Listing hundreds of other protest letters addressed to Rouhani in recent years, the students' rights activists have asserted, "These protest letters not only remained unanswered, butrepression intensified to the extent that the thunder of military boots are not only heard at the universities but echoing all over Iran". In the meantime, universities across Iran, including Tehran, Semnan, Kermanshah, and Tabriz, witnessed hundreds of gatherings and sit-ins on Saturday, December 8, condemning the repressive measures against workers, teachers, and students whose only demand is "respect for their absolute rights". Prior to the Student Day in Iran, in an unprecedented development, an ultraconservative student group had asked the country's Supreme Leader to show up and give accountability about the Islamic Republic's 40-year record. In the letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an ultraconservative group called upon him on November 22 to attend a gathering in Tehran University and answer questions from students related to the performance of the "Islamic ruling system" for its 40-year record since the downfall of the monarchy. The letter also demanded Khamenei respond to questions concerning the performance of state-run institutions under his supervision, including the Islamic Revolution Guardians Corps (IRGC) and other armed forces, as well as the judiciary, the Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution and the national radio and television network, a state monopoly. Later, the group, under heavy pressure from Khamenei's conservative allies and the so-called parallel intelligence apparatuses, backed down and retracted its demand. Yet surprisingly, the branch of the same group in the city of Shiraz, southern Iran, repeated the same demand days later. Khamenei's office has not yet reacted to the "invitation", so far. Calling Khamenei to personally attend students gathering and respond to their questions has occurred at a time that the dean of Allameh Tabatabaei University believes that Iranian students have lost their interest in politics. "Iranian students are reluctant to participate in political activities," said Hossein Salimi, the president of Allameh Tababaei University in Tehran, one of the largest universities in the country. Speaking to the state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA), Salimi, a former cleric, said the main reason students have lost interest in politics is that they fear the consequences of expressing their opinions. According to Salimi, 60-70 percent of the permits his university issues for student gatherings go unused. Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened the annual one-day summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council, urging fellow member states Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar to maintain a united front against Iran and terrorism. "This requires all of us to maintain our countries' gains and to work with our partners to preserve security and stability in the region and the world," he said in a speech. King Salman also accused Iran of "continuing to interfere in the affairs of the countries in the region". Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded swiftly, tweeting that the "region has had far too many strongmen who have only caused war & misery." But the Qatari Emir did not respond to an invitation from the Saudi king to attend the summit and instead sent his foreign minister. The summit is overshadowed by the Khashoggi murder and the continuing disputes with Qatar, which is under multiple boycotts by the other members, although Kuwait has tried to mediate the dispute. Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain severed relations with Doha in 2017, accusing the tiny state of supporting "terrorism" and maintaining close relations with Iran. A U.S. official on Sunday called on Gulf states to mend fences to confront Iran and pave the way for a proposed new Middle East security alliance that would include the Gulf bloc, Egypt and Jordan. "We'd like to see that unity restored, not on our terms, but on terms of the countries that are involved," Timothy Lenderking, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs, told reporters at a security forum in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. While the boycotting states insist the row is not a priority for them and that the GCC remains valid, Qatar maintains the dispute harms regional security by weakening the bloc. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP While fully supporting peace talks among the warring parties in Yemen, the U.S. does not want any Iranian influence to linger on in the country, a State Department official said in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Timothy Lenderking, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs speaking at a security forum said that the Yemen which emerges from the civil war should not contain any Iranian-backed danger for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This means that while the U.S. recognizes the Houthi rebels as part of any settlement to the war in Yemen, they should not remain a close ally of Iran and facilitate Iranian influence next door to U.S. allies. The United States is encouraging the Yemeni government, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement to fully engage in peace talks taking place in Sweden, Lenderking said. He also reiterated that the U.S. strongly opposes discontinuing support to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The Trump administration is under pressure bu the U.S. senate to stop supporting the Saudi war effort. Yemen's Houthi rebels and the Saudi led coalition are taking part in U.N. sponsored talks in Sweden as a confidence-building step to pave the way for an end to hostilities. Reporting by Reuters, AFP Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 30 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Dec. 9. Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: The search for new salt deposits at the Boyukduz mine in the Kangarly District of Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is scheduled to start in 2019, Anar Asadullayev, director of Nakhchivan Duz Istehsali Ltd., told Trend. "It is difficult to say what month the work might begin, everything will depend on the surveys that are being carried out by specialists at the salt mine," Asadullayev said. He went on saying that the medium-term plans of the company include opening new centers for the sale of the Nakhchivan salt. "The main sales center is located in Barda, but we also plan to expand our distribution network in a year and a half. Opening of such centers is expected in the northern and southern regions of Azerbaijan," Asadullayev said. The company produces table and industrial salt. The company's products have a Certificate of Conformity issued by the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patents, as well as a hygiene certificate issued by the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Azerbaijani Healthcare Ministry. Nakhchivan Duz Istehsali Ltd. operates modern equipment made in Russia, Turkey and Iran. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 By Taleh Mursagulov - Trend: There is a serious need for state regulation of the appraisers' activities in Azerbaijan, Vugar Oruj, director of the assessment company Koneko Group and deputy chairman of the Society of Appraisers of Azerbaijan, told Trend. "Inexperienced appraisal companies damage the country's banking system. I believe there is a serious need for legal regulation in this area. The Society of Appraisers intends to work in this direction," Oruj said. He added that the wrong choice of the appraisal companies by banks and citizens played a huge role in the current problem loans. "In order to prevent unfair competition, we have created a registry of companies and specialists in this field," Oruj said. Orujov stressed that in Azerbaijan it is possible to encounter such assessment reports where international standards, procedures are not observed and serious mistakes are made. "Despite that these companies do not have any experience or certificate in this area, they succeed in attracting customers as a result of support from certain structures," Oruj added. He stressed that the Society of Appraisers needs state support. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @TalehMursagulov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: The export of goods from Iran's Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province increased by 118 percent this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), Siyavush Nazari, Director of Foreign Trade Marketing Department of the Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province said. He said that more than 53 tons of products were exported from this province this year, Trend reports citing Shata news agency. Nazari added that fruits and greens, technical equipment, cast iron and steel, household items, rubber products, almonds, air conditioners, yeast, potatoes, dairy products, ceramics and animal feed were exported. "As a result of export of goods from the province, revenues worth more than $54 million were obtained," he said. These products have been exported to Iraq, India, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Pakistan, US, Turkey, Syria, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Italy, Kuwait and Tajikistan. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: From the beginning of this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018) till the end of the seventh month, 4,739,413 tourists visited Iran, Veli Teymuri, Deputy Chairman of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicraft Industry and Tourism Organization, said. The tourists from Iraq mainly visited Iran within 7 months, Trend reports citing Mizan News Agency. So, during the reporting period, 2 million Iraqis visited Iran. Last Iranian year, 1,356,185 tourists from Iraq visited Iran, Teymuri added. He added that tourists from neighboring countries, such as Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Pakistan also visited Iran for medical treatment and sightseeing. Teymuri said that earlier, tourists from neighboring countries arrived in Iran to go sightseeing, trade and work. However, presently, Iraqis and Azerbaijanis arrived in Iran for medical treatment, he said. Many revenues are obtained through the tourism sector, Teymuri added. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: During the first eight months of this Iranian year (started on March 21, 2018), export of goods from Iran's North Khorasan province to India increased by more than 31 percent, director of the foreign trade department of the Industry, Mine and Trade Organization of the North Khorasan province Amin Gurbani said. Petrochemicals (carbamide, melamine, ammonia), steel products, rubber products, cement, food (tomato and pasta), agricultural products (potatoes, onions and poultry), building materials are mainly exported from the province, Trend reports citing Shata news agency. These products were exported to Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India, the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Italy, Spain, Myanmar, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Pakistan, Russia, Germany, Georgia and Belgium. The products of the province have been exported to India (2.31 percent), Afghanistan (3.20 percent), Myanmar (4.15 percent), Iraq (4.7 percent) and Turkmenistan (6.4 percent), he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: A cooperation agreement was signed between the National Bank of Iran and the Secretariat of the Supreme Council of Irans Free Trade, Industrial and Special Economic Zones to boost bilateral transactions, Trend reports citing www.Banker.ir website. The agreement was signed by Executive Director of National Bank Mohammad Bigdeli and Advisor to Iranian president and Secretary of the Supreme Council of Irans Free Trade, Industrial and Special Economic Zones Morteza Bank. The agreement will develop mutual cooperation and bilateral transactions. Morteza Bank called the National Bank an active bank and expressed hope that the signing of this agreement will boost bilateral economic cooperation in the free trade zones. He added that this agreement will create a good opportunity for businessmen in free trade zones. Taking into account current hard economic conditions, Morteza Bank expressed hope that the potential of the National Bank may be fully used to improve the projects in free trade zones. He said that production, export and tourism are key priorities in free trade zones. g=AZ-LATIN style='mso-ansi-language:AZ-LATIN'>Meanwhile, 98 percent of exported products accounted for Iraq and 7 percent of exported goods accounted for Irans province. The Iranian authorities detained ten people suspected of committing Thursday's terrorist attack in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar, Sputnik reported citing Tasnim. According to Police Commander Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari, as cited by the Tasnim news agency, ten people were arrested by the security forces in connection with the terrorist attack. The identities of other people involved in the terrorist attack were being identified and they would soon be arrested, he added. On Thursday morning, a man driving a car bomb attacked police headquarters in Chabahar (Sistan and Baluchestan province) which led to an explosion. Two law enforcement officers were killed and another 42 people injured as a result of the explosion. Ansar al-Furqan group, a Sunni terrorist group operating in Sistan and Baluchestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack in Chabahar. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9 Trend: 144 reports of violations were registered at the early parliamentary elections in Armenia, Police Colonel Ashot Sargsyan said at a press conference at the Central Election Commission, Trend reports citing Armenian media. "144 messages: 36 in Yerevan and 108 in the regions were registered In the police units of Armenia. 58 of them concerned crimes, 86 did not contain evidence of a crime. Seven out of 58 reports were sent to military police units, one to the prosecutors office, one to the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee," said Sargsyan. Eight people have been pulled out of the debris of a landslide that toppled three houses Sunday afternoon in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Trend reported with the reference to Xinhua. Three died en route to hospital and the other five were under emergency treatment in hospital, local government said. Twelve people were estimated buried in the landslide that occurred at about 5 p.m. in Fenshui township in Xuyong county. More than 600 rescuers were racing against the clock to reach more survivors. Of the 12 people, eight were local residents and four were renters, Tang Jie, the county head leading rescue efforts at the scene, told Xinhua. Chinas foreign ministry called in the US ambassador on Sunday to lodge a strong protest over the arrest in Canada of Huawei Technologies Co Ltds [HWT.UL] chief financial officer, and said the United States should withdraw its arrest warrant, Trend reported citing Reuters. Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her companys links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is also the daughter of the founder of Huawei. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told US ambassador Terry Branstad that the United States had made an unreasonable demand on Canada to detain Meng while she was passing through Vancouver, Chinas Foreign Ministry said. The actions of the US seriously violated the lawful and legitimate rights of the Chinese citizen, and by their nature were extremely nasty, Le told Branstad, comments similar to those he made to Canadas ambassador the night before. China strongly urges the United States to pay attention to Chinas solemn and just position and withdraw the arrest warrant on Meng, Le added. China will respond further depending on US actions, he said, without elaborating. Le also told the Canadian ambassador on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Meng. The United States has been looking since at least 2016 into whether Huawei shipped US-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of US export and sanctions laws, Reuters reported in April. Companies are barred from using the US financial system to funnel goods and services to sanctioned entities. US Senator Marco Rubio told CBS Face the Nation on Sunday he would 100 percent absolutely introduce something in the new Congress that would ban Chinese telecom firms from doing business in the United States. We have to understand Chinese companies are not like American companies. OK. We cant even get Apple to crack an iPhone for us in a terrorist investigation, he said. When the Chinese ask a telecom company, we want you to turn over all the data youve gathered in the country youre operating in, they will do it. No court order. Nothing like that. They will just do it. They have to. We need to understand that. Rubio was a strong critic of Chinas ZTE Corp , which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating US laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran. After rejecting the United Nation's global compact on migration, Hungary has made it clear that it will reject the UN's global compact on refugees, as it may encourage the emergence of new and dangerous migration flows, official sources said here on Saturday, Xinhua reported. "With the global compact on refugees, the UN prepared the little brother of the global compact on migration, which opens the back door to those that cannot come in through the main entrance," declared Peter Szijjarto, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, quoted by the government's website. "Although this package is about refugees, in recent years there have been more international debates on how to try to identify illegal immigrants as refugees," he explained, adding "We had many debates with the bureaucrats of the United Nations on who can be qualified as a refugee. We know for a fact that we are facing an illegal immigration crisis here in Europe, not a refugee crisis." The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees was given the task of developing and proposing new global compact on refugees in consultation with States and other stakeholders, based on the comprehensive refugee response framework set out in the New York Declaration. That process comprised a series of thematic discussions and meetings in 2017. The High Commissioner proposed a final text in his annual report to the UN General Assembly in 2018 and the compact will come before the General Assembly before the end of the year, in conjunction with the annual resolution of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The global compact on refugees is a response to large movements of refugees and protracted refugee situations. It builds on existing international law and standards, including the 1951 Refugee Convention and human rights treaties, and seeks to better define cooperation to share responsibilities. Its four key objectives are to ease the pressures on host countries, to enhance refugee self-reliance, to expand access to third-country solutions and finally to support conditions in countries of origin for return in safety and dignity. "According to the global compact on refugees, the UN expects the Member States to allow immigrants to travel freely and without control within a country and to decrease detentions. This is a security issue that we cannot let happen, because it would make the transgressing of borders without consequences," said Szijjarto. "The UN's global compact on migration and on refugees encourage people to come to Europe, therefore Hungary, just like in the case of the global compact on migration, will also reject the global compact on refugees, and will vote No on Dec. 17," he concluded. Around 450 people have been temporarily detained here on Saturday after police forces clashed with around 1,000 "yellow vest" protesters who turned violent, Xinhua reported. Six people have been arrested, according to the federal prosecutor's office. Earlier in the afternoon, Belgian police confronted hordes of yellow-vested protesters who were calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel and attempting to enter the European quarter of Brussels. Police used pepper spray on a small group of men who threw street signs, bottles and other objects as they tried to break through a barricade near the European Parliament. Walking behind a banner marked "Social Winter Is Coming", the protesters chanted "(French President Emmanuel) Macron, Michel, resign!" Throughout the day, Belgian police resorted to firing tear gas and water cannons at protesters near government offices and parliament. The protesters allegedly threw paving stones, fireworks, flares and other objects at police. The area where European institutions including the offices of the European Commission and the European Parliament are located was sealed off as a precautionary measure. Saturday's protest is a spill-over of the "yellow vest" movement in France which originally started as a protest against planned increases in fuel prices but has since morphed into a mass protest about multiple economic and social issues. Over the past weeks it has spread to neighbouring countries including Belgium and the Netherlands. The number of those detained by police during Yellow Vests protests in France on Saturday has risen to over 1,700, Trend reports citing Sputnik. According to the BFMTV broadcaster, a total of 1,723 people were detained during the protests, with 1,220 of them taken into custody. As many as 1,082 protesters were detained in the French capital alone. On Saturday, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that around 125,000 people participated in the protests nationwide, while the number of those detained has reached 1,385. France has been facing a wave of mass protests since mid-November, when the so-called yellow vest protesters named after the obligatory attribute of French drivers took to the streets to rally against rising fuel prices and a planned hike in tax on diesel and carbon fuels. On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that the fuel tax hike would be suspended for six months, which, however, failed to appease the protesters. The yellow vest rallies have been marked by violent clashes with police officers, who have used tear gas and rubber bullets against the protesters. A man has stabbed three women in the central station in the French city Mulhouse bordering with Germany on Sunday, RTL reported. All of them have been hospitalized, Trend reports with the reference to Sputnik. The victims were approached by the man and stabbed, RTL reported, adding that one woman was injured in her arm, one more victim has throat and spine injuries, and the third woman managed to flee from the scene. Following the incident, all three women have been hospitalized. Media reports on their injuries differ; according to France Info, one woman was wounded in a belly, and another one was stubbed in a chest. According to France Bleau, the attacker was suffering from mental disorder. The train station is now on lock-down. Police are currently investigating whether the case is terrorism-related. No official comments on the incident have been made yet and a possible reason behind the attack remains unknown. At least eight soldiers were killed and ten others captured by the Taliban after an attack on a military base in the Bala Baluk district of Afghanistan's province of Farah, Trend reported citing Sputnik. According to the Pajhwok news agency, the Taliban militants also seized all weapons and ammunition upon leaving the base. Two attackers were wounded in the fight, the media added, citing a spokesman for Taliban. Afghanistan has long been suffering from an unstable political, social and security situation due to the activity of various terrorist and radical groups. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, supported by a US-led coalition, are conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country. The Taliban movement is a major force fighting Kabul for control over the country. The group managed to seize power in the middle of the 1990s before being overthrown in 2001. A detachment of the Russian Pacific Fleet entered the eastern Indian port city of Visakhapatnam on Sunday to participate in the joint Russian-Indian military drills Indra Navy 2018, the fleet's press service said, Sputnik reported. According to the press service, the detachment comprises the Varyag missile cruiser, the Admiral Panteleyev destroyer and the Boris Butoma tanker. "Today [December 9], a detachment of ships of the [Russian] Pacific Fleet entered the Indian port of Vishakhapatnam in the state of Andhra Pradesh In order to further strengthen military cooperation between the Russian Navy and the Indian Navy, the planned joint Russian-Indian naval exercise Indra Navy 2018 will be held during the visit," the press service said in a statement. Later in the day, the detachment command would pay visits to local military and civilian authorities, the press service added. The naval drills will be focused on the two countries' cooperation aimed at ensuring safety of navigation and economic activities at sea. The detachment is expected to leave Visakhapatnam on December 16. 'With regard to quarantine for those arriving from abroad, the Centre's guidelines are expected and we will also be cautious on that aspect,' said Health Minister Veena George. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Saturday launched a first probe ever to explore the dark side of the Moon, marking another milestone in its ambitious space programme, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The probe, the Chang'e-4, is expected to make the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon, according to Xinhua. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the Moon, but none has landed on it. The Moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side is never visible from Earth. Advancing China's space programme has been a priority of its leaders, with President Xi Jinping calling for China to establish itself as a space power. At 2:23 am (1823 GMT Friday), a Long March-3B rocket, carrying the probe including a lander and a rover, blasted off from the satellite launch centre Xichang in southwest China, Xinhua said. The tasks of the Chang'e-4 probe include low-frequency radio astronomical observation, surveying the terrain and landforms, detecting the mineral composition, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment on the far side of the moon, Xinhua quoted the China National Space Administration as saying. China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year. However, while China has insisted its ambitions are purely peaceful, the U.S. Defense Department has accused it of pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets during a crisis. (Reporting by Stella Qiu and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) BEIJING, Dec 8 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry called on Canada to immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer on Saturday, warning that otherwise it would face consequences. The ministry said in a statement that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to Canada's ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a "strong protest". Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is also the daughter of the founder of Huawei. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard Editing by Alexander Smith) New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High 52F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Low near 45F. Winds light and variable. The Huawei logo is pictured outside their research facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, December 6, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie By Jack Stubbs LONDON (Reuters) - China's Huawei will spend $2 billion as part of efforts to address security issues raised in a British government report earlier this year, sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. Huawei, the world's biggest producer of telecoms equipment, faces intense scrutiny in the West over its ties to the Chinese government and concerns its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying. The company has repeatedly denied the allegations. The British government report, signed off by Britain's GCHQ spy agency and released in July, found that technical and supply-chain issues with equipment made by Huawei had exposed national telecom networks to new security risks. Those issues included technical problems which limited security researchers' ability to check internal product codes and concerns about the security of third-party components from a U.S. supplier. Huawei has since met with British officials and committed to spending $2 billion in a drive to fix the problems, said one of the sources, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. "It's about Huawei promising to build and manage its products better," the person said. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A second person said the plan had been discussed by senior Huawei officials in China, and that the decision was made before the company's chief financial officer was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1. The arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the company's founder, has roiled global stock markets on fears that the move could escalate a trade war between the United States and China. Meng is set to appear in a Vancouver court later on Friday for a bail hearing as she awaits possible extradition to the United States. Her arrest comes after weeks of increasing pressure on Huawei after countries including Australia, New Zealand and Japan followed U.S. moves to restrict the company's access to their markets. The European Union's technology commissioner said on Friday the EU should be worried about Huawei and other Chinese technology companies because of the risk they pose to the bloc's industry and security. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Chen Aizhu and Florence Tan BEIJING/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China's Iranian oil imports are set to rebound in December after two state-owned refiners in the world's largest oil importer began using the nation's waiver from U.S. sanctions on Iran, according to industry sources and data on Refinitiv Eikon. Sinopec <600028.SS> resumed Iran oil imports shortly after Tehran's biggest crude buyer received its waiver in November, while China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC)will restart lifting from its own Iranian production in December, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Reuters reported in November that China's waiver on U.S. sanctions allows it to buy 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil for 180 days. Top Chinese energy group CNPC, which has invested billions of dollars in Iranian oilfields, is ready to load its full share of production from December, said an oil executive with direct knowledge of CNPC's Iran activities. The executive, who asked not to be named, estimated CNPC will load at least two million barrels a month from December, doubling previous levels to help compensate for cuts made before sanctions on Iran's oil exports went into effect on Nov 5. Before the waivers had been announced, Sinopec, Asia's largest oil refiner, had planned to stop loading Iran oil in November, but resumed imports within days of getting the exemption, a second source said, also asking to remain unnamed. "We continued lifting Iranian oil in November because we received the waiver," the second source said. Sinopec and CNPC will likely use up the 360,000 bpd of Iranian oil imports allowed to China under the waiver. Another source said Iranian oil is "attractively priced" versus rival supplies from the Middle East. For November and December, Iranian Heavy crude sold to Asia has been priced at $1.25 a barrel below Saudi's Arab Medium, a discount not seen since 2004. The source also said many Chinese refiners were geared toward processing Iranian crude grades. At 360,000 bpd, China's purchases would still be 45 percent less than the average 655,000 bpd imported during the January-September period. GRAPHIC: China's crude oil imports from Iran - https://tmsnrt.rs/2QhuRLt The rise in Iranian oil supply and surging production from the United States, Russia and OPEC countries has pulled down crude oil prices by almost a third since October. Ahead of the sanctions being implemented in early November, China's crude oil imports from Iran fell to 1.05 million tonnes (247,260 bpd) in October, the lowest since May 2010, Chinese customs data shows. Data from Refinitiv Eikon, however, shows that 2.77 million tonnes of Iranian crude were discharged into Chinese ports in October, including into bonded storage tanks in Dalian. GRAPHIC: Iran crude prices versus Saudi Arabia oil - https://tmsnrt.rs/2RG5Bv8 By December, China's Iran oil imports could reach almost 3 million tonnes, the Eikon data showed. A total 2.51 million tonnes of Iranian crude were discharged into Dalian in October and November, according to the data. Other major Iranian oil buyers, including India, South Korea and Japan, are also increasing or resuming orders. It is still not clear whether Iran will be able to export much oil after the U.S. sanctions waivers expire around the start of May. (Reporting by Chen Aizhu in BEIJING and Florence Tan in SINGAPORE; Additional reporting by Jane Chung in SEOUL, Osamu Tsukimori in TOKYO and Nidhi Verma in NEW DELHI; Editing by Henning Gloystein and Tom Hogue) Newly elected Chairman of the Board Karsten Dybvad is seen after Danske Bank's crisis meeting, in Copenhagen, Denmark December 7, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Claus Bech/ via REUTERS By Teis Jensen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Danske Bank elected the favoured candidate of its top shareholder as its new chairman on Friday to help steer the Danish lender through a multi-billion euro money laundering scandal. Authorities in Denmark, Estonia, Britain and the United States are investigating payments totalling 200 billion euros ($229 billion) made through Danske Bank's tiny Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015. The threat of a heavy fine from the U.S. Department of Justice has sent Danske's shares down almost 50 percent since March, erasing around $15 billion of market value and raising the prospect of legal action from investors. The Maersk shipping tycoon family, the bank's top shareholder with a 21 percent stake, ousted chairman Ole Andersen and called Friday's shareholder meeting to nominate Karsten Dybvad, 62 and another board member. There were more than 600 shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in Copenhagen on Friday which elected Dybvad to the board. The modified board of directors then elected Dybvad as the new chairman. Outgoing chairman Andersen and other managers were criticised by several private shareholders at the meeting. "I take my responsibility. Let's just call it a firing, and I agree that a firing is the right thing," Andersen said about his own departure from the bank. Dybvad was CEO of the Confederation of Danish Industry, one of the country's most influential lobby groups, for the last eight years and before that had a long career as a government official working with ministers from both left and right of Danish politics, though his role did not involve oversight of banks. "We hope and are confident that Karsten can contribute to the dialogue with authorities which probably will take up a lot of time the next couple of years," said Robert Maersk Uggla, A.P. Moller Holding chief executive at the meeting. Besides restoring Danske's image, Dybvad is also tasked with finding a new chief executive to head the bank and ensure potential legal cases, not least in the United States, don't drag attention away from day-to-day business. Story continues "There is great task in handling the ongoing investigations in relation to the Estonia case in a way that can contribute to re-establishing confidence in Danske Bank," said Claus Wiinblad, senior vice president at Denmark's largest investor, pension fund ATP. Jesper Nielsen has taken on the CEO role on an interim basis since Thomas Borgen resigned in September. The Maersk family's investment firm A.P. Moller Holding, is usually a passive shareholder. The family controls shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk . "We make this move because we think that Danske's board has not reacted swiftly enough to find a replacement for the current chairman," said Robert Maersk Uggla, A.P. Moller Holding chief executive. The move was welcomed by others at the meeting. "We see this demonstration of active ownership as positive," said Mikael Bak, chief executive at Danish Shareholders' Association, a lobby group for private investors. "We would have liked to see the large shareholders a little earlier, perhaps far earlier," Bak added. One private shareholder proposed from the rostrum that the remaining board members also step down. (1 Danish crown = $0.1524) (Additional reporting by Simon Jessop and Kirstin Ridley; Editing by David Holmes and Elaine Hardcastle) By Julie Gordon and Anna Mehler Paperny VANCOUVER/TORONTO (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors want a top executive of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to face charges of fraud linked to the skirting of Iran sanctions, a Vancouver court heard on Friday. Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, 46, who is also the daughter of the company founder, was arrested on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States. The arrest, revealed by Canadian authorities late on Wednesday, was part of a U.S. investigation into an alleged scheme to use the global banking system to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran, people familiar with the probe told Reuters. Meng arrived in the packed Supreme Court of British Columbia as dozens of photographers jostled outside the building. She conferred with her two lawyers through a translator. Canada's Justice Department has declined to provide details of the case. A judge on Friday lifted a publication ban Meng had secured that curbed the media's ability to report on the evidence or documents presented in court. The news of Meng's arrest roiled global stock markets on fears the move could escalate a trade war between the United States and China after a truce was last week between President Donald Trump and China's leader Xi Jinping. Trump did not know about the arrest in advance, two U.S. officials said on Thursday. Chinese Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday that neither Canada nor the United States had provided China any evidence that Meng had broken any law in those two countries, and reiterated Beijing's demand that she be released. Huawei, which has confirmed Meng was arrested, said on Wednesday that "the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng." A Huawei spokesman declined to comment on Thursday and said that Wednesdays statement still stands. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on a conference call that China had been assured by Canada that due process was "absolutely being followed." Huawei staff briefed on an internal memo told Reuters on Friday the company had appointed Chairman Liang Hua as acting CFO following Meng's arrest. Chinese state media have slammed Meng's detention, accusing the United States of trying to "stifle" Huawei and curb its global expansion. (Reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Ben Blanchard and Yilei Sun in Beijing; and Sijia Jiang in Hong Kong; Writing by Denny Thomas; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Susan Thomas) ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss private bank Julius Baer is in talks about transferring its Venezuelan book of business to Spain's Banco Santander as Baer reorganises operations in Latin America, sources close to the situation have told Reuters. Baer said in October it was closing its branches in Peru and Panama as part of its effort to focus on larger markets in the region such as Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. A source familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified, said on Saturday that talks with Santander over Baer's Venezuelan book of business were under way but had not yet been concluded. Last month, another source told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Santander was talking to Julius Baer about taking over some of the Swiss bank's clients in Venezuela. A third source said a potential deal would not involve the transfer of any portfolio or assets, but rather come as referral agreement where the Spanish bank could access Baer's clients. A spokesman for the Spanish bank declined to comment. Switzerland's Neue Zuercher Zeitung newspaper reported on Saturday that Baer had ended ties in April with hundreds of clients in Venezuela with less than $1.5 million each in assets, and that the remaining clients there had more than $20 million each in assets. Santander has not operated in Venezuela since agreeing in 2009 to sell its stake in Banco de Venezuela to the country's government for 1.05 billion euros ($1.19 billion). Baer's possible exit from Venezuela follows legal proceedings involving a former executive in Latin America. The bank itself has not been charged with any wrongdoing. Matthias Krull, a former Julius Baer Panama vice-chairman, was sentenced to 10 years in U.S. prison in October after pleading guilty for his role in a billion-dollar scheme to launder money embezzled from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA. ($1 = 0.8790 euros) (Reporting by Michael Shields in Zurich and Jesus Aguado Gonzalez and Carlos Ruano in Madrid) The missing pieces to the ancient mosaic known as the Gypsy Girl are now being displayed in Gazianteps Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Turkey after being returned from the U.S. The fragments of the almost 2,000 year old mosaic of a young girl were displayed on Saturday next to the incomplete work of art, reported the BBC. The young girls eyes have become a powerful symbol to citizens of the southern city of Gaziantep. The pieces were smuggled out of Turkey in the 1960s and bought by Ohios Bowling Green State University. After five years of talk between the university and Turkey, Bowling Green agreed to return the pieces. BBC reported archaeologists discovered the mosaic 20 years ago while excavating the remains of the city of Zeugma, founded by a general of Alexander the Great and destroyed in the 3rd Century. The Gypsy Girl has been reunited with her family, Gaziantep mayor Fatma Sahin said, a statement obtained by Reuters. As for the others missing pieces, they have yet to be found and are assumed to have been looted or also smuggled out of the country. Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested on an extradition warrant, appears at her B.C. Supreme Court bail hearing in a drawing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Jane Wolsak By Julie Gordon and Steve Stecklow VANCOUVER/LONDON (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer faces U.S. accusations that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions, a Canadian prosecutor said on Friday, arguing against giving her bail while she awaits extradition. The case against Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the founder of Huawei [HWT.UL], stems from a 2013 Reuters report https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-huawei-skycom/exclusive-huawei-cfo-linked-to-firm-that-offered-hp-gear-to-iran-idUKBRE90U0CA20130131 about the company's close ties to Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell U.S. equipment to Iran despite U.S. and European Union bans, the prosecutor told a Vancouver court.(https://reut.rs/2QlvzXW) U.S. prosecutors argue that Meng was not truthful to banks who asked her about links between the two firms, the court heard on Friday. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, the court heard, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (1800 GMT). Meng, 46, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States. The arrest was on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump met in Argentina with China's Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies. The news of her arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have downplayed its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. Friday's court hearing was intended to decide on whether Meng can post bail or if she should be kept in detention. The prosecutor opposed bail, arguing that Meng was a high flight risk with few ties to Vancouver and that her family's wealth would mean than even a multi-million-dollar surety would not weigh heavily should she breach conditions. Story continues Meng's lawyer, David Martin, said her prominence made it unlikely she would breach any court orders. "You can trust her," he said. Fleeing "would humiliate and embarrass her father, whom she loves," he argued. The United States has 60 days to make a formal extradition request, which a Canadian judge will weigh to determine whether the case against Meng is strong enough. Then it is up to Canada's justice minister to decide whether to extradite her. A spokesman for Huawei said on Friday the company has "every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. IRAN BUSINESS The U.S. case against Meng involves Skycom, which had an office in Tehran and which Huawei has described as one of its "major local partners" in Iran. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Skycom, which tried to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei and Meng than previously known. In 2007, a management company controlled by Huawei's parent company held all of Skycom's shares. At the time, Meng served as the management firm's company secretary. Meng also served on Skycom's board between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records filed with Hong Kong's Companies Registry. Huawei used Skycom's Tehran office to provide mobile network equipment to several major telecommunications companies in Iran, people familiar with the company's operations have said. Two of the sources said that technically Skycom was controlled by Iranians to comply with local law but that it effectively was run by Huawei. Huawei and Skycom were "the same," a former Huawei employee who worked in Iran said on Friday. A Huawei spokesman told Reuters in 2013: "Huawei has established a trade compliance system which is in line with industry best practices and our business in Iran is in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations including those of the U.N. We also require our partners, such as Skycom, to make the same commitments." U.S. CASE The United States has been looking since at least 2016 into whether Huawei violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, Reuters reported in April. The case against Meng revolves around her response to banks, who asked her about Huawei's links to Skycom in the wake of the 2013 Reuters report. U.S. prosecutors argue that Meng fraudulently said there was no link, the court heard on Friday. U.S. investigators believe the misrepresentations induced the banks to provide services to Huawei despite the fact they were operating in sanctioned countries, Canadian court documents released on Friday showed. The hearing did not name any banks, but sources told Reuters this week that the probe centered on whether Huawei had used HSBC Holdings (HSBA.L) to conduct illegal transactions. HSBC is not under investigation. U.S. intelligence agencies have also alleged that Huawei is linked to China's government and its equipment could contain "backdoors" for use by government spies. No evidence has been produced publicly and the firm has repeatedly denied the claims. 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. ZTE paid a $892 million penalty. (Reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver and Steve Stecklow in London; Additional reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Karen Freifeld in New York, Ben Blanchard and Yilei Sun in Beijing, and Sijia Jiang in Hong Kong; Writing by Denny Thomas and Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Susan Thomas and Sonya Hepinstall) Three civilians have been killed after their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan's western Herat Province, officials said. A spokesman for the provincial governor said the December 8 attack occurred in the Guzra district. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the spokesman, Gelani Farhad, blamed Taliban insurgents, who are active in the area. In eastern Nangarhar Province, three members of the Islamic State (IS) group were arrested during a military operation in Bahsud district, said Attahullah Khogyani, spokesman for the provincial governor. Khogyani said one of them is a member of the group's press department who was responsible for IS propaganda in Nangarhar. Both Taliban and IS militants are active in eastern Afghanistan, especially in Nangarhar Province. There was no immediate statement from the IS group. In northern Kunduz Province, at least four Taliban insurgents were killed by their own bomb, according to a statement released by the Afghan National Army on December 8. The blast reportedly took place in the Qala-e Zal district as they tried to plant it and it detonated. Based on reporting by dpa and AP Study reveals the actors in the worst-reviewed movies of the past 20 years 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. Wyoming state Rep. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, shows an example of an "In God We Trust" placard in Cheyenne, Wyo. Steinmetz is sponsoring a bill that would allow people to donate such placards for display in prominent places in state buildings and schools. Her bill has been approved by the state House and is now being considered in the state Senate, winning the endorsement of a Senate committee on Tuesday. (AP Photo by Bob Moen) New vending machine sells nothing but bacon for just $1 More than four years after the Department of Veterans Affairs ordered a probe into long waits at the Floyd Lindstrom Clinic in Colorado Springs, veterans here still face some of the nations longest delays in care. The latest wait time data from VA shows that one patient in five waits more than a month to be seen, and the average wait for mental health visits is more than three weeks. The wait times, virtually unchanged despite years of congressional cries for a fix, come after the agency opened its massive, new and incredibly expensive hospital in Aurora. The $1.7 billion hospital was more than $1 billion over budget, but it was supposed to help ease wait times statewide. It hasnt. The latest, low health grade for the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System also remains unchanged, with two stars out of five. Thats three straight years of two-star care for the Pikes Peak regions 85,000 long-suffering veterans. And the hits just keep coming for VA. The agency has long held up its benefit arm as an example of its best work. But for veterans who want to use their GI Bill benefits at college, its been a nightmare of late. VA has blamed an elderly mainframe computer for glitches that have held up some GI Bill payments for thousands of veterans. Colorado Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner has been pushing VA to fix the issue, which came as the agency switched how it calculated housing allowances. VA has said its working on a fix, and Gardner wants to make sure veterans who saw their checks shorted get their money. Hes pushing a bill to force VA to pay up. Most problems Congress addresses are complicated and do not have one right answer. This is not one of those issues, Gardner said in an email. To me, its pretty clear what the right thing to do is: Congress must act to ensure our student veterans receive every penny they are entitled to. While 2019 is expected to be a fractious year in Congress, with a Republican-run Senate and a new Democratic majority in the House, Gardners bill is a model of bipartisan harmony. Hes working the measure with Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said the agency is committed to fixing the GI Bill snafu. Although VA has encountered issues with implementing the Forever GI Bill on Congress timeline, we will work with lawmakers to ensure that once VA is in a position to process education claims in accordance with the new law each and every beneficiary will receive retroactively the exact benefits to which they are entitled under that law, Wilkie said in a news release. Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240 Twitter: @xroederx Former Republican Speaker of the House Frank McNulty has filed a second ethics complaint against Gov. John Hickenlooper, referring to the term-limited Democrat as Jet-set John in the Nov. 29 filing with the state Independent Ethics Commission. In this latest complaint, McNulty, a longtime Hickenlooper nemesis who runs the newly formed Public Trust Institute, claimed Hickenlooper flew on a private jet Oct. 11 from Washington, D.C., to Centennial Airport. Hickenlooper was in the nations capital as a participant in a Brookings Institute panel Oct. 10. According to the complaint, Hickenlooper flew to Washington for the event on a commercial Frontier Airlines flight. McNulty claims Hickenlooper accepted the private flight back to Colorado from a corporation, although McNultys complaint did not identify the corporation. McNulty sent the media a public rebuttal, dated Nov. 29, to the governors response to the initial Oct. 12 complaint. However, rebuttals are not a standard part of the ethics commission process, and its unknown whether the commission will even review it. The governor filed his response to the initial complaint on Nov. 21. The original complaint accused Hickenlooper of traveling the globe in private jets and rooming in expensive hotels paid for by businesses in violation of the states ethics laws as established under Amendment 41, a state constitutional amendment on ethics passed by voters in 2006. It cites a trip to a Bilderberg Group conference in Turin, Italy. Under the amendment and other state laws, officials are barred from accepting gifts worth more than $59, but there are exceptions. Hickenloopers Nov. 21 response to McNultys initial complaint accused him of making false statements. The governor said that of the trips cited in the complaint, he either paid for his travel, was on trips for state business, or was traveling for private or personal purposes and so state ethics laws did not apply. In his rebuttal, McNulty said: John Hickenlooper did what any guilty person would have done, he attacked us for bringing his illegal activities to light and attempted to bury them under paperwork and false claims of defense. Hickenloopers response shows how guilty he really is. He cannot show that he paid for his corporate travel aboard multi-million-dollar jets or fancy Italian conference, so he tries to pull the wool over the eyes of Coloradans in the hopes that hell get away with it. The rebuttal says the governors response provides a creative narrative for each restricted gift he has accepted over the past 12 months. However, Governor Hickenloopers excuses do not stand up to the facts and evidence now before the Commission. With regard to the Bilderberg meeting, the governor stated in his Nov. 21 response that he paid for the expenses of that conference, but McNulty said the payments shown cover only the flight and hotel costs. The conference was paid for by Fiat Chrysler, McNulty said. Another trip took the governor to Dallas to officiate at the wedding of a friend, Kimbal Musk, younger brother of Tesla founded Elon Musk. McNulty wrote that Governor Hickenlooper claims his private travel to Texas on a $19 million dollar private jet constituted lawful consideration or honorarium for his services officiating a wedding but in truth this event was not even a wedding and a corporation cannot even give a gift under the special occasion exception. However, the wedding did take place at a Dallas restaurant when the governor claimed it did and local, and news reports noted Hickenlooper was at the event. The rebuttal also claims the governors trip to attend the commissioning of the USS Colorado was on a jet owned by MDC Holdings, which is owned by Larry Mizel, whom the governor called a close, personal friend. MDC builds houses under the name Richmond American Homes. McNulty wrote in his rebuttal that MDC Holdings is a business regulated by the state and even if Hickenloopers participation in the underlying event is wholly proper, it does not justify Governor Hickenlooper flying on a corporate jet to get there. If his participation was an official function, the state should have paid for his expenses with public resources. In response to McNultys latest complaint, Hickenlooper spokeswoman Jacque Montgomery issued this statement Dec. 5: Mr. McNulty seems determined to waste more peoples time with his purely partisan pursuits. The statement did not address the specifics of McNultys new complaint. On Nov. 19, the state ethics commission voted 3-1 to accept McNultys initial complaint, with Commissioner April Jones absent. Jones is among three commissioners who made campaign contributions to Hickenloopers past gubernatorial campaigns, donations made years before being appointed to the commission. The ethics commissions next meeting is scheduled for Dec. 17. Commissioner Bill Leone stated during the commissions Nov. 19 meeting that they should proceed quickly with the Hickenlooper complaint. The use of original-source documents in history lessons has become popular nationwide, but the work of Colorado Springs School District 11 teachers has caught the attention of the Public Broadcasting Service. Several D-11 teachers, administrators and students will discuss the merits of the instructional approach Tuesday during the nationwide broadcast of PBS NewsHour, airing at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Rocky Mountain PBS. Our goal is to use historical documents to study history and not just rely so much on the textbook, said Michael Butler, who team teaches eighth-grade history at Sabin Middle School with colleague Scott White. A PBS film crew spent time in their classroom last week and also went to Fremont Elementary School. The topic of discussion: primary source-documents in teaching students about Thanksgiving. Primary- or original-source materials are first-hand accounts of who was at the event at the time of the event, recording history, Butler said. In a lesson about Thanksgiving, Sabin students studied paintings from the 1900s and compared those to a letter written in 1621 by Edward Winslow, the main document describing the nations first Thanksgiving. Kids used that letter to determine the accuracy of the paintings, White said. Sabin students also have examined letters regarding the 1803 Louisiana Purchase that were written by President Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, who established financial credit for the United States to obtain the $15 million French-controlled territory. And theyve looked at letters from the 1791 ratification of the Bill of Rights. History has changed a lot in the last 10 to 15 years, White said, and there are a lot of resources for teachers to get a hold of these documents. Stanford University, the University of California in Berkeley and the Gilder Lehrman Center for Slavery, Resistance and Abolition are among the places Butler and White have turned to find online and hard-copy materials. We still want to have the stories to understand the history of the country, but were also teaching kids to use historical skills or be historians, White said. Butler said the approach focuses kids on being able to form an opinion, take a position, make a claim and provide evidence to support your position. It often doesnt matter which position a student chooses, as long as critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning is part of the equation, he said. Butler and White, along with other D-11 teachers, have been employing the instructional model for eight years and have received training in how to adopt the methodology. Many other local schools also rely on original-source materials, including The Classical Academy. Theyve been part of history classes since the charter school in Academy School District 20 opened in 1997. Using living books, written by experts with a passion for the subject matter fits with the charter schools definition of education as a life where inspirational ideas and truth are recognized to be the real food for a childs mind, said Wes Jolly, director of academic services. The materials allow students to engage with the minds of those during that moment in history read their words, experience their feelings, better understand the context without being filtered through the lens of others, Jolly said. That usually sparks discussion and develops better understanding of the exact point and time in history, or the issue at hand, he said. This does not mean we shy away completely from secondary-source material or textbooks, Jolly said, but when weighing between the two, a good primary or original source is preferred. Butler and White never hear students say that their history classes are long or boring. We hear theyre hard, Butler said. We expect a lot, and it is difficult. But its also fun, the teachers said, because they dont just stand in front of the classroom and lecture. Students are not just sitting there, White said. They are constantly having to do something. Contact the writer: 719-476-1656. Critics of a drug and alcohol abuse treatment center slated to open in the Woodmoor area have asked El Paso County to reconsider letting a Cal BEIJING, Dec. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the afternoon of December 6th, the Tsinghua University Latin America Center was inaugurated in Santiago, Chile. This is an important measure undertaken by Tsinghua University to promote the implementation of the global strategy and marks the temporary end of the overseas layout of the global strategy. Former President of Chile Eduardo Frei, Chairman of the Luksic Group Andronico Luksic, President of the APEC CEO Summit 2019 Jean-Paul Luksic, representatives of the Luksic family, the Chinese Ambassador to Chile Xu Bu and other guests attended the ceremony held at the Chinese Embassy in Chile. The Tsinghua University Latin America Center is located in a modern building in the central business district of Santiago, Chile. The center will act as the contact and exchange base of Tsinghua University in Latin America to serve as the central base for talent cultivation by Tsinghua University, as well as the development of academic research and exchanges in the humanities with Latin American countries. As one of Tsinghua University's overseas locations, the Latin America Center will contribute to the cultivation of global competence among the students of Tsinghua University, the development of global research, and the establishment of global cooperation and its world reputation. President Qiu Yong said that openness and innovation are the two greatest characteristics of the 21st century. Universities should keep pace with the trend of the times by continuing to be open and innovative, and shoulder the great responsibility of promoting social progress and the development of human civilization. In 2016, Tsinghua University formulated its first global strategy in the history of the university, and is speeding up the building of world-class universities and world-class disciplines. He emphasized that "first-class" should embody its leading role in science, technology, ideology and culture, its uniqueness in university management concepts and development, and its outstanding contribution to the country and the world. Tsinghua University will strive to achieve the heights of a first-class university in the process of serving the country, and make greater contributions to the development of mankind, while striving to promote the worldwide exchange in the humanities and technology. President Qiu stressed that the relationship between China and Latin America is at its best in history. The Tsinghua University Latin America Center will surely play an important role in contributing to the promotion of exchanges and cooperation between scholars, government officials and entrepreneurs from Tsinghua University and Latin American countries, the promotion of cultural exchanges between young students from China and Latin American countries, the strengthening of the links between Tsinghua alumni in Latin America and the continuous contribution of alumni to local economic development. There is infinite space for development in cooperation between China and Chile, and between China and Latin America. Tsinghua University will also take part in continuously making new contributions to the creation of a better world, the ever-lasting friendship between China and Latin America, the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative, and the building of a community of a shared future for mankind. Andronico Luksic thanked Tsinghua University for its trust in the Luksic family and Chile. The Luksic family has a long history of contacts with China and has established more than 10 years of cooperation with Tsinghua University. He said that Latin America needs to work with world-class universities to meet the challenges it faces. The establishment of the Tsinghua University Latin America Center is an important step in facing these challenges. He believed that the center would become a new starting point for academic research, as well as establishing an academic bridge connecting China and Latin America, promoting the exchange of talents between China and Latin America, and promoting the establishment of a better and challenging world. Xu Bu said that Tsinghua University is a well-known university in China and around the world. The establishment of the Latin America Center in Chile is a major event for cooperation between China and Chile. It will certainly promote exchanges and cooperation in science, technology and the humanities between the Chinese and Latin American peoples. He believed that under the joint leadership of the leaders of the two countries, the comprehensive partnership between China and Chile would create a new situation and achieve new development. At the ceremony, President Qiu and Andronico Luksic also signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of the two sides. According to the agreement, the Luksic Group will provide corresponding support to the Tsinghua University Latin America Center. With the establishment of the Tsinghua University Latin America Center, related activities have been launched one after another. From December 5th to 6th, President Qiu led a delegation to visit the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the University of Chile, the Universidad del Desarrollo and the Andres Bello National University to sign agreements on cooperation and exchange. The China-Chile Forum: Chilean Innovation Strategy and Chinese Experience in Digital Transformation, co-sponsored by Tsinghua University and Pais Digital Foundation, attracted the participation of representatives from political, academic and business circles of China and Chile. Tsinghua University held dialogues and discussions with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean on the experience, challenges and responses of digital transformation, and with the CORFO (Corporacion de Fomento de la Produccion) on the production mechanism of Chile and China. Since 2006, Tsinghua University has developed cooperation with Chile in many aspects. In addition to student exchange projects, it has established the Center for Chinese-Latin America Management Studies to strengthen research and academic exchanges in management, as well as related scientific and technological cooperation among teachers from China and from Chile and Latin America. Writer: Wilson Khor Editors: John Olbrich, Guo Lili Contact: Yuan Lin Mobile: 86 13311026925 email: yuanlin@tsinghua.edu.cn Photos accompanying this announcement are available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef363448-aaee-4494-b845-4264ecf1c305 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7c8667ae-eafc-4c79-8522-ee9c7939a3e3 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a2c8f72a-e297-46d9-952e-a67fd93d0434 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/caf495ee-5b14-464e-9fe1-648358f791f6 http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/759cef12-a638-4edb-a9ff-47a465bb3992 Darth_McDaddy wrote: My answer is E. I checked this question and there is a would in the end. Sometimes while copying a question from a source, the last word gets left out. It has already happened to me in these forums. Ok!! reasons. A is out because 'this' as Ritesh pointed out has no clear referrent B WRONG. how can the fears of other countries by raised? C WRONG. They has no clear referrent D WRONG. "With fears raised that is wrong E is concise and expresses the meaning effectively. A-D just doesn't makes sense. E with the would doesn't make sense as well, but now we know it's an error while typing, E should be it. Hi everyone! I'm a 4th-year undergrad student at a prestigious university in California. My ultimate goal is to earn an MBA in 5-7 years after my graduation ('19).I am very interested in advertising and marketing and love to learn more about them in grad school, could you recommend some good MBA programs in the U.S.(preferably in CA) that emphasize in marketing?Here comes a bigger question, I would love my future employer to help me out on the MBA tuition, but I'm not sure what I should do to accomplish this? How do I apply for the scholarship and what are some of the general requirements for them?I am more prone to stay in California for grad school since my whole family is here, but I also think that places like Chicago and NYC have better MBA programs in general.What are some of the things that I can do to achieve my goals here? When will be a good time to take the GMAT?Could you please help me out if you know the answers or have similar experiences? 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 Abbott and lawmakers have the power to improve care for sick and disabled Texans. Will they use it? Texas spends $22 billion every year to buy health care for its most vulnerable residents. But taxpayers arent getting their moneys worth. As The Dallas Morning News reported this year, thousands of elderly and disabled Texans cant get the medical care they need. Many chronically sick children have to fight for life-sustaining treatments. Countless foster kids cant get doctors appointments. Previously: Stacked against them Texas patients lose in the states appeals system. Catch up. Under a program called Medicaid managed care, health care companies promise to save taxpayer money and to help patients by hiring care coordinators to connect them with doctors and treatments. But Texas cannot prove it is saving money, and the states own analysts found that most patients arent getting much or any care coordination. The good news is that Texas leaders can fix this mess. We interviewed more than a dozen experts, looked at whats working in other states, and identified eight specific steps that could mend the states broken public health-care system and protect vulnerable Texans. Some require action from lawmakers, who convene in Austin in January. But most could be implemented by Gov. Greg Abbotts administration now. There are a number of potential fixes for Texas' managed-care problems that Gov. Greg Abbott could put into place without the need for legislators to take action. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman) Abbott, who ultimately controls the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, has defended managed care and hasnt publicly offered any clear solutions. Last month, The News provided Abbotts office detailed explanations of the reforms that experts recommend. But his spokesman, John Wittman, repeatedly declined to address our inquiries. State health officials, meanwhile, have taken some steps in response to our reporting. Those fixes include hiring 100 more regulators and nurses to ensure patients get the care they qualify for; changing the way the health commission monitors the networks of doctors that health-care companies advertise; and improving the way it handles appeals from patients who are denied doctor-ordered treatments. But if Abbott and lawmakers want to improve care and crack down on companies that fail, experts say they should consider more substantial reforms: According to the Wall Street Journal, observers expected American energy production to reach a plateau. A lack of pipeline capacity was expected to constrain output in the Permian Basin through 2020. Instead, shippers found ways to use existing pipelines more efficiently, and new pipelines were constructed faster than expected. U.S. crude-oil production is expected to average 12.1 million barrels a day in 2019, 28% higher than in 2017. Surging production has roiled world energy markets. Iran is the loser of this newfound energy production. The Journals article outlines that the economic windfall that the regime believed would come from the nuclear deal was largely offset by the sharp price spiral of oil in 2016. Now. in 2018, rising American output is doing the same thing. Financial profits from black market sales of Iranian oil are unlikely to materialize, as shown by the spotty sales on the bourse created by the Iranian government. Irans hopes that countries opposed to the U.S., such as China, would continue to buy Iranian oil are being dashed by falling oil prices. Oil was predicted to hit $100 per barrel just a few months ago, but instead the global benchmark has fallen to $50 per barrel.A record oil production by Irans regional opponent Saudi Arabia raised production to an all-time high in November, pumping 11.3 million barrels per day. Predictions that the regime would weather the economic crises are becoming harder to believe.The barter agreement system being proposed to allow Iran to sell oil in exchange for goods, thereby avoiding U.S. secondary sanctions on currency exchange seems less likely. Still, the regime may resort to such tactics as fraud, smuggling, or having Iranian tankers turn off position signals in an effort towards stealth. These measures will not benefit the Iranian people, but will be used to fund various terrorist actions abroad and proxy wars, as well as its loyal groups such as Hezbollah. The Iran lobby makes an argument against these sanctions. The theory behind it is, you make the population so miserable that they will rise up against the government, said Trita Parsi, founder of the National Iranian American Council. However, the Iranian people are already rising up. Throughout Iran the people are making their voices heard merchants are protesting in the markets, truckers have stopped driving, and teachers have stopped teaching classes. The regime has resorted to violence and intimidation in an effort to suppress the dissent. Nothing will alter the trajectory of the Iranian regime under these sanctions, as this U.S. administration is committed to pushing the regime back to the bargaining table. It means to address nuclear weapons as well as Irans destabilizing influence throughout the region, its support for terrorism, and its dismal human rights record. As well, the Iranian people are willing to defy their own government and these protests come from all parts of Iranian society, including the poor and working class. Srinagar: Three militants were killed as the 18-hour-long gunfight ended in Mujgund area on the outskirts of Srinagar on Sunday morning, even as five houses were damaged in the operation. An official said that the gunfight which began after forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in Mujgund area last evening ended today morning with the killing of three fighters. Inspector General of Police, CRPF Ravideep Sahi confirmed that the bodies of three militants were retrieved from the site of the gunfight. He said their identities are being established. Local sources said that the forces blew up five houses in which the militants had taken cover during the gunfight. Five forces personnel, including an army soldier, CRPF man and three SOG personnel were injured in the gunfight. Srinagar (AFP): Indian troops killed three suspected Kashmiri fighters including a boy 14-year-old Mudasir Rashid Parray in the outskirts of occupied Kashmirs main city, ending a nearly 18-hour-long gunbattle, officials said on Sunday. Indian paramilitary spokesman Sanjay Sharma said the three fighters were killed on Sunday in the outskirts of Srinagar. Two police officials and a soldier were wounded, he said. Sharma said Indian troops had laid a siege around a neighborhood on Saturday on a tip that fighters were hiding there. The fighting sparked anti-India protests and clashes as residents tried to march to the site of the battle in solidarity with the fighters. Indian forces fired warning shots, shotgun pellets and tear gas at the stone-throwing protesters. No one was immediately reported injured. Residents said Indian forces blew up at least five houses with explosives during the fighting, a common tactic employed by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir. Eleven aircraft were redirected to other airports shortly after the accident had happened. A Belavia plane has reportedly made a crash landing at Boryspil Airport and skidded off. The accident happened on Sunday evening. "Now, other flights that were heading to Boryspil Airport are being redirected to other airports across Ukraine," a post on the Euromaidan page on Facebook says. The media outlet Glavcom also reported about the accident, citing passengers who flew by another plane. Their crew informed them about the hard landing of an airline, explaining change of their landing site. Read alsoKyiv-Boryspil high-speed railway line to be launched Nov 30 PM Groysman (Photo) "The flight cannot land at Boryspil and is heading to Kyiv Sikorsky Airport (Zhuliany). An accident has happened at Boryspil in connection with crash landing," the passengers quoted their pilots' explanation. As a result of the accident, one of the airport's two runways was closed for flights. Due to the overload of the second runway at Boryspil, some flights have reportedly been sent to Kharkiv and Odesa. Boryspil Airport's website has no information about the incident. "The airport is operating in normal mode," Director of Boryspil Airport Pavlo Riabikin told the Ukrainian news outlet Vesti late on Sunday. "When taxiing out, a Belavia plane hit the lights. We closed the runway for a while in order to clear it up. The plane drove to the stop on its own. The plane belongs to Belarus, and they will find out the causes behind what has happened. Its fairing has been scratched. There is no other damage," he said. Eleven aircraft were redirected to other airports shortly after the accident had happened, he added. 18 in race for key posts in Electricity Regulatory Commission Eighteen individuals, including two former energy secretaries, are vying for the top posts in the Nepal Electricity Regulatory Commission, a powerful body to regulate the countrys energy sector. All the worlds a stage Theatre is spiritual but its manifestation is outside Saturday, December 8, 2018 The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board declined to disturb a county panel disposition On November 17,2014, the Grievance Administrator filed a request for investigation against respondent with the Michigan Supreme Court, pursuant to the provisions of MCR 9.131 (A), because respondent had been employed as an associate counsel with the Attorney Grievance Commission from approximately 1996 to 1998, and at the time, respondent's wife was employed as a secretary at the Commission. On February 4,2015, the Court entered an order appointing volunteer legal counsel "to investigate this matter as outlined in MCR 9.131(A)(4) and to take further appropriate action pursuant to MCR 9.131(A)(4) through (6)." Approximately two years later, on March 20, 2017, volunteer counsel ("Special Counsel") filed a three-count formal complaint against respondent, pursuant to MCR 9.131 (A)(5) and (6). At the hearing a technical violation of Rule 1.15 was found Then, the parties gave arguments as to the appropriate level of discipline to impose. Special Counsel elicited testimony that respondent had no prior misconduct during his then 20-year career as an attorney. After some initial reluctance to suggest a level of discipline "without ... taking it before the [Attorney Grievance Commission]," Special Counsel recommended that the panel reprimand respondent and order him to attend the State Bar of Michigan's course on trust accounting. Respondent's counsel argued for an admonishment with the condition that respondent attend the trust accounting class. ...the panel found that respondent's actions were most closely described in the admonishment standard set forth in ABA Standard 4.14, as his conduct was "negligent at worst," and caused little or no actual or potential injury to a client. While recognizing that they could not admonish respondent, the panel found that the most appropriate sanction was to impose a condition that required respondent to attend a trust account seminar. The Grievance Administrator appealed On review, the Administrator argues that the level of discipline that the hearing panel imposed is insufficient for the misconduct found and that there is no basis under the rules and prior precedent for a hearing panel to issue an order of discipline that only imposes a condition. The board What must be kept in perspective here is that we are dealing with misconduct on the low end of the spectrum in terms of scienter, impact on clients or the system of justice, and reflection on the respondent's fitness to practice. A case could be made for a reprimand. A case could also be made for dismissal with a caution. And a case could be made for some things in between. Here, a very capable volunteer counsel may not have even considered the possibility of actions other than the filing of a formal complaint because of his unfamiliarity with the practices, policies, and unwritten precedents utilized by the AGC in disposing of the 3,000 or more overdraft notifications it had received between the effective date of MRPC 1.15A in 2010 and the time of the hearing in 2017. Having given this panel the difficult task of sorting out what is appropriate in such a case, and having reviewed its excellent work, we are not inclined to reverse its decision to take an extra step to protect the public by requiring some continuing education for respondent rather than imposing no discipline or even a reprimand alone. The panel report is attached to the board order. (Mike Frisch ) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/the-michigan-attorney-discipline-board-on-november-172014-the-grievance-administrator-filed-a-request-for-investigation-ag.html German carmaker BMW is exploring ways to improve working conditions at cobalt mines in Congo. Cobalt is a hard, shiny metal that is often mixed with other metals. It is very rare but extremely important to the production of batteries. Wireless electronics, such as mobile phones, currently use most of the worlds cobalt. But a single electric car requires about one-thousand times more cobalt than a mobile phone. Carmakers are hoping to increase sales of electric cars but are struggling to get the metal. The worlds largest known supplies of cobalt are found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. BMW said the project is seeking ways to improve working and living conditions in places where the metal is mined through manual labor. The company is working on the project with chemical company BASF, battery maker Samsung SDI and German development agency GIZ. The project will work on one trial mine within the next three years, BMW said. The company will not directly buy cobalt from the mine, it said. Instead, the mine will be operated by a local cooperative. BMW said, if effective, the measures could be used to improve systemic problems at other mines as well. Manual operations are responsible for about 20 percent of the cobalt mined in the DRC. Industrial mining operations account for the rest. But many companies involved in both kinds of cobalt mining have been accused of environmental, health and safety and human rights violations. Im Alice Bryant. Edward Taylor reported this story for Reuters news agency. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story battery n. a device that is placed inside a machine to supply it with electricity mobile adj. able to be moved manual adj. doing or involving hard physical work cooperative n. a business or organization that is owned and operated by the people who work there or the people who use its services A fisherman in Dakar, Senegal is getting ready to make a trip that may kill him and his passengers. Assane Diallo will travel more than 1,600 kilometers across the ocean to the Canary Islands. He expects to bring many people with him. But he does not yet have enough gas to go the whole way. And his boat is made of wood and has a hole in the side. Yet making the trip is worth the risk, he says. There are too few fish in the ocean near Dakar for him to earn the money he needs. He can no longer support his wife and children. Its hard to come back and bring nothing home, Diallo told the Reuters news service. It hurts the heart, thats why I want to leave. Diallo is part of a new group of migrants who are planning to make the dangerous trip across the Atlantic Ocean. This group of migrants is aiming toward Spains Canary Islands. Over 1,200 migrants have already arrived there this year. Most believe that, in time, they will be able to get to mainland Europe and seek asylum. Ten years ago, many more migrants up to 30,000 were able to reach the Canary Islands by boat. But in the following years the numbers were reduced. Spanish officials blocked the coast, and overland paths through Niger and Libya became more popular. Now the European Union is working hard to block paths to Europe through northern Africa. So migrants are once again aiming their boats for the Canary Islands even though they will face huge waves, painful heat, and possible starvation. Izabella Cooper is a spokeswoman for the EU border agency Frontex. She says that managing the flow of migrants is like squeezing a balloon. When one route closes, the flows increase on another. But there is a solution to the problem, she adds. Stop the root causes of migration: wars and poverty. Im Kelly Jean Kelly. Reuters News Agency reported this story. Kelly Jean Kelly adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ route - n. a way to get from one place to another place For some time now, critics of higher education in the United States have claimed that many U.S. colleges and universities are centers of liberal thinking. Politically conservative observers argue that the information college professors present to students is unbalanced in its representation of the world. Some conservatives argue that this represents an effort by liberal educators to push young people towards supporting their beliefs. However, a new study suggests that professors are not the problem when it comes to influencing the political beliefs of college students. It shows that school administration officials often are, in fact, the more liberal members of the higher education community. The study was a project of Samuel J. Abrams, a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Abrams, who identifies himself as politically conservative, reported his findings in October. Abrams worked on the study with the researchers at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Together, they asked 900 school administration officials from across the country about their political beliefs. Some of these officials work at colleges or universities that receive public money; the others are with private schools. The researchers chose to question school administrators who deal directly with students and their day-to-day activities on campus. The study found that about 71 percent of those questioned identified themselves as either liberal or very liberal. Just 6 percent said they were conservative. In 2014, Abrams led a similar study which found that half as many professors self-identified as liberal as did school administrators. Liberal politics at work on campus Abrams argues that U.S. higher education must permit acceptance of all kinds of beliefs and ways of thinking. Otherwise, colleges and universities will no longer be places that welcome meaningful debate, exploration of ideas and the search for answers to the worlds problems. Some professors may have strong political beliefs, he says. But almost all of them are trained to present different sides of issues in a balanced way and let students form their own opinions. That is not the case for school administration employees, says Abrams. And in the end, administrators dealing with student life have a big influence on students and their experiences in higher education. Students only spend a few hours a day at most in their classes, Abrams told VOA. They spend an inordinate amount of time, however, in student spaces, in social spaces, ingroup spaces, and in residence halls and dining halls. Abrams notes that the officials he spoke to for his latest study are mainly involved in shaping the student experience in these spaces. They help new students find a sense of community with others on their campus. They create programs to help students celebrate cultural traditions, become active in social causes, and inform them about how to stay healthy, for example. But the problem is, this programming far too often only relates to liberal causes or ways of thinking, Abrams says. He is critical about open discussions of sexuality, or representations of the free market economic system as being evil. Students are left feeling unwelcome if they hold conservative opinions on such issues, he says. Kevin Kruger is president of NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, which represents thousands of school administrators. He argues that Abrams research misrepresents the relationship between students and school officials. Kruger notes that it is part of an administrators job to make all students feel welcome. Also, most of the events on any given college or university campus are student led. Money from students and their families pays for such programs, and student-led groups are the ones organizing them. So, for the most part, it is the students themselves who are in control of deciding what programming takes place. I think were undersellingthe intellectual rigor of our students to think that we can indoctrinate them during college, Kruger said. I think it sells short the actual ability of our own students to engage in dialogue and make their own mind up on the basis of facts. Kruger argues that there is no active effort to make campuses more liberal. If anything, the reason there are more liberal administrators is because schools are trying to make their campuses more diverse. In doing so, they want to employ officials who have experience dealing with and supporting underrepresented populations. And support for groups like transgender students, for example, is usually linked to liberal political beliefs, he says. The effect of a lack of political diversity Rick Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative policy and research group. Hess agrees that student diversity is very important. But he suggests school officials cannot only support diversity in terms of gender or race. What do we mean by diversity? Is diversity a bunch of people who look different but think alike? That doesnt actually strike me as in any sensemeaningful diversity in higher [education], Hess said. In October, a separate study of 800 U.S. college students found that 54 percent reported feeling afraid to express their opinions when they disagreed with other students. Hess links these concerns not just to the majority of programs for students. He notes that some schools have permitted students to demonstrate against and even silence conservative speakers who visit their campuses. As a result, students who disagree with the values expressed at a given event feel silenced in much the same way. Hess and Abrams agree that colleges and universities must employ officials who have experience supporting different beliefs and finding common ground. Otherwise, students may fail to develop the ability to see the value in opinions other than their own. In addition, conservatives will become less interested in giving financial support to higher education. And, both of these things, they warn, will be harmful to the nation as a whole in the future. Im Pete Musto. And Im Dorothy Gundy. Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. How important is it for colleges and universities to have diversity of political beliefs? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Quiz Quiz - Study: Most US College Administrators Are Liberal Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story campus n. the area and buildings around a university, college, or school inordinate adj. going beyond what is usual, normal, or proper residence hall(s) n. a place where students live at a college or university rigor n. the quality or state of being very exact, careful, or strict indoctrinate v. to teach someone to fully accept the ideas, opinions, and beliefs of a particular group and to not consider other ideas, opinions, and beliefs engage in p.v. to do something dialogue n. a discussion or series of discussions that two groups or countries have in order to end a disagreement diverse adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other transgender adj. of or relating to people who feel that their true nature does not match their sex at birth Bill to split civil aviation body to go to Parliament The Tourism Ministry has claimed that a bill to split the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) into two entitiesa regulatory body and service providerwill be introduced in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, as pressure is mounting on the government to lift Nepal from the air safety list of the European Commission. The United States Army is spending millions of dollars in experimental exoskeleton technology to make soldiers stronger. It is what experts say is part of a push into cutting-edge equipment for a new generation of super-soldiers. Lockheed Martin Corporation is developing the technology. The company is using a license from B-Temia Inc., a Canada-based business. B-Temia first developed the exoskeletons to help people who had difficulty walking because of medical conditions like multiple sclerosis. Worn over clothing, the battery-operated equipment uses several sensors, artificial intelligence and other technology to aid natural movements. For the U.S. military, the appeal of such technology is clear. Currently, when soldiers are sent to war zones, their bodies must carry a lot of heavy equipment, such as body armor and advanced radios. Altogether, that can weigh anywhere from 40 to 64 kilograms, when the suggested weight limit is just 23 kilograms. That means when people...show up to the fight, theyre fatigued, said Paul Scharre of the Center for a New American Security. Scharre has helped lead a series of studies on exoskeletons and other advanced equipment. The biggest problem with infantry troops is theyre carrying too much weight, he said. Lockheed Martin announced last week it won a $6.9 million award from the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center to study and make the exoskeleton. It is called ONYX. Keith Maxwell is with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. He said people who wore the exoskeletons showed far more strength than other people in his companys tests. You get to the fight fresh. Youre not worn out, Maxwell said. Maxwell, who demonstrated a prototype, said each exoskelelton was expected to cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. The United States is not the only country looking at exoskeleton technology. Samuel Bendett is with the Center for Naval Analyses , a federally financed research and development center. He said Russia and China were also investing in exoskeleton technologies. Russia is working on several kinds of exoskeletons, including one tested in Syria, Bendett said. The exoskeleton is part of a larger look at next-generation technologies, including using robotic soldiers to help resupply the military in war zones. Im Susan Shand. The Reuters news agency reported this story. It was adapted for VOA Learning English by Susan Shand. The editor was George Grow. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story exoskeleton n. a firm outer covering for the body that provides both support and protection. license n. an official document that gives you permission to do, use, or have something battery n. a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a car) to supply it with electricity artificial intelligence n. an area of computer science dealing with the reproduction of intelligent human behavior in computers zone n. an area fatigue adj. tired prototype n. an example APEC leaders pose for a "family photo" during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Port Moresby on Nov. 18, 2018. (SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) USChina Divisions Leave APEC Leaders Unable to Reach Consensus on Communique Divisions between the United States and China set off an unprecedented event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, when leaders at the regional forum failed to issue a joint statement for the first time since 1993. Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter ONeill said on Nov. 18 that the sticking point was over whether the Leaders Declaration should include mention of potential reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Reuters reported. China wouldnt agree to the inclusion of the reference to WTO blaming a country for unfair trade practices, an unidentified diplomat involved in the negotiation told Reuters. In September, the United States, Japan, and the European Union agreed to work together to reform ineffective WTO rules that enabled unfair Chinese trade practices. U.S. President Donald Trump has cited Beijings unfair trade practices as the main reason for slapping tariffs on a total of $250 billion worth of Chinese goods in the ongoing SinoU.S. trade war. Trump was represented by Vice President Mike Pence at the APEC summit. Speaking in Papua New Guinea on Nov. 17, Pence criticized Chinas unfair practices, including tremendous trade barriers, quotas, forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and industrial subsidies on an unprecedented scaleall of which contributed to a $375 billion trade deficit with the United States last year alone. The division between the two countries goes beyond trade practices and references to the WTO. In the span of two days from Nov. 17 to Nov. 18, Pence and Chinese leader Xi Jinping traded remarks about their countries differing policies in the region. On Nov. 17, Pence, in an indirect reference to Chinas One Belt, One Road (OBOR, also known as Belt and Road) initiative, stated: We dont drown our partners in a sea of debt. We dont coerce or compromise your independence. The United States deals openly, fairly. We do not offer a constricting belt or a one-way road. OBOR, first announced by Beijing in 2013, seeks to build Beijing-centered land and maritime trade networks by financing infrastructure projects throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. However, Beijings initiative has been criticized for burdening developing countries with massive loans that they cant pay off. This debt trap has already occurred in South Africa, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. Pence spoke of how the United States plan in the region, the Indo-Pacific strategy, differs from OBOR, as it includes for example freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Additionally, Pence welcomed Chinas involvement in the American strategy, if Beijing were to respect its neighbors sovereignty; embrace free, fair, and reciprocal trade; uphold human rights and freedom. Trump first brought up his Indo-Pacific strategy during an Asia trip in November 2017. In July, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced $113 million in infrastructure investments in the Indo-Pacific region. Chinas state-run daily, the Global Times, lashed out at Pences remark in an editorial published on Nov. 17, calling it nothing new, while defending OBOR as a development plan warmly received by a large number of countries. Xi, speaking prior to Pences speech on Nov. 17, defended the countrys OBOR initiative. He said the initiative was neither designed to serve any hidden geopolitical agenda, nor a trap as some people have labeled it. Sri Lanka handed control of its strategic Hambantota port to China in December 2017 after it was unable to pay back $6 billion in loans and converted the debt into equity. On Nov. 18, in another speech, Xi openly stated Beijings ambitions in the Pacific. He said that efforts are required to turn our connectivity blueprint into reality and extend our connectivity network to every corner along the Pacific shores, referring to OBOR. Sending a message that it would face off with Chinas increasing influence in the Pacific, the United States announced on Nov. 17 that it will join with Australia to build a naval base on Papua New Guineas Manus Islands, according to Reuters. On Nov. 18, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan agreed on an electricity project in Papua New Guinea that promises to boost electricity access to 70 percent of the local population, up from the current 13 percent. We dont want to see a repeat in the South Pacific of the kinds of risks that we saw in Sri Lanka or other parts of the Indian Ocean, where Chinas infrastructure and development assistance had negative consequences, Rory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at Australian National University, told the English-language Japan Times for a Nov. 18 article. With additional reporting by Sunny Chao. Chief ministers to raise contentious issues between federal and province governments at inter-state council meet As they sit with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli for the first ever Inter-state Council meeting on Sunday, the seven chief ministers will claim more power for the provinces in a true spirit of federalism. Clamour for glamour Contrary to popular belief, not all women are empowered by beauty contests Malaysia job: Deal fails to resume worker flow Even as pressure builds on the government to resume movement of Nepalis to work in Malaysia without further delay, officials say it will take more time as both the countries are working for implementation of a bilateral deal. Federalism should be made stronger: Prime Minister Oli Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said the federalism should be made stronger in Nepal by learning from experiences. MyBroadbands November 2018 Internet service provider rankings reveal that Cybersmart is the top-rated service provider in South Africa. The ISP rankings are based on thousands of consumer ratings on the MyBroadband Speed Test platform. MyBroadbands HTML5 speed test servers are hosted in Teracos vendor-neutral data centres to ensure a neutral testing environment. Many of the users who perform speed tests also rate the service which they receive from their ISP on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Cybersmart topping the rankings The November 2018 results show that Cybersmart is the top-rated ISP, with a score of 4.50, followed closely by Cool Ideas on 4.27, and BitCo on 4.08. Cybersmarts good performance is not unexpected, considering its recent moves in the market. The company recently upgraded all its Lightspeed users to 500Mbps for free, and also offers the most affordable fibre connectivity in South Africa. The table below provides an overview of the ratings of South Africas top ISPs. Internet Solutions recently opened its new Parklands data centre in Rosebank, Johannesburg. The facility boasts a unique modular construction and is designed to be flexible and scalable while remaining power-efficient. It is set to officially begin operating in January 2019, and boasts 1,600 square metres of floor space along with 572 racks and 2.2MW of power. IS Data Centres executive head Matthew Ashe said the data centre boasts six layers of physical security in addition to precisely-monitored systems and logical separation of environments to ensure the highest level of security. Additionally, the Parklands data centre is designed with multiple redundancies and failsafes to ensure constant uptime. Physical security Ashe said that while international clients often worried about physical security in South Africa, physical breaches are not very likely. The research we have done specifically in South Africa shows there is a very low chance of a physical breach into a data centre, he said. We have international clients who often say they are worried about a terrorist attack, which is not a common thing that happens in South Africa. Obviously you have to be very careful of somebody just wandering into the data centre and that is the reason we have physical security implemented, Ashe added. He said that while IS places a lot of emphasis on physical security in its data centres, it is not because the company sees it as a major threat, but rather because a lot of international clients require this security. In my opinion, the biggest threat is not physical security, it is remote, Ashe said. Remote access Ashe told MyBroadband that hacking attacks can be difficult for data centres to protect against. I would think that it is easier for a hacker to gain remote access to somebodys server than for someone to break into a data centre, Ashe said. That is something which is very difficult for us to manage from a data centre perspective, because clients come into the data centre and they do not necessarily have to get their connectivity or their security services from us, he added. They can get an Internet connection from anybody they want, and we do not manage their security on their behalf. The company does offer security and management services through its business units, which allow it to protect clients servers from remote attacks, and IS ensures that all client servers are logically separated from each other to improve security. We logically separate these servers via VLANs and firewalls, and in some instances a server might not even touch our network at all, Ashe said. It could be a physical cross-connect directly from another providers network. The possibility of somebody hacking into servers within a data centre is far more likely than a physical breach, and the protection is dependent wholly on the client or the clients cybersecurity provider. Now read: Webafrica fixes security flaw in ticket support system Eskoms chairman recently said load-shedding is a result of problems that we have all caused, but the facts tell a very different story. Rapport has revealed that there were unplanned outages at all of Eskoms 12 biggest power stations recently, which were caused by faults that could have been prevented. Citing internal Eskom documents, Rapport said around a quarter of Eskoms total power generation capacity was unavailable because of unplanned maintenance. The City Press reported that Eskoms plant breakdowns have reached catastrophic levels, with a record-breaking 17,371MW or 38% of Eskoms total generating capacity offline. This followed the decision by the power utility to decommission 12 units at various power stations, mainly because of a lack of funds and parts to fix them. Another big problem is design faults at the new Medupi and Kusile power stations which prevents them from functioning as expected. According to the City Press, these design flaws are set to cost a combined R345 billion to fix, and were caused by shoddy workmanship by suppliers. Eskom said this is now resulting in Medupis three operational units either shutting down entirely or losing part of their output. The list of problems at Eskom The biggest problems which are causing unplanned outages at South Africas biggest power stations are: Poor maintenance at many power stations, which cause unplanned outages. A lack of skills, which means things like pressure and oil levels are not checked which can cause power generation units to switch off automatically. Poor quality coal, which causes a variety of problems at local power stations. Broken fans, which have to be custom-designed for each power station and take a long time to replace. Various mill problems, which are causing serious problems at big power stations. A decline in efficiency at Eskom and its power stations. It should be noted that this is a condensed list, and that there are numerous other problems at individual power stations which are causing outages. The damage done to Eskom Over the last decade Eskoms efficiency and skills base was crushed due to corruption and mismanagement at the power utility. In 2008, Eskom was still functioning fairly well, with low electricity costs and a manageable and competent workforce. This, however, changed quickly under former President Jacob Zuma and Eskom became as President Cyril Ramaphosa described state-owned enterprises a sewer of corruption. Over the last few years Eskom became known for gross mismanagement, which energy expert Ted Blom said costs South Africa R1.4 trillion. Blom said the ANC government employed people who do not know what is going on, and that the ANC is not prepared to look outside of the party for people with the required skills to run Eskom. Apart from the lack of skills, Blom said the average employee at Eskom gets four times more than what they should be earning. The combination of these factors has gutted Eskom, and it is now only a shadow of the former company which was a global leader in power production. The image below provides an overview of how Eskom has changed over the last 10 years. South Africans have recently experienced the return of load-shedding as Eskom struggles to keep up with energy demands. Eskoms energy output is insufficient for the country, and this shortfall is expected to continue for years to come. In fact, it will reportedly take 6 months for energy availability to return to stable levels signalling an extensive period of energy problems for South Africans. Arrive Alive on road safety While load-shedding presents many problems for businesses and individuals at home, its impact on traffic is often overlooked. Road safety organisation Arrive Alive has released a statement discussing how drivers can be safe when load-shedding takes place, as it takes down robots and street lights. The most important aspects to remember are: When traffic lights are out, intersections should be treated as stop streets. Drivers must stop at traffic lights which are out, even if there are no other cars nearby. Drivers must then take turns to safely pass through the intersection. Arrive Alive also warned drivers to be on the lookout for reckless motorists who do not obey these rules. Drivers should also be aware that other road users may make innocent mistakes, and are asked to remain patient and polite at all times. We are all annoyed with load-shedding, but we also have the same objective to arrive alive at our destinations, said Arrive Alive. Other dangers Arrive Alive also highlighted the potential danger that a lack of functioning street lights can pose. Without these lights to assist with night-time or bad weather driving, it is imperative that drivers are particularly alert to potentially dangers. Recommendations include driving slower to allow for more reaction time, as well as using your brights if it wont blind oncoming traffic. Arrive Alive urged motorists to be aware of their surroundings to ensure that they dont fall victim to hijackers and smash and grab criminals, too. Now read: South Africa is turning into a dump Cell Cs network went down recently after load-shedding caused a power surge at the Neotel Data Centre. The outage affected mobile and fixed-LTE users, causing much frustration for customers. The effects of load-shedding are more than just potential outages for short periods, however, after Cell Cs network was down for 2 hours. A lack of reliable electricity means networks must prepare for the worst, which takes time and money. Cost impact MTN told MyBroadband that load-shedding affects many of its sites, but it has invested heavily in generators and backup batteries to keep services running. However, operational impact was still felt where the frequency of the load shedding exceeded the capacity of the backup devices, said MTN of recent load-shedding. Our batteries generally have a capacity of 6-12 hours dependant on the site category and require 12-18 hours to recharge dependant on the battery technology type. Where consecutive load shedding took place, batteries were unable to fully recharge, resulting in reduced backup times. MTN has spent over R100 million in the past year dealing with acts of theft and vandalism, and these crimes tend to spike during load shedding, added MTN. MTN has had to deploy security teams around the country to protect the equipment, once again, at significant cost to the company. We are doing all we can to ensure our batteries and generators remain fully functional so we can limit the impact this load shedding has on our customers, said MTN. The additional costs to deal with load-shedding ultimately have an impact on customers as they influence the income of networks. Rain told MyBroadband that ensuring adequate backup power facilities are installed at towers introduces additional costs. This limits its ability to drive the cost of data lower, it said. This is just another example of the negative effect poor electricity supply has on the country, said Rain. Cell C echoed these sentiments, stating that load shedding has a devastating effect on all mobile operators. The significant increase in operational costs associated with keeping base stations on and protected is one of the major issues. We have all put in place as many measures as possible with respect to the national electricity grid. However, even on days when load shedding has not been implemented, operators face an incredible challenge, said Cell C. For example, Cell C said that on any given day 80% of the alarms on the network are related to power outages or power induced failures. This already has a financial impact on the company, given that it needs to ensure that as many sites as possible are furnished with battery backup. However, this process is hindered by the high rate of vandalism to network high-sites. There is also a knock-on effect that lingers after load shedding, and in certain cases transformers at substations trip and require Eskom to bring those back online. While Cell C continues to do everything it can to maintain customer connectivity, this is not always possible with the electricity issues the country faces. Telkom said that it also has battery backups for all Telkom sites and it continuously monitors the state of power supply. Impact on the economy It is not only mobile networks which are affected by power cuts, and South Africa as a whole is in a very bad spot thanks to Eskom. Former Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said Eskom is the single biggest risk to South Africas economy. It huge debts and inability to turn a profit means the government must continually bail it out with taxpayer money, while the lack of reliable electricity supply hurts businesses and discourages investment in South Africa. Calls have therefore been made to privatise the company, or at least its power plants, to ensure the power supply is stabilised. One summer, over a decade ago, biologists discovered that gray wolvesonce driven to near-extinction in the continental United Stateswere breeding again in Washington state. The sound of howling wolf pups was welcome news for conservationists, but not for the states current $700 million cattle industry. Not long after, when some wolves began to prey on livestock, age-old tensions were resurrected. Some members of that first pack were poacheddespite federal protections. Ranchers whose forefathers believed a good wolf was a dead one now had to contend with government officials and conservationists who had other opinions. Fortunately, there was someone to call for help: Francine Madden and her Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, the Center for Conservation Peacebuilding. In a city full of fascinating but oddly narrow areas of intellectual expertise, Maddens is particularly niche: Her job is to make peace between humans who are fighting over wildlife. On a warm early October morning, I meet Madden at the National Zoo. The 48-year-oldtoday wearing cowboy boots a shade lighter than her brown hairgrows animated when she talks about her job, slapping my arm often to drive home a point. A curse or two slips out, though not when a pack of fourth-graders bounds down a path toward a hillside enclosure beside us. Is that a fox? one boy asks. No, its a wolf, another shouts. The kids all howl at the wolf, then sprint off. Madden cracks a smile. Honestly, Im surprised when someone doesnt have an opinion on wolves, she says, hands waving excitedly. When I see a wolf, my mental image of them is an animal thats wearing this social, cultural and historical baggage, like a baggage cart at the airport weve loaded up. Think about it: Little Red Riding Hood, Peter and the Wolf, the Bible, the wolf in sheeps clothing. The wolfs had a lot of human emotion poured into it. Indeed, wolves have been trapped, shot and poisoned en masse for centuries, pursued with more passion and determination, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes, than any other animal in U.S. history. By the mid-1970s, gray wolves were among the first animals to make the endangered species list. Then, in the 1990s, the U.S. government embarked on a controversial plan to boost the American wolf population with Canadian wolves. And as the wolf population of eastern Washington state grew, ranchers and environmentalists began baring fangs. By 2015, things had gotten so bad that Washingtons Department of Fish and Wildlife hired Madden as a third-party neutral, charged with deflating hostilities among factions within the states Wolf Advisory Group. When I took this case, I wanted it, Madden says, because wolves are the Middle East of wildlife conflict. What qualified Madden for this job? In addition to graduate degrees in science and policy from Indiana University, she had spent time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda. There, conservation efforts had helped increase the population of mountain gorillaswho occasionally terrorized villagers, who, in turn, resorted to poaching. Madden helped conservationists and villagers agree on a solution: create teams that could respond quickly to gorilla attacks. In the years since, she has gone on to mediate invasive-species conflicts in the Galapagos and around the globe. In Washington state, Madden spent 350 hours interviewing 80 people about wolves before she led advisory group meetings. She found anomalies in the us-vs.-them narrative: a hunter who described seeing a wolf as a religious experience; environmentalists who supported, or at least were neutral about, the idea of a wolf hunt. Wolves, she found, were a proxy for other fears, such as fading traditions and a loss of control to Seattle progressives. Sometimes, she says, a dispute has surface-level issues, and that can be taxes or climate change or, in this case, wolves. But its all about identity. Madden asked combatants to steer their hybrids and pickup trucks to local bars. Grab a beer, she asked them, or a veggie burger. And dont talk about wolves. At least not right away. The first time I saw her, to be honest with you, I felt like this is a lot of kumbaya, no way a cowboy is going to sit through this, rancher Molly Linville told me by phone from her 6,000-acre spread in Douglas County. I still dont know how it worked. It all still feels like magic to me. In the end, Madden spent 200 days in Washington state and 7,000 hours on the phone. (For 3 1/2 years of work, the state paid her nonprofit, with a staff of two, more than $1.2 million.) Conservationists eventually agreed that wolves could be culled if they preyed on livestock. For their part, ranchers agreed to try nonlethal methods, too. Like young apprentices, they learned Maddens ways, and when problems arise they can go back to the tool kit she left for them. Things would be far worse had she not come out here, says Paula Swedeen, policy director of the Seattle-based Conservation Northwest. Ive built relationships with people. Im definitely a western Washington, progressive Democrat, but Ive figured out how to make friends in eastern Washington. Madden is protective of her neutrality. She likes nothing on Facebook. She wont say if theres a religion behind her peaceful ways, and if she thinks any zoo animals are adorable, she keeps it to herself. She also declined to comment on a recent effort in Congress to remove gray wolves in the continental United States from federal threatened and endangered lists. Part of the nature of my work is that its not about me. Its really about the people who are in that conflict, that destructive conflict, who are hurting, who have needs that are not being met, and so who I am is irrelevant, she explains. She believes her method of transforming conflicts could help with something as difficult as gun policy or even Americas divided political landscape. Again, its all about identity. Were not far from the Capitol, I joke, but she makes clear that she isnt interested in personally applying her insights to national politics. Uh, no, she says in the zoos parking lot. I like what I do. String lights, decorations, Christmas trees and stove tops sizzling with holiday favorites might make for a festive home, but they can cause deadly fires if residents dont take precautions. Thats why officials from the Napa Fire Department, American Red Cross and Spanish-language disaster preparedness program Preparados took to the Woodland Apartments on Saturday morning, where they educated locals on fire prevention and checked to ensure smoke alarms were working. The fire department also handed out Beanie Babies and coloring books to giddy kids in onesies and pajamas, who asked fire officials questions and stared in awe at the cherry-red fire engine. Napa has already seen at least one fatal Christmas tree fire, said Matt Gonsalves, who runs Napa Fires smoke alarm program. Two kids, their grandmother and her boyfriend died after a 2011 fire in East Napa that started because of a Christmas tree. A family of four in West Napa saw their home catch fire for the same reason in more recent years, but escaped thanks to a working smoke detector. Firefighters responded to an average of 170 Christmas tree-related home fires per year between 2012 to 2016, according to statistics provided by Gonsalves. Those fires caused an average of four deaths, 15 injuries and $12 million in property damage each year. Most of those deaths resulted from a source of heat getting too close to a tree. Someone dies in one of every 45 home fires that begin with a Christmas tree. That number is just one in 139 of other home fires, according to Gonsalves. A fire in one unit of the two-story, low-rise Woodland Apartments could affect five surrounding apartments, Gonsalves said. That could mean a fire could touch 12 lives, assuming two people live in each unit. Caring for your Christmas tree The National Fire Protection Association says Christmas tree fires arent common, but they can be especially serious. The association encourages people with Christmas trees to choose trees with fresh, green needles that dont fall off when touched. They should cut two inches from the base of the trunk before placing in the stand, and place the tree at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators, candles, vents or lights. Trees should be watered regularly and should not block an exit, according to the association. Trees should be disposed of when they get dry. Lit candles should never decorate a tree and lights should be turned off before going to bed. Lights should only be used if they have the label of a recognized testing laboratory and lights should be discarded when theyre worn or broken, according to the association. Check your smoke alarms Napa Fire has had its smoke detector program since 1986. Its installed 300 smoke alarms this year, Gonsalves said. The Red Cross donates smoke alarms to the Napa Fire Department for free installation. Its Sound the Alarm program has aimed to install as many smoke alarms as possible in homes since 2014, said Jeff Baumgartner, head of the organizations California Northwest Chapter. Mobile homes and apartment buildings can catch fire particularly fast, he said. The organization installed smoke alarms in 200 homes across Napa and Sonoma counties last year. The Red Cross encourages people to keep a supply kit in case of a disaster. The Woodland Apartment residents were already well-prepared, he said. Weve seen that since the fires last year, Baumgartner said. A lot of people really woke up and said, Hey, I need to have a plan. Erick Hernandez, head of Preparados, prepared packets of Spanish language resources for residents. He chatted with families and answered questions for Spanish-speakers at the complex. Showing up in person makes kids feel more comfortable around first responders, he said. It means more to the community if officials show up in person to lend a hand. Hernandez translated for tenant Juan Espinoza, who said the complex saw a bad kitchen fire in recent years. His daughter saved the unconscious tenant inside the unit. Nobody heard a smoke detector, he said. The tenant may have escaped on her own, had there been a working alarm. Thats why Napa Fire, Preparados and the Red Cross try to intervene before its too late. We dont want to see any more fires, Hernandez said. The only way were going to get to that is by educating. Anyone who wants a free smoke alarm checkup or installation can contact Napa Fire at freesmokealarm@cityofnapa.org or call 707-257-9590. 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. For so many Napa residents with Latin American roots, the holiday season brings feelings of deep nostalgia and vivid childhood memories of Las Posadas. Las Posadas, translated as The Inns, is a Christmastime celebration based on Biblical traditions. Neighbors, friends and families reenact a nativity scene from December 16 to Christmas Eve the same amount of time that the Bible says Joseph and Mary took to arrive in Bethlehem. Its celebrated a little differently depending on where you live in Latin America, but the celebration is more than a religious tradition. Theres singing, music, dancing, eating and pinatas. About 50 partygoers gathered Friday evening in the showroom of the Napa Ford Lincoln showroom on Auto Row. For Teresa Foster, who has put on a Posada in Napa for nearly three decades, its about sharing traditions she practiced in Mexico City with the next generation, and making sure people remember their roots. Its also an opportunity to share her culture with non-Latinos during the magic month of December, when everyone is nicer, she said. Its a time to reflect on the years blessings and mistakes, and look forward to navigating the next year with the benefit of lessons learned. I crave my family who is all in Mexico City, but at the same time I dont feel sorry because ... Im doing (the Posada) here, she said at her Friday night Posada. And with that, Im connected with my family. Foster began partnering last year to put on the Posada with the Napa County Hispanic Network. President Ricky Hurtado says its a great way to thank supporters and donors, while educating others on their culture. Its letting the people and community know that regardless of where everyone comes from, this is home, this is everyones community, he said. The night began with music from a guitar trio and song. Partygoers lit candles and lined up on either side of the showrooms front doors. The groups sang a call-and-response song that mimicked a Biblical conversation between Mary and Joseph, begging a stranger for lodging. Foster opened the door for the partygoers outside as the guitar trio began to play Feliz Navidad. The crowd sipped atole, a sweet, hot drink made with cinnamon and cornmeal and ate tamales. They crunched on aguinaldos, or bags of hard candies given out during Las Posadas. The celebration is even more elaborate south of the border, where neighbors decorate the streets and roleplay Joseph, Mary, angels, shepherds and a donkey. Neighbors light candles to illuminate the way for participants to walk down the street to a house, where they sing the song asking for lodging. For partygoer Maria Cisneros, Las Posadas brings back memories of her familys Charlie Brown Christmas tree and elders regaling her with stories. Thats how Cisneros really got to know her grandmother, she said. Las Posadas isnt about presents. Its about laughter, storytelling, and celebrating friendship and family, Cisneros said. It takes her back to a time when life was different. Life was simple, Cisneros said. Las Posadas brings Fernando Espinosa back to good times with family, friends and neighbors. The kids always knew who had the best aguinaldos or pinatas. His favorite part of Las Posadas? Its the whole event, he said. Its bringing everyone together I cannot find the words to explain how I feel. 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. Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. A Napa man hopped the fence into his neighbor's house, where he was pacing, smashing fragile items and yelling to himself before being arrested, police say. The Napa Police Department got a call around 1 p.m. from a neighbor who reported seeing a shirtless man hop the fence of his neighbor's vacant home in the 2000 block of Seville Drive, according to the department. The man reportedly heard noises from inside. Officers arrived and found the front door open. They heard someone yelling inside and began to surround the house, according to Napa police. Officers needed more help and Sheriff's deputies arrived within minutes. Officers looking through windows found a shirtless, bloody man pacing between rooms, according to Napa police. William Medina, 25, was ordered to come outside through a loudspeaker and he eventually complied, police say. Medina stepped into the front yard around 1:20 p.m., but began to head back to the open front door, according to Napa police. Officers worried that he would reenter and deployed a Sheriff's Office K-9. Medina was taken to Queen of the Valley Hospital, where he was treated for the dog bite and injuries that appeared to come from his smashing of ceramic, porcelain and glass items around the house, according to Napa police. He was booked around 4:20 p.m. on suspicion of three felonies related to burglary, resisting arrest and violating probation. He was also arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor for using a controlled substance. 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. Pat Brown was a true champion of higher education, but Jerry Brown has never made support for the University of California or the Cal State system a big part of his agenda. Now, incoming Gov. Gavin Newsom has the potential to pick up the mantle and, once again, make higher education a top state priority. Californians get it. A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that most voters say that there is not enough state funding for higher education. Three-quarters of the electorate believes that higher education should be a high priority for our new governor. Newsom has said that a significant increase in the investment in higher education is high on his agenda. With the states fiscal health in good shape, that should be possible. Under Gov. Pat Brown, the Master Plan for Higher Education was adopted to define the complementary roles of the University of California, the California State University system and the community colleges. The state made significant investments in all three institutions. State funding has had its ups and downs ever since. Gov. George Deukmejian brought it back up with a 30 percent increase in 1983, but funding levels have fluctuated with fiscal crises and other priorities. Overall, per student state support for higher education has eroded markedly, forcing increases in tuition and fees. This is particularly true for the University of California, where per-student state support is barely half of what it was 30 years ago. Higher educations share of California general fund expenditures has dropped from 18 percent in 1976 to less than 12 percent in 2018. To their credit, Jerry Brown in his second stint as governor and the Legislature began to reinvest in higher education with modest funding increases, but there is a long way to go. The Public Policy Institute of California has estimated that the California workforce needs more than a million new college graduates in the coming decade. Most of these new grads will have to come from our public higher education system. To accommodate more California students, while maintaining their standard of excellence and avoiding additional tuition increases, university systems are requesting substantial increases in state funding, $706 million for the California State University System and $378 million for UC. The community colleges are requesting at least $360 million. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst has estimated the governor and Legislature will have about $15 billion in discretionary spending in the 2019-20 fiscal year, so these requests are certainly realistic. Boosting higher education funding would be a good start. But the new governor should address the future of our public higher education system and its integral role in the well-being of all Californians. There is much to be done: Restore per-student state funding to traditional levels. Assure a stable, ongoing revenue flow from the state that will enable our higher education institutions to plan and grow responsibly. Make a long-term commitment for new classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, technology and other infrastructure needs that will reverse years of neglect and provide state of the art facilities on our campuses. Harness new technology to enhance the educational experience, increase productivity and provide additional avenues for more Californians to access our higher education system. If Gov. Newsom and Legislature, in concert with the leadership of UC, CSU and the community collegesseriously tackle these challenges, the Newsom years could become a new golden age for California higher education. Dick Ackerman and Mel Levine co-chair the California Coalition for Public Higher Education. Ackerman is a former California legislator representing Orange County, Levine is a former member of Congress from Los Angeles. They wrote this for CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias Capitol works and why it matters. Guterres talks Russian role in continuation of contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan Cavusoglu and Bayramov discuss situation in Ashgabat region More than 30 flights delayed or canceled at Moscow airports Aliyev told Lukashenko over Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia leaders' meeting Artsakh citizen returning from Azerbaijan is under medical supervision World Medical Association boss compares new strain of COVID-19 with Ebola ECHR rules on application of interim measure in respect of 4 Armenian POWs Armenia PM participates in Board of Trustees of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund meeting Gyumri ex-mayor's son found and apprehended Russia and China call for peaceful coexistence of countries with different ideologies 517 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Armenia per day 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 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 In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly at the initiative of Armenia established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, the UN reported. The 9th of December is the anniversary of the adoption of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention). This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Convention, the source said. The initiative was based on the resolution on the prevention of genocides submitted by Armenia. The resolution was adopted at the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council held on March 27 in Geneva and is aimed at complementing the efforts of Armenia aimed at stimulating and consolidating international activities in the fight against the crime of genocide Today, the fact of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is recognized by many states, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide, as defined in the Convention, and to commemorate and honour its victims. In adopting the resolution, without a vote, the 193-member Assembly reiterated the responsibility of each individual State to protect its populations from genocide, which entails the prevention of such a crime, including incitement to it, the statement added. Government will reconstruct Jabdighat bridge: Mahaseth Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth said the reconstruction of Jabdighat bridge over Babai river in Bardiya will start from Sunday. Kedar Bahadur Adhikari appointed secretary at Health Ministry Kedar Bahadur Adhikari has been appointed the Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population. YEREVAN. The National Security Service (NSS) wants to find out whether or not treason against the state has occurred. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who also heads My Step Alliances electoral list in the snap parliamentary election in Armenia, told the aforesaid to reporters, after his voting Sunday. He noted this commenting on the statements that he was being accused of committing treason against the state. Is concealing treason against the state not [itself] treason against the state? Pashinyan asked. If treason against the state is concealed, the fact is concealed, is he [who has done this] not an aide, a promoter of treason against the state? So, those who accuse us of treason against the state are [themselves] traitors against the state because they dont go to the NSS to give testimony; at least hold a [press] conference. Let them submit the [respective] facts to people, before the [ongoing snap parliamentary] elections. Posted by Mark Williams | December 9, 2018 From its introduction at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, we know there is a plenty to love about the newest mid-size pickup truck player from Jeep: the 2020 Gladiator. There's no other brand in the class maybe the auto industry with the kind of customer loyalty and instant name recognition that Jeep enjoys, and we're well aware that the automaker could have really screwed up this pickup during the development process. Related: 2020 Jeep Gladiator Is Ready for Adventure: Video Clearly Jeep did many things right with the 2020 Gladiator that's based on the popular Jeep Wrangler SUV four-door: leaving the removable doors and drop windshield, including a new convertible option, making a manual transmission available, eventually offering a diesel and making the Rubicon trim the Gladiator's flagship model. But this pickup isn't perfect, not if Jeep wants the Gladiator to be a real pickup truck competitor. It's already longer than the sales-leading Toyota Tacoma crew-cab long bed, and the Tacoma has a wheelbase that's 3 inches longer and a bed that's 18 inches longer. Here are our other quick quibbles with the new Jeep: 1. No Trailer Brake Controller We understand that most owners in this class will not tow; that's not how mid-size pickup owners typically use their truck. But given the number of Wranglers we see towed behind Ford, Chevrolet and Ram pickups, it seems like the automaker would want to offer an integrated feature trailer brake controller so that existing Jeep fans who purchase both vehicles can tow the Wrangler behind the Gladiator. Seems like a missed opportunity for now but we're guessing Mopar parts will pick up the slack. 2. Five-Lug Axles There's plenty to like about Jeep's decision to include the Wrangler's heavier-duty Dana 44 axles on the basic Gladiators and include stronger Dana 44s on the Rubicon, but we it looks weird to us. Five lugs on the axles doesn't necessarily communicate extra strength, and it's something none of the competitors in the mid-size class have (they all show six). We know this is mostly about the towing and gross vehicle weight ratings, but if Jeep ever plans to offer an upgraded towing package, engineers might want to address this. 3. No Extended Cab Until the Jeep Gladiator, the Honda Ridgeline was the only mid-size player lacking a smaller four-door. Yes, crew-cab models are the big sellers in the class, but offering a simple extended-cab model or even a regular cab would give Jeep bragging rights about offering a longer bed (keep the single wheelbase option) for those who might want to use their bed for more than carrying luggage to the airport. 4. No Bed Creativity We're disappointed that the company that gave the world the RamBox didn't provide a special feature or two integrated into the Gladiator's bed or hiding underneath. We've seen our share of air compressors, hidden storage bins, extra fuel tanks, and even outlets for 12-volt tools and kitchen appliances (ever had a blender on the trail or worksite?). A basic bed in a not-so-basic pickup doesn't make much sense. How about a JeepBox? 5. No Work Truck Option This overlaps a bit with complaint Nos. 3 and No. 4: Offering a work truck trim seems like low-hanging fruit for Jeep. A work truck trim would benefit those who have remote mail routes or navigate backcountry dirt roads. It would be a great way to offer something less expensive with a longer bed and possibly some unique tool storage packages. How about a special-edition pit crew chase vehicle? At least offer something in commercial white. Cars.com by Mark Williams; manufacturer images Love that Refuses to Die This is not a love letter, but a synthesis of realisation. And obviously a futile attempt. This is simply a review of that mysterious communion and an anecdote of that divine but yet toppled history. 2245541002 WASHINGTON - The White House attempted to dismiss a barrage of new developments in the Russia investigation Friday, saying the updates were not "of value" and not related to the president. President Donald Trump also posted on Twitter, appearing to feel vindicated after special counsel Robert Mueller released new details in the criminal cases against Paul Manafort, the president's former campaign chairman, and Michael Cohen, his former attorney and fixer. "Totally clears the President. Thank you!" Trump said in a short post on Twitter. He didn't elaborate as to what he was referring to, though the timing of the tweet suggested he was reacting to the new information released in the investigation, which he's dubbed a "witch hunt." The new information released by the New York prosecutors and Mueller's team, some of which was redacted and blacked out, did not accuse the president of colluding with Russia and did not reveal any new information as to whether the president was informed or played any role in the Russian effort to sow discord during the election. But, the documents do show Trump's connection in some of the crimes, specifically alleging that the president directed Cohen to commit two felonies when he violated campaign finance laws. They also offer new insights as to the direction in which the probe is heading, something that could pose issues for the president and his family. More: Robert Mueller: Cohen provided details 'core' to probe into Russian coordination with Trump campaign More: Paul Manafort: Special counsel Robert Mueller details lies that doomed plea deal Totally clears the President. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018 Trump Organization, the president's company, is mentioned several times, along with a possible deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Mueller's office seems to draw a connection to the deal, which continued during the 2016 election, and the Russian government's efforts to interrupt the election in favor of him. Both, the special counsel notes, were happening simultaneously. Story continues The filings also include that Cohen was contacted by a Russian national as far back as 2015 in hopes of setting up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, something that prosecutors note could have helped Trump's aspirations of building a Trump Tower in Moscow. The meeting never happened. Mueller is still investigating Russian interference and large portions of his office's filings in recent days have been blacked out, a telling sign that there's more to come and details that have not been revealed to the public. But the lack of a smoking gun being revealed or any substantial links between Russian collusion and the president were not lost with the White House. The governments filing in Mr. Manaforts case says absolutely nothing about the President," said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. "It says even less about collusion and is devoted almost entirely to lobbying-related issues. Once again the media is trying to create a story where there isnt one. Sanders claimed that there was nothing of value released in the 47 pages of documents released by both New York prosecutors and those working with Mueller's office. "The governments filings in Mr. Cohens case tell us nothing of value that wasnt already known," she said. "Mr. Cohen has repeatedly lied and as the prosecution has pointed out to the court, Mr. Cohen is no hero." Sanders didn't address the new revelations in the filings, specifically when it came to Cohen and the connections between Russia and the Trump Organization. Contributing: Bart Jansen, David Jackson This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Thank you': Donald Trump claims vindication after Mueller investigation updates A body has been found by detectives searching for British backpacker Grace Millane near Auckland. Det Insp Beard said investigators had "located a body which we believe to be Grace". The 22-year-old from Wickford in Essex had not been seen since last Saturday. "The formal identification process will now take place, however based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace," said Mr Beard at a press conference near the scene. "Obviously this brings the search for Grace to an end. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them." Ms Millane's brother, Declan, posted an emotional tribute to his sister on Instagram, writing "you are my sunshine, my only sunshine" underneath pictures of the pair together. A suspect is in custody and is expected to be charged with murder on Monday. He is due to appear at Auckland District Court. The 26-year-old man was questioned by detectives after he was traced by police to an address in central Auckland on Saturday afternoon. The announcement follows a review of CCTV footage, the forensic examination of a hotel where Millane was last seen on Saturday 1 December, and the discovery of a vehicle. Millane was last seen entering the four-star CityLife Hotel at 9.41pm with a man. Before the CityLife Hotel footage emerged, the last confirmed sighting of Ms Millane had been CCTV of her dressed for a night out as she left the Sky City casino complex at 7.15pm. She was wearing a pink 5,000 prize draw wristband, suggesting she planned to return to the casino, just a few minutes from the hotel. Story continues Millane's family have been left "devastated" by the development, Auckland City Police Detective Inspector Scott Beard said. Police released a CCTV image (left) showing Miss Millane at the CityLife Hotel in Auckland on Saturday evening. Her family say it is very out of character for her not to stay in contact Credit: Auckland City Police "Sadly the evidence we have gathered to this point in the inquiry has established that this is a homicide," he told an earlier press conference. "Grace's family have been advised of this development and they are devastated." DI Beard added: "Obviously this means we are treating Grace's disappearance as a homicide investigation. We still do not know where Grace is. We are determined to find her and return her to her family." David Millane, her father, arrived in New Zealand on Friday morning and had fought back tears as he described his "lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-oriented daughter". He said she typically bombarded the family with messages and photographs. Miss Millane, who completed a degree in advertising and marketing at Lincoln University, was on a yearlong trip and arrived in New Zealand on Nov 20 after a four-week group tour to Peru. Her family raised concerns after she failed to make contact for several days, including on her 22nd birthday last Sunday. The scene outside the CityLife Hotel on Friday Credit: Hannah Peters/Getty Images Investigators have been examining the scene at the hotel complex where Ms Millane was last seen with a "male companion". Searches have also been carried out at the backpackers' accommodation where she was staying. Earlier on Saturday police released images of her necklace and watch and urged anyone who recognised the items to come forward. "Several of her belongings, including her passport, are missing and police believe it is likely that Grace has these items with her," DI Beard said. On Friday Mr Millane, a property developer, appealed to anybody who had seen or spoken to his daughter to provide details no matter how small - to police. We are all extremely upset, and it's very difficult at this time to fully describe the range of emotions we are going through," he said. Ms Millane was staying at the Base Backpackers hostel and was last seen by her roommates there on Saturday. Her brother Declan Millane said most of her belongings had been left at the hostel. Canadian content is a must at UFC events held north of the 49th. When the UFCs travelling road show comes to Canada, there are a few things one should expect. A definite shortage on space to store parkas, mild rambunctiousness in the seats, and, of course, Can-Con in the cage. Six fighters competed with the hometown or home country support at their backs at UFC 231 on Saturday in the promotions first visit to Toronto in just short of two years. It didnt, however, prove to be overly advantageous, as the Canadian contingent combined for more uninspiring performances than impressive ones. Hakeem Dawodu, Elias Theodorou and Brad Katona picked up victories in the octagon each by decision while Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Chad Laprise and Kyle Nelson saw their professional records take a dip. It was Katona that was the closest to making a statement with his win. The come-from-behind victory ended in a mad scramble where Katona locked up a rear-naked choke and looked to put his opponent, Matthew Lopez, to sleep. Katona hopped off at the belt and proceeded into his victory lap, but had to wait for the judges decision to officially celebrate the win as the referee determined that Lopez has survived the bell, even as he crawled around the cage in a complete fog. The wait didnt ruin the moment for Katona. There is only one word to describe how Im feeling: amazing, Katona said after the fight. To be back here in Canada fighting for the Canadian fans and giving them our first victory of the night is a very special thing. Dawodu and Theodorous wins came via split decision, though the former much more contentiously. Dawodu clearly out kick-boxed Kyle Bochniak over three rounds on the main card, but one judge submitted a 29-28 score in Bochniaks favour while the other two deemed that the fight was a 30-27 sweep. Still, Dawodu failed to deliver a memorable performance with the main card showcase in his home country. Theodorous fight with former Erik Anders, formerly of the Alabama Crimson Tide, was razor thin. In the end he used his unorthodox style to better the power puncher in the first and third rounds after Anders hurt him in the second. Story continues In true Canadian fashion, he didnt use his time on the mic to promote his next fight, but to advocate for medical marijuana and push anti-doping agencies to remove it from their banned lists. My next fight isnt necessarily against one man, its against the stigma of medical cannabis that includes pushing through with my therapeutic use exemption for USADA to be able to medicate as prescribed. I was denied going into the fight and put at a competitive disadvantage. Aubin-Mercier and Laprise lost to Brazilians Gilbert Burns and Dhiego Lima, respectively, as betting favourites. Aubin-Merciers loss was a competitive but reasonably one-sided decision, while Laprise was devastated in the first round with a long, sweeping left hook that took forever to find the target, but demolished it anyway. A late injury replacement, Nelson was the biggest underdog on the card in his fight with Diego Ferreira. Still, he had a moment to savour in the first round. After surprising Ferreira early on the feet, he stuffed a lazy takedown and basked in his early work, playing to the crowd while instructing the opponent to get up off his back. It wasnt long though before Ferriera would connect on the takedown and pound Nelson out. More UFC coverage on Yahoo Sports: Meghan and Thomas Markle - Pix supplied as a technical service by Tim Stewart News Limited 07932745508. No copyright inferred o When the Duchess of Sussexs estranged father hoped to resume contact with her after he was caught colluding with the paparazzi, he claims he tried letters, text messages and family interventions to no avail. His next step, it appears, is to release handwritten cards, photographs and extraordinary details of her first wedding to the world via a tabloid newspaper. Thomas Markle, who has not spoken to the pregnant Duchess in months, has produced a dossier of evidence he believes will prove their once-close relationship, from aeroplane tickets to a hospital form he says shows he suffered a real heart attack preventing him from walking her down the aisle in May. Mr Markle, who lives in Mexico, has already conducted numerous interviews with tabloids and on television, and has now released handwritten cards sent from his daughter over the years. One included $2,000 from the Duchess, then Meghan Markle, for Mr Markle to put towards a holiday, and another reads: I love you with all of my heart now and forever. Thomas Markle interviews on GMB earlier this year In lurid claims about her first wedding, to Trevor Engelson in 2011, he alleged guests had been given marijuana, insisting neither he or the bride had used it but that it was considered " no big deal in Jamaica". Ms Markle, he said, had micro-managed everything. Asked by the Mail on Sunday about recent negative reports about the Duchess, he said: I don't recognise this person. The Meghan I know was always sweet, kind, generous. She was always demanding but never rude. Saying he had tried text messages, letters and a note via his ex-wife Doria Ragland, he confirmed he is no longer in touch with the Duchess or her new husband. Relaying an alleged conversation with Prince Harry while Mr Markle was in hospital receiving treatment for his heart, he said: I apologised to Harry on the phone and all he said was, If you'd listened to me [about how to deal with the media], none of this would have happened. Story continues Thomas Markle did not attend the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Credit: PA There are convicts in prisons who have murdered and committed all kinds of horrible crimes, and their daughters still visit them. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have never publicly responded to Mr Markles claims. Kensington Palace declined to comment. The intervention is likely to prove distressing for the Duke and Duchess, who are expecting their first child in the spring. Next year, they will move to Frogmore Cottage, Windsor, and the search will begin for a new Private Secretary before Samantha Cohen, who has been in the role temporarily this year, departs. Ms Cohen, a former Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen, will oversee the recruitment process for a permanent member of staff, but may stay on beyond 2019 if her help is still required, sources said yesterday. MILWAUKEE (AP) If Democrats sue to prevent Republicans from diluting the powers of newly elected governors and attorneys general in Wisconsin and Michigan, the lawsuits will probably center on one question: Are lawmakers usurping authority that belongs to the executive branch? The legal threat arose after Republicans passed bills Wednesday that would give lawmakers leverage over actions previous governors and attorneys general could carry out on their own. If the bills are signed by outgoing GOP Gov. Scott Walker, lawmakers will decide when the state can withdraw from lawsuits, and the new Democratic governor will have to ask permission to adjust programs that are run jointly with the federal government, such as Medicaid. "Separation of powers is an essential part of overall governance and built into the constitution," said Caroline Fredrickson, president of the American Constitution Society, a liberal legal organization. "I think that's going to be issue one." Walker, who was defeated last month by Tony Evers, has indicated support for the GOP measures, which would also empower lawmakers, not new Attorney General Josh Kaul, to decide whether to pull Wisconsin from a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act, a promise of both Democrats' campaigns. Evers said he was going to issue that order on his first day. Now he may have to support a lawsuit to get that power back. "If you look at this package of legislation, the Legislature is trying to say, 'You have to get our permission to do stuff. We're your supervisors. The Legislature is not the supervisor of the governor," said Lester Pines, a Madison attorney who frequently represents Democrats. Republicans who control the Legislature say they are confident they will survive the legal challenges. "They have the right to go to court. We've already vetted these with legal experts that we believe have shown that they are clearly constitutional," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said. Story continues The GOP actions in Wisconsin mirror what the party has done after losing control of the governor's office in Michigan this year and two years ago in North Carolina, where the state is still mired in lawsuits. Courts have sided with Democrats there when judges found that lawmakers prevented the governor from carrying out executive branch duties. North Carolina Republicans defended their actions by saying they were simply rebalancing constitutional powers between the executive branch and the Legislature an argument the Wisconsin GOP has also made. The threat of lawsuits also looms in Michigan, where Republicans are considering proposals to strip campaign-finance oversight from the new Democratic secretary of state. With a Democrat taking control of the attorney general's office, lawmakers also want to have authority to intervene in lawsuits. Groups that collected hundreds of thousands of voter signatures for minimum wage, paid sick leave and anti-gerrymandering initiatives could also sue if Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signs bills that would significantly scale them back. The GOP-led Legislature adopted the citizen-initiated measures before they could go to voters, so they could be more easily amended after the election. "If any of this legislation passes, I think there are going to be a number of state constitutional challenges, separation of powers being just one among them," said Mark Brewer, a lawyer for the minimum wage and earned sick time groups and a former Michigan Democratic Party chairman. Howard Schweber, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said Republicans "seem to be under the impression that separation of powers refers to parties rather than branches of government." When Republicans voted to limit the powers of Evers and Kaul, they also approved limiting early voting to two weeks, instead of the current 47 days. That proposal is viewed as most vulnerable to a successful legal challenge because a federal judge previously struck down a similar measure from Wisconsin Republicans, saying the limitations were meant to disenfranchise black Milwaukee residents who traditionally vote for Democrats. With Walker leaving office next month, Republicans also passed a measure to ensure one of his policies remains intact: requiring childless adults under 50 to work to qualify for health insurance through the BadgerCare Plus program. Evers cannot withdraw the federal waiver that is part of the requirement because he would first have to go through the GOP-controlled Legislature. "That does raise some questions about whether that essentially violates the separation-of-powers principle," said Paul Nolette, a Marquette University political science professor who served as the legal counsel for the Labor and Workforce Development Committee in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. For cases that start in state court, a big hurdle for Wisconsin Democrats will be making their arguments before a Wisconsin Supreme Court controlled by conservative justices, said Mordecai Lee, a former Democratic state lawmaker and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Lee said there's a strong argument that curbing Evers' authority is unlawful because the state constitution says: "The executive power shall be vested in a governor." But, he said, such a ruling is "unlikely in political reality." Others are more optimistic. "When it comes to separation-of-powers issues, our Supreme Court, like every other supreme court, is very cautious," Pines said. That caution is because courts "are subject to the same type of potential intrusions from the Legislature." ___ Associated Press writers David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan, and Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina, contributed to this report. 2245541002 NEW YORK Federal prosecutors on Friday sharply criticized President Donald Trump's ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen, saying he should serve "a substantial prison term" for trying to buy the silence of two women who said they had sexual affairs with Trump, for evading federal income taxes and for lying to banks. In a sentencing memo, the prosecutors from the Southern District of New York outlined four different federal crimes committed by Cohen over several years, writing that he "repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends." Special Counsel Robert Mueller took a softer approach in a separate sentencing memo. He credited Cohen for correcting his lies to Congress about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow and for going to "significant lengths" to assist Mueller's investigation of Russia-related matters that touched on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. The memos submitted to U.S. District Judge William Pauley provided details of the crimes to which Cohen has pleaded guilty, his cooperation with the special counsel, and what prosecutors think it was worth. They also recounted Cohen's interaction with Trump as the attorney committed crimes. The New York prosecutors wrote that Cohen violated campaign finance laws "in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1" Trump. And Mueller's team wrote that "the fact that Cohen continued to work on the [Moscow] project and discuss it with Individual 1 well into the campaign was material" to investigations by Congress and the special counsel "particularly because it occurred at a time of sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the U.S. presidential election." Pauley is scheduled to sentence Cohen on Wednesday. He asked last week to be spared prison time for his cooperation. But the prosecutors in New York said he should serve roughly 42 months. Story continues The prosecutors said Cohen deserved some credit for providing information to Mueller and other investigators. But they also criticized him for maintaining what they called a "rose-colored view" of his conduct. "The crimes committed by Cohen were more serious than his submission allows and were marked by a pattern of deception that permeated his professional life," they wrote. They stressed that Cohen does not have a formal cooperation agreement with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office, and argued he should not get the leniency that "a traditional cooperating witness would receive." "After cheating the IRS for years, lying to the banks and to Congress, and seeking to criminally influence the Presidential election, Cohen's decision to plead guilty rather than seek a pardon for his manifold crimes does not make him a hero," they concluded. resident Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty on Nov. 29, 2018, to one count of lying to Congress about his work on a project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Mueller's legal team wrote that Cohen provided "a detailed account of his involvement and the involvement of others in the Moscow Project," as well as information "about attempts by other Russian nationals to reach the campaign" run by Trump. The team said Cohen disclosed new information showing that he was in touch with a Russian national who claimed to be a "trusted person" in the Russian Federation around November 2015, an earlier contact with a Trump campaign member than previously known. According to the Mueller team memo, the individual offered to provide the Trump campaign with "synergy on a government level," and proposed a meeting between "Individual 1 and the President of Russia," Vladimir Putin. Cohen did not follow up on the invitation because he was working on the Moscow project with a different person whom he believed had connections to the Russian government, the memo said. Additionally, the team wrote, Cohen provided "relevant and useful information about his contacts with people connected to the White House" during Trump's first two years in office, and about "certain discrete Russia-related matters" that are core to the special counsel's investigation. As a result, Mueller's office said it would be "appropriate" if any sentence that Cohen got for lying to Congress ran concurrently with the sentence imposed for the crimes investigated by New York federal prosecutors. Pauley will have to reconcile the disparate views represented in the sentencing memos. The sentencing memos represent the latest development in Mueller's investigation of an alleged conspiracy between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, and for the pugnacious attorney long known as an ardent Trump loyalist and fixer of difficult problems. The relationship between Cohen and Trump ruptured this year as Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, fraud and lying to Congress while Trump continued to brand Mueller's investigation as a witch hunt. Cohen pleaded guilty in August to violating campaign finance laws by paying hush money at Trump's direction to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Trump has denied the women's accounts. More: Here's a look at Michael Cohen's allegations about President Donald Trump More: Trump goes after former lawyer, Michael Cohen, but sides with Roger Stone The New York-based prosecutors alleged in August that the payments were made "in order to influence the 2016 presidential election," and were "coordinated with one or more members" of Trump's winning campaign, "including through meetings and phone calls about the fact, nature, and timing." Cohen also pleaded guilty in August to charges of tax evasion and making false statements to federally insured banks. Prosecutors say he lied to banks to obtain loans and lied to the government to avoid paying taxes. The prosecutors said Cohen failed to report more than $4 million in income to the IRS from tax years 2012 through 2016. They said he hid income from his accountant and the IRS, allowing him to duck more than $1.4 million in tax payments. Separately, they said, Cohen hid millions of dollars in debts and made false statements about his net worth and monthly expenses when he applied to banks for loans. Cohen pleaded guilty last week to charges that he lied to congressional committees investigating Trump's dealings with Russia. He told the Senate and House panels last year that planning for a Trump Tower in Moscow, discussions about a possible Trump trip to Russia in connection with the project, and related talks with Russia officials all ended in January 2016. That meant the subject was dropped before the Iowa caucuses in February, the first political battlefield in the 2016 presidential race. But Cohen admitted last week that he continued to discuss efforts to win Russian governmental approval for the project within The Trump Organization as late as June 2016. By then, Trump was the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Cohen also said he agreed to travel to Russia for the construction plan, and asked Trump about the possibility of him traveling there, too. Mueller's team wrote that the lies to Congress were "deliberate and premeditated." After deciding, in an abrupt turnaround, to cooperate with investigators, Cohen provided the special counsel's team with "information about his own conduct and that of others" regarding Russia-related issues, Mueller's team wrote. "The information he has provided has been credible and consistent with other evidence obtained" in the Russia investigation, the team wrote. In the separate sentencing memo filed by Cohen's defense team last week, attorneys Guy Petrillo and Amy Lester provided additional detail about what they characterized as the initial "false summary" about the Moscow project. The attorneys appeared to implicate Trump, referred to as the "client" or "Client-1," in some of Cohen's crimes. "Michael had a lengthy substantive conversation with the personal assistant to a Kremlin official following his outreach in January 2016, engaged in additional communications concerning the project as late as June 2016, and kept Client-1 apprised of these communications," Petrillo and Lester wrote. Cohen and Client-1 "also discussed possible travel to Russia in the summer of 2016, and Michael took steps' to clear dates for such travel," they wrote. Regarding the hush money, Cohen's attorneys wrote that he did not personally make payments to buy the silence of "Woman-1," apparently McDougal. But they wrote that he "participated in payment planning discussions with Client-1 and the Chairman and CEO of Corporation-1." McDougal said The National Enquirer paid her for her story but did not publish it. The supermarket tabloid is owned by American Media, which is led by Trump friend David Pecker. Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress and nemesis of U.S. President Donald Trump, will make several performances next month at the Trophy Club in Greenville, according to the club's owner. The attorneys described a similar effort to prevent Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, from publicizing her claims about a sexual fling with Trump. Cohen paid Daniels "in coordination with and at the direction of Client-1, and others within" The Trump Organization, they wrote. Cohen's attorneys asked for leniency based on his voluntary cooperation with the investigations by Mueller and federal prosecutors, and with Trump-related investigations by the New York Attorney General's Office and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. They stressed that Cohen had owned up to personal wrongdoing instead of joining Trump's continuous criticism and questioning of Mueller. "He could have fought the government and continued to hold to the party line, positioning himself for a pardon or clemency," Petrillo and Lester wrote. "But, instead for himself, his family, and his country he took personal responsibility for his own wrongdoing and contributed, and is prepared to continue to contribute, to an investigation that he views as thoroughly legitimate and vital." SDNY Cohen Sentencing Recommendation by kmccoynyc on Scribd Mueller Sentencing Recommendation for Cohen by kmccoynyc on Scribd Follow USA TODAY reporter Kevin McCoy on Twitter: @kmccoynyc This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Feds: Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should get 'substantial prison term' By Jean-Baptiste Vey and John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron ordered his prime minister on Sunday to hold talks with political leaders and demonstrators, as he sought a way out of nationwide protests after rioters turned central Paris into a battle zone. Riot police on Saturday were overwhelmed as protesters ran amok in Paris's wealthiest neighborhoods, torching dozens of cars, looting boutiques and smashing up luxury private homes and cafes in the worst disturbances the capital has seen since 1968. The unrest began as a backlash against fuel tax hikes but has spread. It poses the most formidable challenge yet to Macron's presidency, with the escalating violence and depth of public anger against his economic reforms catching the 40-year-old leader off-guard and battling to regain control. After a meeting with members of his government on Sunday, the French presidency said in a statement that the president had asked his interior minister to prepare security forces for future protests and his prime minister to hold talks with political party leaders and representatives of the protesters. A French presidential source said Macron would not speak to the nation on Sunday despite calls for him to offer immediate concessions to demonstrators, and said the idea of imposing a state of emergency had not been discussed. Arriving back from the G20 summit in Argentina, Macron had earlier rushed to the Arc de Triomphe, a revered monument and epicenter of Saturday's clashes, where protesters had scrawled "Macron resign" and "The yellow vests will triumph". The "yellow vest" rebellion erupted out of nowhere on Nov. 17, with protesters blocking roads across France and impeding access to some shopping malls, fuel depots and airports. Violent groups from the far right and far left as well as youths from the suburbs infiltrated Saturday's protests, the authorities said. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux had indicated the Macron administration was considering imposing a state of emergency. The president was open to dialogue, he said, but would not reverse policy reforms. "We won't change course. We are certain of that," he told Europe 1 radio. As he spoke, workmen in the upper-crust district of central Paris set about cleaning the defaced Arc, removing charred hulks of cars and replacing the shattered windows of banks, restaurants and glitzy boutiques. [L8N1Y70AN] MACRON UNYIELDING While the protests were initially against Macron's fuel tax hikes - necessary he says to combat climate change - they have also mined a vein of deep dissatisfaction felt toward his liberal reforms, which many voters feel favor the wealthy and big business. Police said they had arrested more than 400 people in Paris on Saturday and that 133 were injured. Some 10,000 tear gas canisters and stun grenades were fired as well as water canon as security forces fought for control. Macron's plight illustrates a conundrum: How do political leaders' introduce policies that will do long-term good for the environment without inflicting extra costs on voters that may damage their chances of re-election? His unyielding response has exposed him to charges of being out of touch with common folk outside of France's big cities who worry about the squeeze on household budgets and job security. The protests have driven Macron's popularity to record lows and left him facing a lose-lose situation, said Gael Sliman, president of the Odoxa polling institute said. Either Macron caves in to the pressure and is derided by opponents as weak, or he puts down the dissent, Sliman said. "In the second scenario, Macron will still come out loser, because what everyone will remember is that he wrestled with the popular classes. He would be victorious, but at the cost of having crushed them." Before heading into Sunday's meeting, Macron met under heavy security with police and firefighters near the Champs Elysees boulevard. Some bystanders cheered, others jeered and called on him to resign. So too did Jean-Luc Melenchon, head of hard-left party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who both demanded the government unwind its fuel tax hikes. They called for parliament to be dissolved and snap elections held. Such an outcome is unlikely, however. Macron has 3 1/2 years left of his five-year mandate and a strong majority in parliament, albeit with signs of simmering unease on the backbenches over his response to the protests. TV footage showed the interior of the Arc ransacked, a statue of Marianne, symbol of the French republic, smashed, and graffiti scrawled on the exterior ranging from anti-capitalist slogans to social demands and calls for Macron's resignation. On nearby streets, some Parisians worried of a repeat of the violence next weekend. The yellow vests have already called another demonstration in Paris. "The violence is increasing at an exponential rate," said Claude, a resident in the affluent 16th district. "The state is losing control, it is scary. They cannot let this happen. Maybe the army should intervene." (Reporting by John Irish, Richard Lough, Emmanuel Jarry, Sudip Kar-Gupta, Matthias Blamont, Myriam Rivet, Simon Carraud and Luke Baker; Writing by John Irish and Richard Lough; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Susan Fenton) Paris (AFP) - Here is a timeline of the "yellow vest" movement in France, from the first online rumblings against a fuel tax hike to nationwide protests that led to the worst Paris riots in decades. A new day of high-risk demonstrations is planned on Saturday. So far four people have died and hundreds have been injured during the protests. - Viral video - A video posted on Facebook on October 18 quickly goes viral. It shows a woman, Jacline Mouraud, addressing French President Emmanuel Macron -- "Monsieur Macron", she says -- from her living room. In it she lists the grievances of drivers in the face of the fuel price hike. A petition to bring down the price of fuel is posted online. - Mass protests - Saturday, November 17 is the first day of road blockades across France with nearly 290,000 demonstrators wearing the fluorescent yellow vests motorists are required to carry in their cars. The protests are spontaneous, and not organised by political parties or unions. The next day Prime Minister Edouard Philippe says the government will not back down. Violence breaks out in the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, led mainly by armed youths. - Second Saturday - The next protests take place the following Saturday, November 24. Thousands of demonstrators clash with police on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. More than 106,000 demonstrators are recorded across France, including 8,000 in Paris. Revised official numbers count 166,000. - Aborted meeting - On November 27 Macron offers minor concessions, saying he would propose a mechanism to adjust the tax increases and calls for a three-month national consultation. Unimpressed, the "yellow vests" call for a new protest on December 1 on the Champs-Elysees. On November 29 Philippe meets a "yellow vest" protester. A day later two accept his invitation, but one walks out. - Chaos in Paris - The third day of protests takes place on Saturday, December 1 with widespread violence erupting particularly in Paris around the Arc de Triomphe and several upscale neighbourhoods. Story continues The government says some 136,000 people protested across the country. - Crisis meetings - On his return from the G20 summit in Argentina, Macron immediately calls a crisis meeting at the Elysee Palace on December 2. Philippe meets with political party leaders on December 3. "Yellow vests" representatives announce they will not go to a meeting with Philippe planned the following day -- later cancelled -- as some say they have received death threats. Blockages of roads, shopping centres and fuel depots continue. Seizing on the momentum from the protests, students start demonstrating over education reforms, disrupting dozens of high schools every day from December 3. - Six-month suspension - On December 4 the government retreats. The prime minister says planned tax increases on petrol and diesel on January 1 will be suspended for six months and hikes in regulated electricity and gas prices will be frozen during the winter. The "yellow vests" reject the moves as insufficient and press ahead with plans for a fourth day of protests on Saturday, December 8. The government fears the new protests could lead to a new explosion of violence, anticipating participation by the far left and far right. - 2019 tax hikes scrapped - On December 5 Macron announces that all planned fuel tax hikes for 2019 will be scrapped. However he rules out re-imposing a "fortune tax" on high-earners. Farmers say they are planning to hold demonstrations next week, to support their own demands. - High risk demonstration - For the fourth day of protests on Saturday, 89,000 security force members will be deployed, including 8,000 in Paris. Armoured vehicles will also be mobilised in the capital. The government, as well as most opposition parties and unions have called for calm. On the eve of a demonstration, "yellow vest" representatives advise against demonstrating in Paris where museums, monuments, big shops and many metro stations will be closed. Makwanpur quake victims seek land One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one people in Makwanpur district, who were displaced by the 2015 earthquake, do not own a land for rebuilding their homes, according to the District Project Implementation Unit of National Reconstruction Authority (NRA). Washington (AFP) - Google said Thursday it was tweaking its translation application with the goal of reducing gender bias. The move comes amid criticism that Google Translate often defaulted to masculine names when it converted text to another language. "Over the course of this year, there's been an effort across Google to promote fairness and reduce bias in machine learning," product manager James Kuczmarski said in a blog post. Up to now, the translate program provided only one translation for a query, often choosing the masculine word for terms like "doctor," and the feminine word for "nurse," for example. "Now you'll get both a feminine and masculine translation for a single word -- like 'surgeon' -- when translating from English into French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish," he said. Google said it was planning to extend gender-specific translations to more languages, "and address gender bias in features like query auto-complete." "And we're already thinking about how to address non-binary gender in translations, though it's not part of this initial launch," Kuczmarski added. Ignoring debt collection calls usually doesn't make them go away. Ignore your credit card debt long enough, and your credit card company may sell your account to a collection agency or sue you in civil court for the balance. While it's best to try to work with your credit card company before a lawsuit is filed, it's also important to know what to expect if you receive a summons and how you can respond to it. What to Expect When Your Credit Card Company Sues You When your card issuer -- or a collection agency that has purchased your debt from the issuer -- can't get you to pay your bill, a lawsuit seeks to obtain a court judgment, which may give the company the right to garnish your wages and bank account until the debt is paid. [Read: Best Credit Cards for Bad Credit.] In most cases, you don't have to worry about going to jail over your credit card debt. "We don't have debtors prisons anymore," says Ashley F. Morgan, a Virginia-based bankruptcy attorney at Ashley F. Morgan Law. "But if you don't respond to a court order appropriately, you can be in contempt, and that can put you into jail." For example, if you fail to follow a court order to appear or to make a payment, you can be held in civil contempt of court, and the court can issue a warrant for your arrest. The credit card company may not initiate a lawsuit as soon as you default on a debt. Morgan says creditors may try to collect debts for up to a year and a half before they sue. But she has also seen some companies notify customers of a lawsuit after as little as six months. One factor that can influence the timing is the statute of limitations in your state. Some states allow creditors to sue over an unpaid debt for up to 15 years, while others permit it for three years. If your credit card company or a debt collector notifies you of a lawsuit with the service of a summons and complaint, you will typically have up to 30 days to respond. If you don't, the court could grant a default judgment, which means the court automatically rules in favor of the card issuer or debt collector and enforces its request to garnish your wages or bank account. Story continues A word of caution: Even if you respond to the lawsuit, the court could still grant a judgment. But if you respond, you have the opportunity to present your side of the case, and your arguments could affect the outcome. How to Respond to the Lawsuit First, verify the debt. While your liability should be clear if your credit card company sues you directly, sometimes it's not that straightforward. Debt collectors you've never heard of can purchase your debt and sue you for it, and the debt may be inflated by fees and penalties. Mistakes or outright fraud can happen. So even if you know you owe the debt, request documentation of it if you're being sued by a debt collector. The federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provides the right to request verification of a debt, but you must put your request in writing -- and send it, ideally, by certified mail. The debt collector will be required to produce a copy of the original written agreement between you and the credit card company and proof that it has been assigned the debt. If these documents can't be produced, you can ask to have the lawsuit dismissed, and you may have the right to countersue for failure to verify the debt. Once you've verified the debt, you can weigh your options. Here are some potential responses: Request a settlement. Allowing the lawsuit to go to trial can be expensive for you and for the credit card company. "My experience has been that (credit card companies) realize the cost of going to trial," says Bob Dremluk, a New York-based bankruptcy attorney with Culhane Meadows, "and they're willing to settle for lesser amounts to save the cost of litigation." You can request a settlement by contacting the credit card company directly. The amount of the settlement can vary based on the company and your ability to pay, and it can be either a lump-sum payment or an installment plan, depending on the creditor. [Read: Best Secured Credit Cards.] Keep in mind that whatever settlement you agree on, you'll need to make good on it. Otherwise, the company may decide to proceed with the lawsuit. If you're short on cash, getting a loan to bridge the gap may be out of the question, especially if your credit has been damaged by the delinquent account. Instead, Dremluk recommends asking a family member or a trusted friend for a short-term loan. If you're hesitant to pursue a settlement agreement on your own, consider enlisting a debt settlement company to negotiate on your behalf. Keep in mind, though, that these companies charge fees for their services, and they can't guarantee any results. Because a summons puts you on a tight schedule, communicate with the debt settlement company about your situation, and talk to the credit card company about your desire to settle through a third-party company before proceeding. Pay the full amount. Debt settlement may allow you to pay less than the full amount and avoid a lawsuit, but this can come with its own set of problems. If you settle for less than the full amount, the account may remain on your credit report for up to seven years as a derogatory mark. The IRS may consider the settled portion of your debt income and require you to pay taxes on it. Pay the entire amount and the account will be resolved, the lawsuit will no longer be necessary, and your credit report will reflect that the account was paid in full, which is not a derogatory mark. However, if you've reached the point of a lawsuit, you likely have months, possibly years, of missed payments, which are derogatory marks. The derogatory mark that can result from debt settlement may not make much of a difference for your credit rating, so paying an account in full to preserve your credit rating might not be worth it. Enter into a debt management plan. You may be able to work with a credit counselor to get on a debt management plan. With this option, you'll make monthly payments to the credit counseling agency, which will, in turn, pay the credit card company. The credit card company or debt collector will have to agree to withdraw the lawsuit and allow you to follow the debt management plan. Creditors may be willing to work with credit counseling agencies because they can obtain payments from customers -- the same outcome they were trying to achieve with a lawsuit. As with a debt settlement company, time is of the essence. Make sure the credit card company agrees to the debt management plan before the clock runs out on the summons. Otherwise, you could end up with a default judgment. Declare bankruptcy. While you might consider bankruptcy a last resort, it may be worth thinking about if the alternative is wage garnishment. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney about the process and the consequences of declaring bankruptcy. If you decide to go through with it, be sure to file before the court enters a judgment. Otherwise, you may not be able to include the debt. Before you proceed, though, note that a bankruptcy can linger on your credit report for as long as 10 years, whereas the consumer credit bureaus no longer include civil judgments on your credit report. So if you have the means to either settle or pay a judgment, your credit will typically recover more quickly than if you were to opt for bankruptcy. Fight the lawsuit. If you think you can win and you go this route, you will need to decide whether you want to hire a lawyer or represent yourself. "It's definitely worth talking to a lawyer if you can get a free consultation," Morgan says. "But if you have a $2,000 debt, it may not be worth paying a lawyer $500 to $1,000 to defend it." She adds, however, that some legal aid groups offer free representation to low-income defendants. Here's what can help your case if it goes to trial: The statute of limitations ran out. If you have a record of when you made your last payment on the account, you can use it to prove that the debt is considered "time-barred." Make sure it's really your most recent payment, though, because the credit card company will have records of its own that it can present. You weren't properly notified. Credit card companies should act in good faith by sending you notices of what you owe. But if you didn't receive them -- they were delivered to the wrong person, or the company couldn't find you -- you may be able to argue that the lawsuit is unfair. You don't actually owe the debt. If you have proof that you paid the debt or you don't recognize it, you can send a debt verification letter to the credit card company to confirm that the debt belongs to you and that the company owns the debt. Send your letter via certified mail, so you have proof of when the letter was mailed and received. If you find a discrepancy between records or the account is fraudulent, you can dispute the lawsuit. [Read: Best Credit Cards for Fair Credit.] You may be able to bring your own lawsuit to the table if you believe the credit card company or debt collector violated your consumer rights. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is clear about what debt collectors are and aren't allowed to do when trying to collect a debt. The purpose of the law, Dremluk says, is to eliminate abuse and protect legitimate efforts to collect a debt. For example, the collector can't make threats or call you too early or too late. The collector also can't discuss the debt with anyone but you and your spouse. "If you're represented by an attorney, then the only communication from a debt collector can be with the attorney," Dremluk says. Know your consumer rights so you can spot abusive practices when they happen. Rebuilding Credit After Debt Settlement Dealing with a lawsuit from your credit card company can be a stressful experience. Regardless of how you respond to the suit, it will take time for your credit to recover. If your debt problems arose from issues with overspending, for instance, leave your credit cards at home until you can become more disciplined with them. But if you think you can be responsible with credit, consider getting a secured credit card. As you use the card regularly and pay your bill on time each month, you can establish a positive payment history and work toward getting your credit back to where you want it to be. Vancouver (AFP) - Chinese telecom giant Huawei's chief financial officer faces US fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran, a Canadian court heard Friday, a week after she was detained on an American extradition request. Meng Wanzhou, 46, was arrested in Canada's Pacific coast city of Vancouver on December 1 while changing planes during a trip from Hong Kong to Mexico -- ratcheting up tensions between the United States and China just as the countries' leaders agreed to a truce in their trade war. A day-long hearing was adjourned until Monday, when the judge is expected to render a decision on bail. Until then, she will remain in custody. Canadian government lawyer John Gibb-Carsley asked for bail to be denied, saying Meng has been accused of "conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions" and if convicted faces more than 30 years in prison. She is specifically accused of lying to a US bank, identified by her lawyer as "Hong Kong Bank," about the use of a covert subsidiary to sell to Iran in breach of sanctions. Meng had personally denied to bankers any direct connections between Huawei and the subsidiary, SkyCom, when in fact "SkyCom is Huawei," Gibb-Carsley said, putting the bank in jeopardy of violating sanctions. SkyCom's alleged sanctions breaches occurred from 2009 to 2014, while Meng's alleged fraudulent misrepresentations were in 2013. Meng had been a member of SkyCom's board a decade ago, but the company was later sold, said her lawyer David Martin. US authorities, however, claim Huawei continued to control the company, with Gibb-Carsley noting that SkyCom employees continued to carry Huawei identification and use its email. He suggested that Meng has also shown a pattern of avoiding the United States over the past year since becoming aware of the investigation into the matter, arguing that she has no ties to Canada and has access to vast wealth and political connections -- and thus poses a flight risk. Story continues Huawei said in a Friday statement that it "will continue to follow the bail hearing" next week, expressing "every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Meng's detention in Canada came on the day of a summit at which US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to a truce in the escalating trade dispute between the two economic powerhouses. China says Meng -- the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, a former engineer in China's People's Liberation Army -- has violated no laws in Canada or the United States and has demanded her release. Washington and Beijing have exchanged steep tariffs on more than $300 billion in total two-way trade, locking them in a conflict that has begun to eat into profits. Trump tweeted Friday that negotiations to defuse the high-stakes dispute were "going very well," but the messages since Meng's arrest have been mixed, roiling global stock markets. Her appearance at the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver is a prelude to an extradition process that could take months. - 'Princess' of Huawei - CNN, quoting an unnamed official, said the United States saw the arrest as providing leverage in US-China trade talks -- although White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has denied any link to the dialogue. Chinese state-run media said the arrest was part of US efforts to curtail China's tech industry. "The Chinese government should seriously mull over the US tendency to abuse legal procedures to suppress China's high-tech enterprises," said the nationalist tabloid Global Times in an editorial. "Obviously, Washington is resorting to a despicable rogue's approach as it cannot stop Huawei's 5G advance in the market," it went on. Meng spent most of the past week at a women's detention facility in a suburb of Vancouver. If she is released on bail, she has agreed to surrender her passports and submit to electronic monitoring until she is discharged or surrendered for trial to the United States. All security costs would be borne by her. The extradition process could take months, even years, if appeals are made in the case. The court heard Meng's husband Xiaozong Liu owns two mansions in the city. - Repeated setbacks - Canada has a longstanding extradition treaty with the United States, requiring it to cooperate with US Department of Justice requests to hand over suspects. The offense for which extradition is being sought must also be a crime in Canada. A Canadian court must decide if there is sufficient evidence to support the extradition, but then it is left to Canada's justice minister to sign the order. On Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau defended Canada's arrest of Meng, saying politics played no part in the decision. "I can assure everyone that we are a country (with) an independent judiciary," Trudeau told a tech conference in Montreal. Huawei's affordable smartphones have made strong inroads in the developing world, but the company has faced repeated setbacks in major Western economies over security concerns. Canadian officials have said Ottawa was continuing to review Huawei's technology for use in upcoming fifth-generation networks. The company faces being shut out of Australia, New Zealand and US 5G rollouts, and British telecom group BT revealed on Wednesday it was removing Huawei equipment from its core cellular network. The five nations together form the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance. Footwear News The Palm Beach, Fla., resident, who permanently relocated from New York and Washington, D.C., looked elegant as she served her community ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday through the Be Best children's program she established as a first lady when her husband, Donald Trump, was in office. Tehran (AFP) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said US sanctions were "economic terrorism", as he sought to foster a united front from visiting regional officials on Saturday. Washington has reimposed an oil embargo and other damaging sanctions on Iran since pulling out in May from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers. "America's unjust and illegal sanctions against the honourable nation of Iran have targeted our nation in a clear instance of terrorism," Rouhani said in a televised speech. He was speaking at a conference on terrorism and regional cooperation attended by parliament speakers from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey. "We are facing an all-out assault which is not only threatening our independence and identity but also is bent on breaking our longstanding ties," he added. Rouhani drew parallels with the sanctions and other pressure faced by the countries attending the conference. "When they put pressure on China's trade, we are all harmed... By punishing Turkey, we are all punished. Any time they threaten Russia, we too consider our security to be endangered," he said. "When they impose sanctions on Iran, they deprive all of us of the benefits of international trade, energy security and sustainable development. And in fact, they impose sanctions on everyone. "We are here to say that we don't intend to tolerate such insolence." Rouhani also warned Europe -- which has strongly objected to the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal -- that much is at stake in its efforts to bypass US sanctions and maintain trade with Iran. "They should know that by sanctioning Iran, they would harm our ability to fight drugs and terrorism," Rouhani said, referring to Iran's efforts to combat smuggling, particularly from Afghanistan. The European Union is working on a payment system, known as the "special purpose vehicle", to keep money flowing into Iran, but has struggled to find a host since many countries fear repercussions from the Trump administration. The conference in Tehran was the second regional meeting on terrorism -- the first was held last December in Islamabad. Jacline Mouraud, 51, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Were witnessing a tsunami' - AFP The founder of the yellow vest revolt said it had become a dangerous dog without a leash prey to extremists and anarchists, and urged moderate protesters to open dialogue with the French government. Jacline Mouraud, a 51-year old composer and hypnotherapist from Brittany, is credited with sparking the movement after six million people viewed her Facebook diatribe against environmental duties on petrol and diesel last month. What are you doing with the money apart from buying new dishes at the Elysee Palace and building yourself swimming pools? she asked President Emmanuel Macron in her viral video. But she said the movement had now been hijacked by an increasingly violent fringe of extremists and anarchists. Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Mouraud, said: This movement has broken free of everyone, you cant reason with people any more. Some dont even remember what demands we made at the start. Its as if we had kept the dog on a leash and today the leash has snapped. A firefighter stands next to a car set on fire during a protest of Yellow vest Credit: ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images Before the violence of the past two weeks, she said the revolt was a spontaneous movement of the people that could not be manipulated. Now, however, it was, she said, not just beyond the reach of the government, political parties, unions but the people from the movement themselves. She added: Were witnessing a tsunami. The wave is still in the air and well just have to wait for it to crash down again. Facebook, she said, had initially helped bring people together and get organised. But it also now had a very negative side, she added. Experts said that Facebooks decentralised nature is ideal for "gilets jaunes, particularly as it changed its algorithms earlier this year to lower the visibility of content published on pages run by large media outlets. "It prioritised content being shared by groups, individual profiles, and local information. This change in the algorithm has boosted the emergence of this movement," Tristan Mendes France, who teaches digital culture at Paris-Diderot University, said. Story continues Hundreds of social media accounts linked to Russia have sought to amplify the street protests that have rocked France, according to analysis by New Knowledge, a cybersecurity company. Facebook's new algorithm for ordering the posts that users see has also given raised the profile of extremists, conspiracy theorists and proponents of fake news. Ms Mouraud and other spokespeople have received death threats. Those behind them dont want a resolution of the conflict, she said. A protestor wearing a "yellow vest" (Gilet jaune) throws a cobble at police forces Credit: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP/Getty Images She was among a yellow vest delegation that met the prime minister, Edouard Philippe, on Friday night. They listed demands ranging from tax justice and proportional representative in legislative elections and raising low pensions. The prime minister has called for three months of talks between the gilets jaunes and local and national officials. She added: Today, I have no idea how this will pan out. Whats for sure is if we dont get organised, it will have no future. Well have done all that for nothing. John Kelly will leave his job as chief of staff at the end of the year, Donald Trump has announced - EPA John Kelly will leave his job as chief of staff at the end of the year, Donald Trump announced on Saturday, describing him as "a great guy". Mr Kelly, 68, took over from Reince Priebus in July 2017, and was brought in to try and instill some discipline in the White House. However, his departure had long been rumoured, with Mr Kelly, a retired Marine general, reportedly frustrated at Mr Trump's freewheeling style. Last month Melania Trump, the first lady, reportedly demanded Mr Kelly be fired. "John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year," said Mr Trump on Saturday afternoon, shortly before leaving the White House for Philadelphia. John Kelly and Donald Trump, on the day he was appointed - July 31, 2017 "A great guy. "We'll be announcing who will be taking John's place - it might be on an interim basis. "He's been with me almost two years now. "I appreciate his service very much." Among those believed likely to take on the challenging role is Nick Ayers, the current chief of staff for Mike Pence, the vice president. Mr Ayres, 36, is said to have the support of the president's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner. Mick Mulvaney, the budget and management director, has also been mentioned as a possible contender. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sunday said it would be a terrible mistake for President Donald Trump to pardon Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager implicated in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Though Rubio didnt answer directly when asked on ABCs This Week whether such a pardon would constitute obstruction of justice, he noted that he would advise strongly against it. I believe it would be a terrible mistake, Rubio said. Pardons should be used judiciously. Theyre used for cases with extraordinary circumstances. I havent heard that the White House is thinking about doing it. I know he hasnt ruled it out. If Trump were to pardon Manafort, Rubio said, it could trigger a debate about whether to amend the presidents authority to do so. I dont believe that any pardons should be used with relation to these particular cases, he said. Frankly, not only does it not pass the smell test, I think it undermines the reason why we have presidential pardons in the first place. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio says repeatedly that President Trump pardoning former campaign chairman Paul Manafort would be a terrible mistake, and that doing so could possibly trigger a debate about whether the pardon powers should be amended" https://t.co/QasWMG5Ixy #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/EWbjy4E6nc This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 9, 2018 Manafort in September reached a plea deal with the special counsels office, pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and witness tampering. He agreed to surrender $22 million in New York real estate and to cooperate with Muellers team in exchange for a potentially lighter prison sentence. Last month, Muellers office accused Manafort of breaking his plea deal by lying to federal investigators multiple times. Manaforts legal team has denied the accusation. Story continues Trump has hinted in recent months that hes considering a pardon for Manafort. The president tweeted in August that he has respect for the way brave Manafort has handled his interactions with the special counsels office, adding that he feels very badly about his former campaign managers legal troubles. Trump told the New York Post last month that pardoning Manafort was still a possibility. It was never discussed, but I wouldnt take it off the table, the president had said. Though Trump denied having officially floated the idea, his legal team has been in close contact with Manaforts lawyers throughout Muellers investigation. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, one of Trumps personal lawyers, told The New York Times last month that an attorney for Manafort repeatedly briefed Trumps legal team about Manaforts discussions with federal prosecutors, providing valuable insights into the Mueller probe. Legal experts speculated the unorthodox alliance was an attempt by Manafort to secure a presidential pardon, the Times reported. Several Republican lawmakers have long opposed a potential Manafort pardon. It would be an enormous mistake and misuse of his power to pardon, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters in August. Related... Read James Comey's Testimony To The House Oversight Committee Read Robert Mueller's Assessment Of Paul Manafort's False Statements Here Are The Most Interesting Parts Of The Latest Mueller Filings Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. NC leaders lock horns over increasing number of party office bearers Senior leaders of the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) are at odds over increasing the number of party office bearers. The chances of forging consensus on the statute have increased if the number of office bearers is not raised. Donald Trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, should spend a substantial term in prison for paying hush money to an adult actress on behalf of the president, prosecutors have said, despite him cooperating with the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the election. Cohen, 57, who once said he would take a bullet for the president, has been cooperating with two groups of investigators, one probing the lawyers payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election, and Robert Muellers investigation into Moscows alleged actions and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. While Mr Mueller said in a sentencing document that Cohen had gone to significant lengths to assist his probe, prosecutors in the southern district of New York said Cohen had not entered into a cooperation agreement with their office and that his sentence should reflect a modest reduction from the roughly four to five years they said federal guidelines would suggest. Cohen did provide information to law enforcement, including information that assisted the special counsels office (SCO) in ongoing matters, as described in the SCOs memorandum to the court, and the office agrees that this is a factor to be considered by the court, wrote prosecutors in New York. But Cohens description of those efforts is overstated in some respects and incomplete in others. To be clear: Cohen does not have a cooperation agreementand therefore is not properly described as a cooperating witness, as that term is commonly used in this district. It added: While the office agrees that Cohen should receive credit for his assistance in the SCO investigation, that credit should not approximate the credit a traditional cooperating witness would receive, given, among other reasons, Cohens affirmative decision not to become one. For these reasons, the Office respectfully requests that this court impose a substantial term of imprisonment. Story continues This summer, Mr Cohen pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations in a case brought by the US Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. Those campaign finance charges were about hush money payments Mr Cohen arranged in 2016 for women who alleged sexual encounters with Mr Trump, among them Ms Daniels. Cohen pleaded guilty last week to a separate charge by brought by Mr Muellers office that he lied to Congress about discussions over the construction of a proposed Trump Organisation skyscraper in Moscow referred to in court documents as the Moscow Project. In a separate filing on Friday, Muellers office said Cohen should serve any sentence imposed for that crime concurrently with the sentence imposed for the New York charges, saying he had gone to significant lengths to assist the special counsels investigation. Indeed, Mr Mueller said Cohen, who is scheduled to be sentenced next Wednesday by US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan had provided considerable insight into the Trump campaigns working. The defendants lies to Congress were deliberate and premeditated. His false statements did not spring spontaneously from a line of examination or heated colloquy during a congressional hearing. They started in a written submission that he chose to provide to both houses of Congress ahead of his appearances, writes Mr Mueller. Mr Mueller said Mr Cohen had assisted in four specific areas providing information about his own contacts with Russian interests during the campaign, providing information concerning certain discrete Russia-related matters core to the investigation, giving information concerning his contacts with persons connected to the White House during the 20172018 time period and describing the circumstances of preparing and circulating his response to the congressional enquiries. The defendants crime was serious, both in terms of the underlying conduct and its effect on multiple government investigations, said Mr Mueller. The sentence imposed should reflect the fact that lying to federal investigators has real consequences, especially where the defendant lied to investigators about critical facts, in an investigation of national importance. Mr Trump, who has called Muellers investigation a witch hunt and repeatedly denied wrongdoing, said earlier this week that Cohen had lied about Trumps business dealings in Russia to get reduced jail time. Signet Jewelers (SIG), the worlds largest retailer of diamond jewelry, is making a big bet on brick-and-mortar for its online-only diamond jewelry brand, JamesAllen.com. On Friday, James Allen opened its first-ever retail store in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Signets in-house real estate team picked that area because its a location thats attracted JamesAllen.com shoppers in the past. Whats more, the company also sees a lot of potential buyers thanks to the younger population residing there that likes to shop the areas boutiques and big brands like Apple and Urban Outfitters. The new store will take a tech-enabled approach to shop for engagement rings while creating a comfortable environment thats not scary or threatening. Were trying to create a different kind of atmosphere from a typical jewelry store, Signet CEO Gina Drosos told Yahoo Finance in an exclusive interview. Since taking the helm in August 2017, Drosos hs been tasked with turning the company around with her three-pillar plan, known as The Path To Brilliance. One of the components to her program is to create an omnichannel experience by blending the physical and online shopping experience. More than 90% of people buy jewelry, especially diamond jewelry, in stores, but e-commerce is becoming a critical component. After being acquired by Signet Jewelers a year ago, JamesAllen.com, the online seller of diamonds, opened its first brick-and-mortar store in the Georgetown neighborhood of D.C. in a move to blend the online and offline. The pace of change in retail is unlike its ever been, Drosos said. Technology is the real driver. We have to stay out in front. Signet shares fell last week following its earnings report that revealed a slowdown in James Allen sales during the third quarter. In the earnings release, e-commerce was the bright spot for the jeweler with growth across its brands. Signet, which acquired James Allens owner R2Net in September 2017, is also the parent company to well-known brands such as Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared: The Galleria of Jewelry. The JamesAllen.com acquisition has helped provide insights to use across the portfolios e-commerce operations. Story continues According to Drosos, the new James Allen store will serve as a learning lab. This comes as the jewelry giant that faces ever-increasing competition in a world where new players like Amazon (AMZN) might be entering the space. What keeps me up at night for Signet is we have to be quick with technology innovation, Drosos said. We have to be constantly testing and learning about new things. Now we have a store that can be a technology company inside our jewelry company. The new concept store features virtual reality to look at diamonds, a coffee bar with tablets to quiz shoppers diamond knowledge, a ring try-on photo booth to share photos on social media, Holosonic directional speakers to provide additional info about products and facial recognition technology to curate jewelry offerings. The new James Allen concept store lets shoppers use VR to browse diamonds. In addition to the tech, the new concept store aims to address some common customer pain points when buying big ticket items like a diamond ring. One of those pain points is the intimidation factor. To solve for that, upon entering the store, customers will see a 10-foot table thats a self-service diamond display. Instead of waiting for an associate to unlock a case to try on a ring, customers can try on different designs at their leisure. I can try it on, I can see what I think about it and get a sense for different kinds of settings, Drosos explained. Of course, the customers can freely do this because its not an actual live product, but cubic zirconium instead. Theres also an educational component to the self-service table, Drosos added. There are four sections where customers can learn about cuts like the cushion, marquise, pear, and princess, etc. and other areas to highlight different carat weights, colors, and metal options for settings. The employees in the new store currently work for James Allen as customer service reps for its online chat. When the store is not busy, theyll assist with online customers. Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter. Robert Mueller has accused Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort of lying over five key issues - including his contacts with Trump administration officials - after entering a deal to cooperate with the Russia investigation. In his interviews with the Special Counsel's Office and the FBI, Manafort told multiple discernible lies these were not instances of mere memory lapses, Mr Mueller's office said in the filing citing "independent documentary and testimonial evidence" and electronic records. Manafort has denied lying. Manafort tried to hide the fact that he had contact with an administration official inside the White House as late as May 2018, according to Muellers filing, which was partially redacted and did not specify what Manafort had discussed with the White House. Mr Mueller, who is leading the federal investigation into Russian election meddling in 2016 and possible collusion with Trump campaign officials, had been given until Friday to give a judge more information about why he had accused Manafort of breaching a plea agreement by lying. According to the filing, Manafort also lied about his interactions with a former business partner and Russian-Ukranian political consultant Konstantin Kilimnik, who is believed to have possible ties to Russian intelligence services. Mr Mueller also accuses Manafort of lying about Kilimnicks participation in an alleged conspiracy to tailor the testimony of two witnesses. Much of the filing involving Kilimnick is redacted, which may mean that that part of the investigation is still ongoing. The other alleged lies involve the circumstances surrounding a $125,000 payment to a firm working for Manafort, and the fact that Manafort also provided investigators with shifting accounts about information relevant to another Department of Justice investigation. A part of the document relating to the $125,000 payment is also redacted. Manafort cut a plea deal in September and agreed to plead guilty to two felonies. It headed off a second trial in Washington DC for Manafort which was related to his Ukrainian political consulting and unregistered foreign lobbying. Story continues At an earlier trial in Virginia Manafort was convicted of eight financial crimes related to his lobbying, while the jury could not reach a decision on 10 other counts. The filing shows that Manafort sat for 12 meetings with special counsel investigators, including three times prior to the plea agreement. Manafort also testified twice before a federal grand jury. The filing was one of three major court documents that was released on Friday about former Trump associates. Federal prosecutors from New York have asked a judge to sentence Michael Cohen, Mr Trump's former personal lawyer, to a substantial prison term for paying an adult film star hush money on Mr Trump's behalf and evading taxes. Cohen, who has been cooperating with Mr Mueller's probe, pleaded guilty to financial crimes in August in New York, and to a separate charge of lying to Congress in a case disclosed by Mr Mueller last week. Prosecutors in both those cases were required to submit on Friday separate memos on Cohen's cooperation to US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan, who will decide Cohen's sentence on 12 December. The New York prosecutors said Cohen should receive some credit for cooperating with Mr Mueller but noted he had not entered into a cooperation agreement with their office. They said his sentence should reflect a modest reduction from the four to five years they said federal guidelines would suggest. Mr Mueller, on the other hand, said Cohen had voluntarily provided information about his own and others' conduct on core topics under investigation and described the information credible and consistent with other evidence they had obtained. Mr Mueller suggested the sentence for lying to Congress should run concurrently with the sentence in the New York case, and said his yeam would be not requesting any added jail time. Reuters contributed to this report 38627335 WASHINGTON Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, lied to prosecutors repeatedly despite his plea deal to cooperate, according to a filing Friday from Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller. The lies covered Manafort's interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian national also under indictment for work with Manafort in Ukraine; a $125,000 wire transfer, and Manafort's contacts with senior Trump administration officials, according to the 10-page filing. "As summarized above, in his interviews with the special counsel's office and the FBI, Manafort told multiple discernible lies these were not instances of mere memory lapses," according to Mueller's filing. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson decided Friday to allow Mueller to file some details about the lies under seal. The accusations about Kilimnik are largely blacked out. But even the redacted version stated that Manafort lied about a $125,000 payment made toward a debt incurred by Manafort. The debt and the firms involved aren't described. After signing his plea agreement, Manafort told prosecutors that he had no direct or indirect communications with anyone in the administration after Trump took office in January 2017, according to the filing. But "the evidence demonstrates that Manafort lied about his contacts," the filing said. For example, Manafort authorized a person on May 26 of this year to speak with an administration official on his behalf. Documents revealed other contacts. The White House said the filing showed Manafort's case has nothing to do with Trump. The governments filing in Mr. Manaforts case says absolutely nothing about the president," said press secretary Sarah Sanders. "It says even less about collusion and is devoted almost entirely to lobbying-related issues." Manafort met with prosecutors and FBI agents on 12 occasions, including three before entering the plea agreement, according to the filing. He also testified at a grand jury on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. Prosecutors informed Manafort's lawyers Nov. 8 that they "believed that Manafort had lied in multiple ways and on multiple occasions." Story continues Terree Bowers, a former U.S. attorney in Los Angeles now in private practice at Arent Fox, said keeping the filing under seal is part of Muellers classical investigative approach of starting with subordinates then moving higher up the chain of command. Because Manafort has a joint defense agreement with Trump, keeping details confidential could also limit what is shared with the president, Bowers said. Given the allegations that Manaforts lawyers have been relaying information to Trump and his lawyers, Mueller's team has to be somewhat concerned about revealing various legal theories and what they have left to pursue factually, Bowers said. Even the exact areas where they think Manafort has lied would be invaluable for Trump and others to know at this point. Bowers said the filing described a series of lies rather than an isolated incident. "That shows that Manafort was minimizing and lying across the spectrum of what the investigation involved," Bowers said. Mueller voided the plea agreement Nov. 26 because of how Manafort tried to mislead prosecutors investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The shocking move lost Manafort a chance at a shorter prison term, but also cost Mueller a highly placed witness. In revealing the collapse of the plea deal, Mueller signaled that he had learned enough during his 18-month investigation to determine that Manafort was lying. The move also served as a warning to other witnesses: Don't lie. Mueller and his team still have the cooperation of Manaforts top deputy, Rick Gates; Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Prosecutors also filed an argument Friday in federal court in New York calling for Cohen to be imprisoned when he is sentenced Dec. 12 for lying to Congress and for making hush payments to women alleging they had extramarital affairs with Trump. Prosecutors are asking for no prison time for Flynn's cooperation when he is sentenced Dec. 18 for lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the transition. But Manafort was a key figure in the Russia inquiry. He was Trump's campaign manager from March until August of 2016, during a crucial part of the campaign when Trump secured the Republican nomination and the GOP held its convention in Cleveland. Manafort came to the campaign with a history of dealing with Russians and attended the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower during which the attendees were to discuss information promised to damage Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. A jury convicted Manafort of eight bank and tax charges in August for representing a pro-Russia faction in Ukraine. Sentencing in that case is scheduled Feb. 8. But hes also a tainted witness after pleading guilty in September to conspiring to obstruct justice, for urging other witnesses to provide inaccurate accounts to investigators while he was in custody. Sentencing in that case is March 5. Kilimnik was indicted in July with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to get other witnesses to not cooperate with authorities investigating Manafort. Kilimnik worked in Kiev with Manafort, who represented the pro-Russia government of President Victor Yanukovych from 2006 until he fled to Russia in 2014. Manafort continued to have a joint defense agreement with Trump even as he said he was cooperating with Mueller. Trump, who has criticized the Mueller probe as a "witch hunt," kept open the possibility he could pardon Manafort and called him a "brave man." I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. Justice took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to break - make up stories in order to get a deal. Such respect for a brave man! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2018 As a witness, Manafort could have offered Mueller a seat inside the room at the Trump Tower meeting. He attended the meeting with the presidents son, Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. Trump Jr. has acknowledged seeking dirt on Clinton but insisted he did nothing wrong. No one has been charged related to that meeting. MANAFORT SUBMISSION.pdf This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Manafort: Special counsel Robert Mueller details lies that doomed plea deal By Umit Bektas GAZIANTEP, Turkey (Reuters) - Missing fragments from one of Turkey's most striking ancient treasures, the haunting, wide-eyed "Gypsy Girl" mosaic, have returned home more than half a century after they were plundered and smuggled to the United States. On Saturday, the returned pieces went on display alongside the nearly 2,000-year-old mosaic of the girl, whose piercing gaze and dishevelled hair have become a symbol of Turkey's southeastern city of Gaziantep. Turkish archaeologists discovered the mosaic 20 years ago during an excavation of the old city of Zeugma, founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals, near the modern city of Gaziantep. They also realised that several accompanying pieces had already been looted. Those pieces had been smuggled out of the country in the 1960s and bought by Bowling Green State University in Ohio in the United States, which displayed them until 2012 when their true provenance was established and Turkey asked for their return. The university initially asked Turkey to buy them back, a request which Ankara rejected, according to Sedat Gulluoglu, Turkey's tourism ministry attache in the United States. After more than five years of talks, an agreement was signed for their return. "The university has signed off on a very important and significant cooperation by returning these pieces to our country as goodwill," Gulluoglu said by email. He added that Turkey would provide the university with exact replicas of the mosaics to display. The old city of Zeugma, on the Euphrates river, flourished under Greek and then Roman rule before it was destroyed in war in the 3rd century AD. The 15 square metre (160 square foot)Gypsy Girl mosaic is the most prominent symbol of that history. On Saturday, the pieces were put on exhibit at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep in a ceremony to celebrate their return, before which a song composed to celebrate the homecoming of the mosaic pieces was played by a harp artist. Story continues Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who lifted a cover to unveil the mosaic as visitors poured in to see the artwork, told Reuters the returned pieces would greatly contribute to tourism in Turkey and Gaziantep. "It is a very important day for Turkey. A six-year process has been completed and our pieces have returned where they were born," Ersoy said. Gaziantep mayor Fatma Sahin said putting the full mosaic back together was a national triumph. "It returned to Gaziantep, to its nation," Sahin told Reuters. "The Gypsy Girl has been reunited with her family." (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Yesim Dikmen; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Dominic Evans and Helen Popper) US President Donald Trump arrives at Kansas City International Airport in Missouri, on December 7, 2018. WASHINGTON On a day when all eyes were on special counsel Robert Mueller, President Donald Trump had a busy Friday of his own. And his flurry of personnel announcements, teases of more to come and biting comments about his former secretary of state were seen by some as an attempt to get the news media to focus on something else. "He likes to control as much as possible the news cycles and put out front whatever helps to minimize bad coverage," said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. But Republican strategist Ron Bonjean rejected the connection because Trumps activity came Friday before Mueller and prosecutors filed expected court documents related to two key witnesses in the Russia investigation. 38689639 It certainly wont distract from these reports, Bonjean said. I think this is maybe just the normal course of how theyre operating today. Through a series of court filings due Friday, Mueller and his team were expected to offer new insights into the two-year probe into how Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. The filings were expected to detail the level of cooperation that Michael Cohen, the presidents former attorney and fixer, offered investigators and the reasoning behind a public cooperation breakdown between prosecutors and Paul Manafort, the presidents former campaign chairman. More: 'He was dumb as a rock': Trump responds to Rex Tillerson calling him 'undisciplined' More: As major developments loom, President Trump again goes after special counsel Robert Mueller Trump started his daily tweets complaining about Mueller and James Comey, the former FBI director Trump fired who testified before a House panel Friday. "After deep reflection on his tweets this morning, I'm going to speculate that Donald Trump is kind of worried about what we'll learn today from the Special Counsel," tweeted Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard who opposes Trump. Story continues While cable news continued its all-day discussion over the significance of the filings and whether Trump could be in danger, the president made a series of announcements that shifted the news cycle, even for a short time, away from Muellers probe. As Trump was leaving the White House early Friday for a speech in Missouri, he told reporters who would fill two key positions in his Cabinet. The president announced he would be choosing William Barr as his new attorney general and State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the next ambassador to the United Nations. The posts will have major ramifications in the nations criminal justice system and on the world stage. Then, a third post was revealed. Trump is expected to name Army Gen. Mark Milley as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military's highest-ranking officer, two administration officials told USA TODAY. The president hinted hed publicly announce the post at the Army-Navy game Saturday. But, the president wasnt done yet. He captured headlines throughout the afternoon responding to criticism made by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, calling him lazy as hell and dumb as a rock. Tillerson, in an interview with CBS News Thursday, called the president undisciplined and said Trump would sometimes have ideas that violated the law. Jacob Neiheisel, a political science professor at the University of Buffalo, said he couldn't say if the back-to-back news events were planned or just partially due to Trumps character. Its really hard to tell when it comes to Trump, he said. By nature, hes combative but we know throughout history that administrations have tried to control the news cycle. Neilheisel said that includes holding announcements and news items for certain times, especially when they know bad news is coming. Whenever you see a story coming from the White House thats going to get some attention, we look at the timing of it," agreed Norm Ornstein, a Trump critic and scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "It usually means that he knows something bad is going to happen that he wants to push off the front pages." And Ornstein said the tactic works all too well in getting the news media to focus on something else. "Weve all had experiences with pets or young children of distracting them in some way with throwing a ball or following the shiny object," Ornstein said. "And I see way too much of that. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Donald Trump made plenty of his own news while waiting for Mueller developments 1589780002 WASHINGTON President Donald Trump's pick for United Nations ambassador, Heather Nauert, could face a tough Senate confirmation process with her thin resume and the president's unorthodox foreign policy thrust into the congressional spotlight at a turbulent moment in America's global standing. Trump announced Nauert's nomination in remarks to reporters before leaving for an event in Missouri Friday. "Shes very talented, very smart, very quick, and I think shes going to be respected by all," Trump said of Nauert, a former Fox News anchor and current State Department spokeswoman. Nauert has served as the State Departments chief spokeswoman since April 2017, winning Trump over with her polished, camera-ready defense of his "America First" approach to foreign policy. She has also earned the trust of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, traveling the globe with the former Kansas congressman and CIA director over the last seven months. But if confirmed, Nauert would be one of the most inexperienced U.N. ambassadors in history at a time of extreme flux in international relations. Since taking office, Trump has picked major foreign policy fights with key U.S. allies, including Canada and France, while praising authoritarian regimes in Russia, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. The U.N. job involves representing the United States at the U.N. Security Council and in delicate diplomatic negotiations with other world leaders. Nauert would replace Nikki Haley, Trumps current ambassador to the U.N. and the former governor of South Carolina. Previous U.N. ambassadors include Adlai Stevenson, George H.W. Bush and Madeline Albright. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert speaks during a briefing at the State Department in Washington on Aug. 9, 2017. During State Department briefings, Nauert has rarely stumbled under sharp questioning by reporters, though she often deflects questions rather than directly answers them. Her biggest gaffe may have come when she cited D-Day as evidence of the strong relationship between the United States and Germany. Story continues Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion. We obviously have a very long history with the government of Germany, and we have a strong relationship with the government, she said in June. Critics say that while Nauert is good at delivering Trump's talking points, she does not have the kind of in-depth policy knowledge or political background needed for the U.N. job. "The United Nations is the big leagues of diplomacy," said Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement in the Obama administration. "This is the most egregious example of Trump filling critical national security jobs by using a superficial casting criteria more appropriate for reality shows than the dangerous realities of today's world." David Bosco, a professor of international relations at Indiana University, said Nauert would definitely be one of the least experienced for the position. "Her only real foreign policy is this stint at the State Department in a kind of spokesperson role," he noted. "Nor does she have what Haley had, which was significant high-level governing experience. So as I look at who we have had in this position over the decades, I think Nauert would be one of the least prepared for this position." That doesn't mean she won't be effective, Bosco added, saying her success will depend on her ability to connect with other world leaders and to demonstrate that she has the confidence of the president and his inner circle. Bosco said her lack of experience could be both a plus and minus as she prepares for the Senate confirmation process. "There's not a lot of a record to go over," he said. "But I would expect some tough questions from senators about her qualifications and trying to probe how well prepared she is for this." Trump said Nauert had done "a great job" working with Pompeo and that Haley would work with the new nominee during the transition. Haley used her stint at the U.N. to push back on what she perceived as its anti-Israel bias, to crusade against Iran, and to press for reform of the international body. She fully embraced Trump's more isolationist agenda, yanking the U.S. out of the UN Human Rights Council and defending the president's decision to nix U.S. funding for a UN refugee program to help impoverished Palestinians. "The one thing I learned at the UN is that countries resent America. Its a tough place," Haley said in an interview with the Atlantic published on Friday. "But they want us to lead." RT @USUN: Congratulations to Heather Nauert on her nomination by the President to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. We wish you well and look forward to supporting you through the transition and beyond. Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 7, 2018 Prior to joining the State Department, Nauert, a 48-year-old native of Illinois, was a reporter for Fox & Friends and served in several other positions at the cable network channel. As a journalist, Nauert covered the 9/11 terror attacks, the war in Iraq and four presidential elections. Before joining Fox News, Nauert served as a correspondent for ABC News, where she covered breaking news in the U.S. and abroad. Nauert earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Vernon College in Washington and a masters from Columbia Universitys School of Journalism. Haley announced in early October her plans to resign, a decision that seemed to surprise White House officials. Haley, a former South Carolina governor who became one of the most prominent women in Trumps Cabinet, came to the job with almost no foreign policy experience but earned high marks from Republicans as a forceful messenger for American priorities on the global stage. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump's UN ambassador pick Heather Nauert could face tough Senate confirmation fight With the release of court filings Friday that seemed to further implicate President Donald Trump in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation, one congressman says Trump is lucky hes in the White House. The only thing keeping Donald Trump from being indicted and being charged with a crime, beyond wealth and privilege, is that he occupies the office of the presidency, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) told host Ali Velshi on MSNBC Friday night. Castro, a member of the House intelligence committee, which has been investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, was discussing prosecutors raft of court filings Friday in the criminal cases against former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Among other things, those documents indicated that prosecutors believe Trump ordered Cohen to pay hush money to two women hed had affairs with to protect his presidential run. But even if Trumps job is saving him from having to appear in court, Castro said, Congress must be open to impeachment. Are you in a position to consider discussing impeachment in Congress? asked Velshi. We have to be, Castro replied. When the evidence becomes so clear that you very likely have a criminal sitting in the Oval Office, what is the Congress left to do at that point? On Saturday morning, Trump responded to the release of the documents on Twitter (in nearly all caps, of course), saying, AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION! AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018 The documents released by Muellers team Friday indicate prosecutors are in fact continuing to look into the Trump campaigns connections to Russia, including a real estate project in Moscow that Cohen was allegedly discussing with Trump well into the 2016 race. Story continues Check out the full interview with Castro in the video above. Also on HuffPost Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. No place to call home Informal settlements in Kathmandu continue to be under supported Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading the Russian election meddling investigation - AP Special counsel Robert Muellers final report into Russian interference in the 2016 US election may never been seen in public, despite a drip feed of tantalising details being published over the last week. As key aides to Donald Trump prepare to be sentenced this week for crimes relating to the Russia inquiry, the president's lawyers are pouring over little-known rules that dictate how the long-awaited conclusion of the probe is handled. On Friday, intrigue over the protracted investigation, which opponents hope could open the door to impeachment for collusion with Russia in the 2016 elections, was fuelled by Mr Mueller publishing key guidelines for sentencing suspects. Mr Mueller's team announced that Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer for Donald Trump due in court on Wednesday, had met a Russian promising political synergy with the Trump election campaign, and even offering a meeting with Vladimir Putin. Mr Mueller also announced that Paul Manafort, Mr Trumps former campaign manager, told prosecutors "multiple discernible lies" about his contacts with Russians. Mr Trump, in the early hours of yesterday (SAT), insisted that the documents proved he played no role in Russian inteference. Demonstrators calling to protect Robert Mueller, the special counsel, after the firing of Jeff Sessions as attorney general Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg "AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!" he tweeted. Yet on Wednesday Mr Cohen, for years Mr Trumps fixer, will be sentenced for the crimes of bank and tax fraud, and for lying to Congress for which he pled guilty. Prosecutors in New York are seeking substantial jail time, but Mr Mueller does not recommend additional time behind bars as a result of his inquiry. Despite intense public interest, the inquiry itself may yet remain secret. Mr Mueller is bound to provide the [US] attorney general with a confidential report explaining the prosecutions he brought or decided not to pursue. However, it is then up to the attorney general, who leads the Justice Department, to decide whether the report is published or handed over to the US Congress. There is no obligation to do either. Story continues The situation is complicated by the fact that Mr Trump, who has railed against the witch hunt, recently sacked his attorney general, Jeff Sessions, and replaced him with an arch critic of the Mueller probe, Matthew Whitaker. The uncertainty means there are fears details of Mr Muellers findings could become the subject of intense legal and political wrangling and may never fully be revealed. Mr Trump's own lawyers were once optimistically predicting the probe would be wrapped up by Christmas 2017. Mr Mueller, the former FBI director put in charge of the Russia investigation last May, is compelled to produce at least one report to the Justice Department explaining his decisions once his work is concluded. There is nothing stopping him producing numerous reports. The Justice Department then decides the next step. Mr Whittaker, the acting attorney general, is believed not to have recused himself from overseeing the investigation, unlike his predecessor Mr Sessions, and so is expected to decide the course of action. William Barr, another Trump ally, was nominated as the new attorney general on Friday. The report could be kept secret. It could be published with redactions protecting classified or legally protected information. It could be handed to Congress, either in full or with redactions. Or a summary of the report could be published. The House of Representatives, one half of Congress which is now controlled by the Democrats, could issue a subpoena demanding the full document. There is also a possibility that Mr Whittaker or Mr Mueller could be called to give evidence on Capitol Hill. The lack of clarity around the next move and the politically sensitive nature of the entire probe means there could be a prolonged legal battle over the report, leaving the public in the dark. John Q Barrett, a law professor at St Johns University in New York City who worked with the independent counsel investigating the Iran Contra scandal in the 1980s, said there was zero chance it will be finished by Christmas, pointing to a string of recent developments which suggest a number of investigations are still being pursued. It could easily run another six months. I wouldnt be surprised if Mueller is active as special counsel through much of next year, Prof Barrett told The Sunday Telegraph. The key updates in the cases of three of Trumps most important ex-advisers and what the new disclosures could mean for Trump Trump with Michael Flynn in December 2016. Flynn pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters There has been intense activity over the past two weeks in Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible collusion by members of Donald Trumps campaign team. Developments in the criminal prosecutions of three of Trumps most important former advisers have enraged the president and shed new light on what Mueller has learned in the 19 months since his appointment as special counsel. Here, the Guardian reviews the key updates in the cases of Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort and explores what the new disclosures could mean for Trump as the inquiry continues. Michael Cohen Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps former lawyer, has cooperated with the investigation being conducted by Robert Mueller. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters Developments Federal prosecutors in New York said on Friday that Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and legal fixer, should receive a four-year prison sentence for a series of crimes he has admitted. Cohen last week pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about Trumps plans for a tower in Russia, admitting the project continued well into Trumps campaign for the presidency. He previously admitted violating campaign finance laws by arranging payoffs to buy the silence of two women who said they had affairs with Trump. He also confessed to crimes relating to his personal finances. What weve learned Prosecutors said Trump directed Cohen to make the illegal payoffs to women, indicating the Justice Department has supporting evidence for an allegation first made by Cohen in August. Mueller revealed that Cohen repeatedly sought Russian government support for a Trump Tower Moscow on behalf of his boss. He entered discussions in November 2015 with a Russian offering political synergy from the Kremlin in business and politics. He later spoke with a Kremlin official. Cohen disclosed previously unknown contacts with White House officials in 2017-18, according to Mueller, and recalled preparing and circulating his responses to congressional investigators, hinting that others were complicit in false statements he made in those responses. Story continues Mueller told a judge in New York that Cohen also gave information on other core Russia-related issues in Muellers inquiry into any collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia. What it means for Trump The president has been implicated in two felonies a dire situation for the White House. Prosecutors have not yet said whether they believe Trump showed the criminal intent required for a prosecution. Trump also misled the public in 2016 by saying he had no business links to Russia. Cohen said he had briefed Trump and his family extensively on the project. Trump, his son Donald Jr and son-in-law Jared Kushner could face serious problems if their own answers to Mueller and Congress contradict this. And Mueller even appears confident he has evidence linking the Trump Organization and its senior executives three of whom were Trumps eldest children to Russian interference in the 2016 election. This would be catastrophic for the president. Michael Flynn Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser and campaign aide. Photograph: Carlos Barria/Reuters Developments Mueller told a judge in Washington that Trumps former national security adviser and campaign aide should receive a light sentence including no prison time. Flynn pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI. He gave false accounts of telephone calls in December 2016 with Russias ambassador about sanctions imposed on Moscow by Barack Obama, and a United Nations vote on Israel. What weve learned Flynn has given substantial assistance to the Trump-Russia investigation, Mueller said in a court filing. He has given 19 interviews, handed over documents and offered first-hand accounts of interactions between individuals in the presidential transition team and Russia following the 2016 election. Mueller said Flynns help was particularly valuable because he was one of the few people with long-term and first-hand insight of the matters being investigated. What it means for Trump: Flynn will have told Mueller whether Trump issued the order for him to urge Russia not to retaliate against US sanctions. Trump may have broken the law by doing so as he was not yet president. Flynn reportedly told Mueller that Kushner told him to ask Russia to vote no at the UN. Kushner possibly broke the law by doing so. Further details of what Flynn has disclosed about Russia, which were kept secret in this weeks filing by Mueller, may also imperil Trump. Paul Manafort Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, lied to the special counsel in five principal areas, Robert Mueller said. Photograph: Jose Luis Magana/AP Developments Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, told five principal lies to Muellers investigators even after agreeing to cooperate with their inquiry. Last week, Mueller tore up a plea deal with Manafort and told a judge he should soon be sentenced for crimes that could see him spend the rest of his life in prison. What weve learned Manafort was in contact with the White House as recently as May 2018, despite his denials of such contacts. He also lied about his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian former business partner who is alleged to have links to Russian intelligence, Mueller said. And he gave false statements about information linked to a separate investigation. What it means for Trump Whether Manaforts ties to pro-Kremlin figures in eastern Europe are connected to Russias interference in the 2016 election remains the central unanswered question in the Trump-Russia investigation. Mueller on Friday redacted several paragraphs in his filing about Manaforts interactions with Kilimnik, indicating they may relate to the presidential campaign. Any finding by Mueller that Trumps campaign chief was complicit in Moscows efforts to sway the election to Trump could be devastating for the president. A discovery that Manafort was discussing a possible pardon from Trump in 2018 could lead to further allegations that Trump obstructed justice. Manaforts convictions on other crimes so far relate to his private business and tax affairs, with no direct connection to Trump. TOKYO (AP) Japanese lawmakers early Saturday approved government-proposed legislation allowing hundreds of thousands of foreign laborers to live and work in a country that has long resisted accepting outsiders. The contentious legislation passed only months after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed the plan despite opposition groups' demand for more thorough debate to address concerns about a drastic change of policy. It's seen as an unavoidable step as the country's population of about 126 million rapidly ages and shrinks. Many short-handed industries, especially in the services sector, already rely heavily on foreign "trainees" and language students. Japan also selectively grants visas to white-collar professionals, often from the West. Bringing in foreign laborers is a last resort after Abe's deeply conservative government tried to meet labor shortages by encouraging more employment of women and older workers and using more robots and other automation. "Japan has come to a point where we had to face the reality that there is serious depopulation and serious aging," said Toshihiro Menju, an expert on foreign labor and population issues at the Japan Center for International Exchange. "Shortages of workers are so serious ... that (allowing) immigrants is the only option the government can take," he said. Abe's latest plan calls for relaxing Japan's visa requirements in sectors facing severe labor shortages such as construction, nursing, farming, transport and tourism new categories of jobs to be added to the current list of highly skilled professionals. The number of foreign workers in Japan has more than doubled since 2000 to nearly 1.3 million last year, out of a working-age population of 67 million. Workers from developing Asian countries used to stay mostly behind the scenes, but not anymore. Almost all convenience stores are partly staffed by Asian workers and so are many restaurant chains. Story continues The fastest growing group of foreign workers is Vietnamese, many of whom are employed in construction and nursing. Construction workers are particularly in demand as Japan rushes to finish building venues and other infrastructure for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In many cases the workers are subjected to poor working conditions and other abuses. "I had no time for a holiday. ... Even if I worked so hard I still had no money," said Eng Pisey, 33, from Cambodia, who came to Japan on a training program in 2016 and worked at a garment factory in Tochigi, north of Tokyo. She said she had to borrow $4,000 to pay a broker to arrange her job, and ended up quitting after becoming ill from overwork. Under the legislation, two categories of workers will be accepted beginning in April: less-skilled workers and former interns with basic Japanese competency are allowed to stay in the country for only up to five years as visitors and cannot bring in family members. That is meant to encourage them to leave when their visas expire, preventing them from settling in Japan. The second category, those with higher skills, Japanese language and cultural understanding, would be allowed to bring their families and apply for citizenship after living in Japan for 10 years if they commit no crimes. "Creating new visa statuses to accommodate foreign human resources is our urgent task as we face serious labor shortages, especially at small and medium-size companies," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday. But details including a new immigration agency, competency tests for applicants and ways to eliminate abusive working conditions still need to be decided. Many Japanese understand the need to solve labor shortages. Industry groups have urged the government to expand the work visa program so they can legally hire more foreign workers. But Abe's traditional political base and opposition groups oppose the change for different reasons. Abe has denied that Japan is opening the door to immigrants. His right-wing supporters view Japan as a homogenous society and want to keep out outsiders, especially those from other Asian countries. They cite concerns over risks of more crime. Human rights activists and lawyers have criticized the legislation, saying it has insufficient protections and support for foreign workers and lacks a vision for how Japan might create a more inclusive society that accepts diversity. Since 1993, Japan's Technical Intern Training Program has provided on-the-job training in the name of international cooperation, mostly to workers from other Asian countries. The trainees often have worked under poor conditions. In 2017 some 7,000 of the 270,000 technical interns fled, citing underpay and mistreatment, according to government statistics. Shoichi Ibusuki, a lawyer specializing in labor cases who aids victimized foreign students and interns, says the program is a guise for using cheap labor. He says it should be scrapped and replaced. Ibusuki supports giving unskilled workers official status, but says the legislation fails to provide enough protections for workers. In particular, he is unhappy with the lack of restrictions on recruiting brokers who are cited as a cause of abuse. "The program seems to treat foreign workers like goods, not humans," he said. Huang Shihu, a Chinese intern, said he came to Japan to study the language while working, but suffered a severe hand injury after being employed for about six months at a tin factory in Kobe. He said his employer claimed it could not pay him compensation because it was bankrupt. "With this hand injury I can't work. I don't know what to do," Huang told reporters, showing his still bandaged fingers. "I really feel wronged by the company." Menju said the lack of oversight in the existing trainee program allowed mistreatment to persist, with foreign workers seen as cheap labor willing to tolerate harsh conditions. He hopes the new program will allow a fresh start. The legislation is not so great, he says, but may mark a turning point. "This is the first time people started to discuss the issue of foreign workers," Menju said. "Before that it was a taboo." ___ Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi Republicans fear the White House is struggling to deal with details from the prosecution case against Michael Cohen, the President's former lawyer - REUTERS Senior Democrats on Sunday began talking openly about the imprisonment or impeachment of Donald Trump amid fresh allegations linking the President to hush money paid to two women ahead of the 2016 election. The result is a growing sense of crisis as Republicans begin to weigh their chances of political survival. Steve Bannon, the former Trump strategist, said 2019 was shaping up to be a year of siege warfare. The Democrats are going to weaponise the Mueller report and the president needs a team that can go to the mattresses, he told The Washington Post. The president cant trust the GOP to be there when it counts . . . They dont feel any sense of duty or responsibility to stand with Trump. The latest twist came in new court documents that said Michael Cohen, the Presidents former lawyer, had acted at the direction of his employer in arranging the payments. They would be impeachable offences. Whether theyre important enough to justify an impeachment is a different question, Jerry Nadler, a Democratic Congressman from New York, said on CNN's State of the Union. Robert Mueller's investigation has made a slew of court filings as probe enters final phase Credit: AP Certainly, they're impeachable offences, because, even though they were committed before the President became President, they were committed in the service of fraudulently obtaining the office. His comments highlight the fresh legal and political jeopardy facing Mr Trump, who has spent his entire term under the shadow of a wide-ranging investigation into whether his campaign team colluded with Moscow. Republicans believe the sweeping reach of Robert Muellers federal probe could consume the rest of the party, amidfears the White House does not have a workable strategy beyond simple denials. A sentencing memo filed by prosecutors in New York on Friday against Mr Cohen raised the stakes. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1, it said, using the term prosecutors have deployed to refer to the President. Story continues It is the first time investigators have said they believe Mr Cohen acted with Mr Trump to silence two women who said they had affairs with the future president. Mr Trump has denied the affairs and any role in payments, and has not been accused of any offences. He issued two tweets on Sunday dismissing the evidence against him, including the recent testimony of James Comey, the former director of the FBI. This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President, he wrote. They are now exposed! On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didnt know, didnt recall, or couldnt remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) - didnt know who signed off and didnt know Christopher Steele. All lies! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018 Yet the accelerating flow of court documents and legal pleadings as the investigation enters its final phase has Democrats openly discussing whether the President can be prosecuted. Although most legal analysts believe a sitting president cannot be indicted, Adam Schiff, who will head the House intelligence committee when a new term begins in January, said that would not protect him once his term ends. Theres a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office the Justice Department may indict him, he told CBS. He may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time. Democrats now hold sway in the House of Representatives, after capturing 40 seats in last months midterms, and can use their power to launch fresh investigations or impeach the president when their new term begins in January. In a further sign of uncertainty at the White House it on Sunday evening that Mr Trump had been unable to reach agreement with his preferred candidate to take over from John Kelly as chief of staff. Nick Ayers, who currently works for Mike Pence, the vice-president, had been expected to fill the role. The Trump campaign was offered political synergy from Russia as early as 2015, according to evidence provided by the presidents former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. In one of two sentencing documents filed by prosecutors in relation to Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to two separate charges, prosecutors revealed the 52-year-old said he was contacted by someone claiming to represent the Russian authorities. In or around November 2015, Cohen received the contact information for, and spoke with, a Russian national who claimed to be a trusted person in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign political synergy and synergy on a government level, said a filing by special counsel Robert Mueller. The individual repeatedly proposed a meeting between Individual 1 [Donald Trump] and the president of Russia. The Russian national suggested that such a meeting could have phenomenal impact not only in political but in a business dimension as well, the document said. The document filed by Mr Mueller suggests that Cohen has provided substantial information to the special counsels office. Mr Mueller said Cohen went to significant lengths to assist their investigation. The defendant has provided, and has committed to continue to provide, relevant and truthful information to the SCO in an effort to assist with the investigation.The defendant has met with the SCO for seven proffer sessions, many of them lengthy, and continues to make himself available to investigators, he wrote. Mr Mueller said Mr Cohen had assisted in four specific areas providing information about his own contacts with Russian interests during the campaign, providing information concerning certain discrete Russia-related matters core to the investigation, giving information concerning his contacts with persons connected to the White House during the 20172018 time period and describing the circumstances of preparing and circulating his response to the congressional enquiries. Story continues The defendants crime was serious, both in terms of the underlying conduct and its effect on multiple government investigations, said Mr Mueller. The sentence imposed should reflect the fact that lying to federal investigators has real consequences, especially where the defendant lied to investigators about critical facts, in an investigation of national importance. Cohen has pleaded guilty to federal charges, including lying to congress about negotiations he had on Trumps behalf for a real estate deal in Moscow something referred to in the court papers at the Moscow Project. In a separate document filed by investigators looking into Cohens payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels and other women on the eve of the 2016 election, prosecutors said the lawyer had not been cooperative and deserved to serve a substantial amount of jail time. Cohen did provide information to law enforcement, including information that assisted the special counsels office (SCO) in ongoing matters, as described in the SCOs memorandum to the court, and the office agrees that this is a factor to be considered by the court, wrote prosecutors in New York. But Cohens description of those efforts is overstated in some respects and incomplete in others. To be clear: Cohen does not have a cooperation agreementand therefore is not properly described as a cooperating witness, as that term is commonly used in this district. It added: While the office agrees that Cohen should receive credit for his assistance in the SCO investigation, that credit should not approximate the credit a traditional cooperating witness would receive, given, among other reasons, Cohens affirmative decision not to become one. For these reasons, the office respectfully requests that this court impose a substantial term of imprisonment. Trump, who has called Muellers investigation a witch hunt and repeatedly denied wrongdoing, said earlier this week that Cohen had lied about Trumps business dealings in Russia to get reduced jail time. He also claimed in a tweet that the Cohen filing totally clears the president, though the document said he had directed his former lawyer to make the hush money payments. Donald Trump has wrongly claimed that prosecutors have cleared him of wrongdoing in legal documents that accuse two of his former associates of repeatedly lying about Russia. In fact New York prosecutors alleged that Michael Cohen, the presidents former personal lawyer, had acted at his direction in organising hush money payments to two women who claimed they had had affairs with the billionaire. Despite the specific claims Mr Trump quickly tweeted that the document totally clears the President! A day that began with the president launching an angry Twitter rant about special prosecutor Robert Mueller a suggestion he knew bad news was coming ended with prosecutors asking for substantial jail time for Cohen, and saying Mr Trumps one-time campaign manager Paul Manafort had lied not just about interactions with Russians, but over his continued contact with the White House six months after turning himself into the FBI. The documents also revealed Cohen had told prosecutors the Trump campaign was offered political synergy by Russian individuals said to be linked to the Kremlin as early as 2015. Cohen had once described himself as someone who would take a bullet for Mr Trump. But two filings from separate investigations revealed the extent to which the 52-year-old had cooperated with Mr Muellers probe into Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election, and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Mr Mueller said Cohen had voluntarily provided information about his own and others conduct on core topics under investigation and described the information as credible and consistent with other evidence they had obtained. The defendants crime was serious. He withheld information material to the investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election being conducted by [congressional committees], the document said. In recent months, however, the defendant has taken significant steps to mitigate his criminal conduct. He chose to accept responsibility for his false statements and admit to his conduct in open court. He also has gone to significant lengths to assist the special counsels investigation. Story continues Cohen pleaded guilty to a series of eight crimes that included campaign finance violations in August in New York, in connection with hush money payments he made to a number of women, among them adult actress Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election. Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to separate charge of lying to congress in a case disclosed by Mr Mueller. He is due to be sentenced by judge William Pauley in Manhattan on 12 December. While Mr Mueller said Cohen was cooperative, prosecutors looking into the financial and tax offences, said was not. Cohen did provide information to law enforcement, including information that assisted the special counsels office (SCO) in ongoing matters, as described in the SCOs memorandum to the court, and the office agrees that this is a factor to be considered by the court, they wrote. But Cohens description of those efforts is overstated in some respects and incomplete in others. To be clear: Cohen does not have a cooperation agreement and therefore is not properly described as a cooperating witness, as that term is commonly used in this district. They added: While the office agrees that Cohen should receive credit for his assistance in the SCO investigation, that credit should not approximate the credit a traditional cooperating witness would receive, given, among other reasons, Cohens affirmative decision not to become one. For these reasons, the office respectfully requests that this court impose a substantial term of imprisonment. The information contained within the documents will be of no small concern to the White House, which Mr Trump said had already prepared 87 pages of rebuttal even though Mr Muellers investigation is not yet finished. Of particular worry will be the revelation Cohen has been talking so openly to Mr Mueller about his contacts with Russians, that were initiated as part of the effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, but which appear to have also taken on a political flavour. Totally clears the President. Thank you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018 In or around November 2015, Cohen received the contact information for, and spoke with, a Russian national who claimed to be a trusted person in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign political synergy and synergy on a government level, said the filing. On Friday night, Mr Trump tweeted the court documents had totally cleared him. However, analysts pointed out they had done no such thing. Indeed, the filing by prosecutors in relation to Cohens financial crimes claimed he had broken the law at the direction of Mr Trump. With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments, said the filing. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1 [Mr Trump]. In another filing, Mr Mueller claimed former campaign manager Paul Manafort had repeatedly lied to investigators, even after agreeing to a plea deal. It was these lies, Mr Mueller said, that had led prosecutors to drop the plea deal. Mr Mueller said Manafort lied over five key issues including his ongoing contacts with Trump administration officials, after entering a deal to cooperate with the Russia investigation. In his interviews with the Special Counsels Office and the FBI, Manafort told multiple discernible lies these were not instances of mere memory lapses, Mr Mueller said. He said Manafort tried to hide the fact that he had contact with an administration official inside the White House as late as May 2018, according to Muellers filing, which was partially redacted and did not specify what Manafort had discussed with the White House official. Manafort had also lied about his interactions with a political consultant who had ties to Russian intelligence. Also on Friday, former FBI director James Comey spoke to House investigators behind closed doors for almost seven hours, begrudgingly answering questions about the Justice Departments decisions during the 2016 election. Mr Comey, who appeared under subpoena, announced after the meeting that he would return for more questioning on December 17. Appearing annoyed, he said: Were talking about Hillary Clintons emails, for heavens sake, so Im not sure we needed to do this at all. He later tweeted: Today wasnt a search for truth, but a desperate attempt to find anything that can be used to attack the institutions of justice investigating this president. They came up empty today but will try again. In the long run, itll make no difference because facts are stubborn things. Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump hit out at former FBI director James Comey on Sunday, accusing him of lying to Congress in testimony last week over his handling of the Russia probe. "Leakin James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed!" Trump's attack on Comey's credibility comes as he himself is under intensifying pressure from federal investigators. In a court filing Friday, federal prosecutors in New York tied the president to felony campaign violations in the form of hush payments to two women who alleged past sexual encounters with the then Republican presidential candidate. Comey testified the same day before two House committees. A transcript released Saturday shows he strongly defended his investigators against Republican charges of bias against Trump and in favor of Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election. Comey revealed that the initial counterintelligence investigation into Russia election meddling was opened on four individuals -- but not Trump -- to see if any of them were conspiring with the Russians to sway the elections. Comey did not identify the four, and declined to answer other questions that went into matters under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and other federal prosecutors. But in his tweets, Trump portrayed Comey's testimony as dishonest and evasive, enumerating the times he told House investigators he didn't know or couldn't recall things he was asked about. "On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didnt know, didnt recall, or couldnt remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) - didnt know who signed off and didnt know Christopher Steele. All lies!" Story continues Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have often accused Comey of shielding Clinton from prosecution in a probe of her use of a private email server while secretary of state, while using a dossier on Russia election meddling compiled by Steele, a former British spy, to go after Trump's campaign. Peter Strzok, a key investigator in both Comey-directed probes, was fired earlier this year for sending text messages critical of Trump to an FBI lawyer he was having an affair with. In his testimony Friday, Comey strongly defended Strzok against the charges of bias, the transcript shows. Strzok "was one of the handful of people in the entire world who knew we were investigating four Americans who had some connection to Mr. Trump during the summer of 2016, and he didn't tell a soul," Comey said. "So it's hard to reconcile that with his being on Team Clinton. It's hard to reconcile his not leaking that Trump associates were under investigation and his drafting of a letter to Congress on October 28th that Secretary Clinton believed hurt her chances of being elected," he said. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Friday picked former Attorney General William Barr to once again serve as America's top law enforcement official. But while his experience and mainstream background may boost his prospects for confirmation, Democrats are raising alarms about his comments on the Russia investigation and Hillary Clinton. Barr has expressed concerns about political donations made by prosecutors on special counsel Robert Mueller's team and has supported calls for an investigation into a uranium deal approved while Clinton was secretary of state, a pet issue of Trump supporters. It's not clear whether Barr, if confirmed, would take office in time to shape the Mueller investigation, which has shown signs of being in its final stages. But even if it wraps up before he takes office, Barr would be in a position to influence prosecutions stemming from the probe, as well as deal with other politically sensitive cases, such as responding to referrals from the House's new Democratic majority. Barr, 68, would succeed former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, whom Trump forced out after constant heckling because he had stepped aside from overseeing the Russia investigation. Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, was elevated to acting attorney general and took control of Mueller's investigation. Barr's confirmation would create uncertainty about the future of Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general who oversaw the Mueller investigation before Whitaker's appointment. Frequently, new deputies are also appointed when there's a new attorney general. Barr's appointment could bring more stability to the Justice Department. Sessions' tenure was marked by the incessant attacks from Trump, and Whitaker's elevation was also controversial. Questions were raised about Whitaker's credentials, critical comments he had made about the Mueller investigation before joining the Justice Department and his involvement with a company that was accused of misleading consumers and is under investigation by the FBI. Story continues Barr was attorney general between 1991 and 1993 at the same time Mueller oversaw the department's criminal division. Barr later worked as a corporate general counsel and is currently of counsel at a prominent international law firm, Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Trump called Barr "one of the most respected jurists in the country." "During his tenure, he demonstrated an unwavering adherence to the rule of law," Trump said. "There's no one more capable or qualified for this role." Confirmation hearings are unlikely before January, when Republicans will have a 53-47 majority, leaving Democrats powerless to block the nomination unless four Republicans break ranks. The next chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called Barr's pick an "outstanding decision" and pledged to "do everything in my power" to quickly push the nomination through the committee and onto the Senate floor for confirmation. But the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, said Barr must promise that Mueller's investigation can proceed unimpeded and that Mueller's final report will be made available to Congress and the public immediately after it is completed. Democrats have begun pointing to Barr's weigh-ins on hot-button investigative matters. In November 2017, Barr told the New York Times that there was more basis to investigate the uranium deal approved while Clinton led the State Department 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 said. He told the newspaper that there "is nothing inherently wrong about a president calling for an investigation," but he cautioned that an investigation shouldn't be launched just because a president wants it. In a May 2017 op-ed for The Washington Post, Barr defended Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, an action Mueller has been examining for possible obstruction of justice. He was quoted two months later in a Post story as expressing concern that members of Mueller's team had contributed to Democratic candidates. "In my view, prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party," Barr said. "I would have liked to see him have more balance on this group." In an episode that may hold parallels to the current special counsel investigation, Barr was attorney general when Bush on Christmas Eve 1992 pardoned six former Reagan administration officials including former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger in the Iran-Contra scandal. Barr said in a 2001 University of Virginia oral history interview that he supported the pardons. "I certainly did not oppose any of them," Barr said. "I favored the broadest There were some people arguing just for Weinberger, and I said, 'No, in for a penny, in for a pound.'" Those who worked with Barr previously were quick to tout Barr's qualifications. "I think the president has chosen a superb nominee who is precisely what the Department of Justice needs now, which is a steady hand," said Joseph diGenova, a Trump supporter and former U.S. attorney. Paul McNulty, who worked at the Justice Department under Barr and a decade later became deputy attorney general, recalled him as decisive on the need for a strong federal response after the riots in Los Angeles following the acquittals on state charges of police officers involved in the Rodney King beating. He praised Barr's "boldness and thoughtfulness" in sending in the FBI to deal with a 1991 Alabama prison riot involving dozens of Cuban detainees. Barr, who was acting attorney general at the time of the Talladega prison riots, has said he overruled a Bureau of Prisons plan to respond and instead directed the FBI to go in, telling officials there'd be no concessions and to prepare for a hostage rescue situation. McNulty, now president of Pennsylvania's Grove City College, said Barr "has an extraordinary strategic mind so that as he thinks through the issues factually, he has a remarkable ability to then think about steps forward what plan of action makes the most sense in light of these facts and these circumstances." ___ Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Zeke Miller in Washington and Darlene Superville in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report. ___ On Twitter, follow Michael Balsamo at https://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1 , Eric Tucker at https://twitter.com/etuckerAP and Chad Day at https://twitter.com/etuckerAP . Nuwakot Palace cries for urgent makeover Government apathy will soon reduce the historic Sat Tale Durbar (seven-storey palace) in Nuwakot to ruins. By Joshua Franklin and Heather Somerville NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc has filed paperwork for an initial public offering, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, taking a step closer to a key milestone for one of the most closely watched and controversial companies in Silicon Valley. The ride-hailing company filed the confidential paperwork on Thursday, one of the sources said, in lock-step with its smaller U.S. rival, Lyft Inc, which also announced on Thursday it had filed for an IPO. The simultaneous filings extend the protracted battle between Uber and Lyft, which as fierce rivals have often rolled out identical services and matched each other's prices. Uber is eager to beat Lyft to Wall Street, according to sources familiar with the matter, a sign of the company's entrenched competitiveness. Its filing sets the stage for one of the biggest technology listings ever. Uber's valuation in its most recent private financing was $76 billion, and it could be worth $120 billion in an IPO. Its listing next year would be the largest in what is expected to be a string of public debuts by highly valued Silicon Valley companies, including apartment-renting company Airbnb Inc and workplace messaging firm Slack. Ongoing market volatility, however, could alter companies' plans. The IPO will be a test of public market investor tolerance for Uber's legal and workplace controversies, which embroiled the company for most of last year, and on Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi's progress in turning around the company. Khosrowshahi took over just over than a year ago, and has repeatedly stated publicly he would take Uber public in 2019. In August, he hired the company's first chief financial officer in more than three years. Together, Uber and Lyft will test public market investor appetitive for the ride-hailing business, which emerged less than a decade ago and has proven wildly popular, but also unprofitable. Story continues Uber in the third quarter lost $1.07 billion and is struggling with slowing growth, although its gross bookings, at $12.7 billion, reflect the company's enormous scale. Its revenue for the quarter was $2.95 billion, a 5 percent boost from the previous quarter. Its bookings grew just six percent for the quarter. Uber has raised about $18 billion from an array of investors since 2010, and it now faces a deadline to go public. An investment by SoftBank that closed in January, which gave the Japanese investor a 15 percent stake in Uber, included a provision that requires Uber to file for an IPO by Sept. 30 of next year or the company risks allowing restrictions on shareholder stock transfers to expire. Uber has not formally chosen underwriting banks, although Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are likely to get the lead roles, sources told Reuters. Lyft hired JPMorgan Chase & Co, Credit Suisse and Jefferies as underwriters. The Wall Street Journal reported Uber's filing earlier on Friday. HISTORY OF SCANDAL Becoming a public company will bring a heightened level of investor scrutiny and exposure to Uber, which suffered a string of scandals when the company was led by co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, who resigned last year. The controversies included allegations of sexual harassment, obtaining the medical records of a woman raped by an Uber driver in India, a massive data breach, and federal investigations into issues including possibly paying bribes to officials and illicit software to evade regulators. Khosrowshahi and his leadership team have worked to reset the workplace culture and clean up the messes, including settlements with U.S. states over the data breach and with Alphabet's self-driving car unit, Waymo, which had sued Uber for trade-secrets theft. Uber today is a different company than the vision its founders pitched to early investors, which helped it become the most highly valued venture-backed company in the United States. After concessions in China, Russia and Southeast Asia, where Uber sold its business to a local competitor, and the prospect of another merger in the Middle East, Uber is far from being the dominant global ride-hailing service it set out to be. Still, Uber operates in more than 70 countries, while Lyft is in the U.S. and Canada, although the smaller company is plotting a global expansion. Uber has also added a number of other businesses, which are growing but have yet to show sustainable profits, in a bid to become a one-stop mobility app. Those include freight hauling, food delivery and electric bike and scooter rentals. Meanwhile, its self-driving car unit is costing the company about $200 million a quarter, according to investors, but Uber's program has retrenched since one of its autonomous cars killed a pedestrian in March. (Writing by Heather Somerville. Additional reporting by Ismail Shakil in Bengaluru; Liana Baker and Greg Roumeliotis in New York; Editing by Sandra Maler & Simon Cameron-Moore) (Bloomberg Opinion) -- There goes the future of Chinese surveillance giant Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. For months, the risk of sanctions or other penalties has been hanging over Hikvision, one of the worlds largest makers of security cameras and other spying equipment. In August, President Donald Trump signed a law that forbade U.S. government agencies from buying surveillance products from Chinese firms including Hikvision, ZTE Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. In September, the New York Times reported that the U.S. was considering sanctions against companies and Chinese officials over Beijings detention of thousands of ethnic Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in internment camps. Xinjiang, the western region where this is happening, is dotted with Hikvision cameras. The arrest of Huaweis Chief Financial Officer (and the daughter of its founder) Meng Wanzhou over potential violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran brings all this to a head. If this is the tack the Trump administration is now taking with Chinese businesses, then investors shouldnt be surprised if Hikvision, whose largest shareholder is a state-owned company, goes next. As with Huawei and ZTE, a company dependent upon U.S.-made components is looking vulnerable at a time when Washingtons enforcement of its sanctions is growing more robust. Hikvision has sold over 1,000 cameras to a massive surveillance network across Iran for one of the countrys largest lenders, Bank Tejarat. In November, the U.S. Treasury re-imposed sanctions on Tejarat, along with other Iranian entities. Theres no suggestion that Hikvision has been selling U.S. components to Iran in violation of sanctions, the issue that tripped up ZTE. Consider how a supplier ban like that imposed on ZTE earlier this year would hit Hikvision. For many of its components, there arent many non-U.S. alternatives. It has a high reliance on Xilinx Inc. and Intel Corp. for certain integrated circuits used in its industrial cameras (part of its fastest-growing business), and relies on Intel and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. for parts of its central control equipment. Story continues U.S. supplier Ambarella Inc., which sells image-processing chips to Hikvision, noted in its earnings call last month that it was already seeing a reduction in their orders, particularly in the high end of the product range normally associated with their export business, thanks to the U.S. procurement ban. Thats just the start. In a scenario where Hikvision had no access to U.S. parts, Bernstein analysts estimate, 10 percent of its revenue would be at high risk (because there are no alternative suppliers) and 10 to 12 percent at medium risk (with no ideal alternatives). A third of Hikvisions sales are overseas. Of those, about a quarter are to the U.S. and 20 percent to Europe. To be sure, the rapid growth of Chinas domestic surveillance market into smaller cities and rise of facial recognition, behavior prediction and so-called deep learning technologies could help offset some of this. Hikvision has started steering into the artificial intelligence space with a mobile surveillance system that can store up to 300,000 faces. At the same time, Hikvisions sizeable business supporting the Chinese security state should be cold comfort given its dependence upon imported U.S. components. ZTE got out of its problems thanks to the payment of as much as $2.29 billion in penalties, but the impact on its business (and Huaweis) from tangling with the U.S. government is likely to be lasting. Hikvision USA Inc. has already got itself a bench of lobbyists including Mercury Public Affairs, Burson-Marsteller LLC and Sidley Austin, paying them hundreds of thousands of dollars to help deal with these policy issues, according to government documents. But just the threat of sanctions has weighed on Hikvisions stock price. The shares were down around 27 percent this year by Wednesday, despite decent financial results. Following news of the Huawei arrest Thursday, they shed another 4.5 percent. However good the fundamentals around this company look, they wont hold much sway with investors while the long arm of U.S. law is looming. To contact the author of this story: Anjani Trivedi at atrivedi39@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: David Fickling at dfickling@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Anjani Trivedi is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies in Asia. She previously worked for the Wall Street Journal. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion 2018 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Toru Kawanishi and Keita Mori met in Tokyo while studying biochemistry, but moved to Silicon Valley to launch their firm, betting it would be easier to bring their products to clinical trials in the U.S. Their ideas were ambitious. SanBio Co., founded in 2001, sought to use stem cells to restore function to people suffering from traumatic brain and spinal injuries and neurological disorders such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons disease and stroke. Now, after 17 years and a return to Japan to take advantage of a more accommodating regulatory regime, the pair have struck it rich. On Nov. 1, SanBio disclosed results of a phase 2 clinical trial that showed patients with traumatic brain injury achieved statistically significant improvement in motor function when treated with the companys SB623 cells compared to a control group. The news sparked a 155 percent rally for the stock and the company is now the most valuable on the Tokyo Stock Exchanges Mothers market. The markets they are targeting are quite big and they are addressing a clear unmet medical need," said Praveen Kumar, a fund manager who specializes in Japanese equities at Baillie Gifford & Co. and took a stake SanBio about three years ago. He still sees huge potential" for the shares. SanBios success has bolstered its founders personal fortunes. Kawanishi, now executive chairman, holds a 25 percent stake that makes him a billionaire, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Mori owns 12 percent, worth $500 million, filings show. SanBios success reflects dramatic advances in genetic science and vast changes in regulation since its founding. Scientists have discovered that they can modify stem cells from a healthy donor and reintroduce them into another person, bringing the possibility of mass production to regenerative medicine. SanBios cells are injected into the brain and appear to spur the body to repair itself. Kawanishi, 51, previously co-founded CareNet Inc., which supplies medical information to healthcare suppliers online. He was also a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group. Mori, 51, had been head of product development at San Francisco-based startup Xuma and previously worked in research and manufacturing at Kirin Holdings Co. Story continues Kawanishi and Mori moved SanBios main office back to Japan in 2013, anticipating revisions to the countrys pharmaceuticals law that would create one of the most favorable regulatory regimes in the world. The company still maintains an office in Mountain View, California. Based on the results of the clinical trial, SanBio aims to file for marketing approval in Japan by January 2020. This month, it secured a 2 billion yen ($17.8 million) loan commitment from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. for manufacturing, logistics and sales of the drug. China took a similar path last year as it announced new rules in an effort to speed up approvals of medicines and medical devices. That resulted in a rapid rise of several new billionaires. Read More: Road to China Drug Riches Runs Through the Bronx, New Jersey Biotech companies have repeatedly tapped equity markets this year to take advantage of investor demand. Moderna Inc. went public this week, raising about $604 million. Kumar said he first met SanBios management while they were in the process of relocating to Tokyo. We liked the management team, their long-term vision for the company and the science behind their approach to developing this treatment," he said. Theyre focusing on developing an actual cure for a medical condition," not a treatment that just improves quality of life. (Updates with Moderna IPO in 12th paragraph.) To contact the reporters on this story: Yoojung Lee in Singapore at ylee504@bloomberg.net;Simone Foxman in New York at sfoxman4@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Peter Eichenbaum For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. For the 10th consecutive year, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) has been recognized by the Employees' Choice Awards as one of the 2019 Best Places to Work. Thousands of Southwest employees from Dallas to Des Moines to the Dominican Republic have lauded the company for its opportunities for career growth, exceptional company culture, and unbeatable perks. Ranking 10th overall among large U.S. employers and No. 1 among airlines, Southwest credits its Glassdoor award win to one thing: employee feedback. Being able to hear team members early and often has ensured that the executive leadership and managers can consistently improve experiences. A Southwest employee gives a thumbs-up on the tarmac, amid several planes. Image source: Southwest Airlines. "When it comes to engagement, an astounding percentage of our employees describe their career at Southwest as a calling," says Greg Muccio, director of people at Southwest. "Not a stepping stone. Not a job. A calling." It's a source of pride for him, and one of the main reasons Muccio has been with the airline for nearly 18 years. Because Southwest is focused on its people, hiring is a top priority. And while other companies may place technical skills over traits like conflict resolution and dependability, for Southwest, Muccio says, those soft skills are essential. "Instead of calling them soft skills, I would actually call them essential skills," he says. "Some of the most crucial of these skills include: communication, teamwork, leadership, relationship-building, balance, reliability, and dependability." Read on to hear more about how soft skills and the ability to positively interact with customers could make you a perfect fit for a job at Southwest. Plus, learn what Muccio says is in store for the future of aviation and hiring. Glassdoor: Congratulations on the win again this year -- Southwest has won 10 times now! What does it mean to have Southwest employees honor the company as a 2019 Best Place to Work? Story continues Greg Muccio: This recognition is especially meaningful because it comes from our own employees. In fact, our internal celebration of this honor will say "We're No. 10 because of the No. 1 employees in the business." We were founded on -- and have maintained -- a people-centric philosophy, and our people are at the forefront of every decision we make. We are focused on being the best place to work, and to be recognized for an unmatched 10 consecutive years by our employees and Glassdoor is validation that our efforts are paying off. Glassdoor: What are two or three steps your company has taken within the last year to double down on company culture, employee engagement, and employee feedback that may have led to this win? Greg Muccio: We take our employees' feedback very seriously. In addition to our comprehensive annual employee survey, which drives action plans for improvement, we also now send quarterly surveys for a real-time pulse check. We want to offer our employees more frequent touchpoints to provide their feedback, which gives us the opportunity to consistently enhance their experience. When it comes to engagement, an astounding percentage of our employees describe their career at Southwest as 'a calling.' Not a stepping stone. Not a job. A calling. We also introduced paid parental leave, a benefit our employees really wanted. This allows the mother, father or both (we have many "LUV Couples," or Employees who are married) to care for and bond with their new addition during the baby's first year of life. When big decisions are made, it's not unusual for our CEO Gary Kelly and other senior leaders to ask, "What does this mean for employees?" before making a decision. We are always asking the questions "How can we care for our employees?" and "How can we improve their experience?" Glassdoor: This award speaks volumes about the company, but also signals to job seekers that this is an amazing place to work. Why should job seekers apply for an open role at Southwest? What are two to three benefits, practices, or traditions that are unique to your company? Greg Muccio: When you think of a career at an airline, many candidates are excited about the free flights. And those are definitely a nice perk! But our culture is what sets us apart. What you read about Southwest will never be able to fully capture the heart of our employee experience. Regardless of the position, I think we do a really good job of providing purpose in our work -- a shared cause to rally around. And, speaking of rallying ... each year, we spend the month of February hosting Southwest Rallies in some of our cities. Part state-of-the-union, part family reunion and party, this event is like none other. It's an opportunity for our employees to hear from our senior-most leaders on the direction of the company, ask questions and of course, have fun. Sure, we offer great benefits. We invest in our employees. Our financial rewards include 44 consecutive years of profit-sharing payments, with our 2017 contribution coming in at $543 million to our employees. We have a generous 401(k) match. And, we offer high-quality and low-cost medical benefit packages that truly provide safety and security for our employees and their families -- this is a comforting feeling. We also encourage employees to get involved with causes they're passionate about. Employees are encouraged to volunteer for causes that matter most to them, and Southwest supports them through our Tickets for Time program by donating round-trip tickets to nonprofits based on employee volunteer hours. Plus, we offer several volunteer opportunities throughout the year to allow employees to make a difference with their Southwest Family. In 2017, [employees] logged an astounding 180,000 volunteer hours! There are too many fun and quirky things about working at Southwest to list here, but we rounded up a list of a few of our favorites if you want to take a look." Glassdoor: Glassdoor is all about transparency and helping people everywhere find a job and company they love. What insights can you share about the interview process at Southwest? What types of questions do you ask, and what kind of soft skills do you look for? Greg Muccio: First and foremost, it is not a cliche when we ask candidates to be themselves in an interview. We genuinely desire that. Southwest is not a place where you have to separate your true self from your work environment self. We want you to bring your passions to our company to ensure this is the right fit. We are known for our values that make up what we call 'Living the Southwest Way.' Those are a Warrior Spirit, a Servant's Heart and a Fun-LUVing Attitude. We challenge our recruiting team to only hire candidates who embody all three of these core values. It is the criteria on which we measure our employees, so the majority of our questions revolve around these three things. Glassdoor: How do you screen candidates to ensure that they will be engaged and have that Fun-LUVing Attitude? Greg Muccio: I challenge our recruiters to not be afraid to present to a hiring department a candidate who may not have all the hard skills they want, but who truly displays all of our core values. We can train for skill, but attitude is a bit harder to teach. On the flip side of that, they should never consider someone who is not a Southwest fit. We are going to spend as much energy seeking to understand each candidate's attitude as we do identifying his/her hard skills. Engagement is a two-way street, and this process helps us hire candidates who are already living the Southwest way and exemplifying our values. Glassdoor: Southwest has long been a partner of Glassdoor's. How are you using our platform to attract the types of candidates you're looking for? Greg Muccio: We share Glassdoor's commitment to transparency, both for our customers and for our job candidates. For our customers, it means treating customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Bags fly free and there are no change fees. Likewise, we are transparent about our positions and our hiring process. It is important for people to fully understand the elements of each job. We want people to know the benefits and the challenges, because it will provide a more realistic viewpoint of each role. For example, part of working on the ramp is being outside. If you don't enjoy physical work in unpredictable climates, we want you to have the opportunity to determine, 'this isn't the right position for me.' Some elements of a job will never change, and people deserve to know them on the front end. Glassdoor: You've been with Southwest for almost two decades. What keeps you engaged? How can other employers retain top-notch employees like you? Greg Muccio: I've been here for 17.5 years. It really is the people I work with who make coming to work each day enjoyable. I also appreciate the challenging work that I get to tackle in my role. Overall, I'm motivated by the mission of Southwest and getting to be a part of something that is so much bigger than me. Glassdoor: What's next for Southwest? Greg Muccio: Well, we're very excited because Southwest has announced its intention to sell tickets in 2018 for service to Hawaii, subject to requisite governmental approvals. It's astounding to see how this little airline from Texas has evolved into the nation's largest domestic carrier! Specific to careers, we have a very heavy focus in 2019 to continue to enhance our candidate experience, both internally and externally. We are focused on making our application processes more transparent and efficient. Glassdoor: Looking ahead to 2019, how can job seekers get prepared for the future of work in the aviation industry? Greg Muccio: As a whole, the industry's big focus is on innovation. At the micro level, innovation is centered on each airline's customers and employees. On the macro level, it means staying competitive with other airlines. Airlines are asking more for more support from the government in relation to innovative opportunities. To be successful in this industry, one must be agile and able to manage large volumes of change. There are many variables that are outside of our control that impact our operations, so there is more pressure to adapt. Change is constant in the airline industry. This article originally appeared on Glassdoor.com. More From The Motley Fool Glassdoor has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. PHC endorses four names for ambassadorial appointment The Parliamentary Hearing Committee (PHC) unanimously endorsed the ambassadorial nominees recommended recently by the government for four countries. Shun as a woman... wtf? Fuck them. Reply Thread Link YAS Reply Parent Thread Link BOY. I just said "oh no" while watching this over and over. The animation looks like any random children's show, the voice acting now makes it seem like it's a typical US show for boys and female Shun is... no thanks. Reply Thread Link why does this look like a knack game Reply Thread Link why does netflix waste their money on shit like this Reply Thread Link OK netflix just stay away from mangas in general Also what the fuck is this animation? Shun is clearly not a woman though (no mask) so I don't get that part? Are people just assuming because of the voice or did netflix mention it? Edited at 2018-12-09 12:01 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Then we discussed Andromeda. Everyone agrees - an AWESOME character. So what if the original was "Andromeda Shun" and our interpretation was "Andromeda Shaun"? The more we developed it, the more we saw the potential. A great character with a great look. Eugene Son (@eugeneson) December 9, 2018 The writer/producer confirmed it. Reply Parent Thread Link then where the fuck is her mask? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link what a dumb ass Reply Parent Thread Link Can Netflix just... stick to buy the rights to already airing anime? Or the most, do what they did with Violet Evergarden and stream the episodes once per week? Reply Thread Link Ugh I knew this series is bound to get fucked up like this. This is even the worst there is. So upsetting Reply Thread Link Lmao that cgi is awful Reply Thread Link Making Shun a woman and trying to pass it as inclusion is frankly insulting. You turn the non gender conforming, queer coded, pink wearing boy into the token female? Why not making Ikki a girl? I'm not buying this. Reply Thread Link THISSSSS. ALL OF THISSSSSS. I'm so fucking mad. Reply Parent Thread Link Exactly! This is bs. And surprisingly most fans are mad about this because all of you said, not because Shun "is supposed to be a man". Reply Parent Thread Link he even goes on and on about Toei trying to talk him out of it Reply Parent Thread Link when even toei tells u to stop... Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh, screw you Netflix. Reply Thread Link Animation looks as good as those Barbie movies that look like they were made with a 20 dollar budget. Also that Shun thing is so dumb and why is she not wearing a mask Reply Thread Link this looks like a game lmao Reply Thread Link Wtf is this bs. I hope it fails really hard. Also making Andromeda a girl. Just fuck them. Reply Thread Link The specter of a rumored U.S. military buildup in Cyprus that would draw a major Russian response now adds to the ongoing Greek Cypriot-Turkish conflict over the island and the oil and gas riches it promises. Ever since the massive hydrocarbon discovery in Cyprus exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in 2011 by American company Noble Energy the island has been the center of a geopolitical game that doesnt stop with rife tensions between Turkey and the Greek Cypriots. And now this game is drawing nearer to its climax, with much at stake. Cyprus--an island in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Seais divided into the Greek-dominated Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish-controlled north. Since 2004, the Republic of Cyprus has been a member of the European Union, and the northern entity remains recognized solely by Turkey. But it is the EEZthe exclusive economic zonewhere this geopolitical game of chess is being played out. (Click to enlarge) Generally, Turkey doesn't accept the jurisdiction of Cyprus over the EEZ, and particularly the process of bidding on and awarding concession for offshore oil and gas drilling. Every attempt by Nicosia to invite international companies to explore offshore has been met with a strong reaction from Turkey, which is constantly looking for geopolitical leverage in this battle. From the Turkish perspective, the Greek Cypriots persist in ignoring the equal and inalienable rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriot side on natural resources of the island. Indeed, everything in correlation with oil and gas on Cyprus has a specific political weight and is highly sensitive. Fiona Mullen, Director of Sapienta Economics in Nicosia, told Oilprice.com that even though Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots argue that a Greek Cypriot-only government should not be recognized because the Republic of Cyprus constitution provides for power-sharing, over time UN resolutions and other case law have favored the Greek Cypriots, which form the internationally recognized government. More generally, you hear countries like the U.S. supporting the Republic of Cyprus right to explore and exploit its hydrocarbons--but they always add that it should be equitably shared in the context of a solution to the Cyprus problem, Mullen said. Enter Exxon Amid the verbal war between Cyprus and Turkey, and maritime maneuverings that suggests it could go beyond verbal at any timeU.S. oil major ExxonMobil has started drilling an exploration well offshore Cyprus in the EEZ. Launched two weeks ago, tensions are at a new high. And everyone from Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, the United States and all of Europeand beyondhave a keen interest in what happens next. At question most immediately is Block 10, of which Exxon is the operator with partner Qatar Petroleum. The partners were awarded the exploration license in December 2016, as a part of the countrys third licensing round. As expected, Turkey has sharply protested against the move, accusing foreign companies of contributing to the destabilization of the region. This is a breaking point. Everyone should know that we will not yield even an inch of our rights and interests at sea, Turkish media quoted Binali Yildirim, the speaker of Turkeys Grand National Assembly, as saying. Turkish accusations were met with a response from Washington that was less than desirable, even if it did mention sharing. When Exxon started drilling two weeks ago, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon said we certainly were happy to see U.S. company involvement and continued opportunities here... we reiterated the U.S. long-standing position of recognizing Cyprus rights to develop its resource wealth in its EEZ... we believe that resource wealth should be shared with all communities on the island equitably in the context of a comprehensive settlement." Despite some recent showdowns on the sea, with Cypriots carefully watching Turkish seismic vessels that Ankara claims the Greeks have been harassing, Mullen doesnt believe that Turkey will try to halt Exxons drillingfor now. But exploration is different than production "It looks as though Turkey will not try to disrupt Exxons, partly because its Exxon and partly because Block 10 is not in the area claimed by Turkey as its continental shelf and not in the areas that the Turkish Cypriots have licensed. However, Turkey has said several times that it will not allow production of hydrocarbons. So, if the Cyprus problem remains unresolved, and we reach production stage, this is the point of maximum risk of an offshore conflict..." Mullen told Oilprice.com. Earlier in November, Ankara announced its own oil and gas plans in areas licensed by the Turkish Cypriots to Turkish Petroleum. Its in Ankara interest to allow Exxons exploration to find what it will find because any luck here will assist Turkey in its own exploration efforts. Nor is Exxon the only player in this intricate game. Two other oil majorsFrench Total SA and Italy Enihave announced a joint bid to explore offshore Cyprus in Block 7despite warnings from Turkey over claims to this area. Block 7 activitiesif the November 26 exploration permit is approved by the Cypriot Energy Ministrywill be a much bigger bone of contention with Turkey. From the Turkish standpoint, Block 7 remains within the outer limits of Turkeys continental shelf in the Eastern Mediterranean. "The reckless behavior of Greece -- supported by European states -- acting together with the Greek Cypriot administration is a danger and above all a threat to themselves. We will use our rights under international law and conventions to the end. And we are determined to put in their place anyone who wants to stop us. Profiteering is wrong. Profiteering in international relations is much worse, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned. These, according to the Greek Foreign Ministry, are Turkish provocations that will undermine regional stability at a critical juncture []. From an economic point of view, the stakes are enormous in Cyprus EEZ. There are studies and research that confirm impressive hydrocarbon potential here, but everyones still waiting for the vein of gold to be revealed. So a lot is riding on Exxon. According to Mullen, the jury is still out, but back in 2016, the government mentioned that it could earn $500-$600m per year from Aphrodite, which is around 4-4.5 tcf. This would be equivalent to around 10% of annual government revenue. Aphrodite gas is still stuck in the ground because the price is not right for the companies, so at the moment this is all hypothetical. There are high hopes in Cyprus that Block 10 will yield a big find, Mullen added. Still stuck in the ground or not, what makes Aphrodite so mouth-watering is its locationvery close to Israels Leviathan gas field, the discovery of which was a game-changer for Israel. According to the US Geological Survey, an estimated 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas lie, along with 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil under the Levant Basin seabed. (Click to enlarge) If Exxons exploration hits that vein of gold, the oil giant has said it is prepared to build and LNG plant to sweeten the deal. That would mean multiple revenues streams for Cyprus, and a nice lineup of jobs, too. The stakes become even higher, according to Mullen, when you consider that Cyprus would also get the related boost of becoming a regional energy hubsomething she equates with a much higher level of geopolitical risk. Rumblings from Russia wont help, either. On December 5, Moscow warned Cyprus not to allow the U.S. military to deploy on the island in a move the Russian Foreign Ministry described as anti-Russian plans. Moscow claims that Washington is considering setting up forward operating bases for its troops in Cyprus, citing various sources, Reuters reported. While Washington has responded to the Russian statement, Cyprusa bastion of Russian businessmenwould be a key location for countering Russia. And massive oil and gas exploration operations would be the ticket in. By Damir Kaletovic for Oilprice.com Wang Ruilin, the top military aide to Chinas late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, died on Saturday in Beijing at the age of 88, according to people close to the matter. General Wang Ruilin, former deputy head of the Peoples Liberation Armys General Political Department, passed away at the PLAs General Hospital in Beijing on Saturday morning, said a source close to the military, adding that a funeral service would be held on Monday at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in the Chinese capital. Several of Chinas senior officials are expected to attend the funeral or send wreaths, the person said. Wangs death was confirmed by two other sources, one of whom said he had known the once powerful military man personally. Wang was Dengs secretary from before the Cultural Revolution [1966-76], the person said. He wielded huge power in Dengs heyday during the 1980s, when every single senior leader who wanted to see Deng had to go through Wang. Even Zhao Ziyang, a former general secretary of Chinas ruling Communist Party who was sacked after the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and died in 2005 while under house arrest, said in his memoir Prisoner of the State that Wang stopped him from seeing Deng in the days leading up to the June 4 crackdown. I was eager to talk with Deng and to gain his support, he wrote. I phoned Wang Ruilin asking for a meeting with Deng, but Wang said Deng had not been feeling well lately and he worried that his health problems might make him unable to receive [then Russian leader Mikhail] Gorbachev, which would be a serious matter indeed. So he asked that I not report anything to him at that time. To this day, I still believe that what Wang said was the truth; Deng was indeed in bad health then. A native of east Chinas Shandong province, Wang joined the PLA in 1946 at the age of 16, and became Dengs secretary in the early 1950s, around the time Deng was appointed vice-premier. Story continues But when Deng fell out of favour with Mao Zedong at the start of the Cultural Revolution and lost all of his party and government positions, Wang was implicated, and in August 1967, 10 months after his bosss downfall, was sent to be re-educated through labour at the May Seventh Cadre School. Dengs fortunes fluctuated significantly during the Cultural Revolution and when, in 1973, he was reappointed as vice-premier, Wang resumed his job as his secretary. In 1981, Deng took over as chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission and two years later appointed Wang as director of its administrative office. There has long been a tradition for Chinas supreme leaders to appoint only their most trusted aides to head the CMC General Office. The incumbent is Major General Zhong Shaojun, a man regarded as a protege of President Xi Jinping. Deng Xiaoping died in 1997 at the age of 92. This article Deng Xiaopings top aide in Chinese army, Wang Ruilin, dies aged 88 first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. THIS has been a long-standing debate: What is Filipino architecture? Or is there such thing? More than just building enclosures and creating spaces, architects usually make sure that the building design THIS has been a long-standing debate: What is Filipino architecture? Or is there such thing? More than just building enclosures and creating spaces, architects usually make sure that the building design fits to its local context and reflect the traditions and culture to be more connected to its environment, the community, and especially to its people. In the case of Filipinos, the search for a true Filipino architecture could be problematic. Being a colony of different countries, the local culture got entwined with mostly western influences. This may work both ways in creating a national identity in our architecture. Every second week of December, the country observes National Architecture Week (NAW), through a presidential declaration some years ago under then president Ferdinand Marcos. This years theme, PanaNAW: Visions of Filipino Architecture, reminds us to not just rediscover our history but create building designs we can call our own. Here are some ways how Filipino style is perceived. Native look. More often than not, people associate whatever they consider as Filipino in architecture to the native materials that are used in the construction of a building. The bahay kubo has always been a convenient reference if people think about Filipino architecture. However, Pinoys cannot claim exclusivity to this indigenous house since it (or its related variants) is also found in neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. Yet with this, the materiality of a design has been made as basis in interpreting a Filipino approach to designing buildings. The recently conferred National Artist for Architecture, Francisco Bobby Manosas buildings such as the Coconut Palace in Manila, have been strongly characterized by the use of native materials and vernacular forms. Here in Cebu, old Spanish-era houses in the downtown area of Cebu City as well as heritage-rich cities and towns like Carcar, boasts of mestizo architecture such as the bahay na bato, which mixes native and foreign design influence. This is also considered Filipino. Story continues Toward the intangibles. Some architects say that the Filipino side of architecture is not just exhibited in the use of nipa, bamboo and coco lumber in buildings but also can be unraveled in how spaces and rooms are planned inside an edifice. The presence of readily accessible communal spaces in a building such as a house or a mall reflects the generally jovial and sociable nature of Filipinos. Installing an elaborate altar in the family room usually mirrors almost typically, deep religiosity of a Filipino family. The way a building responds to the tropical climate prevalent in the country may also contribute into a buildings being Filipino. Modernizing the vernacular. Foreign influence continues to create its imprint in architecture in many countries, including the Philippines. With modern design concepts popping out, architects also find these innovations practical for the local conditions. The rigid, brutalist forms of Brazilian modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer is evident in how another National Artist for Architecture, Leandro Locsin, weaved his design of notable buildings such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which gives the impression of a floating solid block. The form is said to be an abstraction of the stilted bahay kubo. The quest to arriving at something distinctly Filipino in architecture may not necessarily lead us to creating unique architecture such as the traditional forms solidly established by the Chinese or Japanese. With globalization, the manner of injecting the vernacular vibe in building design may lie on how Filipinos adapt to the changes positively while maintaining a firm grip on their history and treasuring the practical values that come with their storied past. Renewable and fossil-fuel energy is produced when wind generators are seen in front of a coal fired power plant near Jackerath, Germany, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) A diplomatic standoff over a single word could set the stage for a bigger showdown during the second half of this year's U.N. climate summit. Negotiators took time out Sunday to rest after the first week of talks ended on a sour note the previous night, when the United States sided with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in blocking endorsement of a landmark study on global warming. "I think it was a key moment," said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The fact that a group of four countries were trying to diminish the value and importance of a scientific report they themselves, with all other countries, requested three years ago in Paris is pretty remarkable." The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's special report on what would happen if average global temperatures rise by 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), and how to ensure they don't go higher, was widely regarded as a wake-up call for policy-makers when it was released in October . As diplomats wrapped up a week of technical talks Saturday, almost all 200 countries present in Katowice, Poland, had wanted to "welcome" the IPCC report, making it the benchmark for future action. But the U.S. and three other delegations objected. "The United States was willing to note the report and express appreciation to the scientists who developed it, but not to welcome it, as that would denote endorsement of the report," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "As we have made clear in the IPCC and other bodies, the United States has not endorsed the findings of the report." A woman holds up a globe demanding action on climate change during a demonstration in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP) Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait also called for the study to be "noted" but not "welcomed." While none of the four-oil exporting countries spelled it out, their objection to the report likely included its suggestion that fossil-fuel use needs to be phased out by 2050. Oil, gas and coal are major sources of carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the atmosphere. The 2015 Paris agreement set a target of keeping global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), ideally 1.5 C by the end of the century. "A 1.5 C and a 2 C worlds are very different in terms of mean climate, extremes, sea level rise, and climate-related risks," said one of the report's leading contributors, Valerie Masson-Delmotte. The higher threshold increases the likelihood of "climate change hot spots challenging basic water, food, economic security and the risk of irreversible loss of wildlife," she said. Observers at the talks said the two Gulf countries' objection to the IPCC report came as no surprise. "The Saudis with their sidekicks the Kuwaitis have long been troublemakers in this in this process," said Meyer, who has followed international climate negotiations for many years. A climate conference participant looks at a police officer during the March for Climate, a protest against global warming in Katowice, Poland, Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, as the COP24 UN Climate Change Conference takes place in the city. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Russia's intentions were unclear, he said, while the U.S. position appeared to be driven by what he called President Donald Trump 's "cavalier attitude toward science in general and climate science in particular." "It's really an embarrassment for the world's leading scientific superpower to be in this position of having to disbelieve a report that was written by the world's scientific community including a large number of pre-eminent U.S. scientists," Meyer said. Saturday's floor fight casts doubt on whether countries will be able to reach consensus on important issues by Friday, including the need to step up national targets to curb carbon emissions. While many countries are sending ministers or even national leaders to the talks, the U.S. and Britain are among the countries that will be represented only by bureaucrats. 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 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. President promulgates ordinance on integration of civil servants President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Sunday promulgated the ordinance on Integration of Civil Servants. Nirmala rape, murder: Protests continue even as police claim narrowing list of suspects Even as police claim they have narrowed down the investigation to a few suspects in the Nirmala Pant rape and murder case, activists and civil society members continue protests, questioning police over the authenticity of the new suspects. Sunkoshi-Kamala project on Centres priority list: Pun Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Barsha Man Pun has said the government had placed the Sunkoshi-Kamala-Marin Diversion Project on its priority list and it would be implemented soon. Mark James Miller is an associate instructor in English at Allan Hancock College, and president of the Part-Time Faculty Association. He can be reached at mark@pfaofahc.com. Rounding up negative reactions to William Barr's nomination to be next US Attorney General | Main | After Virginia jury convicts James Fields of first-degree murder for killing in Charlottesville, same jury to begin considering sentence December 9, 2018 New study highlights that "1 in 2 people in the United States has had an immediate family member incarcerated" This recent USA Today piece, headlined "'This isn't just numbers but lives': Half of Americans have family members who've been incarcerated," reports on a notable new report about the real scope of incarceration in the so-called land of the free. Here is how the press account gets started: One of Felicity Rose's first memories of her father is of the sheet of glass that separated them when she visited him in prison. Growing up, she tried to hide his past, the prison sentences that kept him behind bars for drug crimes and the ripple effect it had on her family, both financially and psychologically. Over time, Rose realized her family wasn't alone. Her story was one of millions, as noted in a first-of-its-kind study released Thursday by FWD.us, where Rose works directing research on criminal justice. Among the findings, obtained first by USA TODAY, were that half of adults in the USA have an immediate family member who has been incarcerated. That's about 113 million people who have a close family member who has spent time behind bars. The study by FWD.us, an organization critical of U.S. immigration and criminal justice policy, was done in partnership with Cornell University. The conclusions were drawn from a survey of more than 4,000 people, a sample size representative of the U.S. population. I recommend the full FWD.us report, titled "Every Second: The Impact of the Incarceration Crisis on Americas Families," in both its electronic form and in its 55-page hard copy form. Here is the executive summary from the report: On any given day, there are more than 1.5 million people behind bars in state or federal prisons in the United States. Admissions to local jails have exceeded 10 million each year for at least the past 20 years. These figures are staggering, but the long reach of incarceration extends well beyond the jail and prison walls to the families on the other side. New research from FWD.us and Cornell University shows that approximately one in two adults (approximately 113 million people) has had an immediate family member incarcerated for at least one night in jail or prison. One in seven adults has had an immediate family member incarcerated for at least one year, and one in 34 adults has had an immediate family member spend 10 years or longer in prison. Today, an estimated 6.5 million people have an immediate family member currently incarcerated in jail or prison (1 in 38). The negative effects that individuals experience after being incarcerated are well documented, but much less is known about the incredible direct and indirect harms and challenges that families face when a loved one has been taken away. This report examines this important but understudied aspect of mass incarceration and provides new estimates on the prevalence of family incarceration for parents, siblings, spouses, and children. The findings reinforce the need to significantly reduce incarceration and support the families that are left behind. Despite limited recent declines in the jail and prison population, an unprecedented number of people continue to be impacted by incarceration and the collateral consequences of that experience which can last a lifetime. Research has shown that even short periods of incarceration can be devastating to peoples lives and additional punishments such as fines and fees, restrictions on employment and housing, and the loss of basic human rights limit opportunities for success long after individuals have completed their sentences. Our study shows that incarceration impacts people from all walks of life for example, rates of family incarceration are similar for Republicans and Democrats but the impact is unevenly borne by communities of color and families who are low-income. Black people are 50 percent more likely than white people to have had a family member incarcerated, and three times more likely to have had a family member incarcerated for one year or longer. People earning less than $25,000 per year are 61 percent more likely than people earning more than $100,000 to have had a family member incarcerated, and three times more likely to have had a family member incarcerated for one year or longer. The remainder of this report examines the prevalence of family incarceration for different demographic groups and communities, the impact of incarceration on family outcomes, and the policies that exacerbate the harmful effects of having a loved one incarcerated. The findings show just how pervasive and entrenched incarceration has become in America, and the results should convince decision-makers and the public to take a hard look at the policies that drive incarceration and the opportunities to strengthen families rather than tear them apart. December 9, 2018 at 01:13 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa is seen at the request of Saudi Arabia, in Cairo, Egypt, November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh By Stephen Kalin RIYADH (Reuters) - A Gulf Arab summit called for regional unity as Bahrain and Qatar traded barbs over the Qatari emir's decision not to attend the gathering in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in a sign that a row between Doha and its neighbours is still festering. Qatar sent its state minister for foreign affairs to the annual one-day summit, which was overshadowed by the economic and diplomatic boycott of Doha since mid-2017 by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt over allegations Doha supports terrorism, which Qatar denies. "Qatar's emir should have accepted the fair demands (of the boycotting states) and attended the summit," Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said in a tweet. In response, Ahmed bin Saeed AlRumaihi, director of the information office at Qatar's foreign ministry, said: "Qatar can make its own decisions and had attended (last year's) Kuwait summit while the leaders of the boycotting countries did not." He later slammed the final communique for not addressing the boycott, which Qatar says aims to curtail its sovereignty. The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) summit of six member states was held as Riyadh faces international pressure over the Oct 2. murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened the gathering, urging fellow member states Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar to maintain a united front against Iran and terrorism. "This requires all of us to maintain our countries' gains and to work with our partners to preserve security and stability in the region and the world," he said in a speech. The leaders sat around a table in awkward silence at the close before a bland final communique was read out, stressing the importance of maintaining GCC unity in the face of threats to regional stability and to meet economic challenges. The UAE will host the next summit in 2019. Story continues BITTER DIVIDE Doha last week abruptly announced it was exiting the oil exporters' group OPEC after 57 years to focus on gas, in an apparent swipe at the bloc's de facto leader Saudi Arabia.. Riyadh has resisted U.S. pressure to restore ties with Doha following Khashoggi's murder, an act that drew condemnation and scrutiny of the kingdom's assertive regional policies. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir reiterated in a press conference after the summit that Doha must meet the boycotting states' demands and that the dispute would not affect military cooperation. A U.S. State Department official on Sunday urged Gulf states to mend fences to confront Iran and enable a proposed Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) grouping the GCC, Egypt and Jordan. "We'd like to see that unity restored, not on our terms, but on terms of the countries that are involved," Timothy Lenderking, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs, told reporters at a security forum in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Jubeir said proposals for MESA were being "refined" in coordination with the United States. "It is a work in progress that both sides want to succeed," he said. The boycotting states insist the row is not a priority for them while Doha says the dispute harms regional security. Kuwait's ties with Riyadh are also strained over control of shared oilfields in the so-called Neutral Zone, further weakening unity of the GCC which was set up in 1980 as a bulwark against larger neighbours Iran and Iraq. (Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Abu Dhabi, Tuqa Khalid in Dubai and Marwa Rashad in Riyadh; Editing by Ghaida Ghantous, Andrew Roche and Adrian Croft) Deep inside the Sierra Madre mountain range about 60km (37 miles) east of the Philippine capital of Manila, distance is measured in river crossings. It takes 13 crossings a rocky journey by motorcycle, jeep or boat from the administrative centre of the Santa Ines district to reach the remote area known as Sitio Nayon, the ancestral lands of the historically nomadic Dumagat tribe. Even by jeepney, the ubiquitous open-backed passenger truck, the journey takes an hour. Despite the distance, dozens of anxious villagers came together at the local community hall one afternoon to speak out against what they see as a looming threat to their way of life: the China-funded Kaliwa dam. What will happen if we are forced to go elsewhere? We dont know where to go, Dante Alcien, from a nearby district in Lumutan, Quezon province, said to the villagers. The Chinese government is committing a grave sin by building this dam. They are invading our territory. The Dumagats fear that the 12.2 billion peso (US$231 million) mega dam, being built to augment water security for rapidly urbanising Metro Manila will displace them from the lands they have called home for generations. While the government projected that only 56 families would be directly displaced by the dam, villagers are concerned about the unknowns: a lack of information from the government, the potential environmental and flooding impact, and the prospect of approval for bigger dams in their river basin. Across the affected areas of Quezon and Rizal provinces, indigenous peoples have geared up for a long fight. It is a battle that has been raging for nearly four decades starting in the late 1970s, when the project was first conceived during then strongman Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. In late November, the dam officially got the go-ahead to proceed when a loan agreement and commercial contract were signed during Chinese President Xi Jinpings high-profile visit to Manila. Twenty-nine deals were signed during his trip, marking the rapprochement between the two countries under the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Story continues The Kaliwa dam has been both a priority for China in the Philippines and a flagship water project for Dutertes Build, Build, Build programme. Officials aimed to break ground quickly to allay concerns about the security of Manilas water supply and the length of time it is taking the promised Chinese funds to come through. It doesnt look good that after waiting for 38 years, your president cannot even inaugurate it, and this is just a small project in relation to the others, said Reynaldo Velasco, administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the government agency that heads the project. This is how we do things in the Philippines; only in the Philippines. The dam will supply an extra 600 million litres (158.5 million gallons) of water per day to Metro Manila the seat of government and one of the three defined metropolitan areas of the Philippines. It was approved for construction in May 2014 by the National Economic and Development Authority and is the first phase of the broader New Centennial Water Source project, likely to be followed by the larger Kanan and Laiban dams. All three projects will stem from the Kaliwa-Kanan-Agos River Basin, with the Kaliwa dam set to be built in eastern Quezon province and connected to Metro Manila through neighbouring Rizal province by a 27.7km water supply tunnel, capable of conveying 2.4 billion litres per day. Chinese funding was earmarked for the Kaliwa dam as part of the US$9 billion in pledges that Duterte secured from Beijing in 2016. The Chinese government has poured funding into megaprojects around the world, in what observers see as a concerted effort to expand the countrys global presence and influence. Projects funded by Beijing have drawn criticism for laxer lending standards, and raised questions about transparency and the involvement of state-owned contractors. But Duterte, known for his anti-Western rhetoric, welcomes Chinese trade and aid, including Beijings support for his bloody war on drugs. For the Kaliwa dam, the financing model is official development assistance from China, switched over in June 2017 from a public-private partnership. The Export-Import Bank of China, the state-owned provider of export financing, will fund 85 per cent of the project, with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System footing the rest of the bill. Under the official development help model, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines recommended three Chinese companies for the dam. State-owned China Energy was formally awarded the contract in August. Construction is expected to begin next year and finish by 2023, but Velasco has asked the Chinese contractor to finish the dam before Dutertes term ends in 2022, joking that he would hang the companys country manager from a large tree if it was not finished in time. I already put out the rope for him Im just kidding, he said in his office. Im asking them, because it is a big giant company in China, to do it earlier, before my president steps down Its possible. They have the technology. We have vetted their capabilities, and we agreed that they should work 24 hours [a day]. Of course, we cannot push them too hard, [potentially] sacrificing the quality of the work. Globally, concern has been growing about the potential debt trap lurking in Chinese development projects. In the Philippines, worries are compounded by a 2007 government kickbacks scandal with a Chinese telecoms company, and by historic tensions from overlapping claims in the energy-rich South China Sea, waters that Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese are already claiming our territory in the West Philippine Sea, and now they want to gain more by entering into a contract for this dam, Alcien, the Dumagat villager from Quezon, said. Are they content yet from how much they have got? It feels like the Chinese are being greedy. So far, foreign direct investment from China accounts for only about 3 per cent of the Philippines total, lagging far behind countries such as Japan, the United States and Indonesia. But Chinese capital has been flowing into the country rapidly, nearly doubling in the first three months of this year. In 2017, Chinese investment in the Philippines surged 67 per cent from a year earlier to US$53.8 million. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in late November that it was impossible for the Philippines to fall into a debt trap from accepting Chinas loans, since those borrowings made up only a small amount of the countrys total foreign debt. China funds projects in the Philippines based on their needs, Geng said. We believe that the relevant projects will continue to improve peoples livelihoods and spur economic development, giving new impetus for their growth. One much-touted Chinese investment is the US$62 million Chico River Pump irrigation project. Led by the Philippines National Irrigation Administration, the system will provide a stable supply of water to around 8,700 hectares (25,000 acres) of agricultural land, benefit 4,350 farmers and their families and serve 21 districts in the northern Luzon provinces of Cagayan and Kalinga, according to a government report. Although originally envisioned as a dam, it was eventually scaled down to a river pump amid decades of local resistance. Its only our current president who likes China. Before, its always the US [with whom the Philippines had close ties], right? said Ricardo Visaya, administrator for the National Irrigation Administration, which also provided technical consultation for the Kaliwa dam. But really, you can see the result of the cooperation that we established with China and compared to other countries, its cheaper. So there are some [criticisms]. That is normal. There will always be negative reactions as well as positive reactions. Velasco, from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, said debt would not be an issue for Kaliwa. The Chinese contractor, following Velascos instructions, would also hire Filipinos for non-technical jobs to spur local development, he said. We dont want people from outside to bully us, Velasco said. They are all employees, we are the employer They have no other choice, or I will send them back home and I will ask their government to change them. China Energy did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Chinese consulate in the Philippines declined to make ambassador Zhao Jianhua available for an interview, and did not respond to specific questions about the Kaliwa dam. The dam is intended as a medium-term solution to Metro Manilas water security, supplementing the Angat Dam, which provides most of the citys water. According to the waterworks and sewerage system, water supply levels for the city are 7 to 10 per cent above demand, and planning ahead will avoid the need to substantially raise consumers water tariffs. International entities such as the World Bank and the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) are also working with Metro Manila on its water security programme, with ADB financing the Angat water transmission project and providing consultation for the Kaliwa dam. We are helping them [on Kaliwa]. That project was there, even before, but we will be continuing our assistance on the strategy technical assistance, Ramesh Subramaniam, director general of Southeast Asia for the ADB, said. But Philippine environmental and rights groups have disputed the need for the Kaliwa dam, pointing to alternatives such as greater adoption of green water catchment the collection of rainwater as well as improving water efficiency in existing pipelines and using smaller-scale water sourcing projects. They argue the dams of the New Centennial Water Source project could increase the risks of flooding and damage to 28,000 hectares of forest, while displacing at least 30,000 mostly indigenous people. Were questioning the logic of a water project that will contribute to the degradation to the forests of the watershed, said Leon Dulce, national coordinator for the environmental advocacy group Kalikasan. Alternatives existed that do not require this scale of risk, he said. Dulce and others warned that fierce opposition and action from local governments and communities in Quezon and Rizal could stall the project. That action could include petitioning the Philippines Supreme Court to grant a Writ of Nature against the dam to protect a constitutionally guaranteed right to a healthy environment. Though government officials such as Velasco call the dam a done deal, indigenous communities on the ground are not likely to budge because the stakes are so high. The Dumagat and Remontados [tribes] have a symbiotic relationship with nature, living in their ancestral domain for centuries, said Pete Montallana, chair of the Save Sierra Madre Network Alliance, and coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Apostolate of the Prelature of Infanta. Their culture is attached to that. To uproot them is literally to kill them as a people. Ramcy Astoveza, a Dumagat member of the National Commission on Indigenous People, said the law ensured indigenous communities in the Philippines to the right to free, prior, and informed consent, or the power to approve or disapprove any project in their ancestral domain, including the Kaliwa dam. The commission would facilitate the process for the government to obtain consent of the Dumagat-Remontado in Tanay and General Nakar, Quezon, he said. Also in Santa Ines, more than 100 villagers gathered on a Saturday morning for mass at the local Catholic Church, where leaders introduced a resolution to oppose the dam and assert the peoples rights to their ancestral lands. After a detailed explanation of the implications of the project from Jennifer Haygood, senior researcher from the Ibon Foundation, an independent think tank, the priest asked people to stand if they opposed the dam. Everyone, young and old, rose in the narrow wooden pews. At the end of the day, we just have to fortify our local communitys defences, Dulce said. They are the first and last line of defence against these projects. They have been able to successfully barricade against the dam for 40 years, and together with the indigenous people, we are ready to barricade against the dam for 40 more years, if it has to come to that point. Several river crossings away, at the Sitio Nayon community hall, dozens sat among shelves of donated books to air their grievances and fears. Just outside was their coveted river, and around the bend unpaved paths littered with slabs of rock. All around were long stretches of greenery that bled into the rugged outline of the Sierra Madre: balete fig trees, heartleaf plants, coconut trees and dragonfruit plantations. I have been part of the resistance since I was young, said a semi-nomadic villager named Miling, 66. Because for us, this land is our life. Another elder, a septuagenarian known as Loida, recalled travelling into the city to protest when she was younger. But she has since passed the baton to her grandchildren. As she spoke, she turned to her fellow villagers, her voice steady but her tone urgent. I have not spoken to President Duterte personally, but he promised he would support us indigenous people, she said. But what is he doing now? He wants us to drown. This article China, Duterte and the Philippine dam set to become a reality, despite four decades of protest 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: Louise Ho Pui-shan is set to take over the second most powerful job in customs, the Post has learned, putting her on track to lead the government agency in about three years, which would make her the first woman to rise through the ranks to head one of Hong Kongs disciplined services. More women are expected to follow in her footsteps and take up senior roles within the uniformed ranks as more of them join up and old gender stereotypes are discarded, an academic said. Ho, the Customs and Excise Departments assistant commissioner in charge of boundary and ports, will take up the deputy position next month, according to a senior government source. The 50-year-old is expected to ascend to the top post when the current commissioner, Hermes Tang Yi-hoi, retires in late 2021. Ho has extensive experience in investigations. Her outgoing personality also fits the top post. Shes a tough lady and we believe she can lead the 7,400-member department, the source said. The succession also fits the philosophy of Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who, when she was elected last year, vowed to promote more people from within the administration and more women leaders. In the case of the customs and immigration authority, there has been an increasing percentage of female recruits in the past decade as it expanded, so it is very likely more female senior management will pop up Lawrence Ho, Education University The first female head of the disciplinary force was Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee. However, Ip was a career bureaucrat. She was parachuted into the Immigration Department in 1996 and ran it for two years before becoming security minister. After Lam was elected city leader last year, the customs authority also broke an 18-year convention of appointing career bureaucrats by naming Tang, one of its own officers, to lead the office. Lawrence Ho Ka-ki, assistant professor of social sciences at the Education University of Hong Kong, said such conventions hurt internal promotion opportunities and that female officers would now see more chances of climbing the ranks with the governments change of tack. Story continues In the case of customs and the immigration authority, there has been an increasing percentage of female recruits in the past decade as they expanded, so it is very likely more female senior management will pop up, said Lawrence Ho. Our chief executive is a woman too, of course. He added that law enforcement and business were male-dominated in the past but this was no longer the case. Of the five disciplined forces in the city, official figures show that the Immigration Department has the highest percentage of female uniformed staff, accounting for 30 per cent of its 6,810 service staff. It is followed by customs and the correctional services authority, with a fifth of officers in each of these departments being women. Louise Ho joined the department in 1991. In her current posting, she has worked on high-profile projects, including the high-speed rail link to Guangzhou and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, and was tasked with ensuring the openings of both ran smoothly. Previously, she was the head of Customs Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau, before rising to assistant commissioner responsible for intelligence and investigation. Hos husband is the current director of immigration, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai. But there is no chance of the couple heading departments at the same time as Tsang is to retire in two years. Bonnie Lo Hoi-sze, the first chairwoman of the Association of Customs and Excise Service Officers, spoke highly of Ho, saying the appointment would be very encouraging. It would be a strong confidence booster. In the departments history, the highest rank for women officers stayed at assistant commissioner, Lo said. Hos promotion shows that we women are not at any disadvantage. Ho, who was very decisive at work and well regarded by officers, also had her softer side when caring for her fellows, the senior inspector added, and that such meticulous and sensitive traits would make Ho a better leader. Ho has also overcome many hurdles with us. Take the opening of the recent mega infrastructures for example: she faced many unexpected difficulties, such as the unforeseen opening date, Lo continued. But she was still able to make acute decisions and lead the 2,000 officers responsible for the ports. One minor mistake at that time would have been disastrous. Women account for 1.5 per cent of the 9,761 uniformed staff in the Fire Services Department the lowest rate among the five forces. About 17 per cent of the 29,300-strong police force is female. This article Hong Kong Customs blazes trail for women in law enforcement with first female officer tipped for top role first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Sarah was newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and her employer contacted local authorities to ask if she could be terminated as they feared Sarah was infected at work or spreading it to other co-workers. However, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) stepped in to educate her employer that Sarah could not transmit HIV through casual contact, and people living with HIV can continue to be productive workers. As such, Sarah was not fired and her employer now knows how to manage and support workers with HIV. The example was brought up by Senior Minister of State for Health Amy Khor at the Singapore AIDS Conference on Saturday (Dec 8) to highlight how SNEFs engagement with employers are helping to fight workplace stigma that still exists against people living with HIV. The measure is one of many measures that the government has launched to align Singapore with the United Nations UNAIDS goal to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, said Khor in her speech at the conferences opening ceremony. As a result, Khor said more people living with HIV know their status, are getting treatment and are achieving viral suppression, which means that the virus cannot be detected in their blood and transmitted. Data from 2013 to 2015 showed that the number of HIV people in Singapore who have been diagnosed rose from 69 per cent to 72 per cent, according to a report by Action for AIDS president Professor Roy Chan. In that same date range, the percentage of diagnosed individuals who got treatment rose from 77 per cent to 89 per cent, and the percentage of treated individuals who achieved viral suppression rose from 82 per cent to 94 per cent. Even though the numbers are encouraging, we can and must do more to help people living with HIV, said Khor. As such, various members of the community came together to launch a community blueprint to end HIV in Singapore by 2030. The blueprint aims to tackle HIV infections among several communities including heterosexuals with multiple sex partners, sex workers, transgender folk and travellers. Story continues The conference, in its 11th run this year, gathered healthcare providers, public health experts and community partners to discuss latest strategies in HIV-related research and engagement. Throughout the year, Action for AIDS will feature 30 stories to celebrate its 30th anniversary as well as end HIV transmission and AIDS in Singapore by 2030. More information on the campaign to end HIV in Singapore by 2030 can be viewed on Action for AIDS website. This article, More people seeking treatment for HIV in Singapore but they still face workplace discrimination: Amy Khor, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. For more Coconuts stories, you can download our app, sign up for our newsletters, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Tardy Oli sees ruling party leaders walk out on meeting The ongoing intra-party conflict in the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has taken a new twist as four out of the nine secretariat members boycotted Saturdays meeting after Prime Minister and party Co-chairman KP Sharma Oli failed to turn up on time. The development has brought to the fore the internal rift within the NCP. FILE PHOTO: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the General Assembly in New York FILE PHOTO: Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid/File Photo DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani predicted a "deluge" of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West if U.S. sanctions weaken Iran's ability to contain them. "I warn those who impose sanctions that if Iran's ability to fight drugs and terrorism are affected ... you will not be safe from a deluge of drugs, asylum seekers, bombs and terrorism," Rouhani said in a speech carried live on state television. Separately, Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying that the United States is selling more arms into the Middle East than the region needs, making it a "tinderbox". U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions on Irans vital oil industry last month. Drug trafficking is a serious challenge for Iran as it borders Afghanistan - the worlds largest opium producer - and Pakistan, a major transit country for drugs. "We spend $800 million a year to fight drugs which ensures the health of nations stretching from of Eastern Europe to the American West and North Africa to West Asia. Imagine what a disaster there would be if there is a breach in the dam," Rouhani said. In 2012, Iran accounted for two thirds of the worlds opium seizures and one fourth of the worlds heroin and morphine seizures, a U.N. report published in 2014 showed. "We have been just as determined in the fight against terrorism ... sacrificing hundreds of valuable troops and spending millions of dollars annually," Rouhani said. "We don't expect the West to pay their share, but they should know that sanctions hurt Iran's capacity to fight drugs and terrorism," Rouhani added. Iran, a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's civil war, has sent military advisers as well as materiel and regional Shiite militias to fight militant groups. In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers helped Iraq defeat Islamic State. Story continues "Economic terrorism means creating horror in a country and create fear in other countries that intend to invest (there). America's withdrawal from the (nuclear accord) is undoubtedly a clear example of economic terrorism," Rouhani told a meeting of heads of parliaments of China, Russia, and four other countries. More than 700,000 undocumented Afghans have returned from Iran this year as the Iranian economy tightens, according to data from the U.N.s migration agency, and Iranian media said some Afghans were seeking to enter Turkey to reach Europe. [nL8N1YA27R] Zarif warned about the dangers of large U.S. arms sales in the Middle East, where Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia is a major buyer of Western weapons. "The Americans have turned the region into a tinderbox. The level of arms sales by the Americans is unbelievable and much beyond regional needs and this points to the very dangerous policies followed by the Americans," IRNA reported Zarif as saying. (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alexander Smith) By Alex Dobuzinskis (Reuters) - A winter storm brought snowfall and freezing rain to North and South Carolina on Saturday, creating hazardous conditions on roads and threatening to leave hundreds of thousands of people without power, officials said. The snowfall began on Saturday evening and was expected to last until early Monday in some areas, with up to 18 inches (46 cm) forecast for North Carolina's Mount Mitchell, the National Weather Service said. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who declared a state of emergency on Friday, told residents to finish stockpiling food and avoid unnecessary travel. "This weekend isn't the time to head out to see the winter wonderland. Stay safe where you are," Cooper said in a statement. The effects of the storm, including power outages, could last for days in North Carolina, with the state's mountainous western region expected to be particularly hard hit by snow, officials said. About 500,000 electricity customers could lose power in North Carolina and South Carolina, a Duke Energy spokeswoman said on Twitter. By Saturday evening, the storm had dumped 5 inches (13 cm) of snow on Hendersonville, a North Carolina city about 100 miles (160 km) west of Charlotte, meteorologist Zack Taylor of the federal Weather Prediction Center said by phone. Charlotte, North Carolina's most populous city, was expected to also receive 5 inches (13 cm) of snow before the storm ends. Snow was forecast for Virginia's southern region beginning early on Sunday, including up to 6 inches (15 cm) in the Lynchburg area. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam declared an emergency for the state on Saturday, warning of potential power outages and snarled transportation. The storm could affect airports, including Asheville and Raleigh-Durham International in North Carolina, Lynchburg and Roanoke in Virginia and Greenville-Spartanburg International, South Carolina. American Airlines said it would waive change fees for people booked through Charlotte Douglas International, a major regional hub in North Carolina. Story continues A mix of snow and sleet fell in upstate region of South Carolina on Saturday evening, Taylor said. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division warned motorists to drive carefully on bridges, overpasses and remote roadways, which could quickly freeze over. Icy rain also threatened to cover roads with ice in the mountains of northeast Georgia, officials said. The storm formed earlier this week off the Texas coast and moved east, lashing parts of Arkansas and Tennessee with icy rain. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Richard Chang) Why China ratchets up pressure on Canada as it scolds US over Huawei executives arrest China decided to pick a fight with Canada over the arrest of a senior Huawei executive because it wants to avoid further confrontation with the United States as talks to resolve the trade war continue, analysts have said. Beijing has ratcheted up its pressure on Canada to release Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei and the daughter of the Chinese telecom equipment giants founder Ren Zhengfei. On Saturday night, Chinas foreign vice-minister Le Yucheng summoned Canadas ambassador John McCallum to lodge a strong protest and officially demand the immediate release of Meng. Chinas official media including the Xinhua news agency and party mouthpiece Peoples Daily as well as the state-backed tabloid Global Times, joined a chorus condemning Canadas arrest of Meng and threatened grave consequences if she is not freed. China summoned the US ambassador on Sunday night and lodged a strong protest over the case. Chinas foreign ministry requested the US to withdraw an arrest warrant for Meng, but it fell short of threatening grave consequences as it did to Canada. Instead, Le told Terry Branstad that China will make further response according to the US acts, according to a foreign ministry statement. A district court in New York requested that the Canadian authorities arrest and extradite Meng, who is accused of covering up her companys links to a firm that supplied equipment to Iran in breach of US sanctions. She was arrested on December 1 the day of Donald Trump and Xi Jinpings meeting in Argentina. Wang Yiwei, a professor of international relations at the Renmin University of China, said the case had been brought forward by a faction in Washington that wanted to undermine the ongoing trade talks between China and the US. Wang argued it would be unwise for China to let the case undo Trump and Xis agreement to call a trade truce for 90 days to give them time to try to reach a deal. Story continues We must be fully aware of the big picture and know our top priority, Wang said. The trade negotiations agreed between the top leaders should not be interrupted. Chinas foreign ministry and commerce ministry have not yet drawn a link between Mengs arrest and the China-US trade talks. In contrast to the warnings and threats directed at Canada, Beijing has struck a positive and hopeful note about the trade talks. Chen Fengying, a senior researcher with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said there was no need to link Mengs case to the trade talks, because it was better addressed through diplomatic channels. Beijing should not make economic issues complicated, he said, arguing that if it was added to the agenda in the trade talks the issue could become another source of pressure to force Beijing into making concessions. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday that US-China negotiations should not be impacted by the controversial arrest. This is a criminal justice matter. It is totally separate from anything I work on or anything that trade policy people in the administration work on, Lighthizer said on CBS Face the Nation. Meanwhile, Beijing is keeping up the pressure on Canada. A Global Times editorial published on Sunday said: It does not serve Canadas national interest if it intends to fawn over the US by treating Ms Meng unjustly. If Meng is refused bail and extradited to the US, Canada will get minimal gratitude from the US, but maximum opposition from China. Chinese people will take the issue seriously, and will ask the Chinese government to impose severe sanctions on Canada. Canadian public interest will definitely be impaired if Sino-Canadian relations are put at a risk of major retrogression. A Canadian court is currently holding a bail hearing, which will resume on Monday, and the editorial said the court should first grant her bail and eventually set her totally free. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has argued that Beijings efforts to force Ottawa to cave in may not work. Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country, he wrote in a tweet. Theres no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide. Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. Theres no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide. https://t.co/rJh4lgPCbe Roland Paris (@rolandparis) December 8, 2018 Shi Yinhong, director of Renmin Universitys Centre for American Studies and an adviser to the State Council Chinas cabinet said there was a low probability that Canada would bow to pressure from Beijing and set Meng free. If China takes revenge against Canada, there will be some complaints in the Western world about why China did not take action against the originator, the US. Henry Chan Hing Lee, an adjunct fellow at the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore, said that while US conservative groups would use the Huawei case and national security as a reason to push for a tougher stance towards Beijing, nationalist elements within China were exerting similar pressure to stop a deal. The authorities should be very careful in handling this extremely complicated situation. It would be more troublesome if its stand-off with Washington lasts, he said. Additional reporting by Keegan Elmer This article Why China ratchets up pressure on Canada as it scolds US over Huawei executives arrest first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. 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 On Saturday, Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted that hed celebrated his birthday by observing 10 days of silent Vipassana meditation in Myanmar: For my birthday this year, I did a 10-day silent vipassana meditation, this time in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar . We went into silence on the night of my birthday, the 19th. Heres what I know jack (@jack) December 9, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Over an 18-tweet thread, Dorsey wrote about his experiences during the ten days of silence, covering everything from a Silicon-vallified description of Buddhism (hack the deepest layer of the mind and reprogram it) to the 117 mosquito bites he got while silently meditating in a cave, which he apparently silently counted, silently photographed, and silently compared to the heartrate data silently recorded by his Apple Watch, which he wore in meditation-friendly airplane mode. (Despite all the important heart rate and mosquito bite information he found room for, theres no information in the thread about his decision to spend his tourist dollar in a country where rival social media company Facebook just powered an ongoing genocide.) Its not the first time Dorsey has opted for silence; he did the same thing about a year ago: Advertisement Just finished a 10 day silent meditation. Wow, what a reset! Fortunate & grateful I was able to take the time. Happy New Year! #Vipassana jack (@jack) January 1, 2018 When hes not silently meditating, Jack Dorsey runs Twitter, a social media company that produces an awful lot of noise. For example, here are all the messages from President Donald Trump that Dorseys company published during those ten days of silent meditation. (Dorsey says his silence began on the night of his birthday, Nov. 19, and lasted ten days; lets assume that was 8:00 P.M. Myanmar time, which was 8:30 A.M. on the morning of the 19th in Washington D.C.). Heres what Trump hollered into the megaphone Dorsey built him: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Advertisement ....We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. Thats ENDING! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Advertisement The Fake News is showing old footage of people climbing over our Ocean Area Fence. This is what it really looks like - no climbers anymore under our Administration! pic.twitter.com/CD4ltRePML Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018 Advertisement I hope the discovery and eventual recovery of the Argentine submarine San Juan brings needed closure to the wonderful families of those brave missing sailors. I look forward to hearing more from my friend President @MauricioMacri in Argentina later this month. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement So-called comedian Michelle Wolf bombed so badly last year at the White House Correspondents Dinner that this year, for the first time in decades, they will have an author instead of a comedian. Good first step in comeback of a dying evening and tradition! Maybe I will go? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Oil prices getting lower. Great! Like a big Tax Cut for America and the World. Enjoy! $54, was just $82. Thank you to Saudi Arabia, but lets go lower! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Trump Imitation Syndrome is afflicting the presidents liberal enemies Thank you @MGoodwin_NYPost! https://t.co/KpmsrKCaBZ Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement Great new book out, Mad Politics: Keeping Your Sanity in a World Gone Crazy by @RealDrGina Loudon. Go out and get your copy today a great read! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have Obama judges, and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country. It would be great if the 9th Circuit was indeed an independent judiciary, but if it is why...... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement .....are so many opposing view (on Border and Safety) cases filed there, and why are a vast number of those cases overturned. Please study the numbers, they are shocking. We need protection and security - these rulings are making our country unsafe! Very dangerous and unwise! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Thank you to President Trump on the Border. No American President has ever done this before. Hector Garza, National Border Patrol Council Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Thank you to President Trump on the Border. No American President has ever done this before. Hector Garza, National Border Patrol Council Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement 79% of these decisions have been overturned in the 9th Circuit. @FoxNews A terrible, costly and dangerous disgrace. It has become a dumping ground for certain lawyers looking for easy wins and delays. Much talk over dividing up the 9th Circuit into 2 or 3 Circuits. Too big! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement AMERICA FIRST! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2018 Advertisement Brutal and Extended Cold Blast could shatter ALL RECORDS - Whatever happened to Global Warming? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement You just cant win with the Fake News Media. A big story today is that because I have pushed so hard and gotten Gasoline Prices so low, more people are driving and I have caused traffic jams throughout our Great Nation. Sorry everyone! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Its a mean & nasty world out there, the Middle East in particular. This is a long and historic commitment, & one that is absolutely vital to Americas national security. @SecPompeo I agree 100%. In addition, many Billions of Dollars of purchases made in U.S., big Jobs & Oil! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Justice Roberts can say what he wants, but the 9th Circuit is a complete & total disaster. It is out of control, has a horrible reputation, is overturned more than any Circuit in the Country, 79%, & is used to get an almost guaranteed result. Judges must not Legislate Security... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ....and Safety at the Border, or anywhere else. They know nothing about it and are making our Country unsafe. Our great Law Enforcement professionals MUST BE ALLOWED TO DO THEIR JOB! If not there will be only bedlam, chaos, injury and death. We want the Constitution as written! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Will be speaking with our great military in different parts of the world, through teleconference, at 9:00 A.M. Eastern. Then it will be off to see our Coast Guard patriots & to thank them for the great job they have been doing, especially with the hurricanes. Happy Thanksgiving! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement This is the coldest weather in the history of the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC, and one of the coldest Thanksgivings on record! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Our highly trained security professionals are not allowed to do their job on the Border because of the Judicial Activism and Interference by the 9th Circuit. Nevertheless, they are working hard to make America a safer place, though hard to do when anybody filing a lawsuit wins! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 22, 2018 Advertisement Republicans and Democrats MUST come together, finally, with a major Border Security package, which will include funding for the Wall. After 40 years of talk, it is finally time for action. Fix the Border, for once and for all, NOW! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2018 Advertisement Really good Criminal Justice Reform has a true shot at major bipartisan support. @senatemajldr Mitch McConnell and @SenSchumer have a real chance to do something so badly needed in our country. Already passed, with big vote, in House. Would be a major victory for ALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2018 Advertisement I am extremely happy and proud of the job being done by @USTreasury Secretary @StevenMnuchin1. The FAKE NEWS likes to write stories to the contrary, quoting phony sources or jealous people, but they arent true. They never like to ask me for a quote b/c it would kill their story. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 23, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court. We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain. No Releasing into the U.S... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement ....All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 24, 2018 Victor Davis Hanson was a very good and interesting guest of Mark Levin on @FoxNews. He wrote a highly touted book called The Second World Wars and a new book will soon be coming out called The Case For Trump. Recommend both. @marklevinshow Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement I will be in Gulfport and Tupelo, Mississippi, on Monday night doing two Rallies for Senator Hyde-Smith, who has a very important Election on Tuesday. She is an outstanding person who is strong on the Border, Crime, Military, our great Vets, Healthcare & the 2nd A. Needed in D.C. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The large and violent French protests dont take into account how badly the United States has been treated on Trade by the European Union or on fair and reasonable payments for our GREAT military protection. Both of these topics must be remedied soon. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement Would be very SMART if Mexico would stop the Caravans long before they get to our Southern Border, or if originating countries would not let them form (it is a way they get certain people out of their country and dump in U.S. No longer). Dems created this problem. No crossings! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 So great that oil prices are falling (thank you President T). Add that, which is like a big Tax Cut, to our other good Economic news. Inflation down (are you listening Fed)! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Mississippi, Vote for @cindyhydesmith on Tuesday. Respected by all. We need her in Washington!. Thanks! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement General Anthony Tata: President Trump is a man of his word & he said he was going to be tough on the Border, and he is tough on the Border. He has rightfully strengthened the Border in the face of an unprecedented threat. Its the right move by President Trump. Thanks General! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement Europe has to pay their fair share for Military Protection. The European Union, for many years, has taken advantage of us on Trade, and then they dont live up to their Military commitment through NATO. Things must change fast! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement Clinton Foundation donations drop 42% - which shows that they illegally played the power game. They monetized their political influence through the Foundation. During her tenure the State Department was put in the service of the Clinton Foundation. Andrew McCarthy Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2018 Advertisement .@60Minutes did a phony story about child separation when they know we had the exact same policy as the Obama Administration. In fact a picture of children in jails was used by other Fake Media to show how bad (cruel) we are, but it was in 2014 during O years. Obama separated.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement ....children from parents, as did Bush etc., because that is the policy and law. I tried to keep them together but the problem is, when you do that, vast numbers of additional people storm the Border. So with Obama seperation is fine, but with Trump its not. Fake 60 Minutes! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Mexico should move the flag waving Migrants, many of whom are stone cold criminals, back to their countries. Do it by plane, do it by bus, do it anyway you want, but they are NOT coming into the U.S.A. We will close the Border permanently if need be. Congress, fund the WALL! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 When Mueller does his final report, will he be covering all of his conflicts of interest in a preamble, will he be recommending action on all of the crimes of many kinds from those on the other side(whatever happened to Podesta?), and will he be putting in statements from..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement ....hundreds of people closely involved with my campaign who never met, saw or spoke to a Russian during this period? So many campaign workers, people inside from the beginning, ask me why they have not been called (they want to be). There was NO Collusion & Mueller knows it! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the ten-year anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack, the U.S. stands with the people of India in their quest for justice. The attack killed 166 innocents, including six Americans. We will never let terrorists win, or even come close to winning! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement While CNN doesnt do great in the United States based on ratings, outside of the U.S. they have very little competition. Throughout the world, CNN has a powerful voice portraying the United States in an unfair.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 ....and false way. Something has to be done, including the possibility of the United States starting our own Worldwide Network to show the World the way we really are, GREAT! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Brad Raffensperger will be a fantastic Secretary of State for Georgia - will work closely with @BrianKempGA. It is really important that you get out and vote for Brad - early voting.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement ....starts today, election is on December 4th. @VoteBradRaff is tough on Crime and Borders, Loves our Military and Vets. He will be great for jobs! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2018 Advertisement The Phony Witch Hunt continues, but Mueller and his gang of Angry Dems are only looking at one side, not the other. Wait until it comes out how horribly & viciously they are treating people, ruining lives for them refusing to lie. Mueller is a conflicted prosecutor gone rogue.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018 Advertisement ....The Fake News Media builds Bob Mueller up as a Saint, when in actuality he is the exact opposite. He is doing TREMENDOUS damage to our Criminal Justice System, where he is only looking at one side and not the other. Heroes will come of this, and it wont be Mueller and his... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018 Advertisement ....terrible Gang of Angry Democrats. Look at their past, and look where they come from. The now $30,000,000 Witch Hunt continues and theyve got nothing but ruined lives. Where is the Server? Let these terrible people go back to the Clinton Foundation and Justice Department! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Polls are open in Mississippi. We need Cindy Hyde-Smith in Washington. GO OUT AND VOTE. Thanks! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Very disappointed with General Motors and their CEO, Mary Barra, for closing plants in Ohio, Michigan and Maryland. Nothing being closed in Mexico & China. The U.S. saved General Motors, and this is the THANKS we get! We are now looking at cutting all @GM subsidies, including.... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018 ....for electric cars. General Motors made a big China bet years ago when they built plants there (and in Mexico) - dont think that bet is going to pay off. I am here to protect Americas Workers! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 27, 2018 The Mueller Witch Hunt is a total disgrace. They are looking at supposedly stolen Crooked Hillary Clinton Emails (even though they dont want to look at the DNC Server), but have no interest in the Emails that Hillary DELETED & acid washed AFTER getting a Congressional Subpoena! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Brenda Snipes, in charge of voting in Broward County, Florida, was just spotted wearing a beautiful dress with 300 I VOTED signs on it. Just kidding, she is a fine, very honorable and highly respected voting tactician! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Congratulations to Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith on your big WIN in the Great State of Mississippi. We are all very proud of you! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 While the disgusting Fake News is doing everything within their power not to report it that way, at least 3 major players are intimating that the Angry Mueller Gang of Dems is viciously telling witnesses to lie about facts & they will get relief. This is our Joseph McCarthy Era! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Advertisement The reason that the small truck business in the U.S. is such a go to favorite is that, for many years, Tariffs of 25% have been put on small trucks coming into our country. It is called the chicken tax. If we did that with cars coming in, many more cars would be built here..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement .....and G.M. would not be closing their plants in Ohio, Michigan & Maryland. Get smart Congress. Also, the countries that send us cars have taken advantage of the U.S. for decades. The President has great power on this issue - Because of the G.M. event, it is being studied now! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Steel Dynamics announced that it will build a brand new 3 million ton steel mill in the Southwest that will create 600 good-paying U.S. JOBS. Steel JOBS are coming back to America, just like I predicted. Congratulations to Steel Dynamics! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Advertisement On behalf of @FLOTUS Melania and the entire Trump family, I want to wish you all a very MERRY CHRISTMAS! May this Christmas Season bring peace to your hearts, warmth to your homes, cheer to your spirits and JOY TO THE WORLD! #NCTL2018 pic.twitter.com/XNMJQ5JDSU Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 28, 2018 Sebastian Gorka, a very talented man who I got to know well while he was working at the White House, has just written an excellent book, Why We Fight. Much will be learned from this very good read! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement So much happening with the now discredited Witch Hunt. This total Hoax will be studied for years! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018 Advertisement General Motors is very counter to what other auto, and other, companies are doing. Big Steel is opening and renovating plants all over the country. Auto companies are pouring into the U.S., including BMW, which just announced a major new plant. The U.S.A. is booming! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018 Did you ever see an investigation more in search of a crime? At the same time Mueller and the Angry Democrats arent even looking at the atrocious, and perhaps subversive, crimes that were committed by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. A total disgrace! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018 When will this illegal Joseph McCarthy style Witch Hunt, one that has shattered so many innocent lives, ever end-or will it just go on forever? After wasting more than $40,000,000 (is that possible?), it has proven only one thing-there was NO Collusion with Russia. So Ridiculous! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Billions of Dollars are pouring into the coffers of the U.S.A. because of the Tariffs being charged to China, and there is a long way to go. If companies dont want to pay Tariffs, build in the U.S.A. Otherwise, lets just make our Country richer than ever before! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018 That is a whole lot of not-silence the rest of us had to put up with, and none of it was any good for anyones mental health. Meditation, like anything that can help humans survive the hellscape Dorsey helped build, can be a powerful tool, and in times like these, its natural for people to get evangelical about any relief they find. And its got to be complicated to discover that you built a tool that a world leader is now using to spread hatred and bigotry and lies and paranoia all over the world. But if youre encouraging people to take a 10-day silent meditation trip to Myanmar while you get rich amplifying the voice of Donald Trump, maybe spend some time meditating on the idea of just shutting the hell up instead. The only surprise about John Kellys ouster as White House chief of staff, a move that President Trump announced on Saturday, is that it didnt happen eight-and-a-half months ago. That was when Trump named John Bolton to be his national security adviser. One of Kellys signal achievements, up to then, was keeping Boltona Fox News commentator that Trump watched regularly and had wanted to meet face-to-faceout of the Oval Office. Now that Boltonwho was also a bureaucratically savvy former State Department officialwould be a few feet away from the commander-in-chief, Kellys role as White House gatekeeper and credibility as the administrations agenda-setter were gravely diminished. Advertisement Other moments should have riveted Kellys eyes to the exit sign. Early on in Trumps presidency, Kelly and his fellow former Marine, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, agreed never to be out of the country at the same time, lest Trump sign a disastrous executive order without their consultationas he did with his first Muslim travel ban. Since that disaster, Trump has brought on board other, marginally more competent aides to help him do what he wants, and Mattiswhom Trump recently described as sort of a Democratseems weeks away from getting the boot, too. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meanwhile, no tears should be shed for Gen. Kelly. Yes, he was lauded in the early months of his term as one of the grown-ups in the room, the man who not only blocked Bolton but got rid of Steve Bannon and his white-nationalist sidekick, Sebastian Gorka. Kelly also talked a good game on broader issues, particularly immigration. In his confirmation hearing for secretary of homeland security, a job he held before Trump moved him to the White House, Kelly assured senators that he would speak truth to power; said that a wall on the Mexican border would not halt drug trafficking; disputed Trumps description of illegal immigrants as rapists and killers, saying most of them came here for economic opportunity and to escape violence; and firmly opposed the idea of detaining them without trial, noting, Im pretty committed to the Constitution. Advertisement Yet once installed at DHS, Kelly enforced Trumps crackdown on undocumented immigrants with gusto, and as chief of staff, he defended the separation of families. His intolerance of foreigners extended well beyond illegals, opining in a behind-closed-doors meeting last year that the number of refugees to be let in to the United States should be reduced to somewhere between zero and one. Advertisement Finally, he adoptedor maybe revealed that he sharedTrumps contempt for democratic institutions. In a speech at George Washington University in April, Kelly lambasted congressional critics of the crackdown on once-protected DACA children, saying that they should shut up and support the men and women on the front lines. At a press conference in August 2017, he took questions only from reporters who knew Gold Star families, saying, We dont look down upon those of you that havent served, but were a little bit sorry for you, because youll never have experienced the wonderful joy you get in your heart when you do the kinds of things our servicemen and women do. Advertisement Advertisement When Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Florida Democrat, criticized Trump for his insensitive phone call to a constituent whose husband had been killed in battle, Kelly denounced her as an empty barrel and told a story about a self-serving speech shed given at the dedication of an FBI buildinga story that a video of her speech revealed was false. Kelly never corrected the record. When a reporter asked White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders about the contradiction, Sanders said it was highly inappropriate to question a four-star general. Kelly never dissociated himself from that absurd statement eitherthough others did. Another retired four-star general, David Petraeus, said on a weekend talk show, We in uniform protect the rights of others to criticize us. Advertisement Advertisement When Kelly was nominated as homeland security secretary, several retired officers said on and off the record that he seemed a perfect fit for the job. They cited his background as commander of U.S. Southern Command (which dealt with drug smuggling and other border issues); his support for civil rights; and his empathy, as the father of a son, a Marine 2nd lieutenant, who died in battle in Afghanistan. (The loss made Kellythen a two-star generalthe highest-ranking U.S. officer to lose a child in the wars were still fighting.) Over the past year, though, many of these same officers have expressed disappointment with his lackluster performance as chief of staff and his unseemly kowtowing towardand endorsement ofTrumps views and demeanor. At several moments of his tenure, even through his concessions and compromises, Kelly has been caught on camera wincing or burying his head in his hands while listening to some of Trumps more outrageous remarks. The question now is how often, behind closed doors, he did the samemaybe next to a stiff drinkwhile recalling his own. This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and from the Office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed significant documents Friday in the criminal cases of President Donald Trumps former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. In D.C, the court released a redacted submission outlining the grounds for Muellers determination that Manafort had breached his plea agreement. In New York, both the SDNY and special counsel filed documents related to Cohens sentencing. Advertisement Here are eight major takeaways from what these developments: 1. SDNY prosecutors named the president of the United States as a direct participant, if not the principal, in felonies. The Department of Justice today, in the most explicit terms, said the president of the United States committed two felonies. Just said it. Came out and said it. Campaign violations. Its just plain as day, Jeffrey Toobin said live on CNN. Toobin is basically right, and thats the legal, political, and ethical bombshell of this day in history. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement More specifically, the flagship U.S. Attorneys office for the Southern District of New York walked right up to the line of accusing Donald Trump (identified as Individual 1) in a federal court filing of complicity and conspiracy in Cohens felony campaign-finance crimes related to the payment of hush money to women to squash sex stories. Specifically, the SDNY states (our emphasis added): Advertisement During the campaign, Cohen played a central role in two similar schemes to purchase the rights to stories each from women who claimed to have had an affair with Individual-1 so as to suppress the stories and thereby prevent them from influencing the election. With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1. As a result of Cohens actions, neither woman spoke to the press prior to the election. Advertisement Trump is no mere accomplice, but is alleged to have directed the criminal activity. And this is no minor crime. The SDNY submitted to the court that the nature and seriousness of the offenses should weigh heavily in favor of a substantial term of imprisonment. And as though they were speaking about Trump himself, the prosecutors state that the two campaign finance crimes on the eve of the 2016 election for President of the United States struck a blow to one of the core goals of the federal campaign finance laws: transparency, deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election, and should be met with a stiff penalty to counter the public cynicism that may arise when individuals like Cohen act as if the political process belongs to the rich and powerful. That language is not reserved for Cohen, but presumably applies to the individual who directed Cohens activities as well if not more so. Advertisement Advertisement All that said, theres an important footnote: Something is still missing before being able to make claims as bold as Toobins, that is, before being able to say the Justice Department actually crossed the line of accusing the president of committing a felony. Thats the element of a knowing violation of the law. If White House staff or any of Trumps legal counsel were involved in preparing or encouraging Cohens false testimony, they should be worried about their personal liability. Cohen had been charged with knowingly and willfully causing excessive campaign contributions to a candidate for president of the United States in violation of 52 U.S.C. 30118(a) & 30109(d)(l)(A), and 18 U.S.C. 2(b). However, a willful violation requires knowing wrongdoing, so prosecutors would have to demonstrate that someone in Trumps shoes, like Cohen, knew what he was doing was illegal. Advertisement Notwithstanding the legal debate about a sitting presidents indictability, it wont happen as a practical matter. Nonetheless, after these filings, Trump faces meaningful criminal exposure upon the end of his term in office. Whats more, the fact that these alleged crimes related to his election to office, they would clear a potential hurdle for impeachment purposes. That is, some impeachment scholars, like Cass Sunstein, take the view that the Impeachment Clause applies only to acts committed in office or in the course of getting elected. These allegations meet the Sunstein test for what falls inside the scope of impeachment, were the question ever to be considered by Congress. Advertisement 2. Other Trump campaign and Trump Organization officials may face criminal charges for the hush-money scheme. Advertisement The key allegation against the president also refers to one or more members of the campaign, which suggests more indictments for the hush money scheme may still be in the offing. This also raises the prospect that we may soon see the prosecution of the campaign itself as an organizationUnited States v. Trump Campaigneven if a sitting president (United States v. Donald J. Trump) cannot be indicted. Something similar holds true for other executives in the Trump Organization and the company itself. The SDNY memo states that executives engaged in a scheme to create fraudulent payments to reimburse Cohen for his payoffs for the two women. It states, for example, that Executives of the Company agreed to reimburse Cohen the Company then falsely accounted for these payments as legal expenses. In fact, no such retainer agreement existed and these payments were not legal expenses Cohen in fact provided negligible legal services to Individual-1 or the Company in 2017. Advertisement Advertisement 3. The special counsel ties Trump directly to possible Russia collusion. The special counsels sentencing memorandum for Cohen very deliberately tells the public that Trump himself was caught up in the connections to and embrace with Russia, and some of those actions were in fact the candidates idea. Muellers memo says that it was Trumps idea to initiate contact with the Kremlin in the early stages of the campaign, and that he tasked his fixer, Cohen, to begin that process as early as September 2015. This information should now inform how we think about other subsequent events in the Trump-Russia timeline. At least some Russian overtures should be seen as a potential second step (a receptive response) in the two sides engagement, not the first step (an initial overture or invitation). Advertisement Advertisement This is likely just the tip of the iceberg. Mueller specifically refers to examples of Cohens and Trumps actions, indicating these instances are representative of a broader set of cases. Muellers brief states that Cohen corrected other false and misleading statements that he had made concerning his outreach to and contacts with Russian officials during the course of the campaign. For example, in a radio interview . And the brief states that: the defendant provided information about his own contacts with Russian interests during the campaign and discussions with others in the course of making those contacts. For example, and as described above, the defendant provided a detailed account of his involvement and the involvement of others in the Moscow Project. Advertisement 4. Russian contacts began during the GOP primary. As one of us has written previously, a key question is not just whether the Russians interfered in the GOP primary, but whether any collusion with the Trump campaign began back then. Muellers sentencing memorandum for Cohen adds significant evidence to suggest thats what happened. Two of the examples Mueller chooses to include in the document occurred early in the primaries. By September 2015, Cohen publicly suggested a meeting between Putin and Trump after having conferred with Individual 1 about contacting the Russian government before reaching out to gauge Russias interest in such a meeting. In November 2015, a Russian national who identified themselves as a trusted person in the Russian Federation reached out to Cohen proposing such a meeting with Putin and offering the campaign support in the form of political synergy. The only reason Cohen declined is because, already by then, he considered that Felix Saterwith whom he was arrange the Moscow Trump Tower projectprovided sufficient connections to the Russian government. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats more, these interactions may also shed light on other aspects of the publicly known timeline. First, when senior campaign officials appeared to brush away some overtures by Russian agents (think: Kushner at the time of the NRA convention), it may have been because they considered other established connections with the Kremlin sufficient. Second, these earlier interactions with Trump and Cohen may also shed light on Rob Goldstones email to Donald Trump Jr. In the first email on June 3, 2016, Goldstones message appeared to pick up mid-conversation and assume Trump Jr. already knew about Kremlin efforts to help Trump get elected. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump, Goldstone wrote. Advertisement 5. The special counsel targets many Manafort lies but is silent on the infamous Trump Tower meeting with Russians. In the special counsels memorandum alleging Manaforts breach of the plea agreement, theres a conspicuous silence on whether Manafort lied about direct RussiaTrump campaign activities. Did Manafort lie, for example, about whether Trump had advance knowledge of the June 9 meeting with the Russians? The memo does not say. Despite White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders boasting that the Manafort filing says absolutely nothing about the President, that may actually be quite worrisome for Trump. The president may need to be most concerned that Manafort was candid about what he knew of RussiaTrump campaign activities. Put another way, Manafort may have testified before the grand jury that Trump did know about the nature of the Trump Tower meeting in real time. Advertisement Mueller considers lies to the public to be possible attempts to undermine the investigation. That said, we do not read too much into the absence of allegations. Mueller may have decided to focus on a tidy set of slam-dunk examples in which Manafort not only clearly lied, but even acknowledged the falsehood. These cases were so overwhelming that the special counsel wrote, In none of the communications with Manaforts counsel was any factual or legal argument made as to why the governments assessment of Manaforts credibility was erroneous. Advertisement 6. Some potential hints of obstruction and suborning perjury The special counsel documents on Manafort and Cohen also contain hints of obstruction of justice and suborning perjury. Why was Manafort secretly in contact with administration officials, and as late as May 26, 2018, long after his indictment and being confined to his home under court order? Why did, as the special counsel accuses, Manafort [authorize] a person to speak with an Administration official on Manaforts behalf? And why did Manafort deny all this to federal investigators after signing the plea agreement? Advertisement Advertisement For his part, Cohen implicated members of the White House and Trumps lawyers in his sentencing memorandum submitted last week. The brief on behalf of Cohen stated, in the weeks during which [Cohens] 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 Client-1 [Trump]. This statement clearly suggested those individuals were in the loop when Cohen prepared his false written testimony. Now, the special counsels brief added to that picture. It states, Cohen provided relevant and useful information concerning his contacts with persons connected to the White House during the 20172018 time period and Cohen described the circumstances of preparing and circulating his response to the congressional inquiries, while continuing to accept responsibility for the false statements contained within it. If indeed White House staff and any of Trumps legal counsel were involved in preparing or encouraging Cohens false testimony to Congress, they should be worried about their personal liability. Mueller may well have the evidence to prove it. Advertisement 7. Muellers M.O.: What hell do with lying to the public (and lies in writing) Advertisement The special counsels documents on Manafort and Cohen provide insight into Muellers approach to these cases. Advertisement In terms of perjury and false statements, Mueller seizes on the fact that Cohens lies were in written testimony rather than arising spontaneously from a line of examination or heated colloquy. Thats a danger sign for people like Trump, who may have thought they had greater safety in written responses to Mueller, and people like Roger Stone, whose apparent lies to Congress are on the face of his written testimony. Another important insight is how Mueller seizes on Cohens lies made to the public. Advertisement First, Muellers theory of the case recognizes that public statements are methods of communication with other witnesses. Thats important for potential conspiracies to commit perjury or otherwise obstruct justice. This also increases the likelihood that Mueller will regard public statements by President Trump and his lawyers as signals to other witnessessuch as publicly dangling pardons and favoring the strength of uncooperative witnesses. Second, Mueller considers lies to the public to be possible attempts to undermine the investigation. The memo states, By publicly presenting this false narrative, the defendant deliberately shifted the timeline of what had occurred in the hopes of limiting the investigations into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. That sounds awfully similar to the creation of a cover story about the June 9 Trump Tower meeting, which the president himself reportedly directed from aboard Air Force One. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Third, Mueller considers Cohens false statements to be even more significant because he amplified them by by releasing and repeating his lies to the public. That approach spells trouble for several Trump campaign associates, including Roger Stone, Donald Trump Jr., Erik Prince, and Michael Caputo. 8. Why Cohen was more forthcoming with Mueller than SDNY, and why SDNY wants him to serve a significant prison sentence Back in August, Cohen agreed to plead guilty but did so without a cooperation agreement. At the time, Alex Whiting and Andy Wright puzzled over that sequence of events, wondering whether the nonagreement was driven by Cohens refusal to agree to cooperate, or by SDNYs lack of interestor confidencein his testimony. In this filing SDNY argues that the prosecutors wanted Cohen to be a traditional cooperating witness, but that Cohen made an affirmative decision not to become one. Per SDNY, Cohen had valuable information: Had Cohen actually cooperated, it could have been fruitful: He did provide what could have been useful information about matters relating to ongoing investigations being carried out by this Office. In contrast, Cohen provided more fulsome information to the special counsel, which SDNY suggests deserves a variance from the normal sentencing guidelines range but not the kind of substantial assistance reduction Michael Flynn received. Unlike SDNY, Mueller describes Cohens assistance as substantial. Why the discrepancy? One theory is that Muellers investigation is focused on the Trump orbit, whereas the SDNY is much more focused on Cohens. Cohen may be reticent to cooperate fully with SDNY because it might implicate his own family and non-Trump business associates. The SDNY and Muellers filingsrather than a political communications operation and media strategyspeak to the law and the facts. Within the procedural rules of these criminal cases, the sequence and nature of the information they provide drip with intention. As Preet Bharara discussed Friday night, there was no apparent need for the SDNY to mention that Cohen acted in coordination with and at the direction of the president. But the SDNY did, and that speaks volumes. This week we have seen a tale of three witnesses: Michael Flynn received a no-sentence recommendation for substantial cooperation in several ongoing investigations; Cohen got an SDNY recommendation of a substantial period of incarceration for his half-hearted cooperation; and Manafort got not just the book, but the whole library, thrown at him by prosecutors for allegedly breaking his plea agreement. The message there is not subtle either. And other witnesses and potential targets of these wide-ranging investigations will surely hear it. President Donald Trump started his Sunday with a little Twitter meltdown as he blasted former FBI Director James Comey, hours after a transcript of his closed-door testimony was released. The commander in chief specifically noted the 245 occasions in which Comey told House investigators he didnt know, didnt recall, or couldnt remember things when asked. The presidents conclusion? All lies! On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didnt know, didnt recall, or couldnt remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) - didnt know who signed off and didnt know Christopher Steele. All lies! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump wasnt done with one of his favorite Twitter targets and said a few minutes later that Leakin James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. The testimony he gave to lawmakers was so untruthful! the president added. Leakin James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018 Advertisement During his closed-door questioning, Comey told lawmakers that four Americans were initially the focus of the investigation that began in July 2016 into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. While Comey did not identify the Americans, he did say Trump was not one of them. We opened investigations on four Americans to see if there was any connection between those four Americans and the Russian interference effort, Comey said. Comey refused to give the names, noting that the FBI and the Department of Justice have not confirmed the names of those folks publicly. The former FBI chief also told lawmakers that he and special counsel Robert Mueller are not friends in any social sense, contradicting Trumps claim that the two are Best Friends in a tweet he sent out mere hours before Comeys closed-door session. Advertisement Robert Mueller and Leakin Lyin James Comey are Best Friends, just one of many Mueller Conflicts of Interest. And bye the way, wasnt the woman in charge of prosecuting Jerome Corsi (who I do not know) in charge of legal at the corrupt Clinton Foundation? A total Witch Hunt... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018 Advertisement The transcript released Saturday also revealed most of the Friday hearing had to do with investigations into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. Shortly after the closed-door session, Comey took to Twitter to criticize the lawmakers, saying it wasnt a search for truth, but a desperate attempt to find anything that can be used to attack the institutions of justice investigating this president. Advertisement Advertisement They can strengthen public trust in state institutions and in democratic government, embassies claim in a joint statement. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled On December 9, we recognize International Anti-Corruption Day as a reminder to strengthen our common efforts to fight corruption globally. The United Nations recognizes corruption as the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development with at least $2.6 trillion stolen annually through global corruption. It weakens economies and corrodes democracy to make us poorer, less safe, and less free. For both individuals and societies seeking greater prosperity, corruption is often a fundamental challenge. It is our duty to jointly address this challenge worldwide. In Slovakia, we welcome recent convictions in some high-level corruption cases and progress in investigating several pending cases. We hope these cases will be resolved quickly and that the authorities will be able to identify those who ordered and benefitted from the corruption. Proposed improvements to whistleblower protections and efforts to empower an independent implementing office are significant and positive steps. Polling shows, however, that the trust Slovaks have in their state institutions remains weak. As a result, some would-be whistleblowers will not risk reporting corruption because they lack confidence that the authorities will respond seriously and protect them. Timely and independent investigations, prosecutions, and convictions in high-profile corruption cases can strengthen public trust in state institutions and in democratic government. So can competitive and transparent state procurement processes that provide the best products and services at the best prices. Strict implementation of rigorous ethical and professional conduct standards for judges, prosecutors, and civil servants also contributes to strengthening public trust. After the murder of Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova in February, Slovaks inspired the world with their civic engagement. Ordinary people showed that those who investigate and fight corruption cannot be silenced and that Slovakia remains committed to its democratic values. While investigative journalists play an important role in guaranteeing the publics right to be informed, citizens ultimately play the most important role by reporting corruption and by demanding clean and effective government. The efforts of political leaders and law enforcement authorities, in partnership with active citizens, civil society, media, and the international community, can create a more fair, transparent, and prosperous society. No country is immune from corruption. Drawing upon our own countries experience of wrestling with this challenge, we stand ready to work in partnership with the Slovak government and its people in the global fight against corruption. Office of the Embassy of Canada Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Embassy of the United States of America K Ryan Bluechip kicked strongly in the final half mile to win the Saturday, Dec. 8 feature at the Meadowlands an $18,500 conditioned pace for a second straight week. Driver Brett Miller was in no hurry early with the Virgil Morgan Jr. trainee, sitting last in the field of seven past the quarter- and half-mile markers. Pacesetter Bell I No was being pressured on the front, setting the stage for an off-the-pace winner. K Ryan Bluechip, a six-year-old gelded son of Art Major-Fool That I Am, made his move after the lead with three-eighths to go. Using a quick burst of speed, he slid to race third over around the far turn and past three-quarters. But instead of opting to stay in the fast lane, K Ryan Bluechip swung three wide for the drive to the wire. He sprinted home in :26.3 to record a three-quarter length win in 1:50.1. Bell I No and Clouseau Hanover - who had plenty of late pace - finished in a dead heat for second. The winner, who is owned by Carl Howard and Brian Witt, returned $6.00 to his backers, and now has seven victories in 31 starts this year. Lifetime, hes won 30-of-97 and banked just over $378,000. PICK-5 TURNAROUND: After Friday nights 50-Cent Pick 5 paid $60.15 as favourites won every leg of the wager, things went much differently Saturday evening. In the third race on the program (leg one of the Pic -5), Too Much Hanover and driver Vinny Ginsburg scored at odds of 29-1, paying more to win ($61.00) than the Pick 5 returned on Friday. After the next four winners in the sequence were sent off at "useable" odds of 8-1, 3-5, 6-5 and 2-1, the Saturday Pick 5 returned $21,640.30. A LITTLE MORE: In addition to getting the Pick 5 off to a good start, Ginsburg also had a big hand in the Early Daily Double ($194.80), scoring with 14-1 chance Rock Star in the opener. Andy McCarthy made three winners circle visits, raising his meet-leading dash-win total to 30. All-source handle totaled $1,943,975 for the 11-race program. Racing resumes Thursday, Dec. 13 at 7:15 p.m. Live action will be conducted on a Thursday-Saturday basis at the Big M during December, with one exception. There will be no live racing on Saturday, Dec. 15 with the New York Jets hosting the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. Kickoff is 4:30 p.m. (With files from the Meadowlands) Tuesday, December 11, 2018 ABA Journal, Indiana Commission to Examine Bar Exam Cut Score; California Asked to Take 'Fresh Look' At Its Exam: Following a July 2018 bar exam pass rate of 65 percent, the Indiana Supreme Court has assembled a special commission to review the tests format and content and consider whether the cut score should be changed. The court issued the order Tuesday, the Indiana Lawyer reports. Currently, raw scores for test takers Multistate Performance Test and Indiana Essay Exam are scaled to the Multistate Bar Exam, according to the Indiana Supreme Courts Board of Bar Examiners website. One needs a combined scaled score of at least 264 to pass, with the 20 percent of the score coming from the MPT, 30 percent from the essay portion and 50 percent from the MBE. Besides considering whether the cut score should be changed, the Indiana bar exam commission is looking at whether the state should adopt the Uniform Bar Exam. ... Although many states saw pass rate declines for the July 2018 bar exam, Judith Gundersen, president and CEO of the National Conference of Bar Examiners, told the ABA Journal that she does not know of any other jurisdictions in 2018 that are considering a cut score change following July bar exam results. Between June 2016 and November 2017 four statesIdaho, Montana, Nevada and Oregonlowered their bar exam cut scores, she told the ABA Journal last year. The California Supreme Court decided in October 2017 that it would not lower its bar exam cut score of 1440, following a study and a report on the issue, as well as requests from the state bars law school council to change the cut score to something between 1350 and 1390. Mark Stone, a state Assembly member who chairs its judiciary committee, has asked the body to take a fresh look at its bar exam, following a July 2018 pass rate of 40.7 percent, the Recorder reported. Law school deans also chimed in, with a Nov. 29 Los Angeles Times opinion piece. https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2018/12/indiana-commission-to-examine-bar-exam-cut-score-california-asked-to-take-fresh-look-at-its-exam.html Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring View the latest news, buy/sell ratings, SEC filings and insider transactions for your stocks. Compare your portfolio performance to leading indices and get personalized stock ideas based on your portfolio. Stock Ideas and Recommendations Get daily stock ideas top-performing Wall Street analysts. Get short term trading ideas from the MarketBeat Idea Engine. View which stocks are hot on social media with MarketBeat's trending stocks report. The US, Great Britain, India, Portugal, Austria,... The announcement that Luxembourg will be the first country to introduce free public transport made headlines across the globe. After the coalition agreement was made public this week, Luxembourg made it into the headlines of several big international publications. ORF: In Luxemburg ist der Nahverkehr bald kostenlos New York Times: Luxembourg to Become the First Country to Offer Free Mass Transit for All JN: Luxemburgo vai ser o primeiro pais com transportes publicos gratuitos Indian Express: Luxembourg set to become first country to provide free public transport Sky News Independent Huffington Post The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question. Apart from the legalisation of recreational cannabis, Luxembourg announced that public transport will become free within the next couple of years. Portugal's "Jornal de Noticias" reported on Luxembourg's bid to make public transport free for everyone. In the US, the announcement made headlines in the "New York Times" and the "Huffington Post". Even Vermont Senator and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders weighed in on the subject in a Facebook post: The news spread across the globe, with India's "Indian Express", Austria's "ORF" and the German "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" picking the subject up. In Great Britain, "The Guardian", the "BBC", "Sky News" and "Independent" published articles with their take on the story. Wonder Caves: Ideal Spot for Hikers and Cave Explorers Your browser does not support the audio element. A Vietnamese beauty has been named Miss Supranational Asia 2018 after making it to the top 10 of the overall competition Miss Supranational in Poland. Nguyen Tran Hai Duong, country director of Miss Supranational in Vietnam, confirmed on her Facebook account on Sunday that Nguyen Minh Tu won the title. This is one of the main titles of the beauty pageant, Duong said, adding that Tu ranked sixth in the top 10 of the Miss Supranational competition. Nguyen Minh Tu receives the tiara and title of Miss Supranational Asia 2018 from Gerhard Parzutka Von Lipinski, the beauty pageants president. Photo: Miss Supranational Earlier on Friday night (Poland time), Tu joined 71 other beauties from countries and territories across the world to compete in the finals of Miss Supranational 2018 in the Polish city of Krynica-Zdroj. The 27-year-old Vietnamese representative advanced into the top 10, along with the United States, Romania, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Indonesia, Poland, Mexico, the Philippines, and Venezuela. Nguyen Minh Tu is pictured onstage before the top five is announced in the finals of the 2018 Miss Supranational in Poland on December 7, 2018. Photo: Miss Supranational She was unable to make it to the top five, which included the United States, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, Poland, and Mexico. Valeria Vazquez, a 24-year-old beauty from Puerto Rico, was crowned the winner of the 2018 Miss Supranational. Minh Tu poses with her evening gown. Photo: Miss Supranational The winners of the pageants sub-contests were later announced backstage, with Tu being named the beauty with the best evening gown. She also ranked among the top 10 contestants with the best national costumes after donning a stunning ao dai designed by Dinh Van Tho. Nguyen Minh Tu dons ao dai in the national costume round. Photo: Miss Supranational After Miss Supranational was named, organizers of the beauty pageant announced the names of six Continental Queens, which are Miss Supranational in each region, including Africa, Americas, Asia, Caribbean, Europe, and Oceania. Miss Supranational is among the biggest beauty pageants in the world, alongside Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss Earth, Miss International, and Miss Grand International. The competition was first held in Plock, Poland in 2009 and has been organized annually since then. The list of Continental Queens of Miss Supranational 2018. Photo: Miss Supranational Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. A single man has managed to give food to feral pigeons almost unfailingly over the past many years as a source of happiness and inner tranquility when he makes a hard living in one of the most developed cities in Vietnams Mekong Delta. On a recent day, Nguyen Van Chuong a street vendor of ornamental plants swept leaves on part of a sidewalk near the Tao Dan Park in Can Tho City and strewed rice at two separate spots. The 56-year-old then scattered morsels of banh bo, a Vietnamese rice flour sponge cake, on the ground before whistling to pigeons to descend for breakfast from post office roofs, hotel tops, tree branches and overhead power lines. The tamed pigeons were followed by nimble, more timid passerines which preferred banh bo. One of the doves flapped its wings hovering before Chuong, a suntanned person who is usually seen in a faded T-shirt and pants rolled to the knees. This bird has an injury in its beak. Its the most enthusiastic in the flock to catch my attention by jumping up and down this way to get more food from me, Chuong said. Residents taking dawn physical exercise at the park said hey as a friendly greeting to a man they see on a daily basis while foreign tourists stopped to take photos of the feeding spectacle. Vo Minh Duc, a motorbike taxi driver who parked awaiting passengers near the park, said Chuong has spent six years giving the birds meals in the morning, around noon and in the late afternoon every day, rain or shine. City pigeons have increasingly gravitated to the street corner, with the number now exceeding 150, the driver added. After half an hour of feeding the birds, Chuong began going around the city to sell ornamental plants. When he finished his lunch, he came back to the corner, feeding the feathered creatures until 1:00 pm before resuming his job. Nguyen Van Chuong offers to sell plants to a customer in Can Tho City, southern Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre He returned to them at 5:00 pm, when his working day ends, and provided them with food again. Before he left them, he affectionately patted a pigeon that had landed on his hand and lifted it above his head. Thats just enough for me to be free from tiredness and sleep soundly until the following morning, Chuong said while looking at the dove flying up. Human-bird love The middle-aged bachelor said he considers the birds as his children and thinks they also love him. The motivation behind Chuongs animal care came to him six years ago, when he was filled with sorrow. While having nothing else to do, he sprinkled pieces of banh bo, which was then his breakfast, on the ground to see if pigeons would come. And they did. He felt a moment of peace while seeing the birds on a full stomach soar past him and glide overhead. He has believed he is linked to the doves by a great bond of destiny. He offers them food and they give them happiness and company in life in return. Out of the monthly income of around VND7 million (US$301), Chuong spends VND60,000 ($3) on bird feed a day, VND1 million ($43) on accommodation rental and the remaining on daily expenses. When somebody said feeding the doves was futile and it would be much better to accumulate money for old age, Chuong just smiled at the view, citing benefits of the action and his belief that everyone has their own fate. He tried to protect the birds from urban hunters driving motorcycles or cars by intercepting their killing, noting the license number plates down and calling the authorities. But he failed sometimes, and he cried in sadness and anger while holding pigeon bodies in his hands. In Vietnam feeding doves in public places is not fined but anyone carrying unlicensed hunting guns will be punished. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: Politics -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen concluded his three-day official visit to Vietnam on Saturday, during which he had met with Vietnamese Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and National Assembly chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Society -- A heavy downpour on early Sunday morning has caused multiple areas in the central city of Da Nang to be seriously inundated. Some streets were submerged under floodwater as high as one meter. -- Two women in a family in the north-central province of Quang Tri went missing after being washed away by floodwater brought about by torrential rain on Saturday night. -- The developer of the Vam Cong Bridge, which will connect Dong Thap Province and Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta upon completion, said on Saturday that repair works for the cracks found at the structure would be finished in late March 2019. The process was previously expected to be complete by year-end. -- A waste-to-energy plant worth more than VND1 trillion (US$43 million) was put into operation in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on Saturday. It is designed to treat 400 to 500 metric tons of garbage and produce about 150,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. -- Multiple flights to Vinh City in the north-central province of Nghe An were redirected, delayed, and canceled as the city was dampened by prolonged downpours on Saturday. -- The Japanese government has pledged support worth $624,997 for the administration in the north-central province of Quang Binh to carry out a demining project in 2019. -- The owner of a gold shop in Nghe An Province has been fined VND40 million ($1,720) after being caught exchanging a $100 banknote without a license in early November. Business -- An eco-market fair ran at the Son Pho Park in Hoi An City, located in the central province of Quang Nam, on Saturday morning, featuring various agricultural products grown by local farmers and merchandise made of eco-friendly material. Sports -- Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Khanh Hai was voted as president of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) for the 2018-22 tenure after receiving a 100 percent approval rate from 260 delegates on Saturday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. Many canals in Ho Chi Minh City, which play a significant role in the drainage system, have been either encroached upon by houses or become victims of excessive littering, while authorities are still scratching their heads over finding the best solution. The situation currently affect about 40 canals, 76 sewers, and 41 outfalls across the southern Vietnamese metropolis, causing the flow of water to be congested, the municipal Peoples Council said in a recent meeting. This is considered one of the primary reasons for the increasingly serious inundation in the city. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters have followed a team of the citys Urban Drainage Company (UDC) to record the severity of the problem. At the Nam Long Residential area in District 7, a series of houses were actually built on top of a 100-meter-long section of Ba Buom Canal. Some of these homes do not have proper addresses, the UDC employees said, adding that they were previously makeshift shelters, whose owners were eventually able to turn them into concrete houses. Ba Buom used to play a major role in the drainage system of the neighborhood. It is now nearly impossible for UDC employees to dredge the channel due to the houses on top. As a result, the neighborhood is often flooded whenever it rains, according to local residents. A resident dumps garbage along a trash-filled canal in District 8. Photo: Tuoi Tre Another section of the canal along Huynh Tan Phat Street is also encroached on by several homes. The width of some parts of the canal has been narrowed down from four meters to only one meter. Meanwhile, a section of the Bui Huu Nghia canal along Dien Hong Street in Binh Thanh District has been filled with trash, negatively impacting the flow of water as well as the environment. Units responsible are unable to clean the channel as many residents have constructed their houses on top of it. This canal is now nothing but a landfill, Le Thi Thuan, a local resident, stated. Solutions In 2016, Chairman of the People Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong ordered the Department of Transport, the Steering Center for Urban Flood Control Program, and district-level administrations to stop local canals from being invaded. The issue, however, has yet to be solved so far. Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung, deputy director of the Steering Center for Urban Flood Control Program, considered the situation as a problem left over from the past. Houses built on top of Ba Buom Canal in District 7. Photo: Tuoi Tre In order to the deal with this, local authorities have to review all documents regarding the land ownership and building permits of the houses constructed on top of local canals, Dung elaborated. They should take into account possible compensation options when requiring residents to move their homes away from the canals, he added. This process takes a lot of time and needs coordination between different government bodies. Certain policies must be established, so that local residents will be willing to relocate, Dung said. If the problem is properly addressed, the citys drainage system will be greatly improved. Regarding excessive littering along canals and sewers, authorities in the city have been mobilizing multiple units to patrol and fine violators since the beginning of the year, said Nguyen Toan Thang, director of the municipal environmental department. That effort is not enough to deter the violators, Thang said, adding that competent agencies should be allowed to use evidence from surveillance cameras to fine them. The central government currently has no guidelines on penalizing people who violate environmental protection laws with proof from CCTV, the official explained. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The first-ever surface mission to the far side of the moon is underway. China's robotic Chang'e 4 spacecraft streaked away from Earth today (Dec. 7), launching atop a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at about 1:23 p.m. EST (1823 GMT; 2:23 a.m. on Dec. 8 local China time). If all goes according to plan, Chang'e 4 will make history's first landing on the lunar far side sometime in early January. The mission, which consists of a stationary lander and a rover, will perform a variety of science work and plant a flag for humanity in a region that remains largely unexplored to date. The moon is tidally locked to Earth, meaning the natural satellite takes about the same amount of time to spin once on its axis as it does to orbit our planet. So, here on Earth, we always see the same face of our cosmic neighbor. That would be the near side. The far side remains forever out of view, and that explains why this obscured surface has yet to welcome a robotic visitor. Communicating with a far-side lander or rover is difficult, because the entirety of the moon's solid, rocky body would block direct signals traveling to and fro. To solve this problem, China launched a satellite called Quegiao this past May. Queqiao has set up shop at the Earth-moon Lagrange point 2, a gravitationally stable spot beyond the moon from which the satellite will be able to relay communications between mission control and Chang'e 4. The spacecraft's signals will likely be coming from the floor of Von Karman Crater, a 115-mile-wide (186 kilometers) hole in the ground that's the mission's expected landing site. Von Karman is part of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the biggest impact features in the solar system; it spans a whopping 1,600 miles (2,500 km) from rim to rim. (space.com) ************************* I know. Far side is far more accurate than dark side. Both sides of the Moon get equal amounts of sunlight, but I prefer dark side Pink Floyd and all. It goes well with the Chinese reference to legends in their lunar exploration program. Chang'e is a Moon goddess. Queqiao is the magpie bridge from a very appropriate legend. My favorite is Yutu or Jade Rabbit, the Chinese rabbit in the Moon. Yutu is the lunar rover that will roam the dark side of the Moon if all goes as planned. A lots been happening in space lately. Weve heard the howling of the Martian winds. SpaceX launched a slew of communication satellites on one of their well used rockets, as well as sending a cargo ship to the ISS with Christmas dinner aboard. And Roscosmos sent the Soyuz MS-11 to the ISS with a Russian cosmonaut along with an American and a Canadian astronaut, just in time for that Christmas dinner. I did not know that China is prohibited from participating in the ISS program. I dont know the reason why this is so. I do know that US objects to Chinese participation in ESA programs although the ESA is open to Chinese participation. This is a monumentally shortsighted policy. There should be a Chinese taikonaut on the ISS in 2019. TTG https://www.space.com/42665-china-launches-moon-far-side-lander-rover.html The Planetary Society has an excellent article on the Chinese lunar missions written by Long Xiao, a planetary geoscientist at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) and the Macau University of Science and Technology. http://www.planetary.org/explore/the-planetary-report/china-new-lunar-missions.html Australian Story is bound to be contentious as it looks at arsonist Brendan Sokaluk who lit fires during the Black Saturday bushfires that killed 11 people and widespread destruction. This episode is introduced by Jack Rush, senior counsel to the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires. Trying to apprehend an arsonist is extremely difficult. Only 1% of arsonists are actually detected. Paul Read, arson expert. When I first met Brendan, it was obvious to me that he was really operating on a different plane. Selena McCrickard, Brendan Sokaluks lawyer. On one hand there was this cunning serial offender, and on the other this hapless naif, caught up in events beyond his control. I think that its entirely possible that both of those versions were true. Chloe Hooper, author, The Arsonist. As the 10th anniversary of the Black Saturday fires approaches and the nation braces for another devastating bushfire season, Australian Story examines the fatal Churchill blaze and the investigation that led police to the enigmatic arsonist, Brendan Sokaluk. It retraces Sokaluks footsteps on the day and delves into his past to look for clues to why he lit a fire on a day of extreme fire conditions. His actions led to the death of 11 people and the widespread destruction of property, wildlife and bushland. The story features moving first-hand accounts of the day, including that of Shirley Gibson, whose two sons died defending her home. Remarkably, Shirley has found it within herself to forgive Brendan for what he did. He didnt really mean to kill my boys, she tells Australian Story. He didnt mean to kill any of those people. You just cant hate people. Its a negative emotion. It screws you right up. Not everyone feels the same. I will never forgive him, says Peter Townsend, who had to flee from his property. I hope he doesnt come back here for his own safety and I dont ever want to see him again. Featuring never-before-seen police interview footage of Sokaluk, The Burning Question asks what we can learn from the events of that day and how we can use this case to identify potential arsonists in the future. Over the next four years we are going to have a heatwave globally, Paul Read tells Australian Story. The only way we can stop the Brendans of this world from continuing to light fires is to bring them in for intervention and treatment before they strike the first match. Monday December 10 at 8pm, ABC. The shock arrest and prolonged detention of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn, who was indicted on December 10 after being held for three weeks without charge, have sparked questions over the idiosyncrasies of Japan's criminal justice system. His fall from grace couldnt have been more dramatic. Carlos Ghosn was taken into custody straight from his corporate jet; and was arrested on suspicion of under-reporting his pay as head of Nissan by some 40 million over five years. After being held without charge for three weeks at the Tokyo Detention Centre, the French-Lebanese-Brazilian businessman was indicted for financial misconduct on Monday, and was immediately re-arrested for similar wrongdoing over three additional years. Not coming clean about his salary in annual corporate filings was the only allegation that has been made public since his arrest on November 19. Nevertheless, Japanese media were quick to publish uncorroborated reports of other acts of financial misconduct, painting a picture of a greed-driven foreigner who pursued a lavish lifestyle using Nissan as his personal piggy bank, while relentlessly cutting costs at the carmaker. Following his arrest, Nissan and Mitsubishi also swiftly removed him as their chairman. Later news reports said that the amount Ghosn failed to report was in deferred compensation to be paid out in the future, and that he and Greg Kelly, another executive arrested alongside him, both denied they had any criminal intention in not disclosing it. The all-powerful 'Tokuso' prosecutors The conditions in which Ghosn is being held have sparked concern. He has been cut off from the outside world and has only been allowed to see his lawyer and a handful of people from the French, Brazilian and Lebanese consulates. The Wall Street Journal described the situation as a bizarre inquisition. In Beirut, billboards supporting the businessman have popped up. At a press conference shortly before a court granted a second extension to Ghosns detention, Shin Kukimoto, Deputy Chief Prosecutor for the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, responded to criticisms: Each country has its own system based on its history and culture. I doubt if its appropriate to criticise another jurisdiction just because it runs on a different system. Story continues In Japan, arrests are generally made by police and handed to prosecutors who examine whether there is enough evidence to indict and try the suspect. But prosecutors also have the power to investigate, arrest and indict on their own. There are three Special Investigation Units or Tokuso-bu, which deal with high-profile, complex cases of financial crimes and corruption based in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. It was the Tokyo team who arrested Ghosn. Almost all indictments lead to guilty verdicts Japans criminal conviction rate stands at a staggering 99.9 percent. This is partly because prosecutors only pursue cases when they are extremely confident the suspect will be proven guilty. When they make their own arrests, they will have already decided to indict, and win, the case. Nobuo Gohara, a lawyer and former prosecutor specialising in corporate governance, tells France 24: The extraordinarily high conviction rate indicates that in Japan, whether a suspect is guilty or not is almost solely decided by prosecutors. Even if the prosecutors wrongly indict a suspect, it is extremely difficult to reverse that decision in court. Few judges are willing to deliver an innocent verdict. And this has led to some false convictions. One such case came to prominence in 2014, when a 77-year-old man was granted a re-trial for lack of evidence and was freed, after spending 44 years on death row. Under Japanese law, prosecutors can detain a suspect for up to 23 days without charge and can repeatedly extend this detention by filing new accusations. Lawyers are not allowed to be present during interrogation sessions. Some former suspects have accused prosecutors of coercing them into giving confessions that fit their preconceived scenarios. While relying heavily on confessions and testimony in building cases, prosecutors often strategically leak information to the media that could sway public opinion in their favour. Thus, a suspect is prosecuted by the media before any formal charges are filed, raising questions whether the presumption of innocence, a principle enshrined in Japans constitution, is respected. Failures and reforms For a long time, the Tokuso investigators have enjoyed strong public confidence for bringing greedy politicians and corporate giants to justice. They famously went after former prime minister Kakuei Tanaka in the Lockheed-Martin bribery case in the 1970s (he died while appealing the verdict), and arrested another ex-premier, Shin Kanemaru, for tax evasion in the 1990s. The prosecutors unchecked discretionary power, and the pressure they are under to deliver a guilty verdict, have also left room for abuse. In 2010, an ace prosecutor in Osaka was arrested for tampering with evidence and two of his superiors including the former head of the Special Investigation Unit were arrested for covering up his crime. The senior government official indicted on corruption in that case was acquitted of all charges in a court ruling that prosecutors decided not to appeal. But the case shocked the nation and tarnished the prosecutors reputation, eventually leading to some reforms like videotaping interrogations. Ironically, the reforms made prosecutors more cautious in pursuing cases, losing them public support. A 2016 decision by Tokyo prosecutors not to press charges against a prominent conservative former minister involved in a corruption scandal disappointed many and further eroded public trust. Perhaps the tokuso prosecutors wanted to draw positive attention from the public through a new, high-profile case, Gohara says. As well as criticism over his treatment, speculation has been mounting that prosecutors may have jumped the gun in arresting Ghosn, with some suggesting the charges are merely part of an elaborate boardroom coup. Armenian acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan casts his ballot during an early parliamentary election in Yerevan, Armenia December 9, 2018. REUTERS/Vahram Baghdasaryan/Photolure By Hasmik Mkrtchyan and Margarita Antidze YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenia's acting prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, is on his way to bolstering his authority as his political bloc appeared to have taken a clear lead in elections in the ex-Soviet country on Sunday, the Central Election Commission's (CEC) preliminary results showed. My Step Alliance, which includes Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party, won over 70 percent of the vote based on results from more than 50 percent of the polling stations, the CEC said on its website. Results showed that two moderate opposition parties - Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia - got enough votes to enter parliament as they cleared the 5 percent threshold. Pashinyan came to power in Armenia in May after weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism. The former newspaper editor, who was jailed for fomenting unrest in 2008, marked a dramatic break from the cadre of rulers who have run Armenia since the late 1990s. He stepped down in October so parliament could be dissolved ready for the early election, but remained the acting prime minister. "Armenian citizens created a revolutionary majority at the parliament," Pashinyan told reporters at his bloc's headquarters after first results were published. "If this trend continues, the majority won't face any problems in implementing legislative changes." After a change of power in the South Caucasus country of around 3 million people, Pashinyan's government sought to initiate changes to the electoral code. But the move was blocked by the former ruling Republican Party, which dominated the parliament. The Republican Party received 4.37 percent of the vote, preliminary results showed. Former high-ranking officials were sacked and some were arrested following the change of power. On Friday, an appeals court ordered the detention of former President Robert Kocharyan on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. Story continues He was first arrested in July but freed the following month, and the case was sent to the appeals court. Kocharyan was Armenia's second president, serving from 1998 to 2008, when mass protests erupted over a disputed election. After taking office, Pashinyan promised there would be no major shifts in Armenian foreign policy and has offered assurances he will not break with Moscow. Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is a member of Russia-led military and economic alliances. Pashinyan also suggested he would stick with existing policies on the long-running issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. A mountainous part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, is run by ethnic Armenians who declared independence from Baku during a conflict that broke out as the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991. Though a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia still regularly accuse each other of conducting attacks around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Azeri-Armenian border. (Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Peter Cooney and Daniel Wallis) Lawmakers in California deserve praise for their decision to introduce solar power on a mandatory basis in all new homes. It will come into effect in 2020 after the bill was passed unanimously and the result will be the introduction of more sustainable energy sources. This introduction of clean renewable energy on a compulsory basis is, undoubtedly, a historic move and will be a trendsetter for other states to follow. It is the culmination of a decade-old effort to induct solar power into the mainstream. Daily Mail UK reports that there is opposition to the bill from certain quarters because its introduction will lead to an escalation in cost for the homeowners. The solar panels, furnishings etcetera do not come cheap and will add to the financial burden of the owner. The authorities assured that it is possible to tackle such issues. Positive action to reduce global warming The decision taken by California is a positive action to counteract climate change and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The willingness to change is praiseworthy because the focus should be to arrest global warming and preserve the environment. Solar power is a preferable alternative because it is clean energy, does not produce greenhouse gases and will ensure a strong economy in the long run. California is now the first state in the nation to require solar power in homes built in 2020 and later. Energy officials estimated the provisions will add $10,000 to the cost of building a single-family home. https://t.co/ISwjObFaDo pic.twitter.com/1rZ0PQcTmq Star Tribune (@StarTribune) December 6, 2018 However, there are apprehensions in the minds of people about the financing aspects. The authorities have indicated that there will be suitable options available to them and they can expect to save money from the day they enter their new homes. Officials have assured that the overall lifespan of solar panels is 30 years and by that time, it will offset the utility bills and result in substantial savings to the families. Discuss this news on Eunomia California emerges as the Sunshine State According to Chicago Sun-Times, California has taken a major decision to promote solar power and all homes in the state in 2020 and later must be solar powered. It was a unanimous decision and is proof of Californias determination to embrace clean energy and push conventional fossil fuels into the background. Of course, there is opposition and the Orange County Register has received some letters from persons who oppose the mandate. However, a rep from the solar-industry said that there would be net savings by switching over to the new concept. The most important part is that this decision is favorable from the point of view of climate change. The aim is to produce enough solar power that will, in due course of time, make power from other sources redundant. A welcome ceremony is held for National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan at Seongnam airport in Seoul. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA Speaker of the National Assembly of the RoK Moon Hee-sang receives and holds talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan during her official visit to South Korea from December 4-7. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA The Vietnamese top legislator has a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA The two top legislators and delegates pose for a photo at the Vietnam- RoK Investment and Trade Forum. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA The two top legislators attend the Vietnam-RoK Investment and Trade Forum. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan witnesses the signing ceremony for Action Plan to achieve the 100 billion US dollars by 2020 between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the RoKs Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA During her visit, the Vietnamese leader receives leaders of several RoK groups, including CJ, Lotte, VN One, and the Korea Federation of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (KBIZ). Photo: Trong Duc/VNA She also has a reception for representatives of the Ly family living in South Korea. Photo: Trong Duc/VNA CBC said Meng Wanzhou arrested on suspicion of violating trade sanctions against Iran. Therefore that means we can arrest anyone due to suspicions and to hell with rule of law 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 Source: China demands Canada release executive of tech giant Huawei Ignorance of our actions does not make it right. But I promise that soon reciprocal actions are going to start happening. I guess we are just going to rant and rave at the whole world, because we are falling farther and farther behind in almost literally everything First: Iran sanctions are illegal.periodillegal Second: We just put CEOs of America in the bullseye as they travel the world to do business Can you say, USA Isolation! and or maybe worse yet, We Want War! WtR PS: Bad China, Bad Russia, Bad Venezuela, Bad North Korea, Bad Brazil, Bad Iraq, Bad Syria, Bad Iran, Bad Qatar, Bad Yemen, Bad Gaza, Bad Balkans, Bad France, Bad Mexico, Bad Cuba, Bad Belarus, Bad Democratic Republic of Congo, Bad Zimbabwe, Bad Sudan, Bad Cote DIvoire (Ivory Coast), Bad Burma, Bad Libya, Bad Lebanon, Bad bad bad bad and more and more bad countries I know you can name a few morethere is dozens more Its really amazing that the government would go out of its way to have Ms.Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer, and a non-U.S. citizen, arrested in Canada,for supposedly violating U.S. sanctions, yet cant come to grips with arresting the Clintons, who are far more flagrantly egregious. Says a lot about how poor our justice system really is Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. 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The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ From Politico: Ivan Krastevs last book landed like a warning shot on the desks of policymakers across the Continent. In his short 2017 volume, After Europe, the Bulgarian thinker warned that what had been until then widely regarded as a series of isolated shocks the migration crisis, Brexit, the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the rise of European populism are instead symptoms of a modern malaise, one with the potential to tear the European Union apart. People were still taking the European Union for granted, he says, and assuming that while the status quo might be shaken, it would almost certainly remain unchanged. Krastevs experience has taught him otherwise. As a university student in Sofia in 1989, he witnessed the Communist regime collapse and his country transform overnight. The experience, he says, impressed upon him the fact that the unthinkable can very quickly become the inevitable. Krastevs style is aphoristic and playful; in conversation, he will often tell a joke to illustrate a more serious political nuance. He doesnt use social media, or even own a mobile phone. At public appearances, he rarely relies on prepared remarks, but seems to think through his arguments out loud. His often unorthodox analysis has established him as one of the more perceptive scholars of what he calls the threatened majority and forgotten losers of the ages epochal shifts. More here. Bethany Schneider in Avidly: Heres a little lesson about crying historical crying from another class I teach, Literatures of American Indian Removal. Once upon a time, the State of New Hampshire tried to claim Dartmouth College as its state university. In 1818, the case went to the Supreme Court, where John Marshall, as chief justice, presided. Dartmouth was represented by Daniel Webster. . . . It is, Sir, as I have said, a small college, and yet, there are those who love it . . . In an impassioned speech, Webster cited love as the private passion that draws a fairy circle of protection around the small college, keeping away publics that cannot possibly feel correctly. Websters oratory was so moving that the great judge wept openly on the bench. John Marshall, who shaped the Supreme Court into the powerful third arm of government that we now rely on it to be, was moved to tears. Dartmouth was founded to educate Native men, but immediately abandoned that project. That abandonment was partly why New Hampshire felt it could be claimed as public. But Marshalls court decided it would remain private. The decision is a cornerstone of the American corporation. The corporation, he wrote, is chiefly for the purpose of clothing bodies of men, in succession, with these qualities and capacities that corporations were invented, and are in use. By these means, a perpetual succession of individuals are capable of acting for the promotion of the particular object like one immortal being. Corporations are immortal bodies, made up of successive generations of white men clothed in the invisibility cloak of power. I teach this decision alongside Marshalls Cherokee cases, partly because Dartmouth v. Woodward is about Native Americans, and partly to enable a discussion about the emotions of immortal fathers, and the ways that the body corporate, as Marshall described it, disciplines and disperses the bodies, and the emotions, of those who do not fit. In 1831, Marshall rejected the Cherokee Nations case against the State of Georgia, which wanted to force them to remove. Marshalls decision ends with these words; If it be true that wrongs have been inflicted and that still greater are to be apprehended, this is not the tribunal which can redress the past or prevent the future. More here. When enemies not enemies? And why we should be thankful for them? Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs to work with their Chinese counterparts to stop the illicit entry of cigarette-making machines that are being used to manufacture counterfeit tobacco products in the country. Dominguez issued the order after confirming with BIR commissioner Caesar Dulay that the illegal tobacco trade shifted from smuggling cigarettes to producing counterfeit brands using undocumented cigarette-making machines from China. What we have to stop is the import of the equipment, which is coming from China, Dominguez said during an executive committee meeting at the DoF.Dominguez instructed Dulay and Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero to coordinate with Chinese officials to inform them about this new illicit scheme and to request them not to allow the export of cigarette making machines from China to the Philippines without the proper documentation. Based on previous raids conducted by the BIR, counterfeiters were able to manufacture fake versions of popular brands using smaller, more portable versions of the machines and devices for making cigarettes. Dulay said these unscrupulous individuals have graduated from fake stamps to fake cigarettes. He said erring traders apparently switched to manufacturing their own counterfeit cigarettes in lieu of smuggling legitimate products following the heightened joint BIR-BOC drive against suppliers of tobacco products with fake tax stamps, which was in compliance with Dominguezs earlier orders. In the raids conducted by the BIR on several warehouses in Luzon and Mindanao, unlicensed cigarette-making machines, packing machines and filter-making machines were seized along with fake cigarettes and fake tax stamps. Dominguez ordered the BIR to disable and dismantle the confiscated machines so that they would be rendered non-operational.The BIR and BoC created a joint task force to crack down hard on sellers of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes. The BIR also created a strike team to act as lead and point coordinator of all BIR enforcement activities on smuggled articles and locally manufactured counterfeit excisable products. The intensified and well-coordinated campaign of the BIR and BOC against the illicit tobacco trade led to the closure of local manufacturer Mighty Corp. last year. The firm eventually sold its assets to be able to settle its tax obligations after the government slapped a string of criminal complaints against it for the use of counterfeit tax stamps on its products. Mightys tax settlement generated P30.4 billion in total revenues comprising the payment of the firms deficiency taxes and transaction taxes arising from the sale of its assets. The tax payments marked the largest amount ever collected by the government from a single corporate entity. Following the shutdown of Mightys operations and its takeover by Japan Tobacco International, excise tax collections from tobacco products increased by an average of P2.5 billion a month. The ever-conniving world of scammers appears to be ratcheting up whats known as the boss imposter scam, in which a bad guy impersonates a boss who is out of town for a conference or who has taken time off for the holidays. The National Consumers League says it is has seen a marked increase in this scam, which appears legitimate because the perpetrator spoofs the boss email address. The average loss reported to Fraud.org from these incidents is more than $2,500. In the email, a supposed manager or executive asks employees to send gift cards or wire money, telling them its a business-related request and reassuring them that they will be reimbursed. These scams are particularly successful for con artists when they happen to reach an employee whose boss is out of the office on travel, when its more difficult for the employee to verify the legitimacy of the request, the Consumers League says. In some cases, scammers use readily available promotional materials to predict when a boss might be traveling to a conference or speaking engagement and then plan their emails accordingly. At this time of year, they appear to be banking on a manager being out of town for the holidays. The convincing nature of these emails, combined with the hesitation of many employees to question their bosses, makes this scam lucrative for scammers and costly for consumers, the Consumers League says. One New Hampshire man was out $1,500 after he complied with an email request from his supposed boss traveling in Ireland that said, I need you to make a store purchase for Apple iTunes gift cards of $100 face value. I need 15 of each card. Not the most grammatical of emails, which brings up one clue to help spot this scam: Look for an unusual writing style or odd little grammatical mistakes, the Consumers League says. Other tips: When in doubt, call your boss and dont rely on email. Always confirm any unusual payment requests in person or by phone, but dont use contact information provided in the email. This is especially important if you are not typically charged with making payments. Be cautious about any strange information requests. If your boss is asking you for unusual personal data, consider calling him or her directly. Remember scammers can spoof email addresses, so dont be lured by just looking at the receipients email address. - Xcel Energy has seen a slew of scam efforts in New Mexico and Texas in which customers are told a representative is coming out to disconnect their power unless they make a payment quickly on a prepaid gift card. The utility is reminding customers that what it does if there is a delinquent payment is send a printed disconnect notice by mail. If you have questions about your account, call 1-800-895-4999. Also, the utility offers a free app allowing customers to check their account balances. It is available through Apple Store and Google Play. Following a breach of one of its data bases, Marriott International has set up a website answers.kroll.com and a call center, 877-273-9481, to answer questions. It also says affected customers can sign up for a year of free services that will monitor websites criminals use to share peoples personal information. Marriott says the service will alert customers if their information shows up on the websites, and will also include fraud loss reimbursement and other services. The company announced recently that the breach of its Starwood guest reservation database exposed the personal information of up to 500 million people. Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210. Prev 1 of 4 Next Its beginning to look a lot like, well, a pretty darn good ski season, and with the holidays approaching faster than an out-of-control downhiller on a black diamond run, its time to make some plans to visit a nearby mountain or two. Many of New Mexicos ski slopes target families with special events during the holidays, helping to create a little cheer and some memories. Here is a rundown of some of whats happening on some of the northern slopes: Taos Ski Valley (skitaos.com) Although it is his busiest time of the year, jolly St. Nick will be making a stopover from 3:30-5 p.m. Dec. 22 at the holiday tree on the Taos Plaza, said Erin Dolan, Taos Ski Valley spokeswoman. Of course, it wouldnt be the Christmas season without some carols, provided by the Taos Community Chorus. Although Christmas will have passed, the famous Taos Folk (taosfolk.com) pop-up store will be at the Taos Tent Dec. 27 through Jan. 5 with their eclectic collection of local artwork. And New Years Eve is a celebration of the passing of the old year and the welcoming of the new. Watch as skiers make their way down the mountain in the dark with flares as their only means of light, Dolan said. And dont miss the spectacular fireworks display by Gemini Fireworks. Angel Fire Resort (angelfireresort.com) The holidays are special time at the resort, said Krysty OQuinn Ronchetti, Angel Fire spokeswoman. Spend Christmas Eve with Angel Fire, she said. With something to do for the whole family, were sure this will be your new Christmas Eve tradition. The day before Christmas is whirlwind of activity as Santa will be in the Lodge from 2-4 p.m. taking photos. Special dinners are on tap at the Elements Restaurant and the Legends Grill. Then bundle up the family and join us at the base area for our annual Christmas Eve Fireworks & Torchlight parade, Ronchetti said. Keep an eye out Santa and Mrs. Claus have been known to join in the festivities. A similar torchlight parade on the ski mountain, followed by fireworks, will light New Years Eve. Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort (sipapu.ski) It is family time at the resort on Christmas Eve, said Kim Oyler, spokeswoman for resort owner Mountain Capital Partners. Celebrate Christmas Eve at Sipapu with this annual tradition filled with holiday music, an art project for the kids, tasty treats and good cheer, she said of the annual event from 5-8 p.m. at the Riverside Cafe. Throughout the holiday season, Friday nights at the cafe are filled with live local music from 5-8 p.m. And from 6-8 p.m. Saturdays, it is open mic night for aspiring songwriters and musicians of all abilities. Red River Ski & Summer Area (redriverskiarea.com) After making the rounds and making deliveries, Santa is due for a little relaxation on Christmas Day. He spends it at Red River making a few runs down the slopes. He and his elves will be up and about beginning at 11:30 a.m., handing out candy canes and posing for photos. At noon hell head to the Main Chalet to catch any stragglers, then it is over to the Youth Center to hob knob with the younger skiers. Ski Santa Fe (skisantafe.com) The local bluegrass band Kitty Jo Creek will be playing from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 15. Thats the perfect day for newcomers to try their hands and feet on the slopes as part of the Learn to Ski Weekend. Parents with children 10 and older can learn to ski together from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with a package deal of lift tickets, lesson and rentals for $180. Prev 1 of 5 Next Andrew Robertson is flying to Honduras today. Lou Harrington flew to Peru on Saturday. Robertson, a civil engineer, will be checking in on a project under way to provide safe drinking water to 1,800 residents in three villages in southwest Honduras. In the dry season, December to April, these people have to walk two hours to and two hours from the river to get water, Robertson said. In the wet season, May to November, they walk 30 minutes to puddles. Harrington, a landscape architect with extensive experience in international development, is attempting to lay the groundwork for establishing waste-treatment plants in Perus Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas in the Andes. Its an ongoing effort, thwarted in the past by changes in the countrys political leadership. Robertson, 46, and Harrington, 58, both Albuquerque residents and both fluent in Spanish, are volunteers with Water Engineers for the Americas (WEFTA), a nonprofit founded in 2002 by a group of engineers and professionals at Souder, Miller and Associates (SMA), an engineering firm with headquarters in Santa Fe. WEFTAs mission is to work with communities throughout Latin America to make safe drinking water and proper sanitation available. In developing countries, water can mean the difference between life and death, said Peter Fant of Santa Fe, CEO of SMA, a founder of WEFTA and president of the WEFTA board. Forty percent of hospitals in developing countries lack access to water and sanitation. Lack of water can become the barrier that keeps girls out of school because women and young girls are responsible for fetching and hauling water. The heart to help WEFTA evolved out of Waterlines, another Santa Fe nonprofit started in 1986 to provide basic water systems, latrines and hygiene education in developing countries. Harrington said WEFTA was started to tackle water and sanitation projects that required a technical expertise beyond that available at Waterlines, projects such as the Honduran waterline Robertson is inspecting this week. Robertson said that project, about 50 percent completed, is one of the most complicated he has confronted in his career. It includes 14 miles of high-pressure transmission pipeline that goes downhill, across a canyon and then up a thousand feet, all through mountainous, jungle terrain. We welcome these more complex projects, Harrington said. We are lucky at Souder, Miller because we have access to so many civil engineers. Harrington, who worked six years for Habitat for Humanity in Peru, Colombia and Mexico, and Robertson are both SMA employees. The company uses its WEFTA connection as a recruiting tool and Robertson, who did volunteer work with the Save the Children organization in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch hit that country in 1998, said that sold him on the firm. But WEFTA volunteers dont just come from SMA. They come from everywhere there are people who have the heart to help others. People who are in the water industry are inclined this way, Fant said. If you want to make money, you dont get into building water systems. Now, more than 50 volunteers work on WEFTA projects in Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and Peru. They include: John Lincoln, 70, of Boise, Idaho, a retired civil engineer and WEFTA board treasurer, who has provided technical advice for WEFTA projects in Bolivia, El Salvador and Peru. Scott Rogers, 61, of Bountiful, Utah, WEFTA board vice president and president of a Utah civil engineering firm, who has worked with WEFTA projects in Bolivia and Peru. Blanca Surgeon, 54, WEFTA board secretary, who is from Honduras but lives in Santa Fe and works for a nonprofit that provides technical assistance, training and funding to rural communities in New Mexico. She has assisted in WEFTA projects in Honduras, Guatemala and Bolivia. Rogers said he was attracted to WEFTA because it is a relatively small organization. There are many organizations that do what we do Engineers Without Borders, Water for People but they are so big, he said. For me, the hands-on approach is better. Scope out a project, do it, keep track of it. Youve got to have someone on the ground coordinating the project, seeing that it continues. Stay small and responsive and reactive. Shovel power WEFTA gets its funding from foundations, non-governmental organizations, companies and individuals. It supports its volunteers with air fare, expenses related to the WEFTA project, and the cost of visas and vaccinations, etc. But the volunteers donate their time. The communities aided by the project kick in as much monetary support as they can afford, up to 40 percent to 60 percent of the cost, and most of the labor. Robertson talks about a column of 100 people with shovels, spaced 30 feet apart, digging trenches for pipelines in Honduras. Theyll dig a trench up to 3,000 feet long in a day with shovels, he said. Here (in the states), contractors will get 600 feet in a day using power equipment. Robertson will spend a week in Honduras and Harrington a week in Peru. Nothing ever goes as fast or as efficient as you think it will, Robertson said. The problem with building an infrastructure is there is no infrastructure. Its not like they have everything except water. But the rewards are worth the frustrations along the way. Working with WEFTA is the most satisfying thing I have done professionally, board treasurer Lincoln said. You are helping people who have never had clean, running water, and they are so appreciative. HOW TO HELP Water Engineers for the Americas (WEFTA) is a nonprofit dedicated to helping communities in Latin America attain safe drinking water and effective sanitation. Donations are tax deductible and 100 percent of all donations go directly to water and sanitation projects. To find the best ways to donate, go to wefta.net and click on Donate. Prev 1 of 4 Next A cornstalk vines its way up a drinking glass in Glendora Fraguas Albuquerque living room. A dragonfly flits around the surfaces of a clay pot. Another skims across the side of her shoe. The Jemez Pueblo potter is a symphony in design, whether it be the fish swimming around a wine glass rim or the cornstalks serving as her signature hallmark. Fragua is one of nearly 150 artists showing their work at Santa Fes La Fonda on the Plaza on Saturday and Sunday. Sponsored by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, the show offers a range of artwork, including jewelry, pottery and ornaments. SWAIA will host a toy drive with the Santa Fe Indian Center and visitors are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped gifts for native children in need. Fragua learned potting the traditional pueblo way from her mother, Juanita. Born in St. Louis, Glendora grew up in San Francisco. The family moved back to the pueblo when she was starting high school. It was culture shock, she said, adding that she knew nothing of the Towa language at the time. When they would talk to us, I would stand there and look at them. The nights were dark because there were no street lights. Her mother told her if she wanted to make extra money, she had to work in the familys pottery shop. Juanita painted the outlines of her designs onto the clay; Glendora filled in the colors. Then her oldest brother, the famous sculptor Clifford Fragua, came home for a weekend from Santa Fes Institute of American Indian Arts. He arrived with a geometrically designed pot that intrigued his sister. I just fell in love with it, she said. It was the way he cut out the designs. It was so clean and precise. That precision led her to try incising, she said, opening a plastic box of X-Acto knives. Today her work features that precision carving in traditional earth-toned pigments from Jemez or more contemporary acrylic paints. The raw clay resembles a chunky oatmeal. First Fragua soaks it in water to dissolve it. Then she strains it until it turns to a flour-like powder. She molds the clay like bread dough, using the coil method to build up the pottery walls. When it dries, she adds three layers of slip. The polishing is the hard part, she says, adding she goes through three grades of sandpaper before shes finished. She has to be fast to avoid scraping the surface. Then she fires her pots in either a kiln or a pit. Making pottery is laden with cultural experience, Fragua said. The pueblo uses pottery in ceremonies, often cradling cornmeal for prayers. Fraguas mind constantly tumbles with fresh ideas. The idea of decorating glassware came about two years ago. She began painting her favorite designs on store-bought wine glasses and tumblers. She once created clay shadow boxes for a Los Angeles collector who was afraid an earthquake would break her pottery. She even adds her doodles to the black gift bags holding her sold work. Acclaimed potter and friend Jody Naranjo calls Fraguas work a melding of the traditional and contemporary. I think it really shows who she is, Naranjo said. Its very elegant and beautiful. She looks like her work its feminine. The scalloped edges are really beautiful. Lately Fragua has been thinking about fashion, trying out her designs on handbags and shoes. I like the tradition, but I like to go outside the box, she said. I like to evolve. Galleries cant keep her glassware on their shelves. She recently struck a deal with Santa Ana Casino to sell them at their wedding market. Fragua rises at 4:30 a.m., takes a catnap at 1 p.m., then works until 8 or 9 p.m. My minds always rattling with things, she said. Fragua has won first- and second-place ribbons at the Santa Fe Indian Market and a best of show award at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market for a collaborative piece with fellow potter Naranjo in 2016. SANTA FE Rep. Steve Pearce was elected Saturday as the new chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, after vowing to expand the partys outreach in the wake of heavy defeats up and down the ballot in this years election cycle. The well-known congressman, who gave up his southern New Mexico-based seat this year to launch an unsuccessful run for governor, defeated John Rockwell by a 276-101 vote at a state GOP central committee meeting in Albuquerque to win the party leadership post. He said Republicans would, over the next two years, seek to make inroads among minority voters and in traditionally Democratic strongholds statewide. We are going to show up where they dont expect Republicans to show up, Pearce said. However, Pearce will also face the task of trying to unify a party thats been rife with infighting and factions in recent years. Rockwell, his opponent in Saturdays leadership election, had called for more drastic changes and said during his speech that recent party leaders had failed to support outgoing GOP Gov. Susana Martinez. But those comments prompted some groans from party insiders, who ultimately sided with Pearces experience and connections to help rebuild a Republican Party that will enter January without control of a single statewide office. Those voting Saturday included all elected GOP officials, as well as community- and precinct-level party officials. Pearce told reporters after Saturdays vote he plans to get to work immediately on fundraising and hiring a full-time staff. He also said its way too early to talk about whether he might run for his old 2nd Congressional District seat in 2020, a possibility he has not ruled out despite his bid for the party chairman position. With a presidential election also on tap in two years, Pearce said hes not sure that Donald Trump will ultimately seek re-election and disputed suggestions that New Mexico has become a reliably Democratic state. I dont think anything in American politics is very static right now, Pearce said. He also said Republicans will have to embrace being the opposition party for at least the next two years when it comes to New Mexico politics. I believe the other side is going to overreach dramatically and it will be up to us to hold them accountable, Pearce said. A Hobbs resident who has spent much of his career working in the oilfield industry, Pearce developed a reputation as a steadfast but pragmatic conservative during his time in Congress. However, he has been soundly defeated in both his attempts for statewide office, including losing to Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham by a significant margin Lujan Grisham got about 57 percent of votes cast in last months governors race. Meanwhile, Pearce takes over the state GOP reins from Ryan Cangiolosi, who was elected party chairman in December 2016 and said Saturday the party would be in capable hands under Pearces leadership. Other Republicans elected to party leadership positions Saturday include: First vice chair Rick Lopez; second vice chair Kelly Zunie; treasurer Vicky Chavez; and Secretary Andrea Moore. New Mexico Democrats will hold their own leadership elections next spring. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Authorities say an Albuquerque man has been sentenced to seven years and four months in federal prison for heroin trafficking and firearms charges. The U.S. Attorneys Office in New Mexico says 39-year-old Lawrence Marquez was sentenced Friday, and must serve an additional three years of probation following his release. Marquez pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of heroin and one count of using and carrying a firearm during commission of a drug trafficking crime. The case was investigated by the Albuquerque offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. LAS VEGAS, N.M. The New Mexico Attorney Generals Office has filed a search warrant seeking bank records of a former executive director of a northern New Mexico foundation that raised money for community college students. The Las Vegas Optic reports the office released a search warrant this week for bank records involving Gil Gonzalez, former executive director of the Luna Community College Foundation. The search warrant was the latest piece in an investigation into allegations of money laundering, racketeering, fraud, forgery and embezzlement involving foundation. The nonprofit, set up to raise funds for scholarships for Luna students, has been under investigation since the summer of 2016. Gonzalez, who has not been charged, was removed by the Foundation Board of Trustees in November 2016 for failing to provide the board with financial records. ___ Information from: Las Vegas Optic, http://www.lasvegasoptic.com FORT COLLINS, Colo. A Salvation Army bell ringer in Colorado is charged with stealing a red kettle containing about $400 in donations. The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported Friday that 27-year-old Nicholas Rosselis-Freeman is accused of taking the money on Nov. 30 at the end of his shift ringing a hand bell and taking donations outside a Fort Collins grocery store. Authorities say he ran off with the kettle full of money when a Salvation Army officer approached to pick it up. Rosselis-Freeman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misdemeanor theft and released on $500 bond. No phone number could be found for him. The Salvation Army says this is the first time one of its kettles has been stolen in Fort Collins. ___ Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan, http://www.coloradoan.com A judge has set a Jan. 29 trial for a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in southern Arizona accused of falsely claiming he was born in the United States. Marco Antonio De la Garza Jr. has pleaded not guilty to charges of making false statements to authorities. Authorities say De la Garza claimed he was born in Texas, when he was actually born in Mexico. He is accused of lying about his citizenship during a background-check update tied to his job. De la Garza also is accused of making false statements about his birth country last year when he sought a U.S. passport. Over the years, the federal government has been criticized for not performing adequate background checks on people seeking jobs as border agents. The Public Works Department said it is set to grant the original proponent status to San Miguel Holdings Corp. for the P23.95-billion extension of Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway to San Juan, La Union. The agency said the OPS for the TPLEx extension would soon be signed by Public Works Secretary Mark Villar. San Miguels unsolicited project involves a 59.4-kilometer four-lane toll road from the exit of TPLEx in Rosario to San Juan. The Rosario section of the expressway is expected to be completed this year, while its Pozorrubio section opened in December 2017. The extension project would be divided into three segments, with the first segment spanning 18 km from Rosario to Tubao. The second segment will stretch 23 km from Tubao to Naguilian and the last segment will run 18.4 km from Naguilian to San Juan. San Miguel said the project aimed to promote the development of Northern Luzon and facilitate connectivity to Central Luzon and Metro Manila through high-speed and secured access. San Miguel-led Private Infra Dev Corp. holds the concession for TPLEx, an 88.85-km, four-lane, high-speed toll road that connects Northern Luzon to Manila. It is designed to integrate with other major toll roads such as North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.The construction of TPLEx began in 2010 in three phases. The first was completed in April 2014, running from Tarlac City to Carmen, Pangasinan. The second stretching from Carmen to Urdaneta was completed in December 2014. The third section from Urdaneta to Rosario, La Union is expected to be completed in 2018. TPLEx reduced travel time from Tarlac City to Gerona from 45 minutes to 10 minutes, benefitting 8,000 vehicles per day. It also reduced travel time from Tarlac City to Paniqui, Tarlac from one hour to 15 minutes and the travel time from Tarlac to Rosales from two hours to 30 minutes. It cut travel time from Tarlac to Urdaneta from two hours to 30 minutes and the travel time from Tarlac to Rosario from 3.5 hours to one hour. DALLAS Police say a 31-year-old protester who told children Santa Claus is not real has been arrested for trespassing at a North Texas church. Aaron Urbanski was arrested Saturday after authorities were called to a church in Cleburne, which was hosting a breakfast with Santa event. Police say they found three people demonstrating outside the church after responding to a trespassing complaint. Authorities say Urbanski refused to leave and continued to cause a disturbance. Urbanski, who was charged with criminal trespass, has been booked into the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center. Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain weighed in on Facebook, saying Dont Mess With Santa! The mayor continued: Guess they wanted coal in their stockings to go with a court appearance. As the Camp Fire raged, killing at least 85 people and displacing thousands more in Northern California, Madison waited patiently. The Anatolian shepherds owner, Andrea Gaylord, was not able to get to her home in Paradise, California, when the fire began to spread Nov. 8 meaning Madison was left behind. For weeks, all Gaylord could do was pray for Madisons safety, according to California-based animal rescue organization K9 Paw Print Rescue. Shayla Sullivan, a volunteer with the rescue organization, had already helped locate Madisons brother Miguel in a different city. But Madison was even more difficult to find. Sullivan spotted Madison a few times in a canyon, apparently guarding territory, and put out fresh food and water regularly in hopes that the dog would turn up, according to a Facebook post by Sullivan. She even placed an article of clothing that smelled like Gaylord near the home to keep Madisons hope alive until his people could return, Sullivan wrote. When the evacuation order was lifted last week and Gaylord went back to the property which had been decimated by the fire her prayers were answered: Madison was there, seemingly protecting what little remained of his familys home. WELL, Im so HAPPY to report that Andrea was allowed to return to her property today and THERE MADISON WAS!!!! He had stayed to protect what was left of his home, and NEVER gave up on his people! Sullivan wrote in the comment on her Facebook post, which was shared nearly 12,000 times as of Saturday afternoon. Im so happy Im crying as I write this! He didnt give up through the storms or the fire! A LOOOOONG month it must have been for him! she added. Soon afterward, Madison was reunited with Miguel for the first time since the fire broke out, ABC10 reported. An emotional Gaylord said in an interview with the network that she was overcome with joy to see Madison waiting for her. She also expressed how grateful she was to Sullivan. Imagine the loyalty of hanging in through the worst of circumstances and being here waiting, Gaylord told ABC10, adding, You could never ask for better animals. Gaylord lost everything in the fire and is now homeless, according to an official from K9 Paw Print Rescue. The Camp Fire ravaged an area the size of Chicago, destroying 14,000 residences and taking more than 17 days to contain. But Gaylord has been able to find some solace knowing her dogs are safe. You are the best dog, she said in the interview with ABC10, fighting through tears. The best. Video link: https://youtu.be/rIKAk7qd-xU WASHINGTON When Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said this week that she would not only pay her interns but also provide more than the minimum wage, the news had an immediate impact. National media covered the announcement. Liberal lawmakers vowed to follow suit. Even A-list celebrities took note. Thank you for doing this, R&B hitmaker John Legend tweeted to his 12.3 million followers. Unpaid internships make it so only kids with means and privilege get the valuable experience. Within hours, the mood had perceptibly shifted on a parochial concern that has vexed Congress for more than two decades, as the progressive ideals of one incoming lawmaker ran headlong into the disparities that have long persisted on Capitol Hill. Ocasio-Cortez is not alone. With its historic diversity and public following, the incoming class of House Democrats is already exerting power on an institution that for years has defied reform on matters concerning the thousands of staff and interns who carry out its work. Congress performs terribly on metrics related to staff diversity, workplace protections and employee pay and benefits. Advocates warn that the system is built to accept only the most privileged young people often white, moneyed and with connections who later fill the pipeline for Washingtons political and business establishment. The system has gone unchallenged for years. But scrutiny by Ocasio-Cortez and her peers after the recent midterm elections is stirring hopes that Capitol Hill might be ready for change. Five years ago, I could have lit myself on fire talking about staff pay and nobody would have paid attention, said Daniel Schuman, policy director of Demand Progress and an advocate for institutional reform in Congress. Ocasio-Cortez isnt a conventional politician, so shes talking about things that nobody would ever talk about otherwise. And it feels like a breath of fresh air because it is one, Schuman said. The pressure to pay interns comes at an opportune moment, as congressional offices gain access to a small amount of funding to do it for the first time since the mid-1990s. The money is already available to Senate offices and will become available to House offices next year. The pool of money was the result of lobbying by Pay Our Interns, a small District of Columbia nonprofit run by two 24-year-olds whose goal is to increase socioeconomic diversity among congressional staff. Carlos Mark Vera, the groups founder and executive director, said he persuaded several Democratic lawmakers to pay interns by noting the possible political fallout if they didnt. In meetings this year, we would say: Look, midterms are coming up. Youre going to have to talk about the minimum wage. Many voters see you as out of touch, right? So it looks very hypocritical if youre telling people, You need to pay your workers $15 an hour and youre not paying your interns a peanut, Vera said. Workplace issues on Capitol Hill such as staff pay, diversity and protection from sexual harassment have the potential to become relevant as Democrats begin competing for the partys 2020 presidential nomination. The party lagged behind the GOP on paying interns as of last year. Among the dozen-plus congressional Democrats who have been discussed as possible White House contenders, only eight currently offer stipends or an hourly wage to at least some interns. At 29, Ocasio-Cortez is in a unique position to call attention to these issues. The former waitress has noted on Twitter and Instagram that she will receive more- generous benefits as a member of Congress than she did in the food service industry, including less espensive health insurance. She has also spoken about the challenge of paying for a District apartment before she starts earning her new salary. Vera said most incoming lawmakers would be attacked or dismissed if they talked like this. Thats not sticking on AOC you cant make that argument with her, he said. The debate highlights the fact that despite the power and prestige of jobs on Capitol Hill, Congress has faced accusations that it treats many of its workers poorly. Most aides earn at least 20 percent less than their peers in the private sector, experts say. Staffing has been cut even as the U.S. population grows. Employee benefits vary widely. And the high level of stress is exacerbated by long hours and cramped workspaces. As Ocasio-Cortez notes, lawmakers who are not wealthy struggle, too. Shuttling back and forth to Washington creates the need for two homes. Some members, including outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have chosen to sleep in their offices to save money. It is a struggle, Im not going to lie, said Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., who was a partner at a law firm before she came to Congress. Its worth it every day to be able to help my home district and to give the opportunities that I was so fortunate to have to the children of my district . . . but it is a sacrifice. A former Capitol Hill intern, Sewell is one of the handful of House Democrats who already offers paid internships, understanding how difficult it can be to work free. I literally slept on a pull out couch in Silver Spring, Maryland, from a distant cousin to make that happen, she said of her House internship in the 1980s. Congress is considerably less diverse than the general public. Paying interns, increasing staff salaries and creating lawmaker housing have been proposed as ways to lower the barriers to entry and allow a more diverse array of people to work on Capitol Hill. Yet political concerns have generally cut against taking these steps. Bradford Fitch, president and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, said its almost impossible to get lawmakers to do anything that could be interpreted as spending money on themselves. Thats why they cut their own budgets, Fitch said. I remember talking to a senior staffer and asking, Why are you doing this? And he said, Its for symbolic reasons. One Democratic aide expressed concern that political pressure to offer paid internships could lead offices to eliminate unpaid internships, reducing opportunities for young people of all backgrounds. All of this attention is going to unintentionally hurt anyone who wants to be an intern, said the aide, who started their career as an intern while also waiting tables and requested anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue on Capitol Hill. This is going to backfire and make it worse and more undemocratic than before. Arguing that the number of internships on Capitol Hill is inflated, Vera said offices should consolidate positions to ensure each one involves substantive work and focus on offering paid spots to lower-income applicants. It wouldnt hurt for some programs to reduce their intern classes, he said. You have them stapling and meanwhile, theyre taking out a loan to be there. I dont know if thats very helpful. The rising pressure on members was clear this week when Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called for internship applications for the winter season and listed the position as unpaid. Under fire, the office said the language had been a mistake. Schumer plans to begin offering a stipend to eligible interns in January, the office said. Of the current highest-ranking congressional leaders, only Schumer and Ryan do not already pay at least some interns, according to a survey by The Post. Pay Our Interns listed each member of Congress and whether they paid interns in a report last year. Among Democratic lawmakers, only 3.6 percent in the House and 31 percent in the Senate offered paid internships. Among Republicans, 51 percent in the Senate and 8 percent in the House offered paid internships. Shame soon became an effective tactic on the left, as prominent liberals began to change their policies. Possible 2020 presidential contenders who pay at least some interns include Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Reps. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and Seth Moulton, D-Mass. Other possible candidates in the Senate, such as Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., do not currently pay interns. Gillibrand plans to begin offering a need-based stipend in January using the newly available funds, her office said. Klobuchars office did not respond to a question about their policy. In the House, Rep. John Delaney, D-Md. who has already declared his candidacy for president does not pay interns, according to the 2017 report from Pay Our Interns. His office did not respond to questions from The Post. Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, also do not pay interns, according to the report. Swalwells office said they are looking at ways to change their policy; Gabbard said she will begin paying interns in 2019. Outgoing Rep. Beto ORourke, D-Texas, who lost his Senate bid against Ted Cruz, R-Texas, last month, does not pay interns, the report said. His office did not respond to questions from The Post. The Washington Posts Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. Gov.-elect (Michelle Lujan) Grisham recently announced her 31-member team charged with overhauling the state education initiatives instigated by Gov. (Susana) Martinezs administration. Six of those team members are to be New Mexico teacher union executives. As they begin their deliberations, I would hope they could all agree the purpose of our public schools is to educate children. Therefore, everything about our schools how they are staffed, funded and organized to fulfill their mission should be decided with the best interests of children in mind. Good teachers should be encouraged and properly compensated, while ineffective teachers should be removed from the classroom. Excellent young teachers should not be laid off while their mediocre colleagues with greater seniority are retained. Parents of children in failing schools should have the right to freely transfer their children to better-performing schools. Charter schools and non-traditional programs should be encouraged and supported so long as programs are meeting educational objectives. Seniority and education credit-based compensation for teachers should be revised to provide incentives for excellence in the classroom. Where public schools are clearly failing, education vouchers for parents should be considered to facilitate alternative public or private programs. All these steps are in the best interests of children, and yet each and every one is opposed by teacher unions. Unions are not in the business of advocating for the interests of children; rather, they represent the job-related interests of teachers and their own self-perpetuating membership interests. These interests are simply not the same as those of our children. Teacher unions have been given a prominent role in influencing educational reforms in New Mexico as political payback for the unions in-the-trenches manpower and the huge sums invested in getting Democratic candidates elected. Teacher union political contributions are decidedly one-sided, with 95 percent going toward Democratic candidates. The union influence is not restricted to the state level, however. Albuquerque school board members have been highly dependent upon union support and have largely accommodated union wishes. At the federal level, teacher unions spend more in support of their chosen candidates then any other organizational entity. The Democratic Party has always prided itself, and rightfully so, as the champion of the working man, minorities and the under-privileged. While many of its initiatives clearly support this constituency, they have failed them miserably in the field of education. It is the very initiatives that teacher unions most oppose that would directly benefit, and in many cases lift, this population out of poverty, if they were allowed to be implemented. The other members of the governor-elect review team were not identified, but lets hope that they included solid representation of classroom teachers and principals from our A-rated school districts of Los Alamos, Rio Rancho, Logan Municipal, etc. These are the districts that are thriving and their success stories should be leveraged for the benefit of the state as a whole. Lets also not forget the boots-on-the-ground staff of our current Public Education Department who have produced one of the most highly rated state plans in support of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act requirements. Parents, including those of special education students, deserve a place at the table, as does the business community and, yes, the average taxpayer who will be expected to foot the bill for whatever is decided. A final plea to our newly elected governor: Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water. New Mexico has made measurable progress in improving student performance. Allowing teacher unions to have undue influence in undoing what has proven to be successful is a disservice to all New Mexicans. Alan Hill has worked for the North Carolina Department of Education, as well as in an education capacity for both Apple and an Indiana non-profit. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador started his presidency with a limpia an indigenous spiritual cleansing. That act ushered in a new era for native people on both sides of the border, said Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, who was among world leaders at the inauguration Dec. 1 in Mexico City. He was the only American invited on stage during the ceremony at the Zocalo, Latin Americas largest public square. To be put on the national stage with the president of Mexico was very, very unique for me, very special, a huge honor, Begaye told the Journal of his experience. In his comments there, he told the massive audience, including representatives of 68 indigenous groups in Mexico, We here in this country, the United States, were your northern family, your northern brothers and sisters. Earlier on inauguration day, Begaye said, he had a few minutes to speak directly to Lopez Obrador, emphasizing the historic ties of native people in the Americas, that we pre-existed the United States of America, like indigenous people from Mexico and other countries in Central America. Mexicos new president takes office during a difficult time in a U.S.-Mexico relationship dominated by President Donald Trumps ongoing complaints about its citizens living illegally in the United States, his promise to build a border wall, the deployment of active duty troops along the border and heated rhetoric about a migrant caravan from Central America moving through Mexico. The U.S. president has referred to the caravan as an invasion. The Americas have always been one nation for us, Begaye said, during a phone interview with the Journal. Boundaries dont define us and should not define us. These are our ancestral lands. The sprawling Navajo Nation, the largest North American tribe, includes parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The Kikapoos of Oklahoma have tribal members in Mexico, and Tohono Oodham nation of Arizona has lands that span the border. Begaye said he sees an opportunity to build a new relationship with Mexico under Lopez Obrador, who was an indigenous community activist in his youth, and has made indigenous rights and economic development for struggling native communities a priority for his administration. I think there is this very deep connection between the Native American people and the indigenous people, said Melissa Stevens, director of philanthropic partnerships for Cultural Survival, a non-profit organization that works to advance indigenous peoples rights and cultures worldwide. Theres so many ways indigenous people can come together to make their voice more amplified, Stevens said. Cultural Survival, working with native peoples on both sides of the border, convened a conference on climate change in Mexico in August. We brought people from New Mexico all the way down to Oaxaca, and they spent two days talking about their unified voice on climate change, Stevens said. Native peoples on both sides of the border are hopeful as Mexicos new president takes office. The inauguration included a passing of the baton, or staff, indicating authority. The passing of the baton by the first nations to a new incoming Mexican president is totally unprecedented in Mexicos history, said Juan Massey, a senior adviser who accompanied Begaye to the inauguration. This has a meaning beyond Mexicos border. The Navajo Nation president is hopeful mutual respect will be the foundation for future binational partnerships with Mexico. Id like to see some trade develop between Mexico and indigenous tribes of America, the Navajo Nation, in that we have natural resources, we have arts, we have sports, things like that, Begaye said. Nuclear safety watchdog groups around the country are calling on the Department of Energy to rescind an order they fear will limit the board tasked with overseeing operations at some of the nations nuclear facilities and ultimately negatively affect safety at such facilities. The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has itself raised concerns over Order 140.1, Interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, put into place by the DOE in April. The board held a second public hearing on the order in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 28. The DNFSB was created by Congress in 1988 to provide oversight and provide information to the public on safety issues at some DOE nuclear facilities. We are deeply concerned that Order 140.1 constrains crucial oversight activities of the DNFSB and thereby endangers public health and worker safety, said Kathy Crandall Robinson of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability during the late-November hearing. Chief among the concerns with the order, which the DOE says is aimed at clarifying the roles of the department and DNFSB, is language that limits formal DNFSB oversight to issues of public safety as those beyond facility boundaries. The order, Robinson said, threatens to send us on a glide path back to a careless era as if this were a time when safety concerns and dangers at nuclear weapons facilities are shrinking. They are not, she added, citing plans to ramp up plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Lydia Dennett of the non-partisan Project on Government Oversight expressed concerns over the reasoning behind the orders implementation, namely that the decision was possibly driven by government contractors. This policy makes it easier for contractors to hide any information they dont want to come to light, she said. The order stipulates the DNFSB may not talk to contractor employees without getting authorization from management and DOE, according to the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability represents more than 30 organizations located near DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration sites around the country, including the Albuquerque-based Southwest Research Information Center. Don Hancock of the Southwest Research and Information Center pointed out in a news release sent by the alliance a 2011 DNFSB report that identified fire hazards at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeast New Mexico. Three years later, an underground fire caused the temporary closure of the facility. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE At the time of his death by suicide at the Santa Fe County jail, the walls in Thomas Fergusons cell were covered in messages, including Born 10-4-75 Died 11-26-17. Ferguson was found hanging from his bedsheet in the cell April 27. But Nov. 26, 2017, is the date that police say 13-year-old Jeremiah Valencia, the son of Fergusons girlfriend Tracy Pena, was killed in the family groups Nambe home. Investigators believe Ferguson tortured and abused Jeremiah with implements like a heavy hammer and a homemade spear and forced to him to stay in a dog cage while wearing a diaper. But based on testimony from Jeremiahs younger sister, police now believe it was actually Jordan Nunez, Fergusons 20-year-old son, who caused the boys fatal injuries on the day he died, by repeatedly flipping over the dog cage with Jeremiah inside. Written on the desk in Fergusons cell was I Love My Son Jordan, God is Awesome Everyday and God is Great Everyday, a crime scene technicians report states. Ferguson, Pena and Nunez were all charged in January after Jeremiahs body was found in a shallow grave off N.M. 503 last January. Pena, 36, has accepted a plea deal under which shell get a 12-year prison sentence on a count of child abuse resulting in her sons death; prosecutors say she was not an active participant in her sons killing. Nunezs case is pending, and Pena has agreed to testify against him. Santa Fe County and the sheriffs office recently released documents on Fergusons suicide at age 42 and details about the scene in the cell where he died. Ferguson was originally pegged as the one who killed Jeremiah, but focus later shifted to Nunez. Ferguson had been in the Santa Fe County jail since Jan. 27 and his transfer to a state prison had been ordered by a judge. He was found hanging from the sheet during a jail officers check of his cell around 11:16 p.m. on April 27. Such unit checks are supposed to take place every half hour. For Ferguson, the previous check had taken place at about 10:47 p.m., by another officer who reported that Ferguson had been observed lying down. In an incident report, Lt. Richard Roybal, the jail shift commander, said camera footage confirms when the last two unit checks took place. All we can do is try and prevent it by doing our job and being on top of our unit checks, he wrote. The jail officer who found Fergusons body wrote in his statement that the cell was dark because the light inside had been covered. I got my flash light to get a clear look in the cell and saw inmate Ferguson hanging from the window in the back of the cell near the window, he wrote. Ferguson apparently aimed to make sure he couldnt be rescued. County crime scene technician Shari Hill reported that the cells entrance was slippery because Ferguson had poured shampoo on the floor. The sheet had been wrapped over the middle bar of the rooms window. The gap between the window and metal bar normally has a sealant of sorts to plug the gap, Hill wrote, however the sealant was missing in the area that the sheet was fed through. According to technician Hills report, she observed several other messages written on the walls, including I Died Here and a sergeants last name prefaced with an expletive. A letter to that same sergeant was found in the cell. In the letter, Ferguson complained about his treatment in the jail. Also written on the wall, according to Hill, was ID RATHER DIE A MAN THEN LIVE LIKE A (EXPLETIVE) ID RATHER DO LIFE IN THE PEN THEN TO WALK THE STREETS A SNITCH GANGSTER POPULATION IS DECREASING BY THE MILLIONS SUSPECT. The wording before SUSPECT was deemed illegible. Some of the messages in the cell are linked firmly to Ferguson with his birth date, the date Jeremiah died and the references to his son Jordan and the sergeant he wrote the letter to. Hills report attributes the messages to an unknown scriber and offers no speculation on whether any prisoner who previously used the cell may have authored any of the messages. Books and letters Hill wrote that she also collected several personal items as evidence, including a letter addressed to Pena, assorted papers, Fergusons bed sheets and a note to his mom found in his books. Hill found several books in his cell, with titles including Dream Messages from the Afterlife Wrongful Death and The Power of a Praying Husband. There was also a Bible. In May, the sheriffs office said that Ferguson left behind a note declaring his innocence in Jeremiahs death and expressing disdain for law enforcement. Sheriffs spokesperson Juan Rios said Wednesday that the note was addressed to Pena. This note along with another letter Ferguson mailed to his attorney relating to his suicide have been sealed under a court order, Rios said. But Ferguson also proclaimed his innocence in an intercepted letter to Pena dated Feb. 13 and which the Sheriffs Office released to the Journal. I really want you to know baby that I am not the one who did this & that I am truly sorry for your loss it was my loss too because I really do love you all so very much. Its just to (sic) late now for me to show you all, he wrote. Parts of the letter can be interpreted as saying Jordan Nunez was responsible for Jeremiahs death. I know for sure bringing him down here was a big mistake, dont get me wrong, I love him too, but all hes done since his being here has caused alot of problems between all of us & it cost me our family Mama, I aint mad at you & I still love you very, very, very much, I swear to God I do!! I dont think you feel the same way about me anymore because Im sure hes blaming me for what he did, Ferguson also wrote. He does not specify who he is. Their so much more I want to tell you babe, I just dont think you will ever give me the chance & I really did & still do want to marry you. In April, the county released basic information about Fergusons suicide, stressing that the information was still preliminary pending the completion of a full investigation. Any additional findings from the investigation were never released. Asked on Tuesday if there was any updated information she could provide, county spokesperson Tessa Jo Mascarenas said what she knows from the jail warden is that the full investigation concluded that all the suicide prevention policies were followed and timely checks were completed leading up to Fergusons death. Suicide protocol? The Journal has previously reported that during a Santa Fe domestic violence incident that resulted in a SWAT standoff in 2014, Ferguson was found unconscious by police due to a suspected overdose of prescription medication. Fergusons then-girlfriend who had black eyes and other injuries and said she was sexually assaulted told officers that he wouldnt let her leave the house and that at times he would threaten suicide if she left. According to Santa Fe County jail policy, all inmates are subject to medical and mental health screening, which includes a suicide risk assessment, within two hours of arrival. Prisoners are supposed to be asked a set of questions about whether they ever have or are considering suicide. Mascarenas said in a statement that the county cannot share health information, but that it followed applicable protocols in its care for Inmate Ferguson. However, speaking generally, suicide watch is not dictated by past behavior alone, Mascarenas added. An inmate is placed on suicide watch when the inmate presents a current risk of self-harm. Among documents released by the county is a note about Ferguson from Feb. 20 that states, No medical or behavioral health issues reported by inmate. Other notes indicate there had been no security or disciplinary issues relating to Ferguson during his incarceration. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Seven years after he murdered a female parishioner in Texas in 1960, Father John Feit found refuge in Jemez Springs, where he was a supervisor at the Servants of the Paraclete center for Catholic priests with psychosexual problems. According to a new lawsuit, Feit documented an agreement with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1967 to supply pedophile priests to New Mexico parishes without telling parishioners or other working priests in the archdiocese about the potential danger to local children. The ramifications of that alleged secret pact and decades of child sexual abuse inflicted by Catholic priests in New Mexico are unraveling in the newest chapter of public reckoning for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. The archdiocese, New Mexicos largest Catholic district, encompassing 92 parishes, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization last week, opening the books into its finances. Liabilities, including payouts to current and future abuse claimants, were an estimated $10 million to $50 million. Days earlier, state attorney general agents executed a search warrant that required an 80-year-old ex-priest who lives in the Las Vegas, N.M., area to strip naked and be photographed as part of the AGs Offices effort to corroborate one victims account of her abuse three decades ago. With more than a dozen state attorneys general and federal law enforcement launching investigations into clergy sex abuse this year, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas office has ramped up its own inquiry, including targeting at least two former Catholic priests. AGs Office agents, in part, are looking into what a former archbishop described in 2004 as an abhorrent case of a 9-year-old girl who alleged she was violently raped by an Albuquerque priest on multiple occasions. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese told the Journal last week that the archdiocese doesnt comment on pending litigation and is cooperating fully with the attorney generals inquiry. Sex parties In the new civil lawsuit, which was filed just before the bankruptcy was announced, a former Albuquerque altar boy is alleged to have been a boy toy of a trio of priests who filmed sex parties with children in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The lawsuit filed by John Doe 94 contends that he was repeatedly sexually abused from the age of 10 to 16 by three priests who acted with complete impunity and immunity completely fearless of the law, even going through the KAFB (Kirtland Air Force Base) gates with the children in their cars. The priests partied with booze and drugs, and their boy toys (like altar boys) had the children, both boys and girls provide sexual performances (some of which were even filmed), the lawsuit alleges. Their conduct went unchecked by then-Archbishop of Santa Fe Robert F. Sanchez, because he was already compromised, the lawsuit alleges. Sanchez could do nothing to stop the rape and abuse of kids, in part because pedophile priests in the archdiocese all possessed compromising information on the Archbishops own sexual proclivities and misconduct, which they threatened to use against him, if necessary. Sanchez resigned as archbishop in 1993, after three women accused him of sexual misconduct and taking advantage of them as teenagers. One of those accused in the new lawsuit, Father Arthur Perrault, is facing federal sexual assault charges involving a different alleged victim in the early 1990s on federal property. Two others referred to in the lawsuit are Father Robert Malloy and Father Ronald Bruckner, who were both schoolteachers and administrators at Our Lady of Assumption School in Albuquerque, the lawsuit states. Malloy, reached by the Journal last week, denied any wrongdoing, adding, Unequivocably, that absolutely didnt happen. Bruckner couldnt be reached for comment last week. The John Doe 94 lawsuit uses the term pedophile, which is defined as the fantasy or act of sexual activity with children who are generally age 13 years or younger. Other claims over the years against the archdiocese have alleged clergy sexual abuse of minors over the age of 13. House of cards The John Doe 94 lawsuit provides new allegations about Feit, who was convicted last year in Edinburg, Texas, of the 1960 suffocation of 25-year-old Irene Garza, a schoolteacher and former Miss South Texas. Feit, now 86, is no longer a priest and is appealing his sentence of life in prison. While a suspect in the murder, Feit arrived at the Servants of the Paraclete in 1964 and had become one of its leaders by 1967. According to the lawsuit, Feit took minutes of a 1967 meeting involving the archdiocese and the Paracletes in which the two entities agreed not to tell parishioners of the potential danger to local children when they supplied pedophile priests to New Mexico parishes. He and then-Archbishop of Santa Fe John Davis jointly placed Perrault as a teacher at St. Pius X High School in Albuquerque. Perrault, who has been accused in dozens of sexual assaults on children, later became a pastor at St. Bernadettes parish in the Northeast Heights. But Perrault abruptly left the parish in 1992 as allegations about his misconduct surfaced. He relocated to Morocco, where he taught school. John Doe 94 came forward after his psychological house of cards collapsed upon news of the FBIs arrest and extradition of Fr. Perrault in late September, the lawsuit states. To survive the trauma of abuse by Perrault, Malloy and Bruckner, the lawsuit alleges, John Doe 94 suppressed everything as a child with drug abuse, minimization, compartmentalization, and other forms of denial and told no one about the organized, systematic sexual abuse and exploitation by these priests until 2018. The harm and suffering of many victims, including John Doe 94, could have been at least partially alleviated or ameliorated by earlier professional intervention, which the Defendants policies of secrecy and non-disclosure of documents and information to the public prevented from the early 1990s until very recent small steps toward accountability, states the lawsuit which is seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages. Protect the church The lawsuit alleges that the Catholic church in New Mexico found that denying everything usually worked. Decades of cover-up was justified in part by the practice of mental reservations, which the lawsuit states is allowed by Catholic doctrine in order to protect the church on the theory that the Church generally does good in the world, and needs to be protected from scandal. Archbishop John C. Wester, assigned to New Mexico in 2015, has pledged to help abuse survivors and stressed that he views the bankruptcy action as the best way to ensure equitable financial compensation to current and future claimants. Its kind of turning the page and moving forward in a responsible way, Wester said. The bankruptcy petition effectively halts 36 pending clergy abuse lawsuits from proceeding in state court, but how the claims will be handled in bankruptcy court is uncertain for now. Some fear the bankruptcy is a vehicle to protect release of records that could prove damaging to the archdiocese. Others say the filing eliminates some of the defenses asserted by lawyers for the church who have resisted payouts in mediations of abuse claims. We expect this diocese has plenty of assets to finally help all these survivors obtain some kind of closure and transparency, said Albuquerque attorney Brad Hall, who has filed more than 100 cases against the archdiocese since 2011. Were looking forward to getting to the real value of our clients claims in this forum because the threat of bankruptcy no longer exists. In the John Doe 94 lawsuit, filed by Hall, Bruckner is alleged to have sexually assaulted the altar boy for a few years. Then Bruckners roommate and assistant pastor of Our Lady of Assumption church in Albuquerque, Malloy, also began abusing him, the lawsuit alleges. Malloy pleaded no contest in 2002 to misdemeanor charges of sexual exploitation of children by prostitution and contributing to child delinquency, but originally faced 42 felony counts. He received five years of probation. Bruckner, who has retired, in 2005 denied allegations of sexual misconduct in an earlier case but had his duties as a priest restricted. All three priests named in the John Doe 94 lawsuit are on the archdioceses list of 78 priests, deacons or seminarians against whom credible allegations have been made. The lawsuit alleges that Malloy, a former volunteer chaplain at the Albuquerque Police Department, and other abusive priests had unchecked powers over Catholic children and teens. For example, Malloy is alleged to have been able to put notes on the inside of (John Doe 94s) school locker demanding sexual acts, even though Plaintiff never gave his combination out to anyone, according to the lawsuit. The years of childhood sexual abuse occurred on church properties and in rectories and sometimes involved trips to Kirtland Air Force Base, where Perrault was a chaplain, the lawsuit states. Bruckner was a chaplain with the New Mexico National Guard. Finally at age 16, devastated by psychological harm, his soul veritably shredded and his religion destroyed, John Doe 94 ran away while attending St. Pius X Catholic High School, where he was essentially a prisoner of constant sexual exploitation by the three priests. He lived homeless as a runaway in the East Mountains for a period of time, the lawsuit states. In the intervening years, the evasion of transparency and the institutional secrecy by the church, which insisted on sealing lawsuits alleging clergy abuse, only exacerbated John Does damages, the lawsuit states. He has not yet realized the nature of his injury, even with the early help of professionals. Whether they had direct knowledge of any specific priest, officials in the archdiocese knew there were pedophiles in their midst,the lawsuit contends. Wester said recently that the archdiocese strives for transparency, but has been bound by court-imposed confidentiality agreements of lawsuits and the need to protect the privacy of victims. Abhorrent Some 14 years ago, then-Archbishop Michael Sheehan, who replaced Archbishop Sanchez, signed a confidential letter that provided direct evidence of the criminal sexual penetration of a child by ex-priest Sabine Griego, according to a search warrant affidavit filed by the AGs Office. Sheehan, in a September 2004 letter, stated, Particularly abhorrent is the case of female victim who was nine in 1990 at the time of the alleged abuse, which included vaginal, oral and anal sex by Griego, according to search warrant documents. The Attorney Generals office interviewed the alleged victim, identified only as Jane Doe A, in October of this year. It was the first time she had spoken to law enforcement about what occurred. She said the abuse began when she was 7 years old, attending Queen of Heaven Catholic School in Albuquerque. She was also an altar server at church, where she encountered Griego. The woman alleged that, beginning when she was 7, Griego would force her to perform oral sex, then smack her when she choked. During one rape, when she was 9 years old, he slammed her face into a table, breaking her nose, but continued his assault despite her profusely bleeding. The injury required her nose to be reset at the then-Lovelace Hospital. She told her mother she was injured during physical education class. According to the search warrant affidavit, the woman said that Griego had told her he would kill her if she told anyone, and threatened to cut out her tongue and harm her mother. Her fear of him led to her wetting her pants when she would see him approach her classroom in school. She then intentionally wet herself to try to keep him away. The practice became so regular that it prompted her mother to pack a change of clothing for her daughter to take to school. Jane Doe A said she never saw Griego again after she entered the fourth grade. At the age of 13, after having nightmares and engaging in self harm,Jane Doe A told her family about the abuse for the first time, but blamed herself for what happened. She gave AGs Office agents specifics about Griegos nude body markings, which were cited in the affidavit as the legal grounds for the strip search. Griego has been the subject of more than 30 civil lawsuits filed on behalf of survivors. The man police are pointing to as a person of interest in a West Side double homicide was accused and later found not guilty of murder in 2011, according to court documents. Richard Alan Ross, 39, was taken into custody by authorities in Oklahoma early Sunday morning, and Albuquerque Police Department homicide detectives were headed there to interview him, APD spokesman Simon Drobik said. Ross has not been named as a suspect or formally charged in the case. He was accused years ago of beating a man to death with a metal chair at an Albuquerque hotel. The latest case involves a double homicide near Unser and Montano. Police announced Saturday that officers conducting a welfare check at a home on Sweetwater NW late Friday found two people dead with signs of trauma. Hours later, they said they were looking for Ross, and warned that he should be considered armed and dangerous. Drobik said Ross was one of the last people seen with the two victims, whose names have not been released, and when authorities in Oklahoma found him, he was with the victims vehicle. An APD alert listed an address for Ross in Haskell County in Oklahoma. The sheriffs department there wrote in a social media post that they had teamed up with the Eastern District U.S. Marshals Service and the Oklahoma Highway Patrols tactical team in order to arrest Ross on a probation violation warrant out of New Mexico. That warrant stems from a 2011 homicide case in which Ross faced charges. Court documents show that jurors determined Ross was not guilty of first- and second-degree murder, but they could not agree on a verdict as to voluntary manslaughter and the judge declared a mistrial. But he was convicted on other charges. Prosecutors declined to retry Ross on the voluntary manslaughter charge, opting to drop the count altogether, documents show. A Journal story from the time reported that Ross was suspected of beating James Sharpe to death and leaving his body wrapped in sheets. He was arrested in Grants after crashing Sharpes Ford Explorer into a pole and trying to escape on foot. Sharpe was found dead June 6, 2011, in the Value Place Hotel, on Central near Tramway, in a room Ross leased; a bloody, metal-framed chair was found inside, according to a warrant. Sharpes credit card was later discovered in a hotel room Ross had paid for in Grants, along with blood-spattered boots. Although he was acquitted of murder, jurors convicted Ross of tampering with evidence, stealing a vehicle and stealing credit cards, and he was sentenced to four years in prison and 3 years of probation, according to court documents. On Thursday, an order was filed alleging Ross removed his GPS monitor and was accused of absconding. That same day, an Albuquerque judge issued a warrant for his arrest, which authorities in Oklahoma used to arrest Ross over the weekend. Vienna at the turn of the 19th century into the 20th was in the grip of cultural and political turbulence that created its own catchphrase, fin de siecle, or end of the century, usually followed by malaise or some other term denoting angst, uncertainty, upheaval. Amid the glitter of the ancien regime, the gears of the far-flung, polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire were gnashing loudly. A young man named Adolph Hitler had come to the capital from the hustings, nurturing deep resentments toward the wealthy and artistic, many of them (like Freud) Jewish. To explain why why Freud was wrong about hysteria and why todays medical industry is making the same mistake and doing the same disservice to patients -- we need to take a trip back to a time and place not entirely unlike our own. Even though much of Freudian theory is now regarded as quaint, wrong-headed or downright destructive blaming parents for serious biological illnesses like schizophrenia, for instance hysteria and its successors have gotten the medical version of a hundred-year hall pass, reflecting the power of the psychiatric establishment to create its own version of reality. Whats really sickening, though, is the use of this antiquated and unproven diagnosis in place of rigorous investigation and appropriate treatment. But in both Austria and New York, we believe, the doctors have misdiagnosed what is much more likely to be real physical illness that has nothing to do with stress or trauma. In Freuds cases, the trigger was actually mercury poisoning from medicines that were in widespread use back then, a new idea we propose in detail in our book The Age of Autism Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-made Epidemic. In New York, infections like strep or Lyme Disease, and/or environmental factors like toxic fungi or spills from gas wells on the school grounds, are the likeliest triggers for the illnesses. We have conclusively ruled out any form of infection or communicable disease, and theres no evidence of any environmental factor, said Dr. Gregory Young of the New York Department of Health following a three-month investigation. The Buffalo neurology clinic that examined most of the girls and the state health department say they have conversion disorder, an updated but essentially identical diagnosis to Doras hysteria. Like Freud, the doctors didnt find anything physically wrong with the girls in LeRoy, so they declared it must be psychological. Seventeen-year-old Thera Sanchez, and a dozen other girls who developed tics last year at LeRoy Junior/Senior High School, are in a sense Doras twenty-first century peers teenagers suffering from a baffling disorder. In addition to the Tourettes-like symptoms, Thera and the other girls repeatedly passed out, had trouble walking, and suffered from migraines, joint pain, rashes, breathing problems, and hair and weight loss. Freud diagnosed Dora with hysteria it was all in her head. She had unknowingly converted psychological stress into mental and physical symptoms, he believed. Based on his write-up of the case -- "Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria ('Dora')" -- she became one of the best known of a dozen early cases that shaped the history of psychiatry. More than a century ago, Sigmund Freud treated a 17-year-old he called Dora. She had a cough, migraines, trouble talking, a weak left leg, depression, and other symptoms. After she passed out, her worried parents took her to Dr. Freud, a neurologist with a home office who was working on some interesting new ideas about unexplained illnesses. He was already treating Doras father. If you want to know whats wrong with the diagnoses of conversion disorder and mass psychogenic illness recently given to high school girls with tic disorders in New York State, the place to start is not the rural villages of LeRoy and Corinth but the cosmopolitan metropolis of Vienna, Austria. Ultimately, the ferment gave birth to much of what we now consider modern in art, literature, philosophy, relations between the sexes but the transition was chaotic. The Hapsburg Empire, of which Vienna was the resplendent seat, dissolved into the First World War that launched the savage century ahead. Sigmund Freud was central to setting this world in motion and observing its effects, writing openly for the first time about the role of sexual desire (the libido) in peoples inner lives, and the reality of dark impulses (the id) barely held in check by culture and morality (the ego). The title of a recent book about him, Inventor of the Modern Mind, conveys the reach of those ideas. Freud believed these primal forces acted out a titanic struggle in hidden ways in everyday life, reflected in dreams and leading in some cases to the bizarre symptoms presented by patients who arrived in his office at 19 Bergasse. In 1885, he and co-author Josef Breuer, an early mentor, published Studies on Hysteria, describing how such diverse and serious physical problems as paralysis, narrowing of the visual field, loss of sensation in the limbs, convulsions, and psychosis could all be explained by analyzing the individuals psyche. Key among the concepts was repression, in which trauma or painful emotions were unconsciously suppressed, re-emerging as strange physical problems and mental illnesses. Most of these patients were women, mostly young women from the upper rungs of Viennese society. Many of them he noted with surprise had just recently been nursing sick relatives, especially fathers with longstanding cases of syphilis they contracted before marriage. -- In 1892 a prominent and wealthy Viennese manufacturer named Philip Bauer was referred to Freud after suffering an attack of confusion, followed by symptoms of paralysis and slight mental disturbances." It didn't take long for Freud to recognize the signs of syphilis, which Bauer acknowledged acquiring before marriage. While Freud is remembered for founding psychoanalysis, his academic training was in neurology and anatomy. As an intern at the Vienna General Hospital, he regularly saw male patients with syphilis in the dermatology ward; PP -- for progressive paralysis or general paralysis of the insane, a terminal variant of syphilitic illness -- is written in his own hand in the hospitals admission rolls. Freud prescribed Bauer "an energetic course of anti-luetic (syphilitic) treatment, as a result of which all the remaining disturbances passed off." In 1892, such treatment could only have been mercury, and its energetic application probably involved both mercury inunctions (rubs) and injections of mercuric chloride. Bauer was impressed by this fortunate intervention of mine, as Freud put it, so impressed that four years later he brought his daughter, Ida, "who had meanwhile grown unmistakably neurotic," for psychological help. That visit did not lead to ongoing treatment, but two years after that, her condition had further deteriorated; she had become despondent and wrote a note that her parents interpreted as suicidal. So in October 1900, according to Freud, her father handed her back to me for psychotherapeutic treatment. She stuck with it for three months that became a turning point in the history of psychiatry. Freud changed her name to Dora and wrote about her in a case study formally titled Fragment of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria, one of the foundational works of psychoanalysis and modern psychiatry. "After 'Dora,'" writes Freud biographer Peter Gay, "psychoanalytic technique was never the same. Freud attributed Doras symptoms to emotional and sexual conflicts triggered by improper advances from Herr K., the family friend who accompanied her father on his initial visit to Freud in 1892 (the incidents with Herr K. occurred the next year, when Dora was only 13). Also stirring the plot was Doras belief (probably correct) that her father was having an affair with Herr K.s wife. And Freud was more than a little suspicious that Dora had sexual feelings for the wife as well. It was, in modern terms, a real soap opera Freud wrote that one reason Dora cut off treatment while exploring these intimate issues was because I neglected the precaution of looking out for the first signs on transference -- in which patients unconsciously transfer strong feelings about key figures in their lives onto the therapist. "I did not succeed in mastering the transference in good time." But Freud may have missed something more important -- the real reason for Doras decline. The clue is in the quotes at the top of the chapter and in Footnote 6 to Dora: Now a strikingly high percentage of patients I have treated psychoanalytically come from fathers who have suffered from tabes or paralysis [italics Freuds]. In consequence of the novelty of my method, I see only the severest cases. Sometimes in medicine, the most crucial evidence can be found in a footnote and this is a remarkable example. In that same footnote, Freud describes the conclusion to which I have been driven by my experience as a neuro-pathologist -- namely, that syphilis in the male parent is a very relevant factor in the aetiology of the neuropathic constitution of children. But why? In Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, Freud wrote: "I should like to make it perfectly plain that the children [of fathers with syphilis] who later became neurotic bore no physical signs of hereditary syphilis, so that it was their abnormal sexual constitution that was to be regarded as the last echo of their syphilitic heritage. But syphilis is not inherited, though it can be contracted from the mother during birth (just like HIV). And the abnormal sexual constitution notion is at once vague and bizarre. While having a father with syphilis certainly could create psychological problems, and counseling could help resolve them, this does not seem to be Freuds argument. Furthermore, the symptoms these offspring developed go way beyond what Freud in another case called commonplace emotional upheavals. On this, however, we agree with Freud: the connection was neither accidental nor unimportant. It offers new insight into the underpinnings of psychoanalytic theory. -- Lets take a look at the chronology of Doras illness and how it parallels her fathers. In the popular imagination, Victorian-era hysteria is perceived as the convenient fainting spells and histrionic behavior of upper-crust women. Most people believe that hysteria was triggered by the emerging conflict between female self-empowerment and traditional roles. (Hysterical is what men call women they cant control, says one modern scholar of German literature, and in casual parlance thats a good definition). But both the mental and physical symptoms of clinically diagnosed hysteria were severe, and they were precisely defined. Dora had these symptoms, although not to the totally disabling extent of some other patients. According to Freud, "When she was about 12 she began to suffer from unilateral headaches in the nature of a migraine, and from attacks of nervous coughing. The most troublesome symptom during the first half of an attack of this kind, at all events in the last few years, used to be a complete loss of voice. Other signs and symptoms included piercing gastric pains and sometimes dragging her right foot. Now lets look at the timing of Doras troubles and her fathers treatment for syphilis: About 12 was Doras age when he saw Freud for neurosyphilis and was given an energetic course of what was undoubtedly mercury. Who tended him? Dora. "The nature of her disposition has always drawn her towards her father, Freud wrote, and his numerous illnesses were bound to have increased her affection for him. In some of these illnesses he would allow no one but her to discharge the lighter duties of nursing." It gives an entirely new meaning to transference if the treatment Freud prescribed for the father inadvertently poisoned Dora as she nursed him in his sickbed. All her symptoms -- headaches, persistent cough, trouble walking and talking, gastric crises, depression -- are also symptoms of mercury poisoning (and reminiscent of GPI itself). Their appearance entirely coincides with her involvement with her fathers treatment. Rereading Freud with this in mind, his psychosexual explanations for Doras symptoms seem much less plausible. Consider her persistent cough, or tussis nervosa as Freud called it. He believed it represented her obsession with her fathers probable affair with Frau K. and the thought of them having oral sex. The conclusion was inevitable. She pictured to herself a scene of sexual gratification between the two people whose love-affair occupied her mind so incessantly. She also: declared she could still feel upon the upper part of her body the pressure of Herr K.s embrace. I believe that during the mans passionate embrace she felt not merely his kiss upon her lips but also the pressure of his erect member against her body. This perception was revolting to her; it was dismissed from her memory, repressed, and replaced by the innocent sensation of pressure upon her thorax, which in turn derived an excessive intensity from it repressed source. Once more, therefore, we find a displacement from the lower part of the body to the upper. Dora may well have been revolted by Herr K.s behavior and distressed by images of her fathers possible affair, but the constellation of severe physical and mental symptoms Freud attributes to that distress seems unlikely. (Freud actually went so far as to suggest Dora would have been better off giving in to Herr K.s advances!) While our proposal that mercury poisoning caused many of Freuds most formative cases appears to be new, the idea of toxic exposures among Freuds cases is not a fringe proposition. Another patient, Anna O., whose symptoms were similar to but much more pronounced than Doras, is actually considered the very first case in psychoanalytic literature. In the 1984 anthology Anna O. -- 14 Contemporary Reinterpretations, one essayist wrote: In considering a speculative, retrospective diagnosis, I believe one cannot exclude the possibility of a toxic psychosis -- perhaps based on a morphine-opium addiction. Anna had used these drugs to overcome severe facial pain, and this conjecture comes from George H. Pollack, who was at the time, director of the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago, and had been a past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association. (Nothing fringe about him.) When we typed two key physicals symptoms of classic hysteria sensory neuropathy and tunnel vision into an online search engine, a single diagnosis was returned: Mercury chronic toxicity/poisoning. But of course, Freud wasnt looking. He was looking to prove his hysteria hypothesis and thats all it was could explain the inexplicable and bring him the great nimbus or halo of fame he acknowledged craving. -- Its not surprising that theories created more than one hundred years old dont age well. Freud also went through phases in which he trumpeted the therapeutic powers of cocaine, and fell under the spell of a colleague who believed womens sexual problems originated in the sinuses and could be corrected with nasal surgery. Whats surprising is that conversion disorder, built on the same arid foundation of guesswork and supposition as these dangerously wrong ideas, has grown and thrived as a diagnosis. The current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders states, The essential feature of Conversion Disorder is the presence of symptoms or deficits affecting voluntary motor or sensory function that suggest a neurological or other general medical condition. Psychological factors are judged to be associated with the symptom or deficit, a judgment based on the observation that the initiation or exacerbation of the symptom or deficit is preceded by conflicts or other stressors. The symptoms are not intentional no one is faking it but the cause is psychological. This rigorous-sounding diagnosis goes on to establish four subtypes motor symptoms, sensory symptoms, seizures or convulsions, and mixed presentation. The New York state clusters would fall under mixed presentation, as all those symptoms are present in most of the affected girls even though tics have become the defining disorder. The occurrence of clusters is mentioned only in passing: In epidemic hysteria, shared symptoms develop in a circumscribed group of people following exposure to a common precipitant. For example, one member of a choir might faint and say she smelled a strange odor, causing others to believe they did, too, and also pass out. (Interestingly, that was not the case in New York state the onset was independent of any proposed cause.) Despite the modern nomenclature, the phrase epidemic hysteria points to origins in a much more primitive understanding of how the mind and body interact. In Studies on Hysteria, Freuds co-author Josef Breuer wrote the chapter titled Theoretical Issues that attempted to put some philosophical meat on the bare-bones case histories that led them to their new ideas. Are all hysterical phenomena ideogenic?, Breuer asks, meaning are all physical symptoms that have no apparent cause the result of powerful ideas and emotions? Not all, he answers, but enough that the theory is valid. And its plausible, too, he claims: It is a matter of everyday observation that in people with normal nerves pathological processes that are not in themselves painful cause peripheral pains in other organs; as, for example, headaches caused by relatively insignificant changes in the nose and sinuses. In other words, because a sinus infection can give you a headache, its reasonable to believe that stress over your parents divorce could make your arm twitch. Breuer then attempts to construct a biologically plausible pathway from painful emotions to hysterical manifestations in a section called Intracerebral Tonic Excitation Affects. In short, strong ideas or emotions lead to excitement in the brain and as described in the next section, Hysterical Conversion are transmuted into physical symptoms. In normal people, natural resistances prevent that excitation from affecting other organs of the body. Comparing this resistance to insulation on an electric cable, Breuer writes that under high tension, cerebral excitation breaks occur at those points that are abnormally weak and this, the excitation of the affect, passes over to the peripheral organ. So the stress caused by painfully excited thoughts in the brain, this theory goes, escapes to another part of the body and becomes an abnormal expression of emotion a physical symptom of a psychological problem. Hysteria. And those symptoms can persist. If the original affect [emotion] has been discharged has been discharged in an abnormal rather than a normal reflex the excitation emitted by the affective idea is converted [italics in original] into a physical phenomenon. Breuer then adds Freud in parenthesis to show this is his formulation. We have been able, he asserts, to trace various symptoms back to precipitating factors of this kind all kinds of neuralgias and anaesthesias [pain and numbness], which have often persisted for many years, contractures and paralyses, hysterical attacks and epileptoid convulsions that all observers had taken for genuine epilepsy, petit mal and tic-like affections, persistent vomiting and anorexia to the point of refusing all food, a great variety of visual disturbances, constantly recurring visual hallucinations and so on. All those ailments, then, can have a psychogenic basis, a basis that only a trained psychiatrist can deduce. They go on to give the example of a girl, who, tormented by anxiety, is watching over a sick bed, falls into a twilight state and has a terrifying hallucination, while her right arm, which is hanging over the arm of the chair, goes to sleep; this develops into a paresis [paralysis] of the arm with contracture and anesthesia. Watch what Freud and Breuer are saying here: A young woman is tending to a sick relative and starts hallucinating, her arm becoming numb and paralyzed, a severe neurological problem. They blame anxiety; we point to mercury poisoning and its known effects as a much simpler explanation that was never considered. This, then, is the biomedical basis for the modern-day diagnosis of conversion disorder anecdote after anecdote supported by what Freud and Breuer presented as a step-by-step proof but today seems more like mumbo-jumbo. And from that came the misdiagnosis that doctors now defend as well-established and conclusive. Its happened before, all around the world, said Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, the Amherst, N.Y., neurologist who has examined most of the girls in LeRoy. Its a rare phenomena. Physicians are intrigued by it. -- The fact this mistake has been repeated rather than recognized does not make it any the less mistaken. But the medical industry, as we learned in writing our book, can be glacially slow to self-correct, especially when as in any other industry prestige and profits are on the line. So hysteria has endured (albeit converted into conversion disorder) against all reason as a catchall category, one that usually ensares women, especially young women. "It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that, in formulating its criteria for conversion disorder, the American Psychiatric Association did little more than take an old diagnostic error and give it a new name together with a new aura of respectability, writes Richard Webster in his mammoth revisionist history of Freudianism, Why Freud Was Wrong. Since the very concept of 'conversion' is specifically psychoanalytic, and since it is historically indivisible from Freud's own idiosyncratic theories of 'hysteria', it further seems that the creation of the category 'conversion disorder' was a politically astute way of preserving the old concept of 'hysteria' in euphemistic disguise. The only strict criterion, Webster concludes, is that the patients symptoms should be medically inexplicable. We take a different view from Freud and his modern-day successors. In situations like this, we need to listen to and trust the victims and not the medical authorities that routinely resist inconvenient problems. Labels like conversion disorder, mass psychogenic illness and hysteria are simply protocols that project a false posture of competence in the face of a complex problem. The real label should be, Our normal tools dont work and we want this problem to go away because we have no idea what caused it or what to do about it. The attention needs to be on those who are affected, because we need to figure out what is different about the people who become victims from their close neighbors who escape injury. We will explore those issues in our next articles. -- Dan Olmsted and Mark Blaxill are Editor and Editor at Large of AgeOfAutism.com and co-authors of the The Age of Autism Mercury, Medicine, and a Man-made Disorder (Thomas Dunne Books, 2010.) Portions of the discussion of Dora are from the book. Converge ICT Solutions Inc. said it is open to teaming up with Mislatel Consortium of Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy and China Telecommunications Corp. to support the third telcos operations. We sell to other providers and we dont see any problem working with Mislatel. Its business, Jesus Romero, chief operating officer of Converge ICT, said. Were open to support anyone, because wholesale is an existing business... We have a network that can cover 50 percent of the population, he said. Mislatel, in its submitted highest committed level of service bid that won them the new major player title, committed to deliver 27 megabits per second of minimum average broadband speed in its first year before upgrading to 55 Mbps in the next four years. Mislatel Consortium said it would spend P257 billion in infrastructure and service rollout during the five-year period. Converge ICT earlier signed strategic partnerships with foreign and local telecommunications companies to roll out high-speed broadband network nationwide over five years for $2 billion.Under the partnership, Korea Telecoms, LSI-Fibernet Konstruk Corp., and TE Connectivity Subcom will help Converge ICT build and deploy the infrastructure necessary to provide pure end-to-end fiber internet connectivity at a nationwide scale. Converge ICT will fund the project through borrowings and equity. The rollout has the potential to reach more than 13 million of the 22 million households nationwide, particularly the major islands in the Visayas and Mindanao. Converge ICT said it was expecting to sign more partnerships to further improve its service offerings. 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. In February, we wrote, Although the Islamic State (IS) is near defeat, Syria now risks a confrontation among the major regional and world powers. This turn of events can only be characterized as a failure of imagination and leadership, requiring an urgent rethink of the endgame in Syria a turnaround in Syria requires a change of mindset. The final chapters of the battle against IS should have been a transition of opportunity rather than crisis. But the situation today is nonetheless in crisis. The proxy war approach has turned into something more ominous. US, Russian, Turkish, Iranian and Israeli forces are now all active parties to the conflict. The Syrian actors, and their regional backers, have the potential to become the tail wagging the dog, unless the United States and Russia can turn things around. That risk of escalation, including accidents, has only grown over the past 10 months. US President Donald Trump has stepped back from his previous hesitancy about an open-ended commitment in Syria, perhaps distracted by the special counsel investigation over Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, political fallout from the Republican loss of the House of Representatives and transitions in the White House staff. Although he said April 14 that America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria, under no circumstances, national security adviser John Bolton set the circumstances for an indefinite presence when he declared Sept. 24, Were not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders and that includes Iranian proxies and militias. As Mohammad Ali Shabani explained here, the US policy of maximum pressure is unlikely to break Irans commitment to Syria. The Iranian parliament is also moving ahead with bills related to the Financial Action Task Force that supporters say would create transparency in Iranian banking and facilitate trade with Europe, as Al-Monitor staff reported last week. Meanwhile, Irans bilateral ties with Turkey have grown as US-Turkish relations have sunk. Europes failure to deal with Russian threats, particularly regarding Crimea and the Syrian crisis, has also prompted Turkey to stop waiting for Europe and instead deal with Iran and Russia on its own, writes Saeid Jafari. Irans actions following the failed 2016 putsch in Turkey when compared to the actions of other Persian Gulf states helped promote ties and trust between the two countries. The common challenges created for both Tehran and Ankara by Saudi Arabia should also not be forgotten. For example, Riyadhs behavior toward Qatar, an ally of Turkey and a friend of Iran, has pushed Ankara more toward Iran than Saudi Arabia, in regard to regional policies. At a time when Iran is facing pressures from the United States and Saudi Arabia, it is unlikely that Turkey will join the latter, especially since Ankaras own relations with these countries is going through its worst period. While the United States claims that it does not seek regime change in Iran, some in the Trump administration consider the Iranian government as on the brink of collapse because of a failing economy and the rise of a more globally connected generation tired of the autocracy and diktats of the ayatollahs. There is of course volatility and discontent in Iran, well covered by our Iran Pulse. But one is reminded of what Michael Corleone said in "The Godfather: Part II" of his rival Hyman Roth he has been dying of the same heart attack for the last 20 years. In Irans case, we are talking about a nearly 40-year heart attack since the Iranian Revolution. Someday there will be change, but the United States has so far set itself up to play a marginal role regarding when, how and on what terms that change might come. There is also the question of what comes next, and whether there would be consequences for US interests and stability in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, as well as for the people of Iran, in the event of a transition. Iran is not Poland in 1989, where Solidarity, backed by President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, both popular figures among Poles, forced the Communist government from power. Nor are we approaching Iran with the prudence and light touch that President George H.W. Bush displayed during the fall of the Soviet Union. The United States has instead taken the tack of maximum pressure, dismissing, for now, direct diplomatic contact, and in the process ceding influence and leverage in Iran to Russia and China. While US sanctions no doubt have put Iran in a bind, whether they are winning hearts and minds among Iranians with crippling sanctions is an open question. US sanctions and name-calling by senior US officials have revived a sense of patriotism among many Iranians and rallied them behind the flag, a sentiment that the Islamic Republic might need to counter mounting US pressure and alleviate public anger at economic hardships, as we reported here last month. Iran is also not Iraq in 2003. There is some deja vu in the steady drip of the accusations of Iranian malfeasance and support for Hezbollah that could create the paper trail for retaliatory military action, reminiscent of the litany of perils of Saddam Husseins alleged weapons of mass destruction programs in the lead-up to the war in Iraq in 2003. The difference between then and now is that leading up to the US invasion of Iraq, everyone knew it was happening. The George W. Bush administration committed its full political capital and military resources for that effort, which Trump has called the single worst decision ever made. This makes the current US approach to Iran in Syria something of a puzzle. Trump reportedly told Bolton, Im not going to let you start a war with Iran. We find it hard to believe that Trump, given his well-documented resistance to indefinite military commitments in the Middle East, would want to be remembered for just such a commitment in Syria, with all the attendant risks of escalation. Trumps hesitancy about an open-ended military commitment in Syria is shared by Americans across the political spectrum. His predecessor, Barack Obama, who like Trump also opposed the war in Iraq, resisted advice from those in his administration who argued for a more extensive militarily engagement in Syria. Public opinion is uneasy, at best, about deeper military engagement in Syria or with Iran. A Huffington Post/YouGov poll in March showed that only 23% of Americans support a US declaration of war on Iran. Only 18% of Americans supported the use of ground troops in Syria in a CBS news poll in April 2017. Or perhaps Trump will look for the art of the deal, at some point, with Iran. While Bolton and others may believe that sanctions will cause a teetering Iranian government to buckle, Trump, despite his consistent hostility to the Iranian government, may not have ruled out a better deal than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, if such an agreement can address Iranian missiles and regional issues. In September, Trump tweeted that while he had no plans to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, maybe someday in the future. I am sure he is an absolutely lovely man! There is precedent in Trumps approach to the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and his turnaround on Kim Jong Un, as we wrote here in March. For centuries, Aragoz, a glove puppet with large eyes and a thin black mustache, has criticized Egyptian governments and mocked social institutions from marriage to parenthood in his metallic voice. This insolent puppet, with a conical cap placed on his wooden head, has given its name to Egypts traditional mobile puppet theater. Though it enjoys a similar name to Turkeys shadow play of Karagoz and Greeces Karagiozis, the Aragoz is now registered under Egypts intangible heritage, under a Nov. 26 decision made by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to include it in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. The decision was taken unanimously during the 13th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which began Nov. 26 and concluded Dec. 1. UNESCO describes Aragoz as an old form of Egyptian theatre using traditional hand puppetry. Performances are highly popular events during which puppeteers remain hidden inside a small portable stage while an assistant interacts with the puppets and crowd, UNESCO says on its official website. The UN agencys site notes, Al-Aragoz takes its name from the main puppet, whose distinctive voice is created with a voice modifier. The art used to be presented by groups of travelling performers, who moved from one folk celebration to another across Egypt. There are many theories on the roots of Aragoz. Some historians trace its beginnings to the Pharaonic era on the basis of the name's etymology ara meant to do and goz meant words. Others believe Aragoz came to being in the 12th century as a parody of one of the viziers of Salahuddin al-Ayubi (Saladin). The vizier, Qaraqosha, was known for his harshness and bad judgment. Aragoz, the protagonist in this mobile puppet theater, was a perfect vehicle for criticism and mockery of the government, politics and the social status quo during the vizier's time and beyond. Whatever its origins, the character of Aragoz often popped up in Egyptian literature, art and cinema. In a scene in Salah Abuseifs movie "The Second Wife" (1967), the films heroine, Fatima, watches an Aragoz performance through her window and, seeing how Aragoz fights injustice, finds the strength to rebel against the villages corrupt mayor. Aragozs clothing style, with its red dress and conical cap, was also adopted by actors in the 1950s such as Mahmoud Shokoku, who used the same clothes and the satirical style in his films and performances. Egypts intellectuals and artists have lauded the UNESCO decision, saying that it not only preserves the countrys heritage but also sends a political message to countries such as Turkey that El-Aragoz belongs to Egypt's heritage. In Turkey, Karagoz is the main character of the countrys traditional shadow play, which was also registered on UNESCOs intangible heritage list in 2009 as a shadow play. Just as in Egypt, there is a debate over Karagoz's roots in Turkey. While some claim the shadow play came from Central Asia, others say it was brought to the Ottoman Empire when Sultan Selim II captured Egypt in 1517. Greece also claims that Karagiozis, the main character of the Greek shadow play, is part of its own cultural heritage; although the shadow play came from the Ottomans, it has acquired its own particular Greek flavor and was used in the 18th and 19th centuries to mock Ottoman rule. It is now internationally recognized that Aragoz is an Egyptian form of art and not Turkish or belonging to any other country, Tarek el-Shenawy, an art critic, told Al-Monitor. Shenawy added that Egypt has been trying to protect its intangible heritage in order to preserve its national identity as well as benefit from this in boosting culture and tourism and therefore the national economy. It would have been great if the Ministry of Culture had celebrated the registration of Aragoz in the UNESCO list during the closing ceremony of Cairo International Film Festival, which was held during the time of the UNESCO announcement, Shenawy said. Hanan Shoman, another art critic and writer, said that the registration of Aragoz in the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage now needs to be used to promote the puppet theater and generate revenues for the country. The government should promote Aragoz, organize festivals for it and hold Aragoz performances across the country, Shoman told Al-Monitor. The art critic also suggested that an international Aragoz festival be organized every year in Egypt in order to promote the art and attract foreigners to visit Egypt and watch the Aragoz performances. According to the state news agency MENA, Egyptian Ambassador to France and permanent representative to UNESCO Ehab Badawy said Egypt had earlier succeeded in registering its Al-Sira al-Hilaliyyah epic and tahteeb, an ancient stick game, on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage lists. In November 2016, tahteeb was added to the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Tahteeb is usually performed before an audience and involves a brief, nonviolent interchange between two adversaries. Performed today amid clarinet music and the banging of drums, tahteeb involves two players wielding long sticks in a friendly joust mainly taking place on social occasions and festivals in the villages and cities of Upper Egypt. Tahteeb is also performed before tourists at Luxor and Aswan tourist attractions in order to give people more of an idea about ancient Egyptian heritage. This is an opinion column. People ask what protest can do in Hoover. Why march in the streets? Why disrupt businesses that had nothing to do with the police shooting of E.J. Bradford on Thanksgiving night? Its just noise, some say. Just racket and fury and futility. Its not. It is remarkable, really, that anyone would dismiss the power of protest in the shadow of Birmingham. Not just because of the dogs and fire hoses of 1963, but because of something else that happened in the city 15 years later. It was a police shooting, not so unlike the one that took place in Hoover three weeks ago. It mobilized a people and turned politics on its head. It changed the city in ways that are still being felt today. It changed the Birmingham Police Department forever, and for the better. It began on a summer night in the often-violent east Birmingham neighborhood of Kingston. A convenience store worker said he was assaulted by a man with a shotgun. Cops arrived and in a wash of adrenaline and confusion shots were fired and the wrong person died. Bonita Carter, a 21-year-old woman who was not part of the crime, was shot dead. Four bullets. Three in the back. The site of the 1979 shooting death of Bonita Carter. The police department said the officer who shot Carter George Sands acted within departmental policy. They couldnt fire him, they said. And Birmingham blew up. Something stirred in this town that even the 60s had not aroused. It was a political upheaval. Protests gathered and counter protests and suddenly Birmingham streets were full again, with everybody from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to the Ku Klux Klan. The mayor at the time, David Vann, was a moderate, a brilliant thinker, a white man who had done more for race relations in the city including helping engineer the ouster of Bull Connor than just about anybody. But every compromise he came up with landed with a thud. Because in the end and maybe white people couldnt see it at the time -- it wasnt just about Bonita Carter. It was generations of injustice welling up in that moment. It was, long before Black Lives Matter, a statement that black lives mattered. Mayor David Vann during protests over Bonita Carter's death. Suddenly black people in Birmingham realized they had power. And they used it in the streets and at the polls. In 1979 because of that shooting -- they elected the citys first black mayor, Richard Arrington. He made it his primary mission to reshape the police department. He hired a hard-boiled New York City police detective named Arthur V. Deutcsh as chief, an outsider not beholden to any of Alabamas good old boys. And while he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way -- and ended leaving the chiefs job amid his own scandal he carried out Arringtons vision of a more equitable, less militaristic police department. He developed a strict shooting policy and put in community policing programs, and the nature and reputation of the Birmingham Police Department changed. It had been known for violence. It had been known for Bull Connor and his snarling dogs and his tank. It is far from that today, and that is like it or not because of Arrington and Deutcsh. Arrington would serve for two decades. Much more would change in Birmingham, and much of it can be traced right back to the convenience store parking lot in Kingston, to the green Buick where an innocent woman died. Protest creates moments. It is not sound and fury signifying nothing. It is years of silence furiously bursting into voice. What happens next, Hoover, can change history. Make sure youre on the right side of it. John Archibald, a Pulitzer Prize winner, is a columnist for Reckon by AL.com. His column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com. Talk about a Grinch A Texas man was arrested Saturday for reportedly telling kids outside a church that Santa Claus is not real. Aaron Urbanski, 31, was charged with criminal trespassing for demonstrating outside a church in Cleburne, Texas, the AP reported. The protest occurred during the churchs Breakfast with Santa. Police said the protesters were yelling that Santa wasnt real. Two men protesting with Urbanski left when ordered to by police but the Joshua, Texas man refused to leave the property, police said. In the wake of the arrests, Mayor Scott Cain told NBCDFW the city plans to increase security for its Sunday night Christmas parade. He also weighed in on Facebook. Dont Mess With Santa! While I understand folks right to protest, Cleburne loves Santa and those protestors who were... Posted by Scott Cain, Cleburne Mayor on Saturday, December 8, 2018 The Texas incident isnt the first one this year that has landed someone on the naughty list. Last week, a substitute teacher in New Jersey was dismissed after telling a group of first graders Santa as well as the Easter Bunny, leprechauns and other creatures were not real. The substitute teacher, who has not been named, worked for Montville Schools in New Jersey. Her comments generated outcry on social media. Shell Companies in the Philippines is pushing for more oil and gas exploration to find another Malampaya gas field, instead of putting up an import terminal for liquefied natural gas. The economic question in LNG, if those who will use it are the existing ones we have, which are around 3 gigawatts of capacity, then actually if we can drill and find one more [gas field], thats enough to feed the five plants, SCIP chairman Cesar Romero said. Romero said LNG terminals would face the risk of being stranded if a new gas discovery was made. The risk of LNG terminal is who will be your customer. If sensibilities prevail, indigenous always trumpsover imports. The import terminal, then if there is discovery, hopefully us, the LNG facility may be stranded, he said. SCIP includes Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., which is engaged in oil exploration, and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. which is involved in the downstream retail oil industry. What we are trying to advocate is to give priority to indigenous over import, because the government will earn from it. The consortium has already given P10 billion to government as of August, Romero said. Romero said Shell was looking at the existing Service Contract 38 or the Malampaya gas project for new discoveries and various territories. We are looking at various territories. Of course, SC 38 will always remain a priority for us because the asset is there. We are prepared to do near field exploration, he said. Romero said SCIP was prepared to invest more in the country, but was still seeking clarity on the issue of incentives for the oil and gas sector. We want to invest but we hope we can get clarity to the fiscal regime which is PD [Presidential Decree] 87 be upheld, he said. Petroleum Association of the Philippines president Don Paulino, who is also the managing director of Spex, said studies showed that the countrys energy requirements would double in 20 years and to help meet this increasing demand, the government should ramp up tapping energy sources that are indigenous to the Philippines. There have been a lot of studies in the past and one such study says that GDP growth is strongly correlated to energy demand and vice versa, Paulino said.Therefore, we need energy to grow the Philippines, he said. Paulino said the real challenge for the Philippines is to provide sustainable energy at the cheapest rate possible. But in order to do this, we have to develop local indigenous energy sources, he said. The countrys electricity requirements are currently mostly met by imported fuel. Paulino said the Philippines is a rich source of energy and, if properly tapped, can complement the growth of renewables and lessen the countrys reliance on imported oil. The truth is that there is local, cleaner-burning energy in the Philippines and it is already providing 30 to 50 percent of the countrys power needs. This is natural gas from Malampaya, Paulino said. What we need right now is to encourage more explorations so we can find and develop new indigenous energy sources, he said. An example of this is what we have been doing with Malampaya in the last 17 years, he said. The Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power project has been providing around 30 percent of the countrys energy needs. This even peaks to 50 percent during the summer months. The Malampaya project has been drawing natural gas from beneath the seafloor of the West Philippine Sea and this fuels five power station plants with a total generating capacity of 3,200 megawatts. Malampaya enables the country to reduce its oil imports, ensure a more stable supply of energy, a cleaner source of power from natural gas and helps various communities develop sustainable social and environmental programs. The Malampaya consortium is led by SPEx as the projects operator, with joint venture partners Chevron Malampaya Llc and Philippine National Oil Company Exploration Corp. The consortium has remitted $10 billion in revenues to the Philippine government since the projects start of operations in 2001. Sale, Morocco On the first floor of a villa just outside the Moroccan capital of Rabat, around 18 children are quietly working on their next piece of embroidery. But there is something unique about this teaching centre in a country where youth unemployment is high. Embroidery, according to this schools founder Fadila el Gadi, is a Moroccan tradition that is rapidly fading. Also, the children spread across the room are either dropouts or have never been to school. Growing up, Gadi had a special love for the art of embroidery. But after becoming a fashion designer, she realised she needed to act fast if she wanted to see more of that art. Opening a school that teaches embroidery was not only my dream but also a necessity given how this art is dying, Gadi told Al Jazeera. This not only helps conserve the tradition but also gives these kids a hope for the future because, otherwise they had nothing to look forward to. In addition to embroidery, the children are also given French and English lessons and an IT professor helps them get more out of the technology available to help them improve their design skills. Over the past few months, two events occupied the headlines in Iran: the deadly paramilitary attack on a military parade in the city of Ahvaz, and the workers strike at the Haft Tapeh sugar factory in the town of Shush. Both events took place in the south-west province of Khuzestan, home to about six percent of the population (including most of Irans Arab minority) and almost all of Irans oil and gas reserves. It first became clear that Khuzestan would play a central role in the future of Iran back in 1908, when William DArcy discovered the Masjed Soleyman oil field in the north of the region and dug the Middle Easts first oil well. Four years later, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) set up the Abadan refinery, the largest in the world for decades to come, in the south of the state. The profitable refinery swiftly transformed Khuzestan into a de-facto colony and placed it at the epicentre of Iranian and global politics. The workers strike in Abadan in 1929 came as the first major blow to the British reign in the south. It set the stage for the nationalisation of APOC in 1952, and the subsequent CIA-orchestrated coup a year later. In other words, the 1953 coup, which toppled the democratically elected prime minister and changed the course of Iranian history, was a direct result of the reluctance of Western powers to give up their control over Khuzestans vast natural resources. 180925145037386 The oil and gas reserves in the region triggered another major foreign intervention 27 years later. In 1980, taking advantage of the post-revolutionary chaos in Iran, Iraqs Saddam Hussein attempted to annex Khuzestan. That move launched the tragic eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, which took hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides of the border and destroyed large swaths of land. On the Iranian side, the people of Khuzestan took the brunt of the war. They lost their homes and were scattered around the country, living a hard life of internally displaced people. Their suffering soon made them the symbol of national sacrifice in Iran: They were seen as the defenders of the motherland against the invaders. Successive Iranian governments, even after the war, promoted and politicised this image and tried to use it to ignite nationalistic sentiments in the population whenever necessary. They sponsored so-called holy defence films, such as Morteza Avinis Tale of Victory, which stitched together footage from the front line with a narration that deeply poeticised Khuzestans landscape and glorified the sacrifice of its people. The reality on the ground, however, comes in stark contrast with this rhetoric. After the war, Khuzestan was virtually abandoned by successive governments reformist and conservative alike. To this day, in cities like Abadan and Khorramshahr one runs into the ruins of the war. Khuzestan has the third highest unemployment rate in Iran, and Ahvaz is among the 10 poorest cities in the country. Khuzestan also has the highest number of drug addicts among all states. This is not to mention the rapidly exacerbating environmental disaster, which has turned the province once poised to be the agricultural powerhouse of Iran into a wasteland, and Irans most polluted state. Successive governments have been watching the ongoing disaster in the state without lifting a finger, but have continued to capitalise on its symbolic status whenever there has been a need to ramp up the rhetoric of national unity. The two major events of the last two months neatly captured this contradiction. On September 22, three gunmen from an Arab separatist group called al-Ahvaziya opened fire on a military parade in Ahvaz. They killed 29 and injured over 60 people, many women and children among them. To many Iranians, this brought back the memories of the 1980s and revived the symbolic importance of Khuzestan. The social media was abuzz with pictures and messages, posted by politicians and celebrities, expressing solidarity with the people of Khuzestan. Many of them invoked the old rhetoric and lamented the continuing suffering of the people of Khuzestan. They wrote brief eulogies about the sacred streets of Khuzestan, and pointed out that the holy war to protect Iran didnt end in the 1980s. The sanctification of Khuzestan as the front line of the fight for the integrity of Iran went on for a week and vanished as the media buzz around the attack abated. Khuzestan had once again shown its huge capacity for nurturing poetical talk and emotional nationalism. About 40 days later, the workers of Haft Tapeh sugar cane factory in the north of Khuzestan went on strike. They have been experiencing pay delays and cuts since the privatisation of the factory in 2015. Their protest swiftly grew and soon swept national headlines. The government first tried to ignore the strike, but when this became impossible, it started to threaten the workers. The head of the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, suggested that if the strike becomes a risk to the national security, the organisers would suffer consequences. The workers continued to protest. Soon 18 of them, including Esmail Bakhshi, the articulate and charismatic face of the strike, were arrested. These events embody all that is wrong with the way the Iranian leadership has been dealing with Khuzestan for decades: They frequently talk about how they revere the state and its people, but they never take any action to solve their problems or make their lives better. And when the people of Khuzestan try to raise their voices to end this injustice, the very same leaders that often praise them as the symbols of national pride treat them like the enemies of the state. This back and forth has gone on for at least 30 years, but it is not sustainable. Khuzestan is probably the most sensitive state in Iran today. Its natural resources aside, it is home to a large Arab population, marginalised and ignored for years. It also has a long border with Iraq, which is, thanks to the US invasion, far from stable. The ripple effects of events in Iraq is strongly felt in Khuzestan. Khuzestan also has a long and strong tradition of workers struggle, which effectively weakened and delegitimised both Pahlavi shahs before the revolution. If the current political leadership of Iran were to learn any lesson from the past, they should start paying some close attention to the simmering tensions in Khuzestan. Irans leaders need to view the recent strikes in the region as an opportunity to match their rhetoric with action. If they dont, the situation in Khuzestan could get out of their control. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Today marks five years since my close friends and relatives, Razan Zaitouneh and Wael Hamada, were abducted along with Samira al-Khalil and Nazem Hammadi by masked gunmen in the Damascus suburb of Douma. For five years we have waited for their release, clinging to rumours that theyre still alive, and hoping that they will soon be free. For people across Syria, the Douma Four, as they are now known, are household names, heroes of the 2011 revolution. That year, they helped found the Local Coordination Committees media teams and groups across the country that reported on the uprisings, wherever they were. From day one of the revolution, the Assad regime was desperate to disconnect towns and cities, to disconnect people from each other and prevent them from knowing what was going on. The Local Coordination Committees undid that. In a divided country, they brought Syrians together and told them the truth. It was their creation, along with Razans co-founding of the Violations Documentation Centre, that made the Douma Four the enemies of all those who opposed a free and democratic Syria. The Four knew how dangerous their work was but they considered the risks worth taking. For Razan, the one I am closest to, speaking out against injustice was what she devoted her entire career to. I met her prior to 2011 when I was subject to a travel ban in Syria for my work on gender equality. I consulted her for legal advice and she would always laugh off my worry, she kept trying to make me feel better about the situation. She had had her own run-ins with the Assad regime. For her work defending political prisoners, she was targeted by the security services and often questioned by them, though she never feared them. I remember in early March 2011, before the revolution had begun, there was a demonstration by the families of political prisoners outside a court in Damascus. The secret police arrived and began arresting the families, dragging them into the court. Among the arrested was my friends mother and so I ran to the protest, to try and find out what had happened. No one knew what to do. One mother was shouting for her son and asking why he had been taken but no one replied. Then Razan swept out of the court and started telling people, you, your mother is okay, your child is fine, I just spoke to your husband. She was sick with flu but it didnt lessen the power she embodied that day, the way she was determined to make sure everybody was alright. Although people often think of Syrian society as dominated by men, in 2011, Razan was the name dominating the news, the name inspiring young Syrians to push for human rights. When she was forced into hiding in early 2011, I remember watching her sit on the couch with her laptop communicating with citizen journalists across the country, tweeting, writing about what was going on, reporting to human rights organisations. She, and the rest of the Douma Four, became my idols. Their aim was to show the world that Syrians still believed in democracy, despite what the regime said. I remember Wael had so much faith in our people, he would tell us, trust the people, the revolution wont come from activists alone, lets trust Syrians and work with them. Thats what drove them back to Douma. In 2012, when the regime lost control of the area, they decided to go there because they wanted to work directly with the people, to spread knowledge of human rights and document the violations of armed groups there. They worked with militants to draw up a kind of ethical charter that would guarantee the freedoms of civilians and continued to be outspoken about their violations. A year later, it seems the armed groups were tired of their dissent. On 9 December 2013, I received a phone call from a friend who asked me, have you checked Facebook? I asked her what was wrong and she told me, just go online, go online. We couldnt talk over the phone because just mentioning Razan or Douma would put you at risk. I logged in to Facebook and saw posts by friends saying the Violations Documentation Centre in Douma had been attacked by masked men and that Razan, Wael, Samira and Nazem were missing. I was in Damascus, just 20 minutes away by car but I couldnt go to Douma because it was under siege by the regime. The first thing that came to my mind was that the regime had done this we were used to detention and kidnapping from them. It wasnt that common for us to suspect other actors. The amount of solidarity pouring out from across Syria was overwhelming. People were asking, where are the Douma Four, theyre our revolutionaries, where are they? My phone was constantly ringing. We thought it would only be a day and wed know what happened to them but as the days passed, we realised we might never know. Most people think the armed group Jaysh al-Islam (the Army of Islam) took them, but its impossible to know for sure. Their loss is still felt across Syria, where more than 100,000 people have been held by the regime and armed groups. The Douma Four represent us me, my friends, the people who believe in freedom for this country. They didnt give up on Syria, they stayed and took the risks of working with communities they didnt have strong relationships with, of documenting human rights violations of all actors in the conflict. I often think, who is the Razan Zeitouneh of next generation? Who will be the next Samira, Wael, Nazem? Who will inspire them to push for a better Syria? My country needs people like the Douma Four, brave activists who are willing to sacrifice everything for the common good, for universal freedoms. The Douma Four changed the lives of so many people in Syria; they made me a better person. Its hard to have hope after five long years, but I pray that this is the year they come back to us. Laila Kiki is not the real name of the author. She uses a pseudonym out of fear for her safety and security in Syria. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Vote is a test of the power shift in Armenia following the peaceful revolution earlier this year. Polls closed in Armenias early parliamentary election on Sunday, as acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seeks a stronger mandate, having been elected by legislators to the post in May following a peaceful revolution earlier this year. Pashinyan came to power in the spring, following weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism in the former Soviet republic of three million people. The former newspaper editor, who was jailed for fomenting unrest in 2008, represents a dramatic break from the cadre of rulers who have run Armenia since the late 1990s. He stepped down in October so parliament could be dissolved for the early election. By the time the polls closed at 16:00GMT, 49 percent of the nations eligible voters cast ballots. Preliminary results are expected to be released in the early hours on Monday. Former high-ranking officials were sacked and some were arrested following the power change. And a court of appeal ordered the detention of former President Robert Kocharyan again on Friday on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. He was first arrested in July but freed the following month and the case was sent to the appeals court. Kocharyan was Armenias second president, serving from 1998 to 2008, when mass protests erupted over a disputed election. The former ruling Republican Party, however, still dominates the current parliament that was elected in 2017. Pashinyan has said he expects Sundays vote to lead to a legislature that better reflects the nations new political landscape. Nine parties and two blocs are taking part in the election and opinion polls suggest the My Step Alliance, which includes Pashinyans Civil Contract Party, will easily win a parliamentary majority. In September, Pashinyans bloc won a landslide victory in municipal elections, winning more than 80 percent of the vote in the capital Yerevan, where nearly 40 percent of the countrys population lives. Reporting from the Armenian capital Yerevan, Al Jazeeras Robin Forestier-Walker, said that a Pashinyan victory would complete the peaceful revolution that began earlier in the year. If that happens, this will be the finishing touch of his so-called velvet revolution, when back in the spring, he managed to bring out tens of thousands of Armenians on to the streets, to bring about a peaceful transition of power. Back then, he was elected prime minister with hundreds of thousands of Armenians on the streets, demanding parliament make him the countrys leader, he said. But he only had a handful of seats in parliament, so what he needs now, and why hes holding this snap election, is to transfer that popular power that he has on the streets into the corridors of power, where he will have a legitimate mandate to carry out the reforms that hes promised to the Armenian people. Things like dealing with the oligarchs and their monopolies on the economy, bringing in more money, more investment, changing the education system, and of course, one of his key platforms, having a free and fair democratic system. After taking office, Pashinyan promised there would be no major shifts in Armenian foreign policy and has offered assurances he will not break with Moscow. Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is a member of the Russia-led military and economic alliances. Pashinyan also suggested he would stick to the existing policies on the long-running issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. A mountainous part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, is run by ethnic Armenians who declared independence from Baku during a conflict that broke out as the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991. Embattled prime minister faces a crucial parliamentary vote on Tuesday over her proposed Brexit deal. Will she survive? London, United Kingdom Exiting the European Union, Theresa May suggested after the referendum two years ago, was a simple process. Brexit means Brexit, she said in the wake of the United Kingdoms vote to quit the EU, following former Prime Minister David Camerons decision to resign over the result. Almost two and a half years after she succeeded Cameron, however, May now finds herself mired in the complexity of trying to manage the divorce. On Tuesday, she faces a parliamentary showdown over her proposed withdrawal agreement, brokered during months of fractious negotiations with counterparts in Brussels. The deal has little support across the political spectrum and is widely expected to be rejected by the House of Commons. Analysts have said that this could trigger a leadership challenge, a general election or even a second referendum all of which threaten to end the 62-year-olds time in office. But they also recognise that talk of her possible demise could be premature. The numbers matter, said Anand Menon, professor of European politics and foreign affairs at Kings College London. This is no longer a question of whether she can win the vote, its a matter of how many she manages to lose by. Expectations will emerge around a ballpark figure. There are 650 MPs in the House of Commons, and the vote will be decided by a simple majority, meaning May needs at least 320 supporters. The actual number needed will depend on the day some MPs may abstain, others could be absent. If Number 10 [the prime ministers residence and office], in this crazy world we live in, can sell a parliamentary defeat as a victory of sorts then she can go to Brussels on Thursday and try to get some further compromises, Menon adds, in reference to the upcoming EU Council summit. I dont think you can write her premiership off yet. A political survivor May appears to be something of a survivor in the cut-and-thrust world of British politics. Since assuming leadership of the ruling Conservative Party and the country in July 2016, she has overcome several major political defeats and body blows to her leadership amid the turmoil unleashed by the Brexit vote. In part, Menon says, such difficulties have been inevitable. Any prime minister doing Brexit would have had their time in premiership defined by it shes in a very difficult situation, he adds. [But] it is also partly of her own making. Mays ill-judged call for a general election in June 2017, 11 months after she succeeded Cameron, cost the Conservatives their majority in parliament. They have since had to rely on an often uneasy partnership with the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to govern. May has overseen months of Brexit negotiations with European leaders [File: Olivier Hoslet/Reuters] An already fragile administration has been further tested, meanwhile, by a string of ministerial resignations triggered by Mays approach to Brexit. Critics from within her party, which is deeply divided on membership of the EU, argue her deal would see Britain enter a sort of no mans land in relation to Brussels. Opposition has come from other quarters too. The leader of the main opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, has described the plan as half-baked and not in the interests of the whole country. The DUP, meanwhile, has pledged to reject it over concerns its so-called backstop clause a safety net proposal to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland could result in Northern Ireland remaining in the EUs customs union after the rest of the UK has exited. And, earlier this week, a coalition of six parties including the DUP and Labour orchestrated a landmark vote to declare the government in contempt of parliament for failing to disclose legal advice relating to the deal. But while attracting condemnation, May has also won domestic and regional approval from some for her determination to deliver on the mandate provided by the EU referendum. I think there is this kind of empathy for Theresa May, said Agata Gostynska-Jakubowska, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. There is this understanding that she has had this very difficult job, being pressed from both within her party and across the political spectrum. Some European leaders have recognised her efforts to bring the deal home. Defined by Brexit A vicars daughter with a self-proclaimed dedication to public service and a guarded private life, May is only one of two women to have reached the summit of British politics. The other, Margaret Thatcher, also had a tumultuous relationship with Europe. Like Thatcher, Mays views on Europe appear to have evolved over time. While serving as the home secretary prior to the 2016 referendum, she spoke in favour of the UK remaining in the EU. Since then, she has refused to say whether she would vote to leave or remain in the event of a replayed vote, however. Instead, shes pressed ahead with pursuing a divorce deal and rejected any possibility of a second vote taking place. Almost, analysts say, at the expense of everything else. Her record of achievement isnt great and thats partly because shes in a weak position and partly too because Brexit has taken up so much of her time so nothing else got on to the governments agenda, said Menon. But it is worth saying that whoever the prime minister was and whatever the size of their majority was, this would have been a nightmare. The promises of social reform and pledges to run a government not solely consumed by Brexit, which earmarked the early days of Mays leadership, seem distant. The best she can hope for now is to survive the week ahead. The Catholic Church has beatified 19 clergymen and women killed in Algeria during the countrys 1990s civil war. The Catholic Church has beatified in Algeria seven French monks and 12 other members of the clergy killed during the countrys civil war, the first ceremony of its kind in a Muslim country. Papal envoy Cardinal Angelo Becciu read the official decree on Saturday, stating that the 19 men and women would from now on be called blessed at an event in the coastal city of Oran. Faithful attend the beatification ceremony for seven monks and twelve clergy members [Reuters] Some 1,200 people, including pilgrims and relatives and friends of the beatified, filled the Chapel of Our Lady of Santa Cruz as the service was held under tight security. The 19 Roman Catholic clergy were killed between 1994 and 1996 as Algeria was in the grips of a decade-long civil war between government forces and rebel groups that left up to 200,000 people dead. Those beatified included seven French Trappist monks, who were murdered after being kidnapped by gunmen from the Notre Dame de lAtlas monastery in Tibhirine in 1996. The Armed Islamic Group of Algeria claimed at the time that it had slit their throats, but responsibility for the murders has never been conclusively established. Only the heads of the men, aged between 45 and 82, were ever found. Also beatified was former Bishop of Oran Pierre Claverie, who was killed with his driver on August 1, 1996, when a remote-controlled bomb exploded at his residence. The five other religious men and six women honoured, including citizens of France, Spain, Belgium and Malta, were gunned down in 1994 and 1995. Opening the ceremony, Archbishop Paul Desfarges of Algiers paid tribute to the thousands and thousands of victims of the Algerian civil war from 1991 to 2002, describing them as anonymous heroes. We did not want a beatification between Christians, because these brothers and sisters died among tens and tens of thousands of Algerian Muslims, Desfarges said. Beatification is the first step on the path to Roman Catholic sainthood. An undated file photo shows the seven French Trappist monks of the Tibhirine Notre-Dame de lAtlas monastery of Medea [File: AFP] Fraternity and solidarity Pope Francis himself spoke of the beatification in prayers at Saint Peters Square in the Vatican on Saturday. May this beatification be an incentive for all to build a world of fraternity and solidarity together, the pope said. Oran parish priest Father Thierry Becker said a prayer in Arabic for the Virgin Mary during the beatification ceremony in Algeria. Local Muslim dignitaries received the families of the 19 beatified clergymen and women at the Ibn Badis Grand Mosque, in the presence of Cardinal Becciu and Algerias minister of religious affairs. We Muslims associate this event with much joy, Imam Mostapha Jaber said at the mosque. These Christian martyrs killed during this national tragedy had a good mission (they were) determined to spread peace, he added. The murders of the clergy garnered widespread attention both in Algeria and abroad. The Philippines may soon have its own space agency, akin to the United States National Aeronautics Space Administration, following last weeks unanimous approval of House Bill 8541 (HB 8541) or the Philippine Space Development Act. Crafted in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology and filed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, 297 lawmakers voted for the measure that seeks to establish a clear Philippine Space Development and Utilization policy and create the Philippine Space Agency. PhilSA will be the primary agency that will spearhead the program of space science and technology access and applications, space research including remote sensing and the gathering of crucial data related to natural disasters and respond to the countrys growing need for a secure and independent access to space. Salceda said the program would help the Philippines safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and that developing science and technology through a space program could also boost patriotism and nationalism. PhilSA will be the central government agency in charge of issues and activities related to space science, engineering, and similar fields. It will be attached to DOST. As conceptualized, PhilSA will be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing and administrative body of the executive branch of government that will plan, develop, and promote a national space program in line with the Philippine Space Policy The Philippine Space Policy, on the other hand, will prioritize programs on national security and development, hazard management and climate studies, space research and development, space industry and capacity building, space education and awareness, and international cooperation.HB 8541got strong backing from Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado, House science and technology committee chair; Rep JJ Romualdo, chairman of Govt Reorganization; Zamboanga Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos, appropriations committee vice chair, and many others. A Senate version of the bill has already passed committee level deliberations. It is expected to be approved on third and final reading soon. The two versions will next go to the bicameral conference committee for consolidation before its Presidential approval. Salceda said space technology has become ubiquitous so that many vital activities would not operate without space systems, such as satellites, to provide capabilities in communications, navigation, defense and security, environmental monitoring and disaster assessment. This makes space infrastructure and capabilities as indispensable assets of society and an essential requirement for any modern country, he added. As a developing country and an emerging economic powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region, Salceda said it is crucial for the Philippines to embark on an efficient space science and technology applications and utilization to address various development and security issues and keep up with the rest of the world that is gradually becoming more space capable. COP24: Protesters demand action to check global warming Even as activists are demanding urgent action to save the planet, delegates inside are at odds over a crucial report. The UN is urging member nations to reach an agreement in Morocco on a framework for global migration issues. Marrakech, Morocco There were 258 million international migrants in the world last year, increasing almost 50 percent since 2000, according to the United Nations. If all of the worlds international migrants lived in a single country, it would be the worlds fifth largest population, according to a Pew Research Center report. The number of migrants, representing 3.4 percent of the worlds population, is increasing faster than the global population, driven by economic prosperity, inequality, violence, conflict and climate change. But the migration isnt always safe, either during transit or once the country of destination is reached. According to Missing Migrants, an International Organization for Migration (IOM) project tracking major migration routes around the world, more than 3,300 people have died or gone missing in the process of migrations towards an international destination in 2018. Even in transit countries, or country of destination, racism, discrimination and human rights violations are continuously reported. To ease problems and issues related to migration, an intergovernmental conference, with the aim of formally adopting the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), is taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 10 and 11. What is the GCM? The GCM is a global agreement drafted after an 18-month-long consultation period between the UN and various stakeholders, including government officials from member states, migrants, human rights organisations and NGOs. According to the UN, the GCM compiles principles, rights and obligations from existing international law instruments regarding migration, and identifies best practices in all areas of migration. A non-binding agreement, it aims to better manage migration at local, national, regional and global levels, including reducing the risks and vulnerabilities the migrants face at different stages of their journey. This puts in place a framework for the future. The GCM has 23 objectives and we think by implementing them, there will be a rule of law, less abuse faced by migrants and better management of security and border controls, Charbel Raji, a UN spokesperson, told Al Jazeera. Who is not attending? The pact was approved in July by all 193 member nations except the United States, which backed out last year. Australia, the Netherlands and Austria are the only countries that have officially refused to back the GCM despite being part of the process, according to the UN. However, on Monday, a spokesperson of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security told Al Jazeera the Dutch cabinet supports the GCM and it was in line with the cabinets migration agenda and with Dutch interests. Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia and Italy have either refused to attend the conference or ruled out signing the agreement. It is only regrettable that member states that engaged in the process will not be part of the event, said Raji. Some of the reasons given are not even accurate, for example, the pact not respecting national sovereignty. Migration policies for one country are not the same for another. The states remain free to determine their policies. What impact will that have on the GCM? While UN officials are confident it wont affect the outcome of the conference and what it aimed to get out of it, rights groups question why the organisation did not address the issue earlier. The US withdrew at an early stage and the UN was well aware of that and it still went ahead with the compact, said Youssef Ait Akdim, a board member of a Morocco-based rights group GADEM. We see many European countries withdrawing and stepping aside. Im sure the UN is disappointed but the truth is that public opinion in European countries is very radicalised and the right-wing parties are very vocal. In the Netherlands, a recent opinion poll showed 41 percent of people are against signing the pact versus 34 percent in favour, according to the Reuters news agency. African migrants are coming to Morocco in increasing numbers, mostly to cross over into Europe [Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera] Akdim revealed that Gadem had initially turned down the invitation to be part of the event as it did not see it resulting in a positive outcome for the migrants. However, a collective decision in the interest of the organisation made them change their minds as they did not want to be put in the same bloc of governments with nationalistic and xenophobic discourse on migration, according to Akdim. This compact is not the kind of tool we like the UN to push but we believe its a compromise in trying to reconcile the vision of the South and the North. Will agreeing to the GCM solve the worlds migration issues? In Marrakech, the UN is hoping that the discussions will pave the way for concrete avenues for implementation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also decided to establish a new UN Network on Migration, to ensure effective and coherent support of the UN System to governments in their implementation of the Global Compact. 181115081201093 This is the first time we have seen a global agreement to work together and provide the required elements that make migration safe and regular, said Raji. This is a big success by itself. Italy does not want the UN to be involved, insisting decisions over migration were a matter for national governments. Estonia called the GCM not an agreement in the sense of international law. Bulgaria is refusing to sign it as it believes the decision protects to the fullest extent the interests of the country and its citizens. With the list of boycotting countries growing, the debate towards implementing the GCM by the end of the year could get louder. The president who overstayed his mandate by two years does not rule out seeking the top job again after a break. Joseph Kabila, the outgoing president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has said he plans to stay in politics and does not rule out running again for the top job in 2023. Kabila, who will be stepping down after long-delayed elections are held on December 23, told Reuters news agency on Sunday that he wanted to protect his many accomplishments by remaining in politics. There is still a long journey ahead and there are still other chapters that will be written before we can write the history books, he said. Why dont we wait for 2023 to envision anything, said a relaxed, smiling Kabila in a rare interview at the presidential palace, wearing a dark blue suit and tie and sporting his signature greying goatee. In life as in politics, I dont rule out anything. Speaking to The Associated Press news agency, Kabila said he would likely remain in the role of adviser for now: If anyone wants advice from me, I hope they come and ask. The 47-year-old was due to step down in 2016 at the end of his constitutional mandate. But the election to replace him has been delayed repeatedly, igniting protests in which dozens were killed. The upcoming elections will mark the DRCs first democratic transfer of power and an end to Kabilas rule that began in 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila. Hand-picked successor Kabila has hand-picked loyalist Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary as his candidate to run under the banner of the ruling coalition. Shadary is under European Union sanctions for his alleged involvement in human rights violations. Kabila called the sanctions against Shadary unjust and illegal. Shadary or whoever is elected will be the president of this country and not the president of Europe. God forbid, Kabila said, laughing. Opinion polls show Shadary far behind popular leading opposition figures [File: Reuters] Opinion polls show little-known Shadary far behind popular leading opposition figures, raising speculation that he is merely there to serve one term before Kabila returns. Elections expected to be difficult The delay in elections has coincided with a breakdown in security across much of the mineral-rich country of 40 million people. Armed rebels are fighting over land and resources in the east near the border with Uganda and Rwanda. International observers say a lack of security will make holding elections difficult in the vast equatorial country and create an opportunity for Kabilas coalition to cheat, especially with the use of new voting machines that will be used for the first time. Kabila said the DRC was ready to hold fair elections. We intend to make the elections as close to perfection as they can possibly be, he said. Observers who think that the elections will not be free and fair, I am yet to see those observers come and state where they think we are lacking. Kabila was catapulted to power at age 29, after his fathers assassination during a civil war that raged from 1998 to 2003 and killed five million people, mostly through hunger and disease. He promised to restore peace and end corruption. Today, he stands by his legacy, despite leaving behind a fragile economy and multiple protracted armed conflicts that have forced millions to flee their homes. US president has published a series of tweets criticising Emmanuel Macrons policies and his low approval rating. Donald Trump should not meddle in French affairs, its foreign minister said on Sunday, after the US president criticised France in tweets following riots in Paris. Anti-government protesters faced off with riot police in Paris and other French cities on Saturday, hurling stones, torching cars, and vandalising shops and restaurants in a fourth weekend of unrest that has shaken President Emmanuel Macrons authority. The Paris Agreement isnt working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France, Trump wrote on his Twitter account. The Paris Agreement isnt working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting We Want Trump! Love France. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018 Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told LCI television leave our nation be. We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated, he said. Le Drian said images published in the United States with people chanting We want Trump were filmed during a Trump visit to London several months ago. Clad in their luminous safety jackets, the yellow vests show no sign of calling off weeks of protests over rising living costs and accusations that Macron only looks out for the rich. In a separate tweet, Trump also said: Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe its time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? The US was way ahead of the curve on that and the only major country where emissions went down last year! Le Drian also said most Americans disagreed with Trump over his decision to walk away from the 2015 Paris climate agreement. In the past few months, Trump has published a series of tweets criticising Macrons climate and defence policies, as well as Macrons low approval rating. Catastrophe Macron is expected to meet union leaders and address the nation on Monday. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the unrest was a catastrophe for the French economy, with nationwide roadblocks wreaking havoc with the traffic and putting off tourists from visiting Paris. An estimated $1.5bn has been lost. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux vowed Macrons centrist administration would find solutions that took into account protesters grievances. They overwhelmingly hail from rural and small-town France but have a range of different goals, from lower taxes to Macrons resignation. It is clear that we underestimated peoples need to make themselves heard, Griveaux told Europe 1 radio. It is anger that is difficult to understand from an office in Paris, he acknowledged. Alain Juppe, mayor of Bordeaux where a protester lost his hand after picking up an anti-riot grenade, joined calls from across the political spectrum for Macron to respond. This disorder must end, the former prime minister tweeted. The president must speak, and speak quickly. The Gulf has been beset by disputes, raising questions about its ability to overcome in the spirit of collaboration. The 39th annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit took place in Riyadh as the body is ridden with crises including regional disunity, challenges to sovereignty and the diminishing international reputation of Saudi Arabia, the biggest member state. The GCC, made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, was established in 1981 to foster socioeconomic, security and cultural cooperation in the region. Yet, in recent years, it has been beset by problems and disputes, raising questions whether it is able to overcome such challenges in the spirit of collaboration. Speaking from the summit on Sunday, the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah said the GCC must be able to face the challenges in our region. We need to keep our situation and our stand firm, he said. We have faced a lot of challenges, and on top of them, there are the differences between the different GCC nations. We need not risk the interests of our peoples. Regional crises The summit is the second consecutive one held in the shadow of the blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani did not attend but sent his Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi to represent the country. 181206102112634 The Qatar blockade, while stuck at an impasse, has had a major economic impact on Gulf investors with the emirate of Dubai particularly affected as property prices and stock indexes have fallen sharply. Another crisis has been the heightened tensions between the UAE and Oman over Yemens southern province of al-Mahra that borders Oman. It is free from the presence of Houthi rebels, yet there are Saudi and UAE forces on the ground there, which Oman considers an infringement on its national security. There is also the tension between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia over the shared Neutral Zone, which consists of two oil fields Khafji and Wafra that are jointly owned by the two states. The oil fields have been closed since 2014 and 2015, respectively, and have the capacity to produce more than 500,000 barrels a day. The fields would be crucial to Saudi meeting its official production ceiling of 12.5 million bpd of oil if they were to come back online. 170721133643228 The dispute between the two countries centres on the question of the who has sovereignty over the zone, which lies on a portion of the border between them that has been undefined for almost a century. Were trying to convince the Kuwaitis to talk about the sovereignty issues, while continuing to produce until we solve that issue, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Bloomberg in an interview in October. Saudi Arabias predicament Should the GCC disintegrate, Saudi Arabia would be the biggest loser, primarily because of its role as the largest country in size and resources, as well as the one that stood the most to benefit from the council. The council has been affected by the oil kingdoms recent crises, whether stemming from its geopolitical adversary with Iran or conducting unofficial backchannels with the state of Israel. The assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the countrys consulate in Istanbul, Turkey also dealt a blow to Saudi Arabias reputation internationally. Domestically, the reputation of the ruling Al Saud family has also taken a hit as a result of the arrests and torture of senior princes and prominent businessmen last November. The arrest of religious scholars, alleged torture of female activists and dissenters and a weakened economy beg the question of where Saudi Arabia is heading and what repercussions the GCC will face. Abdullah Baabood, an Omani academic, told Al Jazeera there is rising discontent from Omani citizens regarding the way the GCC has been managed and manipulated by Saudi Arabia. The people look at what is happening [in terms of Saudi crises] as basically undermining the whole project of the GCC that has been going on now for decades, Baabood said from Muscat. People here in the Gulf want to see a more functional, prosperous GCC that works together, he continued, adding Saudi Arabia wants to manage the whole GCC and bully everybody. The damage that has been caused by this crisis is much deeper than people think, he said. How can you create a crisis and get everyone to work together? Attack by armed group on police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar also wounded 48 people. Iranian security forces have detained 10 people suspected of links to a suicide car bomb attack that killed at least two policemen earlier this week, police chief Hossein Ashtari said. Good clues have been obtained and hopefully with the publics cooperation we will get to the main leads, Ashtari was quoted by the state news agency IRNA as saying on Sunday. More suspects have been identified and are being sought, Ashtari added. At least 48 people were also wounded in Thursdays attack by a armed group on the police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in southeast Iran. While suicide bombings are rare in Iran, armed 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 Shia country and has also long been plagued by violence from both drug smugglers and separatists. The US-based SITE Intelligence Group and Iranian state media reported that Sunni armed group Ansar al-Furqan claimed responsibility for the attack. Sunni group Ansar al-Furqan claims responsibility for suicide bombing at police HQ in port city of #Chabahar #Iran, a major regional trade hub near the border of Pakistan. A relatively rare event from a group that remains inactive for stretches of time. https://t.co/tBTKQ0bfv6 pic.twitter.com/9cdlto2oqU Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) December 6, 2018 Security in border areas 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 Guard 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. In December 2010, at least 41 people were killed and 90 others 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. Shooting took place from a moving Palestinian vehicle east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said. At least seven Jewish settlers have been wounded, one critically, in a drive-by shooting in the occupied West Bank, the army said. The settlers were standing by a hitchhiking station near Ofra settlement, The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday. Shots were fired from a passing Palestinian vehicle towards Israeli civilians who were standing at the bus station, the Israeli army said. Troops who were present nearby responded by firing towards the suspect vehicle, which fled. Israeli forces were still searching for the attacker, it said. The rescue service said a 21-year-old woman was shot in her upper body and is in critical condition. The other wounded included two 16-year-old girls who were lightly hurt. Ofra is built on land belonging to the villages of Silwan and Ein Yabroud. The Israeli army said the shooting was carried out from a passing Palestinian vehicle near settlers standing at the nearby junction. It is the first such attack in the West Bank since November 26 when a Palestinian rammed Israeli soldiers with a car and injured three of them. The assailant in that incident was later killed by Israeli forces. Migrant caravan causing Mexico businesses to suffer Popotla was a popular tourist destination, now it houses thousands of asylum seekers trying to cross into the US. Departing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley says the US should ask for accountability in the Khashoggi case. Nikki Haley, the outgoing US ambassador to the UN, has said the United States should not give Saudi Arabia a pass for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Haley, who will leave her position at the end of the year, made her statements in an interview with US publication The Atlantic. You have Saudi government officials that did this in a Saudi consulate. We cant give them a pass, because thats not who America is, Haley said in the interview. We cant condone [the murder], we cant ever say its OK, we cant ever support thuggish behaviour, and we have to say that, she added. 181010133542286 Haley also defended the US response to Khashoggis death, saying that the sanctioning of 17 Saudi nationals allegedly involved in the murder was a sign that the US is not letting this slide. The Trump administration is asking for accountability and we need to continue to do until we get it, she added. But Haley refused to point at Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite reports US intelligence agencies have linked the de facto ruler of the country directly to the murder of Khashoggi. I think all of that, the administration needs to decide, she said about Prince Mohammeds alleged involvement. Haley, who will be replaced by Heather Nauert in January as US ambassador to the UN, also refused to take US President Donald Trumps stance that the murder presented the US with a binary choice between either supporting its ally Saudi Arabia or standing up for human rights and values. According to Haley, the US is able to see Saudi Arabia as a complete partner when it comes to fighting Iran but also tell the Saudis that were not going to continue to be your partners if you continue to use thuggish behavior. Maybe he did, maybe he didnt Trumps embrace of MBS puts both countries at risk Following the murder, Trump has refused to call out the Saudi leadership for its alleged involvement in the murder, despite US intelligence agencies reportedly presenting him with evidence of it. Trump has also repeatedly said US arms deals with Saudi Arabia are massively important, while at the same time misstating the amount of money those deals will bring in for the US. Last month, Trump said that the truth may never come out regarding the Khashoggi murder. It could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event maybe he did and maybe he didnt, Trump said in a much-criticised statement. 181007184026645 Trumps comments were echoed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said there was no direct evidence linking MBS to the murder. Their comments, however, were disputed by US Senators who said there was zero chance MBS was not involved in the Khashoggi killing after they received a briefing on the case by CIA chief Gina Haspel. Khashoggis murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul prompted an international outcry and forced many countries to reassess their ties with the kingdom. After weeks of repeated denials that it had any involvement with his disappearance, Riyadh eventually acknowledged that Saudi officials had planned and executed the killing. The whereabouts of his remains are still unknown. Most of the proposed measures are expected to pass in a nation where trust in elected officials is low. Polls have opened in Perus referendum aimed at curbing corruption as the South American nation tries to put an end to the scourge that has landed politicians, judges and even former presidents behind bars. Voters headed to 5,398 polling stations that will close at 21:00 GMT across the country on Sunday in addition to stations set up in embassies and consulates for Peruvians living abroad. Casting a vote is mandatory and failure to comply with it is punishable with a fine. The national office of electoral processes will deliver the first results at 01:00 GMT on Monday. The four questions on the ballot include measures that would prohibit legislators from immediate re-election, create stricter campaign finance rules and reform a scandal-tainted council charged with selecting judges. Most of the proposed measures are expected to pass in a nation where trust in elected officials is low. 181118192243535 But analysts caution that the referendum is not an end-all fix that can reverse decades of deeply entrenched political misconduct. What this referendum is potentially giving the government and maybe even the political system is a little breathing room, Steve Levitsky, a Havard University political scientist told Associated Press news agency. A little burst of confidence and public trust that it can potentially use to get up and running, he added. Corruption scandals In recent years, Peru has been jolted by the Odebrecht corruption scandal, which has toppled some of Latin Americas highest-ranking politicians. The Brazilian construction company has admitted to paying $800m to officials throughout the region in exchange for lucrative public works contracts, including $29m to win contracts in Peru over the course of three administrations. The scandal has tainted the careers of nearly every former living Peruvian president, with four ex-heads of state under probe for ties to Odebrecht. 180917091819360 President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned in March after opposition politicians revealed previously undisclosed ties between Odebrecht and his private consulting firm. Prosecutors are also investigating former leader Alan Garcia after revelations that bribes were made during the construction of Limas metro under his tenure. Ollanta Humala, who was briefly jailed, and Alejandro Toledo are also being probed for allegedly receiving illegal payments. Meanwhile, former first daughter Keiko Fujimori, the nations top opposition leader and a two-time presidential candidate, is under investigation for allegedly laundering Odebrecht money for her 2011 campaign. Those probes, along with a series of leaked wiretaps showing judges and lawyers making backroom deals on matters as grave as the sentence for a man accused of raping a young girl, have unleashed the fury of a Peruvian public fed up with corruption. A recent survey by Latinobarometro, a respected regional polling firm, found that just eight percent of Peruvians trust the legislature, the lowest rate in the region. The entire system is rotten, said Gerardo Polo, 40, who works at an import company and was eager to cast his ballot on Sunday. While he conceded that the measures wont guarantee future abuses he said: It is a scream of rage. The Department of Justice has dismissed the criminal charges filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against operators of Peryahan ng Bayan in Quezon City. In a resolution, the panel of prosecutors from the DOJ Task Force on Special Cases dismissed for lack of probable cause the illegal gambling complaint against 15 employees of Globaltech Mobile Online Corp. who operated in the PB venues. The DOJ ruled that the respondents from Globaltech did not violate the law since their gambling operations were legal at the time of the NBI raids last month despite the revocation of their license to operate by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in 2016. During the inquest proceedings, it was learned that Globaltech was able to secure a status quo ante order against the PCSO ruling from a Pasig City regional trial court last year. The status quo ante order remains valid. The NBI operatives reliance in the documents submitted by the PCSO and a letter from one Marcelo Flores is misplaced considering that the same are not verified, hearsay, self-serving and full of partiality and therefore are not sufficient to establish a valid warrantless arrest, read the DOJ resolution signed by Assistant State Prosecutors Amenda Garcia and Florencio dela Cruz Jr. and Associate Prosecution Lawyer Criselda Teoxon.The investigating prosecutors said the case is pending before the Court of Appeals where PCSO filed a petition for certiorari challenging the RTCs order. The DOJ held that the PCSOs petition before the appellate court clearly shows its recognition that the Status Quo Ante Order is still in effect and subsisting. And there is no proof that a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) or injunctive relief has been issued by the appellate Court. Thus, it is without a doubt that at the time of the implementation of the search warrant in the subject premises of Globaltech, its operation of the numbers game Peryahan ng Bayan is still duly covered by a valid and subsisting authority/license from PCSO. Consequently, respondents cannot be considered as engaged in an illegal numbers game at the time they were arrested. PCSO and Globaltech have figured in legal dispute after the government regulator of gambling operations terminated the firms permit in 2016 due to supposed non-remittance of earnings worth about P100 million. Absence of Sheikh Tamim and decision to withdraw from OPEC oil cartel underline the simmering crisis facing the GCC. Qatars emir skipped a summit in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with fellow Arab Gulf leaders whose boycott of the small but energy-rich neighbour has sparked a major regional diplomatic crisis. Riyadh is hosting the annual gathering as crises rumble on over the 18-month-old dispute with Doha, the war in Yemen, and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia invited Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to attend the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) talks, but the foreign ministry in Doha said he would not go. The absence of Sheikh Tamim, as well as Qatars recent decision to withdraw from the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel, underlined the simmering crisis facing the GCC. The countrys emir sent a representative, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, minister of state for foreign affairs, to attend the summit in Riyadh. Make its own decisions Other GCC leaders descended a golden escalator and were greeted by Saudi King Salman ahead of Sundays summit. 181208080831667 GCC members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar in the summer of 2017 alleging Dohas support for terrorism and close ties to their regional rival, Iran. Qatar has vehemently denied the accusations. Sheikh Tamim attended last years meeting in Kuwait, where the boycotting nations sent lower-level representatives. This year, Qatars leader sent Al-Muraikhi to represent the country. Al-Muraikhi offered no comments during the open session of the GCC meeting. The leaders sat around a table in awkward silence at the close before a bland final communique was read out, stressing the importance of maintaining GCC unity in the face of threats to regional stability and to meet economic challenges. Bahrains Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa tweeted that Sheikh Tamim should have accepted the fair demands and been there at the summit. In response, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi, director of the information office at Qatars foreign ministry, said: Qatar can make its own decisions and had attended [last years] Kuwait summit while the leaders of the boycotting countries did not. Assertive policies Rumaihi later slammed the final communique for not addressing the boycott, which Qatar says aims to curtail its sovereignty. The GCC summit took place as Saudi Arabia faces international pressure over the murder of Khashoggi in early October. Saudi Arabia has resisted US pressure to restore ties with Doha following Khashoggis murder, an act that drew condemnation and scrutiny of Riyadhs assertive regional policies. King Salman opened the gathering, urging fellow member states Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar to maintain a united front against Iran and terrorism. Extremist and terrorist powers continue to threaten our security in the Gulf and in the Arab world, the king said. The Iranian regime is continuing its hostile policies and continues to intervene in other nations internal affairs. This requires all of us to maintain our countries gains and to work with our partners to preserve security and stability in the region and the world, he said in his speech. 181117094339571 Unity restored The closed-door session was expected to focus on oil politics, security issues, including Yemens war, and the row with Qatar. Giorgio Cafiero founder of Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC told Al Jazeera the GCC summit would have little impact on the lives of Gulf residents. Hopes of a single currency, a NATO-style Gulf defence force and a railway system to connect member states would have once been on the agenda, but they seem like distant memories now, Cafiero said. Doha last week abruptly announced it was exiting the oil exporters group OPEC after 57 years to focus on exporting liquified natural gas, in an apparent swipe at the blocs de facto leader Saudi Arabia. Kuwaits ruler, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 89, brought up the Qatar crisis, warning of internal divisions threatening the GCC. The most serious challenge we are facing is the Gulf dispute and its continuation, which is now causing a serious threat to our unity and affecting our citizens interests, Sheikh Al Sabah said. This has also caused the rest of the world to look at us as an entity with cracks forming in its unity, and that we can no longer guarantee the interests of other nations as we could when our unity was stronger. A US State Department official on Sunday urged Gulf states to mend fences in order to confront Iran and help enable a proposed new Middle East security alliance that would include the Gulf bloc, Egypt and Jordan. Wed like to see that unity restored not on our terms but on terms of the countries that are involved, Timothy Lenderking, deputy assistant secretary for Arabian Gulf affairs, told reporters at a security forum in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair says his country does not hand over its citizens in response to Turkish demand. Saudi Arabia has ruled out extraditing two of its former officials against whom Turkey has issued arrest warrants in connection with the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. We dont extradite our citizens, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said in a press conference in capital Riyadh on Sunday, when asked for his comments on the Turkish move. Khashoggi, who was a columnist for The Washington Post and a vocal critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed inside Riyadhs consulate in Istanbul in October. A Turkish court had on Wednesday issued arrest warrants against former Saudi intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri and former adviser to the royal court Saud al-Qahtani at the request of Istanbuls chief prosecutor. Assiri often sat in during Prince Mohammeds closed-door meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries and Qahtani was a key counsellor. 181204202546344 Both were sacked after Riyadh admitted Khashoggi was killed in its consulate, but the kingdom has repeatedly denied reports that MBS is linked to the murder. The Turkish authorities have not been as forthcoming as we believe they should have been, said Jubeir, adding Riyadh was presented with information that had already been leaked to the media. We have asked our friends in Turkey to provide us with evidence that we can use in a court of law. We have not received it in the manner that it should have been received. Last month, Saudi prosecutors said they were seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 Saudi nationals indicted for Khashoggis murder. US President Donald Trump has refused to call out the Saudi leadership for its alleged involvement in the murder, despite the CIA reportedly presenting him with evidence of it. Where is the body? Meanwhile, Hatice Cengiz, the Turkish fiancee of the late Khashoggi, has demanded to know the whereabouts of his body, and called for the speedy prosecution of those responsible for carrying out his murder. I want to expose the circumstances of this case, to identify those responsible, and for perpetrators of the crime and those who ordered it to be prosecuted fairly, so that they can get the punishment they deserve, she said in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic. As relatives of Jamal, we have to know where the body is, the 39-year-old said. This is our human right. Cengiz reacts while watching a tribute video during a commemorative ceremony held last month in Istanbul [File: Chris McGrath/Getty Images] Cengiz said she had rejected an invitation from Trump to visit the White House last October, and that the invitation was not renewed. She went on to say she is still living a shock she cannot overcome despite the confirmation of Khashoggis death. Governor of Gadarif state and three security officials among the dead in the crash in an eastern Sudan region. At least seven local government officials have been killed in a helicopter crash in Sudans eastern Gadarif state. The states governor and three security officials were among the dead, the countrys official news agency, SUNA, reported on Sunday. Governor Mirghani Salih was travelling from the city of Gadarif heading to Gallabat, Ashorooq TV reported. Both cities are in Gadarif. 181116182627496 A number of people were also injured in the incident, SUNA said. The officials were carrying out a security tour of the province. Witnesses said the helicopter caught fire after hitting a communications tower as it tried to land in a field in Gadarif, which known for its farmland and agricultural projects. Flames and thick dark smoke rose from the aircraft, one of the witnesses, Adam Hassan, told AFP news agency. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. State TV earlier reported that a plane, not a helicopter, had crashed. Series of crashes Most of Sudans military and civilian fleet consists of old Soviet-made aircraft, and the country has suffered a series of crashes in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems and bad weather. In October, eight people were injured in a collision between two Sudanese army planes on the runway at Khartoum airport. Weeks earlier in September, two pilots were killed when their military jet crashed near Omdurman, Khartoums twin city on the west bank of the Nile. That accident came days after a military helicopter crashed and caught fire on landing in Darfur, though all passengers were rescued. Over 200,000 people attend VHP rally to demand a Ram temple on the ruins of a mosque destroyed by a Hindu mob. Tens of thousands of hardline Hindu protesters have marched in Indias capital city, calling for a grand temple to be built on the ruins of a 16th-century mosque destroyed by a mob 26 years ago. The protesters, along with dozens of Hindu monks, gathered in New Delhi on Sunday under the banner of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) and similar groups linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Trident-waving devotees clad in saffron filled the sprawling Ramlila Maidan grounds under tight security, warning Modi that they would not let up until the temple was sanctioned. Causing a frenzy in a crowd of more than 200,000 people, Hindu monks made a series of fiery speeches laced with religious overtones as demonstrators chanted Praise be to Ram. We dont care about courts Some of Modis supporters feel he has not done enough to raise a shrine at a site in Ayodhya, a small town believed to be the birthplace of the deity Ram in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The site in Ayodhya was home to a medieval mosque for 460 years until a Hindu mob tore it down in 1992, kicking off riots across India that left thousands dead, most of them Muslim. Protesters raised slogans asking BJP to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya [Adnan Abidi/Reuters] 151008073418225 The BJP was on the margins until the 1980s when its top leaders, including Modi, backed a growing movement for the construction of the Ram temple. After the demolition of the mosque, both Hindu and Muslim groups petitioned the Supreme Court to help resolve the issue. The top court has sought more time to give its verdict. But Hindu hardliners want Modi, who is seeking re-election in 2019, to push parliament to guarantee the temple through an executive order, bypassing the Supreme Court. We dont care about the courts. A grand temple will be constructed in 2019, Sushil Chawdhary, a VHP leader, told AFP news agency. The dispute remains at the core of tensions between the Hindu majority and Indias minority Muslims, who constitute 14 percent of the countrys 1.3 billion people. A VHP supporter dressed as Hindu monkey god Hanuman at the protest meeting [Adnan Abidi/Reuters] Came to protect Hindu pride While the VHP was the organiser for the Sunday protest, a number of leaders from the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ruling partys far-right ideological mentor, addressed the crowds. Ive come here to attend the religious congregation as a Hindu woman, not as a politician, as I believe that the issue of Ram temple is linked with the faith of Indias 80 percent people, said Meenakashi Lekhi, a BJP legislator representing New Delhi in parliament. 180206104944929 The gathering here is telling you that Hindus wont sit back until the temple is built, and our wishes are respected, VHP leader Champat Rai told Reuters news agency. Some carried maces and tridents weapons traditionally wielded by Hindu gods and travelled great distances by train and bus to reach the rally. We have come here to protect our religion and Hindu pride. We want a temple for our Lord Ram, Hitesh Bharadwaj, a teacher from New Delhis satellite city, Noida, told AFP. Temple an election agenda The VHP has applied pressure on Modi in recent weeks, staging a huge show of force in Ayodhya itself last month, and planning more such protests in the coming months. 181120160323155 In the run-up to the general election due within six months, the BJP and other Hindu groups have ratcheted up their demand for a new temple at the disputed site. Most analysts expect Modis BJP to fare worse than it did in the 2014 election, and critics often accuse the party of using communal issues to whip up support. For the past three decades, the BJP and Hindu outfits associated with it have resurrected the Ayodhya controversy before elections, stoking tensions between the Hindus and Muslims. Days before parliament vote on Brexit, far right and anti-fascists hold opposing rallies as police warn of arrests. London, United Kingdom Thousands of demonstrators converged in London on Sunday for a pro-Brexit march, led by far-right figure Tommy Robinson. The Brexit Betrayal protest was advertised as a peaceful and democratic march against Prime Minister Theresa Mays proposed deal to withdraw from the European Union, but Robinson a former leader of the English Defence League and newly-minted adviser to the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) made veiled suggestions that it could resemble the yellow vest movement which has swept across France in recent weeks in opposition to President Emmanuel Macron and seen protesters clash with police. Biggest riots in France in nearly 50 years due to anger at the corrupt political class, Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, wrote on Facebook next to a video of burning cars and clouds of tear gas in Paris. Revolution is coming, Prime Minster May should take note. Robinson has become the figurehead of Britains far right, capitalising on attacks by Muslim suspects and rape trials involving Asian men to amass over one million followers on Facebook and YouTube. He has long denied accusations of racism or Islamophobia, but has called British Muslims enemy combatants and said refugees are raping their way through the United Kingdom. A coalition of anti-racist and anti-fascist groups held a counterdemonstration. Momentum, a left-wing movement which is supportive of Jeremy Corbyn, the main opposition Labour Party leader, is among the groups that rallied against Robinson and the far-right protesters. Someone is wearing a 'Jo Cox false flag' sign at the ukip / Tommy Robinson March pic.twitter.com/FtYEGhork0 Ruairi Casey (@Ruairi_Casey) December 9, 2018 Londons Metropolitan Police imposed conditions on protesters, such as staying in designated areas, and warned of a robust arrest policy on anyone intent on violence and disorder. The marches came days ahead of Tuesdays crucial vote by parliament on Brexit, which could throw the UK into chaos. MPs from both ends of the political spectrum are expected to reject Mays proposed withdrawal agreement reached with European officials. The event began late morning, with far-right protesters chanting: We want Brexit, Oh, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy and We want the Tories out and UKIP in. As well as UKIP supporters, members of the fascist Generation Identity group were also out in force. A contingent here from Generation Identity, an international far right and more or less openly white supremacist movement pic.twitter.com/dSHOU1akuT Ruairi Casey (@Ruairi_Casey) December 9, 2018 Mary, a protester from Queens Park in north London, told Al Jazeera: Weve been betrayed by that filthy b**** May. We voted to get out the EU and out meant out. It didnt mean half in half out. Wed all live on baked beans forever more just to get out of that treacherous lot in Brussels, that is why I am here today. John, another protester who also only gave his first name, said: Brexit means Brexit, Theresa May has lied to us, totally, totally. We shouldnt accept her deal. He suggested Britain should leave the EU without a deal. At the counterdemonstration, Artin, a young Labour Party activist, said: Were here to protest Tommy Robinson and UKIP. Theyre here claiming to represent some of the 52 percent who voted to leave and thats completely not true. This is a message of unity. Regardless of whether you voted to leave or remain, we oppose Tommy Robinson. Sharon Price from Sheffield, a Socialist Worker Party member, said: Ive come here to oppose racism and fascism the first people that the Nazis put in concentration camps were social democrats and trade union leaders, and six million Jews perished. Rising far right Recent months have seen resurgent levels of far-right street action in the UK not seen in over a decade. Robinson supporters threw up Nazi salutes at a demonstration in London in July, where 12 people were arrested during clashes with police. The speakers list for Sundays rally was a whos who of the British far right and includes UKIP leader Gerard Batten, who has called Islam a death cult, and Carl Benjamin, an anti-feminist and Islamophobic commentator on YouTube, where he uses the alias Sargon of Akkad. 180811080534282 Activist Avi Yemini was flown in from Australia with funds raised by Canadian far-right news organisation Rebel Media, which has in the past employed Robinson. Yemini has previously tweeted that Islam is a barbaric ideology that has no place in western civilisation. The event was Robinsons first major demonstration since his recent release from prison. The 35-year-old was jailed in May for contempt of court, after he was found to have breached reporting restrictions on a rape trial, but was freed on appeal in August. His case is currently being considered for retrial. Robinson has a serial criminal history, having previously been jailed for assault and attempting to enter the United States on a false passport. During his imprisonment, far-right activists, some from across the world, rallied to his cause, insisting he was an innocent victim of a plot by the British government to silence him. The right-wing US think-tank Middle East Forum spent $60,000 on Robinsons legal defence and a series of demonstrations in London this summer, part of a growing international network, as documented by The Guardian newspaper, that provides him with financial and political support. Robinson was appointed by Batten as UKIPs official adviser on grooming gangs and prisons last month, circumventing the partys rules which bar former EDL members and pushing the extreme right-wing party further towards open Islamophobia. The decision prompted a slew of resignations from the party, including long-time leader Nigel Farage. The very idea of Tommy Robinson being at the centre of the Brexit debate is too awful to contemplate, Farage wrote in the Daily Telegraph. Farage is credited with having had significant influence over pushing Britons towards choosing to leave the EU and has himself been accused of Islamophobia. Government delegates say the opposing sides are holding direct negotiations for the first time in two years. Rimbo, Sweden Yemens warring sides are holding face-to-face discussions over a planned prisoner swap, one of several confidence-building measures aimed at ending more than three years of war that has ravaged the impoverished country. Since talks began last week, United Nations officials have been shuttling between delegations from President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis government and the Houthi rebels. But on Sunday, officials from the Yemeni government said despite an impasse over the port of Hodeidah, a breakthrough over the release of prisoners was about to be reached following the direct talks. This is the first face-to-face meeting between the two committees [government and Houthis] and they will now be discussing the technicalities of releasing prisoners and detainees, Hamza al-Kamali, a member of the Yemeni government delegation, told Al Jazeera. Mohammed Askar, Yemens minister for human rights, told Al Jazeera, The agreement included all detainees who were captured by the Houthis since the war erupted. One source told Al Jazeera as many as 6,000 prisoners could be exchanged in the coming months. A second source told Al Jazeera the Houthis were expected to release several high-ranking commanders within the Yemeni army, including the former minister of defence, General Mahmoud Al Subaihi, and relatives of President Hadi. Mohammed al-Amiri, a member of the delegation and an adviser to the president, said the sides were still discussing operational mechanisms that would determine the date and place of the release. Since the other side is continuing with arrests and kidnapping, the lists we submitted need to be updated continuously, he added. Stumbling blocks remain While the opposing sides appeared to be edging closer to securing a deal on prisoners, the fate of Sanaa international airport and Hodeidah port reached a stumbling block on Saturday. The Yemeni government insisted Aden would be home to the countrys main airport and the facility in Sanaa would only operate domestic flights. Sanaa airport has been under Houthi control since 2014 and has been repeatedly bombed by the coalition, with planes, the runway and the main terminal building suffering severe damage. The Yemeni government says it is prepared to operate flights in and out of Sanaa, but only if the planes are inspected in Aden or Seiyoun airport, which are under the control of a Saudi-UAE coalition at war with the rebels. The Houthis have rejected the idea with Mohammad Abdul Salam, head of the Houthi delegation, telling Al Jazeera the airport must be opened in accordance with the international standards. 181202101535422 There also appeared to be an apparent stalemate concerning the city of Hodeidah. Hodeidah port is a lifeline for humanitarian supplies entering Yemen, but restrictions by the Saudi-UAE coalition on commercial goods has exacerbated the war-torn countrys crisis, with 22 million Yemenis needing assistance. Yemens government, which claims its forces are only 3km from the port, is demanding the Houthis relinquish complete control and withdraw from the city. The Houthis have said they are prepared to hand over the port to the UN, but only if the Saudi-UAE coalition stops its air raids. Kamali, from the Yemeni government delegation, said despite the sides being at apparent loggerheads, talks on Sunday would also focus on easing the siege in Taiz. More than 200,000 civilians have been caught up by fighting in Taiz, a city some 200km south of the capital, Sanaa, that has become one of the major front lines in the battle for control of Yemen. Al Jazeera reported last month that a number of armed groups linked to al-Qaeda have taken advantage of the security vacuum in the city. If were able to achieve something positive today, we will also be looking at when to hold the next round of negotiations, Kamali added. There is a powerful faction within the US establishment that is dead set on starting a war with Iran, and they understand that continuing to back the coalition in Yemen is one way to make that happen Will Picard, Executive Director, Yemen Peace Project Full of positive news Yemens opposing sides have been meeting in the Swedish town of Rimbo, some 60km north of the capital Stockholm, since Thursday for talks aimed at discussing ways to end the fighting that has killed an estimated 56,000 people. The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said the talks are not intended to reach a political solution to the conflict, but to introduce a set of confidence-building measures that could pave the way for more comprehensive peace talks. Abdulaziz Jabari, a senior adviser to President Hadi, said after four days of consultations he expected the next two days to be full of positive news. A UN official later told Al Jazeera the second round of talks has been agreed to in principle to be held in January. International pressure to end the war has mounted since the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a leading critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in October by Saudi nationals in their consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Western powers have expressed anger over the killing and a group of bipartisan senators in the United States have been urging the Congress to limit Washingtons support for the war. However, earlier on Sunday, Timothy Lenderking, the US deputy assistant secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs, said Washington opposed discontinuing support to the Saudi-led alliance. 181130095711884 Support for the coalition is necessary. It sends a wrong message if we discontinue our support, he said at a conference in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi. Will Picard, executive director at the Yemen Peace Project, said the Trump administration was using the Iranian threat to scare Congress, and to some extent the American public, into supporting this intervention. The US administration has not blindly bought into Riyadhs narrative about an Iranian threat in Yemen; rather, it helped to create this narrative, he said. There is a powerful faction within the US establishment that is dead set on starting a war with Iran, and they understand that continuing to back the coalition in Yemen is one way to make that happen. Yemen has been wracked by a multi-sided conflict since 2014 involving local, regional and international actors. The Houthis, a group of Zaydi Shia Muslims who ruled a kingdom in northern Yemen for nearly 1,000 years, exploited widespread anger against Hadi in 2014 and toppled his government in early 2015, triggering one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened on March 26, 2015 and has carried out more than 18,000 air raids since, with weddings, medical facilities and funerals not spared from the bombardment. The talks in Sweden have come at a critical time as about 20 million Yemenis, more than two-thirds of the country, are going hungry and in urgent need of food assistance. According to recent estimates, as many as 85,000 children may have died from hunger since the beginning of the war. France and the UK criticise each other for the deaths of dozens trying to cross the English Channel. So, according to the not inimitable Chuck Todd, those of us who voted for Trump are "gullible." That we are stupid goes without saying. Trump "tricked Hillary into responding to non-issues while stupid voters took care of the rest on election day." Todd went on to say "I knew the gaslighting was out there.... but I think there was part of me in my head that assumed people were discerning it out, knew the BS from the non-BS." This from the allegedly "articulate" Chuck Todd. Clearly he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He did not major in journalism or even English -- that is obvious. He majored in political science, and never graduated. How he ended up as a news anchor on NBC is a "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." He is just another leftist ideologue posing as a journalist; like George Stephanopoulos, Chris Matthews, Tom Brokow, et. al. Ninety-five percent of those who pretend to deliver news to the American people are left-wing activists who consider it their honor and duty to tell the rest of us how to think. As Todd so freely opined at the "Recode Decode" podcast this week, they somehow failed to educate us illiterate morons who voted for Trump. Andrea Mitchell, that desiccated lefty still spouting her idiocy on MSNBC complained that millions of us still get our news from "less well-known pundits across various social media platforms." Uh, yes we do, thank you very much. We are smart enough to know mind-numbed idiots when we see, read and hear them. Ms. Mitchell (Mrs. Greenspan) is one among many to be thoroughly ignored. What is so fantastical about these people, these mainstream media self-appointed czars of information delivery, is how ignorant they are. Even Chris Wallace of "Fox News Sunday" seems to be either clueless about or uninterested in the available facts re: the crimes of the Clintons and the Obama administration. They pretend to be ignorant of the fact that Hillary and the DNC paid for the obviously fabricated "dossier" that was used to get illegitimate FISA warrants that Comey and his cohorts at the FBI and DOJ used to spy, with the hope of entrapment, on the Trump campaign. They ignore the mountains of evidence that the Obama administration broke countless laws to prevent Trump from becoming President. These leftists, so confident in their own moral superiority, believe that we are all so tragically ill-informed, that we are not familiar with these things. They think we don't know about the Clintons' greedy sale of twenty percent of U.S. uranium, with Robert Mueller's help, to Russia for millions of dollars to their not-charitable foundation. The Clintons may well be the greediest couple on the planet. Newsflash for lefties: We know all of these things and more. Obama vowed to "transform America" and indeed he did. He brought back the notion that America is a racist nation with a vengeance and he did it on purpose. Obama was a wrecking ball. He weaponized every agency and institution of American government; the FBI, DoJ, IRS, and CIA to name a few. He was and remains an agent of maelstrom. The left thrives on turmoil. If not restrained, they would transform us into the disintegrating Venezuela or the desperate Paris of today. Globalist leftists like Obama and Hillary do not care one bit for the citizens of their countries. They care only about their agenda, their plan to implement a global government of elitists who will dictate how the rest of us, if allowed, can exist. They intend to control how we live, what we drive, what we eat, how we raise our kids, how and what they will be taught in school, etc. They're smart, we're not. They know everything, we know nothing. But the fact is, we know much more than they do. Conservatives in America cannot escape the left. We are bombarded with their opinions, their agenda, all day every day. We cannot open a newspaper without being confronted with their opinions. We can't watch a sit-com, with one exception, without being assaulted with their ideology. They, on the other hand, are clueless about our values, our hopes and prayers for this country. One would have to go looking for them and they most certainly do not go looking for them. And if they come across them by chance, they dismiss them as lunacy. They do not consider them, they just dismiss them. Critical thinking is being bred out of our culture; indoctrination reigns. Parents! Do not send your kids to university! Unless they are impervious to the dictates of the academic left, the values with which you raised them will have been eradicated by the time they graduate. The American left, like the left all around the world, believes itself to be a higher order of human being. They are smarter, better, more deserving of power, better able to lead. The fact that every country they have taken over is destroyed somehow is not a deterrent to their continued quest for power. Hitler, Stalin, Ceausescu, Mao, Castro, Chavez, Maduro, to name a few, have all led their nations to ruin. Merkel and Macron are well on their way to the same destructive failures of every other socialist leader on the planet. New York's own Ocasio-Cortez cannot wait to destroy the U.S. by implementing her economically-insane version of socialism. Her election absolutely depended upon the ignorance of her constituents. They can't define socialism but they think they want it. To hear Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell, and all of their equally blinkered colleagues within the left media sermonize on the stupidity of any American who voted for Trump would be amusing if it were not so tragic. We do not have a mainstream media that loves and respects America. They loathe this nation as founded and spout their animus 24/7 on network and cable television. They scold, insult and deride those of us with whom they disagree. The women of "The View" literally hurl vitriol at anyone remotely conservative and they do it with pompous relish and obvious incomprehension. And they of course dismiss the scholarly, informed, "less well-known pundits across various social media platforms." How did we get here? The party of JFK is turning over in its grave. Democrats today revere and re-elect corrupt, politicians who have become fabulously wealthy by corrupt means: Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, to name a few of the worst offenders from California alone. The list of corrupt Democrats is very long. Trump voters wanted very much to drain the swamp. They are the smart ones, the people who love America and want to save us as the constitutional republic we were meant to be. We chose wisely. Trump is doing a bang-up job. As in Lord of the Flies, our civilization is being eroded and undermined by the very people who claim to be its honest brokers. Chuck Todd and his ilk are the lords of the flies. They claim to be guardians of civilization while undermining it each and every day. Theres a 12-part series of images circulating on the internet titled Ink Blot Test For People with Trump Derangement Syndrome which shows pictures of a dozen nondescript ink blots all of which those suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome call Russian Collusion. Thats about as close as theyll get to it, because as the Mueller investigation winds down, still with no evidence of collusion, Hillary and her friends seem to be not so lucky. The lawbreaking she (and they) evaded penalty for seems finally closer to a reckoning. Flynn, Manafort, and Cohen Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION! Muellers multimillion dollars peck, sniff, and smear operation seems to be winding down with a whimper, not a bang, despite the medias efforts to portray it otherwise. In the long-postponed sentencing recommendation respecting retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Mueller recommended little or no jail time. Typical of the TDS crowd is Norm Eisen, former Obama official, to whom (relying on his reading of the ink blot -- in this case, the redactions), the Flynn sentencing memo means that Mueller is hot on the trail of collusion: The sentencing memo and its addendum -- which recommend that Flynn receive little to no prison time -- appear to identify three matters on which Flynn helped the special counsel investigation. One is openly described: collusion. The memo states that Flynn has assisted with the investigation into any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald J. Trump. No surprise there; Flynn himself was charged primarily because he had lied to the FBI about his own contacts with Russia. The memos matter-of-fact description of Muellers collusion review, and Flynns help with it, clearly undercuts Trumps refrains of no collusion and collusion is not a crime. Those mantras have been less frequent of late, and with good reason; I have argued that both are wrong, legally and factually. The sentencing memo, in its own low-key way, signals that Mueller is taking the collusion seriously and pushing forward with it. To me (and Sara Carter, among others) it shows quite the opposite: She quotes Representative Mark Meadows and others to draw her conclusions that there was no collusion evidence Flynn could or did provide: Rep. Mark Meadows, R-NC, who has been at the forefront of Congressional investigations into the FBIs handling of the Russia probe, told this reporter late Tuesday that its whats not in Muellers recommendations that reveal they didnt have anything in the sentencing guidelines that show Flynn colluded with Russia. It took nearly two years for Robert Mueller to come to the same conclusion that President Trump got to several months after Flynn was charged -- that Flynn is a good man and didnt collude, said Meadows. Meadows noted that the term substantial cooperation is a legal phrase that is necessary to include in the sentencing recommendation in order to get a reduced sentence from the court. Its not so much used as an adjective, as it is a noun, said Meadows. Sara also reminds how weak was the claim that Flynn lied to cover up collusion ever was and how shoddy the investigation and investigators were: Flynn was interviewed by FBI Special Agents Joe Pientka and Peter Strzok on Jan. 24, 2017 about conversations he had with former Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016. According to former FBI Director James Comey, the agents did not believe Flynn was lying during their interview with him but later Mueller charged him none-the-less and eventually Flynn pled guilty in December 2017 to one count of lying. Strzok, who not only was charged with the Russia investigation into Trump, was also part of Muellers Special Counsel probe. He was eventually removed from his role in the Special Counsels Office after it was discovered he had sent thousands of anti-Trump text messages to his alleged lover FBI attorney Lisa Page, Page, who was a close confidant of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, retired from the FBI and struck a deal to testify before Congress in July. Her explosive testimony revealed that the FBI did not have any evidence as of May 2017 that anyone in the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia. McCabe was fired from the FBI for lying multiple times to investigators about his contacts with the media and leaking to the media. Strzok was fired by the FBI after an extensive investigation by the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz revealed his anti-Trump sentiments and as more information surfaced about his extensive roles in both the Clinton server and Trump Russia investigations. Horowitz is currently investigating the FBIs handling of the Trump Russia investigation but his investigation isnt expected to be concluded until next Spring. In any event, the claim was made for the benefit of idiots who do not comprehend that it is normal and necessary for transition team members to communicate with foreign leaders during that period between administrations and to further loser Hillarys effort to defeat Trump and later to undermine his presidency. Manafort This week Mueller filed a pleading, contending that Paul Manafort breached his plea agreement with the special counsel when he lied to them. Again, the pleading was full of redactions making it difficult to ascertain what the heck this is about. Perhaps the only way well find out is if Manafort contests these claims and there is a hearing where Mueller will have to prove Manaforts statements were false. All we can ascertain from the pleadings per Hans von Spakovsky is this: Mueller contends that Manafort lied about his interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik and about a $125,000 wire transfer to a firm working for Manafort; information pertinent to another Department of Justice investigation; and Manaforts contact with Administration officials. There is some reason to believe the non-cooperation claim relates to his dealings with the Podesta Group, the lobbying outfit founded by Clinton campaign manager and longtime confidant John Podesta and his brother Tony, which was deeply involved in the Ukraine business (including the Uranium One sale) about which Manafort was charged. Cohen Paul Sperry tweeted after the sentence recommendation for Michael Cohen: Special Counsel Mueller finally acknowledges the presidents personal lawyer never actually made contact with Putin or even Putins press secretary in the defunct Moscow real estate project. Spakovsky scans the pleading and offers up several observations, among them these: [The memo] throws doubt on the idea that Cohen has secretly provided some kind of undisclosed information or evidence to the special counsel that bears on what is supposed to be the focus of Muellers investigation: whether there was any unlawful collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials to change the outcome of the 2016 election. [snip] Yet it cannot be emphasized enough that once again, as with prior documents filed by the Justice Department and the special counsel dealing with other defendants, there is no information in Cohens sentencing memorandum about the issue of possible Trump-Russia election collusion. [snip] What comes next? We simply dont know, because Mueller has not lifted the curtain hiding much of his activities. But as of now, from what we know on the public record, Mueller has failed to prove the Trump-Russia collusion that he was appointed to investigate 19 months ago. Hillary It appears we are not the only people furious at the way the Department of State and Department of Justice have covered up for Hillary Clintons patent abuse of her private emails for official business, creating security breaches and evading the requirements of accountability through the Freedom of Information Acts procedures. This week the wonderful Judicial Watch outfit persuaded a U.S. District Court Judge that it was time to bring down the hammer on this wrongdoing. The case began in 2014 in a suit by Judicial Watch to obtain Hillarys Benghazi-related emails. These agencies responded with a deficient search to effect a settlement. Ruling these agencies conduct Smacks of outrageous misconduct and collusion to hoodwink and to "skirt scrutiny" of Hillary he ordered them to reopen a portion of their email inquiry. He said -- and we certainly agree -- that Hillarys use of her private email server was one of the gravest modern offenses to government transparency But there was more trouble for Hillary and Bill on the horizon. Representative Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) revealed that three people have come forward to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations with hundreds of pages of evidence evincing potential wrongdoing -- including pay to play and allegations of quid-pro-quo promises to Clinton Foundation donors. Donations to the Clinton Foundations have dropped off substantially since Hillary lost the election and had no favors to grant. There was a 58 percent drop from the $62.9 million it received the previous year. Indeed, the Clinton road show is having such difficulty selling tickets that they are practically giving them away on Groupon and yet the venues they chose have been very sparsely attended. In the meantime, prosecutors working for U.S. attorney John Huber (designated by former Attorney General Sessions to investigate the foundation) reportedly requested documents from MDA Analytics, LLC, which had been investigating the Foundation, and MDA contacted the IRS, the Justice Department and the FBI with evidence it had uncovered. In addition, The Hill reported that a whistleblower submission filed with the FBI and IRS in August 2017 included internal legal reviews that the Clinton Foundation conducted between 2008 and 2011. Those reviews raised concerns about legal compliance and improper mingling of personal and charity business. According to the Hill report, MDA investigators met with Clinton Foundation CFO Andrew Kessel in late November 2016. During the meeting, Kessel said that one of the biggest problems was [former President Bill] Clintons commingling and use of business and donated funds and his personal expenses. A separate interview memo stated that Bill Clinton mixes and matches his personal business with that of the foundation. Many people within the foundation have tried to caution him about this but he does not listen, and there really is no talking to him. Stormy Daniels Several TDS sufferers set up Go Fund Me sites to help Stormy Daniels file a defamation suit against the president. She lost that case, and now Trump is seeking $800,000 in legal fees and expenses from her. So the contributors to this nonsense are likely to end up paying Trump for her court loss. Daniels lawyer Michael Avenatti also appears to be busted, this time by his estranged wife, and this week announced hes dropping his plan to run for president. Mecca. The Holy Land. Sacred ground. I feel sacrilegious for invoking such numinous phrases, but its hard to think of a better personal metaphor for the Strand, New York Citys iconic bookstore located in Greenwich Village. Visiting the store is its own pilgrimage for any starved bibliophile. In a world of Amazon shipping and the $.01 paperback, Strand is an oasis, offering a rarified shopping experience that slakes our need for spontaneity through the adventitious wandering of stacks. The atmosphere begs for browsing books, both old and new. Its anonymous and crowded, like a self-contained city. Photo crdit: Brianne Sperber And, as everything else in our harried age, its in danger of going under; but, thankfully, not for lack of business. Rather, its meddlesome government regulators who are threatening the Strands financial viability. The citys Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering whether or not to designate the Strand a city landmark, protecting the store from financial marauders who want to scoop up its valuable real estate. But, in a bit of Shakespearean irony, the iconic bookstore is threatened by those charged with its preservation. Strands current owner, Nancy Bass Wyden, wife of Oregon senator Ron Wyden, is not letting her liberalism balance the books. By landmarking the Strand, you can also destroy a piece of New York history. Were operating on very thin margins here, and this would just cost us a lot more, with this landmarking, and be a lot more hassle, Wyden told the Commission during a public hearing. Wyden also took a shot at Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, owner of the great scourge of brick-and-mortar bookstores everywhere. The richest man in America, whos a direct competitor, has just been handed $3 billion in subsidies. Im not asking for money or a tax rebate, she explained, appealing not to the Commissions egalitarian instincts, but to the principle of privacy. Just leave me alone, Wyden beseeched her would-be viceroys. Her reluctance to accept preservation status must have come as a surprise to the Commission, which has the closest thing to god-like power of establishing permanence this side of heaven and Fifth Avenue. Making the Strand a historical landmark would prevent it from becoming a yoga studios for toy dogs, a craft cidery, or some other inane commercial activity exclusive to our time. Wydens desire to keep Strand not just a business but the business her father and grandfather worked painstakingly to create, and not just sell it off to Barnes & Noble or cede the reins to NYCs historical designators, is admirable. Its also revealing: As liberal as Wyden presumably is, shes been mugged by reality, in the great Kristolian phrase. Accepting the governments protection means accepting the governments terms, which would interfere with her ability to keep Strand financially viable. The much-coveted preservation status suddenly doesnt sound so appealing. Its all so pregnant with irony because Wyden is adopting the ethos of an author Id bet a stack of Dickens first editions she finds detestable: Ayn Rand. The libertarian philosopher wrote two popular (and mind-numbing, depending on your tastes) novels about industrialists standing up to onerous government decrees and fighting for the right to operate their businesses as they please. The way Wyden talks, youd think she was Dagny Taggart in the flesh, incarnated from the dusty pages of a much-used copy of Atlas Shrugged, sitting lonely on one of Strands discount tables, battling it out with cruel and conniving state functionaries to preserve her family enterprise. It should go without saying that, in this particular case, Wyden, not Empire City bureaucrats, is best suited to know how to preserve the Strand. City-designated historical landmarks arent a bad thing. Sometimes, they can make the difference between a historically significant building being razed to put in a mini Target and boutique hair salon. Strand is different. Its not a centuries-old house that George Washington once slept in overnight. Its a bookstore that has, remarkably, outlasted its competitors in the most commercially demanding city in the country. More so, its in the business of selling literature, a good that doesnt go out of season nor will ever be surpassed by technological improvement. (E-readers, Im not sorry to say, dont hold a candle or artificial light to the haptic experience of turning sallow, grainy pages in an actual book.) If the Landmarks Preservation Commission really wants to save the Strand, its best letting that job stay with the one person most capable of doing it: Mrs. Wyden. Owners of other preservation-worthy locales in the city should take note. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said on Sunday the 40 airports under its management is all set for the passenger influx this holiday season. Starting today until Jan. 5, 2019, CAAP will implement a heightened alert in all the airports as it expects an increase in the number of passengers. This means additional security personnel will be deployed, CAAP said, adding that it has already coordinated with airlines to ensure smooth operations, especially at the check-in counters. Passengers are advised not to bring prohibited items at the airport to avoid hassle and delays during screening and check-in procedures. The Philippines has welcomed a total of 6,342,610 international and domestic passengers in 2017. More than half of these passengers used the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.Manila International Airport Authority media affairs division head Jess Martinez said there has been a steady increase in the volume of passengers at NAIA every Christmas season. At least 3,787,648 international and domestic passengers used the NAIA in December 2017. The total is 6 percent higher compared with the 3,570,966 passengers that used NAIA in December 2016. Data also showed that international arrivals at NAIA in 2017 were 10 percent higher than in 2016 while the volume of international departures was 7 percent higher at 851,576 than the same period in 2016. The Trump administration is set to announce soon that Iran is not in compliance with the international prohibitions on the manufacture of chemical weapons, marking a significant departure from that of the Obama administration, which refrained from making such a declaration amid efforts to solidify the landmark nuclear agreement. Trumps strategy is very clear. He is trying to cut the regime off from the income that it uses to fund terrorist groups and activities across the region. He and many members of his administration have been very outspoken and clear about their opinions on what they describe as the biggest threat to peace and security in the region. Despite Irans signature to the Chemical Weapons Convention, U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Iran maintains a chemical arsenal that probably includes blister agents, blood and choking agents, and possibly nerve agents. Speaking at the fourth annual meeting of the intergovernmental organization in The Hague, Washington was concerned that Iran is developing central nervous systemacting chemicals for offensive military purposes. Citing Irans violations of the treaty, U.S. Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Kenneth Ward, gave three examples of Iranian malign activities. According to the U.S. ambassador, Iran failed to declare its capability to fill weapons with chemicals, didnt announce the transfer of chemical-filled shells to Libya in the 1980s, and markets a notorious chemical weapon known as CR gas as a riot control agent at defense expos. According to the Washington Post, in 2011, U.S. officials said that chemical munitions uncovered the same year by rebels in Libya appeared to have originated from Iran. Following a newand actually not so newaccusation, the Iranian regimes president, Hassan Rouhani, and his foreign minister, Javad Zarif, hurried to cover up the mess. Two weeks earlier, Jahan-e Sanat newspaper complained about the new U.S. administration, remembering the Obama administration nostalgically: By declaring Iran non-compliant with chemical weapons treaties, the Trump administration wants to demonstrate a clear turn from Obama administration, which refrained from issuing such declarations while trying to reach the 2018 nuclear deal. Bahram Qasemi, Iranian spokesperson for the foreign ministry denied U.S. allegations and said: The reason for such claims is animosity towards the Iranian people. Meanwhile, in a tweet, Zarif considered U.S. accusation against the Iranian regime dangerous. Up until recently, the Iranian regime had a lot of visible and invisible support, and some Western countries even ignored Tehrans terrorist attacks on their own soil in exchange for lucrative trade deals and cheap oil. EU continues its Policy by Getting around sanctions. EU planned to implement a payment mechanism - a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - that will enable these companies to avoid the US financial system. But since the new administration took office in the U.S., as hard as Irans lobby in the West tries and as cheap as the regime itself sells Iranian interests abroad and in the region, one would have a hard time to find a country which offers more than rhetoric to support the ruling mullahs in Iran. "But the issue is that most of Iran's biggest trading partners do and that affects their readiness to put at risk their access to the United States to do business with Iran," says Richard Nephew, a sanctions expert and senior researcher at Columbia University. "We do not intend to allow our sanctions to be evaded by Europe or anybody else," National Security Adviser John Bolton said last week. However, unfortunately, this policy is widely witnessed today in Europe. This is a mistake and all walks of life in Iranian society, especially the workers and farmers and even Europes security will be paying the price. In the meantime, the domestic upheaval has been escalated from mid-December of 2017 In Iran, despite harsh security measure by the authorities, strikes, and protests of farmers, workers, students, looted people in Iran continued. People from all walks of like took to the streets in various cities of Iran on Tuesday Nov.27, 2018, protesting the regimes policies and demanding their rights. They shouted "Life, security and health are our right, See this video. During the recent protests, the Iranian regimes security forces arrested at least 20 workers. The regime was later forced to release most of them because of the continuation of the protests and the growing wave of solidarity across Iran. Which highlights that international pressure on the mullahs is good. Iran's beleaguered people can only hope that it will continue, because the mullahs cannot ignore this pressure forever. Zoning neighborhoods for single family houses now is being held to be racist. A politically diverse group, of race- and equality-obsessed leftists combined with freedom-loving libertarians, is heralding a radical change in zoning for the entire city of Minneapolis. I beg to dissent. Basically, a city that has mostly been zoned for single-family houses will become a city characterized by three-family houses and larger apartment buildings. Photo credit Ron Reiring Notice that outside of the downtown built-up district, you see a sea of tree-tops, reflecting the leafy neighborhoods of single family homes that predominate, but which now will come to host apartments and multiple family dwellings. Ilya Somin, writing in Reason Magazines Volokh Conspiracy, hails the formal adoption of Minneapolis 2040, which he calls a major blow for both property rights and affordable housing by enacting the most extensive reduction in zoning restrictions adopted by any major US city for a long time. He cites Henry Grabar of Slate summarizing the change: Minneapolis will become the first major U.S. city to end single-family home zoning, a policy that has done as much as any to entrench segregation, high housing costs, and sprawl as the American urban paradigm over the past century. On Friday, the City Council passed Minneapolis 2040, a comprehensive plan to permit three-family homes in the city's residential neighborhoods, abolish parking minimums for all new construction, and allow high-density buildings along transit corridors. "Large swaths of our city are exclusively zoned for single-family homes, so unless you have the ability to build a very large home on a very large lot, you can't live in the neighborhood," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told me this week. Single-family home zoning was devised as a legal way to keep black Americans and other minorities from moving into certain neighborhoods, and it still functions as an effective barrier today. Abolishing restrictive zoning, the mayor said, was part of a general consensus that the city ought to begin to mend the damage wrought in pursuit of segregation. Human diversitywhich nearly everyone in this staunchly liberal city would say is a good thingonly goes as far as the housing stock... A lot of research has been done on the history that's led us to this point," said Cam Gordon, a city councilman who represents the Second Ward, which includes the University of Minnesota's flagship campus. "That history helped people realize that the way the city is set up right now is based on this government-endorsed and sanctioned racist system." Blaming single family housing zoning on segregation impulses is ridiculous in Minneapolis, a city that had less than one or two percent of its population black until the State Department decided to resettle Somali refugees in Minnesota because of the high level of social services. This statement Somin quotes is not convincing: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey notes that "Minneapolis has a long history going back 100 years of redlining and intentional segregation. We literally have maps at the city that identify north Minneapolis as a slum for blacks and Jews." Exactly who made that designation on a map? Was it handwritten? My father grew up in that North Minneapolis neighborhood so identified, and lived on a street that had nothing but single family houses. The neighborhood was not some designated high density housing area. The article states that 75% of Minneapolis consists of neighborhoods limited to single family houses, meaning that the basic character of the city is to change, making it far denser in population, and probably meaning tenants will replace property owners as the dominant group of residents. Yes, zoning is regulation, and yes, it can impose costs. But it also permits the existence of desirable characteristics in specific areas. People get to choose from a variety of neighborhoods. I grew up in one of those leafy Minneapolis neighborhoods whose tree-lined streets were filled with single family houses. Later on, I started living in Cambridge, and then Somerville, Massachusetts, cities that were characterized by three-family houses (a style dubbed triple-deckers) and suddenly discovered that parking a car could be a challenge, and that fires were a greater hazard in densely populated neighborhoods. Advantages included a shorter walk to a convenience store or bus line, but disadvantages were noise, parking, transient residents (including me at the time I was a student), and the loss of greenery, sunlight, and physical beauty. This will drive out to the suburbs families who want their own detached home, while the city will become home to more poor people. Its funny how people that claim to champion diversity dont seem to want to have a diversity of neighborhoods including those characterized by single family homes. Sooner or later, people wanting to live in Minneapolis won't be able to find such neighborhoods. One of the most prominent American organizations opposed to climate alarmism and a legendary Polish union that helped bring down the iron curtain issued a joint statement calling for the restoration of the Scientific Method and the dismissal of ideological dogma at the United Nations. The Heartland Institute joined with Solidarity to issue a communique at the UN's COP24 climate conference in Katowice Poland. The joint statement, created at Solidaritys prompting and written cooperatively between the two organizations on December 5, was submitted to the UN Conference of the Parties climate conference in Katowice today. The Silesian Region of Solidarity, the Secretariat of Mining and Energy of Solidarity, and The Heartland Institute express skepticism of the assertions of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the world stands at the edge of a climate catastrophe, said the statement. Solidarity and The Heartland Institute together stress that there is no scientific consensus on the main causes and consequences of climate change. The joint statement was signed by Jaroslaw Grzesik, Chairman of Secretariat, Mining and Energy of Solidarity; Dominik Kolorz, president of the Silesian Region of Solidarity; and Heartland Institute Senior Fellow for Environment and Energy Policy James Taylor, who represented the organization. The communique also stated that The Heartland Institute a U.S.-based free-market think tank known globally for its work on scientifically opposing climate alarmism and Solidarity would begin working together more closely to advance sound, science-based public policy. It's fair to ask how much impact this statement, and the alliance it represents, will have on the climate change debate. Lately, we've been inundated with alarmist claims that unless drastic action is taken now, we are all doomed. The media has dutifully - and ignorantly - passed along these warnings as if they represent a universal scientific viewpoint on the dangers we face. Anyone who disagrees with these fantastical claims of looming disaster is dismissed as 1) a tool of the fossile fuel companies; 2) conspiracy mongers; or 3) climate change deniers. None of those are true about Heartland. For the last two decades, Heartland has sponsored numerous studies and supported dozens of scientists who have pushed back against the major claims of climate alarmists. They are not "deniers" in the sense that they totally oppose the notion of global warming. Some skeptics accept the evidence that the earth is warming, although how much and why is fiercely debated. What unites these scientists is their opposition to the "sky is falling" lobby and their call for more careful study of the problem before drastic action that would ruin the economies of most western countries is taken. To unite with Solidarity in opposing this alarmism gives Heartland a greater international presence, which can only benefit the debate and strengthen opposition to the radicals. This is not an illegal trade, except in the states of Georgia, Tennessee and New York, but I find it morally and ethically repulsive to the max. Human bones can be purchased online at a site called The Bone Room: Real Human Bones From full human skeletons to single human bones, and everything in between. If you're in the market for any human bone other than just a skull, you'll find your fancy right here. And vendors on Amazon Marketplace are selling what is labeled as real human bones. Except for medical students and the like, this could lead to a grotesque internet hobby, with teenage kids and people with serious sadistic psychopathology collecting them. All legitimate uses could be fulfilled either medically and professionally, or via composite copies, or even beef bone composites. Jewish law, and I assume other religious laws, would generally reject this trade as deeply unethical. I believe in free trade, but not for human corpses. The whole disgusting trade in human fetuses by Planned Parenthood is a major violation of humane ethics. (Fetuses are certainly conscious in the third trimester and even earlier, and they would feel pain, despair and panic). I am certainly re-thinking buying from Amazon for this. A web petition might make them change their minds. The other issue is the origin of the human corpse parts. India, China and North Korea are plausible sources, and in the case of China and North Korea, these could be the bodies of executed criminals. In India it might be poor street people. I believe that medical schools would normally check the sources, if possible. They could even perform DNA tests for ethnic heritage, for example. Ethically they should certainly know the sources. Judging by the buyers' reviews, these human corpse parts are treated without regard to their origins. They are decorative items, or show-off items, and quite possibly of interest to people who have sadistic pathologies. On the plus side, teenage school shooters might be interested, and give away their fantasy lives. But apparently teachers and school counselors might be afraid to act. Image credit: Pixabay Chicagos pension obligations are a time bomb nearing explosion. Taxes already have been increased, but far steeper hikes will be necessary, worrying city council members. Imagine yourself a Chicago homeowner receiving a property tax bill that has risen by middle double digits, knowing that the pension funds are going to have to replace $54 million that was lost in deal handed to insiders who lost money while collecting $9 million in developers fees. Would it be any comfort to know that the two principals in the deal were former Mayor Richard M. Daleys nephew and a politically connected developer that was Barack Obamas boss when the Harvard Law graduate entering Chicago political life. The Chicago Sun-Times reports on the scandal, minus the Obama connection of one of the principals. If there ever was any hope that five Chicago city workers pension funds would make any money by investing $68 million with then-Mayor Richard M. Daleys nephew and one of his key political supporters, it didnt last long. Only months after the deals were made a dozen years ago, problems began to emerge. The nephew, Robert G. Vanecko, and his business partner Allison S. Davis, a developer who gave campaign money to Daley and was appointed by the mayor to head the Chicago Plan Commission, started investing in a series of property deals that, by the time the last of them are unwound by the end of December, will have cost the city workers pension funds 80 percent of the $68 million they put in $54 million in all. Vanecko and Davis set up a company, DV Urban Realty Partners, and bought an apartment building that was riddled with code violations. They invested in a vacant building that once housed the Chicago Defender, even as City Hall inspectors threatened to tear it down unless repairs were made. They put city employees pension money into an old warehouse that sat on land so poisoned with arsenic and lead that the pension funds had to help pay $2.6 million for cleanup just to be able to unload it at a huge loss. Allison Davis is not merely a political donor. That name has appeared many times in AT. For instance: In 1993, Barack Obama joined a Chicago law firm that specialized in helping develop low-income housing. In time, the job would bring him political support from slum landlords who make Clinton's shady Arkansas associates look like teenage shoplifters. Obama's connections with public housing developers and property managers have been investigated in depth by a cadre of reporters from the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun Times. The major TV networks and national print media, particularly the New York Times and Washington Post, have ignored their findings. Once the media declared the Tony Rezko story over when he was convicted in federal court, the national media's attention turned away from Chicago. Here's just part of the story they've missed. Obama Joins The Law Firm of Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland Barack Obama was a law student at Harvard in 1990 when Rezko's low-income housing development company offered him a job. He declined. Two years later he returned to Chicago to work on a voter registration drive while he figured out what to do next. Next came in 1993 when he joined a law firm that represented subsidized housing developers eager to tap into government funds available to reconstruct public housing. Mayor Richard M. Daley planned to tear down Chicago's old, dilapidated public housing stock and build new units. It promised government housing renovation on a massive scale. At Davis Miner Barnhill & Galland, Allison Davis was Obama's boss and tutor in the legalities of government subsidized housing. A generation older than Obama, Davis grew up in Hyde Park, home of the University of Chicago, where his father was the school's first African-American professor. After a stint in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in West Africa, he returned to Chicago to become active in the civil rights movement as an attorney in the Metropolitan Housing and Planning Council. In those years, Davis was a reformed-minded lawyer often at odds with Mayor Richard J. Daley, Richard the 1st. In 1971, Davis opened a small law firm that would include Carol Moseley-Braun, who became a one-term U.S. Senator from Illinois. Years later, Davis would serve on the finance committee of another former employee running for the U.S. Senate, Barack Obama, along with Tony Rezko and Valerie Jarrett. Obama worked at the firm from 1993 until he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Hey, its the Chicago Way. source Recall that Barack Obama moved to the Windy City because he was attracted to its political possibilities. Money is the mothers milk not just of politics, but of terrorism as well. But moving millions of dollars across national boundaries to a terror group like Hezballah tends to leave a paper trail, which is why law enforcement agencies trying to stop terrorism focus on financial evidence. One of many scandals that marred the Obama administration is the obstruction of a major anti-terror financing investigation called Project Cassandra. Via Politico: In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was funneling cocaine into the United States, according to a POLITICO investigation. The campaign, dubbed Project Cassandra, was launched in 2008 after the Drug Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities. Over the next eight years, agents working out of a top-secret DEA facility in Chantilly, Virginia, used wiretaps, undercover operations and informants to map Hezbollahs illicit networks, with the help of 30 U.S. and foreign security agencies. They followed cocaine shipments, some from Latin America to West Africa and on to Europe and the Middle East, and others through Venezuela and Mexico to the United States. They tracked the river of dirty cash as it was laundered by, among other tactics, buying American used cars and shipping them to Africa. And with the help of some key cooperating witnesses, the agents traced the conspiracy, they believed, to the innermost circle of Hezbollah and its state sponsors in Iran. They were accomplishing a lot to prevent crime at home and terror abroad. Until: But as Project Cassandra reached higher into the hierarchy of the conspiracy, Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way, according to interviews with dozens of participants who in many cases spoke for the first time about events shrouded in secrecy, and a review of government documents and court records. When Project Cassandra leaders sought approval for some significant investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, officials at the Justice and Treasury departments delayed, hindered or rejected their requests. But those roadblocks disappeared under President Trump. Thats why this announcement from the DoJ was released Thursday: Kassim Tajideen, the operator of a network of businesses in Lebanon and Africa whom the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated as an important financial supporter to the Hezbollah terror organization, pleaded guilty today to charges associated with evading U.S. sanctions imposed on him. The announcement was made by Acting Attorney General Matthew G. Whitaker (snip) Tajideen, 63, of Beirut, Lebanon, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie B. Walton in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in furtherance of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Tajideen was designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in May 2009 as a result of his provision of significant financial support to Hezbollah, which was named a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State. This designation prohibited Tajideen from being involved in, or benefiting from transactions, involving U.S. persons or companies without a license from the Department of the Treasury. This Department of Justice has put a target on Hezbollah, Acting Attorney General Whitaker said. (snip) According to the statement of facts signed by Tajideen in conjunction with his plea, after his designation, Tajideen conspired with at least five other persons to conduct over $50 million in transactions with U.S. businesses that violated these prohibitions. In addition, Tajideen and his co-conspirators knowingly engaged in transactions outside of the United States, which involved transmissions of as much as $1 billion through the United States financial system from places outside the United States. [emphases added] Were Obama still in office, this would not have happened. More than 5,000 yellow vest rioters in Paris faced off against 8,000 police as violent demonstrations broke out for the fourth straight weekend. More than 1700 were arrested and hundreds were injured as some of the richest sections of downtown Paris were once again the targets of protesters. The media/government narrative that the protests were about a fuel tax hike fell apart on Saturday as the violence continued despite the government's rescinding of the fuel tax increase. If anything, the protests were bigger. DW.com French authorities said on Sunday they had arrested more than 1,700 people amid nationwide "yellow vest" anti-government protests the day before that caused widespread damage, particularly in the capital, Paris. The Interior Ministry said a total of 1,220 of those arrested had been retained in custody. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said 135 people were injured in the Paris protests, after demonstrators clashed with tear-gas-wielding police. He estimated the number of protesters at 10,000 in Paris and 125,000 across the country. Local media put the number of injured higher, at 264, including 39 security personnel. Some 89,000 police were deployed. In Paris, cars were set on fire and store windows smashed, causing damage that city authorities said was much greater than that during similar protests on December 1. "The sector affected by the incidents was much larger ... With fewer barricades, there was much more dispersion, so many more places were impacted by violence," Paris' deputy mayor, Emmanuel Gregoire, told France Inter radio. Clean-up operations on Sunday were complicated by fierce winds and rain that hit the capital overnight. Two major landmarks, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum, reopened after being shuttered the day before amid the protests. Violent protesters targeting national symbols is very, very bad news for France. It would be like ordinary Americans attacking the Washington Monument or Lincoln Memorial. France is sick and the government hasn't a clue how to effect a cure. Meanwhile, the "fuel tax" protests spread to two other nations where the fuel tax is not an issue: Belgium and Netherlands Associated Press: The reasons for the protests are not entirely clear. Neither Belgium nor the Netherlands has proposed a hike in fuel tax the catalyst for the massive and destructive demonstrations in France in recent weeks. Instead, protesters appeared to hail at least in part from a populist movement that is angry at government policy in general and what it sees as the widening gulf between mainstream politicians and the voters who put them in power. Some in Belgium appeared intent only on confronting police. Maybe this will give the media a clue: In the Dutch city of Rotterdam, a few hundred protesters in the high-visibility vests that have become a symbol of the movement walked peacefully across the downtown Erasmus Bridge singing a song about the Netherlands and handing flowers to passers-by. Sisters Beb and Ieneke Lambermont, aged 76 and 67 respectively, were among them. Our children are hard-working people but they have to pay taxes everywhere. You cant get housing anymore. It is not going well in Dutch society, Ieneke said. The social welfare net we grew up with is gone, she said. The government is not there for the people. It is there to protect its own interests, she said. Is there a warning for America in these sentiments? I think so. Since 2010, the parties have alternated between victory and defeat with the GOP winning in 2010, 2014, and 2016 while Democrats won in 2012 and 2018. Voters are searching for answers that the politicians aren't giving them. The frustration level is building and there is no consensus - no middle ground to find. It is either total victory or nothing. Americans are generally slow to anger but one can sense a palpable unease in most of the country, from urban centers to the heartland. Meanwhile, government continues to grow and with the Democrats now in charge of the House, it is only going to get bigger. Will the next economic downturn see Americans from both parties taking to the streets? I wouldn't rule it out at all. The South African parliament approved a motion that would set up an ad-hoc committee to recommend procedures on how land expropriation without compensation would work. Earlier, the parliament had approved the constitutional changes that would give the government power to take land from white farmers without paying for it. IOL: The motion was adopted with 183 votes in favour and 77 against. There were no abstentions. Opposition parties had objected vehemently, with the Freedom Front Plus's Anton Alberts reiterating the party's threat that land expropriation would lead to instability. "When the blood flows it will be on your hands," Alberts said in the direction of the ANC benches. The Congress of the People's Deirdre Carter urged voters to go to the polls to "stop the ANC, stop the EFF, the only way you can do it". Themba Godi, from the African People's Convention, backed the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters' support for the motion and an amendment, saying those who opposed land reform were, in fact, supporting the oppression of African people. "Land must be nationalised and socialised for the benefit of the people, especially the working class and women .... those who oppose want the perpetuation of wrongs of past." Tell me if you think this expropriation scheme is going to go peacefully: Star: But there were heated scenes in the House when politicians clashed over the plans. According to local reports, Economic Freedom Fighters MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi argued land grabs must go ahead as she declared: Your time is up, white people. This came as the IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the plans undermine South Africas position as a democratic state. According to the Daily Maverick, he said: To achieve real and effective land reform is (possible) under the existing Constitution, not your (ANC) populist agenda. You should be ashamed of yourself. However, the ruling ANCs Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu dismissed the controversy, saying land reforms are the right thing to do. It is believed that when South Africas Constitution is amended, it could be done by inserting into Section 25 the phrase: Zero compensation may be regarded as just and equitable. Up is down, black is white, and taking someone's land without compensation is "just and equitable." Orwell would be proud. More of the same came last October when the ANC solumnly promised to protect "property rights": The South African ruling partys plans on land reform, which include expropriating land without compensation in certain circumstances, will ensure that property rights are safeguarded, its spokesman on the issue said. This is not going to diminish or wipe out property rights, Ronald Lamola, a member of the African National Congresss National Executive Committee, said on Bloomberg TV Wednesday. Weve been very clear that we dont want to hurt confidence or collapse the economy, he said. The "certain circumstances" Bloomberg mentions are just about anything the ANC says they will be. And it is laughable that property rights mean anything when government can seize land from anyone and not pay for it. The ANC can couch their land grab any way they wish, it still comes out the same; an invitation to black South Africans to kill what the government won't give them. WASHINGTONUS President Donald Trump on Saturday again denied that his campaign colluded with Russian operatives, but made no comment on claims that he directly organized hush payments to ward off a possible sex scandal during his White House run. Trump took to Twitter, his favorite means of communication, to address the multiple court filings that dropped on Friday in connection with special counsel Robert Muellers sweeping investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION! the president said. Later, he told reporters: We are happy with what we are reading. There was no collusion whatsoever. There never has been. The last thing I want is help from Russia on a campaign. While the filings indeed did not appear to reveal evidence of collusion, they did offer a wealth of new information about what Muellers team is looking into, along with other federal prosecutors in New York. Prosecutors directly implicated Trump in efforts to buy the silence of two women who claimed they had affairs with him, saying he directed his then-attorney Michael Cohen to offer them hush money. With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election, the New York prosecutors said. In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1, they added, referring to Trump. The payments are technically unrelated to the Russia probe, but prosecutors painted a damning picture of the extensive, deliberate, and serious criminal conduct of Cohenonce a member of Trumps inner circle of trusted aides. In August, the 52-year-old Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law in connection with the payments. Cohen deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election, prosecutors said. In a separate sentencing memo, Mueller said that Cohen was in contact with a Russian national as far back as November 2015 who offered synergy on a government level. That was months before Trump formally won the presidential nomination and well before previously reported contacts. The Russian national claimed to have ties to the Kremlin and repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The individual said the meeting could have a phenomenal impact not only in political but in a business dimension as well, but Cohen never followed up, Mueller said.That combination of political and business interests could spell trouble for Trump, whose real estate empire was seeking to build a signature tower in Moscow as late as mid-2016 in the midst of his White House bid. Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Moscow real estate project. Recent filings in the Mueller probe have suggested the White House knew that Cohen planned to lie to lawmakers about his contacts with Russians. Due to his relevant and substantial help, Mueller declined to recommend additional jail time, but Cohen is still expected to face four to five years behind bars. Also on Friday, new twists and turns emerged in the case against Trumps onetime campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was convicted in August of financial fraud and witness tampering charges and pleaded guilty to a second set of charges a month later. Prosecutors accused Manafort of multiple lies to investigators: about his contacts with administration officials even after striking a plea deal; about a debt payment; and about his interaction with a suspected Russian intelligence officer. The breach of the plea deal could lead to a stiffer jail sentence than the 10 years originally envisaged for the 69-year-old veteran Republican consultant. Manafort has been convicted mostly on charges related to his work for pro-Moscow politicians in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014. But he has also been investigated for his possible role in alleged campaign collusion with Russia. Mueller has been inching ever closer to the White House, and on Friday, Trump fired off a volley of tweets against a probe he dubs a witch hunt, accusing Mueller of big time conflicts of interest and alleging he coerced false testimony from witnesses. For Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, a former federal prosecutor, Trump is in legal jeopardy. The pieces of the mosaic or the puzzle are coming into place, and the walls are closing in on Donald Trump, and his inner circle, including his family, Blumenthal said. I believe he could be indicted and the trial could be postponed until after he finishes service. Our View: As far as casino partnership goes, it seems that morals and philosophy might be as important as profitability This outlook, along with the challenges and investment landscape in aviation will be the core objective of the Global Investment in Aviation Summit 2019 which is going to be held between January 27-29, 2019 at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City. GIAS 2019 is an initiative of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which was established to create a leading, safe, secure and sustainable civil aviation system in the country. According to a report published by the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), global aviation will have to cater to over 14 trillion passenger traffic and 466 billion tonnes of freight traffic by 2034. This projection will show an increase of 14.5% RPK and 4.2% FTK, per annum respectively. The projected growth in global aviation industry will generate at least 99 million jobs and will contribute USD 5.9 trillion in GDP, a 122% increase from 2014, according to the same IATA report. However, the positive outlook in the industry comes with big challenges. To achieve this growth, large amount of investment must flow to modernise and expand the quality of aviation infrastructure over a long period. Investments must focus on the improvement of passenger and freight capacity, generating gains such as reduction in travel time and improvement of service predictability and reliability, and maintaining public confidence that aviation is safe, secure, and environmentally responsible. IATA report includes challenges in regional aviation industry. In Africa, access to funds and service financing is needed to modernise or expand their airports, runways, telecommunication equipment, air cargo warehousing, and meteorology facilities. Inflow of investment must be sufficient to accommodate the long-term projection of 3.8% passenger traffic and 2.1% freight traffic per year up to 2032. Fast rising demand for air traffic in Asia and The Pacific will reach 30% in 2030. Projected investment of USD 6.51 billion per year till 2020 will be needed to avoid capacity constraints in 22 busiest airports in the sub-region in anticipation of the high expected growth of air passenger and freight demands. Europe may also face capacity shortfalls as passenger traffic growth will reach 3% and freight traffic will reach 2.6% per year until 2032. When addressed with adequate investment, Europe aviation industry will attract further more investors for higher return on investment. Investments on infrastructure will be needed by Latin America and The Caribbean to accommodate the projected 3.5% increase in air passengers and 2.9% increase in freight annually until 2032. Investment on pilot training will also be required to increase the capacity of the sub-region in training 1,945 pilots a year to the needed 6,250 pilots a year till 2030. In the Middle East, the second fastest growing aviation industry after Asia and The Pacific, will pose an annual passenger increase of 5.2% and freight demand of 7.1% annually until 2032. In terms of pilot training, an investment is needed to finance training of 2,458 pilots a year from the current capacity of 860 pilots trained a year. UAE, home to the largest fleet and busiest airport in the region, is investing substantially in upgrading the aviation infrastructure. HE Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, said: Aviation has been an important part of UAEs economic growth. One of the nations vigorous strength is its rapidly expanding infrastructure, with spending of USD23.16 billion including USD8 billion for expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, USD7.6 billion for Phase IV development of Dubai International Airport, and USD 6.8 billion for expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport. Collectively, UAE increases its fleet per month by approximately 4-5% and the total number of aircraft will reach to 525 aircraft by end of 2018, increasing its capacity to cater to underserved routes and reach two-thirds of the worlds population. GIAS 2019 recognises the imperative need for aviation investment in every region. The summit, dubbed as aviation marketplace, under the theme Linking Developed and Emerging Markets through Attractive Aviation Investment Opportunities will link at least 200 international investors and 200 senior-level attendees to aviation project developers and other participants from 40 countries. GIAS 2019s unique features include the Master Class for airport and aircraft financing. The Global Investment in Aviation Summit 2019 provides the global network of investment opportunities to investors. It will also allow aviation projects to penetrate the global industry and enable even start-ups to gain an edge in the highly competitive market. Aviation stalwarts will share their knowledge with delegates that will assist in taking the best business and operational decisions, added director General Al Suwaidi. HE Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, A battery of Tor-M2 SAM (Surface-To-Air defense missile system) produced by Concern Almaz-Antey will enter in service with the 1146th Guards surface-to-air missile regiment deployed near a Belarusian nuclear power plant, which is under construction, Major General Igor Golub, the commander of the Air and Air Defense Forces of the Belarusian Armed Forces, said. Tor-M2 air defense missile system of Belarus Army (Picture source belrynok) "Russia will supply another battery of Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile systems soon. They will come in service with the 1146th Guards surface-to-air missile regiment," the commander quoted by the Belorusskaya Voennaya Gazeta military newspaper said. Previous reports said that Concern Almaz-Antey had handed over a shipment of Tor-M2 surface-to-air missiles to the Belarusian Defense Ministry ahead of time. They had been assembled a month ahead of schedule. Belarus has received the fifth SAM shipment. The 1146th surface-to-air regiment was revived in Belarus in 2017. The four-battery regiment is armed with Tor-M2 surface-to-air missiles. It protects the Belarusian airspace in the northwest covering the Belarusian nuclear power station. The Tor-M2 is an upgraded version of the Tor-M1 short-range air defense missile system. The TOR-M2/M2E is designed by the Russian Defense Company Almaz-Antey. The TOR-M2 / M2E is designed to destroy aircraft, helicopters, aerodynamic UAVs, guided missiles and other components of high precision weapons flying at medium, low and extremely low altitudes in adverse air and jamming environment. The Tor-M2 missile system can be mounted on wheeled or tracked chassis. The Tor-M2 can simultaneously engage up to 48 processed targets and ten tracked targets.The TOR-M2 can engage a target at the range from 1,000 to 12,000 m and to an altitude from 10 to 10,000 m. WLTP AWD The 1.3 TCe, which is the name of this engine, replaces the old 1.2 TCe that didn't meet the latest emissions regulations. You also get more power with it. The base version makes 130 PS (128 bhp) and 177lb-ft (240Nm) of torque. With a 6-speed manual and 4x2, Dacia promises a 0 to 62 time of 11.1 seconds, as well as CO2 emissions of 137 grams per kilometer and an average 47 mph UK according to thestandards.This version is available in Comfort trim, which gets you standard 16-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, and sensors plus a seven-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay from 14,395. Step up to the Prestige model for 15,695 and your Duster will have 17-inch wheels multi-view camera, blind spot warning, climate control, and keyless entry.We don't know if power is something Dacia buyers are looking for, but the manufacturer saw fit to include a 150 PS (147 bhp), 250 Nm version of the same 1.3-liter turbo. This gets to 100 km/h in only 10.4 seconds and tops out at 124 mph with no impact to fuel economy.Only available in Prestige 4x2 trim, the TCe 150 costs 16,295, which might sound like a lot to some. However, we still remembered that last month we reported that the 2019 Vitara (facelift) is offered from 16,999. So you can have a Suzuki with a 1-liter 111 PS unit and no features or this full-spec Duster... it's your choice.The lack ofis obvious here, but Dacia did promise it will be available in mid-2019. However, most crossover buyers don't need such a thing, and the Nissan Qashqai does just fine without it. 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. December will be a busy month for Xi and the PRC leadership. What's happening: The annual Central Economic Work Conference, which sets the agenda for the next year's economic policies, is likely to convene next week. But the big event will be a major meeting to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the "Reform & Opening" policy that started at the 3rd Plenum of the 11th Party Congress on Dec. 1822, 1978. I believe that meeting may be on the exact 40th anniversary of that famous 3rd Plenum and will see a big speech by Xi and a noteworthy propaganda and theoretical blitz. My thoughts: At the risk of sounding naive, is it possible that we are close to another significant turning point in PRC history? Will Xi finally make significant steps to fulfill the reform promises of the 2013 Third Plenum as well as promises he is likely to make later this month as part of the anniversary commemorations? Has pressure from the Trump administration combined with domestic pressures to not be the PRC leader who oversees a complete break in U.S.-China relations moved Xi to a place where he both needs to start delivering on reform and also sees an opportunity to use them for political benefit? I am not talking about a reversal of the growing trend of ideological control and repression, or political reform, but rather a much more significant effort to deliver on some of the long unfulfilled promises of economic reform. Any shift to deeper economic reforms will not address the growing contradiction of the central state-owned enterprises, the encroachment of the party back into all aspects of life, nor would it lessen the focus on technological self-reliance. But even a return to a messy and imperfect implementation of deeper reforms might still unleash a lot of economic activity, innovation, and value creation. Another question: The U.S. and China established diplomatic relations on January 1, 1979. How will that 40th anniversary be commemorated given the increasingly tense relationship? China wants to kill off or possibly revive its lurching horde of "zombie" companies by 2020, Caixin's Dong Jing and Leng Cheng write. Zombie company is a term used to describe an unprofitable enterprise that would go out of business without ongoing bank loans or government support. In early 2016, the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission said there were 2,041 such companies. The central government has given local governments three months to submit a list of zombies. They have to be restructured or disposed of by 2020. China has been promising to improve its bankruptcy procedure for state-owned enterprises since at least 2016. However, the going has been slow because the government wants to avoid the social instability and massive unemployment that might result from shutting down too many of these companies in too short a time frame. By the numbers: Chinas state-owned enterprises had 113.9 trillion yuan ($16.5 trillion) in total debt as of the end of October, up 7.7% for the year. That's 138% of GDP. The Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic confirmed the U.S. was blocking a $500 million F-16 fighter jet deal between Israel and Croatia, as I reported yesterday, and said Israel was responsible for sorting out the matter with the U.S. Why it matters: Croatian Ministry of Defense officials told the Croatian press they feel they got stuck between Israel and the U.S. The Croatians are very concerned because they already allocated money in the budget for the purchase, and the deadline for the first phase of the deal is fast approaching. The Croatian government was criticized domestically for the deal, with some in the opposition saying it agreed to pay too much for used fighter jets. Catch up quick: Under the deal, 12 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets refurbished and upgraded by Israel would be sold to Croatia. The U.S. was also fighting for the Croatian tender, and U.S. officials claimed Israel was being dishonest and trying to profit off the back of the U.S., according to the Israeli officials. Plenkovic said in a statement: "For us, the important thing is that the burden of responsibility for ensuring the U.S. consent lays on the Israeli side. We are not in a particularly burdensome situation, everything that has been done on our part was correct. I do not believe that there is a possibility that the deal will not be approved eventually." The US Embassy in Zagreb also issued a statement after the story broke and didn't deny the U.S. had reservations about the deal. "We have been working with Israel for more than a year on the details of the proposed transfer of F-16 aircraft. Throughout these conversations, we have clearly highlighted under what technical conditions we can approve such a transfer. At this moment we are very active with Israel and Croatia in order to achieve an acceptable solution that will be within Croatian needs and within the deadline." Germany will halt all arm sales to Saudi Arabia and ban the 18 Saudi suspects linked to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi from entering the 26 countries in the EU's borderless Schengen Zone, reports Reuters. The big picture: Last month, Germany agreed to ban future weapons exports to Saudi Arabia until more answers were provided about Khashoggi's death. But now the country plans to pressure German manufacturers to stop arms shipments that had already been authorized. Despite reports that the CIA concluded Khashoggi's killing was ordered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, neither the U.S. nor France and the U.K. the kingdom's two largest European suppliers have indicated they will halt sales. The broad trajectory of the stock market last week can be explained pretty simply. What happened: A Monday spike on optimism about a trade truce between China and America, followed by a downward spiral after news emerged that seemed to indicate the trade war continues to be prosecuted aggressively. Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Chinese telco Huawei, appeared in a high-security Vancouver courtroom Friday, facing extradition to the U.S. on fraud charges. China came to Huawei's defense, with state media saying that the U.S. was behaving like a "despicable rogue." China is treating this as an attack by one sovereign on another. Huawei, which made $7 billion last year on revenues of $19 billion, has been effectively banned from selling many of its products in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Canada won't arrest and extradite foreign citizens for violating U.S. sanctions, but it will arrest and extradite foreign citizens for committing fraud. Meng was arrested on the basis of a 2013 PowerPoint presentation she made to HSBC, in which she said there was no relationship between Huawei and Skycom, which was doing business in Iran. That statement, if untrue, can be seen as an attempt to fraudulently mislead HSBC. These kind of arrests are rare, but far from unheard-of. America is well-versed in using international criminal law to advance its foreign policy, and directors of foreign companies are often caught complainingthat the U.S. should not be able to prosecute actions taken abroad that were entirely legal in the place where they happened. The timing of Meng's arrest could hardly have been worse. It's pure coincidence that Meng was arrested on the same day that Trump had his friendly dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Now all of that goodwill seems like a thing of the distant past. The big question: "The Justice department and the Trump administration have an important question to answer: What do we want out of this?" writes Bloomberg's Tim Culpan. "Its not clear that they know." The bottom line: Meng's fate could have multitrillion-dollar geopolitical implications, especially if China retaliates by arresting American executives. For the time being, however, the trade talks are still on. Go deeper: Canada tumbles into the middle of the U.S.-China trade war. "Compared to men in high places, she was not stealing from the people. What she was selling was something she owned." "Compared to men in high places, she was not stealing from the people. What she was selling was something she owned." This story was told to me by a long retired police officer who once served in one of the cities in the metro Manila area. On his way home one late night, he chanced upon a parked police vehicle and a commotion happening in a sidewalk near the vehicle. Alighting from his owner-type jeep, he approached the two policemen who were trying to accost a young lady who was resisting and shouting harsh words against the apprehending cops. Bakit, ano ang kasalanan ko? Nagnakaw ba ako? Pumatay ba ako? the young lady was telling off the cops. E sir, dis-oras na ng gabi, naka-istambay pa sa kalye. Mukhang naghihintay ng customer, responded one of the cops when the police officer approached. Knowing that all they could book her for was a vague anti-vagrancy law, where she would at worst sleep the night over in a police precinct, the officer told the two cops to back off, and leave the young lady. When they had left, he tried to calm the lady, who was still quite agitated by the attempt to arrest her. Bakit sir, ano ba ang kasalanan ko? Your policemen told me I was likely a prostitute selling myself to passing customers late in the night, the young woman said. But isnt that so? he calmly asked. Assuming so, what right have they to interfere?, she riposted. This is my body, and I have every right to do with it as I please. It is mine. The Tagalog translation is more telling, if a bit vulgar: Pag-aari ko ang katawan ko. Kaya nga ari ang tawag dito. She then explained to the police officer that she had to earn money to pay for her tuition and school needs, as her parents were too poor to send her any money from the province. I want to have a future. I want to escape from the kind of poverty I grew up with, and be able to help my parents when I find a job. Getting a diploma is my only salvation from the misery of poverty, said she. Even to the point of having to sell your body, the officer asked. Its my body. I am not stealing anything from anyone. It is an asset I own. What about you guysyou in government who steal money from the people? she defiantly retorted. The officer was taken aback. The young lady had spunk, and beneath the defiance, he saw an intelligent person.I am forced to sell my body when I need to. I have to finish my education. It is my only hope in life, the young lady, now at ease with the officer, said. The newspapers at the time were filled with stories of how some wise guy in government allocated hundreds of millions in fake fertilizers to be distributed to farmers. One newspaper account said the fertilizers were priced at a hundred times the normal retail value. In the office, they were joking about pakotong-kotong lang dito, doon pala sa iba, milyun-milyon ang kinikita sa pamemeke ng abono (here the racket is small grease money, in that agency they make millions out of faking fertilizers). Indeed, the officer thought, what crime did the young lady commit, or was about to commit? Compared to men in high places, she was not stealing from the people. What she was selling was something she owned. And so he let her go, even forking over two hundred-peso bills, and telling the young lady to go back to her boarding house and rest. There is a lesson in that story for all of us in this benighted land. * * * Mayor Rodrigo Duterte loves to tell stories. In between sorties in 2015, when we would unwind in his favorite hang-out in his city, he once recounted how he would drive around the city during the wee hours, using a Holiday taxicab. Criminals operate mostly at night, so if you are a mayor, or a cop, you should be alert at nighttime, he explained. In one of those nighttime ronda, he saw some obvious streetwalkers waiting for possible clients in the wee hours. Taking pity because obviously, business was bad, he alighted from his taxicab, and approached the three women. Hala, si Mayor diay! said one who recognized him as the others turned pale in fear. Instead, he invited them to a nearby restaurant which was still open, and told the cashier to feed them, while giving out a five-hundred peso bill to her. Wala pa siguro kamo manihapon. Pangaon sa (You probably havent had dinner; go on and eat), he told the astonished streetwalkers. Turning to us avid listeners, he said, Unsaon man; dili tanan maka-trabaho, mapugos lang sila og baligyag lawas (What can we do? There are some who are jobless and the only way to keep body and soul together is to sell their bodies), he rued. You could see through the compassion of the mayor who has since become president of the benighted land. * * * Let me go back to the story of the retired police officer, and how he was touched, nay, brought to reality by the student who had to sell herself, as a lady of the night to be able to support herself through school. Think of it when you hear about the high and the mighty allocating billions upon billions for projects purportedly to help their poor constituents which, truth to tell, are in aid of their pockets. 4. Gene editing takes a foreboding leap forward China is temporarily suspending the work of scientists who claimed twins were born after being genetically edited as embryos. Why it matters: The scientific consensus is that gene editing embryos at this stage of science is "irresponsible." But, while this particular experiment has not been verified, the fact is the technology is available to researchers, so there's a growing call for international limitations on its use. ICYMI: Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced earlier this week that twins were born after he used the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to cut the CCR5 gene that's known to play a role in HIV infection, Axios' Eileen Drage O'Reilly notes. "He stirred even more dismay when he mentioned the possibility of a second pregnancy." China currently bans human implantation of gene-edited embryos. Its Ministry of Science and Technology is investigating the claims, per Xinhua. There are concerns about the safety, efficacy and possible mosaicism, where a person can contain genes in both its edited and unedited forms, from cutting genes. Editing embryos raises an even bigger concern: The genetic changes and all the unknowns around them can be passed down to future generations. Between the lines: Not everyone viewed it as a complete disaster. For instance, Harvard Medical School's George Daley suggested that it may be time to reconsider the massive amounts of research done over the past several years and look for plausible methods of moving forward. What to watch: Scientists are cautious about predicting what the impact will be, in part because the details of this claim are thin. However, the debate is heating up and one concern is it will dampen important research. Medical ethicist Jonathan Moreno from the University of Pennsylvania says the situation reminds him of other times in history where there were tremors in the science world, like the death of 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger in 1999 from a gene therapy trial that led to years of diminished research. The bottom line: The alarm over what could be next is real. But scientists hope the current debate will promote consensus on firm limits and promote transparency. Go deeper: President Trump is staying the course on North Korea despite the lack of any tangible progress toward denuclearization, canceling another round of military exercises with South Korea and moving ahead with plans for a second summit with Kim Jong-un in the new year. Where things stand: Van Jackson, a former Pentagon strategist and author of the new book "On the Brink: Trump, Kim, and the Threat of Nuclear War," contends there is a close to 0% chance of denuclearization while Trump is president, and the situation remains as dangerous or more dangerous than it was last year. You are not in a stable situation if you rely on the whims and the caprice of individual leaders to prevent nuclear war, Jackson told Axios. Trump and Kim have personalized this nuclear confrontation in such a way that their personal chemistry holds all the rest of us hostage, because the underlying situation hasnt changed. One of the central arguments in Jacksons book is that maximum pressure did not bring Kim to the table. He says maximum pressure precipitated the crisis, and North Korean nuclear breakthroughs ended it by essentially ruling out preventative war. The crisis really started at the end of the Obama administration, because the more we ratcheted up sanctions and targeted them specifically against his regimes elites," Jackson says, "he matched that with pressure of his own, to move ahead full force to develop a nuclear capability that could reach the U.S. because the more we ratcheted up sanctions and targeted them specifically against his regimes elites," Jackson says, "he matched that with pressure of his own, to move ahead full force to develop a nuclear capability that could reach the U.S. "He crossed the nuclear threshold before we could stop him, Jackson says. Kim ended the crisis with a charm offensive, from a position of strength. Jackson argues that the aim now should be maximum stability. What needs to happen is whats politically hardest to do, which is to acknowledge that North Koreas not going to give up nukes, and therefore pursue dialogue aimed at arms control. So youre focused explicitly on capping and rolling back the nuclear arsenal. The belief among Korea watchers that Kim would be a reformer because he went to school in Switzerland was "a theory based on hopes or desires," Jackson says. He says Kim understands that North Korea has "endured a hell of a lot over decades to get to this point" and would have to make itself "existentially vulnerable" to move ahead with denuclearization. Even if Kim was willing to do so, Jackson says, he wouldn't strike a deal with an "anomalous" and erratic president who couldn't possibly "ensure continuity" into future administrations. More likely, Jackson argues, Kim will play for time because he knows Trump is playable. What to watch Jackson says Trump and Kim both reaped massive benefits personally from the Singapore summit, but "didnt actually agree to anything." Now, "at the working level theres just no movement. He says the North Koreans arent even passing the lowest possible bar: There are facilities that we know about, that North Korea knows we know about and yet they dont admit they exist. The Trump administrations recent decision to significantly restrict access to North Korea intelligence, he adds, is a pretty clear sign the intelligence isnt pointing in a positive direction. Bottom line: Kim can be a reformer in the inter-Korean sense and not a reformer in the nuclear sense. That might be the most likely outcome of all of this that North and South Korea move closer together and the U.S.-Korean alliance becomes more tenuous, and nothing changes on the nuclear side. That seems to be where momentum is heading right now. Suicide rates have been steadily rising over the past several years throughout the U.S., but the trend has hit rural areas the hardest, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between the lines: There's no one explanation for the trend. Having less access to mental and behavioral health experts, not seeing as much of the economic recovery, or even a tendency not be as quick to seek help could contribute to the higher rates of suicide in rural America, Dr. Jane Pearson, chair of NIMHs Suicide Research Consortium, told Axios. The big picture: Suicide rates in the U.S. jumped during the recession, and even though there has been significant economic recovery since then, they've continued to climb. That's not true throughout the world: the global suicide rate has declined by 29% since 2000. But even in foreign countries, there often remains a disparity between rural and urban suicide rates. the global suicide rate has declined by 29% since 2000. But even in foreign countries, there often remains a disparity between rural and urban suicide rates. In China, for example, the nation has become urbanized, and women who are far more at risk of committing suicide in China have begun moving into cities instead of caring for family in more rural areas. With that, suicide rates particularly among Chinese women have been dramatically declining, Pearson said. One key reason for the global decline in suicide rates has been the reduction in access to lethal products that can be used as weapons. In Sri Lanka, for example, since certain deadly pesticides used on crops have been banned, suicide rates have been declining, according to the Economist. President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner was identified "as a crucial focal point" by a delegation of Saudis that visited the United States at the start of the Trump administration, the New York Times reports. Why it matters: Kushner's relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has insulated the kingdom from heavy criticism in the administration. According to the Times, the two "were on a first-name basis" while texting and speaking on the phone, and their conversations continued after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, of which the kingdom has denied responsibility. The White House maintained in a statement to the Times that Kushner "has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines." Details: From the start of the administration, there was concern among senior officials that Kushner "sought to help Prince Mohammed...vault ahead in the line for the throne," before MBS was made the crown prince, the NYT reports. When MBS visited the United States, Kushner ensured he received "the kind of treatment usually reserved for heads of state." When the administration visited Riyadh in March 2017, White House officials began to fear there was "a risk the Saudis were playing" Kushner, a former White House official told the Times. The two men have "continued to chat informally" since the situation surrounding Khashoggi has unfolded, with Kushner offering MBS "advice about how to weather the storm...and avoid further embarrassments." The Saudis were working before the inauguration to align themselves with the Trump administration, the NYT reports, offering its assistance to help the White House "fulfill its campaign pledges." A presentation put together by the Saudis after a team met with Kushner in November 2016 mentioned his "lack of familiarity with the history of Saudi-American relations," and identified the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as "the most important issues to draw Kushner's attention." after a team met with Kushner in November 2016 mentioned his "lack of familiarity with the history of Saudi-American relations," and identified the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as "the most important issues to draw Kushner's attention." Many initiatives proposed by the Saudis to help Trump "deliver for his supporters" per the NYT were welcomed by the Trump administration, including defense contracts with the kingdom, pledged assistance in defeating terrorism, and more. The White House's statement: "Jared has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines regarding the relationship with MBS and all of the other foreign officials with whom he interacts. Even before Robert Mueller reports his findings in the Russia probe, what we already now know is highly damning and highly detailed. Be smart: The scary thing for Trump Mueller knows a helluva lot more than we now know. We now know several Russian officials reached out to a half-dozen Republicans very close to Trump and his campaign, including his eldest son, his closest adviser, his lawyer and his campaign manager. We now know they took the meetings, often enthusiastically, during and after the campaign. to a half-dozen Republicans very close to Trump and his campaign, including his eldest son, his closest adviser, his lawyer and his campaign manager. We now know they took the meetings, often enthusiastically, during and after the campaign. We now know Russia offered in those chats campaign assistance synergy, they called it. We now know no one around Trump alerted the FBI of this effort to subvert our elections. in those chats campaign assistance synergy, they called it. We now know no one around Trump alerted the FBI of this effort to subvert our elections. We now know that 12 Russian intelligence officers were indicted for hacking the DNC and systematically releasing material for the purpose of hurting the Clinton campaign via WikiLeaks. were indicted for hacking the DNC and systematically releasing material for the purpose of hurting the Clinton campaign via WikiLeaks. We know that Trump associates Roger Stone and Jerome Corsi attempted successfully, in some instances to get in touch with WikiLeaks and that they are under investigation for whether they had advance knowledge about the email dumps. Roger Stone and Jerome Corsi attempted successfully, in some instances to get in touch with WikiLeaks and that they are under investigation for whether they had advance knowledge about the email dumps. We now know Donald Trump Jr. and others took a meeting with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. We now know Don Jr., when approached with the promise of dirt, wrote: If its what you say I love it especially later in the summer. took a meeting with Russians promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. We now know Don Jr., when approached with the promise of dirt, wrote: If its what you say I love it especially later in the summer. We now know Trump was negotiating a Trump property in Moscow during the presidential campaign and hid this from the public and lied about it. We now know Mueller believes, based on his court filing, the Moscow Project was a lucrative business opportunity that sought, and likely required, the assistance of the Russian government. a Trump property in Moscow during the presidential campaign and hid this from the public and lied about it. We now know Mueller believes, based on his court filing, the Moscow Project was a lucrative business opportunity that sought, and likely required, the assistance of the Russian government. We now know every arm of the U.S. intelligence community concluded Russia sought to systematically influence the election outcome. We now know this was an unanimous conclusion, save one dissent: Trump. concluded Russia sought to systematically influence the election outcome. We now know this was an unanimous conclusion, save one dissent: Trump. We now know Trump officials continued talking with the Russians during the post-election transition. We now know Jared Kushner and Jeff Sessions failed to initially disclose any contacts with Russians on their government forms. with the Russians during the post-election transition. We now know Jared Kushner and Jeff Sessions failed to initially disclose any contacts with Russians on their government forms. We now know Jared Kushner suggested a secret backchannel with the Russians, which had it happened, would have been free of U.S. eavesdropping. a secret backchannel with the Russians, which had it happened, would have been free of U.S. eavesdropping. We now know Trump soured on FBI director James Comey, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House counsel Don McGahn in part over their handling of the probe. on FBI director James Comey, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House counsel Don McGahn in part over their handling of the probe. We now know Paul Manafort , who ran the Trump campaign in the summer of 2016, lied about his Russia contacts, was indicted and is going to jail. , who ran the Trump campaign in the summer of 2016, lied about his Russia contacts, was indicted and is going to jail. We now know Flynn lied about his Russian contacts, was fired and pleaded guilty, after agreeing to become a key witness in the investigation. about his Russian contacts, was fired and pleaded guilty, after agreeing to become a key witness in the investigation. We now know Cohen lied about his Russian contacts, was indicted and then flipped to become a key witness against Trump. Go deeper: Every big move in the Mueller investigation Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect the fact that Michael Flynn pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller investigation. (It originally stated that he had been indicted.) Democratic Wisconsin Gov.-elect Tony Evers said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that he may challenge state Republicans in court if outgoing Republican Gov. Scott Walker refused to veto sweeping legislation passed by the GOP-controlled legislature during its lame-duck session. "Its around Scott Walkers legacy. He has the opportunity to change this and actually validate the will of the people that voted on Nov. 6. The entire thing is a mess. Its a hot mess." Details: Evers, who called the move a blatant power grab, said that he's "not making any promises one way or the other, but were looking at all issues, all options on the table." Some of the measures passed would impose limits to early voting, which is often beneficial to Democrats, and prevent the governor from withdrawing the state from a lawsuit, enabling Republicans to better defend conservative policies if challenged in court. Go deeper: Wisconsin Republicans vote to curb incoming Democratic governor's power Voters in Armenia cast ballots on Sunday in snap parliamentary elections held more than seven months after mass protests that brought down the countrys former government. The My Step alliance of Nikol Pashinian, the protest leader who became prime minister in May, was widely expected to win the elections by a landslide. It was challenged by ten other political forces, including the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) headed by Serzh Sarkisian, Pashinians deposed predecessor. Sarkisian chose not to run for the parliament, leaving it to his former top aide, Vigen Sargsian, to head the HHKs list of candidates. Among other major election contenders were businessman Gagik Tsarukians Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) and the Bright Armenia party that was until recently allied to Pashinian. The 11 groups were vying for at least 101 seats in the National Assembly distributed under a complex system of proportional representation. Armenians voted for not only a party or bloc but also their individual candidates running in nationwide constituencies. The parties have to win at least 5 percent of the vote in order to be represented in the new parliament. The legal vote threshold for alliances is set at 7 percent. Shortly after the more than 2,000 polling stations across Armenia opened early in the morning Pashinian urged voters to brave a rainy and snowy weather and turn out in large numbers. In a live Facebook address aired a few hours later, he expressed concern at early signs that turnout is lower than it was in the last legislative elections held in 2017. Speaking to reporters outside at a polling station in Yerevan, Pashinian implied that he expects My Step to win a comfortable parliament majority. He dismissed suggestions that its landslide victory and weak opposition presence in the legislature would not bode well Armenias democratization. This is what democracy is all about, he said. The people decide who should be in power and who shouldnt. Democracy is our general goal and I think we have achieved our goal, declared Pashinian. The HHKs Sargsian also called for high voter turnout after casting a ballot elsewhere in Yerevan. The last thing one can do today is to stay at home, he said. One must turn out and consciously vote for the political force with which you associate the countrys future, whether its the incumbent government or a force acting as its counterweight. My second expectation is that we will have a more consolidated society at the end of the day, added the former defense minister. Sargsian, whose party had for years been accused of rigging elections and buying votes, also expressed hope that the official election results will be acceptable to everyone. Serzh Sarkisian, who ruled Armenia from 2008-2018, voted early in the afternoon at a Yerevan school gym turned into a polling place. He smiled and joked with some election officials there. The 64-year-old former president, who has kept a very low profile since his resignation in April, refused to answer any questions from journalists. Meanwhile, Tsarukian called on Armenian parties to stop slinging mud at each other and to focus on concrete solutions to the countrys problems. If we want things to get better, we must be united, the tycoon told reporters outside a polling station in a village just outside Yerevan where he was born and lives. Pashinian last month pledged to ensure that the December 9 elections are the most democratic in Armenias history. He instructed law-enforcement to crack down hard on anyone who would try to buy votes or exert undue pressure on voters. The chief of the Armenian police, Valeri Osipian, issued corresponding warnings to election candidates when he toured various parts of the country in the run-up to the vote. Osipian said on Sunday that other police officers also took preventive measures against fraud and vote buying during the election campaign. I think they did a very good job, he said after voting for a good Armenia. HHK leaders said during the campaign that in some parts of the country police officials are summoning HHK activists and trying to intimidate them. The police denied that. The HHK as well as some BHK representatives have also accused Pashinians bloc of abusing its administrative resources. In particular, they have claimed that Armenias provincial governors have pressured town and village mayors to earn My Step many votes. Pashinian dismissed the allegations, saying that the governors, almost all of them running for the parliament on the My Step ticket, conducted their election campaigns in a lawful manner. He insisted that the elections are really, free transparent and democratic. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), the polls were monitored by over 500 foreign observers. Most of them were deployed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. By Trend Construction of modern power-generating combined-cycle gas turbines is one of the main elements of the strategy of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the energy sector of Uzbekistan, the agency told Trend on Dec. 7. According to a JICA representative, the agencys strategy is based on an integrated approach, where various assistance tools, such as loans, technical assistance, gratuitous assistance, training and staff development, complement and enhance efficiency and effectiveness. "For example, we have plans to build modern combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGT), introduce advanced methods within credit projects, create and equip a training center to prepare CCGT operators, conduct advanced training courses in Japan at modern energy facilities," the JICA rep said. The rep added that the agency intends to continue this strategy further, which should contribute to the modernization of the country's energy operator Uzbekenergo JSC. According to what Uzbekenergo told Trend, the volume of investments in the energy sector of Uzbekistan exceeded 3.07 trillion soums in the first nine months of 2018, which is seven times more than last year (421.7 billion soums). Growth in investment, however, did not have a significant impact on the volume of electricity production. In January-September 2018, Uzbekistan produced 45.5 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, compared to 44.7 billion kilowatt-hours a year earlier. Finance Specialist in Central and West Asia Regional Department at ADB Rafael Abbasov earlier told Trend that it is the right time for Uzbekistan to transform Uzbekenergo, the old, vertically integrated state-owned electricity utility, into a modern, regional energy hub. The author underlined that to succeed in the energy sector, Uzbekistan must reform its legal, financial and regulatory structure. Also, according to Abbasov, to achieve trade fairness, Uzbekenergo needs to introduce international corporate governance principles coupled with segmented financial disclosures for generation, transmission, and distribution subsidiaries. (8314.85 UZS = 1 USD on Dec. 7) --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iranian oil minister said OPEC reduced its oil production despite US pressure and some underlying issues. While Irans production ceiling was maintained in very tight talks with the ministers of the OPEC countries, OPEC reduced its production, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said, Trend reports citing Tasnim. We have been negotiating with OPEC members for about 10 hours to exempt Iran from cutting production. We had a duty not to let damage our long-term share of the market and we succeeded in that, Zanganeh continued. He went on to say that it was necessary to reduce OPECs oil production at the current time, and that the amount of reduction was appropriate and the market response was positive, as prices rose somewhat. The decline in the production should be maintained until the balance of supply and demand, he said. According to OPECs latest meeting, allied producers agreed to lower production of crude by 1.2 million barrels per day for a six-month period. The measure was reportedly spearheaded by Russia and is expected to come into effect starting January 1, 2019. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Saturday to soon arrange a meeting between security delegations of the two countries, Xinhua reports. The agreement was reached during the earlier phone talks between the two leaders over the current Israeli operation on its border with Lebanon, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. A meeting between the two leaders would also be coordinated, the statement noted. Netanyahu reiterated Israel's policy to prevent the establishment of an Iranian presence in Syria and to act against Iranian and Hezbollah aggression. Earlier in the day, the Russian Embassy to Israel tweeted that Putin emphasized during the phone talks the necessity to improve the Russian-Israeli interaction in the military sphere. Russia stressed the need to ensure stability along the line separating Israel and Lebanon in strict compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, the embassy said. On Tuesday morning, the IDF said it launched the Operation Northern Shield to "expose and thwart" attack tunnels that cross from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, which were constructed by Lebanon's Hezbollah. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Like the boy who cried wolf, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV says so many things against President Rodrigo Duterte that we have a tendency to discount what he says as just another one of his brickbats. Thus, when he actually offered a sensible suggestion last week that the President take a drug test, nobody really took him seriously. The senators challenge came after Mr. Duterte said he used marijuana to keep up with his killing schedule during a regional summit in Singaporethen later said he was only joking. Duterte is desperately trying to contain the damage of his admission about marijuana use by saying it was just a joke. Too late. It has been revealed that he is is drug user, Trillanes said. Now, if he really wants to clear himself, I am again calling on him to take a drug test. The Palace has dismissed the challenge, saying that it was the senator who should take the test. There is no need [for a drug test], said the Presidents spokesman Salvador Panelo. Look at this person, this President. He is strong. He would always say if something is wrong with him. As often is the case, however, the Presidents spokesman misses the point. The appearance of strength does not preclude drug use, nor have we had any proof of this Presidents candor about his health. On several occasions, he has admitted to taking fentanyl, a powerfully addictive opioid, for pain, yet we have no indication of how much of the drug he takes. Besides, Mr. Duterte is so often joking that we no longer know what to believe.As the leader of a massive anti-drug campaign that has taken the lives of thousands of suspected drug pushers and addicts, this President, of all people, should not be shy about taking a simple drug test. After all, he has railed often enough about narco-politicians and the corrupting influence of the drug trade on politics and the government bureaucracy. What would be so wrong about proving without a doubt that the President is drug-free? Mr. Dutertes refusal to take a drug test is just as puzzling as the Palace stand to reject a proposal for random drug testing of candidates for public office. It would seem that if we were serious about ridding the government of the corrupting influence of illegal drugs, testing would be the place to begin. Some time ago, the Presidents spokesman spoke out in favor of random drug testing for elementary school students, saying he saw nothing objectionable. Any parent, he reasoned, would be happy to learn if his or her child were addicted to drugs. By the same token, wouldnt we all be happier knowing that our leadersincluding the Presidentwere truly drug-free? The Palace should explain why is it all right to test grade school-children, but not those who profess to be our drug-free leaders. By Trend On Dec. 8, the Special Forces contingent of the People's Liberation Army of China has arrived in Pakistan to participate in the Pakistan-China joint military exercise "Warrior VI 2018", Pakistan's Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency reported Special Forces troops of both armies will participate in three weeks long exercise. The joint exercise is aimed at sharing experience in counterterrorism operations. This is the sixth joint exercise of the series as part of bilateral military cooperation between the two countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A row broke out yesterday after a former minister called for Britain to pressure the Irish Government with food shortages in the event of a no-deal Brexit. A Government report leaked to The Times found that if the UK left the EU without a deal, Ireland's trade in perishable goods would be hit. More than half of food in Ireland is currently imported from the UK. The report said that a no-deal Brexit would see the UK's GDP drop by 5% and Ireland's by 7%. Priti Patel MP, who resigned as International Development Secretary in controversial circumstances last year, told The Times: "This paper appears to show the Government was well aware Ireland will face significant issues in a no-deal scenario. "Why hasn't this been pressed home during the negotiations? There is still time to go back to Brussels and get a better deal." But officials in Dublin were dismissive of the report and told the Irish Times that preparations were under way for all Brexit scenarios - including shortages in the food sector. Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard said the MP's comments "exposes the Brexiteer attitude to Ireland as nothing more than a colonial irritant whose rights really shouldn't be taken into account". He said: "They know the history of the Irish famine and Britain's role in it, and the very fact that they would seek to inject that into the Brexit debate is crass and offensive. "The Tories couldn't care less about the impact of their reckless Brexit agenda on the people and economy of Ireland. We are simply collateral damage." The row came as a separate official assessment suggested that a no-deal Brexit could lead to six months of chaos on key cross-Channel routes. Ferries between Dover and Calais and traffic using the Channel Tunnel could be disrupted until the end of September 2019, according to the claims. A letter sent by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS contained the warning. He said: "Although we cannot know exactly what each member state will do with respect to checks on the EU border, the cross-Government planning assumptions have been revised so we can prepare for the potential impacts that the imposition of third country controls by member states could have. "These impacts are likely to be felt mostly on the short straits crossings into Dover and Folkestone, where the frequent and closed loop nature of these mean that both exports and imports would be affected." David Mundell has said he would not serve in Boris Johnsons cabinet if the Brexiteer became PM. (BBC/PA) Scottish Secretary David Mundell has revealed he would not be in Boris Johnsons cabinet if the former foreign secretary became prime minister. Mr Mundell, who has served under both David Cameron and Theresa May, said his disagreements with the outspoken former London mayor would make it extremely difficult for him to stay on as Scottish Secretary. He spoke out as Mr Johnson refused to rule out challenging Theresa May for the Tory leadership, as he called for her Brexit deal to be renegotiated. The Brexiteer told BBCs Andrew Marr Show: Its a relatively simple job to do. We can have a withdrawal agreement that does not contain the backstop. We can do much, much better than this. Expand Close Scottish Secretary David Mundell (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Scottish Secretary David Mundell (Victoria Jones/PA) But Mr Mundell, who campaigned for Remain in the run up to the 2016 referendum, hit back and said: A lot of people have the fanciful idea that Santa is going to turn up and put a new deal in their stocking. Thats not going to happen. The Scottish Conservative MP told the BBCs Sunday Politics Scotland that it had always been a condition of the withdrawal agreement that it would contain a backstop deal for Northern Ireland, to prevent the return to a hard border there. And he insisted Mr Johnsons suggestion that this could be removed from the deal was simply not possible. Mr Mundell added: Mr Johnson knows that, he was in the cabinet till relatively recently. I dont understand how he has come to that conclusion. Asked if he would remain in the cabinet if he replaced Mrs May in Number 10, the Scottish Secretary stated: Given my views about Mr Johnson which are well known that would be extremely difficult. Mr Johnson and I dont agree on a whole range of issues and I dont see myself being able to serve in that way. David Mundell tells Gordon Brewer that hes abandoned his promise to resign over the preferential deal for Northern Ireland because hes taken a judgement. @Sun_Pol_Scot JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) December 9, 2018 While both Mr Mundell and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson had both threatened to quit their posts if the PMs Brexit deal jeopardised the integrity of the UK, the MP insisted the future of the union would be more at risk if the UK was to leave the European Union without a deal being in place. He stated: The threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom, which I regard as the principle issueit is most likely to be threatened by the crash, by the uncertainty, by the division, by the chaos which provides the backdrop nationalists want to move forward with their independence referendum here. And he said: I have had to make a judgment on what is in the backstop, which is a temporary measure which may never come into force, and what risk that causes to the integrity of the United Kingdom, compared to crashing out of the EU in less than four months time, which I regard as the most significant threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom. Theresa May is battling to save her Brexit deal and maintain her grip on power ahead of Tuesdays Commons showdown. The Prime Minister warned Tory MPs they risk handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10 unless they back her Brexit deal. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay insisted that the vote would still go ahead on Tuesday amid speculation Mrs May might be forced to delay the vote in a last-ditch effort to avoid defeat. Ahead of the crunch vote: former Cabinet ministers including Boris Johnson refused to rule out leadership bids. A serving minister conceded that Tory MPs could quit the party over the Brexit plan Labour said it would work with other Opposition parties to decide what to do if Mrs May crashes to defeat on Tuesday and could form a minority government The Prime Minister warned Tory would-be rebels the country would be in uncharted waters if the deal is rejected. Expand Close Theresa May warned Tories that Jeremy Corbyn could end up in Downing Street if her Brexit deal is defeated (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May warned Tories that Jeremy Corbyn could end up in Downing Street if her Brexit deal is defeated (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal, she told the Mail on Sunday. We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country. As someone who cares passionately about my country and my party, I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take. Mr Corbyn told ITV News the Prime Ministers Brexit deal was ridiculous adding: Its going to be defeated, I hope, on Tuesday. At that point theyve got to go back, negotiate something that is acceptable, which does protect rights and conditions, which does give us that trade access, or theyve got to get out of the way, have an election so that it will be a government here that will be serious about those negotiations. Reports suggested Mrs May could make an emergency trip to Brussels ahead of a planned summit on Thursday in an effort to secure further concessions in an effort to win over critics of her plan. I had a phone call with PM @theresa_may. It will be an important week for the fate of #Brexit. Charles Michel (@eucopresident) December 9, 2018 The Prime Minister spoke to European Council president Donald Tusk on Sunday although Downing Street insisted it was a routine call ahead of the summit. He said it would be a an important week for the fate of Brexit. She also spoke to Irelands Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about the current situation and the planned vote on Tuesday. Expand Close Tory MP Will Quince has quit as a ministerial aide over Theresa Mays Brexit plan (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/(Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)/PA) Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament (Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tory MP Will Quince has quit as a ministerial aide over Theresa Mays Brexit plan (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/(Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)/PA) Tory MP Will Quince quit as a ministerial aide to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, while the Sunday Telegraph reported that another parliamentary private secretary was on the verge of quitting and Cabinet Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt was considering whether to back the deal or resign. She has not backed Mrs Mays deal yet but has said she supports the Prime Minister. Meanwhile Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said he would back the deal but indicated that unless it was passed quickly he might support a second referendum because the original decision to Leave may no longer represent a reflection of current intent. THE MEANINGFUL VOTE I voted to remain in the EU. Where we are today is not where I wanted to be. But Im first and foremost a democrat. Our nations strength is our commitment to democracy. pic.twitter.com/RRx6G9nRVz Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) December 8, 2018 Other ministers including Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd have suggested that a Norway-plus deal keeping the UK in the single market and a customs union could be a plausible alternative if Mrs Mays plan is rejected. Any defeat would lead to fresh questions about Mrs Mays political future. Former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey said she would give the prospect of standing as leader serious concern and suggested that Brexiteers should unite around a single candidate. Expand Close Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has voiced support for a Norway-style model as an alternative to the Prime Ministers Brexit deal (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has voiced support for a Norway-style model as an alternative to the Prime Ministers Brexit deal (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Mr Johnson pointedly refused to rule out challenging Mrs May, although he insisted it was nonsense to suggest he was already lining up members of his Cabinet. Asked to give an absolute, categorical promise that he would not stand against the Prime Minister, Mr Johnson told the BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I will give you an absolute, categorical promise that I will continue to advocate what I think is the most sensible plan. Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab told Sky Newss Sophy Ridge On Sunday Ive always said I wouldnt rule it out but it would be very self-indulgent to be engaging in all that speculation when weve got such a big issue up for decision on Tuesday. Former attorney general Dominic Grieve suggested that the Tory party could split over Brexit. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) But Brexit minister Kwasi Kwarteng rejected the prospect of a full schism although he acknowledged some MPs may quit the party. I think one or two people might leave, I dont know who they will be, he told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics. They might decide to retire or they might decide to abandon the party whip, that has happened before. Responding to speculation that Mrs May could delay Tuesdays vote in an effort to secure fresh concessions from Brussels or win over wavering MPs, Brexit Secretary Mr Barclay insisted it would go ahead as planned. He told the Andrew Marr Show: Weve got the vote on Tuesday. Theres still two full days of debate. Asked if the vote was 100% happening on Tuesday he replied: It is. Labour is considering its options if Mrs May is defeated and would hold talks with other opposition parties about how to proceed. "It's not about following events" - @SophyRidgeSky pushes Shadow Cabinet Office Minister @jon_trickett over why Labour is refusing to take a stance on the outcome of the Brexit vote - but he did confirm Labour are ready to form a minority government #Ridge pic.twitter.com/BAgjqV3JaQ Trevor Phillips on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) December 9, 2018 The party wants a general election but shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said Mr Corbyn would be prepared to lead a minority government this week. Mr Trickett told Sky: Our preferred option, very, very strongly, is that we refresh the Parliament though we are ready to form a minority government should that be necessary and it could happen on Wednesday morning. Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street, London, for the House of Commons to face Prime Ministers Questions. Theresa May has warned Tory MPs they risk handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10 unless they back her Brexit deal. With a looming Commons vote, the Prime Minister is fighting to save both her Brexit plan and her premiership in the face of a mounting Tory revolt. Downing Street insisted that the vote would still go ahead on Tuesday amid speculation she might be forced to delay the showdown. Mrs May warned Tory would-be rebels the country would be in uncharted waters if the deal is rejected. Expand Close Theresa May warned Tories that Jeremy Corbyn could end up in Downing Street if her Brexit deal is defeated (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May warned Tories that Jeremy Corbyn could end up in Downing Street if her Brexit deal is defeated (Stefan Rousseau/PA) It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal, she told the Mail on Sunday. We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country. As someone who cares passionately about my country and my party, I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take. Expand Close Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has voiced support for a Norway-style model as an alternative to the Prime Ministers Brexit deal (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has voiced support for a Norway-style model as an alternative to the Prime Ministers Brexit deal (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Reports suggested Mrs May could make an emergency trip to Brussels ahead of a planned summit on Thursday in an effort to secure further concessions in an effort to win over critics of her plan. The Prime Ministers comments came as her Government was hit by another resignation over the Brexit plan. Will Quince, a ministerial aide to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, hit out at the backstop plan to avoid a hard border with Ireland, saying it could result in the UK being tied to the negotiating table for years, until we agree to anything in desperation to get out of the situation. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Quince said: I do not want to be explaining to my constituents why Brexit is still not over and we are still obeying EU rules in the early 2020s or beyond. The same newspaper reported that another parliamentary private secretary was on the verge of quitting, and said Cabinet Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt was considering whether to back the deal or resign. Expand Close Tory MP Will Quince has quit as a ministerial aide over Theresa Mays Brexit plan (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/(Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)/PA) Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament (Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tory MP Will Quince has quit as a ministerial aide over Theresa Mays Brexit plan (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/(Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)/PA) But Mrs May insisted her deal was the best way for Brexiteers to get the UK out of the European Union. With the vote expected to result in a Government defeat, some Cabinet ministers have urged her to delay while others have already begun promoting the idea of alternatives. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd suggested a Norway-plus model, remaining in both the single market and customs union, as a plausible option that could get through the House of Commons. But Brexiteers would loathe an arrangement that keeps the UK aligned to EU rules without a seat at the table in Brussels and does little, if anything, to tackle free movement. A rejection for Mrs Mays deal could also boost the cause of campaigners calling for a second referendum. If you want Brexit, make sure you get it, and thats about this deal, Mrs May said. Expand Close Theresa May said she hoped the deal would be wrapped up by Christmas (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May said she hoped the deal would be wrapped up by Christmas (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Prime Minister insisted she still believed she was the best leader for the Tory party and spoke of her hope that the Brexit deal would be secured by Christmas. I think most people want us to do this, to get it done and get it all wrapped up by Christmas and actually focus on the future, she said. But her position appears precarious, with potential rivals on manoeuvres in case she is ousted or quits. Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis and Priti Patel all addressed grassroots Conservative activists on Saturday at the National Conservative Convention, fuelling speculation about their ambitions. Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt have also been touted as a potential joint ticket. We will be judged in the future as to whether we flinched in the face of unfounded threats and panic, or stood up for our national interest and took our proper place in the world. David Davis (@DavidDavisMP) December 8, 2018 The Conservative Party has a key role in this. That role is not to attempt to bully MPs into support for a failed strategy. Our role is to come together to find a joint approach that supports the decision of the referendum and promotes the national interest. David Davis (@DavidDavisMP) December 8, 2018 Former Brexit secretary Mr Davis warned the Tory leadership not to attempt to bully MPs into supporting a failed strategy. Ahead of the Commons showdown, controversial activist Tommy Robinson will lead a pro-Brexit march in London on Sunday with a rival counter-demonstration set to oppose it. Elsewhere in the capital, a rally will be held by the pro-EU Best for Britain and the second referendum campaign the Peoples Vote, featuring politicians including Lord Heseltine and celebrities such as actors Charles Dance and Jason Isaacs. Lord Heseltine will warn politicians that Britains youth will never forgive us unless they are given the chance to reverse Brexit. The DUP's Nigel Dodds has poured cold water on the possibility of his party giving its backing to a Norway plus-style deal for the UK. Speaking on Sunday in an interview with Sky News, the party's leader in Westminster doubled down on the DUP's opposition to the withdrawal deal negotiated between the UK and the EU currently on the table. The so-called Norway plus model has been floated in recent days as a possible alternative to the proposed deal, and would see the UK remain part of the European Economic Area and join a customs union with the EU, although this model would require the UK to accept free movement of people. During an interview with BBC Radio 4 last month, DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party's one red line was making sure Northern Ireland was not differentiated from the rest of the UK - something the Norway plus model would facilitate by keeping all of the United Kingdom within the customs union during the transition period. The deal is set to go before the House of Commons on Tuesday, with speculation Theresa May could struggle to secure the votes to get it passed. "As I understand it even going down that path still requires this withdrawal agreement with this poisonous backstop which everybody now, even the Prime Minister, doesnt like," said Mr Dodds. "Makes you wonder why they put it in in the first place. It suffers from a number of very fundamental problems." Mr Dodds called on the Prime Minister to return to Brussels and negotiate a new deal, echoing comments he made in an article for the Belfast Telegraph earlier this week. "This withdrawal treaty should never have been agreed in the terms that it has because it gives all of the leverage to Brussels." Pushed on the divergence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom in a number of other areas, including same-sex marriage and abortion, Mr Dodds reiterated his party's view certain issues fall under the control of the devolved assembly. "But on issues like customs and single internal markets, foreign policy, taxation and those issues," he said. "Those are United Kingdom matters. And if you start to break up the United Kingdom on those matters then you are creating internal barriers within the United Kingdom." Three paramedics have been injured by a male on drugs after responding to an emergency call in the Newtownards area. Three paramedics have been injured by a male reportedly on drugs while responding to an emergency call in the Newtownards area on Saturday night. As a result of the attacks just one crew was left to cover the north Down area, with the injured staff being taken to Ulster Hospital emergency department to have their injuries examined. It is the second weekend in a row in which ambulance staff have sustained injuries after responding to emergency calls. The first attack happened while the crew were attempting to transport the patient to Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. On the way to the hospital he assaulted the paramedic in the back of the ambulance, causing back and shoulder injuries. Once they arrived at the hospital another ambulance crew came to assist their colleagues, with two more crew members being injured after the patient kicked out. The man was eventually restrained by six people, including the PSNI and South Eastern Trust security staff, after which he was taken into the department. Chief Executive of the Ambulance Service Michael Bloomfield expressed concern about the damage the attacks were having on staff and the local community. I am appalled that, for the second consecutive weekend, Ambulance Service staff have been subjected to an attack in the north Down area leaving them unable to continue with their duties which are so much relied upon by the community," he said. "The men and women of the Ambulance Service leave their homes and families to go and serve the most vulnerable in our community when they most need it. These patients include those who may have suffered cardiac arrest or been involved in serious road traffic collisions and who have families who need our skills and support. "We cannot provide our service if staff are taken off shift as a result of injuries sustained from assaults, and once again ambulance services in this area were considerably reduced last night as a result of this attack. "My immediate concern is for those staff who were the victims of last night's incident. While their injuries are not serious, I am concerned about the long-term emotional impact. "While we will do all we can, as an organisation, to support them in their recovery, the solution to this lies within society as a whole. These attacks are totally unacceptable and, while thankful for their support to date, I would appeal to parents, guardians, community leaders and others with influence to redouble their efforts in helping us protect our staff through engaging others on this issue. "Once again, I would also re-iterate our view that those who commit such attacks should face the full rigour of the law, including custodial sentences. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Press Eye - Larne Arson Attack - 9th December 2018 Co Antrim residents were evacuated from their homes last night following an arson attack. A wheelie bin was set alight inside a property in the Fairway area of Larne at around 9.15pm. Considerable damage was caused by the blaze, which police have branded a "reckless act". Detectives in Ballymena investigating the attack have appealed for witnesses and information. PSNI Inspector Patrick Mullan said: "It was reported that a wheelie bin had been placed in the living room of the property and set alight around 9:15pm. "Police attended along with Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) who extinguished the blaze. Considerable damage has been caused to a house in Larne after a wheelie bin was set on fire in its living room during an arson attack. Police were called to the scene shortly before 9.40pm by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service who were battling the blaze in the Fairway area of the town. A report had been received of the wheelie bin being placed in the living room of the property and set alight at around 9.15pm. Members of the Fire Service managed to extinguish the blaze. Inspector Patrick Mullan said: ""Residents from a number of neighbouring properties were evacuated as a precaution and, thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries. "Considerable damage was caused by the blaze and the NIFRS has declared this fire as deliberate so we are treating it as arson. "This was a totally reckless act and were fortunate not to be dealing with injuries or fatalities today [Sunday]. "An investigation is now and I want to appeal to anyone who was in the Fairway area of Larne last night around 9:15pm and who saw any suspicious activity to contact detectives in Ballymena on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference 1321 of 08/12/18." The public can also give information to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. People take part in a Brexit Betrayal march and rally organised by Ukip in central London (Gareth Fuller/PA) Thousands of people have turned out for two rival protest marches in central London. Ukip organised a Brexit Betrayal march against Theresa Mays Withdrawal Deal, which included leader Gerard Batten and the partys new adviser Tommy Robinson. The the former English Defence League leader is also known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Their march was countered by an anti-fascist demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism. Expand Close Tommy Robinson, Ukips new adviser, was on the march (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tommy Robinson, Ukips new adviser, was on the march (Gareth Fuller/PA) Here at the Brexit betrayal march is a man holding a noose. He gave his name as Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage. I asked why he was carrying it. Thats what the traitor May deserves. Thats what treasonous people get, he said. pic.twitter.com/ModEM8bj4h Sam Blewett (@BlewettSam) December 9, 2018 Expand Close Robinson was surrounded by supporters and Ukip and Union flags (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Robinson was surrounded by supporters and Ukip and Union flags (Gareth Fuller/PA) Expand Close Ukip leader Gerard Batten (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ukip leader Gerard Batten (Gareth Fuller/PA) Expand Close Theresa May was branded a traitor by many on the march (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Theresa May was branded a traitor by many on the march (Gareth Fuller/PA) Expand Close Those on the march are unhappy with the Prime Ministers deal (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Those on the march are unhappy with the Prime Ministers deal (Gareth Fuller/PA) Expand Close The protesters are happy for the UK to crash out of the EU without a deal (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The protesters are happy for the UK to crash out of the EU without a deal (Gareth Fuller/PA) Expand Close Anger was palpable among those marching (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anger was palpable among those marching (Gareth Fuller/PA) But there was also a counter-demonstration that was bigger than the Brexit march. The counter demo is now making its way down Haymarket, continuing to chant There are many many more of us than you. pic.twitter.com/NqjF1r5BmE Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) December 9, 2018 Expand Close The march accused Robinson of racism and creating division (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The march accused Robinson of racism and creating division (Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close There was a large police presence to keep the two protests apart(Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp There was a large police presence to keep the two protests apart(Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close The counter demonstration had larger numbers (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The counter demonstration had larger numbers (Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close EU flags were being waved in the alternative march (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp EU flags were being waved in the alternative march (Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close Signs celebrating diversity were also held aloft (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Signs celebrating diversity were also held aloft (Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close Others were calling for a referendum now that the Prime Minister has agreed her deal (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Others were calling for a referendum now that the Prime Minister has agreed her deal (Victoria Jones/PA) Despite efforts to keep the two groups of protesters apart, clashes did break out. Expand Close Rival protesters clash in Trafalgar Square (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rival protesters clash in Trafalgar Square (Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close Police officers holding truncheons attempted to keep the crowds under control (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers holding truncheons attempted to keep the crowds under control (Victoria Jones/PA) Expand Close Officers were quick to clamp down on any skirmishes (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Officers were quick to clamp down on any skirmishes (Victoria Jones/PA) A Brexit betrayal march led by controversial activist Tommy Robinson was vastly outnumbered by counter-demonstrators, opposition organisers said. The English Defence League (EDL) founder turned-Ukip adviser marched with supporters through the streets of London on Sunday before addressing a rally beside Parliament Square. Amid fears of violence, Scotland Yard placed restrictions on the march as well as on a counter-demonstration organised by Labour supporters and anti-fascists. Labour grassroots group Momentum said about 15,000 turned up to oppose Mr Robinsons march, claiming opponents vastly outnumbered the Ukip-led demonstrators nearly five to one. A Ukip spokesman said quite a few thousand had turned up to its rally, which came ahead of MPs voting on a Brexit deal on Tuesday. Police did not provide estimates on crowd sizes. Momentum national co-ordinator Laura Parker said: Today is a huge blow for Tommy Robinson and his vile, hate-fuelled politics. Even with the Ukip machine in tow he only managed to bring a few thousand supporters out on the streets, while we mobilised nearly 15,000 to march against his racism and bigotry. Tommy Robinson is here, courting chants. We want Britain out. A line of police are leading the march forward pic.twitter.com/l1qrA3sEnK Sam Blewett (@BlewettSam) December 9, 2018 Mr Robinsons supporters gathered to call for Brexit, with one brandishing a noose he said was for Prime Minister Theresa May. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell had urged Labour supporters to march against the poison of Mr Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. This march isnt about Brexit, its about far-right extremists dressing up in suits and pretending to be respectable, Mr McDonnell said. Among those marching with Ukip were those carrying Generation Identity flags, which anti-fascist campaigners Hope Not Hate describe as a far-right and strongly anti-Muslim organisation. Expand Close Police officers monitor protesters in Trafalgar Square (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers monitor protesters in Trafalgar Square (Victoria Jones/PA) A man was also seen carrying a Jo Cox false flag sign, peddling a conspiracy theory that the Labour MPs murder by a right-wing extremist was a politically-motivated deception. Ukip supporters started their procession at the Dorchester Hotel and followed a specified route to the Houses of Parliament. Outside the luxury establishment stood the man carrying a gallows with a noose hanging down. He gave his name as Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Here at the Brexit betrayal march is a man holding a noose. He gave his name as Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage. I asked why he was carrying it. Thats what the traitor May deserves. Thats what treasonous people get, he said. pic.twitter.com/ModEM8bj4h Sam Blewett (@BlewettSam) December 9, 2018 Asked why he was brandishing it, he said: Thats what the traitor May deserves. Thats what treasonous people get. It was a referendum not a never-endum. And they promised to implement whatever we decided and they havent, so two and a half years down the line this is what you get. Labour MPs were quick to criticise the noose, with Karen Buck saying it was very, very wrong and Alex Sobel adding: This is what actual fascism looks like. Hope Not Hate said the march had been absolutely riven with ugly messages and symbolism. At the marchs conclusion, the crowd loudly booed when Ukip leader Gerard Batten brought up Remainer Mrs May and they cheered on his reference to a treasonous political class. He also conjured up a English Civil War metaphor to describe a potential failure to execute Brexit by politicians. In 1642 the king put himself in opposition to Parliament. Parliament won and the king lost his head, he said, standing alongside Mr Robinson as well as Neil Hamilton, a former Tory politician who leads Ukip Wales. Expand Close People hold placards opposing Tommy Robinson (Victoria Jones/A) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People hold placards opposing Tommy Robinson (Victoria Jones/A) Mr Robinson asked the crowd to join him in becoming a member of Ukip, as he went through the process on his phone on stage. He then hinted he could run for Parliament, after referencing disgraceful lies said about him by MPs including Commons Speaker John Bercow, who called him a loathsome, obnoxious, repellent individual in the Commons. Mr Robinson told supporters it was then for the first time he thought: One day, Ill be sitting in there amongst you. His rally was separated from counter-demonstrators on Whitehall by police barriers and a vast divide. The opposition march started outside the BBC building in Portland Place and arrived at its conclusion dancing to Michael Jacksons hit Black Or White and Cha Cha Slide. The counter demo is now making its way down Haymarket, continuing to chant There are many many more of us than you. pic.twitter.com/NqjF1r5BmE Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) December 9, 2018 Along the route, they held placards saying, Oppose Tommy Robinson. Dont let the racists divide us, and chanted: There are many many more of us than you. Nazi scum, off our streets, many added. Marchers with their faces covered briefly made their way to the front, and at a few points a handful of Robinson supporters were swiftly escorted away by police. Police were on heightened alert after serious violence broke out at a Robinson rally in London in June, with five officers injured when bottles and barriers were hurled at them. Scotland Yard said it also imposed the conditions based on the current intelligence picture. Officers said three arrests had been made, all from among the counter-protest group. The allegations were a public order offence, assaulting a police officer and possessing an offensive weapon. A Stand Up To Racism representative told the crowd some 15,000 had attended the counter-demonstration. Co-organiser and the organisations joint convener Weyman Bennett told the Press Association: I believe that the majority of people in this country reject fascism and racism. Weve had unprecedented unity. All of us have come together from whatever party or faction we represent and have agreed that we have to march together to defend our democratic rights. Former minister Dominic Raab has said during negotiations with the EU senior figures implied losing Northern Ireland was the price the UK would pay for Brexit. (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Former minister Dominic Raab has said during negotiations with the EU senior figures implied losing Northern Ireland was the price the UK would pay for Brexit. Speaking on Sky News, Mr Raab said he had been surprised at the EU's attitude toward the province and the view it could "carve up" the UK. The former Brexit secretary said it had come from "people around" the head of the EU's civil service Martin Selmayr. Mr Raab served as Brexit secretary for four and a half months, taking over David Davis, before resigning last month in protest at the deal reached between Theresa May's Government and Brussels. "You would hear swirling around in Brussels - particularly the people around Selmayr, Martin Selmayr in the Commission, and some others - that losing Northern Ireland was the price the UK would pay for Brexit," said Mr Raab. "This was reported to me through the diplomatic channel. "It is one thing to defend your interests robustly, but there is another thing in the spirit of so-called European unity to be trying to carve up a major European nation. "And it is deeply reckless if you look at the Europeans own interests look at Catalonia, look at the seperatist tendancies across Europe. Look at Belgium. This kind of stuff looks like politics, a very narrow politics trumping the European, let alone the UK interest." A controversial figure, Martin Selmayr has been the Secretary-General of the European Commission since March of this year. Nicknamed 'the monster' by his boss Jean-Claude Juncker, the EU's ombudsman issued a damning verdict in September on the manner in which his appointment was made, with the EU's Ombudsman Emma O'Reilly saying the process "stretched and possibly even overstretched the limits of the law". Mr Raab also said in the interview that the EU should have been tougher during negotiations, particularly in relation to the backstop. "I want a good, positive, optimistic Brexit and I think we can still turn this around," he added. Anconas head of Police Oreste Capocasa speaks to reporters in front of the disco Lanterna Azzurra (Andrew Medichini/AP) Italian police are questioning more witnesses to find who sprayed an irritant, triggering a deadly stampede in an overcrowded disco in a town near the Adriatic port of Ancona. Police Colonel Cristian Carrozza of the Ancona Carabinieri on Sunday declined to confirm Italian media reports that investigators had identified a juvenile as the alleged sprayer. He told RaiNews24 that police had questioned more than 80 witnesses to Saturdays pre-dawn stampede at the Blue Lagoon disco in Corinaldo and would speak to dozens more. Expand Close Rescuers assist injured people outside the nightclub (Stefano Pagliarini/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rescuers assist injured people outside the nightclub (Stefano Pagliarini/AP) Five teenagers, all minors, and a mother who accompanied her child to the rap concert at the disco were killed in the stampede. More than 50 concertgoers were injured, with seven still in very serious condition on Sunday. Investigators say hundreds more tickets were sold than the disco could handle. The Diet on Saturday approved an economic partnership agreement with the European Union thatas set to create a free trade bloc accounting for 30 percent of world output. The Upper House passed the pact by a majority vote at a plenary session, with support mainly from the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. The Lower House gave its approval late last month. Japan is expected to finish necessary procedures, including amending governmental and ministerial ordinances, by the end of this year. With the European Parliament slated to ratify the pact by year-end, the deal is seen coming into effect on Feb. 1, 2019. The accord will follow the effectuation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement among 11 nations including Japan slated for Dec. 30. Tokyo hopes to demonstrate the superiority of multilateral free trade regimes over bilateral ones before it kicks off trade talks with Washington next year, officials said. Under the EU pact, tariffs will be removed for over 90 percent of the trade items between Japan and Europe. Tariffs will decline for a wide range of agricultural, forestry and fishery products, including European cheese, wine and pork, allowing Japanese consumers to enjoy such goods at lower prices. Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION The United Nations General Assembly adopted without a vote the resolution approved by the UN 4th Committee last October, reiterating support for the political process to settle the Sahara issue under the exclusive auspices of the United Nations. The resolution supports the political process based on Security Council resolutions adopted since 2007, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution to this regional dispute, while commending the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy in this regard. The text stresses that the solution to this dispute must be based on the efforts made and the new developments that occurred since 2007, with the aim of implementing Security Council resolutions, a clear allusion to the Morocco-proposed autonomy initiative and a signal that all plans prior to this date are obsolete and unfeasible. The resolution supports the Security Council resolutions adopted since 2007 as these texts have recognized the preeminence of the autonomy initiative that was welcomed by the United Nations Executive Body and the international community as a serious and credible initiative for the final settlement of this regional dispute. The resolution also supports the recommendations of Security Council Resolution 2414 adopted in April 2018. This resolution calls for progress in the search for a realistic, pragmatic and sustainable political solution to the Moroccan Sahara issue, based on compromise. The adoption of the resolution by the General Assembly comes one day after the end of the Geneva Round Table held Dec. 5-6 with the participation, for the first time, of Algeria as a major stakeholder in the Sahara issue, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2440 adopted last October. VICTORIA - The detention of a top Huawei executive in Canada has derailed British Columbia's trade mission to China. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/12/2018 (1084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. British Columbia Forestry Minister Doug Donaldson meets with federal and provincial ministers to discuss their response to the B.C wildfire in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday September 5, 2017. The detention of a top Huawei executive in Canada has derailed British Columbia's trade mission to China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ben Nelms VICTORIA - The detention of a top Huawei executive in Canada has derailed British Columbia's trade mission to China. The delegation led by B.C. Forestry Minister Doug Donaldson will no longer be stopping in China, and will instead end its trip after a visit to Japan. The decision follows the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, who was detained while changing flights last week in Vancouver. "The Province of British Columbia has suspended the China leg of its Asian forestry trade mission due to the international judicial process underway relating to a senior official at Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.," the province said in a statement, adding that British Columbia values its strong trade relationship with China. "It is anticipated that Minister Donaldson will work to reschedule events planned for the Chinese portion of this mission at the earliest convenient moment." Stefano Maron, a spokesman for Global Affairs Canada, said in an email the decision was made at the provincial level and deferred comments to the B.C. government. B.C. Trade Minister Bruce Ralston declined an interview request Sunday. The United States is seeking to have Meng extradited on allegations that she tried to evade American trade sanctions on Iran. A bail hearing began in Vancouver on Friday, and Meng is spending the weekend in jail before it continues next week. The Chinese government has warned Canada that if Meng is not released, the country will face "grave consequences." A report by the official Xinhua News Agency carried on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng called in Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over Meng's detention. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Le told McCallum that Meng's detention at the request of the United States was a "severe violation" of her "legitimate rights and interests." "Such a move ignores the law and is unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature," Le said in the statement. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained Huawei executive ... or face grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for," Le said. On Sunday, Le summoned U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad for a similar meeting, demanding Washington cancel the order for Meng's arrest, Xinhua News Agency said. Le called the United States to "immediately correct its wrong actions" and said it would take further steps based on Washington's response. Stephen Nagy, a distinguished fellow with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said both Canada and China are walking a tight rope in relations with one another. Canada could be concerned about retaliatory action that could range from the arrests of Canadians in China to the stonewalling of trade negotiations with British Columbia, he said. Even if British Columbia had nothing to do with Meng's arrest, the appearance of B.C. officials in China would be taken "very, very negatively," he said. "This is just standard practice in diplomacy where you don't smack the face of your host before you go there," he said in a phone interview from Japan. It's unlikely that any trade deals would have been signed under the circumstances, since it could appear to Chinese citizens that the Chinese government was rewarding Canada for the arrest, he said. While Canada is under pressure to co-operate with the United States, he said China has an interest in maintaining positive relations with Canada to balance its tense trade relationship with the U.S. "On the Chinese side, they don't want to alienate potential partners who could take some pressure off from the United States during this trade war. So it's a very delicate balancing act for both sides," he said. By Amy Smart in Vancouver BEIJING - China summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 8/12/2018 (1084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. BEIJING - China summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. A report by the official Xinhua News Agency carried on the Foreign Ministry's website said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng called in Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over the holding of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran. In this courtroom sketch, Meng Wanzhou, left, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies, sits beside a translator during a bail hearing at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, on Friday December 7, 2018. She was arrested Saturday after an extradition request from the United States while in transit at the city's airport. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jane Wolsak Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Le told McCallum that Meng's detention at the request of the United States while transferring flights in Vancouver was a "severe violation" of her "legitimate rights and interests." "Such a move ignores the law and is unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature," Le said in the statement. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained Huawei executive ... or face grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for," Le said. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that Chinese pressure on the Canadian government won't work. "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide," Paris tweeted in response to the comments from Beijing. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng, whose case is shaking up U.S.-China relations and worrying global financial markets. Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained at the request of the U.S. during a layover at the Vancouver airport Dec. 1 the same day that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China agreed over dinner to a 90-day ceasefire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce. The U.S. alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York Aug. 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled U.S. banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei." Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: She's facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing will resume Monday after Meng spends the weekend in jail. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said that "we have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Canadian officials have declined to comment on Chinese threats of retaliation over the case, instead emphasizing the independence of Canada's judiciary along with the importance of Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canada "has assured China that due process is absolutely being followed in Canada, that consular access for China to Ms. Meng will absolutely be provided." "We are a rule of law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do," Freeland said Friday. While protesting what it calls Canada's violation of Meng's human rights, China's ruling Communist Party stands accused of mass incarcerations of its Muslim minority without due process, locking up those exercising their right to free speech and refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country in order to bring pressure on their relatives accused of financial crimes. The party also takes the lead in prosecutions of those accused of corruption or other crimes in a highly opaque process, without supervision from the court system or independent bodies. ___ Associated Press writer Robert Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report. Update 8:08pm: Aleksejs Snitko has been found safe and well this evening. Original story: Gardai are appealing for help in tracing a missing teenage boy in Dublin. Aleksejs Snitko was last seen when he left his home in Balbriggan at around 4pm yesterday. The 15-year-old is 6ft tall, of average build, with blue eyes and short black hair - styled on top with the sides shaved. He was wearing grey Under Armour shoes, a tight navy cotton tracksuit bottoms and a grey hoody under a navy coat. He was also carrying a blue Puma backpack Anyone with information is asked to contact Balbriggan Garda Station at 01-8020510 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111. A man stole more than 100,000 from his employer and gave it to men he met online in chatrooms. Billy Mooney took thousands of euro at a time from The Cope stores in Co Donegal over a period of almost two years. Mooney appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court, where he pleaded to 18 charges of fraud. The 52-year-old did not receive a cent from the 102,180 he stole in a complex fraud at the retail chains office in the village of Annagry in west Donegal. Instead, he sent the money to men he had met online in chatrooms. The men had claimed they desperately needed the cash for a variety of reasons, including having sick relatives and also losing their jobs. Mooney, of St Peters Terrace, Dungloe, took the money from the company but managed to cover his tracks before wiring it by Western Union Transfer to various people he had met online. However, management at the company, known officially as the Templecrone Co-operative Agricultural Society Ltd (The Cope), was alerted to the fraud when Mooney sent texts to another employee. Mooney told the employee he was in trouble, having become caught up in a scam, and was in debt to the tune of up to 80,000 and was having to borrow money. Detective Garda John Gallagher, from Milford Garda Station, investigated the fraud at the store which has around 110 employees. He said CEO of the company, Mark Sharkey, had contacted gardai believing there had been a major fraud at the outlet. Garda Gallagher said Mooney took the money which was due to be deposited into an ATM machine at the Annagry branch of The Cope where he was located. However, through a series of cover-ups, Mooney was able to extract various sums of money but made it appear as if they were still on the company books. The court heard how Mooney stole lump sums of money between July 1, 2014, and January 1, 2016, of between 2,000 and 19,800. In a victim impact statement, Mr Sharkey said the theft had put the company under severe pressure and it had struggled to survive. He said a number of key employees had left the company because of the stress and the shock of the ongoing situation at the company and that they also had to spend 16,000 to have a forensic accountant examine their accounts. He said that, during and since the theft, Mooney had never apologised to the company or his fellow workers and that he was out sick for a number of months after the theft came to light. Barrister for the accused, John McLaughlin, said he got involved in these chatrooms with other men and in his mind he was in a romantic relationship. Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case until Wednesday for sentence. The Taoiseach has spoken by phone with Theresa May this evening to discuss the current situation on Brexit. They spoke in particular about the planned vote in Westminster on Tuesday, where a crucial decision is due on the British Prime Minster's withdrawal plan. A spokesperson for the Taoiseach says they also discussed preparation for this week's European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday. Meanwhile, appearing on Channel 4's Real Brexit Debate, Tory deputy chairman James Cleverly said: "Our deal delivers on what people voted for. It takes back control of our money, our borders, our laws. "It means we can get on with Brexit and give more time to focus on other important issues like the NHS." He added: "The only thing we know for sure is that rejecting this deal means damaging uncertainty and, as a Brexiteer, the thing that worries me the most is the risk we do not leave the EU at all." But Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said the deal "does not do what the Prime Minister said" on the customs union, the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and a border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "There are 68 pages of laws that will apply in Northern Ireland that will be adjudicated and made by the European Union," he said. Mr Cleverly said "all those instances are entirely temporary" during the transition period or backstop but Mr Rees-Mogg shot back, saying the Attorney General's advice showed "the backstop could be permanent". Green MP Caroline Lucas, calling for a second referendum, said politicians were split and the public had changed their minds on Brexit. She said: "Why don't we just go back and check they are still happy with this?" Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Channel 4 programme a second referendum would be a "losers' vote". "This is all about trust," he said. "Across Europe politicians are distrusted - there are riots in France and troubles in Italy. "Everybody agreed to accept the result of the referendum. Now Theresa May has said one thing and come back with a deal that does another." Labour's shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said the Government had failed and should call an election if the deal is defeated on Tuesday. "Their botched deal would destroy jobs, it would undermine rights and protections and it would rip our country in half," he said. Tory deputy chairman James Cleverly said: "No one really knows what the Labour Party want at all." He added: "On March 29 we get to leave, let's just take the deal and get out." PA & Digital Desk Moroccan authorities have seized more than a ton of cocaine and captured seven involved people who are linked to an international criminal network specialized in trafficking cocaine between Latin America, Morocco, and Europe. According to the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), which announced on Saturday this operation, the cocaine was concealed in a Morocco-registered truck. The banned substance was smuggled by sea from a Latin American country by a commercial vessel. It was at first dropped off the coast of El Jadida, transported by fishing vessels to a nearby beach before it was taken by truck to the smugglers site. During this major drug-busting operation, Moroccan police seized two inflatable boats, a GPS, a hydraulic engine and two 44 vehicles. In 2017, Morocco seized record 2.84 tons of cocaine. The new seizure shows that smugglers of Latin American cartels are trying to use the strategic position of the North African Kingdom as a transit point to European market. Over the past decade, the flow of cocaine from South America to West Africa, and subsequently through North Africa to Europe and the Middle East, has expanded rapidly. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that between 20 and 40 MT of cocaine transits the region annually in route to Europe. Morocco works closely with the United States and European partners to combat drug trafficking. By Sarah Slater A young Cork man who suffered a traumatic brain injury in the US following a freak accident is now recovering in his Canadian home following a brave battle to stay alive. Last October, Liam OConnell, from Ballincollig, who is affectionately known as Doug by friends, suffered serious head injuries after a freak accident involving an electric scooter while holidaying in Los Angeles, California. The 31-year-old has been working as a civil engineer in Vancouver, Canada, for the past eight years. Three weeks after his accident on October 5, he was moved out of Intensive Care in Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre after being in a critical condition. Doctors diagnosed him with a fractured skull, subdural bleeding and traumatic swelling of the brain and he was placed in an induced coma. Emergency surgery involving a decompressive craniectomy procedure, where a section of his skull was removed to relieve pressure on his brain, was carried out by specialist medics. Posting an update on the fundraising page, The Fight of Liam (Dougs) Life on gofundme.com, his friends said: Since our last update, we are delighted to say that Liams recovery has continued at the same rate, most of which the medical team have put down to (his) youth, strength and overall fitness levels. On October 8, Liam was transferred via air ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital, which was supposed to be Liams base to continue his recovery. However, on Saturday, following reviews of his CT scans by neurosurgeons and further improvements, Liam was discharged and allowed to stay in his own apartment in Vancouver while he continues his rehabilitation. This will take place in GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre five days per week for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, doctors will review Liams brain swelling to decide when best to carry out his next craniotomy surgery. Liam is overjoyed to be back in the comfort of his own apartment and close to his great group of friends in Vancouver... but more importantly reunited with his phone and Instagram account keep an eye out for future updates from the man himself. A long road ahead for Liam in his recovery and wed like to stress again how helpful the funds raised for this campaign will be to Liam and his family over the weeks and months to come! Up to 92,000 has been raised to help Liam in his recovery. "Once again, we are so grateful to each and every donation to date an amount which we would never have imagined possible when we started this campaign in (late October). Thank you for helping Liam and his family on his road to full recovery. The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, arrived in Marrakesh Sunday to take part in the Intergovernmental Conference that will adopt formally the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The UN Chief, flanked by President of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for International Migration Louise Arbour will open the high-level conference on Monady Dec.10. Ms. Arbour will also serve as Secretary-General for the Conference. Other Heads of State and Government, ministers and other senior leaders, civil society representatives and representatives of the private and public sectors started flocking to Marrakesh for the conference. The UN expects the presence of at least twenty Heads of State and Government at the Marrakech Conference that it considers a stepping stone. The two day Conference features a plenary debate, during which Member States will confirm their political commitment to the Global Compact for Migration. Two interactive dialogues with a keynote speaker and a panel of three will provide a pathway for implementation and partnerships at all levels with stakeholders. The first dialogue, Promoting action on the commitments of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, will be led by keynote speaker, Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and chair of the High-Level Panel on International Migration in Africa, will be the keynote speaker for the second dialogue, Partnerships and innovative initiatives for the way forward. On the eve of his trip to Marrakesh, the UN Chief described the intergovernmental conference as a historic milestone for international cooperation. The adoption of the Global Compact in Marrakech will be a historic milestone for international cooperation as it represents a unique opportunity to enhance cooperation on migration and also to strengthen the contribution of migrants and migrations to sustainable development, Antonio Guterres said in an interview with MAP. This is the first ever global agreement on a common approach to international migration, he said, noting that Marrakech will therefore pave the way for the implementation of the Global Compact. Human mobility has always been part of history, but with this pact, we will have a framework for cooperation to better manage migration at the local, national, regional and global levels even if it is not legally binding, he said. The adoption of the Pact in Marrakech is the result of more than 18 months of intensive consultation and negotiation, he recalled. Regarding Moroccos commitment to the issue of migration, the UN Chief stressed that the Kingdom has been very active in the field of migration at the national level as well as at the international level. The United Nations and Morocco are working together to contribute to Moroccos National Strategy on Immigration and Asylum. This naturally opens the way for the implementation of the Global Compact in the country, he said. The United Nations will continue to support Morocco in its efforts, and to find synergies with all national and international partners that cooperate with the country to respond to migration while respecting national priorities, Guterres said. Touching on Moroccos Immigration and Asylum Strategy, adopted in 2013, the UN Chief said that this strategy is an essential step since it integrates migration issues into national policies. The Kingdom of Morocco also plays a key role within the African Union to further strengthen cooperation and dialogue on migration in this continent, Guterres pointed out. Australias mortgage broking industry will fund a nationwide advertising blitz to push back against the threat of tough new regulations in the wake of the financial services royal commission. Commissioner Kenneth Haynes interim report sparked concerns in the industry that mortgage broker payments would be overhauled, particularly around special commissions paid by banks to brokers for referring loans to them. The report said so-called upfront and trailing commissions, which depended on the size and length of the loan, increased the likelihood of misconduct and risky borrowing. Fees paid to home loan brokers are under fire. Credit:Rob Homer What is plain ... is that value-and volume-based remuneration for intermediaries in the home loan industry has been an important contributor to misconduct and conduct falling short of community standards and expectations, Hayne's report said. Nine Entertainment Co chief executive Hugh Marks will move quickly to cement the full control of radio network Macquarie Media and offload other assets that do not focus on national advertisers, mass audiences and digital subscriptions. Nine will trade on the Australian Securities Exchange for the first time on Monday since completing a takeover of the 177-year-old Fairfax Media and forming a $3 billion media business. Nine Entertainment Co chief executive Hugh Marks. Credit:AAP This plan means a likely sale of the regional publishing business Australian Community Media. The merger with Fairfax included a 54.5 per cent stake in ASX-listed radio network Macquarie Media, which operates talkback stations 2GB In Sydney and 3AW in Melbourne. Nine is looking to buy the remaining shares. What we do well as a business is working with national advertisers, Mr Marks said, We will be trying to move to that new model. Trade Me, New Zealand's largest online marketplace operator, is expected to find out this week if one of its two suitors will put up a $2.3 billion cash offer for the dual-listed stock. British private equity group Apax Partners got the ball rolling with an indicative $NZ6.40 per share cash offer last month and was given due diligence access by the Trade Me board, led by David Kirk, "to facilitate a binding offer." Trade Me chairman David Kirk. Credit:Ben Rushton It ends this Wednesday and an update is expected from Trade Me, which is being advised by Goldman Sachs. It is not the only suitor in the data room. Last week US private equity group Hellman & Friedman, also put in a non-indicative offer of $NZ6.45 a share and has been given due diligence access. Uber Technologies Inc has filed paperwork for an initial public offering, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, taking a step closer to a key milestone for one of the most closely watched and controversial companies in Silicon Valley. The ride-hailing company filed the confidential paperwork on Thursday, one of the sources said, in lock-step with its smaller U.S. rival, Lyft Inc, which also announced on Thursday it had filed for an IPO. Uber is eager to beat Lyft to Wall Street, according to sources familiar with the matter. Credit:Reuters The simultaneous filings extend the protracted battle between Uber and Lyft, which as fierce rivals have often rolled out identical services and matched each other's prices. Uber is eager to beat Lyft to Wall Street, according to sources familiar with the matter, a sign of the company's entrenched competitiveness. Its filing sets the stage for one of the biggest technology listings ever. Uber's valuation in its most recent private financing was $76 billion, and it could be worth $120 billion in an IPO. Its listing next year would be the largest in what is expected to be a string of public debuts by highly valued Silicon Valley companies, including apartment-renting company Airbnb Inc and workplace messaging firm Slack. Ongoing market volatility, however, could alter companies' plans. A customer threatened to kill a shop assistant and their entire family if they refused to remake a cheeseburger that was too cold. Another was threatened with rape and has had customers throw hot coffee on them. One customer threatened to slit a staff member's throat when they ran out of raspberry-flavoured soft serve. These are accounts from members of the shop assistants union which will on Monday launch a "no one deserves a serve" campaign to raise awareness about customer abuse of retail staff. The union says its research shows a vast majority of workers in the fast food industry around the country have experienced verbal or physical abuse from angry customers. It has received reports of death threats and other threats of physical harm, including rape. Thanks to the inevitable bonanza of yuletide performances, choirs the world over do a roaring trade at this time of year. Predictably, Handel's Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio will have their annual trotting-out, as will the familiar carol staples and other festive favourites. But for those in search of something a little less same-old same-old, there are riches to be found in more obscure corners of the choral canon. The Australian Chamber Choir's A Baroque Christmas offered a program almost entirely drawn from these lesser-known seasonal works, championing a sublime repertoire that is all too often neglected. Director Douglas Lawrence made some fascinating juxtapositions with his curation of the music, programming heavyweights of the era such as Gabrieli, Schutz and, of course, Bach, shoulder-to-shoulder with more enigmatic figures such as Sweelinck and Gesius. Occasionally alternating different composers' settings of the same text was another master stroke, putting into relief the ways different musical minds respond to the same muse. If the drone delivery scheme for Canberra takes off, there could be 11,000 flights a day, according to a scenario in a report written for the company behind the scheme. The economists at the AlphaBeta consultancy estimate that by 2030 there would be 5.6 million deliveries a year by drone in the ACT. Wing has been developing a drone delivery service for Tuggeranong. Delivery project manager Luke Barrington shows the aircraft and package involved. Credit:Karleen Minney Most of these would be of goods currently delivered by road or picked up by the buyer at the shop - but by 2030, the report says "of existing transactions, drones could replace up to one million deliveries and four million pick-ups". On top of that, the economists think there will be extra deliveries by drones because the cost of delivery will be so much less than using cars, vans or motorbikes. They say that "by 2030, drone related cost saving and range expansion could add 600,000 new transactions". For years I hated Christmas. In the days leading up to December 25, I would be consumed by anxiety and a sense of dread. The actual day was categorised with acute stress and tension. Id enter the new year sunk in depression. I grieved for the family and the Christmas I thought I was supposed to have; the ones you see on Netflix in winter wonderlands called Aldovia, and in product catalogues featuring happy families who seem to enjoy each others company and bring out the best in each other. 'I grieved for the Christmas I thought you were supposed to have.' Credit:Shutterstock In the past, I tried really hard to play my role in the perfect family charade. It used to be my dearest wish to find genuine acceptance at the family Christmas table. But no matter how hard I tried, things never seemed to go right. Christmases only got worse as the years ticked by and family skeletons tumbled out of closets, battle lines were drawn, lies and rumours crystallised into facts, and fundamental values clashed. Good morning Canberra and welcome to the start of a new week. And a wet day and week it looks like being. We're in for a top of 29 degrees today and there's a chance of a thunderstorm. Here's what's making the news across the capital. ACT to review concessional leases as part of infill push Should House Democrats spend the next two years arguing with each other over a policy agenda? Photo: James Hager/Getty Images After a good election result, the conventions of American politics dictates that the winners boast of a popular mandate to do whatever it is they want to do. And if said election delivers less than total power, its customary to pledge a robust effort to reach across the aisle to the other party and get things done in the national interest. You can see both of these conventions reflected in a letter that 46 of the 66 newly elected House Democrats sent to their leadership this week. They claim a responsibility and mandate for change in the U.S. Congress, and profess the importance of addressing concerns that cross party lines. In reality, of course, bipartisan legislation has become an endangered species, and the remaining Republican minority in the House is more obdurately conservative and partisan than ever. And there isnt going to be a lot of change legislated in partnership with Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Senate. Still, these politicians fresh from the campaign trail are on fire to keep talking about the cost of health care and prescription drugs, our crumbling infrastructure, immigration, gun safety, the environment, and criminal justice reform, as the letter says. But given partisan realities, the question remains: to what purpose, exactly? Roll Calls veteran observer Walter Shapiro raises this question bluntly in terms of the agenda of House Democrats this next year: In truth, the only legislative power the House Democrats will have in 2019 is the ability to say no. With a comfortable House majority, the Democrats can veto the further dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, the construction of Donald Trumps cherished border wall and the new trade treaty to replace NAFTA. But unless Mitch McConnell has a conversion experience rivaling St. Augustines, no House-initiated legislation will ever make it to the Senate floor. Yet it is easy to envision the House Democrats, goaded by their newer members, spending months arguing over the nuances of a single-payer health plan and wrestling with legislation to overhaul immigration enforcement. Against the backdrop of dire warnings about the acceleration of global warming, far-reaching environmental legislation is likely to be approved by the new House. So any progressive legislating the House does will be essentially a matter of messaging, or to put it less charitably, agitating the air while awaiting the power to do anything about it. Shapiro acknowledges that this isnt necessarily a waste of time; policy debates Democrats have now in the wilderness may bear fruit if their party recaptures the White House (and particularly if it gains a trifecta) in 2020. But its still a bit of a shadow show. And ultimately, what will likely define the Democratic Party more than anything that happens in Congress will be the policy positions, agenda, and message of the person Democrats nominate for president in 2020. If theres some struggle for the soul of the party on tap, it will take place in Iowa or South Carolina or California, not in the U.S. House of Representatives. Complicating the picture is that the House will have the power to investigate Donald Trump and his satraps. Yet a lot of Democrats ran campaigns that underplayed or even ignored the Trump circus, and many of the younger members wont be on the committees where investigations of the president and his administration play out. So how should the House Democratic leadership deal with the pent-up Democratic desire to do something now that at least one venue is within their control? Maybe they should take a long look at how Republicans managed their time in purgatory, from the reconquest of the House in 2010 until their achievement of the trifecta in 2016. Unlike todays Democrats, they did have some opportunities for bipartisanship; President Obama negotiated with the opposition on items big and small far more often than President Trump has done. They did pass a lot of messaging legislation they knew the Senate (before 2014) or Obama would kill, but they certainly had no inhibitions about investigating every real and imaginary sparrow that fell to the ground as a result of Obamas policies. Most notably, beginning in 2011 Republicans in both Houses signed onto a series of budget proposals collectively known as the Ryan Budget, in honor of their principal designer, the House Budget Committee chairman and then Speaker that purported to represent the domestic policy agenda the party would pursue when it gained real power. And in late 2015, holding power in both chambers, they even passed what they advertised as a trial run for a huge budget-reconciliation bill that would repeal Obamacare, defund Planned Parenthood, block-grant Medicaid, and begin reshaping the federal government along lines conservative ideologues had promoted for decades. This was the ultimate use of legislation for messaging: Heres exactly what well do as soon as we have the power. Theres no particular evidence that this sort of exercise helped Republicans win elections from 2012 through 2016, though it probably pleased a lot of conservative advocacy groups and donors. And whatever his ultimate intentions, when Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, given the GOP the long-awaited trifecta, it was not the result of a campaign waged on behalf of the Ryan Budget. Given Trumps indifference to conservative ideology, its a small miracle that something like the Ryan Budget emerged in 2017 as the united GOPs first legislative priority. But as we now know, not everyone who voted for the trial run in 2015 voted for the big package of legislation known as Obamacare repeal when push came to shove, and Trump caused constant problems as well with his varying whims on the bill. Now Republicans have lost their trifecta, with Obamacare, Medicaid, and Planned Parenthood funding (among other GOP targets) still intact. And to the extent that they have an agenda going forward, it is lashed to the wavering mast of Trumpism, and whatever follows it. All that show-and-tell about their agenda was mostly a waste of time. House Democrats should probably learn from their opponents experience, and spend less time rehearsing the tasks they will inherit with power, and more time making sure they arrive there in 2020 with the right kind of presidential leadership. If that means leaving their health-care policies a bit vague, or their souls un-struggled for, it could be a good thing. After all, there are investigations to pursue and Trump initiatives to kill. From War. Australian National Army Veterans Museum. Parliament House Art Collection. . Lest we forget. Parliament House Art Collection. Exhibition area, level 1 Parliament House. Both exhibitions are free and on display untul February 3, 2019 (except Christmas Day). aph.gov.au. When Saif Shamkhi was in the navy, he would draw with a grease pencil in a standard issue notebook to while away hours spent on the bridge, looking out to sea. Now his piece Pusser Post Resolute hangs in an exhibition at Parliament House alongside works by other Australian artists who are also veterans including Ian Fairweather, Albert Tucker and Guy Warren. Artist Saif Shamkhi beside his painting Pusser Post Resolute hanging at Parliament House. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong The exhibition, From War, has been curated by the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum, drawing on its collection and works held by Parliament House. Syrian refugee and chef George Tabbakh who left his family bakery behind in his war-torn country is getting a second chance to share his food and culture with the opening of Middle Eastern-themed Abboud Bakery, south-east of Brisbane. The Abboud Bakery aims to help refugees with the opportunity to work at the bakery while sharing Middle Eastern food to Brisbane. The third-generation family baker will make Lebanese bread and Middle Eastern treats at Underwood with the help of Brisbane lawyer Angelo Anthony and Coco Bliss franchisee Gus Khcheiche. Mr Tabbakh and other refugees working at Abboud Bakery will serve a traditional delicacies, including shakshuka dishes, meat bakery treats with kafta and lahembajin pizzas. Baklava and knafe, a traditional dessert made with thin noodle-like pastry infused with a sugar-based syrup, layered with cheese and ingredients such as clotted cream or nuts will be on offer. Three people have died and nine were injured in a serious crash near Lancelin where a bus carrying passengers and a 4WD towing a caravan collided on Sunday afternoon. Scene of the crash on Indian Ocean Drive from the Nine News helicopter. Credit:Alice Murray, 9 News Perth A police spokesman said up to four people were seriously injured in the horror crash, which shut a stretch of the Indian Ocean Drive overnight. Nine News Perth said dozens of firefighters, paramedics and police were called the scene of the crash, which happened just after 3pm in Cooljarloo, about 30 kilometres north of Lancelin. Aerial images from the news helicopter showed the 4WD appeared to have taken the brunt of the impact. The key political players and decision makers of the Australian Labor Party are about to gather in Adelaide for their 48th national conference from next Sunday. They will consider Labor's stand on a humanitarian issue that has been the focus of the partys ideals and aspirations for decades. Will it back a new global move to outlaw nuclear weapons? Support for signing and ratifying the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has already been endorsed by 78 per cent of members of the parliamentary Labor Party. They include national president Wayne Swan, deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen, Tony Burke, Mark Dreyfus, Mike Kelly, Joel Fitzgibbon, Linda Burney, Catherine King, Brendan OConnor, Anthony Albanese and Patrick Dodson. More than 20 leading trade unions have joined the ACTU in this cause. A nuclear shot fired in anger would be outlawed under the UN treaty, already signed by 122 nations. Credit:Reuters Despite existing party policy supporting the negotiation of the treaty, not all in the ALP leadership are yet strong supporters. Shadow foreign minister Penny Wong told the Australian Institute of International Affairs recently that ratifying the treaty would risk impacting on Australias alliance with the United States. Senator Wong has reconfirmed that Labors support for the alliance is unshakable. In 1996, a Coalition government led Australian support for the Land Mines Treaty, despite the fact that this did not at the time please the US. No doubt, Australia signing the nuclear ban treaty would require diplomatic engagement with the US, and reassurances, but we would not be alone. Most major non-NATO allies of the US with strategic working relations support the treaty. New Zealand has already signed and ratified the treaty, with the unanimous support of its parliament and without controversy. Jakarta: Scott Morrison's cabinet is due to discuss whether Australia's Israeli embassy should move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem at a meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday. The decision on the embassy move is being closely watched by senior figures in the administration of Indonesian president Joko Widodo, who are in regular contact with Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, Gary Quinlan. Last week, Foreign Minister Marise Payne met her Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi on the sidelines of a conference in Bali to discuss the issue though both women were tight-lipped about the details of the discussion after the meeting. A member of the Morrison cabinet told the Herald and The Age on Sunday that Tuesday's meeting was likely to be the last full cabinet get together before Christmas and that a discussion and a decision was likely. "There needs to be a practical and pragmatic approach to this, we dont want to upset trading partners like Indonesia," the cabinet minister said. Armidale police will look again at an unsolved arson mystery that destroyed a club building at a site later chosen as the national pesticides authority's new home. The investigation into the September 2016 fire, deemed arson in a coronial inquest, is expected to continue next year as police in the northern NSW town review more evidence. The pesticides authority is moving to a new building at 91 Beardy Street in Armidale. Credit:APVMA Police expected to receive more information recently and said the case remained open after the coronial inquiry in February failed to find the culprit. The arson mystery has gained the attention of Labor senators who at an October parliamentary hearing questioned federal government officials about the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's search for a site in Armidale. History has a habit of looking inevitable in retrospect. Thats Chris Bowen speaking, on the occasion of Kevin Rudds retirement from politics, an almost inconceivably long five years ago. In 2007, those of us on this side of the House, who were here in opposition, were not convinced we were going to win that election. I was a staffer that election year, working for a shadow minister, and what Bowen said went for everyone. There was optimism, definitely, and a growing sense that Rudd might win but they were mixed with terror. Nobody wanted to be the poor sod who made a dumb mistake and destroyed Labors chances. And none of us was as confident as hindsight might suggest we had a right to be. Illustration: Jim Pavlidis Credit: Sometimes history looks inevitable even before it happens like right now, when youd have to say the Morrison government has snowflakes. Commentators are still, just, hedging bets, as is right and proper, because its true that anything could happen. But hedging is all it is. And yet you can be sure that, whatever confidence Labor people might feel, however capable they are of rational private pronouncements on their chances of winning, there is a part of every opposition MP, staffer and operative that is a little frightened that history might yet switch rails at the last minute. This fear cuts both ways. It can force discipline on fractious troops. But it can also lead to serious risk aversion, which carries a risk of its own, especially for Labor. Beijing: China has summoned the United States ambassador Terry Branstaad to protest the "vile" arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, a day after expressing its displeasure to Canadian ambassador John McCallum. A bail hearing in Vancouver will resume on Monday, Vancouver time, to decide whether to release Meng from custody as she awaits the outcome of US extradition proceedings. Over the weekend, Chinese state media and the Chinese Foreign Ministry racheted up their response to Meng's arrest in response to a US arrest warrant, as Meng transferred flights in Canada. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told Branstaad on Sunday evening that the United States should revoke the arrest order. Le had on Saturday threatened Canada with "grave consequences" if it didn't immediately release Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder. Katowice: Thousands of people from around the world have marched through the southern Polish city that's hosting this year's UN climate talks, demanding that their governments take tougher action to curb global warming. Protesters included farmers from Latin America, environmentalists from Asia, students from the United States and families from Europe, many of whom said climate change is already affecting their lives. "Climate change is the thing that frightens me the most," said Michal Dabrowski from Warsaw, who brought his young daughter to the march on Saturday. "I'm a father and it's kind of crucial that she will have a decent life." Marchers gathered in one of Katowice's main squares before setting off for the conference centre where delegates from almost 200 countries are haggling over the fine print of the 2015 Paris accord to fight climate change. La Paz: Police in Bolivia say a former drug lord who had served almost 28 years in prison in the United States before returning to the Andean country has fled a medical clinic where he had gone for treatment. Jorge Roca Suarez, now 67, was one of Bolivia's leading drug lords in the 1980s after taking over from his uncle Roberto Suarez, who was known as the "Cocaine King". Bolivian drug king-pin Roca Suarez (right) pictured in the 1980s with Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Credit:unknown Roca Suarez was arrested when he returned to Bolivia in April. He had received a 10-day pass to go to the La Paz clinic. Fernando Rojas, deputy-director of the Special Force to Fight Crime, said on Saturday an operation was underway to find him Dont lock me up! Dont lock me up! Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images In 2016, Donald Trump claimed that Americas presidential election would determine nothing less than whether a proven criminal would be sent to jail or the Oval Office. In 2020, that might actually be the case. On Friday, federal prosecutors released a sentencing recommendation for Trumps longtime lawyer Michael Cohen and, in so doing, implicated the president in a federal crime, and suggested that he might well be implicated in several more. In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple campaign-finance violations, saying that he had been involved in an illicit scheme to aid Donald Trumps presidential campaign by providing hush payments to two of the GOP nominees alleged ex-lovers in fall 2016 (such hush payments would have constituted undisclosed, illegally large in-kind contributions to the Trump campaign). Cohen also claimed that Trump had been the mastermind behind said illicit scheme. In the sentencing memo Friday, prosecutors formally endorsed Cohens story, writing, Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1 a.k.a. the president. Thus, its quite plausible that the only reason Donald Trump has not been indicted on federal charges is because he is the president. The conventional wisdom among legal scholars holds that the commander-in-chief cannot be indicted so long as he or she remains in office. That means that if Trump loses in 2020, he could promptly find himself in legal jeopardy. If he wins, he could forever escape all legal liability for his part in Cohens crimes the statute of limitations on a campaign-finance violation committed in 2016 would likely expire in 2022. Granted, even if Trump were a private citizen, convicting him of violating campaign-finance law would be difficult, as prosecutors would have to prove that the mogul intended the hush-money payments to benefit him politically (as opposed to just maritally). But there is some reason to think that prosecutors have evidence that speaks to Trumps intent. And it appears more likely than not that prosecutors will implicate Individual-1 in additional crimes. As Barry Berke, Noah Bookbinder, and Norman Eisen explain in the New York Times: The special counsel focuses [in his sentencing memo] on Mr. Cohens contacts with people connected to the White House in 2017 and 2018, possibly further implicating the president and others in his orbit in conspiracy to obstruct justice or to suborn perjury. Mr. Mueller specifically mentions that Mr. Cohen provided invaluable insight into the preparing and circulating of his testimony to Congress and if others, including the president, knew about the false testimony or encouraged it in any way, they would be at substantial legal risk. Mr. Trumps legal woes do not end there. The special counsel also advanced the presidents potential exposure under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for activities relating to a potential Trump Tower Moscow. Mr. Mueller noted that the Moscow project was a lucrative business opportunity that actively sought Russian government approval, and that the unnamed Russian told Mr. Cohen that there was no bigger warranty in any project than the consent of Mr. Putin. And this says nothing of the new evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian government thats sprinkled throughout Muellers memo. These lines of inquiry may not bear prosecutable fruit, but Cohens conviction alone should be sufficient for putting the fear of a post-presidential indictment into Trump. It is true that the president could still be impeached instead of indicted. But even if Muellers investigation ultimately links the president to more crimes and demonstrates that his 2016 campaign had illicit ties to Russia it is hard to imagine a critical mass of Republican senators voting to remove Trump from office. There arent many things that this president has done with diligence and discipline, but delegitimizing the Mueller probe in the eyes of his base is one. And given how many blatant abuses of power that base has already witnessed and how unwavering the Trumpian proletariats support for their dear leader has been through it all its hard to see the presidents approval rating dropping to Nixonian levels, no matter what Muellers WITCH HUNT yields. All of which is to say: There is a significant chance that in 2020, Donald Trump will be running for a second-term and from the law simultaneously. And if that proves to be the case, the consequences for American political life could be dire. For Trump, the costs of losing the 2016 election were largely superficial by most accounts, the original aim of the reality television stars campaign was publicity, not the presidency. And yet, the mere threat of narcissistic injury was enough to inspire Trump to sow distrust in the legitimacy of the election. In July 2016, the GOP nominee told a crowd in Pennsylvania that the only way we can lose, in my opinion is if cheating goes on. One month later, he told supporters in North Carolina that if the states voter-ID law remained suspended, Clinton voters would go to the polls 15 times each. Shortly thereafter, Trumps first general-election ad hit the airwaves this was its opening image: Trump never stopped disputing the integrity of the election, even after he had won. Instead, the president-elect claimed, repeatedly, that millions of illegal ballots had robbed him of his rightful popular vote victory. In this years elections, Trump had far less at stake. He wasnt on the ballot himself, and a Democratic takeover of the House was already close to a foregone conclusion by midsummer. And yet, to boost his partys 2018 prospects, the president proved willing to fabricate an impending invasion by migrant terrorists and gangsters; suggest that said invasion was being organized by the Democratic Party as part of an elaborate bid to steal the midterm elections; persist in fomenting such incendiary conspiracy theories even after they inspired one of his supporters to attempt the assassination of many leading Democrats; and deploy thousands of U.S. troops to the southern border, so as to give his big lie an extra measure of credibility. Even before Muellers latest revelations, this behavior was sufficient to prompt widespread anxiety about what Trump would be willing to do to win reelection, and/or what he might incite Second Amendment people to do should he lose it. If the presidents personal freedom ends up on the ballot in 2020, a lot of worse-case-scenarios become more plausible. Some progressives have worried that Trump might actually be able to turn the threat of a post-election indictment into a source of electoral strength. The idea being: If the sitting president can (somewhat credibly) campaign against a deep-state plot to lock him up, then the Democratic nominee will struggle to focus attention on Trumps policy failures and substantive betrayals of working people, where he is arguably most vulnerable. But that particular fear seems unfounded. Trumps myriad scandals havent alienated the GOP base, but they appear to have damaged him with just about everyone else. And anyhow, there are plenty of ways to insert policy arguments into a campaign dominated by an incumbents corruption scandals (simply pointing out the president appears too consumed by his own problems to worry about yours could suffice). Should the Mueller probe continue to implicate the president in unsavory and illegal activities, the Democratic Partys 2020 prospects will improve; but Americas prospects of averting a democratic crisis and/or heightened levels of political violence wont. 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 Borrowers at Australias largest credit union will not have to worry about their banking needs over the Christmas holidays after the group launched a new app. Allowing users to instant chat with advisers, CUAs app will allow them to select a personal banker to assist with their banking and insurance needs. The rollout of iM CUA is across compatible Apple and Android devices and was timed to coincide with the Christmas and summer holiday season when people often worry even more about finances. The customer accesses the app with their online login details and can then view profiles on different bankers and advisers to select the one they would like to talk to. This is that customers personal adviser every time they log in. The profile includes each advisers operating hours and if a customer needs to talk to their adviser during a time they are offline, they have the option to leave them a message or speak to someone else if urgent. CEO Rob Goudswaard explained to Australian Broker that the personal bankers would get to know their customers to better support them, offering the convenience of modern technology with a distinctly human touch. He added, iM CUA is different to other banks that have chat-based apps, in that its the only app in Australia where you know you are chatting to the same personal banker every time you log on they get to know you and you can build a more personal connection. This app is a great option for members wanting to avoid queuing at a branch or waiting on the phone to chat to someone about their banking or insurance in the frantic weeks leading up to the festive season. For those members heading away on holidays, whether its within Australia or overseas, they can have peace of mind theyll be able to chat to a CUA personal banker from wherever they are. Whether theyre lazing on the beach, camping with the kids or jetting off to Hawaii. The iM CUA app is the member-owned organisations first initiative with Pivotus Inc., an international collaboration with leading banking providers including US West Coast bank Umpqua and the Netherlandss de Volksbank. Recently, US digital banking specialist Kony Inc, the provider of CUAs new mobile banking platform, announced it had acquired Pivotus Inc. CUA said the alignment of the two partner organisations could potentially pave the way for future opportunities around integrating CUAs mobile banking and iM CUA apps in the future. Goudswaard said this could look like a dedicated area for mortgage brokers and advisers for small businesses. 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 Steel companies are likely to drop prices of flat products by up to Rs 1,500 a tonne in one of the steepest downward revisions this financial year. It is likely to be made official on Monday. The possible drop is on the back of a global softening of prices, sliding exports from India and rising imports from FTA countries such as Korea and Japan. Globally, steel prices have corrected with China recording its highest monthly production at 82.5 million tonnes (mt) as against an average 70-73 mt. With limited countries to supply the excess production to, what with the trade wars, it is ... Embattled liquor tycoon is scheduled to return to Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. The 62-year-old former boss, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 90 billion, has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is "politically motivated" and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. "I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud," he said in his recent Twitter post on the issue. "I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it," he tweeted earlier. ALSO READ: SC agrees to hear Vijay Mallya plea against fugitive economic offender tag While dismissing that his intervention has anything to do with the extradition case, it came just days before Judge Emma Arbuthnot is expected to present her ruling in the case. The trial, which opened at the Magistrates' Court on December 4 last year, has gone through a series of hearings beyond the initial seven days earmarked for it. It opened with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) team, led by Mark Summers, laying out the Indian government's prima facie case of fraud and money laundering against Mallya. Summers sought to establish a "blueprint of dishonesty" against the businessman and that there are no bars to his extradition on human rights grounds. Mallya's defence team, led by Clare Montgomery, deposed a series of experts in an attempt to prove that the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. The court was also told that a consortium of Indian banks, led by State Bank of India (SBI), had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principal loan amount owed to them. While the CPS argued that Mallya never intended to repay the loans he sought in the first place because his airline's demise was inevitable, the defence tried to establish that was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the company's control. "There are clear signs that the banks seem to have gone against their own guidelines [in sanctioning some of the loans]," Judge Arbuthnot had noted during the course of the trial. ALSO READ: UK court allows Indian banks to pursue surplus money from Mallya yacht sale In relation to the defence's attempts to dispute Indian prison conditions as a bar to Mallya's extradition on human rights grounds, the judge had indicated to the CPS that she did not require any further information in reference to the prison conditions awaiting Mallya at Barrack 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after seeking a video of the cell. "If the judge is satisfied that all of the procedural requirements are met, and that none of the statutory bars to extradition apply, he or she must send the case to the Secretary of State for a decision to be taken on whether to order extradition," explains Pavani Reddy, a UK-based legal expert and Managing Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. The judge's decision on whether to send Mallya's case to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid can be appealed with the UK High Court's permission, with the person to be extradited entitled to make an application for permission to appeal to the High Court within 14 days of the date of the Chief Magistrate's ruling. On the other hand, the Indian government would also have 14 days to file leave to appeal to the High Court, seeking permission to appeal against a decision not to extradite. "In case the concerned individual does not file an appeal, and Secretary of State agrees with the magistrate's decision, then the individual must be extradited from the UK within 28 days of the Home Secretary's extradition order." "This will also apply if an appeal lodged by either party in the High Court is unsuccessful, but the 28 days will commence from the date when the appeal hearing was concluded," said Reddy. If the judgment goes ahead as scheduled on Monday, it would mark a significant point in this high-profile extradition trial that has lasted over a year. Hundreds of Airports Authority of India employees will go on a three-day relay hunger strike from Monday to protest against the government's move to privatise six airports, a union representative said. The Airports Authority Employees Union (AAEU) has also warned that staff would go on mass casual leave from December 28. The government last month cleared a proposal to manage six airports of Airports Authority of India (AAI) under the public private partnership. The aerodromes are Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru. In a release, the AAEU said it has been compelled to carry out hunger strike and mass casual leave under the banner of joint forum of union and associations of the Employees would go on a relay hunger strike for three days from Monday. "The relay hunger strike will not impact operations which will continue as we don't want passengers to face any kind of inconvenience," AAEU General Secretary B S Ahlawat told PTI. The AAEU, which represents 9,000 employees, had staged protests across the country on December 4 also against the government's decision. India and China will resume their joint military drills after a one-year gap on Tuesday in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu to improve capabilities in fighting terrorism and promote mutual understanding, officials said on Sunday. The opening ceremony of the drills will be held on December 11, they said. Each side will send 100 troops to take part in the 7th India and China joint military exercises - 'Hand in Hand' - which will focus on counter-terrorism operations, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Col Ren Guoqiang said last month. The exercises will be held after a gap of one year as both the sides were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector of the border in 2017. The strained relations between the two sides later improved resulting in an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Chinese city of Wuhan in April this year. "The drill will promote understanding between the two militaries and improving their capabilities in fighting terrorism," Col Ren said. The exercises, which will conclude on December 23, will include live shooting and adoptive and basic training, he said, adding that true to its name 'Hand in Hand', China and Indian militaries should also work hand in hand for the benefit of people in both the nation. Top leaders from both the countries met on November 24 at the 21st India-China border talks held at Dujiangyan near Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province. Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who are the designated Special Representatives, took part in the talks. They called for intensifying efforts to find a solution to the vexed border dispute. Earlier at the 9th Defence dialogue held here on November 13 between Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Lt Gen Shao Yuanming, Deputy Chief of Joint Staff Department of Central Military Commission, the two sides discussed bilateral relations, military ties, border control as well as regional and international issues. A Pakistani commander of the (LeT) terror outfit and two of its Kashmiri militants were killed by the Indian forces in an 18-hour-long gun battle that ended on Sunday here in the outskirts of the capital, police said. The police identified the two Kashmiri militants as Mudasir Parray and Saquib Mushtaq, both hailing from Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipore district. The third militant was identified as Ali Bhai, who is a resident of Pakistan. "All the militants belonged to the LeT militant outfit," a police officer said. An Indian soldier, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and three policemen were injured late on Saturday, hours after the encounter broke out around evening in the Mujgund area following a tip off about militant presence. The operation stretched for hours as militants kept on changing locations during the gunfight within the cordoned off area, a police officer explained. Four residential houses were also damaged during the operation. Civilian protesters clashed with the security forces the moment the gun battle ended on Sunday forcing authorities to suspend mobile Internet services in Srinagar district. Meanwhile, a Hizbul militant's close associate was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. The capacity-constrained Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Saturday handled a record 1,007 aircraft movements in a day, bettering its earlier record of 1,003 flight movements in 24-hours in June this year. Sources said the feat was achieved in the wake of the pre-wedding bash of Isha Ambani, daughter of industrialist and Indias richest person Mukesh Ambani, in Udaipur in Rajasthan. They said a host of politicians, corporate honchos and Bollywood stars flew in private jets from Mumbai to attend the celebrations that started on Friday. A Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) spokesperson confirmed that the airport handled a record 1007 arrivals and departures on Saturday but did not divulge the factors leading to the surge in traffic movement. " handled a record 1,007 flights in a single day on Saturday. The earlier best for the airport was 1,003 arrivals and departures which was achieved on June 6," the source said. According to the source, the airport witnessed increased charter aircraft operations on Saturday due to the pre-marriage celebrations of Isha Ambani, who is set to marry Piramal scion Anand Piramal on Wednesday at Antilia, the residence of the Mukesh Ambani family in south Mumbai. Mumbai airport, with two crossing runways - 09/27 (the main) and 14/32 (the secondary runway) - is the main hub of full service carrier Jet Airways and budget airline GoAir. While the primary runway can handle up to 48 arrivals and departures per hour, the secondary runway has a capacity of 35 flight movements per hour. The GVK-consortium-led handled 48.49 million passengers in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, registering a 7.4 per cent growth over FY17. Union minister has been slapped by a man at a public event in Maharashtra's Ambernath town, police said. The man, who allegedly slapped the Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief, has been identified as a worker of RPI(A) youth wing. The incident took place Saturday night as the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment was coming down from the stage, a police official said. The accused has been identified as Pravin Gosavi. He was later beaten up by Athwale's supporters. Gosavi has been shifted to the state-run J J hospital in Mumbai after receiving initial treatment in Ambernath, police said. The motive behind the attack was not known and police are investigating the matter. On Saturday, scores of RPI(A) workers assembled outside Athawale's residence with party flags, protesting against the incident. Former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian said on Sunday the new gross domestic product back-series data, released late last month by the Central Statistics Office and NITI Aayog, raised a lot of questions and hurt the credibility of official data. As an economist I have to say it (the new series) has created a lot of questions. If you look at the other indicators during that period, you see a difference between what those indicators show and what the recent back-series shows. 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 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 In a major step towards forming an anti-BJP front, top leaders will huddle here Monday to discuss forging a grand alliance to take on the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting, significantly, comes a day before the results of the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Mizoram Assembly polls are scheduled to be announced and the winter session of Parliament is slated to begin. (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is coordinating the meeting. He has invited the leaders of all the non-BJP parties. "The main agenda of the meeting is to chart the future course of action for forming a non-BJP front," a source said. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi are likely to attend the meet, during which the is also expected to chalk out a joint strategy for the winter session of Parliament. During the meeting at the Parliament House Annexe, the parties were expected to discuss their responses to government bills and issues related to the Rafale deal and farmers, sources said. Not only the heads of non-BJP parties, but also the chief ministers of opposition parties from Kerala, Punjab and Puducherry were invited to the meeting, they added. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy are expected to attend the meeting. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) leader Sharad Yadav are also among those likely to attend the meeting. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was unlikely to be part of the meeting, the sources said, adding that he might join the anti-BJP alliance post the general election. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was also unlikely to take part in the meeting, but her close aide Satish Chandra Mishra might attend it, a source said. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav was likely to attend the Opposition meet, but in case he was unable to come, then senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav would be present, a party source said. Naidu had last month met the heads of several opposition parties, including Rahul Gandhi, and termed the TDP's alliance with the Congress a "democratic compulsion" to protect the country. Sources said there could be pre-poll as well as post-poll alliances, taking into account the interest of each state. "Price rise, the ill-effects of demonetisation and the GST, unemployment and threats to the Constitution will also be on the agenda of the meeting," NCP leader D P Tripathi said. AAP leaders confirmed the party's participation in the Opposition meet called by Naidu. Earlier, the meeting was planned for November 22, but had to be deferred because of the Assembly polls in five states. Bangladesh's opposition party Sunday said nearly 2,000 of its supporters have been arrested on trumped-up charges in a crackdown aimed at derailing its campaign just weeks from a general election. The Nationalist Party, which is seeking to unseat Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 30, said at least 1,972 party officials and grassroots campaigners had been detained since the election was announced a month ago. The arrests are yet another blow for a beleaguered opposition whose leader Khaleda Zia has been jailed for corruption and barred from running against arch-rival Hasina, who is seeking a third consecutive term. The opposition boycotted the 2014 election, saying it was rigged against Zia in favour of Hasina and her ruling Awami League party. BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed told AFP the majority of party cadres rounded up since late November in the police sweep were still behind bars. "They have filed hundreds of ghost, or fictitious cases, against our party workers and leaders," he said. Another party official said at least 11 opposition candidates had also been detained before official campaigning begins Monday. "Six of them are still in the jail," said the official, who declined to be named. Police have said those arrested had outstanding warrants or were wanted over alleged connections to ongoing cases. Ahmed denied this, saying the crackdown was a political "blueprint" by the ruling party to intimidate its opponents. "The government wants to hold a lopsided election. These arrests are just to create fear among the people, so that they don't go to vote," he said. The opposition also accused police officials in Chittagong, a southern city, of campaigning on behalf of the Awami League. Police in the port city denied the allegations. The arrests further hinder an already battered alliance of opposition parties, led by the BNP, which have seen their core leadership jailed on charges they say are fabricated. Zia, a two-time former prime minister and friend-turned-foe to Hasina, was last month ordered by a court to stay behind bars for a decade for graft. Her supporters say the charges are politically motivated to stymie Hasina's chief political threat. Zia's son, a potential heir to the BNP throne, was sentenced in absentia to life behind bars while hundreds of other loyalists have been arrested or jailed, party officials say. Just a month from the polls, the BNP has not announced an alternative candidate to run against Hasina, whose rule has been marred by allegations of rights abuses and intolerance for dissent. has been led by either Zia or Hasina since the 1990s and the two powerful women have turned from close allies to fierce enemies. Hasina has refused to allow a caretaker government to oversee the country during the campaign period. The story of how Prime Minister Theresa May reached agreement on how Britain can leave the European Union offers lessons for the future of Brexit, whatever happens when parliament votes on the deal on Tuesday. In conversations with nearly a dozen people closely involved on both the British and EU sides of the negotiations over the past two years, Reuters has identified three major themes in the process that will continue to shape a vital economic partnership as officials and diplomats look toward the next phase. Unity is strength "We could have run round like headless ... China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, calling the case "extremely nasty". Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face ... Flexible intellectual property and opening up more to foreign investment will help to diffuse tension and enhance its economic stability, IMF's Chief Economist Maury Obstfeld on Sunday said. and the are currently engaged in a conflict and have slapped tit-for-tat tariffs of hundreds of billions of dollars on each other's goods. The tariffs stem from the Trump administration's demands that make sweeping changes to its intellectual property practices, rein in high-technology industrial subsidies, open its markets to more foreign competition and take steps to cut a USD 375 billion goods surplus. "One of the big issues in the trade disputes between China and trading partners is this area of intellectual property. And reforming that regime is a big to-do for the global multilateral order," Obstfeld told a group of journalists here. Noting that China is increasingly a producer of new technologies, he said it is really important that this does not play out in a conflicting way as it will destabilise the entire global economy as well as the global As such, the IMF's top economist said, it is important "to entice China into a sort of global framework" by entering into multilateral negotiations in which Beijing changes some of its trading practices and there is also accommodation to some of its legitimate economic goals. "Opening up more to foreign investment could benefit China greatly," he said. Responding to a question, he said, it is a matter of algebra for China to overtake the as the largest world economy if it keeps growing at the same rate. The opening up of the in the late 70s had remarkable positive effects on China's standard of living, Obstfeld said, adding, "there is significant room for China to open up further" and play bigger role in ways that "might enhance not only growth, but also economic stability". China, he said, should also move towards a more flexible currency. "It will be very important in helping the economy adjust and also to ultimately diffusing some of the trade tensions," he said. After serving as IMF's Chief Economist for more than three years, 66-year-old Obstfeld is set to retire this month-end. Gita Gopinath, Indian American economist from the Harvar d University, would replace him from the first week of January. China on Saturday summoned the Canadian ambassador over the "unconscionable and vile" detention of telecom giant Huawei's chief financial officer in Vancouver, state media reported, in Beijing's latest angry response to the hot-button case. Meng Wanzhou has been held since December 1 in Canada on an American extradition request and faces US fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran. The 46-year-old executive was arrested in Vancouver while changing planes, ratcheting up tensions between the US and China just as the countries' leaders agreed to a truce in their trade war. In a statement cited by official news agency Xinhua, China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Meng's detention was a "severe violation" of her rights and interests as a Chinese citizen. "Such a move ignores the law and is unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature," the news agency quoted Le as saying in the statement. Le summoned Canadian ambassador John McCallum in protest and urged Ottawa to release Meng immediately or face "grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for", Xinhua said. Meng -- the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, a former engineer in China's People's Liberation Army -- is set to remain in custody until at least Monday, when a Canadian court is expected to decide on bail. In a hearing that was adjourned on Friday, Canadian government lawyer John Gibb-Carsley asked for bail to be denied, saying Meng has been accused of "conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions." He said if convicted, she faces more than 30 years in prison. Meng is specifically accused of lying to a US bank, identified by her lawyer as "Hong Kong Bank", about the use of a covert subsidiary to sell to Iran in breach of sanctions. The extradition process could take months, even years, if appeals are made in the case. Canada has a long-standing extradition treaty with the United States, requiring it to cooperate with US Department of Justice requests to hand over suspects. The offence for which extradition is being sought must also be a crime in Canada, and a Canadian court must decide if there is sufficient evidence to support the extradition. On Thursday, Prime Minister defended Canada's arrest of Meng, saying politics played no part in the decision. A spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told AFP on Saturday that Ottawa had no further comment on the case. said Friday that it would "continue to follow the bail hearing", expressing "every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion". Meng's detention in Canada came on the day of a summit between US President and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, at which they agreed to a truce in their tit-for-tat tariff battle. The world's top two economies have exchanged steep tariffs on more than $300 billion in total two-way trade, locking them in a conflict that has begun to eat into profits. President Donald Trump's son-in-law continued to have private conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and advised him on how to deal with the aftermath of the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives, a US media report said. Kushner offered the crown prince advice "about how to weather the storm" following the killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the New York Times reported, citing a Saudi source familiar with the conversations. Since the early months of the administration, Kushner, the president's Middle East adviser, was in private and informal contact with Prince Mohammed, which was a cause of worry for senior American officials, the report said. Given Kushner's political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former senior US officials. In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new chief of staff tried to reimpose longstanding procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders. But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner, 37, and Prince Mohammed, 33, kept chatting, according to three former White House officials and two briefed by the Saudi royal court. In fact, they said, the two men were on first-name terms, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls. The exchanges continued even after the October 2 killing of Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents, according to two former senior American officials and the two people briefed by the Saudis. As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and American intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the prince's most important defender inside the White House, people familiar with its internal deliberations say. Kushner's support for Prince Mohammed in the moment of crisis is a striking demonstration of a singular bond that has helped draw President into an embrace of Saudi Arabia as one of his most important allies. But the ties between Kushner and Prince Mohammed did not happen on their own. The prince and his advisers, eager to enlist American support for his hawkish policies in the region and for his own consolidation of power, cultivated the relationship with Kushner for more than two years, according to documents, emails and text messages reviewed by NYT. A delegation of Saudis close to the prince visited the US as early as the month was elected, the documents show, and brought back a report identifying Kushner as a crucial focal point in the courtship of the new administration. He brought to the job scant knowledge about the region, a transactional mind-set and an intense focus on reaching a deal with the Palestinians that met Israel's demands, the delegation noted. Even then, before the inauguration, the Saudis were trying to position themselves as essential allies who could help the Trump administration fulfil its campaign pledges. In addition to offering to help resolve the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, the Saudis offered hundreds of billions of dollars in deals to buy American weapons and invest in American infrastructure. Trump later announced versions of some of these items with great fanfare when he made his first foreign trip: to an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The Saudis had extended that invitation during the delegation's November 2016 visit. "The inner circle is predominantly deal makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner," the Saudi delegation wrote of the incoming administration in a slide presentation obtained by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which provided it to NYT. Several Americans who spoke with the delegation confirmed the slide presentation's accounts of the discussions. The courtship of Kushner appears to have worked. Only a few months after Trump moved into the White House, Kushner was inquiring about the Saudi royal succession process and whether the US could influence it, raising fears among senior officials that he sought to help Prince Mohammed, who was not yet the crown prince, vault ahead in the line for the throne, two former senior White House officials said. American diplomats and intelligence officials feared that the Trump administration might be seen as playing favourites in the delicate internal politics of the Saudi royal family, the officials said. By March, Kushner helped usher Prince Mohammed into a formal lunch with Trump in a state dining room at the White House, capitalising on a last minute cancellation by German Chancellor Angela Merkel because of a snowstorm. Bending protocol, Kushner arranged for the prince, often referred to by his initials as MBS, to receive the kind of treatment usually reserved for heads of state, with photographs and news media coverage, according to a person involved in the arrangements. It appears to have been the first face-to-face meeting between Kushner and the prince, but Kushner raised eyebrows by telling in the White House that he and Prince Mohammed had already spoken several times before, two people at the event recalled. White House officials declined to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with the prince since the killing of Khashoggi. Their connection, though, has been pivotal since the start of the Trump administration. "The relationship between and Mohammed bin Salman constitutes the foundation of the Trump policy not just toward Saudi Arabia but toward the region," said Martin Indyk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Middle East envoy. The administration's reliance on the Saudis in the peace process, its support for the kingdom's feud with Qatar, an American ally, and its backing of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, he said, all grew out of "that bromance". The French government on Sunday urged not to interfere in French after the US president posted tweets about the protests rocking the country and attacked the Paris climate agreement. "We do not take domestic American into account and we want that to be reciprocated," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told LCI television. "I say this to and the French president says it too: leave our nation be." had on Saturday posted two tweets referring to the "yellow vest" anti-government protests that have swept France since mid-November and sparked rioting in Paris. "Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?" he suggested. Trump had earlier posted: "The isn't working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. "People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting 'We Want Trump!' Love France." Earlier this week Trump retweeted one of several posts falsely claiming that French protesters were chanting his name. The videos that have been used to support this claim were in fact filmed at a far-right protest in London earlier this year. The protests in France are not directly linked to the Paris climate agreement which was signed in 2015 and has since been abandoned by Trump, to the dismay of French President Emmanuel Macron and other Western leaders. Spurred by rising fuel prices -- in part due to tax hikes aimed at helping France shift to a lower-carbon economy -- the "yellow vest" protests have grown into a broad movement against Macron's policies and governing style. Other French politicians have also responded angrily to Trump's latest tweets, including a lawmaker from Macron's party who dubbed the US leader "Donald the Senile". "DON'T INSULT MY COUNTRY DOTARD," Joachim Son-Forget posted, employing an antiquated insult previously used against Trump by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump had weighed in on the protests in previous tweets, deploring the "large and violent French protests". Despite their differences -- Macron is a 40-year-old centrist and Trump a 72-year-old rightwinger -- the French and US leaders initially enjoyed warm ties. But relations have soured in recent months, not least over Trump's rejection of the climate agreement and hard-fought Iran nuclear deal. Last month a fresh row blew up after Macron gave an interview calling for a "European army" and arguing that Europe needed to be more independent from the US in its defence policy. Macron is further thought to have riled the US president during commemorations marking the end of World War I when the French leader took aim at Trump-style nationalism in his speech. Le Drian, like other members of the government, stressed that Macron wanted a dialogue with the protesters and would offer solutions when he addresses the nation early next week. "I think his remarks will be strong enough for the movement to halt, or at least for the hooligans to be put off," the foreign minister said. He expressed concern over remarks among some protesters calling for an "insurrection" in France. "As foreign minister I travel around the world and I know -- you can witness it in certain countries -- how fragile democracy is," Le Drian said. "I hear people saying, 'This is an insurrection'. That is not the republic I know. US-China trade negotiations need to reach a successful end by March 1 or new tariffs will be imposed, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday, clarifying there is a "hard deadline" after a week of seeming confusion among President Donald Trump and his advisers. Global markets are jittery about a collision between the world's two largest economic powers over China's huge trade surplus with the United States and US claims that China is stealing intellectual property and technology. "As far as I am concerned it is a hard deadline. When I talk ... Jamal Khashoggi Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Sunday rejected demands to extradite suspects connected to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as sought by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We do not extradite our citizens," Adel al-Jubeir told a news conference in Riyadh at the end of a summit of Gulf Cooperation Council states. Erdogan has repeatedly called on Saudi Arabia to hand over suspects in the killing of the dissident journalist. Khashoggi, a Saudi contributor to the Washington Post, was killed shortly after entering the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2. A Turkish court on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for former Saudi intelligence chief Ahmad al-Assiri and former adviser to the royal court Saud al-Qahtani, at the request of Istanbul's chief prosecutor. Assiri often sat in during Prince Mohammed's closed-door meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries and Qahtani was a key counsellor to the crown prince. Both were sacked after Riyadh admitted Khashoggi was killed in its consulate. "The Turkish authorities have not been as forthcoming as we believe they should have been," said Jubeir, saying Riyadh was presented with information that had already been leaked to the media. "We have asked our friends in to provide us with evidence that we can use in a court of law. We have not received it in the manner that it should have been received." According to Turkey, a 15-member Saudi team was sent to Istanbul to kill Khashoggi. Erdogan has said the order to kill Khashoggi came from the highest levels of the Saudi government, but has insisted it was not King Salman. The Turkish leader insisted last weekend during a trip to South America that Riyadh hand over the suspects, but said the kingdom was not cooperating. Riyadh has since detained 21 people over the murder. Despite speculation that the powerful crown prince ordered the hit, the kingdom has strongly denied he was involved. The murder has damaged Riyadh's reputation and Western countries including the United States, France and Canada have placed sanctions on nearly 20 Saudi nationals. Qahtani was among 17 Saudi officials targeted by sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department in mid-November for "his role in preparing for the operation" against the journalist. Outcome of state elections, crude oil price movement and global market cues amid a flare-up in US-China trade tensions will set the tone for equities this week, say experts. The stock may witness bouts of volatility due to developments on the political front, they added. Regulator Sebi and the stocks exchanges will step up their surveillance mechanism to check any market manipulation in the wake of exit polls released after market hours Friday. The final results of five state assembly elections -- Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram -- will start pouring in on Tuesday morning. The exit polls Friday predicted a tight finish between the BJP and the Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and a win for the opposition party in Rajasthan. "Investors should stay cautious ahead of state elections' outcome, domestic and global macroeconomic data and crude oil price movement next week. The five state election results on Tuesday will be crucial for the general elections in 2019," said Rahul Sharma, Senior Research Analyst, Equity99. Mustafa Nadeem, CEO, Epic Research, said, "Opec meet and the arrest of Global CFO of Huawei has unnerved investors. To add more to it, domestic state election results may just be the fuel for a short-term volatility." ALSO READ: FPIs pull out nearly Rs 4 bn in 5 sessions on global cues after Huawei case Brent crude spurted more than 2 per cent Friday after oil cartel Opec agreed on a production cut to shore up prices. were roiled last week following the arrest of the CFO of Chinese telecom giant Huawei in Canada, which threatens to upend the trade negotiations between the US and China. China has warned of "grave consequences" if Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the company's founder, is not released. This may further dent the risk appetite of global funds and may also have an impact on the rupee, analysts added. The Sensex fell by 521.05 points, or 1.43 per cent, over the last week to close at 35,673.25 points. (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 Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested ten people in the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) Group D exams case. West Kanpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Suman said the arrested persons were a team of "paper-solvers" who used to create fake exam documents and charged money for writing exams. "10 people have been arrested; five people are yet to be arrested. Most of them are from Bihar and Prayagraj," he told media here on Saturday. 11 mobile phones, 21 admit cards, a fake voter ID card, five bank cheques, three driving licenses, 19 Aadhar cards, six ATM cards, three pan cards, a motorcycle, a scooty and Rs 56,260 cash have been seized. A case has been registered and investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of Indian pilgrims, comprising 139 people on Sunday left for Shree Katas Raj Dham in Pakistan's Chakwal district. With the echoes of 'Jai Kara', the group left for Pakistan via Wagah border. Shiv Pratap Bajaj, the leader of the group stated that several people were denied visa during former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif government. Katas Raj, is considered as one of the holiest places for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named Katas -- which is regarded as sacred by the devotees. The six-day pilgrimage will also include religious congregation where Hindu families from across Pakistan will gather. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to the pilgrims to visit the temple from December 9-15. The Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974) governs reciprocal visits by Indian and Pakistani pilgrims to designated shrines in Pakistan and India. Pakistan's High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood stated that the issuance of visas to the Indian pilgrims from India "was consistent with the Government of Pakistan's policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and was a reflection of Pakistan's commitment to faithfully implement the 1974 Protocol." "Pakistan remained committed to providing all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims and strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries," he said in a press statement. Recently, Imran Khan-led Pakistan government laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, the route would allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Airports Authority of India (AAI) Employees Union has called for a three-day hunger strike to protest against the Government of India's decision to privatise six airports. The protest will begin from Monday. The Union Cabinet last month cleared a proposal to manage Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and three other airports under the PPP. The three other aerodromes are those at Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram, and Mangaluru. In a release, the AAI employees union has said, "The policy of the government is not clear with regard to profit making industries and the Union is carrying out the Industrial Action due to media report of the proposal of PPP, the Union carrying out Industrial action as well as Mass Casual Leave 28.12.2018 Relay Hunger Strike on 10.12.2018 to 12.12.2018." It added, "Public-private partnership (PPP) model causes denial of Job opportunities to the society coming under the purview of SC/ST/OBC group as reservation policies restricted only to Govt. sector. The government not allowing the AAI Board to function administratively to bring higher growth in order to meet the requirement of rural/urban Airports and frequently media printing RFQ/ PPP of Airports." The union also said, "Govt. 2015 dropped the PPP and allowed the AAI to commensurate the projects of the above Airports and accordingly many other projects AAI is in progress and some of the Airports projects completed to meet the requirement of public policy." It added that the private airports are expensive and not efficient in any manner. They also said, "They are the killer of growth in aviation sector in long run. (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 Saturday inspected preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. While speaking to the media, Adityanath said, "With the Centre and state's support, I am certain Kumbh, which is the world biggest spiritual and cultural festival, will be a grand success. Both central and state government have together developed the infrastructure for the mela. A major part of the work will be done by December 15. Prime Minister will come to Prayagraj for the opening of the Kumbh." On Thursday, Adityanath had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss the arrangements for the upcoming Kumbh Mela to be held in Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad). The 45-day festival will start on 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 their sins. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With France reeling under violent 'yellow vest' protests due to the hike in fuel taxes and deteriorating economic situation, demonstrations have spread like wildfire and entered and the Hundreds of protesters wearing high-visibility yellow fluorescent vests descended upon the streets of to protest against higher fuel prices, where the agitation turned violent as protesters damaged public property and clashed with security forces, Anadolu News Agency reported. Amid the tensions, police personnel were forced to use water cannons and pepper spray in a bid to disperse the demonstrators. Protestors gathered in Arts-Loi in and staged a massive walkout towards Schuman Roundabout, home to a number of offices and towards the European Parliament, but were stopped by the security forces. During the clashes, the agitators blocked arterial roads, threw stun grenades and damaged traffic signals and the environment. Over 100 people have been detained by the police so far. They have demanded Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel to step down from his post. In the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, protestors staged a peaceful demonstration in various parts, singing and handing flowers to the passers-by and asking them to participate in the agitation, according to local media reports. Security has been heightened in both the countries as more protests are planned in the coming days. Back in France, at least 200 people were arrested on Saturday, with the police resorting to firing hundreds of tear gas shells to disperse crowds during the ongoing fourth week of protests across the country against President Emmanuel Macron-led government. At least 1,385 protesters were arrested across France during the fourth weekend of "gilets jaunes" or the "yellow vest" demonstrations. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said that as of Saturday evening, 1,385 people, with 920 alone in Paris, were arrested in connection to the demonstrations that attracted 125,000 people around the country and 10,000 in the capital, reports Efe news. Castaner, who warned that the number of arrests will increase since the violence in and some other cities will continue, said that 118 demonstrators were known to have been injured along with 17 police officials. A number of France's monuments, including the iconic in Paris, remained closed as authorities anticipated a repeat of last week's violence, deploying over 8,000 policemen in the French capital to maintain order. The protests on Saturday were the fourth in a series that last week culminated into the worst rioting in France for decades. The government expects more protests in the country in the following days, owing to which, around 89,000 security personnel have been deployed across France. The yellow vest protests, which initially began as a campaign against skyrocketing fuel prices, has expanded into a huge agitation over discontent on a wide variety of issues against the French government in recent weeks. The demonstrations, which began on November 17, went on to become one of France's worst rioting in decades as protesters clashed with the police, looted shops and set fire to vehicles around Paris' Champs Elysees avenue last weekend. During protests on December 1, 201 civilians and 284 police personnel were injured amid scenes of urban guerrilla tactics. French authorities deployed 89,000 police and gendarmes (65,000 the week before), with 8,000 of them in the capital and this time with orders to act quickly against any fighting in order to prevent destruction, and also to raise barricades. Macron, who said that the hike was necessary to tackle the threat of climate change, has drawn huge criticisms from the protestors, who believe that the French President has been enacting policies in favour of the country's richest section of society. A workshop on "Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh is building a world-class Knowledge City within its new capital Amaravati with the vision to nurture talent and support innovations. APCRDA is the nodal agency which is developing the state's new capital city. "Under the progressive leadership of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu the state is working towards developing the right ecosystem which will support innovations and provide future generations an effective platform to learn and prosper. We are developing a Knowledge City in Amaravati which will be built around education, research and development, skill enhancement and start-ups spread over 8,547 acres with an estimated population of 4.3 lacs. The Knowledge city is expected to generate employment for more than 1.7 lac people," said Dr. Sreedhar Cherukuri, Commissioner, APCRDA. Highlighting the importance of the upcoming capital city of Amaravati, Praveen Prakash, Resident Commissioner of the Andhra Pradesh government, said: "The capital city of Amaravati is a symbol of sustainable and inclusive growth. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, the Knowledge City is poised to become a world-class centre to fulfill the aspirations and motivations of the people of the state. There is a big opportunity that lies in the Knowledge city for setting up of schools, colleges and universities, skill development centres, research centres, and start-up incubation centres." Underlining the state government's seriousness in engaging with serious investors and calling for investments in the Knowledge City, Bhavna Saxena, IPS, OSD, Economic Development Board, Government of Andhra Pradesh promised to extend full support to those interested in investing in the state. She also stressed that the city will become a world class start-up hub with end to end ecosystem for incubators and investors. Aditya Nath Das, Principal Secretary, School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh said that equal access to good is what we are striving for. Our aim is to provide world class and knowledge ecosystem to our students to help them become competitive. The idea is to provide world-class education system within the state. Speaking at the workshop, Rajive Kumar, Adviser - I, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) said the upcoming Knowledge City will be one of its kind in the country which will develop the next generation talent which will play an important role in the future development of the nation. According to Centre for Strategy and Leadership's Chief Executive and Director Vikas Sharma: "A good education system facilitates knowledge creation for Human Advancement. The Knowledge City will not only promote research and development, but will also hone employability skills among the youth. Now, the state is breaking new ground by building an entire city with Knowledge at its core." The workshop was attended by representatives from leading schools, colleges, universities, start-ups, development banks, national and international NGOs, academicians, think-tanks, media, and infrastructure developers, among others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale, who was slapped by a man on Saturday, has said that someone furious and jealous of his growing popularity might have conspired against him. Athawale was slapped by worker of his party's youth wing Pravin Gosavi on Saturday night during an event in Ambarnath city here. Following the incident, Gosavi was thrashed by the public and later detained by the police. Union Minister will meet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis later today and sought an investigation into the matter. "I'm a popular leader, this might have been done at the behest of someone who is angry over something. Security arrangement there wasn't adequate. I'll meet Chief Minister (Devendra Fadnavis) over this incident. It should be investigated," he told the media. "I have no enmity with anyone. I am a popular leader and probably someone angry with me might have connived to get this done," he added. Athawale also expressed disappointment over the inadequate security measures provided to him during the event and said, "There was no adequate security by the police at the event that was organised yesterday. While I was going to sit in my vehicle even then I wasn't provided security by the concerned police station." "This incident must be enquired from every possible angle. I request my party workers to maintain peace and should not indulge in any such activity that would create law and order problem." Meanwhile, Members of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) have called for a statewide bandh today (December 9) to protest against the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an unauthorised yellow vest protest organised here on Saturday, police detained as many as 450 people. According to Sputnik International, at least 10 people were produced in the court following the arrest. A minor was also detained following the arrest, stated that the prosecutor's office. "The Brussels Prosecutor's Office can provide the following information. At this stage, the issuing of arrest orders has been confirmed for 10 people," the prosecutor's office said in a statement. Dozens were detained after the yellow vests protests were held in Brussels on November 30. The demonstrations are being held all across Belgium and Netherlands against the hike in fuel tax, which first began in France since November 17. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Another police officer has been transferred in connection with the mob violence in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district in which two people including a cop were killed. Raees Akhtar, who was the Additional Superintendent of Police, (Rural) Bulandshahr has been transferred to Provincial Armed Constabulary headquarters, Lucknow. Manish Mishra has replaced Akhtar. Yesterday, Bulandshahr Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Krishna Bahadur Singh and two other police officials including Syana Circle Officer Satya Prakash and Chingravathi police station in-charge Suresh Kumar were transferred in connection with the mob violence. On December 3, clashes erupted in Bulandshahr after cattle carcasses were found in a field, which led to agitation by locals demanding the closure of all illegal animal slaughterhouses. In the protests that ensued, a policeman named Subodh Singh and a civilian identified as Sumit were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UP government Sunday transferred Raees Akhtar, who was posted as additional superintendent of police (rural) in Bulandshahr, six days after two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter incident. In a statement issued here, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said Akhtar has been transferred to PAC Headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra, posted as additional superintendent of police at modern control room, Ghaziabad, has been made the new ASP (rural) of Bulandshahr. The development comes close on the heels of the arrest of an Army jawan allegedly involved in the killing of a police inspector during the mob violence. "The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to Special Task Force team in Meerut yesterday late night," IG STF Amitabh Yash told PTI. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Singh and his team had gone to the area to tackle the violence when they came under attack by the mob. On Saturday, the UP government transferred Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh to the DGP office in Lucknow. Kumar had said the senior superintendent of police will be replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. The government has transferred two other policemen of Bulandshahr district Circle Officer of Syana area Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police chowki in-charge Suresh Kumar. Additional Director General, Intelligence, SB Shiradkar submitted a report on the violence Friday. The transfers are understood to be in line with the findings of the report on police handling of the situation. Inspector Singh, who died in the mob violence, was the investigating officer of the Dadri lynching case from September 28, 2015 to November 9, 2015. However, the chargesheet was filed by a different IO in March, 2016. Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. In a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Raj had claimed innocence. Another inquiry by a government-constituted SIT is underway, and the team is going into the details and video footage of the incident, an official said. Also, a magisterial probe has been ordered by the government. The government has been severely criticised by opposition leaders over law and order and for its handling of the situation after the violence. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the violence in Bulandshahr was an "accident" and there did not happen any incident of mob lynching in his state. He, however, assured that no one responsible for the violence will be spared. The Congress has slammed Adityanath's downplaying of the severity of an incident of mob violence and said he has attempted to "derail" the probe in the case. China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on Saturday summoned Canada's ambassador to China, John McCallum, in strong protest over the arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou last week. In a statement, Beijing urged the Canadian government to release Meng immediately or face severe consequences, Toronto Star reported. Meng was arrested on December 1 while transferring planes at Vancouver International Airport en route to Mexico from Hong Kong and has been accused of fraud with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, allegedly allowed the company's subsidiary SkyCom to do business in Iran, thereby violating US sanctions against the country. The US government has long viewed the company and its close ties to the Chinese government as a threat to national security. Huawei reportedly also received several warnings over violating Iranian sanctions. Meng may be extradited to the US, subject to approval from a Canadian court. On Friday, Meng appeared before a Canadian court over her bail, following which the decision was adjourned. The hearing is set to resume on Monday on whether bail would be granted or not to Meng. Huawei claims that it is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng and the Chinese government has firmly requested Meng's release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While exuding confidence of coming back to power in the state, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday asserted that Congress is distressed and that is why it is creating a hue and cry over EVM malfunctioning and several other baseless issues. Speaking to media, Chouhan said, "The BJP is going to form the government. Congress is distressed and that's why they are speaking many unreasonable things. They first raised suspicion on EVMs and even doubted Election Commission. They will try to create obstacles at the time of counting too. Hence, State BJP chief Rakesh Singh has discussed this with district president, district in charges, assembly candidates and MPs." He further informed that all the party workers have been asked to stay peaceful but alert. "They have been asked to stay calm but be alert. Caution should be maintained during counting as Congress will create obstacles at every step," said Chouhan. He also said that the party workers are happy as they are confident of sweeping this elections with a big majority. Madhya Pradesh went to polls on November 28 while the counting of votes will take place on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Onset of chilly winters and dismal air quality is proving to be a deadly combination for Delhi residents. On Sunday, the minimum and maximum temperatures in the region were hovering at 24-degree Celsius and 10-degree Celsius, respectively. As per Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi docked at 348 in the morning. An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 is marked as severe/hazardous. At Dhirpur, the AQI was 282 at 8:30 am, while in Mathura Road area it dipped to 'hazardous' category at 451. Furthermore, AQI near Pitampura, Airport, Terminal 3 and Delhi University stood at 263, 324 and 243 respectively. "The overall air quality in Delhi is 'very poor' and will remain in the same category for the next three days. Moderate surface wind speed is not allowing pollution to accumulate significantly. Rest weather conditions are unfavourable for the air quality. Moderate foggy conditions are prevailing over Delhi and surrounding regions but likely to improve a bit by tomorrow," SAFAR added. Speaking to ANI, Ritu Sharma, a resident of Delhi's Pitampura area said that the foggy morning and air pollution is making it difficult for her to carry out routine outdoor activities and is also aggravating her asthma. "From the past 10 years, I regularly go for a morning walk as I have bronchitis asthma. Doctor has suggested light exercises outdoor but due to air pollution I suffer from breathlessness and fatigue," she stated. In order to combat the menace of air pollution, the Supreme Court-appointed Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority for the Capital Region (EPCA) has advised the Municipal Corporations of NCT of Delhi and NCR to increase the frequency of mechanised cleaning of roads and sprinkling of water on roads. The organsiation has further suggested intensification of public transport services and introduce differential rates to encourage off-peak travel. Moreover, after taking cognisance of the deteriorating air quality, the EPCA will soon hold a meeting, specifically for industries set up in and around Delhi, to discuss the progress of shifting from coal to natural gas. The organisation had stated that "the ease of breathing" cannot be compromised for the "ease of business". On Constitution Day last week, President Ram Nath Kovind also spoke on the increasing air pollution across the country and stated, "If a child suffers from asthma as a result of air pollution, I see it as a gap in justice." According to the latest report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), as many as one million lives in the world can be saved if all the countries reduce the menace of air pollution in accordance with the Paris Agreement by 2050. WHO presented this report at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice on December 5 this year. "The evidence is clear that climate change is already having a serious impact on human lives and health. It threatens the basic elements we all need for good health-clean air, safe drinking water, nutritious food supply, and safe shelter-and will undermine decades of progress in global health. We can't afford to delay action any further," the report read. "When health is taken into account, climate change mitigation is an opportunity, not a cost," Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'Saath Nibhana Saathiya' fame Devoleena Bhattacharjee has denied being detained in connection with the death of a Mumbai-based diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani. The actor, popularly known as Gopi Bahu, and politician Sachin Pawar on Saturday appeared before Pant Nagar Police station to record their statements in connection with the death of a businessman in Navi Mumbai. In addition to this, some media reports asserted that she was arrested by the police. Today, the actor's advocate, Falguni Brahmbhatt, issued a statement denying the arrest reports. "Some media houses have published a false story that in the said case my client has been arrested without verifying the facts and its authenticity which has not only tarnished her (Devoleena Bhattacharjee) image and caused humiliation to her but it has caused a Hindrance and Prejudice in the entire case because of the inappropriate media reports," the statement read. "You are therefore called upon to refrain yourselves from publishing such articles without verifying the facts. If you fail to do so and in case any such articles get published henceforth, my client will be compelled to take appropriate legal action against those who do so," she concluded the statement writing. Udani, 57, was reported missing by his family on November 29, while his body was recovered on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in order to ensure a fair and transparent probe in the Dhenkanal shelter home case. The Dhenkanal Police has already sealed a shelter home run by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in view of the sexual harassment allegations levelled by inmates. Some minor inmates of the shelter home accused the officials of sexual harassment, following which district Child Welfare Committee (CWC) officers and Child Protection Officer (CPO) raided the shelter home and later filed a complaint at Sadar Police station. Dhenkanal's Sadar Police arrested the Project Director, Assistant Director and Managing Director of the shelter home in connection with the case. Meanwhile, the inmates of the shelter home have been shifted to a nearby childcare centre. A fact-finding team of Odisha Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by the president of the Mahila Morcha, Prabhati Parida, also visited the shelter home to meet the inmates and locals. However, the concerned shelter home was sealed and the inmates were shifted to some other place before their arrival. Meanwhile, Union Minister for Women And Child Development Maneka Gandhi has written to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressing grief over the incident. "I am profusely aggrieved by news coming in from Dhenkanal about the state of affairs at the Good News India shelter home for children. It is alleged that the shelter home was rife with incidents of sexual harassment and was being used as a front for illegal religious conversion. Investigations have revealed that the 'Good News India' organisation running these homes has been operating in Odisha for the past two years without registration under Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act, 2015,"she wrote. Gandhi also hit out at the state government for letting the incident occur. "This incident is revealing of a deep and utter failure on the part of the state government in taking basic precautionary measures for the safety and welfare of children, leading to such a heinous incident," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle once again opened up about his distant relationship with his daughter and son-in-law Prince Harry. "Everything has been met with a stony silence. She would be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her," E!Online quoted the former lighting director's statement to The Mail. Thomas also said that he has been trying to get in touch with the Duchess of Sussex for some time now, but his calls have gone unanswered. The 74-year-old claimed that his life had been "turned upside down" after Meghan got married to Harry. "I have made dozens of attempts to reach my daughter via text and letters, but she and Harry have put up a wall of silence. If she would just speak to me, things could be different. I love Meghan very much. I want her and Harry to have a beautiful, healthy baby and a great life," he concluded. Earlier, opening up about her daughter's pregnancy, he said that it all feels "overwhelming and joyful." Prince Harry, sixth in line to the British throne, and Markle got married at Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel on May 19. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following the violent "yellow-vests" protests in the French capital on Saturday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said that it was time for a dialogue "to knit our national unity back together" and called for a discussion with the protesters. "No tax is that important to threaten national unity. We must continue with dialogue, with coming together," Al Jazeera quoted the French Prime Minister as saying. Official data showed that approximately 125,000 protesters took to streets across France on Saturday, with 10,000 in Paris alone. Thousands of protestors, most of who were dressed in 'gilets jaunes,' the yellow fluorescent vests that have symbolised the movement, gathered at the Champs-Elysees at around 11 am (local time) and chanted "Down with Macron" and "Calm down police," CNN quoted the French police as saying. A number of France's monuments, including the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, remained closed on Saturday as authorities anticipated a repeat of last week's violence, deploying over 8,000 policemen in the French capital to maintain order. Police held 481 people for questioning and arrested 211 arrests as of 11 am (local time), Prime Minister Eduardo Philippe confirmed. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, who had not spoken publicly since last week's violence in the capital, personally took to Twitter, saying, "To all [the security] forces that mobilised today, thank you for the courage and the exceptional professionalism you showed." Since the French government scrapped the hike in fuel tax price and froze gas and electricity prices for the next year, the "yellow vest" protest has continued with a broader set of economic demands, including lower taxes, higher salaries, cheaper energy costs, better retirement provisions and even Macron's resignation. United States President Donald Trump also took to Twitter, saying, "Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? The U.S. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress worker Jagdish Sharma, who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday morning and released by the investigating agency in the evening, has alleged that the central government is unable to prove the land scams against Robert Vadra, and is hence having raids conducted. Sharma, who is believed to be a close aide of the businessman, told ANI, "I think since the government is unable to prove the land scams against Robert Vadra, they are doing these things. I was pressurised and asked to name various people. I know Robert Sahab for last 25 years and he has not done any wrong." While being taken to the ED office, Sharma had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government wanted to "trap" Vadra. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rajeev Shukla, while speaking about the raids, told ANI: "The ED raided his personal staff residence. People were cooperating with the agency. A person had gone to get the key of the office, yet they chose to break the lock of the office. Just because you are in power does not mean that you can harass anyone. If you have any evidence then that must be produced before the court. After all, there is a system in place." On Friday, the ED conducted raids at the premises of some close associates of Vadra, son-in-law of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, for allegedly receiving money from defence suppliers, according to sources in the investigating agency. The raids were conducted at three places in Delhi, in addition to Bengaluru, the ED sources said. While Vadra's advocate Suman Khaitan cried foul, the ED sources said the investigating agency has "evidence" that the persons being raided had received money in their bank accounts from defence suppliers. Khaitan claimed that the ED officials raided "close associates" and business partners of Vadra without producing any search warrants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress worker Jagdish Sharma, who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) yesterday for interrogation, on Sunday said that he informed the investigating agency that he was businessman Robert Vadra's 'chela' (disciple). Sharma, who is believed to be a close aide of Vadra, was taken into ED custody for interrogation as part of an ongoing probe against Vadra for allegedly receiving money from defence suppliers. However, Sharma was release later in the evening. Speaking to ANI, Sharma said that ED and the central government are frustrated because they did not find anything against Vadra during its raids. "ED raided my family's locations at 7 in the morning. Raid continued for 24 hours, while I was taken for questioning for 10 hours. They had only one motive. They asked me how do you know Robert Vadra...what wrongdoings has he done. Quite straightforwardly, I answered them that I am Vadra sahab's 'chela'. I keep Congress party in my heart and can do anything for them," he said. Accusing the ED of framing wrong charges against Vadra, Sharma said, "As far as Robert sahab is concerned, he has never done anything wrong in his life. They are trying to frame Robert Vadra. They took me for questioning in property case but didn't ask me anything regarding that. All that they asked me was about Robert Vadra. This is because BJP is going to lose badly in five states. They are only trying to mislead the country by showing they have tightened the noose on Robert Vadra. If you have to catch someone, catch Nirav Modi, Mallya who are on the run. Only Gandhi family is being troubled," he added. Earlier, while being taken to the ED office, Sharma had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government wanted to "trap" Vadra. On Friday, the ED conducted raids at the premises of some close associates of Vadra for allegedly receiving money from defence suppliers, according to sources in the investigating agency. The raids were conducted at three places in Delhi, in addition to Bengaluru, the ED sources said. While Vadra's advocate Suman Khaitan cried foul, the ED sources said the investigating agency has "evidence" that the persons being raided had received money in their bank accounts from defence suppliers. Khaitan claimed that the ED officials raided "close associates" and business partners of Vadra without producing any search warrants. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini on Saturday vowed to protect the interests of the citizens of the country while voicing his dissent against same-sex marriages. Addressing a gathering of 50,000 people at a mass rally in the Italian capital, Salvini said that the current government would complete its five-year team without any obstacles, while promising policies that would be "Italians first", CNN reported. The public meeting was being held to celebrate six months in power of Italy's coalition government, where Salvini's Northern League party forged an alliance with the Five Star Movement party. Denouncing same-sex marriages, which is illegal in Italy, Salvini, who also holds the post of the Interior Minister, vowed a return of the country's traditional roots. He said: "We will be judged by the number of cribs we fill, with babies born not to parent one or parent two but to a mother and a father." The far-right leader also took a jibe on the European regulations on the so-called 'Made in Italy' products, saying: "We need a new European Union (EU) based on respect, work and progress." The Mediterranean nation is in a deadlock with the European Commission over its proposed budget, with the bloc saying that the budget does not respect the fiscal rules on its member states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three terrorists were neutralised while an army jawan sustained injuries during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Mujgund region on Sunday. Identities and affiliations of the killed terrorists are being ascertained while the injured jawan has been shifted to a hospital for medical treatment. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police have also registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter. A search operation was launched on Saturday, jointly by police and security forces, based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists in Mujgund area on Bandipora Road. During the joint operation, the search party was fired upon by the hiding terrorists. The fire was retaliated, which lead to a gunfight. "Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any," the police said in a press statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Madhya Pradesh's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Saturday held a meeting at the party headquarter in Bhopal, which saw incumbent chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state President Rakesh Singh, state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh and BJP MP Manohar Untwal in attendance. Speaking to the media after the meeting, a leader of the party claimed that they were confident of winning the elections and forming the government in the state for the fourth consecutive time. "We reviewed the situation in the state and discussed the future course of events. We are going to form the government on December 11, so we discussed how the event of oath taking ceremony is going to be like. The finalisation of the date has not been done as yet, we have left that decision on the chief minister so that he finds a suitable auspicious time for the same. But I am certain that we are forming the government," he told media here. Echoing a similar stance, Rakesh Singh added: "It is sure that we are making the government under the leadership of Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the fourth time." Chouhan, too, on Saturday said that he is confident of his party's win in the recently-held Assembly elections. "There cannot be a surveyor bigger than me, someone who is among the people day in and day out. Therefore, I am saying this confidently that the Bharatiya Janata Party will form the government. This is important for everyone - poor, farmers, children and women," Chouhan told media here. The state went for voting on November 28, and the results will be announced on December 11. As many as 2,899 candidates were in the fray including 250 women and five third gender candidates. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police, para-military rangers and other security forces on Sunday arrested dozens of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) workers including women in Karachi to subdue the Martyrs' Day organised by the party. MQM observes Martyrs' Day on December 9 every year, wherein MQM workers and supporters go to the monument of martyrs situated at the Jinnah Ground in Karachi's Azizabad for offering 'fateha' and pay tribute to those who lost their lives during the state operations. Thousands of Mohajir men, women, and children gathered on Sunday morning in Azizabad but the police and rangers had blockaded all the routes leading to the monument, forcefully shut businesses, and illegally made hundreds of arrests. The Mohajir men, women, children and the elderly were not spared as the police and para-military rangers tear gassed, brutally tortured, and indiscriminately abducted hundreds of peaceful men, women, and children, who were shifted to unknown locations. MQM founding leader Altaf Hussain strongly condemned the large-scale arrests, calling the move 'naked terrorism' by the state. He said that in Pakistan, banned outfits are free to hold violent demonstrations but the Mohajir in general and MQM workers in particular, have been completely banned from carrying out their peaceful activities. "They are not even allowed to pay tribute and offer 'fateha' for their martyrs, a right which is guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan and recognised under international conventions," the MQM chief further said. Altaf Hussain said that Mohajirs till date have not been recognised as equal class citizens, adding that Pakistan has resorted to state-led operations to ensure that his voice, the only 'liberal voice' is silenced. He demanded the immediate release of all workers and a halt on the ongoing brutal state operations against the Mohajirs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is slated to visit Afghanistan's capital Kabul on December 15 in an aim to improve ties and push for peace in the war-torn country. The visit comes in the wake of the United States government seeking Pakistan's cooperation for establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan, The Dawn reported. Speaking at a ceremony in Multan, Qureshi said that Islamabad wishes for a peace process that is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned. Earlier in the week, Qureshi had met US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad during the latter's visit to Pakistan and held talks over Afghanistan's peace process. During the meeting, the Pakistan Foreign Minister reaffirmed Islamabad's assistance and support for the peace deal in an aim to end the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan. After assuming the role as a foreign minister in August, Qureshi had said that Afghanistan's development and prosperity is associated with long-lasting peace in the country. Qureshi last visited Afghanistan in September this year, when he held talks with the Afghan leadership over the country's peace process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Daughter of a retired Inspector General of Police (IGP) allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the terrace of a building in Patna on Sunday morning. The guard of the apartment where the incident took place said, "I met her on the ground floor and she told me she is going to the 12th floor. She came in a car and straight went to the top floor while her drive moved the car out of the apartment. Soon after that we heard a thud and found her lying on the floor. I had never seen this woman anytime before " The woman's driver Krishna Yadav said," We left from the house at around 7 am in the morning. We went to one other apartment before coming here. I was in the car when she went up." Briefing the media about the incident, Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj informed that an investigation is underway and all the possible aspects are being probed. He also said that no suicide note has been found from the spot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended greetings to United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairman and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her 72nd birthday. "Best wishes to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji on her birthday. I pray for her long and healthy life," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. To celebrate their leader's birthday, Congress workers have gathered outside her residence in the capital. Many other politicians also extended greetings to the veteran. Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia tweeted, "My best wishes to Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji on your birthday. Your dignified presence and dedicated service to the nation and @INCIndia continue to inspire us. I pray for your long and healthy life!." The Youth Wing of Congress party extended birthday greetings to Gandhi and credited her "dedication and indomitable spirit" for the "great achievements" of the country. "Behind the great achievements of our country lies the dedication and indomitable spirit of Smt Sonia Gandhi who has been the backbone of Congress party. We wish her happiness and health on her birthday. May her wisdom and leadership guide us always," it tweeted. Sonia Gandhi was born on December 9, 1946 in a small village near Vicenza, Italy. She married former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1968. Gandhi took over the reigns of Congress in 1998 as the party president, seven years after her husband's assassination. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Maithripala Sirisena here on Saturday said that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had tried to bribe politicians in order to show majority in the country's Parliament. In an interview with Daily Mirror, Sirisena revealed that Rajapaksa failed to gather 113 members of Parliament in his support and was, therefore, unable to show a clear majority in the no-confidence motion passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament earlier in November. Sirisena further said that the main reason for Rajapaksa's defeat was a hefty amount demanded by the Parliamentarians which the former failed to pay. "I heard some bargained themselves for sums as high as Rs 500 million. Mahinda Rajapaksa could not gather the majority because of such high price tags quoted by the MPs, if not for that, he could have gotten the majority," the President said. "If Mahinda Rajapaksa could show the majority of 113, this problem would not have been dragged for one and half months and there won't be any political crisis," he added. Sirisena further assured that the Supreme Court's decision on the petitions against the dissolution of Parliament would soon resolve the ongoing political crisis in the island nation. "If the court decides that the Parliament cannot be dissolved then he (Rajapaksa) has to let the majority of the Parliament to decide on a government with a prime minister he agrees to appoint," the President said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Intensifying pressure on the Centre over construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of not fulfilling its promise and demanded that a legislation should be enacted if need arises. "Those in power are aware of people's sentiments, should listen to them and fulfill the demand of Ram temple in Ayodhya. They had promised to construct a Ram temple. We are not begging but expressing our sentiments. The country wants 'Ram rajya'," Joshi said at a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. 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. Since then, several hearings have been held in the top court to resolve the issue. 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.) Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday chided the United States over its "unbelievable" sale of weapons to the Middle East, saying that it is turning the region into a "powder keg". According to Iranian state media, Zarif said: "The amount of weapons the US sells to our region is unbelievable and beyond the needs of the region." Lashing out at the US government, Zarif asserted that the arms being brought to the Middle East would undermine peace and security in the region, Anadolu News Agency reported. "The US policy has brought many modern destructive weapons to the region, which have been no help in establishing regional peace and security," he added. Responding to allegations by Washington that Tehran is testing missiles capable of reaching Europe, Zarif said the US was leaving no stone unturned to disturb relations between Iran and European countries. Last week, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo had condemned Iran's testing of a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads as a violation of the international agreement on Tehran's nuclear programme. In response, the Iranian Foreign Minister claimed that in American media reports, US arms are in possession with the al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terror groups in Yemen and Syria, which is a "danger threatening the region". Zarif's comments come in the backdrop of sanctions imposed against Iran by the US, citing the latter's support to state-sponsored terrorism and conflicts. On November 5, the Donald Trump administration had imposed the "toughest-ever" sanctions on Iran's banking, energy and shipping industries, with an aim to alter the "behaviour" of the country's regime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Expressing dismay over the lack of arrangements ahead of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb's scheduled visit to the state, the state's chief secretary LK Gupta wrote a letter to his West Bengal counterpart Malay De, demanding an inquiry and appropriate action against the "erring officials" Deb was scheduled to attend the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rath yatra in Cooch Behar last week. The Tripura chief secretary underlined, "I am enclosing here a copy of report received from the DGP, Tripura regarding non-cooperative attitude of the District Police of Cooch Behar (West Bengal) during visit of an officer of Tripura Police for ASL in connection with visit of Hon'ble Chief Minister, Tripura to the District." Narrating the whole incident, Gupta said, "lt may be seen that Hon'ble Chief Minister, Tripura, who is a Z+ category security protectee, was scheduled to visit Cooch Behar on 07.12.2018 and our officer had gone there for ASL in connection with this visit of Hon'ble Chief Minister, Tripura. However, as reported, the District Police of Cooch Behar neither made arrangements for his accommodation and transport, nor shared the security arrangements made/ planned for the Hon'ble Chief Minister, Tripura. You will appreciate that this is an extremely serious matter." Gupta also attached a letter from the Tripura Director General of Police (DGP), AK Shukla, along with the complaint that had its subject, "Non-cooperative attitude of district police of Cooch Behar district (Bengal) during the visit of an officer of Tripura police for ASL in connection with visit of Hon'ble chief minister of Tripura to the district". "The matter being related to security of the Hon'ble chlef Minister of Tripura, non-cooperation for conducting ASL by the WB police and not sharing the security arrangement made planned with the officer of Tripura Police is a serious matter and needs to be taken-up strongly with the Govt. of West Bengal," he added The Rath Yatra was postponed due to judicial intervention and hence the Tripura Chief Minister did not go to Bengal in the end. However, given that Deb is a Z+ protectee, arrangements for his security and accommodation had to be made 24 hours before the visit. The BJP had planned to hold three Rath Yatras beginning with Cooch Behar district on December 7, Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9 and Tarapith in Birbhum district on December 14. The Yatra was to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah from Cooch Behar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday claimed that K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is going to form the government in Telangana with a clear majority. Speaking to ANI, Owaisi said: "The TRS is going to form the government in Telangana on their own strength; all the speculations which are being raised are baseless. We should wait for the result. I don't want to comment on the Congress welcoming the AIMIM to Praja Kutami." Nearly all the exit polls have predicted incumbent caretaker Chief Minister Rao-led TRS retaining another term with a clear majority. For Telangana's 119 seats, Times Now-CNX projected a clean sweep for the ruling the TRS with 66 seats. It gave 37 to Congress and 7 to BJP while others were given 9. Republic TV-Jan Ki Baat gave TRS 50-65 seats and 38-52 to Congress, 4-7 to BJP and 8-14 to others. The majority mark is 60. Telangana Legislative Assembly election was held on December 7. The results will be announced on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday dismissed the prospects of her government being ousted in the state by the Congress Party, as a number of recently-conducted exit polls have indicated. Addressing the media following a core committee meeting of the BJP's Rajasthan unit, Raje said, "The results will be there on the 11th, BJP is going to make the government. I'm very confident (of winning)". The chief minister further deflected questions regarding her expectations about the number of seats her party will secure, saying, "I told you it's going to be a majority". Exit polls conducted by a number of news channels on Friday indicated a clear majority for the Congress in Rajasthan, where voting was conducted on December 7. Times Now-CNX predicted the Congress prevailing in 105 seats in the 200-member Assembly and 85 being bagged by the BJP. India Today-Axis My India indicated 119 to 141 seats for the Congress and 55 to 72 for the BJP. Republic-C Voter, on the other hand, predicted a closer outcome, as it gave 81-101 seats to the Congress and 83-103 to the BJP. 101 seats are needed to establish a majority in the Rajasthan state assembly. Meanwhile, reacting to the forecasts made in the exit polls for the fate of the 90-seat Chhattisgarh assembly, Chief Minister Raman Singh rejected the possibility of a hung assembly. "Situation of a hung assembly will not happen. The BJP will form the government with a majority. I am confident that BJP will form the government for the fourth time without anyone's support," the Chhattisgarh chief minister said. The exit polls for the state, where voting was conducted over two phases on November 12 and November 20, projected mixed results, with Times Now-CNX and India TV predicting that the BJP will retain power. However, Republic-C Voter, News Nation and News 24 were among those predicting a change in the state's ruling party. Results for the polling conducted in all five states, (Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram) will be declared on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday organised a rally at the historic Ramlila Maidan here to mount pressure on the Centre for early construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) termed the gathering as "Adharmik Sabha." Speaking to ANI, RJD leader Manoj Jha accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the organisations like the VHP of doing "dog whistle politics" in the name of Lord Ram. "I am quite sure they are calling the gathering a 'Dharmik Sabha' or religious gathering but there is nothing 'Dharmik' about the gathering at all. It is an 'Adharmik Sabha' (non-religious gathering). The matter is in the Supreme Court but the BJP, the RSS, and organisations like VHP are doing dog whistle politics," said Jha. "For them, Lord Ram is a matter of buttonhole. They put Lord Ram in the buttonhole. They wake up to the reality of Lord Ram in the election year. We should not allow these people to go berserk and destroy everything. This kind of dog-whistle politics should be stopped," Jha added. During the rally, the VHP demanded a Bill for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya to be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament, starting from Tuesday. During addressing the VHP's 'Dharma Sabha' at Ramlila ground, preacher Sadhvi Rithambhara called upon her supporters to "awake and attack like lions and not just sit with patience." Later while talking to ANI, she clarified that her statement means, "I want everyone to come together so that our problems should be solved. I want the Centre to bring an ordinance for early construction of Ram temple." Echoing similar sentiments, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international working president Alok Kumar told ANI that the right-wing organisation has been able to "convey a message to the Centre that it is imperative for the Parliament to consider and pass legislation for the construction of Ram temple during the Winter Session." "We want a law but the Central government has to decide whether it is done through an ordinance or a Bill. Since the Winter Session of Parliament is about to start, I will prefer a Bill to the ordinance where all parties have a chance to share their views. I believe that through today's gathering a loud and clear message has been conveyed that the people of India want a Ram temple." However, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said, "There is a feeling among the people that there should be the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. So they came in large numbers to Delhi. In a democracy, we have to respect the feeling of the people. I believe that there will be no more delay for which they have come to Delhi." Elaborate security arrangements were in place at the Ramlila ground and snipers were deployed on high rises to deal with any situation. The construction of Ram Temple has been one of the big promises made by the ruling BJP in 2014. However, the Ayodhya case is sub-judice in the Supreme Court, which is expected to decide the date for the beginning of the hearing in the matter in January 2019. The Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1578 in Ayodhya, was, on December 6, 1992, pulled down allegedly by a group of Hindu activists, claiming that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a Ram Temple. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The results of the assembly polls in five states are all set to draw the battle lines between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and the opposition parties, which are trying to come under one umbrella ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. After a month-long campaign, often marked by bitter personal attacks, the people of the five states -- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram -- have sealed the fates of the candidates in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). While the votes will be counted on December 11, exit polls conducted by various media outlets and survey agencies have predicted the Congress party's return in Rajasthan and a clean sweep for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana. The polls have also given the Congress an edge over the BJP in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in fiercely-contested battles. The surveys predicted that Mizoram, the only northeast state now with the Congress, may see a hung assembly with the Mizo National Front (MNF) holding the edge. Political experts feel that the results of the assembly elections will have a direct impact on the country's political equations ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A favorable outcome for the Congress will establish the political stature of its president, Rahul Gandhi, among the opposition parties. Otherwise, the Congress will have no option but to lay down its weapons before the regional satraps in the Lok Sabha elections. If the BJP fails to continue its winning streak, as the exit polls indicate, it will be a major blow for the ruling party ahead of the general elections. An aggressive BJP will have to be on the defensive vis-a-vis its allies. In such a situation, the allies may put pressure on the BJP on seat-sharing. "The results of these elections will have a great impact on national If the Congress wins at least two of the big states, the anti-BJP political parties are bound to come under Congress and will also strengthen Rahul Gandhi's acceptability among the opposition parties," senior political analyst Abhay Dubey told IANS. The coming months would be crucial for the opposition parties and would see their coming together to counter the BJP. The assembly elections are being termed the "semifinal" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and have created a now-or-never situation for the Congress. Both the BJP and the Congress know that the election results would also pave the way for a realignment of alliance in the future. The difficulty for the BJP is that it rules three of the five states whereas the Congress has no choice but to ensure positive results. After the departure of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), other constituents like the Shiv Sena, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) and the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party are attacking the BJP on various issues. Among them, the Shiv Sena has already announced that it will not ally with the BJP in the general elections. In other parties, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has not given a green signal to a seat-sharing arrangement in Bihar, where the BJP and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) have decided to contest an equal number of seats, angering Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha of the RLSP. He is likely to exit the NDA and join the Mahagathbandhan with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress in Bihar. The assembly election in the five states is the last hope for the Congress after keeping the BJP out of power in Karnataka by handing over the reigns to the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) after the assembly elections earlier this year. "Success will not only increase Gandhi's political stature, but will also revive the (Congress-led United Progressive Alliance) UPA," Dubey noted. Otherwise, the only option would be to leave it to the regional parties and their satraps to remove the BJP from power because negative results will severely damage Gandhi's image, apart from his soft Hindutva strategy also being questioned. Professor Badri Narayan of Jawaharlal Nehru University said the outcome of the Assembly polls will have an immense impact on national in case the Congress does well. "The mobilisation in opposition parties will take a new shape and Congress would revive itself as a major political force ahead of the general elections. It will be a major boost for the Congress," Narayan told IANS. He said if the BJP does better than the Congress in the elections, Modi's journey will continue. "There would no level playing field for the Congress in 2019," Narayan explained. In Rajasthan, the BJP put in every effort to retain power, with Modi taking charge of the party's campaign. It also banked on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's hardcore Hindutva image. From Modi to BJP chief Amit Shah, all senior leaders of the party raked up national issues issues like the surgical strikes, construction of the Ram temple, caste and dynasty to attack the Congress. "Despite all the efforts of the Modi-Shah duo, if the Congress wins Rajasthan, it will send a clear message that the trust of the people in Modi has gone down," Narayan said. (Brajendra Nath Singh can be contacted at brajendra.n@ians.in) --IANS bns/vm/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Star couple Debina Bonnerjee and Gurmeet Choudhary will represent India at a world summit to be held in Instanbul, Turkey later this month. Debina, an actress and a lifestyle blogger, will attend the INFLOW Global Summit 2018, which will begin from December 17. The summit will bring together social media content creators, opinion leaders and sector professionals with brands in various sectors for informative and fun activities. Debina started blogging under the name 'Debina Decodes' last year. "It is exciting to be amidst talented people from various field across the globe. I started blogging out of passion as I always loved to document interesting food and places," Debina said in a statement. "Since Gurmeet and I travel together, most of my travel blogs are with him. So, the summit team extended an invite to Gurmeet as well as two is always better than one and also beneficial for them to reach a bigger audience," she added. --IANS nn/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the first week of the crucial UN climate summit ended this weekend, businesses, investors, local authorities, trade unions and NGOs on Sunday called upon the European Union to commit to significantly increase the current climate commitments by 2020, in order to secure a successful outcome of the summit. Stakeholders standing together as the Coalition for Higher Ambition urged the EU governments attending the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP24, to respond to the landmark 1.5 degrees Celsius Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report with urgency and also scaled up ambition. The first week of the talks delivered limited progress on technical issues, but most decisions that are expected from this COP, including a commitment to strengthen all countries' climate pledges by 2020, are left to the ministers, who will be attending the summit this coming week. To stimulate progress of the talks, the EU needs to do its best to convince all countries to support such a commitment, including by pledging to substantially increase its own climate targets. With its new draft long-term strategy calling for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, the EU brought new ambition to the negotiating table, but it is the increase of the short-term emission cuts by 2030 that will make or break our response to the climate crisis. Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, told IANS in a statement: "The first week of the climate summit was full of bad news on emissions reaching all-time highs and targets not matching the demands of science." "It is clear that governments are not keeping the promises they made three years ago when the Paris Agreement was signed. The second week of the COP is the last chance to correct the course. "We urge EU leaders to show leadership and ambition, and commit to increase the EU's 2030 target even beyond the 55 per cent reduction some member states and the European Parliament are calling for," Trio added. Yann Francoise, Head of climate, energy and circular economy strategies in Paris, said: "Achieving Paris agreement is already a priority of numerous EU cities. The city of Paris adopted in last March its new Climate Actions Plan to be carbon neutral by 2050 for a fair, inclusive and resilient city." "To achieve this ambition, all policies local, regional, national and European should be aligned. The EU should increase its ambition. Thirty years is a short period to achieve this transition which claims social justice initiatives as the same level than mitigation and adaptation solutions. Cities act, have solutions, cities are ready to work together." Mir Roca Montserrat, Confederal Secretary of European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), said: "Scientists and citizens marching in the streets are reminding us that the climate clock is ticking. The ETUC supports the objective of a net-zero emissions EU in 2050, but reaching that objective requires much more ambitious milestones for 2030 and 2040." Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is a viable target for the overall EU economy and a source of opportunities for value and job creation, added Miguel Angel Munoz, head of climate policies. Experts say the priority outcome at the COP24, which will conclude on December 14, will be the finalisation of the "Paris rulebook", a Bible for transparent implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement -- the first global treaty to reduce emissions by all rich and poor nations. The COP24 negotiations, which will see participation of more than 20,000 people from nearly 200 countries, are going to be held in the backdrop of grim news on climate change from three UN bodies. India, one of the participants, has committed itself to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions intensity of gross domestic product (EIGDP) by 33-35 per cent below the 2005 levels by 2030, according to UN EIGDP is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created by a unit of GDP. Indian Minister Harsh Vardhan, who was attending the summit, said the high level of greenhouse gas emission was a major concern and reaffirmed that India would play a "positive, constructive and balanced role" in the climate summit. He said India is working hard for achieving the 175 GW target for installed Renewable Energy capacity by 2022. (Vishal Gulati is in Katowice at the invitation of Climate Trends to cover the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP24. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in) --IANS vg/mag (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BEIJING/OTTAWA: China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltds chief financial officer, calling the case extremely nasty. Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her companys links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. In a short statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canadas ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a strong protest. Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Saturday there is nothing to add beyond what the Minister said yesterday. Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China is important and valued, and Canadas ambassador in Beijing has assured Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huaweis CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing. Canadas arrest of Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move ignored the law, was unreasonable and was in its very nature extremely nasty, he added. China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused. The statement did not elaborate. There will probably be a deep freeze with the Chinese in high-level visits and exchanges, David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, said on Friday. The ability to talk about free trade will be put in the ice box for a while. But were going to have to live with that. Thats the price of dealing with a country like China. On Sunday, the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily said that while China would not cause trouble, it also did not fear trouble and that nobody should underestimate Chinas determination on this case. Only if the Canadian side corrects its mistake and immediately stops infringing upon the lawful, legitimate rights of a Chinese citizen and gives a proper accounting to the Chinese people can it avoid paying a heavy price for this, it said in an editorial. Mengs arrest was on the same day that US President Donald Trump met in Argentina with Chinas Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the worlds two largest economies. We are tracking the developments of this case and refer you to the filings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, said a US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The news of Mengs arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have played down its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. Cigarette ads with graphic warning labels that contain images such as bleeding, cancerous gums and lips can snuff out children's view of smoking tobacco as cool, rebellious and fun, suggests a new research. These labels have the same anti-smoking effect as similar warning labels on cigarette packs. "This study suggests the value of graphic warning labels extends beyond just getting people to have more negative feeling about smoking," said lead author Jeff Niederdeppe, Associate Professor at the Cornell University. "It also seems to have the added benefit of reducing the influence of 'social cue' ads that entice young people to want to smoke in the first place," Niederdeppe added. For the study, appearing in the journal Health Education Research, the team studied the graphic warning labels' effect on 451 adult smokers and 474 middle schoolers in rural and urban low-income communities. Each participant was randomly assigned a set of six ads. Some saw ads with social cues -- such as a group of smiling people taking a selfie with a graphic warning label covering 20 per cent of the ad. Other groups saw ads with various combinations of text-only warnings, graphic warnings, the current surgeon general warning, brand imagery and social cues. They found that the graphic warning label drew viewers' attention away from ads and toward the warning, regardless of whether the warning was graphic or text only, more than the current surgeon general warning. The labels also aroused more negative feelings than the text-only labels and reduced the children's perceptions that cigarette brands are attractive and exciting. The study also found participants felt the same levels of negative emotion whether they looked at a graphic warning label covering 20 per cent of a full page ad or 50 per cent of a much smaller cigarette pack. "We were pleasantly surprised that the levels of negative emotion were equivalent between those two conditions," Niederdeppe said. "It suggests that 20 per cent coverage on an advertisement is a high enough threshold to create the negative emotion." --IANS rt/ksk/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Hizbul militant's close associate, who has been motivating youths to join militant ranks, was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, police said on Sunday. The arrested militant was identified as Riyaz Ahmad, who has been associate with Hizbul terrorist Muhammad Amin, an officer said. More arrests were likely based on leads that would come out after interrogation of the nabbed militant, who hails from Dachan village. --IANS sq/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday inaugurated the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) and expressed confidence that it will change the fortune of the state with all towns within four hours of drive from an international airport. "Kannur Takes Off!" Vijayan tweeted, after flagging off the first flight at 10 a.m. along with Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu. All 180 passengers of the inaugural Air India Express flight to Abu Dhabi, received a gift each from KIAL. This is the fourth international airport in the state, the rest are in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. In his Facebook post, the Chief Minister said: "The airport will change the fortune of northern Kerala. It is spread across 2,300 acres and has a runway length of 3,050 metre, which will be extended to 4,000 metre. "Connectivity and mobility are vital for inclusive development. The admirable progress Kerala has made in human development is because of this focus on inclusivity." With the inauguration of Kannur airport, Kerala is setting new standards in connectivity. Among Indian states, Kerala now has the highest density of international airports, he said, adding: "All district HQs are now within three hours of drive from an international airport. Almost all towns in state are within four hours of drive from an international airport." Hundreds of people, including politicians, were present to witness a cultural programme ahead of the take off of the Abu Dhabi flight. Two more flights were listed for the day. Flights that would operate from here includes those to the UAE, Oman, Qatar, besides domestic ones to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai among others. "Kannur International Airport was conceived with a very good model of development where State Govt, Central Govt(PSU) and Private Sector joining hands to create a world class infrastructure. "This airport is in a way is a gateway to the future progress of Kerala," Prabhu tweeted, congratulating the Kerala government and people of Kerala for "making their dream to come to reality" which will "usher Kerala into a new growth trajectory". The KIAL is slated to serve more than 1.5 million international passengers annually. It is expected to boost tourism in Kannur, Kasargode, Wayanad and increase trade and commerce in the handloom and spices sectors. The airport would be able to handle 2,000 passengers at a time. --IANS sg-in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Karnataka legislature is set for a stormy 10-day winter session from Monday at Belagavi in the state's northwest district, where it meets every year in December, ostensibly to address issues concerning the region. "This is the legislature's second session after the JD-S-Congress coalition government was formed on May 23 following a hung verdict in the May 12 Assembly elections and fall of the 3-day BJP government on May 19 for want of majority," an official told IANS on Sunday. Belagavi in the former Bombay Province is 500km from state capital Bengaluru. "Besides pending bills, the session will discuss major issues, including remunerative price for sugarcane growers, farm loan waiver, drought in 17 districts across the state and drinking water supply from Mahadayi river to the four drought-prone northern districts," said the official. The first day, however, is unlikely to see any disruption, as both the legislative Houses (Assembly and Council) will pay obituaries to three prominent state leaders and former Union ministers who passed away in November. The deceased are Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and BJP's Lok Sabha member from Bengaluru South Ananth Kumar on November 12, former Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Kannada super star M.H. Ambareesh on November 24 and former Railways Minister and former Congress Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru North Jaffer Sharief on November 25. "As the legislature is meeting after the July budget session in Bengaluru, the legislature will also pay tributes to former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16 in New Delhi," the official hinted. Though Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy formally began giving debt-free certificates to some farmers at Doddaballapur near Bengaluru on Saturday, the opposition BJP has vowed to expose the six-month-old coalition government for failing to waive loans of all farmers who borrowed from the cooperative and state-run banks since 2016. "We will move a special adjournment motion in the Assembly on Tuesday against failure of the state government in fulfilling its promise of waiving farm loans till date though Kumaraswamy announced it in July," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s state unit spokesman told IANS here. The BJP will also seek the state government's response to the demand of the sugarcane farmers for payment of arrears by the sugar mill owners and fair price for this year's crop as fixed by the Central government (Rs 2,650 per tonne) and an additional Rs 250 for harvesting and transporting it to the nearby mills for crushing. "In spite of assurances by Kumaraswamy and state Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar to resolve the issues by November 5, hundreds of farmers have resumed agitation near the state legislative building, as the state government has let them down again. There is also no sign of loan waiver for lakhs of farmers, who are unable to take fresh credit from the banks for the rabi crop as their debts have not been waived yet," BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters here. Many Congress legislators are also miffed at the inordinate delay in expanding the state cabinet and appointing chairmen for about 30 state-run boards and corporations, as six ministerial berths are still vacant. --IANS fb/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Kedarnath" director Abhishek Kapoor has urged the Uttarakhand government to lift a ban on the movie. "I plead with the Uttarakhand government to please lift the ban on my film 'Kedarnath'. It is an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Please don't deprive us of this opportunity," Kapoor tweeted. While there has been no official ban on the film by the state government, it wrote to all district magistrates about the film and the controversies surrounding it. The decision followed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that reviewed a report submitted by a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj. The government asked the district administration to take a call on their own and left it to their discretion whether or not the film should be released in their respective jurisdictions. Following which Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Almora and Udhamsinghnagar banned the film. The Hindi film, with the 2013 flash floods in Kedarnath as the backdrop, was being opposed by the right-wing activists from the day its shooting began in the hill state and they alleged that it hurt Hindu sentiments and promoted the idea of "Love Jehad". The film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan, was shot extensively in Triyuginarayan, Gaurikund, Soneprayag, Rambada, Kedarnath and Chopta, and it had to face protests even then. The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday refused to ban the film and asked the petitioners to approach the District Magistrate with their complaints. On its opening day, the movie garnered Rs 7.25 crore in India. --IANS rb/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, continued talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman even after the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents in Istanbul, The New York Times said in a report. As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and American intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the Prince's most important defender inside the White House, The Times quoted informed sources as saying in the report issued on Saturday. Since the early months of the Trump administration, Kushner had been having private, informal conversations with the Prince. Given Kushner's political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former White House officials. In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new Chief of Staff tried to reimpose longstanding procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders. But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner and Prince Mohammed kept speaking, according to the officials. In fact, they said, the two men were on a first-name basis, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls. In a statement to The New York Times, a White House spokesman said: "Jared has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines regarding the relationship with the Crown Prince and all of the other foreign officials with whom he interacts." White House officials declined to explain those protocols and guidelines, and declined to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with Prince Mohammed since the killing of Khashoggi. According to a CNN report in October, Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton had called the Crown Prince nearly a week after Khashoggi went missing from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and amid an investigation into the journalist's disappearance. Initially claiming no involvement, the Saudis later admitted a team of rogue operatives had murdered Khashoggi inside the consulate. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assessed in November that the Crown Prince had personally ordered the killing of the journalist. The Saudi government has denied bin Salman's involvement. Trump and the State Department have maintained that the US government has not reached a final conclusion about who is responsible for Khashoggi's death. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Maoist guerrilla was arrested in Jharkhand's Gumla district on Sunday, police said. Akshya Kumar Singh, a Maoist guerrilla belonging to People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), was arrested from Pipal roundabout of Gumla district by Khuti district police, according to them. The police seized a letter pad, a list of persons to be extorted, and manifesto of the PLFI. He was nabbed while travelling in a bus, the police added. --IANS ns/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.) Film: "Mowgli: Legend Of The Jungle"; Director: Andy Serkis; Cast: Rohan Chand, Freida Pinto, Christian Bale, Andy Serkis, Benedict Cumberbatch and Cate Blanchett, Rating: ** Netflix's big-screen experience of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book" is here shrunken in size. And it's not just the size of the screen that's diminished. This adaptation, coming just two years after Jon Favreau's fabulous take on the timeless tale of animals and human beings, is feeble, redundant and deplorably down-sized, often resorting to trite ploys and tested gimmicks to get our attention. The film is not only irrelevant in the light of the earlier adaptation, it is also far bloodier with deep bloody wounds playing a large hand in making us feel the sinisterness of jungle life. Got the gore. But where is the enigma of the jungle? Those familiar with the Kipling saga (and who is not!) would know how the film adaptations work. The characters are all talking animals, while little Mowgli has to be a bright animal-like creature of the dark. Tragically, little Roshan Chand doesn't measure up. He is eager to make Mowgli come alive, sometimes way too eager. Director Any Serkis needed to exercise more control over the proceedings. The narration seems to run all over the place. And the episode where Mowgli is sent to a village to be humanised looks as strenuously off-key as the institution in the recent Hollywood film "Boy Erased" where the young gay protagonist is sent to "think straight". There is nothing more self-conscious than a community committed to conformity. The "Indian" village seems straight out of a fairytale book with pop out pictures, with Freida Pinto doing a Hollywood equivalent of village 'nautanki', bovine smile quivering lips and all. Freida speaks Hindi as if she had just picked it up from watching "English Vinglish" in a loop. Little dark Indian boys in loincloths (with their skin coloured to look suitably non-Caucasian) scamper around frolicking with not a care in the world. Agreed, Kipling's vision subsumed an aspirational fantasy. But updating a classic is all about keeping the faith alive by renewal. This adaptation of Kipling seems frozen in time, occasionally casting aside its mantel of stagnancy to reveal a heart that actually beats. Most of these moments are accrued in the scenes featuring the voice of Christian Bale as the wise compassionate panther Bagheera. I have seldom seen an actor do a more effective voiceover. When Bale speaks, we listen. The rest of the animals are also voiced expertly. However, Bendict Cumberbatch's Sher Khan is no match to his counterpart Idris Elba in the 2016 adaptation. Staring at the disappointing take on the Kipling classic, I wondered why the brains behind this whitewashed homage to the animal kingdom needed to put their mind into making this limp leafy drama in the first place. There is a sequence, ostensibly poignant, where Mowgli is confined in a wooden cage by villagers. Bagheera comes visiting. Mowgli screws up his face and pleads to be taken away. Bagheera refuses and walks away. At that moment, I felt exactly like Mowgli. Trapped in a situation I didn't appreciate. Luckily, Netflix gives us the option of the 'off' button. --IANS skj/rb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With two days to go until the crucial Brexit vote, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday warned MPs they will face "uncharted waters" if they rejected her deal, saying their actions could lead to a general election, as there was a "very real risk of no Brexit". Speaking to the Mail, May said a rejection of her proposals would mean "grave uncertainty" for the UK. If the deal is rejected, it is unclear what happens next, with May insisting her deal was best for the country. "When I say if this deal does not pass we would truly be in uncharted waters, I hope people understand this is what I genuinely believe and fear could happen," May said. "It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal." Downing Street has already denied newspaper suggestions that May could postpone Tuesday's vote. "The vote is going ahead," a spokesman said. In November, the UK agreed a Brexit deal with the EU, however, it still needs to be approved by the Parliament. Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the DUP, the SNP and dozens of Conservative MPs have said they cannot support the deal, meaning it was unlikely to pass, the BBC said. She accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of thinking of "nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country" and, in a warning to Tory rebels, said: "I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take." Brexit Minister Kwasi Kwarteng told Sophy Ridge on Sky News that the deal allowed the UK to leave the EU "in an orderly and smooth way". The Brexiteer added: "I understand why people who want to stay in the EU want to do it down... I'm very surprised that people on our side of the argument... are willing to blow up a deal which actually delivers a very good path out of the EU." --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A collective effort by the Jaipur Pink Panthers guided them to a fantastic 37-24 victory over Tamil Thalaivas in an Inter-Zonal contest of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium here on Sunday. This was Jaipur's fourth win from 15 games, while the Thalaivas tasted their 11th defeat from 18 games, which make their play-offs dream difficult. For Jaipur, skipper Deepak Niwas Hooda picked eight points while Anand Patil and Sunil Siddgavali chipped in with six and five points respectively. On the other hand, Sukesh Hedge fetched six points for Thalaivas and Jasvir Singh contributed with three points. Jasvir opened Thalaiva's account with a successful raid but Anand also responded for Jaipur to make it 1-1. Both the teams' skippers, Ajay Thakur and Deepak, then came with a raid point each to once again level it 2-2 by the fourth minute. The issue was once again tied at 5-5 by the ninth minute and both the teams traded raid and tackle points as the contest was once again levelled at 7-7 by the 14th minute. Anand came with a two-pointer to help Jaipur take a meagre 10-8 lead before his skipper Deepak's stunning three-point raid not only inflicted an all-out but also helped Jaipur take a healthy 16-8 lead. The half-time saw Jaipur leading 17-10 against their opponents. In the second-half, Ajay failed to make a successful raid, while Ajinkya succeeded as Japiur stretched their lead to 19-10. However, Sukesh Hegde's fantastic raid attempt followed by a tackle of Ajinkya Pawar helped Thalaivas to cut the deficit to 13-20 by the 27th minute. Jaipur took a couple of points in the later moments but Ajay also responded with a two-pointer raid to make it 16-22. Jaipur then inflicted an all-out in the 31st minute to make the score 23-16 in their favour. Jaipur then further rode Deepak's stunning raids to extend their lead to 27-17 by the 35th minute, leaving the Thalaivas with just one player, Jasvir, on mat. The Deepak-led side soon inflicted another all-out to make it 30-18 with just four minutes to go. Anand once again collected a couple of points in a single raid attempt, while Ajay's another unsuccessful attempt saw Jaipur making it 34-20. Thalaivas then made a change as Victor Oberoi replaced Jasvir and the former also didn't disappoint his team, taking three points from two raid attempts to make the issue 24-34 before Jaipur once again roared back in style to collect three points in the dying moments to register a comfortable 37-24 victory over the Thalaivas. --IANS kk/gau/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kathmandu, Nepal: The share investors' has launched a relay hunger strike at the office of Nepal Stock Exchange in Bhadrakali of Kathmandu putting forward various demands related to reforms in the Nepalese Share market. As Nepalese Share market has continuously been falling down, the share investors have demanded immediate reforms in the share market including the resignation of the finance minister Youbraj Khatiwada. The share investors pressure group has alleged the finance minister Khatiwad of not showing seriousness to the Nepalese share market. The demands put forward by the investors pressure include that banks and financial institutions should release a share secured loan of 25 percent of the total loan investment and the newly launched online system should be accessed by all investors. Former "Castle" star Stana Katic, who will be seen sharing screen space with Radhika Apte in a World War II spy drama, says the Indian actress is magical. "She (Radhika) is magical. It was quite a lot of fun working opposite her. She is a very special gift. I know why Indian audiences love her dearly," Katic told IANS. Talking about the film, she said: "We wrapped that film in June. It's in the stage of editing. The film centres on a story of three real women who were spies during World War II. It focuses on their efforts to free Nazi-run France. "In this film, I play a British spy mistress. The creator of the James Bond series had said that in the real world of spies, Vera Atkins was the boss. So since we started telling that tale, we learned about these extraordinary women who just stood out as epic heroes from World War II. I have come to admire them very much." Radhika plays Indian-origin British spy Noor Inayat Khan in the movie. Katic also shared that she would love to work on an Indian feature film. "I was in talks to do a beautiful romance film set in India, but ultimately the timing didn't work out. I would love to work on an Indian feature. As for working with people from different cultures, that's one of the elements of filmmaking that I enjoy," she said. "I have worked with people from Canada, Hungary and Jordan. We have actors and crew members from across the globe working on 'Absentia' (her new series). The languages you can hear, the ones spoken on the set at any given day reminds me of the UN conferences," she added. She is currently shooting for the second season of "Absentia" in Bulgaria. --IANS nn/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six-year-old Vinannya Uikey wakes up excited every morning to go to school where she can not only learn new things about the world but also play with fascinating toys. What's different about Vinannya compared to the millions of other school children in India is that she belongs to the adivasi (aboriginal) Baiga tribe for whom playschools are an unknown concept. And what's different about the school is that it is situated bang in the middle of a famous tiger reserve in central India and its students comprise children of both indigenous tribes and forest officers. Situated at the Mukki zone, the school -- named after the famous mascot of the Kanha Tiger Reserve "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha (swamp deer)" -- introduces the tribal children for the first time to picture books, toys -- and even computers and projectors. Attracting children from 10 neighbouring villages, mostly from the Baiga tribe, Kanha Bhoorsingh Playschool brings them together with children of forest officials. They study in the same "smart classrooms", eat the same food and cavort together in the same playground. Ashu Bisen, one of the teachers in the school, told IANS that most tribal children are extremely shy and sensitive, and mostly scared in the beginning. "We have to interact with them carefully and start from scratch. Most of the children don't have toys at home; they see computers, projectors, and in some cases the picture books, for the very first time. We have to be very patient with them. But given time, they show commendable results," she said. S.K. Khare, the assistant director of the Kanha National Park, said the idea was to eliminate the inferiority complex that tribal children had when they interacted with the outside world Madhya Pradesh has one of the largest tribal populations in the country, mostly living around the forests. Though marginalised, rising awareness of among the tribal communities often encourages them to move towards urban habitats. But tribal children often lag behind as they can't relate to their city counterparts. "What we do here is an attempt to bridge the gap between mainstream and tribal children, because some day these children will move out and they often feel left out. Our aim is to build a foundation so that when they go for better and higher schooling, then they do better," Khare told IANS. Incidentally, the school, operational since 2017, runs in the bungalow which was allotted to Khare when he was posted here. However, he decided to shift to a smaller accommodation and put the bungalow to a better use. It was then refurbished to have three classrooms, a computer lab, two projector rooms, a mini library, a staff room and a kitchen. Run by the Last Wilderness Foundation, along with some other 20 odd donors, forest officials also send their children to the school which offers till upper kindergarten. School teachers are all wives of forest officers. Khare said that it is not just the tribal children who benefit from the school, but children of officers also get a chance to develop sensitivity, broader acceptability and a better understanding of diversity, especially when they interact with their classmates who come from a different background and outlook, some even wearing tribal tattoos. "It is a good thing that both forest officials and tribals don't hesitate to send their wards to the same school. This shows the trust that we have been able to develop among us," he added. According to Richa Namdev, a teacher, better does not have impact on lives of only the children but also their families. "Most of the children come from extremely poor backgrounds. Grooming these children has great impact as they often tend to take their learning from here and replicate it at their houses. Some have started urging their parents to have better hygienic values, while some urge their parents to learn to read," Namdev said. As the recess bell rings, students dressed in their red school uniforms collect the toys of their choice and rush to play. After another ring they assemble for their meals in the lawn. Sitting on the carpet, the caretakers serve them a freshly-cooked, nutritious meal. After the meal, a batch leaves to the projector room for the movie day, while another group leaves for computer room. "We provide them books, school dresses, bags and meals here. Although we have also kept a small fee of Rs 150 per month, in case of very poor families, we generally drop the fee," said Nisha Vaishya, another teacher. According to Khare, the idea of charging a fee is to keep the value of education intact. "It also honors the self-respect of the tribes who don't want anyone's charity." "The school is showing good results and more and more families are sending their children, especially after seeing how our students are being groomed. Everyone aspires to get quality education, especially those who are marginalised," Khare said adding that considering the potential they saw in the children, it shows they have a great future. "What we see as national parks today had been protected for years by tribes like Baiga and Gond. They are the real protectors and it's their home. It's time for the mainstream to return the favour. This school is a humble attempt to do the same," he added. (The weekly feature series is part of a positive-journalism project of IANS and the Frank Islam Foundation.) --IANS kd/vv/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Flora Saini of "Stree" fame and actor Sudhanshu Pandey have shot for a short film titled "Seasoned with Love" by director Lakshmi R. Iyer. "It's officially my first time with Sudhanshu. I say officially because we were supposed to do a film together which was to be shot in London long time ago. "It was going to be my next release after 'Love in Nepal' (2004 film), but somehow it didn't happen back then," Flora told IANS. "I'm happy that we finally met and worked together this time on a wonderful short film. He hasn't changed a bit. The grace, the charm, the ethics... he is one amazing soul you just love to have on set. "He is a friend for all times. We had a super fun shoot considering he was the only guy in the cast," she added. "Seasoned with Love", produced by iRealities, is expected to release early next year. --IANS nn/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Century Hospitals, a leading mid-sized healthcare provider in Hyderabad, has given a new lease of life to a young man by transplanting a donor heart in the patient's body with support from Jeevandhan network. Though expensive, the procedure was performed at no-cost to the patient's family under the Aarogyasri scheme of the Telangana government. I. Gangadhara Rao, Chairman, Century Hospitals, Hemanth Kaukuntla, Chief Cardio Thoracic Surgeon and Vice Chairman, Praveen Nandagiri, Director-Heart Transplant programme at the hospital presented the patient and surgery details in the presence of Swarnalatha, Chairperson, Jeevandhan, at a news conference on Sunday. Linga Swamy (29), a school bus driver from Nalgonda district was diagnosed with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCMP), a condition under which the heart becomes weak for unknown reasons. He required an urgent heart transplant. He was registered for heart transplant with the Jeevandhan, which encourages organ donation. On November 17, the procedure was performed successfully post a mid-night approval from all statutory and regulatory authorities concerned. The recipient was put on heart lung bypass and on arrival of the donor heart in the hospital and having examined it thoroughly, the procedure was completed in three hours and 20 minutes, from the time of retrieval and completion of transplant. Lingaswamy is now living an active life, said Kaukuntla. --IANS ms/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Billed as "a masterpiece in every sense of the word", Rajmohan Gandhi's upcoming book "Modern South India" is promoted by its publisher Aleph as an authoritative and magnificent work of history about South India that will be read and reflected upon for years to come. "The sounds and flavours of the land south of the Vindhyas -- temple bells, coffee and jasmine, coconut and tamarind, delicious dosais and appams -- are familiar to many, but its history is relatively unknown," Gandhi writes in the 500-page book that traces the history of South India from the 17th century to current times. But why this historical amnesia? "For one thing, the South is a large area, where, dauntingly, a great deal happened during the 400 years covered in my study. Secondly, while the story of each powerful culture within the South has been studied in depth, few in either the South or the North have attempted an integrated view of the South as a whole. Thirdly, India's political power has resided in the North, influencing the focus of academia, not merely the media," the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who has taught political science and history at two IITs, Michigan State University and the University of Illinois, where he currently serves a research professor, told IANS in an email interview. But South India is not the only major region suffering from neglect, Gandhi maintained, and asked: "Do we have many histories of western or eastern India?" He pointed out that the Maratha history is rich, so is the history of Bengal, and likewise the histories of Assam, Odisha and Gujarat, but there is a case for broader histories of western and eastern India. "Yet the expression 'South Indian' conjures up images hardly matched by phrases like 'East Indian' or 'West Indian', which Indians never use. In places in the US, an 'East Indian' is an Indian from India, different from a native American, while 'West Indian' suggests the West Indies," he said. In the book, Gandhi tells the story of four powerful cultures -- Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu -- as well as the cultures Kodava, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Tulu and indigenous that have influenced them. Asked if there was a common thread that binds them all together, he pointed to three elements. "One geographical and the other linguistic, have given the South Indian peninsula its unity and distinctiveness. Because of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, European countries like Portugal, Holland, England and France impacted the South in ways not experienced by northern and central India. Secondly, the South's major languages have Dravidian rather than Sanskritic roots, even though their vocabularies have been enriched by borrowings from Sanskrit and elsewhere. Thirdly, the Dravidian/Aryan question resonates, not necessarily divisively, in many southern minds," he shared. The 83-year-old public intellectual said that while some may fear "a chasm" between "cultural" and "national" identities, others may celebrate the Indian scene's variety and richness. "Fascination with the history of one's neighbourhood can harmonise with interest in the national story," maintained Gandhi, who has also written books such as "Why Gandhi Still Matters: An Appraisal of the Mahatma's Legacy" and "Understanding the Founding Fathers: An Enquiry Into the Indian Republic's Beginnings". One particular portion of the book that arouses interest is related to Tipu Sultan, who has been subject of much controversy in recent times. He writes: "The eighteenth century saw the growth of the kingdom of Mysore, first under Haidar Ali, a military leader who had briefly served the Nawab of Arcot, and then under his son Tipu Sultan, who annexed parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. By now the European presence was growing strong and assertive. And with the fall of Tipu in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War at the end of the eighteenth century, the British East India Company (now the sole European power in South India) consolidated its holdings in the South." Asked about his findings on Tipu Sultan and his take on the controversies, Gandhi said that Tipu had to feature prominently in his account. "Not because of current controversies around his rule -- today's headlines did not guide my journey into the past. Tipu and his father Haidar were central to the 18th century's second half. Between them they provided a stable 38-year-rule that not only brought economic progress to a large portion of southern India, it almost foiled Britain's conquest. Tipu had serious failings. Like most rulers of his time he was tyrannical. His personality included bigotry, which however was mitigated by his remarkable support to the Sringeri Sankaracharya," he said. The historian-biographer contended that Tipu's fall in 1799 changed South India's story. "Though the following 10 years saw a string of impassioned rebellions across the South, including the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 and revolts in Kerala spearheaded by Pazhassi Raja (killed in 1805) and Velu Thampi (who killed himself in 1809), the East India Company had conquered the South when it defeated Tipu. "Historical characters like Tipu, Pazhassi Raja and Velu Thampi deserve a frank study of their lives in their times, not labels handy for squabbles in our times," he suggested. "Modern South India: A History From the 17th Century to Our Times" is priced at Rs 799 and is available both online and at bookstores. (Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) --IANS ss/vm/tb/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mounting pressure on the government ahead of the winter session of Parliament to bring a legislation for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the RSS on Sunday called for "one last push," saying "those in power" should respect public sentiment and take positive steps. Addressing the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)'s Dharma Sabha in Ramlila Maidan, senior RSS functionary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi reminded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of its Palampur resolution on Ram temple. "They had passed a resolution that 'Ram Mandir Wahin Banayenge'. Now the time has come to respect that resolution. Without any hesitation, they should move ahead towards fulfilling their commitment," Joshi said in the presence of thousands of Lord Ram devotees, saints and religious gurus. The VHP Dharma Sabha comes days before the winter session of Parliament that begins on December 11. He said the judiciary has its own way, but in a democracy, Parliament has its own rights and the present government should take initiatives in the direction of formulating a law. "There is no other option. For this holy work, they need to come forward showing courage. This is the request of all Ram bhakts. We are not begging. We are expressing our views. The power has a big role in respecting these sentiments. I believe that they will understand these sentiments and take positive steps," he said. Joshi said that the construction of Ram temple would bring "Ram Rajya" in the country and till the time it gets constructed, the movement will go on. "How long will we see Lord Ram living in a temporary arrangement? This should end. There is a need for one last push. We all want to see Lord Ram in the grand temple. The construction of the temple will lay the foundation for Ram Rajya in the country. It will decide, on which way the country will move ahead. Till the construction of the temple, the movement will continue," he said amid chants of "Jai Sree Ram" and "Ram Lala Hum Aayenge, Mandir Wahi Banayenge". "The power is not supreme but it plays an important role. Those sitting in the corridors of power need to understand the public sentiment. I believe that they are not only aware of it but are also in agreement on the issue of temple," Joshi said. He also slammed the Supreme Court and said a country can never progress if people had no faith in judiciary. "The judiciary also needs to give it a thought." Addressing the gathering, VHP leaders demanded a legislation in the coming winter session of Parliament. "Ram temple is not an election issue but an issue of our self respect. We can't wait till infinity for the court to pronounce judgement. Respecting the sentiments of the Hindus, Parliament should enact a law," said VHP's President Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje. The working president of the VHP, Alok Kumar, urged the political parties to support the law in Parliament. "The government should enact a legislation in the winter session only, otherwise they should be ready to face public anger in the next elections," he said. Sadhvi Ritambhara said the government should listen to its "own" people and pave the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. "Apno ki awaz apno ko sunana chahiye aur Ram mandir ka marg prashast hona chahiye," she said. She also took a dig at the BJP for ignoring the sentiments of Hindus. "Those who were talking about Lord Ram are enjoying power but Lord Ram is still in a tent. It's very painful to see Lord Ram in a tent. There's no meaning of constructing big statues of Lord Ram unless a grand Ram temple is constructed in Ayodhya. The use of power exists in putting India's pride in its place," she said. Lokesh Muni, a dharma guru of the Jain community, asked the government to bring a legislation in the winter session of Parliament for the construction of temple. "If a bill to protect Muslim women from triple talaq can be brought, why not a legislation for Ram temple? The government should bring legislation in Parliament and that too in this winter session. This will also make it clear as to who supports it and who shows the courage to oppose it. Those opposing it will not be able to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," he said. Prior to this rally, the VHP on November 25 organised similar rallies in different parts of the country, including Nagpur, Ayodhya and Bengaluru. It also organised door-to-door campaign across the country to garner support for Ram temple. --IANS bns-som/oeb/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.) Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey, who faces a lawsuit for hurting Hindu sentiments during his visit to India in November, now faces criticism for promoting Myanmar as a tourist destination despite widespread allegations of human rights abuses in the country. In a series of tweets, Dorsey said he had travelled to northern Myanmar in November for a meditation retreat. "The people are full of joy and the food is amazing," he said, before encouraging his four million followers to visit. This led to widespread criticism of the Twitter chief, some accused him of ignoring the plight of the Muslim Rohingya minority. In 2017, Myanmar's military launched a violent crackdown after Rohingya militants carried out attacks on several police posts. Thousands of people were killed, and human rights organisations said the army has burned land and committed arbitrary killings and rape. "Writing what is effectively a free tourism advert for them at this time is reprehensible," one Twitter user wrote in response to Dorsey's tweets. "The tone-deafness here is... wow," another user said. "This is an extremely irresponsible recommendation," yet another reads. "Does he pay no attention to the news and the outcry on his own platform?" The military crackdown had also sparked an exodus of more than 700,000 Rohingyas who have since fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape the violence and the destruction of their homes. The UN has described the operation as a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing" and says senior Myanmar officials should be investigated and tried for genocide. Mohammed Jamjoom, an Al Jazeera correspondent, who has interviewed Rohingya refugees, said he was left "utterly speechless" by Dorsey's tweets. Dorsey is yet to respond to the criticism, but earlier said he would track the responses to his tweets. A court in Rajasthan on December 1, asked the police to file a First Information Report against Dorsey for hurting the sentiments of the Brahmin community by posing for a picture holding an anti-Brahmin message. Dorsey was seen posing with six female journalists in a picture on Twitter, with a poster in his hands carrying the offending anti-Brahmin message: 'Smash Brahminical Patriarchy'. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US military has said its special forces conducted an airstrike in Somalia on Saturday, killing four al-Shabab militants. The US Africa Command (Africom) said the collective self-defence airstrike which was carried in cooperation with the Somali government targeted al-Shabab militants in the vicinity of Basra in southern Somalia. "The US airstrike was conducted against militants after partner forces came under attack. We currently assess this airstrike killed four militants with no civilians involved," Africom said in a statement, Xinhua reported on Sunday. "Alongside our Somali and international partners, we are committed to preventing al-Shabaab from taking advantage of safe havens from which they can build capacity and attack the people of Somalia," said Africom. "The desired end state in East Africa is one in which terrorist organisations cannot destabilise Somalia and its neighbouring states, nor threaten the interests of the US and its international allies in the region," according to Africom. --IANS vc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While sea ice in the Arctic continues to be on the decline, a new research from the US Space agency suggests that it is regrowing at faster rates during the winter than it was a few decades ago. The findings showed that since 1958, the Arctic sea ice cover has lost on average around two-thirds of its thickness and now 70 per cent of the sea ice cap is made of seasonal ice, or ice that forms and melts within a single year. But at the same time, that sea ice is vanishing quicker than it has ever been observed in the satellite record, it is also thickening at a faster rate during winter. This increase in growth rate might last for decades, explained the researchers, in the paper to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. However, this does not mean that the ice cover is recovering, though. Just delaying its demise. "This increase in the amount of sea ice growing in winter doesn't overcome the large increase in melting we've observed in recent decades," said lead author Alek Petty, a sea ice scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "Overall, thickness is decreasing. Arctic sea ice is still very much in decline across all seasons and is projected to continue its decline over the coming decades," she added. To explore sea ice growth variability across the Arctic, the team used climate models and observations of sea ice thickness from the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite. They found that in the 1980s, when Arctic sea ice was on average 6.6 feet thick in October, about 3.3 extra feet of ice would form over the winter. This rate of growth may continue to increase, and in the coming decades, we could also have an ice pack that would on average be only around 3.3 feet thick in October, but could experience up to five feet of ice growth over the winter. However, by the middle of the century, the strong increases in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures will outweigh the mechanism that allows ice to regrow faster, and the Arctic sea ice cover will decline further, Petty said. The switch will happen once the sea ice is less than 1.6 feet thick at the beginning of winter, or its concentration -- the percentage of an area that is covered in sea ice -- is less than 50 per cent, she noted. --IANS rt/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Yami Gautam, who attended the Delhi Comic Con, says if given a chance, she would love to bring her favourite comic character Wonder Woman alive on the big screen. Yami visited the 8th edition of Maruti Suzuki Arena Delhi Comic Con on Saturday as a 'brand friend' of Swiss watch company Swatch which introduced its 'Fall-Winter' 2018 collection. The experience was "very good", Yami told IANS over the phone. "It was quite nice to see the turnout and to see how people are evolving to this new cultural zone that countries are globally trying to connect with," she added. Asked if she was a comic enthusiast as a child, Yami said: "Not really, I was not much into comics. But of course, I did have my favourite comic characters and I still do." Which one? "My one and only would be Wonder Woman. I love Wonder Woman," said the "Vicky Donor" actress. If she had to play one comic character on-screen, which one would it be? "Wonder Woman, any day," Yami said promptly. In her view, "every woman has a wonder in her and it's all about exploring that". As of now, the actress is being noticed for her powerful dialogue delivery and tough avatar an intelligence in the trailer of "Uri". That's quite a 'wonder woman' in itself, isn't it? Breaking into a laughter, Yami said: "It's a very strong role, and I am glad I got to play one. The response to the trailer has been very good and positive. We are very happy as a team. We have got all the more validation for the choice we have made. 'Uri' is one film that's not just important for me as an actor, but even as a citizen. "As Indians, it is important for each one of us to know what had happened. It is an important landmark for Indian history and politics. I am not exaggerating, but the honesty, intention, passion and the sensitivity with which the film has been made is commendable. I am very proud to be a part of 'Uri'." The Aditya Dhar directorial, which features Vicky Kaushal in a pivotal role, is based on the 2016 surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Armed Forces. It also features Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in key roles. --IANS rb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Guwahati: As India and Myanmar (formerly Burma) maintain a strong legacy of friendship, trust and cooperation for centuries, the southeast Asian nation expects an active role in diverse fields from New Delhi. But reasons, best known to the Indian government, visible efforts from New Delhi continue to be rare in contrast to hyper activism adopted by the Beijing based Chinese administration. Speaking to a group of scribes at Guwahati Press Club from Bogo near to Yangon on 7 December 2018 through video conferencing, Debbie Stothard, a journalist turned pro-democracy human rights activist, also pointed out the unusual delay in functioning of much hyped Kaladan multi-modal project that would connect Myanmars Sittwe port to northeast Indian provinces. On the other hand, Beijing successfully installed the project of oil & gas pipelines from the same Arakan province to Chinas Kunming city and already made it operational. Not only in energy sector, Chinese agencies have been working relentlessly in Myanmar with an inherent influence over the present regime in NayPyiTaw, added Ms Debbie, who used to work as a journalist, community educator and trainer in Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Answering queries from Guwahati scribes, she pointed out that all historical ruins related to Indias glorious freedom movement across Myanmar should be preserved. She mentioned about Gandhi Hall, INA (Indian National Army/Azad Hind Fauj) headquarter, Bahadurshah Zafar tomb etc in Yangon needs proper conservations. Debbie argued that it would also help Myanmar government as those places have historical and tourism interests for millions of Indians. Describing State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyis role in the quasi-democratic government of Myanmar, she admitted that it emerges as a great challenge to the Burmese icon to continue the peace mission with various ethnic armed groups as well as other relevant pro-people initiatives. Debbie however admitted that even though the international community and media fraternity had outraged the lady over her silence on Rohingya controversy, Suu Kyi continues to be popular among the common Burmese nationals. On the Rohingya issue, Debbie insisted on their safe and dignified returns to Myanmar and here the International Federation for Human Rights secretary general urged the Bangladesh and India governments to support the mission. She revealed that there is a sizable population from both the neighbouring countries in Myanmar and hence the regimes in Dhaka and New Delhi should consider it a matter of immediate concern. Asserting that the Burmese military still enjoys a significant influence over the government, Debbie disclosed that the media and rights activists are still under pressure to function independently in Myanmar. Even though there is no censor board for the media at present, the journalists in the county have t be extra careful while reporting hard issue relating to corruptions in high places and non-governance in the nascent democracy. This refers to Banks at poverty line of capital will stay poor: RBI (December 7). There is an imperative need for the public sector banks to keep higher capital than those specified in the Basel Accord. These banks are poorly managed, have high non-performing assets, their record of bad loan recovery is not very comforting and they are exposed to unusually high degree of credit and operational risks (notice the number of high value frauds in these entities). So the Reserve Bank of India is right in requiring them to maintain capital requirements higher than those specified ... The Sunday said it had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that it got a hearing in case the state government moved the apex court against the verdict on the party's proposed "rath yatra". "We have filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that we do not go unheard if the Bengal government decides to move the apex court against the order passed by a division bench of the (on the "rath yatra")," state BJP president said. He claimed that the West Bengal government did not want the saffron party to conduct the "rath yatra", adding, "We are apprehensive that the government may move the Supreme Court." A caveat is a notice that states that certain actions may not be taken without informing the person who has given the notice. The caveat in the apex court was filed by the BJP Saturday. A division bench of the came down heavily on the West Bengal government Friday for not responding to Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) letters, seeking permission for three "rath yatra" in the state, and directed top officials to take a decision on the processions by December 14. Justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee said the government's silence on the permission was "astonishing and astounding". The BJP wrote to the West Bengal government Saturday, stating its readiness to join discussions over its proposed "rath yatra", as directed by the high court the previous day. BJP president Amit Shah was to kickstart the party's "Save Democracy Rally" comprising three "rath yatra" -- one from Coochbehar in the northern parts of the state last Friday, one from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district Sunday and one from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The three "rath yatra" were scheduled to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. A single-judge bench of the high court had refused permission to the BJP Thursday for conducting a "rath yatra" in Coochbehar, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event saying it may cause communal tension. The party then moved the division bench of the court against the verdict Friday. The chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police shall hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12 and take a decision on the matter by December 14, the division bench directed. Two top executives of AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica of Italy, were imprisoned and fined by a court in Italy in 2016 on charges of bribery and falsifying invoices. While the charges of bribery against them were quashed on appeal in 2018, the case is still going on in the courts. But India believes bribes were paid: Through three people Carlo Gerosa (who has since become a witness), Guido Haschke and Christian Michel. Michel, a British citizen who had fled to the UAE, was extradited to India last week. India is seeking the extradition of Gerosa and Haschke as ... A person was killed and another injured when a car in which they were travelling fell into a canal in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, police said Sunday. The incident occurred in Ratanpuri area on Saturday evening when the duo were going to Meerut district from Saharanpur, the police said. The injured were shifted to a hospital where one of them, Lalit Kumar, was declared dead, while the other, Rohit Kumar, is undergoing treatment, the police said. In another incident, seven people were injured when a vehicle in which they were travelling fell into pond on near Satheri area on Saturday, the police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Polling percentage in Sunday's civic elections in Maharashtra's Dhule and Ahmednagar municipal corporations stood at 14 and 15 per cent respectively till 11:30am, a state election official said. Voting for 74-member Dhule and 68-member Ahmednagar civic corporations started Sunday morning. Both these prominent cities of north Maharashtra have a combined voter population of nearly eight lakh. While Dhule has 4.46 lakh voters, there are 3.46 lakh voters in Ahmednagar. The run-up to the Dhule Municipal Corporation polls was a contentious one with BJP MLA Anil Gote accusing his party of inducting criminals and giving them tickets. Gote has fielded candidates from his local outfit Loksangram against official BJP candidates. Gote Sunday said that some people, who he claimed were BJP workers, threw stones at his car on Saturday. However, police said that no untoward incident had been reported at either of the two cities where polling is currently underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two alleged inter-state narcotic smugglers were arrested Sunday after 202 kg of poppy straw was seized from a Punjab-bound truck in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said. Senior superintendent of police, Udhampur, Rayees Mohammad Bhat, said a truck coming from Kashmir was subjected to thorough search at Jakheni along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway leading to the recovery of the huge quantity of the contraband. Jatinder Masih and Jatinder Singh, both residents of Punjab, were arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said. This is the second major haul of poppy straw in the district this month. On December 2, police arrested three inter-state narcotic smugglers after 420 kg of poppy straw was recovered from a truck in the district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kathmandu, Nepal: Inter provincial council meeting commenced first time in Kathmandu. Chief Ministers of all seven provinces have attended in the meeting. A small stretch of less than two per cent of the Yamuna accounts for 76 per cent of the river's pollution, according to a monitoring committee overseeing its cleaning. The committee has further said that the river is "fighting to stay alive" and it would not be possible to rejuvenate the Yamuna unless minimum environmental flow is provided as it is "virtually reduced to a trickle and remains dry in some stretches for almost nine months of the year". National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice A K Goel had in July formed the monitoring committee comprising retired expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra and directed them to the submit an action plan and detailed report on cleaning of the river by December 31. The committee has submitted the details to the Delhi government. In the action plan, a copy of which has been accessed by PTI, it is mentioned that "Although the Yamuna river flows only for 54 kilometres from Palla to Badarpur through Delhi, the 22 kilometre stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla, which is less than 2 per cent of the river length of 1370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for about 76 per cent of the pollution level in the river". This 2 per cent stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla sees maximum discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastes. The committee has suggested that a team of scientists be formed from CPCB, DPCC and other institutions like IIT Delhi or NEERI to carry out inspections and submit reports to it for remedial action. The team can look into the risks and benefits of an alternative way of routing the same quantity of water which can help in reducing the pollution level, it said. The committee has also recommended a mechanism to be worked out jointly with DPCC and CPCB to install an online system for quality testing of water in Yamuna at Palla and Wazirabad. "Not only standard parameters would be included but also ammonia because this is brought up as a recurrent problem which impacts drinking water supply to Delhi," it said. The monitoring committee also raised objection to the capacity utilisation of common effluent treatment plant (CETP) which is as low as 25 per cent. There are 28 industrial clusters in Delhi and 17 of these are connected to 13 CETPs. The remaining 11 clusters are not connected to any CETP. Another area of concern is the direct discharge of completely unregulated waste from industries and residences into the river. "The industrial pollutants when mixed with domestic sewage are not amendable to treatment even by the STPs due to limitation of treatment technology," the committee rued. Environmental experts have raised concern over the report of the committee, calling it a matter of great shame and regret for Delhiites. "This reflects very poorly on Delhi. It is a matter of great shame and regret for Delhiites. The condition of Yamuna could be bettered by improvement in the flow which is the only way through which it can be rejuvenated," said environmentalist Manoj Misra. Another environmentalist Fayaz Khudsar suggested that building of constructive wetlands is a must for saving the Yamuna. "The only way to save Yamuna is through building of constructive wetlands to mitigate pollution and using sewage treatment without energy consumption," said Khudsar, scientist in-charge of the Yamuna biodiversity park. "All sewage going directly to river causes massive pollution but if the sewage passes through aquatic plants and then to the river then pollution can be reduced. It needs to be understood that a city of this size cannot be devoid of pollution and sewage needs to be treated at source," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants, including one of the youngest ultras in Kashmir, were killed in an 18-hour gunfight with security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar Sunday. A soldier and three civilians were also injured during the encounter, a police spokesperson said. "A search operation was launched Saturday jointly by the police and the security forces, based on a credible input about the presence of militants in the Mujgund area on the Bandipora road," he added. During the operation, the search party was fired upon by the militants who were hiding, the police spokesperson said. The fire was retaliated, leading to a gunfight, he added. "In the initial exchange of fire, one Army jawan was injured, who is admitted to a hospital. Three civilians also sustained injuries as the area was open and they were shifted to a hospital. They are stated to be stable," the spokesperson said. Three militants were killed in the counter and their bodies were retrieved from the site, he added. The slain militants were identified as Mudasir Rashid Parray and Saqib Bilal Sheikh -- both residents of the Hajin area in Bandipora district -- and from the evidence collected, one militant was learnt to be a Pakistani, identified as Ali, the spokesperson said. "The three militants were affiliated to proscribed terror outfit LeT," he added. Parray was reportedly 14 years of age and one of the youngest militants killed in the valley. His gun-wielding picture had surfaced on the social media earlier this week, after he had gone missing from his house in August. However, the police said Parray's age could not be confirmed. "We do not know if he was 14 or 16, though he looked young. There is no way to confirm whether he was the youngest militant ever or not," a senior police official said. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including rifles, was recovered from the encounter site, the police spokesperson said. "All those materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probing the slain militants' complicity in other terror cases," he added. The slain militants were wanted by the law for "their complicity in terror crimes", he said. "Ali, according to police records, was involved in several terror crimes and cases were registered against him, including for attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities. He was involved in the recruitment of ultras in the Hajin and Sumbal areas of Bandipora," the police spokesperson said. Meanwhile, clashes between groups of youngsters and security forces took place in the area during the day, a police official said. He added that the security personnel fired tear gas shells and pellets to disperse the protesters. The authorities had suspended mobile internet services in the city as a precautionary measure Sunday morning. The services were, however, restored in the evening after the operation was concluded, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three militants were killed and an Army jawan was injured in an 18-hour gunfight on the outskirts of Srinagar, police said Sunday. Acting on inputs, a search operation was launched by the police and security forces at Mujgund area on Bandipora road on Saturday. The operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on the search party, a police spokesperson said. An Army jawan sustained injuries and was shifted to hospital for treatment. Three militants were killed and the bodies have been retrieved from the site of the encounter that ended on Sunday morning, the spokesperson said. The identities and affiliation of the militants were yet to be known, he said, adding that arms and ammunition had been recovered from the site. "People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any," the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, clashes between groups of youth and security forces have erupted in the area. Authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in the city as a precautionary measure, a police official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Security forces killed three militants Sunday on the outskirts of Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir during an encounter, the Army said. "Three terrorists have been killed in the Mujgund operation," an Army official said. He said weapons have been recovered from the site of encounter. Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation near Srinagar-Bandipora road in Mujgund area on the outskirts of the city here Saturday evening. The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on the search party. While the encounter had stopped during night, the security forces continued to maintain a tight cordon in the area to stop militants from escaping. The encounter resumed Sunday morning and in the gunfight, three militants were killed, the official said. Their identity and group affiliation is yet to be ascertained. Authorities have suspended mobile internet services in the city. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four people have been apprehended at the Chennai International Airport for trying to smuggle into the country 929 grams of gold worth Rs 30 lakh concealed in their rectum, a customs department official said Sunday. Muthuraman Poominadhan(21), Sahul Hameed (42), Mujib Rahman (50), Kalandar Abbas (27), all Indian passport holders, were intercepted upon their arrival from Colombo on Saturday night, the official said. "During interrogation, the accused admitted to have concealed the gold in their rectums. Four 24-karat gold ingots weighing 929 grams, were seized from them," he said, their passports were confiscated and further investigation was underway. In another case, a 50-year-old "repeat offender", travelling from Dubai, was arrested on Sunday morning for attempting to smuggle in 580 grams of gold worth Rs 19 lakh, another customs official said. "Abdul Samad was intercepted and 580 grams of gold, worth Rs 19 lakh, recovered from his personal belongings. The man was arrested as he was a repeat offender," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An estimated 75 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise Sunday in the second phase of panchayat polls in 10 districts of Assam which was largely peaceful, the state election commission said. Voting will continue till late in the night in 900 polling stations as many voters entered the polling stations in the last hour before the end of the stipulated time, Assam State Election Commissioner H N Bora told reporters here. Barring three incidents of complaints received from Cachar, Karimganj and Nalbari districts, polling was peaceful, he said. Repolling will be held in eight polling stations of Cachar and Karimganj and one in Nalbari on December 11, Bora added. The polling percentage in the 10 districts is 75 per cent, with Dhubri recording the highest of 86 per cent, the SEC said. The polling figure will go up as many people are still in the polling booths to exercise their franchise, officials said. As voting began in the morning, a few cases of anomalies regarding names of voters and candidates, symbols along with ballot papers were reported, which were resolved locally and polling continued uninterrupted, the SEC officials said. Polling is being held in Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Cachar, Hailakandi, Karimganj and Hojai to elect 169 zila parishad, 895 anchalik parishad, 895 gaon panchayats presidents and 8,950 gaon panchayat members from among a total of 35,056 contestants. The first phase of polling was held on December five in 16 districts. The voter turnout on December 5 was 81.5 per cent. Counting of votes will be held on December 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor has requested the Uttarakhand government to lift the ban on his latest directorial venture Kedarnath. Kedarnath, which features Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan in the lead, has been banned in the seven districts of Uttarakhand by district magistrates in view of protest by Hindu outfits. he film, set against the backdrop of the natural tragedy in the temple town of Kedarnath, is a love story of a Hindu girl and a Muslim porter. Those seeking a ban on the film have accused it of hurting Hindu sentiments. Kapoor took to social media to request Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to let the film get screened in the state. "I plead with the Uttarakhand govt to please lift the ban on my film #kedarnath. It's an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Please don't deprive us of this opportunity. @tsrawatbjp @RonnieScrewvala," the director tweeted. In an interview with PTI, Sara, daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan, said she was "disheartened" by the ban as the idea behind the film is "not to divide but unite people". "The dream was that I could pass on this story to some people. We shot the film in Uttarakhand, we stayed there for 40 days, I have the best memories of my career there. It is very disheartening to not give back to them because they have given me so much. And that is the only real regret," Sara told PTI. The film is not about dividing you, it rather calls for coming together. I don't know how people are feeling hurt. I don't think they have seen the film," she added. Kedarnarth released on December 7. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala's elder son led group on Sunday launched a new outfit - Jannayak Janata Party - following a split in main opposition INLD last month. Announcement of the new party was made at a rally at Jind, considered as the political heartland of the state. The flag of the new political outfit was unveiled at a well-attended rally here by Ajay Chautala's wife and MLA Naina Chautala along with senior leader K C Bangar, former chairman of the Haryana Public Service Commission. His two sons - Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala - were among those present. The name of the new party begins with 'Jannayak', a reference to former deputy prime minister Devi Lal, with various speakers at the rally vowing to follow his ideals. The Indian Lok Dal had split last month following a power struggle between and his younger brother Abhay Chautala. is undergoing a 10-year jail term with father since 2013 in a teachers' recruitment scam. Over recent weeks, the feud saw the expulsion of Ajay Chautala and his sons, Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala, from the Haryana-based party headed by The two young leaders were shunted out after their slogan-shouting supporters allegedly targeted Abhay Chautala at an INLD rally in Gohana in October. In the feud, Om Prakash Chautala, the son of Devi Lal, threw his weight behind his younger son Abhay Chautala. Meanwhile, Abhay Chautala, who is also Leader of Opposition, held a meeting of party's state executive including his MPs, MLAs and state executive members in Chandigarh on Sunday. Earlier on November 17, when Ajay Chautala, who was then out on parole, had convened a meeting at Jind and on that day, Abhay Chautala too had called a meeting of the INLD at Chandigarh, ostensibly to keep his flock together and ensure that his members did not go to Jind. Abhay Chautala had earlier said that his elder brother was blinded by his love for his sons. "One day they will have to apologise before (Om Prakash) Chautala saheb and admit that they made a big mistake," he had said, referring to alleged hooliganism at the INLD rally by supporters of his two nephews. Attorney General K K Venugopal Saturday expressed concern over the Supreme Court relying on the concept of constitutional morality after it gave a 4:1 verdict in the Sabarimala case and said it might be used now for the purpose of testing laws. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, in a 4:1 verdict, had paved the way for entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala temple in Kerala, saying the ban amounted to gender discrimination. While speaking at the Second J Dadachanji memorial debate here, Venugopal hailed as "enlightened" the dissenting judgment given by apex court judge Justice Indu Malhotra in the Sabarimala case. "I am saying all this because of a fear that this new concept of constitutional morality may now be used for the purpose of testing laws," he said. "In the Sabarimala case, the dissenting judge, Justice Indu Malhotra, relied upon constitutional morality and said that constitutional morality will require that every single individual would have the right to his own faith and nobody can interfere with it, the courts cannot interfere with what is the matter of faith," Venugopal said. Referring to the majority judgement by four judges in the Sabarimala case, he said they had elaborately stressed on constitutional morality and said that constitutional morality was "equality and equality before the law means you cannot discriminate against a class of women". "If a bench of the Supreme Court speak in two different voices, one says permit and other says no, then this is dangerous," he said, adding, that "no one knows where this fight will go and therefore, I am hoping that constitutional morality will die". Venugopal said from the very beginning, there has been conflict a between Parliament and the executive on one hand, and judiciary on the other, and it was not proper for the court to believe that unless they interfere, the country is doomed. "The Supreme Court has not been given the powers of legislation. If the Supreme Court tries to assert legislative powers, it would not be supremacy of the constitution, but supremacy of the Supreme Court of India which is wholly impermissible," said Venugopal. He also referred to Article 142 of the Constitution, which deals with enforcement of decrees and orders of the apex court. "Article 142 merely permitted the court to pass such decree or make such order as to do complete justice in any cause or matter pending before the court...But the Article was treated as a 'Kamadhenu' from which unlimited powers flowed to the apex court of the country," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A huge clean-up operation was under way in Paris on Sunday after French "yellow vest" demonstrators clashed with riot police in the latest round of protests against President Emmanuel Macron, but a heavy security deployment averted a repeat of last week's destruction. Protesters nonetheless set fire to cars, burned barricades and smashed windows in pockets of violence across the city centre, clad in their emblematic luminous safety jackets, as armoured vehicles rolled through the streets. The embattled president -- whose name rang out across the Champs-Elysees as protesters shouted "Macron, resign" -- is expected to address the demonstrations in a much-anticipated speech in the coming days. Clashes broke out in cities across France, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse, during a fourth weekend of nationwide protests against rising living costs and Macron in general. But it was Paris which again bore the brunt of the violence and destruction. "Dozens of shopkeepers have fallen victim to hooligans," Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted. "Once again, this is deplorable." Thick plumes of black smoke from fires rose high into the sky as police fired tear gas, while numerous shops and a Starbucks cafe were ransacked. "The weather is crap and so is this government," a handful of protesters chanted as light rain began to fall. It turned to downpours by mid-evening, scattering many of the remaining demonstrators. The outbreaks of violence were on a smaller scale than the destruction and looting of a week earlier, when some 200 cars were torched in the worst rioting in Paris in decades. The government had vowed "zero tolerance" for anarchist, far-right or other trouble-makers seeking to wreak further havoc at protests that have sparked the deepest crisis of Macron's presidency. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe congratulated police for the operation, and promised Macron would address the protesters' concerns. "The dialogue has begun and it must continue," Philippe said. "The president will speak, and will propose measures that will feed this dialogue." Police reinforcements were boosted to 8,000 across the city, with armoured vehicles deployed in Paris for the first time. Shops along the Champs-Elysees and central department stores stayed shut with their windows boarded up to avoid looting. The Eiffel Tower, major museums and many metro stations were also closed as parts of Paris went on effective lockdown. More than 670 protesters were detained in the capital, many of them stopped as they arrived at train stations or meeting points carrying hammers, petanque balls and other potential missiles. Authorities also launched an investigation into social media activity from accounts allegedly drumming up support for the protests, sources told AFP. According to the UK's Times newspaper, hundreds of online accounts linked to Russia were used to stoke the demonstrations. Citing analysis by New Knowledge, a cybersecurity company, the Times said the accounts spread disinformation and used pictures of injured protesters from other events to enhance a narrative of brutality by French authorities. Officials estimated that a total 125,000 "yellow vests" turned out nationwide throughout the day, down from 136,000 last week. In Paris, health authorities said 179 people had been admitted to hospital, mostly with minor injuries. Among the police, 17 were hurt, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said. The movement has spread beyond France's borders, with around 400 arrested at a "yellow vest" event in Brussels on Saturday and peaceful demonstrations taking place in Dutch towns. The French protests also attracted the attention of US President Donald Trump. "Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?" he tweeted. The demonstrations are not directly linked to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Trump has abandoned to the dismay of Macron and other Western leaders. People began blockading French roads on November 17 over rising fuel prices -- partly due to taxes aimed at helping the country transition to a lower-carbon economy. But the demonstrations have since swollen into a broad movement against ex-banker Macron, whom the protesters accuse of favouring the rich. Nationwide, 89,000 police officers were on duty in towns, cities and on numerous motorways which caused havoc on France's road network, including a blockade of a border crossing with Spain. Nearly 1,400 people were detained across France, according to Castaner. Macron this week gave in to some of the protesters' demands for measures to help the poor and struggling middle classes, including scrapping a planned increase in fuel taxes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said Sunday that high-speed broadband will reach each and every village of the country by 2019. He said the government targets to link 2.5 lakh village panchayats with the broadband under the BharatNet project. "By 2019, there will not be a single village left in the country, which will not be connected with high-speed broadband," Sinha told a gathering here during the 'Ghazipur Samagam' programme. The programme was an interactive platform for people hailing from Ghazipur, who gathered here on Sunday to deliberate on various issues, UP BJP media co-convenor Navin Srivastava said. Sinha also took to Twitter to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Union minister tweeted, "Poorvanchal is fortunate that PM Narendra Modi is the MP from Varanasi. As a result, the entire eastern region of UP including Ghazipur has now become a point of focus (kendra bindu) for the Centre..." "In the last four-and-a-half years, foundation of the AIIMS has been laid in Gorakhpur, while The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has been upgraded to the level of AIIMS. From the point of view of infrastructure, this government has done unprecedented work," he said in the tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Assam Rifles and the Army will contribute with every possible means to help Nagaland become the 'jewel of the North East' region, a top Army officer said Sunday. Addressing the penultimate day of the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland here, Lt Gen Gopal R, the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Spear Corps called upon the gathering to "take a pledge to ensure that peace, prosperity and progress returns to this pristine land." The Lt Gen asserted that the Assam Rifles, which is known as the Sentinel of the Hills People and the Army would contribute in whatever manner to make Nagaland a 'jewel in the North East' and that they will leave no stone unturned to assist the people in achieving these noble goals. The GoC echoed the sentiments of the former Chief Minister of Nagaland, late J B Jasokie, while describing the state as the land where race, rivers, ranges regulate the rhythm of life in addition to being the abode of honest and most hospitable people. He said that the Naga culture is not only about colourful costumes, dances and songs but much more so of the values of honesty, simplicity, hospitality and the great Naga warrior tradition. He called upon the Naga people to preserve the custom and tradition of honesty and truthfulness so that the future generation will imbibe the great tradition of the forefathers. The day was marked by cultural performance by the 17 Naga tribes. The 10-day long Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, which was inaugurated on December 1 by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. At the end of the 8th day of the festival, a total of 1,69,719 visitors, including 2,304 foreigners, 25,996 domestic and 1,41,339 local visitors had the Hornbill festival, said assistant director of Tourism (Statistics), T Khakihe Sumi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A helicopter crashed Sunday in eastern Sudan, killing at least five local officials who were on board, state media reported. Witnesses said the helicopter caught fire after hitting a communications tower as it tried to land in a field in the state of Al-Qadarif. "Flames and thick dark smoke rose from the aircraft," one of the witnesses, Adam Hassan, said. Al-Qadarif governor Mirghani Saleh, his cabinet chief, the local minister of agriculture as well as the local police chief and head of border guards were killed, state television said. It did not give details about the circumstances of the crash near the border with Ethiopia, or say if there were any survivors. Sudan's state agency SUNA gave a slightly higher toll of six government officials killed. It said an unspecified number of other people were taken to hospital for treatment, without providing further details. Most of Sudan's military and civilian fleet consists of old Soviet-made aircraft, and the country has suffered a series of crashes in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems and bad weather. In October eight people were injured in a collision between two Sudanese army planes on the runway at Khartoum airport. Weeks earlier in September, two pilots were killed when their military jet crashed near Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city on the west bank of the Nile. That accident came days after a military helicopter crashed and caught fire on landing in Darfur, though all passengers were rescued. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The authorities of Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar has extended the detention of Bhim Army's district chief under the National Security Act by three months, an official said Sunday. Vikas was arrested in connection with the violence during the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups in April. His detention under the NSA was extended by the district authorities on Saturday, official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Army jawan allegedly involved in the killing of a police inspector during mob violence in Bulandshahr has been arrested, a senior official of the UP Special Task Force said Sunday. "The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to UP STF team in Meerut yesterday late night," IG STF Amitabh Yash told PTI here today. Asked whether this will be considered as handing over by Army or arrest by the STF, Yash said, "Technically it will be considered as arrest. In the videos available he is present at the site of violence." Currently, he is in police custody in Meerut, the IG STF said. On Monday, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr district apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the violence. Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said Saturday that full cooperation will be extended in the investigation of the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UP government Sunday transferred Raees Akhtar, who was posted as additional superintendent of police (rural) in Bulandshahr, six days after two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter incident. In a statement issued here, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said Akhtar has been transferred to PAC Headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra, posted as additional superintendent of police at modern control room, Ghaziabad, has been made the new ASP (rural) of Bulandshahr. The development comes close on the heels of the arrest of an Army jawan allegedly involved in the killing of a police inspector during the mob violence. "The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team in Meerut yesterday late night," IG STF Amitabh Yash told PTI. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Singh and his team had gone to the area to tackle the violence when they came under attack by the mob. On Saturday, the UP government transferred Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh to the DGP office in Lucknow. Kumar had said the senior superintendent of police will be replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. The government has transferred two other policemen of Bulandshahr district Circle Officer of Syana area Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police chowki in-charge Suresh Kumar. Additional Director General, Intelligence, SB Shiradkar submitted a report on the violence Friday. The transfers are understood to be in line with the findings of the report on police handling of the situation. Inspector Singh, who died in the mob violence, was the investigating officer of the Dadri lynching case from September 28, 2015 to November 9, 2015. However, the chargesheet was filed by a different IO in March, 2016. Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. In a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Raj had claimed innocence. Another inquiry by a government-constituted SIT is underway, and the team is going into the details and video footage of the incident, an official said. Also, a magisterial probe has been ordered by the government. The Uttar Pradesh government has been severely criticised by opposition leaders over law and order and for its handling of the situation after the violence. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the violence in Bulandshahr was an "accident" and there did not happen any incident of mob lynching in his state. He, however, assured that no one responsible for the violence will be spared. The Congress has slammed Adityanath's downplaying of the severity of an incident of mob violence and said he has attempted to "derail" the probe in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Army jawan arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of a police inspector during mob violence in Bulandshahr was on Sunday produced before the judicial magistrate, who sent him to jail for 14 days, officials said. The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team in Meerut late Saturday night. Malik was interrogated by the crime branch during the day and also questioned by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the incident, the city Superintendent of Police (Crime) said. He was taken to the district hospital for a medical examination and later produced before the magistrate, who sent him to prison for two weeks, the SP said. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Singh and his team had gone to the area to tackle the violence when they came under attack by the mob. Earlier in the day, the UP government transferred Raees Akhtar, who was posted as additional superintendent of police (rural) in Bulandshahr, six days after two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter incident. In a statement issued here, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said Akhtar has been transferred to PAC Headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra, posted as additional superintendent of police at modern control room, Ghaziabad, has been made the new ASP (rural) of Bulandshahr. On Saturday, the UP government transferred Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh to the DGP office in Lucknow. Kumar had said the senior superintendent of police will be replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. The government has transferred two other policemen of Bulandshahr district Circle Officer of Syana area Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police chowki in-charge Suresh Kumar. Additional Director General, Intelligence, SB Shiradkar submitted a report on the violence Friday. The transfers are understood to be in line with the findings of the report on police handling of the situation. Inspector Singh, who died in the mob violence, was the investigating officer of the Dadri lynching case from September 28, 2015 to November 9, 2015. However, the chargesheet was filed by a different IO in March, 2016. Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. In a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Raj had claimed innocence. Another inquiry by a government-constituted SIT is underway, and the team is going into the details and video footage of the incident, an official said. Also, a magisterial probe has been ordered by the government. The Uttar Pradesh government has been severely criticised by opposition leaders over law and order and for its handling of the situation after the violence. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the violence in Bulandshahr was an "accident" and there did not happen any incident of mob lynching in his state. He, however, assured that no one responsible for the violence will be spared. The Congress has slammed Adityanath's downplaying of the severity of an incident of mob violence and said he has attempted to "derail" the probe in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre whether a man suffering from a rare skin disorder can be allowed to use solar control film on his vehicle as a "special consideration". "Can't you give him a special consideration," a bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan asked the Centre, which has sought dismissal of the man's plea on the ground that he had raised the issue in the Supreme Court which had declined to grant the relief. The government, represented by advocate Farman Ali Magray, has also contended that there are several alternative remedies, like sunscreen and protective clothing, available to the petitioner, Vipul Gambhir, who suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum. It is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder of DNA repair, in which the ability to repair the damage caused by UV light is deficient. Magray told the court that Gambhir could use sunscreen cream, sun-shade, protective clothing and other amenities available in the market to protect himself from the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Gambhir, in his plea, has contended that due to his disease, doctors have advised him to use solar control film on his vehicle since his condition had deteriorated due to exposure to UV radiation. The government on the other hand has taken the stand that the Supreme Court has banned the use of black-coloured solar control film on vehicles. Concerned over the rising instances of criminals using black films for windscreens and side glasses of four wheelers, the apex court in April, 2012 had directed the states and union territories to strictly enforce the ban on the use of tinted glasses beyond permissible limits. Manufacturers may produce vehicles with tinted glasses, which provide for 70 per cent visual light transmission (VLT) for the safety glasses on the windscreen (front and rear) and 40 per cent VLT for the side glasses, the apex court had then said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The finale of the sixth edition of national level inter-school CCCC Cryptic Crossword Contest will begin Monday in Kendriya Vidyalaya number two at Delhi Cantt here. The three-day finale would go on till December 12 and over 40 school teams, who had won their respective preliminary city rounds held between July and September across the country, would participate in it. "The contest that began in 2013 is a two-stage event. In the first, school teams participate in an hour-long written test in city rounds across the country. In the second, the winning school teams from various city rounds gather at the national capital to decide the national winner," Amitabh Ranjan, chief operating officer of Patna-based organisation Extra-C which conduct the contest, said in a release. The contest is open to students of Class 9 to 12 in all the schools affiliated to any boards in the country, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will step down by the end of this year, US President Donald Trump has said, confirming that he will announce a replacement "over the next day or two". The 68-year-old retired Marine Corps general has been President Trump's Chief of Staff since July 31, 2017. In the first seven months of the Trump administration, Kelly was the secretary of Homeland Security. "John Kelly will be leaving I don't know if I can say 'retiring'. But, he's a great guy. John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday. "We will be announcing who will be taking John's place...I shall be announcing that over the next day or two. But, John will be leaving at the end of the year. He has been with me almost two years now," Trump said. Nick Ayers, the 36-year-old chief of staff to the vice-president Mike Pence, is Kelly's likely successor. There were reports that the relationship between Trump and Kelly had deteriorated to such an extent that the two were no longer on speaking terms. Kelly, who was brought in by Trump after he fired Reince Priebus, has been instrumental in bringing in a sense of discipline inside the White House. Kelly was one of the several generals appointed by Trump to key roles, including defense secretary Jim Mattis, and former national security advisers Michael Flynn and HR McMaster. According to a report in 'The Wall Street Journal', the relationship between Kelly and Trump had completely broken down, leading the president to tell an associate to "stop calling John" and to instead "call Nick, he's my guy". Veteran journalist Bob Woodward wrote in his bestselling book 'Fear' that Kelly called Trump an "idiot" at the head of a "Crazytown" administration. Kelly, however, denied such reports and stayed in post. In France in November for events marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war, Kelly visited an American cemetery outside Paris while Trump remained in the city, the White House insisting rain made a presidential visit impractical. Kelly's exit from the White House is the latest in a series of reshuffles in the Trump administration. On Friday, Trump said he will nominate William Barr his attorney general, replacing Matthew Whitaker who was named acting attorney general only a month ago. Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions in the top Justice Department post. Sessions was fired after months of being attacked and ridiculed by the president on November 7. Trump appointed State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the US' next ambassador to the UN, replacing Indian-origin Nikki Haley who said in October that she would step down at the end of the year. McMaster was replaced on March 22 with John Bolton as the national security adviser. Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency chief quit on July 5. Former secretary of state Rex Tillerson was fired by Trump on March 13 after rifts between them. On Friday, Trump tweeted that Tillerson was "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell". James Comey, the FBI director, who led the Russia probe before Mueller, was fired by Trump in May last year. Michael Flynn resigned in February last year as Trump's national security adviser. Earlier in the day, Trump nominated General Mark Milley as his next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's top military advisor. If confirmed by the Senate, Gen Milley would replace General Joe Dunford who is scheduled to retire next summer. Milley currently is Chief of Staff of the Army. Trump described Gen Milley as a "great gentleman and a great patriot". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Once a dreaded militant and now a leading politician in North East, Zoramthanga has completed writing his autobiography, which, he terms, will be a very controversial book and is likely to be objected by both Pakistan and Chinese governments because of detail accounts of their "support" to the insurgency in Mizoram. The two-volume book, to be called 'MILARI' in Mizo language, is currently being translated into English and the Mizo National Front President Zoramthanga plans to make it into a Hollywood movie in future with the potential of being at par with the flicks on the life of legendary revolutionary Che Guevara. In an exclusive interview to PTI, the two-time Chief Minister of Mizoram expressed confidence of his party forming the next government in the state and said he will release the Mizo version of the book post the election results on December 11. "I have written my autobiography in two volumes. It will be really, let us say, a very controversial book. (It) may be objected by Pakistan government and the Chinese also," Zoramthanga said. The book will have detailed descriptions of his 20 years of underground days, which will include how Dhaka had failed with the capture of Lieutenant General AAK Niazi's one lakh troops by Indian forces, he added. Zoramthanga informed that MNF cadres were mixed with commandoes of East Pakistan and were captured by Lieutenant General JS Arora, but later all escaped and went into jungle again. The autobiography will talk about "how we made a dead devil James Bond type escape to East Pakistan through Rangoon and through the Arakan forest marching for days and days, how we met Bhutto and how we started peace talk with the Government of India in foreign countries", he added. Zoramthanga said it will also mention about how he and MNF insurgents had gone to China and "met Premier Zhou Enlai, Mao Zedong, Lin Biao and Chiang Ching" along with other Chinese leaders. "...and how we here got a help from the Chinese government in the form of arms etc. This has to be recorded. Some of the publishers dare not publish these things. But anyhow, I have written these in Mizo language and it is now being translated (into English)," the MNF President said. Asked when he plans to release the book, Zoramthanga said the printing of the two volumes in Mizo language is already completed and once he forms the government in the state post Assembly results, it will be released. Talking about the release of the English version, he said: "I don't not know. Translation is starting now. (It) depends upon when it is finished. Some Mizo professors are translating it. I believe that I will find a good publisher." Expressing his desire to see his life on the silver screen, Zoramthanga said his autobiography has all the spices and plots to become a wonderful Hollywood movie if any producer comes forward. He, however, is not interested in giving the book to Bollywood as the Mumbai-based industry may not have the courage to showcase everything that includes MNF's fights and strategies against the Indian government... and many other sensitive information. "So in India, they may not like to make it into a Bollywood movie. But in the United States, where everything they dare to make it, I believe that it will be at some sort of par with the Che Guevara's those underground days movie. And I will try to publish these and make it into a movie. And it will be a very good movie for the Hollywood people," Zoramthanga said. After releasing the English version of the book, if any Hollywood movie maker shows interest, he is ready to discuss and make the project successful, he said enthusiastically. 'MILARI' is the name of Zoramthanga's daughter. It is also a collection of initials of different words. "MI stands for Mizoram, LA stands for Lalpa that means Lord and R stands for arrangements -- Remruatna arrangement. The last one 'I' took it for myself. That is, Mizoram -- the lord's arrangements and myself. And the book is going to be called MILARI," he added. He informed that he had dictated the autobiography to his stenographer, who typed it for him. When the Mizo Freedom Movement started in 1966, Zoramthanga joined the underground agitation and moved to the jungle. MNF's secessionist movement came to an end in 1986, when it signed the Mizo Peace Accord with the Government of India and created a separate state for the Mizos, called Mizoram. When the MNF formed the government in 1987 under the leadership of Laldenga, Zoramthanga looked after Finance and Education departments. In 1990, when Laldenga died, he became the President of the MNF. In the Assembly elections of 1998, he led his party to victory and became the Chief Minister of Mizoram and was re-elected in 2003 for the second consecutive term. MNF this time has fought in all the 40 constituencies during the Assembly polls, which took place on November 28, and the party is hoping to win over 25 seats. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. A report by the official Xinhua Agency carried on the Foreign Ministry's website said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng called in Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over the holding of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade US trade curbs on Iran. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening US security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The US has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Le told McCallum that Meng's detention at the request of the United States while transferring flights in Vancouver was a "severe violation" of her "legitimate rights and interests." "Such a move ignores the law and is unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature," Le said in the statement. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained Huawei executive ... or face grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for," Le said. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that Chinese pressure on the Canadian government won't work. "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide," Paris tweeted in response to the comments from Beijing. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng, whose case is shaking up U.S.-China relations and worrying global financial markets. Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained at the request of the US during a layover at the Vancouver airport on December 1 the same day that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China agreed over dinner to a 90-day ceasefire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce. The US alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York Aug. 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled U.S. banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei." Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: She's facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing will resume Monday after Meng spends the weekend in jail. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said that "we have every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Canadian officials have declined to comment on Chinese threats of retaliation over the case, instead emphasizing the independence of Canada's judiciary along with the importance of Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said Canada "has assured China that due process is absolutely being followed in Canada, that consular access for China to Ms. Meng will absolutely be provided." "We are a rule of law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do," Freeland said Friday. While protesting what it calls Canada's violation of Meng's human rights, China's ruling Communist Party stands accused of mass incarcerations of its Muslim minority without due process, locking up those exercising their right to free speech and refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country in order to bring pressure on their relatives accused of financial crimes. The party also takes the lead in prosecutions of those accused of corruption or other crimes in a highly opaque process, without supervision from the court system or independent bodies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nigerian soldiers intercepted a column of Boko Haram fighters on Friday near a military base in northeast Nigeria, triggering a fierce gun battle that killed three civilians, security sources told AFP. A soldier was injured in the fight, which happened in Jakana village, some 30 kilometres (nearly 20 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri. In July, jihadists raided the military base in Jakana and burnt down a police station. About 80 people were killed in a previous attack on Jakana and nearby Mainok in March 2013. On Saturday, military sources said the latest incident saw troops fight a two-hour battle with fighters from the Islamic State-backed Boko Haram faction from 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Friday. "It was an intense fight. Our troops saw them passing near the village and confronted them," a senior military officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. "The terrorists were obviously heading toward the bush to congregate and launch an attack somewhere. One soldier was injured and three civilians caught up in the fight were killed." A member of a civilian militia assisting the military with security said the jihadists fired at troops with anti-aircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades. "The terrorists did not intend to attack, they fought soldiers to defend themselves and escape," he added. The fighting underlined the persistent threat to troops in the remote region, which has seen more than 20 attacks on military bases since July. Two bases were attacked on Thursday and Friday in the Rann and Bama areas of Borno. Eight soldiers were killed in an attack last Saturday in the Yobe village of Buni Gari. Most attacks on the military are blamed on, or claimed by, the self-styled Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Friday's fighting disrupted traffic along the main road between Maiduguri and the state capital of neighbouring Yobe state, Damaturu. Boko Haram is active in the area and have on several occasions barricaded the road, killing motorists and burning vehicles. Jakana lies near a route linking an ISWAP base in the Buni Yadi district of Yobe and its camps in the Konduga forest area of Borno. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Sunday demanded passing of a bill protecting the rights of domestic workers in the upcoming Parliament session, asserting that a central law aimed at securing descent working conditions for them and regulating of placement agencies was the need of the hour. Arbind Singh, Chairman of the All India Unorganized Workers Congress (AIUWC), alleged that the policy on domestic workers envisioned by the government was not all encompassing and lacks in addressing core issues and rights of domestic workers. At a press conference here, he said domestic workers across the country will demonstrate before Parliament and in their respective states and districts on Monday to demand a law to protect and promote their employment and social security. The domestic workers of Delhi will gather at Jantar Mantar and march towards Parliament at 1:00 PM raising issues of their harassment and demanding end of their troubles by enacting of a law. Singh said that a law aimed at securing descent-working conditions and regulating placement agencies was the need of the hour. The comprehensive draft law for domestic workers looking at various aspects such as regulation of working condition, fixation of wages, holidays, regulation of placement agencies, and social security, has been submitted by AIUWC to the government. A delegation will also submit a memorandum to the Prime Minster's Office (PMO) demanding law for domestic workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Migration from development-starved villages of Uttarakhand, especially those in the hills, continues to present a grim picture with over 700 of them totally depopulated in seven years. Of nearly 16,500 villages in Uttarakhand, as many as 734, mostly in the hilly areas, are totally depopulated. Not a soul lives in them, Vice President of Uttarakhand Rural Development and Migration Commission S S Negi told PTI. Such ghost villages with their houses lying in ruins and fields overgrown with vegetation abound in Pauri district where 186 out of 298 villages are totally depopulated, he said citing a report submitted to the sate government recently by the commission. Pauri is the worst hit by migration followed by Almora district where a study by a commission team is already underway. The data covers a period of seven years after the 2011 census, he said. Describing the situation as "grim", the commission's vice president said while migration from development-starved hill areas is a common problem total depopulation of villages is unique to Uttarakhand. "Wherever there is lack of development in the country or anywhere in the world, migration is a reality but total depopulation of villages is a rare phenomenon which seems Uttarakhand specific," he observed. One of the reasons behind total depopulation is that while migration from states like Bihar is of a temporary and seasonal nature, outflux from the hill villages of Uttarkhand is of a permanent nature, he said. "While people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for instance migrate often to work as labourers in urban areas temporarily and come back, those who migrate from Uttarakhand hills are often educated people who do so in search of better employment opportunities and prospects for settling down," the commission's vice president said. There are also a number of villages in the state where the population size is8-10 or 2-3 people. Citing an instance, Negi said while touring Nainidanda block of Pauri district they came upon a village where no one lives except a retired post master and his wife who said they bolt the doors of their house at 4 pm and keep indoors in the fear of leopards. "There are also villages in Nainidanda block where there is no male population with all of them working outside and in case of one of the women dying men have to be sent from neighbouring villages to carry the bier on their shoulders and participate in the funeral," he said. Pegging the rate of migration at 50 per cent, Negi underlined the need for immediate steps to boost rural economy to stop further migration from Uttarakhand's villages. "The basic factors behind the high rate of migration from Uttarakhand's villages is lack of income avenues, non-accessibility of quality education and quality health care. The situation can be improved only through creation of better income avenues with fresh impetus to ecotourism," Negi said. "Five-star tourism is obviously not going to work in villages. A renewed thrust on ecotourism like home stays and adventure tourism activities like trekking, rafting etc may create better income avenues for locals and stop further migration from our villages," he said. Temple tourism is another area which needs to be paid more attention as villages of Uttarakhand abound with centuries-old temples that can attract people and generate income avenues for locals, he suggested. Better facilities can be created for devotees around these temples which will create employment opportunities for locals and increase their income, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police Sunday questioned model-cum-television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee in connection with the killing of a diamond trader, an official said. The trader, Rajeshwar Udani, 57, a resident of suburban Ghatkopar, had gone missing on November 28. His decomposed body was found at Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district Friday, police had said. Police Saturday arrested Sachin Pawar, a former personal assistant of a Maharashtra minister, and Dinesh Pawar, a suspended police constable who was earlier arrested in a rape case. They were Sunday remanded to police custody till December 14, a police official said. Police suspect that the trader was killed over a monetary dispute and for having a roving eye for a female friend of Sachin Pawar, the official said. Bhattacharjee, who is known for her role as Gopi Bahu in the popular Hindi serial "Saath Nibhana Sathiya", was questioned Saturday, he said Sunday. She was allowed to go after questioning, the official said without elaborating. Meanwhile, Bhattacharjee took to Twitter to explain her position. "Hello frens..thanks for your love and caring..I am safe and home nd there is nothing to get worried about..It was an investigation as I know the person who got killed..an official statement has been already given by the department..All is well (sic)," she tweeted. Police are interrogating several persons in connection with the case. According to police, Udani's son had lodged a missing complaint at the Pant Nagar police station in Ghatkopar on November 29 when his father did not return home. During the probe, it came to light that an unidentified body has been found in Panvel, about 60 km from Mumbai, police had said, adding that it was later identified as that of Udani's. Post-mortem revealed fractures at several places in the body and death by strangulation. Sachin and Dinesh were booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping) and 120b (conspiracy). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Disenfranchisement may be the first possible step against those whose names will not be part of the final list of the NRC to be published after the claims and objections window comes to an end next week, officials said Sunday. As of now, just about 10 lakh people, out of the total 40 lakh, who were excluded in the draft of the Register of Citizens (NRC) have submitted applications for inclusion of their names in the list of Assam's citizens. They have given relevant documents claiming that they are Indian citizens. If someone cannot provide documents related to Indian citizenship, disenfranchisement may be the first possible step, a government official said. However, a final decision on the fate of such paper-less people will be taken by the Supreme Court, which is supervising the massive exercise in Following a directive of the Supreme Court, the process of filing claims and objections to the draft NRC began on September 25 and it will come to an end on December 15. All those who were excluded from the draft NRC were given ample opportunities to prove their Indian citizenship, another official said. If some people are not turning up to seek inclusion of their names in the NRC, it means they don't have the required documents, the official said. The draft NRC was prepared with painstaking efforts with a robust mechanism and hence the chances of error is very limited, he said. However, all those who will be excluded from the final NRC will have the right to approach the Citizenship Tribunals followed by the competent courts to challenge the decision of the NRC authorities. West Bengal Chief Minister had claimed that the NRC exercise was carried out with a "political motive" to divide people and warned that it would lead to "bloodbath" and a "civil war" in the country. Following exclusion of over 40 lakh people in the draft NRC, Banerjee had also said those "Indian citizens have become refugees in their own land". She had alleged the NRC was an "attempt to evict the Bengalis from Assam". The has also finalised a set of standard operating procedure (SOP) or disposal of claims and objections in the updating of the NRC. The draft NRC was published on July 30 and included the names of 2.9 crore people out of the total applications of 3.29 crore. There has been a huge controversy over the exclusion of 40 lakh people from the draft NRC. Initially, the apex court had allowed the claimants to rely on any of the 10 documents land documents, permanent residential certificate issued from outside the state, passport, of India policy, any licence or certificate issued by any government authority, document showing service or employment under the government or public sector undertaking, bank or post office accounts, birth certificates issued by a competent authority, educational certificate issued by boards or universities and records or processes pertaining to court provided they are part of processing in a judicial or revenue court. However, on November 1, the court allowed five additional documents to rely upon for inclusion of names in the NRC. The additional papers are 1951 NRC, electoral roll up to March 24, 1971, citizenship certificate, refugee registration certificate and ration card. For the claims and objections process, forms are available in 2,500 Seva Kendras in Assam, where people can file their appeal in their respective areas. People can file corrections to their names that are in the draft and also raise objections against suspected foreigners. The NRC exercise, aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in the state that borders Bangladesh, was carried out only in Assam, which faced influx of people from since the early 20th century. When the NRC was first prepared in way back in 1951, the state had 80 lakh citizens then. As per the 2011 census, Assam's total population is over 3.11 crore. The process of identification of illegal immigrants in has been widely debated and become a contentious issue in the state's politics. A six-year agitation demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants was launched by the All Assam Students Union in 1979. It culminated with the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985, in the presence of then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. A case has been registered against DMK leader and former Union minister A Raja for allegedly making derogatory remarks and levelling allegations of corruption against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues during a protest in September. According to local police, the case was registered based on a complaint filed by an AIADMK functionary on December 7. Raja has been charged with "criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace" under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the officer said. "Raja took part in the protest held on September 18. The complainant has accused Raja of making derogatory remarks against TN CM and cabinet ministers besides levelling unfounded corruption allegations," the officer said. On September 18, the opposition DMK staged state-wide protests against the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu, with party chief MK Stalin leading the charge in Salem. Besides Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi, sister Kanimozhi and senior DMK leaders including Durai Murugan and Dayanidhi Maran participated in the protests. Raja had led the protest at Perambalur, a district in central Tamil Nadu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 73-year-old woman from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district died on board the Thar Express weekly train when she was on the way from Pakistan to India, an immigration official said Sunday. The woman had gone to Pakistan 20 days ago to meet her daughter. She boarded the train from Karachi along with her other relatives but died Saturday, the official said, requesting anonymity. He said it was a case of natural death. The woman was identified as Jamiyat Khan, a resident of Mandai of Jaisalmer district. The body upon reaching the Khokhrapar railway station in Pakistan was handed over to Indian officials in Munabao after completing the formalities. Special permission was granted to bring the body to Khan's native place by road transportation, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Realty firm Embassy Group will invest about Rs 2,000 crore to complete its ongoing housing projects and is looking to buy land or form joint ventures for expanding its presence in Bengaluru as well as other major cities, a senior company official said. Bengaluru-based Embassy Group's President (Residential Business) Reeza Sebastian said the company is also considering entering the senior living housing segment and adopting pre-fab construction technology. Embassy Group, which is India's leading developer of commercial real estate, has completed 12 million sq ft of housing projects and is currently developing around 10,000 units across six projects, of which five are in Bengaluru and one in Chennai. Sebastian said five projects would be completed by 2019-20 while the nearly 300 acre township 'Embassy Springs' in Bengaluru would take another five years for development. Asked about the investment, she said the total cost for the ongoing projects is more than Rs 5,000 crore, of which about 60 per cent has already been deployed. Sebastian said the company would continue to focus on its core strength of developing ultra-luxury housing but at the same time look at opportunities in other categories of the residential market. "Expansion plans into other micro markets and cities are under evaluation to make the Embassy brand accessible to many more consumers across the country," she told PTI. The company plans to buy land or form partnership with land owners for mid-income housing projects in areas like Whitefield in Bengaluru. Sebastian said the company offers quality products for all segments including uber-luxury, branded private residences, luxury and mid-income homes. "Going forward, we will continue to look for strategic opportunities across all housing segments," she added. To reduce the construction cost, Sebastian said the company is in talks with players having expertise in pre-fab technology. This will enable the company to offer flats in a price range of up to Rs 80 lakh. On the luxury housing market, Sebastian said the demand is bit slow than other segments but there is good traction for ready-to-move in luxury units. Out of the 10,000 units the company is developing, around 1,300 are luxury flats, of which 60 per cent are already sold. "Luxury home buyers are looking for a holistic experience and are specific about the legacy of brands, quality of construction, the promise of delivery and re-assurance of continued impeccable levels of services," she said. Embassy Group has developed over 45 million sq ft of prime residential and commercial projects. The company, in joint venture with global investment firm Blackstone, has developed business parks covering about 34 million sq ft of office space. Embassy-Blackstone plans to launch the country's first Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). The group is into hospitality, industrial parks and co-working space. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said ending terrorist activities was a pre-condition for any dialogue with Pakistan as its "dual" role is unacceptable to India. "Promoting terrorist activities and entering into a dialogue for peace cannot run together," he said, when asked by reporters to explain why India is avoiding any dialogue with Pakistan. He said either Islamabad should stop aiding terrorist activities or express its commitment against terrorism with assurance that it would not allow it to grow in Pakistan. "If it finds difficult to control terrorist activities, why it is not seeking help from its neighbour India?" he asked. "If a crusade against Taliban can start in Afghanistan with the help of the US , why not commence a similar action in Pakistan? the home minister asked. On the outcome of election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, he said, "Prayas to Bhartiya Janta Party ka yahi raha hai ki hame kamyabi mile, milni bhi chahiye yeh vishwas hai, parinam ki pratiksha kijiye (Efforts of BJP has been to win, we are confident of that, wait for the results)". He disapproved that the election in the five states was a semi-final for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, adding that "final is final". He refused to comment on involvement of an army personnel in Bulandshahar incident on the plea that it was a state subject and the Yogi Adityanath government is looking after that. On the Ram temple issue, he said, "everybody wants majestic temple of Ram in Ayodhya". Terming the culture of India as the best one, Singh said people feel the strength of "spiritual power" during their visit to India. The minister said, since Lord Ram adopted values, he is worshipped, while Ravan failed to get an inch of that level, as he neglected values, even though he was more equipped with knowledge, wealth and power. Singh advised the degree recipients to have broad thinking as it would not only prepare a platform for "sukh (pleasure)" to them, but their action would turn welfare-oriented. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asserting that factionalism in the unit of the party is a "thing of the past", senior leader Jyotiraditya said Sunday the entire state leadership worked as a "united front" during the assembly polls in a bid to dislodge the BJP government. Scindia, who spearheaded an energetic and spirited campaign for the in Madhya Pradesh, said there is an "uprising for change" in the state. "During my campaign, I covered over 115 constituencies in There is an omnipotent energy -- it is an uprising for change," he told PTI in an interview. Some exit polls have given an edge to the to form a government in the state after remaining in opposition for 15 years, while others have predicted a close finish for the grand old party and the ruling BJP. Counting of votes for the November 28 elections to 230 assembly seats in the state will take place on December 11. Asked if he considers himself as a front-runner for the chief minister's post in case the Congress wins the elections, said he does not want to answer hypothetical questions. The Guna MP said he has consistently maintained that the goal of the entire Congress party has been to unseat the BJP government in "Once that is achieved, the next step is for the party leadership to decide (on the chief ministerial face)," said Scindia, one of the top Congress leaders in the state who had won the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 despite a huge wave in favour of the BJP. and the state Congress chief are being seen as main contenders for the chief minister's post if Congress emerges victorious in the state. On whether the selection of the chief minister by the Congress in case of a win could leave some senior leaders "hard done", Scindia said: "Not at all. One must understand, that we have to learn from our past. We have previously struggled with factionalism within the party. However, that time has passed." He asserted that throughout this election in MP, the entire party machinery including senior leaders and every single party worker, worked as a "united front". "Our strength, this time, has been in the unity of our campaign. And this will and must continue," the 47-year-old leader said. Asked if the Congress was able to counter the narrative of factionalism, Scindia answered in the affirmative and said factionalism in the party, which media keeps raking up, is a complete "non-issue". "I have admitted that one reason we were unable to give the BJP a fight in the last two assembly elections was because we were not working cohesively, but that is a thing of the past," the former union minister said. Under Congress president Rahul Gandhi's uniting leadership, the state leadership has worked as a single INC (Indian National Congress) unit, Scindia said. Madhya Pradesh registered a record 75 per cent voter turnout in November 28 polls. The BJP is looking for a fourth straight term, while a resurgent Congress is eyeing a comeback after 15 years. Scindia asserted that the state polls results will have a "great deal" of impact on the general elections next year and agreed with the notion of state elections of 2018 being seen as semi-finals for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when Prime Minister will make a bid for his second term in power. "It is a reflection of the sentiment of voters and how they feel about the kind of governance they have been subjected to. As I said, people are yearning for a change," the Congress leader said. The results of 2018 will set the stage for national polls and if Congress forms the government at the state level, the "uprising" for positive change will surely to spread across the nation, Scindia said. He claimed that in Madhya Pradesh every community of voters -- those belonging to the small and medium enterprises, farmers, women, youth, dalits, minorities and underprivileged sections of society -- have "suffered" because of ill-informed and badly-implemented policy decisions of the BJP government. Scindia also alleged there is an increasing communal polarisation and targeting of certain communities in the state under the BJP government led by Chief Minister People's response to the Congress campaign reflected the distrust about the ruling dispensation and a yearning for the change that Congress can usher in, he said. The senior Congress leader said 2018 and 2019 will be time for a change that the people are asking for. Scindia said the Congress' agenda has been focussed on 4-5 main issues that it has consistently targeted -- the abysmal condition of farmers in MP burdened with low prices for their produce and the huge loans they are burdened with, rising crime against women, widespread unemployment among the youth and rampant corruption at every level in the government ecosystem. "In addition, our manifesto has clearly placed before the people an alternative agenda, a very positive and forward-looking agenda for governance which has clearly spelt out developmental programmes for each social section and region of Madhya Pradesh, which has inspired people," he said. Foreign investors have pulled put close to Rs 400 crore from the Indian stock market in the last five trading sessions amid weakness in global equities due to the arrest of a high-profile Chinese executive. This comes following a net inflow of over Rs 6,900 crore in the equity market by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) on easing crude oil prices and a strengthening rupee. According to depositories, FPIs withdrew a net amount of Rs 383 crore from equities from December 3-7. However, they put in Rs 2,744 crore in the debt markets during the period under review. After making a spirited comeback in November, FPIs have once again turned net sellers in the Indian equity markets in the month of December. "In fact, the sell-off was triggered on Thursday December 6, when FPIs sold net assets worth Rs 361 crore in a single day. This could be largely attributed to the weakness in the global markets due to the arrest of a high-profile Chinese executive which led to a sharp fall in the stock markets globally," said Himanshu Srivastava, Senior Analyst Manager Research, Morningstar Investment Adviser India. "Investors fear that the relationship between the world's two biggest economies -- US and China -- could deteriorate following the arrest and hurt economic growth. Consequently, they chose to adopt a cautious stance and shun risky assets, such as their investments in emerging markets like India, which are more susceptible to weak global cues," he added. The sell-off by FPIs was triggered after Chinese telecom giant Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is also the company founder's daughter, was arrested in Canada for extradition to the US for suspected Iran sanctions violations. FPIs have pulled out over Rs 85,600 crore from the capital markets so far this year. This includes more than Rs 35,600 crore from equities and Rs 50,000 crore from the debt market. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian-American Gita Gopinath, the first woman to be appointed as the IMF chief economist, faces a "tough landscape", her outgoing predecessor has said, exuding confidence that she would successfully meet the challenges in the coming years. Preparing to leave the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the next few weeks, IMF Chief Economist Maury Obstfeld told a group of journalists that his successor is going to face a series of frontline issues including the ongoing trade tensions, climate change, some kind of a cyber event, and income distribution. The 46-year-old economist, who will assume the office in January, is the second Indian to be appointed to the role of chief economist after Raghuram Rajan. Having personally known Gopinath for nearly two decades now, Obstfeld asserted that the new chief economist would successfully come out with solutions to the problems that he is leaving behind. "I think she's going to be a fantastic appointment," said Obstfeld, who is now headed to the University of California, Berkley to return to his passion of teaching and research. "I've actually known her since roughly 1996 or 1997. Ken Rogoff and I did a graduate textbook in international macroeconomics back then and very last thing we did in the book was the publisher said, 'you need problems at the end of the chapters for the graduate students to solve', he said. When they finished the book, the publishers IMPF press asked them to write some problems, which they did. And once book was out, the publisher came to them and said that they need to do a solution manual for the problems. "We kind of said, oh, how are we going to do that? We don't even know if we can solve these problems. And Kevin said, well, I have a this really smart graduate student and she can help us do this," Obstfeld said, recollecting the conversation he had some two decades ago. "I asked, what's her name? He said Gita Gopinath," Obstfeld told reporters, adding that Gopinath then worked on the solutions manual. "She was great. I'm not surprised that she went on to an illustrious, illustrious career," Obstfeld said. Responding to a question as to what has changed in the last three years, the period he has been the IMF's chief economist, he said Gopinath is going to face a world that looks a little different from the one he came into. "When I showed up, the big challenge was China seem to be slowing, how is it handling its exchange rate? But Europe had come through the euro crisisUS growth, you know, 2015 was a pretty good year, so things didn't look bad, he said. "Then in sharp succession you have Brexit, you have the troubles in Europe that we've been discussing. You have, the US moving to a very different view of the international order that in some sense has increased policy uncertainty a lot in the global economy. And so this is going to be a tough landscape to navigate, I think," Obstfeld felt. The IMF, he said, has started looking at a lot of issues that are very important in understanding these changes, including income distribution, market power, trade, the effects of trade, the tensions that trade has caused. "These are the ongoing themes and I'm sure new themes are gonna come up," he said, adding that climate change is another major challenge facing the global economy. "We're really in an increasingly worrisome situation. We were going to see more and more macro effects coming from climate change, extreme weather events whatever you want to call it, he said. "The other really big issue, which is just sort of hanging out there waiting to happen, is some major cyber event with cascading network effects that could actually have major financial and macro-economic consequences, Obstfeld said. Researchers and economists at the IMF have started to write more about this and talk more about this, but, it remains a major vulnerability. "It's one of these public goods problems because if you, as a firm or a financial institution, are attacked and have to shut down your systems, that's a big financial loss for you. But there are important network effects that affect the whole economy, he said. "So your economic theory tells you that the private sector is not doing enough here, that logically speaking, they're not taking account of all the externalities," he said. The governments really need to step in and they need to raise the alarm and the IMF as an international organisation have to focus on the spillovers between countries and people are talking about it more, he said, adding that the threat is not being taken seriously enough yet. "Those are going to be frontline issues for Gita in the next few years," Obstfeld said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three workers died Sunday apparently after inhaling a poisonous gas while cleaning a tank at a steel plant near Ahmedabad in Gujarat, police said. Two other workers are critical. The incident occurred at Laxcon Steels Limited located on Bavla-Changodar Road when a worker descended into a tank for cleaning and complained of uneasiness, a Changodar police station official said. "When the worker complained of uneasiness, other workers went down to help him. They also felt uneasy. They were rushed to a hospital in Bavla town where three of them were declared brought dead," he said, adding that two workers were shifted to private hospitals in Ahmedabad and Changodar in a critical condition. It appears that they all had inhaled some poisonous gas, the official said. However, the exact cause of their death will be known once we receive a postmortem report, he said. While two of the deceased workers hailed from Uttar Pradesh, one belonged to Bihar, the official said. They were identified as Siyaram Yadav (54), Sadendra Kumar (18) and Shaukat Saad (35). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commonly used like nebulizers, blood pressure monitors, digital thermometers and glucometers have been notified as drugs under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, a step which will enable the government to ensure their quality and performance. The Controller General of (DCGI) would regulate the import, manufacture and sale of these devices from January 1, 2020. All these devices will have to be registered under the quality parameters prescribed under Rules 2017 and other standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) certification. The Technical Advisory Body (DTAB), the country's highest advisory body, had approved the proposal to include nebulizers, blood pressure monitoring devices, digital thermometers and glucometers under the purview of the Drug law. "The Ministry of has through a notification dated December 3, specified devices intended for use in humans for internal or external use in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of or disorder in human beings or animals, to be included in the definition of drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940; effective from January 1, 2020," the notification read. Currently, only 23 are monitored for quality by the country's drug regulator. With four new devices being notified, 27 medical devices now fall under the definition of drugs under the Act. The other medical equipments are sold without any quality checks or clinical trials. The ministry has proposed expanding the list of devices in eight new categories, under the definition of 'drugs' to bring them under the purview of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The eight categories include implantable medical devices, equipment, CT scan equipment, defibrillators, machines, PET equipment, X-ray machines and bone marrow cell separator. The proposal to bring high-end medical devices like implants, X-ray machines , and CT scan equipment, machines under the purview of the drug law is under consideration. Once the proposal gets approved, it would mean companies which are engaged in manufacture and import of these equipment will have to seek necessary permission or license from the Drug Controller General of It is important for the Indian government to heed the RBI's message on financial stability, IMF's Chief Economist Maurice Obstfeld said Sunday, amidst reports of friction between the central bank and the Ministry. Addressing a group of journalists here, he also said the International Monetary Fund does not want politicians "manipulating" central for political ends. "There is debate over whether it's better for financial stability to be the remit of the central bank or an independent regulator...the UK in 1997, split them, then put them back together again. I'm not going to take a position on that...But I think...the central bank does have to be intimately concerned with financial stability to some degree and with the payment system," he said, responding to a specific question on the recent developments in India regarding the RBI and the government. "We need to think about what is the best institutional framework in which financial policy can be set with regard to long term stability of the economy, not just to performance over political horizon," Obstfeld said. "Well, I think they (the RBI and the Indian government) have reached an agreement on how to proceed. I think their (RBI) message that financial stability is important is correct. And it is important for the government to heed that," he added. Responding to a series of questions on the attempt in certain countries like the US, India, Argentina and Turkey to curb independence of central banks, Obstfeld said central banks' role as a financial regulator is critical. Central have "much greater power than you thought". They are fundamentally involved in financial stability policy, in fiscal policy, he said. Obstfeld said if one looks at the record, the decisions taken by central worldwide did stabilise the economy by avoiding much worse losses in output and employment. However, at the same time, he said, their moves also raised questions of transparency and accountability. "So, it's not a shock that people raise these questions and it does create a challenge for central banks to be more transparent and to communicate more effectively with a broader public about what they are about and what they are doing," Obstfeld said. If the central bank cannot communicate more effectively about what it is doing, then there is a possibility of political manipulation where politicians attack the central bank and undermine it, he said. "Clearly, we don't want politicians manipulating the central bank for political ends," Obstfeld added. After serving as IMF's Chief Economist for more than three years, 66-year-old Obstfeld is set to retire this month-end and will return to the University of California, Berkley. Gita Gopinath, Indian American economist from the Harvard University, would replace him from the first week of January. Union Steel Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh Sunday said nearly Rs 5,000 crore has been saved since the new steel policy with focus on quality has come into effect. Singh, who was in the megapolis to attend an industry award function instituted by Steel Users Federation of India (SUFI), told reporters that the government plans to impose the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on all steel products. "Currently, the BIS is imposed on 86 per cent of products and we plan to take it to 100 percent," he said without putting a timeline for implementation. When asked about the impact of the imposition of the BIS so far, he said, "at present you may feel there is no impact of this. But within one year since the introduction of the steel policy to encourage domestic steel, we have saved nearly Rs 5,000 crore. With BIS, we have been able to give level playing field to the secondary market," Singh said. He said that during the last four years, the per capita steel consumption in the country has gone up from 56 kg to 68 kg. The minister noted that the country's steel production target is 300 million tonnes by 2030 and "we have already reached 84 million tonnes which is 5.5 per cent more in the first nine months". "The steel policy also encourages innovation. We have welcomed participation from foreign players for the transfer of technology and FDI. But if someone gets technology from outside, it will not help us much so it is necessary we have innovation domestically," Singh said. He further said the Steel Research and Technology Mission has been constituted, which has a corpus of Rs 200 crore, to spearhead research and development activities in the industry. "Initially, innovations were being undertaken in the secondary steel market but that was in isolation. But with this institute we can integrate the technology and others can also use it," he added. When asked whether there were plans to impose anti-dumping duty for steel, he said currently there are no such plans. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India remained in driver's seat despite lower-order collapse as Australia lost opener Aaron Finch's wicket at the stroke of tea in pursuit of a stiff target of 323 on the fourth day of the first Test on Sunday. Aaron Finch (11), survived a loud leg before appeal on zero off Ishant Sharma's second ball of the second innings. He went for DRS review and the decision was turned because it was a no ball. Ashwin however nabbed just before tea as the ball brushed his gloves before looping up for keeper Rishabh Pant to claim an easy catch. Marcus Harris (14 batting) was unbeaten at the other end. Earlier, India lost five wickets for 25 runs after lunch to get bowled out for 307 in their second innings riding on half-centuries from Cheteshwar Pujara (71) and Ajinkya Rahane (70). India only added 47 runs for their last five wickets after resumption of play post lunch. Rishabh Pant (28) continued attacking Nathan Lyon (6-122) but didn't last long as a wild swing found the fielder at deep cover. It started the Indian slide. Ashwin (5) and Ajinkya Rahane (70) played uncharacteristic strokes, indicating that a declaration was forthcoming. But India never got to that point. Ashwin was caught pulling in the deep off Mitchell Starc (3-40) while Rahane was out caught reverse sweeping. Mohammed Shami (0) was out caught first ball, wildly swinging at Lyon. Ishant Sharma (0) was bounced out as India were bowled out in just 11.5 overs after lunch. Their last seven wickets cost only 73 runs. Earlier, Pujara and Rahane took India to 260 for five at lunch. Starting from overnight 151 for 3, India made good progress through the first session as Pujara and Rahane ground down the Australian attack with an 87-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Pujara started on a positive note with successive fours early in the day's play. India's main threat came from Nathan Lyon (3-92), who was using the rough on the pitch to trouble the batsmen. Rahane survived an appeal for a catch in the 74th over via DRS when replays showed that the bat was nowhere near the ball. India's 200 had came up in the 77th over while their 50-partnership came off 103 balls. Pujara reached his 20th Test half-century off 140 balls. The duo continued to grind down the Australian bowling as their pacers' body language started looking tiresome. Mitchell Starc (1-34) took the second new ball as soon as it became available but was wayward at best. Australia finally got a breakthrough with Pujara out caught at short leg, off Lyon in the 88th over as the ball looped up. He walked off to a standing ovation from the Sunday crowd, having faced 450 balls in this match, the second-most for an Indian batsman in a Test on Australian soil after Sachin Tendulkar (525 at Sydney, 2004). Rohit Sharma (1) came to the crease thereafter, but left quickly, caught at silly point smartly by Peter Handscomb as Lyon picked up his third wicket. Young Pant though decided to attack and took India past 250 before lunch. At the other end, Rahane had opened up to play pull strokes off the pacers against the new ball and reached his 16th Test half-century off 111 balls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Goa's Prathamesh Maulingkar has created history by becoming the first Asian/Indian to win this year's Mister Supranational title in a competition held in Poland. The 27-year-old defeated 37 contestants from all over the world in the final round to win the coveted title. Having worked hard for three years to clinch the title, Prathamesh is "super happy" but says he could hardly believe when his name was announced as the winner. "I was surprised when they announced my name as the winner. And then when Gabriel Correa handed over the winner's trophy and put that sash around me, it was the most incredible feeling. I knew I had it in me but frankly, the win was unexpected," Prathamesh said in a statement. The third edition of Mister Supranational 2018 pageant took place on December 9 in Krynica-Zdroj, Poland. At the same pageant, Mister Supranational Poland was adjudged first runner-up, Mister Supranational Brazil was adjudged second runner-up and Mister Supranational Thailand was announced as the third runner-up. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian on Sunday warned the Indian economy was in for a slowdown for some time as agriculture and financial system were under stress. Speaking at the release of his book, Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy, he said both demonetisation and implementation of GST have resulted in moderation of the economy and the budget estimate of revenue collection from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) seems to be unreasonable. "To judge the GST by what the budget demands of the GST, is unreasonable. I will say it frankly, the budget has made unreasonable demands on GST. It has asked for 16-17 per cent (increase)," he said. He also said that GST design could have been much better and there should not be more than three rates going forward. The current rates are 28 per cent, 18 per cent, 12 per cent and 5 per cent. With regard to the economy, he said, "we have to brace ourself for a slowdown for some time. I say that for a combination of reasons. First of all, the financial system is under stress, financial conditions are very tight. This is not conducive for rapid growth." The agriculture sector remains under stress, he said, adding international environment is getting much softer. "Europe is slowing down, Japan is slowing down...there are political calenders. It is easier to do things at some moments than other moments. I think to expect huge reforms that will perk up the economy at this stage would be somewhat ambitious. "For the combination of all these reasons I think we should brace ourselves for a period of slowdown. Then we have to see what policy actions are taken, how external environment changes, then we can think about real perk up in the economy," he said. He also predicted that Universal Basic Income (UBI) would find space in the election manifestos of various parties next year. "Every major party manifesto will have some kind of universal basic income in it. I think it will happen," he remarked. Many chief ministers have liked this idea not for populist reasons but for good reasons, he said, adding the UBI will help plug leakages. He, however, said, "If the Centre wants credit for this and it promises UBI on its own then fiscal space would be a serious issue." Subramanian said that the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should not be undermined. However, he said there were excess reserves with the RBI which can be utilised for the recapitalisation of public sector banks and not for funding the fiscal deficit of the government. "First, it can only be used for something say recapitalisation of banks and recapitalisation of banks only happen when there are reforms in the banking system in place, which the government should initiate. So it can be a nice cooperative bargain with the RBI. "Second, it cannot be a unilateral process, the RBI has to be a part of this. The government cannot do it alone. Third, any idea that this could be used to finance regular deficits or other expenditures, I would be totally against it. Because that would amount to a kind of raiding the RBI," he said. Speaking about the revised GDP data released by Niti Aayog recently, he said the new series has created a lot of questions. "If you look at the other indicators during that period, you see a big difference between those indicators and the recent back-series. It demands an explanation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India has started granting on arrival to South Korean nationals, a move that is expected to boost inflow of tourists and business visitors, officials said Sunday. is the second country whose nationals are now given on arrival by India after Japan, whose citizens have been getting the privilege since March 2016. India has decided to offer on arrival to South Korean nationals with effect from October 1, 2018, a official said. Like the Japanese nationals, the facility to South Korean citizens include double entry visit for a period not exceeding 60 days for business, tourism, conference and medical purposes for entry through six designated international airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. According to an estimate, around 2 lakh Indian visas are issued to South Korean nationals every year, of which 80 per cent are tourists. On an average, 600 South Korean nationals arrive in Delhi daily. Though visa-on-arrival facility was earlier offered to citizens of 12 countries -- Cambodia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and -- it was discontinued in November 2014 after the launch of e-Tourist Visa scheme. The facility of e-Tourist Visa now covers 166 countries and foreigners can obtain online visa within 72 hours for travel related to tourism, business, health, medical and conference purposes. The number of visas issued through e-Visa system is now approximately 40 per cent of the total number of visas and the figure is soon expected to cross the 50 per cent mark, which is an indication of its popularity. The number of foreigners who visited India with e-visa has gone up from 447,000 in 2015 to 1.7 million in 2017. The figure for 2018 is 1.87 million till October 31 this year and it may touch two million mark by the end of the year, a official said. The e-visa facility now covers practically all the countries of the world, 166 as of now, and foreigners can arrive at any of the designated 26 airports and five seaports in India without interacting with any official before checking in at the immigration counter. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a printout of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow entry into the country. The Indian and Russian air forces will begin a 12-day war game in Jodhpur on Monday with an aim to enhance their operational coordination. The exercise Aviaindra will be unique as the Russian Air Force will not bring its assets and will take part in the drill using Indian platforms, said an official of the Indian Air Force said. The first edition of the exercise was held in 2014. Most of the fighter jets being used by the Indian Air Force is of Russian origin, and already both the air forces have achieved significant levels of inter-operability, said the official. "In India, the pilots from the Russian Federation Aerospace Force will fly alongside their Indian counterparts in the IAF aircraft, which are common to both air forces," the defence ministry said in a statement. Russia has been a major partner of India in the defence sector and the cooperation has been steadily growing further. In October last year, India and Russia held a 10-day mega war game involving their armies, navies and air forces for the first time to further ramp up military ties. The exercise Indra, which took place in Russia, primarily focused on achieving coordination between forces of the two countries in a tri-services integrated theatre command scenario. It was for the first time, India participate in a tri-services exercise with a foreign country with a large scale participation by the Navy, the Army and the Air Force. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala's grandson and Hisar MP Dushyant Chautala on Sunday launched a new outfit 'Jannayak Janata Party', an expected development that came following a power struggle in the main opposition INLD last month. The announcement by the group led byO P Chautala's elder son Ajay Singh Chautala was made at a well-attended rally at Jind, considered as the political heartland of the state. The Indian National Lok Dal had split following differences between Ajay Singh Chautala and his younger brother Abhay Chautala. Ajay Chautala is undergoing a 10-year jail term along with father Om Prakash Chautala since 2013 in a teachers' recruitment scam and could not make it to the rally. The flag of the new outfit, whose predominant green colour bears resemblance with INLD flag and also has a smaller patch in yellow colour, carries picture of Om Prakash Chautala's father and former deputy prime minister Devi Lal in the centre. The flag of the new outfit was unveiled here by Ajay's wife and MLA Naina Chautala. Ajay's other son Digvijay Chautala, three rebel MLAs of INLD including Rajbir Phogat, former Speaker Satbir Singh Kadian, were among those present. The name of the new party begins with 'Jannayak', a reference to Devi Lal, with various speakers at the rally pledging to walk the path shown by the late leader. Over recent weeks, the feud saw the expulsion of Ajay Chautala and his sons, Dushyant Chautala and Digvijay Chautala, from the Haryana-based party headed by Om Prakash Chautala. The two young leaders were shunted out after their slogan-shouting supporters allegedly targeted Abhay Chautala at an INLD rally in Gohana in October. In the feud, Om Prakash Chautala threw his weight behind his younger son Abhay chautala. Addressing the public gathering here, Dushyant Chautala said that time has come to make a new beginning and bring in a change, while promising that the new outfit will follow the path shown by Devi Lal and lay foundation for ouster of BJP, Congress and the INLD in upcoming polls. The new outfit will contest all 10 Lok Sabha seats from the state and also fight the Vidhan Sabha polls, he said. "Today, every party has lost connect with the people..people want change and our party will provide them the alternative," Dushyant said. He also touched upon the circumstances and developments which took place in recent weeks within INLD that ended in a split and the decision to float the new outfit. "Flow of rivers cannot be stopped...," he said, taking a veiled dig at his uncle Abhay Singh Chautala, who while addressing a meeting of party's state executive in Chandigarh on Sunday, claimed that the new outfit will disintegrate shortly. Abhay Chautala dared Dushyant to resign as Lok Sabha member of the INLD if he was so sure of his popularity. He claimed that the group led by Ajay had hinted to walk a separate path when they formed organisations like Jannayak Sewa Dal and INSO. Dushyant, meanwhile said in the rally that "Tau Devi Lal always fought for rights of farmers and weaker sections. He was always above petty politics". About the colour of the flag, he said while green was symbolic of security, progress, brotherhood, yellow symbolises happiness, energy and optism. "The party will run on the path shown by Tau Devi Lal and with Ajay Singh's loyalists and by what public want..," he said. Dushyant tried to justify why the banners and posters at the rally did not bear the photo of O P Chautala. "Many people say we removed Chautala sahab's photos from posters. He is head of our family, but he is also head of our rival (INLD) party. There is a legal hurdle that we cannot have photo of head of our rival party in our (party) posters. "The day when Chautala sahab will resign as national president of INLD, the same day we will have his photo in our posters. At the same time, I want to say that no-one can take him out from our hearts," he said. Wearing a 'green' pugri with yellow on its top, he sought to assert that his father will be the real inheritor of Devi Lal's legacy after O P Chautala. "The colour of our pugri will be green. People can take the party from Chautala sahab, they can take land and property, but as per social customs this purgri was passed on to Chautala sahab (from Devi Lal) and from him it will go to Dr Ajay Singh," he said. Dushyant hit out at the ruling BJP, saying it had failed on all fronts including in giving jobs and on law and order front. "Pick up any newspaper, you come across incidents of rape, murder, dacoity and Haryana has gone behind even a state like Bihar," he said. He also hit out at the Congress, alleging several land scams took place during their rule. Dushyant made a slew of promises to the people in case his party is voted to power. This included providing 75 per cent reservation in jobs for youths of Haryana, enhanced MSP to farmers, sops for employees and reforms in education. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar on Sunday said his government would extend benefits to 67,000 families belonging to primitive tribals in the next four months. "Nobody has bothered about the 67,000 primitive tribal families since Independence. But, our government will now give basic facilities in their villages," an official release said. The tribals' villages will have water tanks, drinking water supply through pipelines and solar lights, besides 625 houses under the 'Birsa Awas Yozana', Das was quoted as saying in the release. Das also said the state government would make a separate provision in next year's budget to provide Rs 25 lakh to every tribal village for development. Urging farmers to adopt organic cultivation, the CM said seven women farmers from Pakur district would comprise the next batch of the team to Israel, to learn modern farming methods in practise in that country. Two batches of farmers had earlier made the trip to Israel, the release said. Das informed he would be visiting the United Arab Emirates, where a road show would be organised in Dubai on December 16 for employment opportunities for the youth of Jharkhand. A dialogue with the authorities in Abu Dhabi in this regard is also scheduled on December 17, the release said. One lakh youths from the state would be given jobs on January 12, Das added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The winter session of the Karnataka legislature, set to begin here from Monday, is likely to be a stormy affair with the opposition BJP expected to corner the government over a host of issues, including farmer suicides and alleged lack of clarity and delay in the implementation of the farm loan waiver. Coalition worries within the ruling Congress-JDS alliance and disgruntlement over the delay in the cabinet expansion may also cast a shadow over the session. The saffron party has already announced a large-scale protest meet in Belagavi, likely to be attended by over one lakh farmers, during the session to corner the government on agrarian issues. With 100 taluks in 24 districts of Karnataka being declared drought-hit, BJP leaders are likely to take on the state government over relief and mitigation measures. "The chief minister has confined himself to Old Mysuru region... We will raise farmers issues both inside and outside the House. Tomorrow, we are gathering more than one lakh farmers to send a strong message to the government," Leader of Opposition in the Assembly B S Yeddyurappa said. The animosity between Yeddyurappa and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who have been indulging in a verbal duel, and the results of Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Mizoram to be declared on Tuesday, is expected to add spice to the heated atmosphere in the legislature. The BJP, which is the single-largest party in the 224-member Assembly with 104 MLAs, has been alleging that the government has "not taken off" even six months after being in power. Hitting back at this, Kumaraswamy has said the coalition government will hold its performance to the BJP chief Yeddyurappa's "face", during the session. The JD(S)-Congress government's worries may be heightened with sugarcane farmers in Belgavi district threatening to intensify their protest over demands for clearance of their arrears by sugar factories and announcement of purchase price for sugarcane for the current season as had been done in neighbouring Maharashtra. Sugarcane farmers had withdrawn their protest last month following assurances from the government that their issues would be resolved. They have now threatened to resume it during the session, alleging that the government has not kept its word. Issues within the ruling coalition are troubling the government, whose longevity and stability has been questioned repeatedly. Several legislators, especially those from the Congress, are reportedly unhappy over delay in cabinet expansion and functioning of the coalition government. With some Congress MLAs allegedly threatening to boycott the winter session, the ruling coalition's coordination committee, that met on Wednesday, decided to expand the Kumaraswamy ministry on December 22, soon after the session ends. Amid all this, speculations are also rife about the BJP still trying to poach some disgruntled Congress MLAs, as part of its efforts to come back to power in Karnataka. Many Congress MLAs have even complained to their party leaders about the style of functioning of a few JD(S) ministers, including CM Kumaraswamy's brother and PWD minister H D Revanna, and alleged discrimination towards them in developmental and constituency-related matters. For the BJP too, it remains to be seen to what extent the party will stay united in raising issues and fighting the the ruling alliance on the floor of the House. Reports of differences within the state BJP and Yeddyurappa allegedly loosing grip over it have been emerging recently. On the other hand, Kumaraswamy, whose administration has been accused of being apathetic towards north Karnataka and concentrating only on the southern districts, that too the Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysuru region which is a bastion of his party, now has an opportunity to bridge the gap during the session. This will be the first Assembly session for the Congress-JD(S) government in Belagavi, a town in north Karnataka, bordering Mahrarashtra, that has been hosting legislature session once a year since 2006. The move was initiated by the JD(S)-BJP coalition government, with Kumaraswamy as chief minister. Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled after the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru, was built during the BJP government as an assertion that Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka. Maharashtra claims that Belagavi should belong to it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seguin, TX (78155) Today A few showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours. High 52F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Kerala Chief Minister Sunday appealed to the Centre not to lease out the under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and requested it to entrust the aerodrome's management with the state government. The Union Cabinet has recently approved a proposal to manage Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Mangaluru besides Thiruvananthapuram airports under mode. At the inauguration of the Kannur International airport, Vijayan said, "We can set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and manage the airport in a remarkable way. We are ready to take over the management of the Karipur International airport (Calicut) also if the Centre has any similar plans in future." The feasibility study of a new airport proposed to be built at Erumeli near Sabarimala Temple was going on, the chief minister said and requested the Centre's support for the project as well. Accusing the Congress-led UDF of delaying the Kannur airport project when it was in power, Vijayan said the alliance, which ruled the state between 2001 and 2006, had done nothing to make the long-pending dream a reality. "The project got a fresh lease of life after the V S Achutanandan government came to power in 2006," he said. Vijayan alleged that the Ommen Chandy government had tried to create an impression that work on the airport was completed and carried out its inauguration before the LDF came to power in 2016. "An Indian Air Force aircraft, which can land anywhere, was brought here and people were invited saying that the airport was being inaugurated," Vijayan said, adding the same airport has now been opened in its full-fledged form, two-and-a-half years after his government came to power. BJP president Amit Shah had arrived at Kannur in a chartered flight on October 27 before the airport was formally inaugurated. With the commissioning of the Kannur airport, Kerala has become the first in the country to have four international airports, with Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode being the other three. The Kolkata Port Trust on Sunday received second cape size dry bulk cargo vessel at Sandheads, a senior KoPT official said. "This is the first time that the entire 1.65 lakh tonne cargo in this voyage is meant for Haldia. This vessel will offload it's entire cargo here and not move to other east coast port," Kolkata Port Trust chairman Vinit Kumar told PTI. The M V Cape Mary, is carrying coal and will offload 1,00,000 tonne at sand heads and another 65,000 tonne at a new lighterage point opened by KoPT near Sagar island with help of floating cranes, he said. M V Cape Mary is carrying 1,65,173 metric tonne of steam coal in bulk on account Orissa Metaliks Pvt Ltd with an arrival draft of 17.84 metres. The first cape size vessel, MV Samjohn Solidarity, last year with similar cargo on account of Adani Enterprises Ltd, called upon KoPT but had discharged 1 lakh tonne of coal before making onward journey to other East coast port. Kumar said transloading infrastructure had proved very crucial to call very large vessels to port that helps importers to rationalise costs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean auto major Kia Motors is not worried over the lack of policy for eco-friendly vehicles in India as it can quickly adapt from its existing global portfolio for the local market, according to a senior company official. The company feels that India will also eventually follow the global direction towards eco-friendly technologies led by electric vehicles (EVs). Kia has already announced plans to roll out electric and hybrid vehicles from its upcoming plant at Anantpur in Andhra Pradesh and is targeting to launch an in India by 2021. "Indian government policies are not clear at the moment. We don't know the future policy but seeing the global market circumstances, there is a big direction (towards EVs)," Kia Motors India CEO & Managing Director Kookhyun Shim told PTI. He said going forward the current powertrain of internal combustion engines would be replaced by eco-friendly technologies. "It is also true that we are considering our eco-friendly line-up for the Indian market, which model to be brought here. It will be very quick and flexible and we don't worry too much about government policy," Shim said. He further said, "In case, the Indian government fixes a policy in a very short time, we can introduce a car which meets the regulations and Indian customers' needs." Globally, Shim said Kia has been working on research and development of eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV), full EVs as well as fuel cell vehicles. "Our R&D is very strong on this point. We are the number one globally in preparation of this eco-friendly line up. Currently we are introducing 48 volts mild hybrid in the European market," he claimed. So, all these technologies, Shim added can be quickly adapted for India although these are developed not specifically for the market here. "We are preparing for global automotive market. The Indian market will also come in line with the global strategy. We have already started preparation for production of all these eco-friendly vehicles," he said. Last week, Kia Motors India had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradesh to collaborate on 'Partnership for Future Eco Mobility'. As part of the agreement, the company provided the state government with three of its global eco car - a Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid and a Niro EV. Besides, Kia is also installing a vehicle charging station at Vijayawada. The company claims that Niro EV, a fully electric crossover, is capable of travelling 455 kilometres on a single charge. On the other hand, Niro Hybrid and Niro Plug-in Hybrid are already among the best-selling hybrid vehicles globally. These use parallel hybrid powertrains, which switch between petrol and electric power. A large number of Muslim women are likely to go to Haj without 'Mehram' (male companion) next year, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Sunday. Naqvi, while chairing a meeting here with representatives of organisations associated with Haj, said that Haj Committee of India has received more than 2,23,000 applications for Haj 2019 till now. The over 2,23,000 applications include about 47 per cent women, he was quoted as saying by a statement released from his office. Haj application process had started on November 7, 2018, and the last date for it is December 12. Naqvi said that more than 2,000 women have applied to go for Haj in 2019 without 'Mehram' with the number likely to go up. Naqvi said that in 2018, for the first time, the Centre had lifted the ban on women going to Haj without Mehram, which resulted into about 1,300 women going for the pilgrimage without any male companion. They had been exempted from the lottery system and more than 100 women Haj coordinators and Haj assistants had been deployed to assist the Indian women Haj pilgrims, Naqvi said. For the first time after Independence, a record number of Muslims -- 1,75,025 -- from India performed Haj in 2018 and that too without any subsidy, he said. Naqvi said that making the Haj process completely digital has helped in making the entire process transparent. For Haj 2019, about 1,36,000 online applications have been received and the online portal for Private Tour Operators (PTOs) is already operational, Naqvi said. While on one hand, the portal has ensured transparency in the functioning of PTOs, on the other hand it is very beneficial for the pilgrims as they get all the necessary information, he said, adding that the new policy for the PTOs is also likely to be chalked out this year. Naqvi said that the central government, in coordination with Indian Consulate in Jeddah and various concerned agencies in Saudi Arabia, is working to ensure safety and better facilities for the pilgrims. The bilateral Haj agreement between India and Saudi Arabia is likely to be signed soon, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A farmer from Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district has sent a money order of Rs 6 to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to mark his protest against crashing prices of onions and paltry returns. The farmer Shreyas Abhale told PTI Sunday that after selling 2657 kg onions at the rate of Rs 1 per kg at the Sangamner wholesale market in the district and adjusting market expenses, he was left with only Rs 6. "I earned Rs 2,916 when I brought 2,657 kg of onion to Sangamner wholesale market. After making payment of labour charges and transportation charges at Rs 2,910, I was left with just Rs six," Abhale said. Abhale said he felt disappointed and decided to send the amount (Rs 6) to the chief minister to draw his attention to his situation. "I have spent almost Rs two lakh for the onion crop and have earned just Rs six. I do not know how I am going to clear other dues", he said underlining the price crisis. Abhale said he had sent the money order to the chief minister on December 7, the day he sold his produce. Bumper production of onions has affected the onion growers in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts adversely. An onion-grower from Niphad taluka in Nashik district recently sent his earnings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark his protest after he was forced to sell his produce for little over Rs 1 per kg. The farmer, Sanjay Sathe, had donated Rs 1,064 he had received after selling 750 kg of onions to the Disaster Relief Fund of the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) through a money order. Two onion farmers from Nashik district have allegedly committed suicide in the last two days, apparently due to indebtedness and low rates commanded by the bulb in markets. Meanwhile, a farmer from Nevasa taluka in Ahmednagar district has distributed 20 quintals of onions for free and put up a flex board in Marathi sarcastically thanking the Union and state governments for "keeping onion prices very low". The farmer Popatraon Wakchowre, who hails from Punatgaon village, brought the onion to a weekly market Sunday along with the flex board. "I am deeply hurt because of this government's policies and a little concern it has towards our plight. In the last four years, we hardly got better rates for our produce," Wakchowre said. "I put up the flex board and sarcastically thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for keeping the prices so low," he said. Wakchowre, while distributing onions, also placed a donation box requesting people to help him to clear his dues. "I am stooped to the level of a beggar because of this government. I own some agriculture land but I have to seek donation to clear my dues. I cannot repay just by selling my produce," the farmer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Goa will set up a state organ and tissue transplant organisation on the lines of the one at KEM Hospital in Mumbai, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said Sunday. Such a mechanism would help Goa have a registry of people requiring organ transplant, he added. The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court had, two days ago, asked the state government to set up a State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) within six months. The bench, comprising Justices R M Borde and P K Chavan, had also asked authorities to make available necessary cross-matching facilities. The court's directions came in response to a petition by NGO Mango Foundation seeking to direct the state and Central governments to notify Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) as SOTTO. The plea also sought that such a SOTTO at GMCH be linked to the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) West as well as National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). Rane said his ministry was in touch with a senior KEM Hospital offcial in this regard. He said the SOTTO being set up at GMCH would be the seventh in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 24-year-old woman student of an open university was Sunday found dead in the classroom in Sangli in Maharashtra, the police said. The deceased Vaishali Nalwade was a second year student at the Shantiniketan Open University based in a building in Madhavnagar area of the city, an official said. Nalwade's body was spotted by some students in the classroom for Polytechnic course, he said, adding that it is not yet clear yet whether she killed herself or otherwise. Nalwade, who hailed from Mallewadi village in the district, had come to the college for studying on Sunday, the official said. He said police are awaiting a postmortem report to determine the exact cause of her death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday greeted former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her 72nd birthday and prayed for the senior Congress leaders long life and happiness. Trinamool Congress sources said Banerjee is likely to leave for New Delhi in the afternoon and meet Sonia Gandhi later in the day. My best wishes on your birthday Sonia Gandhi Ji. I pray for your long life and happiness in all you do, Banerjee tweeted. In the national capital, Banerjee is likely to meet leaders of political parties opposed to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for talks on the proposed joint front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old man was detained for allegedly attempting to slap Union minister Ramdas Athawale at a public event in Maharashtra's Thane district on Saturday night, police said. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief was in Ambernath town to address a rally. Athawale had just got off the dais after delivering a speech on the Constitution when the incident happened at around 10.15 pm, a police officer said Sunday. Pravin Gosavi, on the pretext of garlanding Athawale, allegedly tried to slap him, following which people overpowered him, beat him up and handed him over to the police. The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavi's attempt to assault him, the officer said. Gosavi, who was first admitted to a hospital in Ulhasnagar town following the public beating, has been shifted to a state-run hospital in Mumbai, police said. "We have registered a case under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code. Gosavi has been detained and not arrested as yet," said Ambernath police station inspector K G Chavan. While a probe was underway to ascertain why Gosavi had tried to attack the minister, a senior police officer said it could have been out of frustration for having been expelled from the RPI (A). "Gosavi's membership was terminated from the Republican Party of India (Athawale) a year ago for criminal activities as he was blackmailing people through RTI (Right to Information pleas)," P P Shewale, deputy commissioner of police (zone IV), Thane Police, told PTI. "He may have been frustrated over it (expulsion from party) and may have tried to manhandle the Union minister," the DCP added. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The local RPI (A) unit has called for a shutdown in Ambernath on Sunday as a mark of protest. An officer said the situation in the town was calm and under control, with a large posse of police personnel out on the streets to keep vigil. No untoward incident has been reported since morning, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). The body of a 22-year-old man was found Sunday at the same place in a village in Maharashtra's Solapur district where his wife was killed by her parents two months ago in a suspected "honour killing" case, police said. The incident came to light this morning at Salagar Budruk village near Mangalvedha town, when a passer-by found the body of a man in a farm, which was later identified as that of Srishail Chanappa Birajdar, an official said. This was the same place in the farm, where Srishail Birajdar's 22-year-old wife Anuradha Birajdar was killed allegedly by her parents and last rites were performed hurriedly to destroy evidence, he said. It is not yet clear whether he committed suicide or was killed, the official said, adding the exact reason of Srishail Birajdar's death will be known only after a post- mortem is conducted. The police have called Srishail Birajdar's family members from their native place in Karnataka, he said. They have requested the police not to remove the body from the spot till they arrive there, the official said. As of now the police have registered an accidental death case at the Mangalvedha Police Station and a probe is underway, he said. Srishail Birajdar's father was a farm labourer who worked at a farm owned by Anuradha Birajdar's father Vitthal Birajdar (55), the official said. Srishail Birajdar used to often visit the farm and over a period of time, he fell in love with Anuradha Birajdar, who was a medical student, he said. Srishail Birajdar and Anuradha Birajdar left their homes and got married at Sindagi in Karnataka on October 1, the official said, adding the woman's parents were angry over the alliance and did not approve it. On October 2, Anuradha Birajdar came to her uncle's residence in Borale village, he said. Her father took her from Borale to their residence in Salgar Budruk on October 4, saying she has to appear for her oral exams, he said. The same day she was allegedly killed by her parents, who cremated her body hurriedly, he said, adding it appeared to be a case of "honour killing". During the investigation, it was found that Anuradha Birajdar had written some notes in which she had expressed threat to her and Srishail Birajdar's life, he said. On the complaint of her uncle, the police had arrested Anuradha Birajdar's father and her step-mother on murder charges, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 25-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death and another injured in a scuffle between two groups in northwest Delhi's Sawan Park, police said on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Deepak, they said. Two friends, Dharma and Kailash, had gone to the residence of the former's relatives to attend a function, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Aslam Khan said. At the function Kailash got into a fight with two of Dharma's relatives, Deepak and Niku, following which he was forcefully sent back home, the officer said. Feeling insulted, Kailash decided to take revenge. He, along with his brother, father and cousins, waited for Dharma to return to Sawan Park area, Khan said. When Dharma returned with Deepak and Niku, a scuffle broke out between the two sides, he said. Deepak was stabbed in the knee and he died of excessive bleeding, the DCP said. Niku, who was hit on the head by a stone, is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, Khan said. A case has been registered and three persons, including Kailash, have been arrested, he said. A fourth accused is absconding, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The commerce and industry ministry has sent the final proposal of new industrial policy to the Cabinet for approval, Union minister Suresh Prabhu said. "We have sent the final Cabinet note. We have also prepared an action plan for the implementation of the policy," Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu told PTI. The new industrial policy aims at boosting manufacturing sector growth, promote foreign technology transfer and attract overseas investments. The policy would have some financial implications as the government may provide incentives for use of frontier technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of things, and robotics. It aims at promoting emerging sectors and modernising existing industries. It will also look to reduce regulatory hurdles, cut paper work and support emerging and new sectors. The ministry would be setting up an elaborate machinery including a steering committee for effective implementation of the policy. As part of the policy, industrial health clinics could be set up to deal with sickness in the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are the backbone of the country's industrial architecture. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in August last year floated a draft industrial policy with an aim to create jobs for the next two decades, promote foreign technology transfer and attract USD 100 billion FDI annually. This will be the third industrial policy after the ones released in 1956 and 1991. It will replace the industrial policy of 1991 which was prepared in the backdrop of balance of payment crisis. It would be outcome oriented actionable policy that provides direction and charts a course of action for a globally competitive Indian industry that leverages skill, scale and technology. The development assumes significance as India is aiming at increasing the contribution of manufacturing sector in the GDP to 25 per cent by 2020, from the current level of about 16-17 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a function to celebrate the BJP government's completion of one year in power in Himachal Pradesh on December 27, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said. He said Modi had accepted a request by the state government to be the chief guest at the function which will be held in Dharamsala, he said. The state government is committed to expediting the pace of development so that benefits of development reach the person living at the lowest ebb, Thakur said. The Centre has always remained considerate to the developmental demands of the state's people, he said. He added that coordination between the Centre and state government ensures approvals for Himachal Pradesh's development projects. Thakur also announced that Ladbhadol Community Health Centre will be upgraded to a civil hospital and its bed capacity will be increased to 30 to 50. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moroccan authorities said Saturday they had seized more than a tonne of cocaine and detained seven people suspected of smuggling the narcotic from South America to Europe. The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation said the cocaine was found in a truck along with two dinghies near the port city of El Jadida, according to a statement carried by the official MAP agency. Seven Moroccan citizens were arrested "for their alleged links to a transnational criminal network involved in the international trafficking of cocaine between Morocco, Latin America and Europe". The authorities said initial information suggested the drugs had been shipped over from South America on a commercial vessel before being transferred onto a smaller fishing boat and brought ashore in Morocco. Cocaine traffickers have developed new routes to Europe over the past decade. The drug is mostly sent from Central America via West African countries and more recently through North Africa, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In recent years, the Moroccan authorities have reported increasing cocaine seizures, including a record 2.5-tonne haul in October last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nepal's Parliament on Sunday endorsed the appointment of former law minister Nilambar Acharya as the country's next ambassador to India. There is a provision in the Constitution that the names of ambassadors should go through the parliamentary hearing committee once they are nominated by the government at the recommendation of the Constitutional Council before formally being appointed by the president. The committee endorsed the names of Acharya, Udaya Raj Pandey, Anjan Shakya and Krishna Prasad Dhakal, as Nepal's envoys to India, Malaysia, Israel and the UAE, respectively. The names of the four proposed ambassadors will now be forwarded to President Bidya Bhandari for formal appointment. While responding to questions in the parliamentary committee, Acharya said that although there is an open border between Nepal and India, the "hearts of the two countries are yet to be opened". There is a need to create an environment of confidence as some kind of suspicion still persists in bilateral relations, he said. Acharya, a former minister for law and justice, said he will tell the Indian leadership that Nepal's relationship with China does not affect its ties with India. He said an ambassador must be able to convince states that a nation's relationship with another nation is not at the expense of its ties with other countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Differences have cropped up between the Heavy Industry Ministry and the NITI Aayog over a proposal by the think tank to levy a 'Feebate' on two-wheelers to subsidise electric vehicles for promoting green mobility. According to sources, the ministry has flagged concerns to the Aayog over the introduction of a 'Feebate' especially on a mass mode of transport like two-wheelers as it could not only lead to a hike in prices but also practical challenges associated with the collection of the tax once introduced. "Feebate has been proposed by the NITI Aayog, they say they will collect funds through Feebate and use that as a subsidy for electric vehicles. We have explained to them that there is already a 16 per cent Feebate in place as EVs attract 12 per cent GST whereas the IC-engine vehicles attract 28 per cent," said a senior Heavy Industry Ministry official. The Heavy Industry Ministry implements schemes and policies for the development of India's automobile sector. "About 2 crore two-wheelers are sold in India every year. The NITI Aayog's calculation is that even if you charge a Feebate of Rs 500 per two-wheeler, you raise about Rs 10,000 crore. However, there is an issue of who will collect it as now all cesses have been subsumed under the GST," said the official. An email seeking comments from the government think-tank's response on 'Feebate' remained unanswered. The idea of Feebate, a system of charges and rebates in which energy-efficient or environment-friendly practices are rewarded whereas failure to adhere to such practices is penalised, was mooted in two reports supported by the Niti Aayog in the run-up to India's first Global Mobility Summit held in September this year. The report titled 'Transforming India's Mobility' had suggested using the feebate mechanism to incentivise the use of green mobility technologies and identifying potential mechanisms and develop a regulation for incentivising green mobility technologies with a feebate mechanism. It had cited the example of London, a city that imposes congestion charges during weekday working hours to vehicles entering the city centre. Another report titled 'Goods On The Move' had observed that applying a feebate concept to urban access would charge trucks to enter the city during congested periods while incentivising them enter during nighttime hours, with both costs and savings likely being passed through to the receivers of those goods. "Such an approach would not only reduce the cost of goods delivery made off hours, crucial for small shops with thin margins serving customers with limited budgets but would also reduce overall congestion within the city both by reducing traffic during peak times as well as by reducing illegal parking," said the report supported by Niti Aayog. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday claimed the TMC-led state government has not responded to requests for a meeting over the saffron party's proposed 'rath yatra'. "We had sent the letters on Saturday and had requested for a meeting. We are yet to receive any response from the state government," Ghosh said at a press conference. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court had on Friday directed the state's chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police (DGP) to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12, and take a decision on the matter by December 14. Ghosh claimed that a senior police officer called up party officials on Sunday and said the DGP was "very busy". "He declined to give us any specific time frame within which we can sit for a discussion with him (DGP) regarding the 'rath yatra' programme," he said. The state BJP chief said the party had also sent letters to the home secretary, but in vain. "This is really unfortunate that despite the court order, the officials of the state government are not ready for discussions," Ghosh said. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, who was also present at the press conference, also shared similar sentiments. He said he had specially come from Delhi to talk to the DGP, but the West Bengal government officials were behaving like Trinamool Congress' (TMC) cadres. "Even if the DGP is busy on Sunday and cannot meet BJP leaders to discuss the matter, he should at least give us a specific time, be it Monday or Tuesday, when he would be able to meet. Unfortunately, most of the police and government officials behave as cadres of the TMC," he said. Vijayvargiya dismissed allegations that the BJP's 'rath yatra' was aimed at creating communal tension in the state. "Not a single incident of communal riot has taken place in Bengal due to any BJP rally or programme. The allegations against us are completely baseless," he said. Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's December 16 rally in Siliguri, which was supposed to be a part of the 'rath yatra' campaign, Ghosh said he was still hopeful that it would take place. "We are hopeful that we would be able to conduct the rally of the prime minister as he has given us time. If we get permission for the 'rath yatra' programme by then, it will be part of it or else the rally will take place separately," he said. BJP national president Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from Cooch Behar district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The 'rath yatras' were to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal. The BJP moved the division bench of the Calcutta High Court after a single judge bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 200 members of the Jewish community, who had migrated to Israel and other countries years ago, have found time to return to their roots to participate in the 450th anniversary celebrations of a synagogue in Kerala. Tucked in a small lane in the Jew Town of Mattancherry, about nine km from here, the Paradesi Synagogue is considered to be the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth -- countries that are mostly former territories of the British Empire. A three-day function at the synagogue, which began on Thursday, has turned out to be a rare occasion for the "visitors", who had migrated to the US, Canada, UK and Australia and Israel, to revive old memories of the Jew Town, where many of them grew up. The functions at the synagogue, decorated with ancient colourful clothes preserved for ages, have included a prayer meet, remembrance meet and a day of celebrations. The Jewish community members, who flew down here to attend the event, have fond memories of old friends and friendly neighbours, while for some, this was their first visit to the land of their forefathers. Ninety-six-year-old Sara Cohen, who lives in the town, also attended the prayer meet on Thursday. Fifty-six-year-old Kenny Salem, one of the participants, said many were in their sixties, seventies and eighties. "The oldest member to reach here is an 86-year-old and the youngest member a two-year-old infant," Salem told PTI. He had left Mattancherry in search of greener pastures to Canada in 1987 at age 27. For Essi Sasson, a gynaecologist who had migrated to Israel, the occasion was also a time to meet her old friends and their relatives, said K J Sohan, former Kochi mayor, who participated in some of the festivities. It was also a trip down the memory lane for 58-year-old Deborah Kodar from Manchester, who had visited Kochi about 35 years ago. Visiting the town, where which she grew up hearing stories about Kochi, the synagogue and Kerala culture, was an occasion she will always remember. Deborah is in Kochi with her son and husband, for whom it is a maiden visit. The last time such a congregation assembled was on the 400th anniversary of the synagogue, according to Jose Dominic, a prominent hotelier in Kochi. The Jew Town community, comprising of antique dealers, spice traders, Kashmiri shopkeepers and the new crop of boutique hoteliers, had a celebratory event at which many of the visitors talked about their memories when they were young, and also expressed aspirations for its future, Dominic said. Constructed in 1567, it is one of the seven synagogues of the Jewish community in the erstwhile kingdom of Cochin. The community was a prosperous trading community of Kerala and they controlled a major portion of spice trade. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana E S L Narasimhan Sunday said it is necessary for the agricultural scientists to ensure that the food that is available is pure and healthy. He said organic farming is the way forward to ensure this. Speaking at the second convocation of the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University here, the governor stressed the need for educating the farmers about organic farming to have healthy and nutritious food, which also avoids chronic disease like cancer in human beings. "There appears to be a large scale use of insecticides and pesticides in food production and there is a general perception among the people that the incidence of cancer is on the rise because the food that is consumed is no longer pure and healthy," an official release quoted the governor as saying. Narasimhan said it is not the quantity of food produced that is important but it should also provide health security. He said organic farming should be taken up in a very big way as many of the states have already gone into it. Farmers should also be sensitised about the advantages of micro irrigation, crop diversification, herbal plantation, harmful effects of use of excessive pesticides, crop colonies, value addition of crops for remunerative farming, he said. The governor also emphasised on the need to take up herbal plantation in a big way as recent research into the ancient Indian herbal medicines showed that it can be an antidote to many serious ailments such as cancer. He said agricultural scientists should focus on medicinal plantation also and not just paddy, wheat etc. as people are using them in a big way. He said diversification of crops will help in doubling the incomes of the farmers. Costs of cultivation can be reduced by use of technology and micro irrigation etc, he said. The governor said plenty of water is available in the country and it is the utilisation that is to be taken care of. He stressed the need for a national water policy for optimum utilisation of water that is available in the country which can avoid unnecessary water wars and water disputes, the release said. Narasimhan further said that making agriculture a profitable proposition would address the issue of migration from rural areas to urban areas. The governor also advised the agriculture scientists to provide guidance to the farmers on utilisation of land and forming of crop colonies with different crops and not just paddy alone by linking to the aid given by Central government. The governor, who is also Chancellor of the University, further said farmers should be advised to move into solar power to ensure power security. RS Paroda, Chairman Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences [TAAS] and former Director General ICAR, stressed the need for formulating policies and programmes byconsideringthe principle of "farmer first". At the convocation, as many as 746 degrees were awarded to the students at under graduate /post graduate and Ph.D levels, the release added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will visit Afghanistan on December 15 to hold talks with top Afghan leadership on "political reconciliation and durable peace" in the war-torn country. Qureshi announced his visit to Kabul after US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking Pakistan's help with stuttering Afghan peace talks and support in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table to end the 17-year brutal war in the country. Addressing a ceremony in Multan on Saturday, Qureshi said it was the robustness of Pakistan's foreign policy that the US requested for assistance in Afghan issue, Radio Pakistan reported. He said Pakistan was committed to Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. The foreign minister said he will visit Kabul on December 15 to hold talks with "Afghan leadership on political reconciliation and durable peace in Afghanistan." Trump's letter was followed by visit to Islamabad by US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalizad who held talks with top officials and also called on Queshi and the prime minister. It would be Qureshi's second trip to Kabul after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government came to power in August. In the letter, Trump "stated that his most important regional priority was achieving a negotiated settlement of the Afghan war. In this regard, he has sought Pakistan's support and facilitation," the Foreign Office said. The president also acknowledged that the war had cost both the US and Pakistan, and emphasised that both the countries "should explore opportunities to work together and renew partnership". The Trump administration, in the recent months, has intensified its efforts to seek a negotiated settlement of America's longest war in Afghanistan where the US has lost over 2,400 soldiers since late 2001, when it invaded the country after the 9/11 terror attacks. The Taliban are fighting to flush out international forces and re-establish their regime in Afghanistan after their ouster in 2001. Pakistan and Afghanistan are trying to improve ties despite lingering suspicions and mistrust about each other.' Addressing the ceremony in Multan, Qureshi also said that Pakistan made the decision of opening Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate Sikh pilgrims. This step gave a message of peace and love from Pakistan, he said. He said Pakistan's foreign policy "is on a positive trajectory based on national interest and self-reliance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two passengers were detained with 13,550 packets of beauty creams manufactured in Pakistan while they were on board the Thar Express to reach India, a customs official said. The accused Musa and Shahid, both respective residents of Godhra in Gujarat and New Delhi, had boarded the train on Friday from Pakistan. Acting on a tip-off, the accused were detained with the packets of Pakistan manufactured beauty cream on Saturday, Assistant Commissioner of Customs Department M.L Shera said. He said that the seized consignment is worth nearly Rs 6.77 lakh in the market. The accused were released after a penalty of Rs 85,000 each, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's Punjab province government has written to the centre, seeking Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif's Islamabad residence to be declared as sub-jail. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Shehbaz, the younger brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, on October 5 in the Rs 1400 crore Ashiana-i-Iqbal housing project scam. Shehbaz, a former chief minister of Punjab, 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 made an accuse in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. The 67-year-old younger Sharif has served his third term as the Chief Minister of Punjab from June 2013 to May 2018. Citing sources, the Express reported that the Punjab government reached out to the interior secretary and district authorities, asking Shehbaz's house to be declared as sub-jail for the duration of National Assembly session beginning December 10. The moves comes after an accountability court in Lahore shifted Shehbaz, who is also leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, to the Kot Lakhpat jail on judicial remand. Since his arrest, the Opposition leader has had his remand extended multiple times. He has also attended National Assembly sessions with Ministers Enclave being declared as sub-jail. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reality TV star Paris Hilton is planning to hold an exhibition where she will be showcasing her "futuristic" artwork. Hilton said he artwork is full of neon lights, crystals and collages. ''I'm putting my art exhibit together now. My art is very futuristic and pop, with neon lights and crystals and collages and painting. I draw animals. It's really inspired by pop culture, it's really different," Hilton told New York Post's Page Six. The DJ and socialite, who recently ended her engagement to "Leftovers" star Chris Zylka, said she is too busy to date. ''I'm amazing. I am busy being a boss-babe, running an empire. That is all I have time for. I barely have time for myself, let alone anything else. I am not even thinking about (dating) right now. "I am literally so busy. I hardly have time to see my own family, let alone do that. I am so happy. I just love my life. My advice is to always be happy and feel good about yourself - because life is truly too short," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NCP president Sharad Pawar Sunday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of giving "false" promises to the Maratha community over the issue of reservation in government jobs and education. Pawar cited a reported statement of BJP chief Amit Shah and asked Fadnavis if he will defy his party chief in granting quota to the influential community. The NCP leader said Shah's had recently remarked, while opposing quota to a minority community in Telangana, that the Supreme Court has set a limit of 50 per cent on reservation. The SC limit will be breached when the Maratha reservation is implemented in the state. He was speaking at a congregation of NCP workers and office-bearers here. Pawar said Fadnavis had asked people to celebrate for his government passing a law on 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community. But Shah, according to Pawar, said at a rally in Telangana that any quota beyond the SC-set limit will not stand in court. "When the president of the party (BJP) says it (more than 50 per cent quota) cannot stand in court, why are you giving false promises to the people of Maharashtra?" Pawar said while hitting out at Fadnavis. The former Union minister said people in Ayodhya are upset over the decision to take over buildings located near the disputed site in the temple town. "People are saying they are not opposing construction of a (Ram) temple, but are complaining that in the name of temple, there is an attempt to destroy everything," Pawar, talking about pre-poll unity of opposition, said importance will have to be given to regional parties on the basis of their strength in their respective states while deciding on seat sharing. An alliance of opposition parties is "inevitable" if the BJP is to be ousted from power, Pawar added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jaipur Pink Panthers came up with a solid performance to beat Tamil Thalaivas 37-24 in the Vivo Pro Kabaddi Season 6 here on Sunday. Deepak Hooda (9 points) was the architect of their victory and was ably supported by Anand Patil (5 points) and Ajinkya Pawar (4 points). Sunil Siddhgavali got a high five in defence for Jaipur Pink Panthers. Tamil Thalaivas started off brightly but faded away as their two key men Ajay Thakur and Manjeet Chhillar had a disappointing game. The victory keeps Jaipur Pink Panthers in the hunt for a place in the playoffs. A couple of successful raids by both teams in the first two minutes made the score 2-2. It was an evenly contested affair for the first 11 minutes of the match as the defence of Jaipur stood strong against the raiders of Thalaivas with the score levelled at 7-7. Jaipur turned on the pressure with Anand Patil making a two-point raid in the 14th minute. Deepak Hooda's successful raid in the 16th minute led to Thalaivas suffering an all out as they trailed 9-16. Sukesh Hegde scored a raid point in the 20th minute as Tamil Thalaivas went into the break trailing 10-17. Tamil Thalaivas were struggling to keep up with Pink Panthers as their two key players Ajay Thakur and Manjeet Chhillar couldn't get going. Chhillar couldn't score a single tackle point in almost 30 minutes whereas Thakur had just two points against his name. For the Panthers, it was Deepak Hooda who continued his rich vein of form. He came into the match as Jaipur's leading raider and was once again a force to reckon with. Jaipur held a seven-point advantage as they led 23-16 after 30 minutes of play. Things took a turn for the worse for Thalaivas as they suffered an all out in the 34th minute to trail 18-30. In the last five minutes of the match, Jaipur continued to assert their supremacy over Tamil Thalaivas, winning the contest comfortably. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The West Bengal Police has filed a suo motu complaint against state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and three other party leaders for conducting a public meeting in Coochbehar district on Friday without requisite permission, police said. Besides Ghosh, BJP state-in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, national secretary Rahul Sinha and general secretary Raju Banerjee have been named in the complaint registered on Saturday, a senior officer of the district police said on Sunday. "We have registered a suo motu case against four BJP leaders for holding the rally without proper permission from the administration. We have started taking necessary action against them," he said. The BJP leaders have been booked under different sections of the IPC and the Police Act, he said. Ghosh, along with other party leaders, addressed the rally on a private land in Jhinaidanga in Coochbehar district after BJP's rath yatra was put on hold, the officer said, quoting the complaint. When contacted, the state BJP chief said he went to the stage to thank the people, who had gathered at the venue in large numbers. "Since a big crowd had already arrived at the venue, I had gone to the dais to thank them for coming. In fact, I had told them that we will not be addressing the rally. "This shows their (police) intention. If they continue to act like this, it will be clear how police works here in the state," Ghosh said, adding other party leaders named in the complaint were not present on the dais. BJP President Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from Coochbehar district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The rath yatras were scheduled to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal. A single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty of the Calcutta High Court had on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra. Subsequently, the BJP moved the division bench of the court, which modified the earlier order and directed the state chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police to sit with three BJP leaders by December 12 and take a decision on the matter by December 14. The division bench of Justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee also criticised the state government for not responding to BJP's letters for permission to hold three rath yatras in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind Sunday arrived here on a two-day visit during which he will grace the Founder's Week Celebrations of Maharana Pratap Shiksha Parishad, officials said. He will also offer prayers at the sanctum of the Gorakhnath temple and meet representatives of the Gita Press who will gift him a copy of The Bhagavad Gita and other books published at the press, officials said. After addressing the Founder's Week Celebrations here, Kovind will return to Delhi, the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Qatar's emir is skipping a Gulf summit hosted by Saudi Arabia, which has led a boycott of the country for more than a year. Other leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council descended down a golden escalator and were greeted by Saudi King Salman ahead of Sunday's summit. Qatar sent a lower-ranking official. GCC members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar in the summer of 2017 over its support for Islamist opposition groups that they view as terrorists. Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended last year's meeting in Kuwait, where the boycotting nations sent lower-level representatives. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Khalid Al Khalifa tweeted that Sheikh Tamim should have accepted "the fair demands and been there at the summit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism of the Netherlands, Islamic terrorism has been growing for several years. "Despite stagnating growth, the size of the Dutch jihadist movement is cause for concern," it wrote. (Image source: iStock) "This group, which grew significantly between 2013 and 2016, may be inclined to embrace a 'revenge narrative' that blames the West for the collapse of the 'caliphate'...Jihadists now no longer have a compelling reason to travel to that part of the world, and their focus has shifted to da'wa, or spreading the jihadist message. This may lead to a rise in the number of jihadists in the Netherlands. In addition to adherents of jihadism, there are also several thousand jihadist sympathisers, and ISIS sympathisers in particular, in the Netherlands." "Our soldiers show the whole world that we are sacrificing everything to protect our faith, flag and country. (...) Every son of our country who, in the power of his life, drinks the sweet nectar of martyrdom, shouts at us. (...) The one who dies in the way of Allah, never call him dead, but call him alive". Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute. "Right-wing extremists are growing more confident. They continue to focus on protesting against theIslamisation of the Netherlands, the arrival of asylum seekers and the perceived loss of Dutch identity..." [emphasis added] wrote Dutch authorities in a September threat assessment.Islamization in the Netherlands, however, is not merely a "perception" of "right-wing extremists" but an increasingly established trend. The threat assessment by the country's National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, for example, shows that Islamic terrorism has been growing for several years. "Despite stagnating growth, the size of the Dutch jihadist movement is cause for concern," it wrote The Netherlands has been the scene of several attempted jihadist terrorist attacks in recent months. In late September, police arrested seven suspected jihadist terrorists who were planning a massive attack there, including attacking a large event -- the police did not say where -- by attacking the site with automatic rifles and a car bomb. Earlier in September, an Afghan man who had a "terrorist motive" according to Dutch officials, stabbed two Americans at a train station in Amsterdam. "It is apparent from his statements that he believes that in the Netherlands, the Prophet Muhammad, the Quran, Islam and Allah are repeatedly insulted," prosecutors said . In August, another man was shot and arrested at a supermarket in the city of Naaldwijk, where he was waving a knife at people while shouting "Allahu Akbar".The threat level for the Netherlands remains at "substantial" (level 4 on a scale of 1 to 5), which means that the risk of an Islamic terrorist attack in the Netherlands is very real, although not necessarily imminent.There are several other factors, apart from Islamic terrorism, that show an increase in the Islamization of the Netherlands:One is the growth of Islamic parties. In the last parliamentary elections,, a Muslim party that was formed six months ahead of the elections by two Turks who were former members of the Socialist party, received one-third of the Muslim vote and three seats in parliament. The party does not hide its affinity for Turkey: Criticism of Turkey is taboo , as is its predictable refusal to name the Turkish mass-slaughter of the Armenians during the First World War a genocide. The Denk party ran on a platform against the integration of immigrants into Dutch society (instead advocating "mutual acceptance", a euphemism for creating parallel Muslim societies); and for the establishment of a " racism police " that would register "offenders" and exclude them from holding public office. In July, a former political activist for Denk, Hussein Jamakovic, sent an email to thenewspaper, as well as three other news organizations. The email said , "May you get cancer, you filthy, far-right cancer Jews." The email came after the news outlets brought reports claiming that Jamakovic had expressed sympathy for ISIS. In June, a van was deliberately driven into the entrance of thenewspaper's building, where it burst into flames.Another facet of the increasing Islamization is the preaching of jihad in mosques. The Religious Affairs Directorate of the Republic of Turkey ( distributes its official Friday sermons to Turkish mosques across the world; the mainstream media in the Netherlands have publicized at least one case of such a sermon being preached, at the mosque in the city of Hoorn. It is unclear in just how many mosques this sermon was preached, but it is estimated that 140 mosques in the Netherlands are affiliated with the. The sermon was about jihad and martyrdom According to therepresentative in The Hague, Dutch-Turkish imams write their own sermons. He then claimed that the war sermon was not preached anywhere in the Netherlands. That is simply not credible -- why would themake an exception for Turkish Muslims in the Netherlands of all the places it seeks to influence?The new mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, said in September that she would close down mosques if imams are spreading messages of hate, but "only as a last resort". According to DutchNews.nl, Halsema said that closing mosques is "a very rigorous [action] and that is something you only do as a last resort." You must be able to act if "an imam gives disgusting sermons, such as saying women should be subservient or that homosexuality is a crime". According to the news report, she also said that, unlike her predecessor, Jozias van Aartsen, she did not plan to develop links with fundamentalist and Salafist organizations. "I will not invite people who are not democratic and who do not take equality between men and women seriously to the office," she said.Another aspect of the increasing Islamization is that vandalism and violence against Jews have risen dramatically. A report published by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service in April listed 144 confirmed criminal offenses in 2017 involving hate crimes, including intimidation, vandalism, assault and incitement to hate or violence. Of those cases, 41 percent were "directed against Jews," who only account for 0.2 percent of the Dutch population. poll of 557 Dutch Jews published in November showed that nearly half of them were afraid of identifying themselves as Jews, with 43% saying they take active steps to hide their Jewish identity and 52% saying anti-Semitism on the street has become more common. In addition, 34% said they had experienced anti-Semitic remarks directed against them and 11% had experienced anti-Semitic violence directed against them.In December 2017, a Syrian asylum seeker, Saleh Ali, smashed the windows of a kosher restaurant in Amsterdam. For that, he served just 52 days in prison even though he had reportedly told an officer that the attack was "only the first step." Asked about the next step, he said: "I will tell you later, no one needs to know."In May, a Syrian asylum seeker, Malek F, stabbed three people in the Hague, while looking to harm "Christian and Jewish kuffars " according to the prosecution's report of the recent trial. He said that "kuffars" [unbelievers] were akin to "animals or retarded people". Two days earlier, Malek F. had brought a knife to a church in The Hague but when no one opened the door when he knocked, he left.Yet another disquieting characteristic of the Islamization is the grooming and rape of under-age girls, as seen for more than a decade in the UK. According to recent reports, "The number of Dutch victims of grooming gangs has risen sharply in recent years". It is estimated that rape-groomers force around 1,400 under-age girls into sex-slavery every year. Known in the Netherlands as "loverboys", they groom the girls with drugs, alcohol and gifts and then blackmail them into sex-slavery. Research has shown that 89% of the rape-groomers have migrant origins and that 60% are Muslims. Some young girls have 20 "customers" a day. "Minors are set to work in another country [Belgium] as a method to keep them from running away" according to reports. The men can earn "up to 800 euros a day on a girl".Does the Netherlands have a problem? Qatar's emir skipped a summit in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with fellow Arab Gulf leaders whose boycott of the small but energy-flush neighbour has sparked a major regional diplomatic row. Riyadh is hosting the annual gathering as crises rumble on over the 18-month-old dispute with Doha, the war in Yemen and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. The regional powerhouse had invited Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to attend the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council talks, but the foreign ministry in Doha said he would not go. Instead Qatar was represented by the minister of state for foreign affairs, Sultan al-Muraikhi, it said. Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, severed diplomatic ties with Doha in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering close ties with their regional rival Iran. Doha -- which announced this month it was quitting the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel -- denies the allegations, but the dispute has dragged on. Speaking at the start of the summit, Saudi King Salman accused Iran of "continuing to interfere in the affairs of the countries in the region". He stressed the importance of the GCC and the need to "defend, in collaboration with our partners, security and stability in the Gulf". Kuwait, which along with fellow GCC member Oman has stayed out of the worst political fallout from the Qatar row, has tried unsuccessfully to mediate a solution to the dispute. Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah called for "an end to media campaigns that have sowed discord (among the peoples of the region) to pave the way for reconciliation". The GCC was formed in 1981 at the height of the Iraq-Iran war and two years after the Islamic revolution in Tehran sparked concern in Sunni-led Gulf states, many of which have sizable Shiite populations, including in Bahrain. GCC secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani has said the summit would review ties with Iran after the US reimposed an oil embargo and other sanctions on Tehran following Washington's withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia, along with allies the UAE and Bahrain, accuses Tehran of fomenting unrest among Shiites in the Gulf, and has backed the US in piling pressure on Iran. This contrasts with Kuwait and Oman which prefer normalising ties with the Islamic republic. No major announcements are expected to come out of Sunday's summit. The meeting comes as delegations from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-linked Shiite rebels hold UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. Yemen's capital has been held since 2014 by Huthi rebels who drove the government out and seized a string of ports. The Yemeni government, based in the southern port city of Aden, has fought to push back the rebels with support from a military coalition led by Riyadh and the UAE. King Salman defended the coalition's intervention in Yemen and called for a "political solution" in the impoverished country. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2015 when the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organisation, though some rights group say the toll could be five times higher. The UN calls it the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with as many as 20 million Yemenis facing acute food shortages. Pressure has been piling up on Riyadh to ease off its offensive, particularly an assault launched in June on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, a key lifeline for aid entering Yemen. The summit comes with Saudi Arabia and its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, under mounting pressure over the murder of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi. A critic of the crown prince, Khashoggi was killed by a hit squad in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 in what the kingdom described as a rogue operation. Riyadh has steadfastly denied claims the grisly murder of the Saudi journalist was ordered by Prince Mohammed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Qatar said its emir will skip a summit Sunday of Arab Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, which has spearheaded a boycott of the small but energy-flush neighbour and sparked a major regional diplomatic row. Riyadh is hosting the annual gathering as crises brew over the 18-month-old dispute with Doha, the war in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. The regional powerhouse had invited Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to attend the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council talks, but the foreign ministry in Doha said he will not go. Instead Qatar will be represented by the minister of state for foreign affairs, Sultan al-Muraikhi, it said. Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, severed diplomatic ties with Doha in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering close ties with their regional rival Iran. Doha -- which announced this month it was quitting the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel -- denies the allegations, but the dispute has dragged on. "Qatar has burned all the bridges enabling it to take back" its place within the GCC, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa said in the run-up to the summit. Kuwait, which along with fellow GCC member Oman has stayed out of the worst political fallout between the energy-rich Gulf powers, has tried unsuccessfully to mediate a solution to the dispute. The GCC was formed in 1981 at the height of the Iraq-Iran war and two years after the Islamic revolution in Tehran sparked concern in Sunni-led Gulf states, many of which have sizable Shiite populations, including in Bahrain. GCC secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani has said the 39th summit in Riyadh would review ties with Iran after the US reimposed an oil embargo and other sanctions on Tehran. The US administration, which pulled out from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers in May, has vowed to reduce Iran's oil sales to zero, despite waivers granted to some major buyers. Saudi Arabia, along with allies the UAE and Bahrain, accuses Tehran of fomenting unrest among Shiites in the Gulf, and has backed the US in piling pressure on Iran. This contrasts with Kuwait and Oman which prefer normalising ties with the Islamic republic. No major announcements are expected to come out of Sunday's summit. The meeting comes as delegations from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-linked Shiite rebels hold UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. Yemen's capital has been held since 2014 by Huthi rebels who drove the government out and seized a string of ports. The Yemeni government, based in the southern port city of Aden, has fought to push back the rebels with support from a military coalition led by Riyadh and the UAE. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2015 when the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organisation, though some rights group say the toll could be five times higher. The UN calls it the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with as many as 20 million Yemenis facing acute food shortages. This and images of massive devastation after coalition bombing raids on Yemen have sparked outrage among rights groups and prompted global players to demand an end to the conflict. Pressure has been piling up on Riyadh to ease off its offensive, particularly an assault launched in June on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, a key lifeline for aid entering Yemen. The summit also comes with Saudi Arabia and its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, under mounting pressure over the murder of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi. A critic of the crown prince, Khashoggi was killed by a hit squad in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 in what Saudi Arabia described as a rogue operation. Riyadh has steadfastly denied claims his grisly murder -- he was reportedly dismembered -- was ordered by Prince Mohammed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi Arabia hosts a summit of Arab Gulf leaders Sunday as crises brew over a bitter diplomatic dispute with Qatar, the war in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has been invited by Riyadh, which severed diplomatic ties with Doha in 2017 along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, to the Gulf Cooperation Council talks. But it was unclear if the emir would attend the annual gathering of the GCC, whose others members -- Kuwait and Oman -- have stayed out of the worst political fallout between the energy-rich Gulf powers. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and fostering close ties with their regional rival Iran. Doha -- which announced this month it was quitting the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel -- denies the allegations, but the dispute has dragged on. "Qatar has burned all the bridges enabling it to take back" its place within the GCC, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa said in the run-up to the summit. The GCC was formed in 1981 at the height of the Iraq-Iran war and two years after the Islamic revolution in Tehran sparked concern in Sunni-led Gulf states, many of which have sizable Shiite populations, including in Bahrain. GCC secretary general Abdellatif al-Zayani has said the 39th summit in Riyadh would review ties with Iran after the US reimposed an oil embargo and other sanctions on Tehran. The US administration, which pulled out from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers in May, has vowed to reduce Iran's oil sales to zero. Saudi Arabia, along with allies UAE and Bahrain, accuses Tehran of fomenting unrest among Shiites in the Gulf, and has backed the US in piling pressure on Iran. This contrasts with Kuwait and Oman which prefer normalising ties with the Islamic republic. Kuwait has also been mediating between its Gulf partners and Qatar. Sunday's summit also comes as delegations from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-linked Shiite rebels hold UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. Yemen's capital has been held since 2014 by Huthi rebels who drove the government out and seized a string of ports. The Yemeni government, based in the southern port city of Aden, has fought to drive back the rebels with support from a military coalition led by Riyadh and the UAE. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2015 when the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organization, though some rights group say the toll could be five times higher. The UN calls it the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with as many as 20 million Yemeni's facing acute food shortages. This and images of massive devastation after coalition bombing raids on Yemen have sparked outrage among rights groups and prompted global players to demand an end to the conflict. Pressure has been piling up on Riyadh to ease off its offensive, particularly an assault launched in June on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, a key lifeline for aid entering Yemen. The summit also comes with Saudi Arabia and its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, under mounting pressure over the murder of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi. A critic of the crown prince, Khashoggi was killed by a hit squad in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 in what Saudi Arabia described as a rogue operation. Riyadh has steadfastly denied claims his grisly murder -- he was reportedly dismembered -- was ordered by Prince Mohammed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jammu and Kashmir state BJP president Ravinder Raina said on Sunday that human rights activists raise issues related to "anti-national elements" but go into "slumber" when such rights of soldiers are compromised with. "Terrorists have no human rights whatsoever and the value of human rights must be considered for the brave security personnel who perform their duty for the love of motherland without any thought for a second," Raina said. Raina was speaking at a function organised by the party's human rights cell on the eve of 70th international human rights day at BJP headquarters here. The BJP leader lambasted the human rights activists who, he claimed, surface only for the protection of human rights of "anti-nationals" and go into "slumber" as and when the human rights of a soldier are brazenly violated. Union minister of state in the Prime Minister's office, Jitendra Singh, also addressed the function, dwelling at length about the adherence to human rights by India since 'Vedic times' and explained the historical perspective of the human rights in Jammu and Kashmir. "The protection of human rights has been fundamental concept of the BJP and it continues with the same spirit under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. Singh said the concept of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is a living example of the protection of the human rights of every Indian citizen. BJP state spokesperson Brigadier (Retd) Anil Gupta said the Indian Army is the best trained and disciplined force in the world owing to which the United Nations seeks the services of Indian peace-keeping forces in the turmoil hit countries across the globe. He said hue and cry is raised by so called human rights activists upon the alleged acts of human rights violations within the state, but the truth being that the Indian Army is taking into consideration all aspects to protect the lives of the innocents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has alleged that the RSS is leading the "forces of darkness" and it is now the fight of ideas with them in Kerala as the right-wing organisation is piggybacking the Sabarimala issue to gain entry to the state. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Karat, her party's lone woman politburo member, claimed the entry of women of all ages into the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala is not about religion but politics for the BJP. Her allegations against the RSS-BJP came as Kerala witnessed massive protests by devotees opposing the entry of women of menstrual age into the hill shrine after the LDF government decided to implement the September 28 Supreme Court order to that effect. The BJP has said it stands with the devotees who hold the Sabarimala tradition close to their hearts and will not let the LDF "crush people's faith with impunity". The court is set to hear on January 22 petitions seeking a review of its verdict. Karat said one million women in Kerala will march against the BJP and the RSS on January 1 to halt their foray into Kerala by piggybacking on the Sabarimala issue. Women will form human chains across Kerala to stand up for social reforms, she said. "It is to stop the forces of darkness led by RSS and to take forward the values of social reforms. This is the big battle of ideas happening in Kerala and not just on the Sabarimala issue," Karat, 71, asserted. Bi-polar polity dominates Kerala, where the Left Democratic Front and the Congress-headed United Democratic Front remain the big players. The BJP, a relatively new entrant into the state's politics, has extended support to the devotees opposed to the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine whose deity, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate. The temple opened for the two-month-long pilgrim season on November 16. But prohibitory orders had been imposed in and around Sabarimala by police following the protests and fear of violence after the apex court order. The BJP has demanded that the prohibitory orders be lifted. Terming the court judgment on Sabarimala issue as one aspect of what the BJP, RSS's blueprint is for Kerala, Karat said the state witnessed a wave of social reforms in the 19th and the 20th century and its people needed to decide now if they want to stand with social reforms or recede into darkness. "All section of society had been involved at that time and mobilised by the great social reformers. Even that time they had to face the wrath of the Hindu orthodoxy. "What is the fight now is whether those values of social reform and renaissance movement should be taken forward or whether Kerala's society will be pushed backwards by the RSS. That is the real issue," she asserted. Karat said the CPI(M) has always said whether a woman goes to the temple or not is her choice and if she wants to go, she can't be prohibited. "Only the fertile women are prohibited, which assumes that menstruating women are impure just as Manushruti (an ancient legal text among many Dharmashastras of Hinduism) holds," she alleged. She said the agitation launched by BJP-RSS against the Supreme Court verdict has been exposed for "what it really is". "The cause of this issue lies not in religious sentiment but only in highly sectarian political agenda to destabilise the government and to impose in Kerala the Manuvadi ideology," Karat said. She said the RSS-BJP and also the Congress leadership initially had welcomed the apex court verdict but later made a U-turn because one section of Kerala's Nair Service Society, which are linked to royal family, opposed the SC's judgment. She alleged the Congress too has been protesting against the implementation of the September 28 judgment. "The Congress by siding with BJP-RSS's protest in Kerala over the Sabarimala issue became an accomplice in advancing the political agenda of the saffron party," Karat alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Jammu and Kashmir State Administrative Council (SAC) Sunday approved a bill for setting up special security force for providing proximate security to the state governor, an official spokesperson said. The SAC, which met under the chairmanship of governor Satya Pal Malik here, approved the Jammu and Kashmir Governor's Special Security Force Bill, 2018, he said. He said the bill contains provisions related to the constitution and regulation of a separate security force in the state for providing proximate security to the governor, members of his immediate family and matters connected therewith. "The legal framework related to constitution and regulation of a separate security force in Jammu and Kashmir for providing proximate security to the chief minister, members of his immediate family and other connected matters is contained in the Jammu and Kashmir Special Security Group Act, 2000," the spokesperson said. He said there is no provision contained in the said act related to matters for providing proximate security to the governor of the state and his immediate family members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has claimed that Loktantrik Janata Dal founder Sharad Yadav is siding with the RJD as he finds nothing wrong in the alleged benami properties owned by its president Lalu Prasad's family. The remarks of Modi, who is also a senior BJP leader, followed Yadav's meeting with Prasad, who is currently lodged at a hospital in Ranchi on account of ill-health. Prasad is serving sentences in fodder scam cases. "Sharad Yadav finds the benami wealth of Lalu family as legitimate and therefore, he rebelled against the JD(U) and started siding with the RJD," Modi tweeted on Saturday. The Income Tax department and Enforce Directorate have attached properties allegedly belonged to Prasad's family earlier this year. The Deputy CM's remark was a reference to the former JD(U) national president walking out of the party, which is now headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and siding with the opposition camp in Bihar. Yadav formed his own outfit, Loktantrik Janata Dal, in April this year after he was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha following a petition filed by the JD(U) before the Chairman of the Upper House. A former NDA convener himself, Yadav had refused to toe the party line when Kumar walked out of the Grand Alliance comprising the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress, and formed a new government with the BJP. Sushil Modi also criticised Yadav for "making an inappropriate comment against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, but keeping mum on the extradition of Christian Michel, who is involved in the Rs 255-crore Augusta Westland helicopter scam of which the Gandhi family was a beneficiary". After drawing flak over his remarks against the Rajasthan CM a couple of days ago, he expressed regret and said he would write a letter to her. "Sharad Yadav is becoming a part of a front opposed to the NDA government, which has curbed black money, and ending up helping the Lalu-Gandhi families in protecting their ill-gotten wealth," Sushil Modi alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Backing the creation of a separate division for Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir unit of BJP has urged Governor Satya Pal Malik not to "succumb to the blackmailing tactics" of the valley-centric parties on the issue. "Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are three distinct geographical entities and are referred to as the three regions of the state," Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state spokesperson Anil Gupta said in a statement here. "Hence, the demand of granting a divisional status to Ladakh is fully justified and BJP supports and endorses the demand," he added. The BJP requests the Governor not to give in or succumb to the "blackmailing tactics" of the valley-centric parties, Gupta said. On December 7, People's Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had warned of an agitation if the state administration, headed by Malik, accorded divisional status to Ladakh region, while ignoring Pir Panjal and Chenab valley of Jammu region. "There are reports that the governor's administration will accord a divisional status to Ladakh. We are not against it." "I request the governor and I hope all parties like the National Conference, Congress and others come together on this and demand that if you are giving Ladakh a divisional status, then Pir Panjal and Chenab Valley should also get it, otherwise we will be forced to agitate peacefully," she said. The BJP leader, however, said Mehbooba Mufti's threat to agitate was a clear cut manifestation of her party's "anti-Jammu" mindset. "Mehbooba has not given up her agenda of communal division of Jammu region which failed miserably in Kathua (a reference to the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl of a nomadic family)," he said. "Her evil design to divide the Dogras on religious lines by creating a rift between the Gujjars and Hindus was defeated badly by the maturity displayed by the elders of both the communities," he added. "It appears that it hurt her ego and she feels humbled and defeated. Not prepared to give up easily, she is now trying to play the communal card by demanding divisional status to Muslim dominated hilly districts south of Pir Panjal," Gupta said. In doing so, he alleged that Mehbooba was engineering a regional divide on religious lines and furthering the "two-nation" agenda of Mohammad Ali Jinnah that led to the partition of the country. "The people of Jammu, irrespective of caste, creed or religion will never allow this sinister design of PDP to succeed," he said. Another division on the basis of religion is not at all acceptable to the secular people of Jammu and they are willing to go to any extent to prevent it from happening," he added. The BJP leader alleged there was no demand of granting divisional status to Pir Panjal and Chenab valley and the "manufactured demand" was a product of Mehbooba's "evil mind" to further the agenda of Pakistan since the country's former president Pervez Musharraf had advocated a similar division of Jammu region. He said like the NC and Congress, the new found allies of Mehbooba, she does not want to be left behind in playing "communal, divisive and opportunistic politics" for the sake of polarising the electorate in view of the impending assembly elections. Gupta said her threat of a joint agitation by all Kashmir-centric politicians also smacks of the arrogance of the leaders who want to maintain "single region dominance" over the other two regions of the state. "Unfortunately for them, every issue boils down to 'special status' and 'religion' thereby colouring their narrow vision to an extent that ultimately it comes down to 'us versus them', the major cause of regional discrimination ailing the state," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India missed a golden opportunity to implement a fully computerised tax administration system way back in the late '70s as a proposal by was rejected by the then finance minister Charan Singh, claims a new book. Management strategist-researcher Shashank Shah has come out with the book titled "The Tata Group: From Torchbearers to Trailblazers", coinciding with the completion of 150 years of The and the birth anniversary of JRD Tata on November 29. According to the author, after nationalisation of banks by the Indira Gandhi government in 1969, there was declining business with banks as the Centre did not want computers in India. "It believed that computerisation would lead to mass unemployment. It is contextual to mention a fact that few know," he claims. Shah says that it was (Tata Consultancy Services) that had developed the now ubiquitous permanent account number (PAN) system for the income tax department in 1977. "Impressed by the output, the company was given an assignment to computerise the total processing of income tax. However, Charan Singh, then finance minister, decreed that there would be no computerisation in the finance ministry as it could create unemployment!" he writes in the book, published by Penguin Random House India. "If implemented then, India would have been far ahead of several countries through a fully computerised tax administration system," Shah claims. It is mandatory to quote PAN on return of income, all correspondence with any income tax authority. From January 1, 2005, it has become mandatory to quote PAN on challans for any payments due to the I-T Department. The book is replete with other little-known facts about The Among these is about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi helping in maintaining industrial harmony at Tata Steel plants in the 1920s. Between 1920 and 1924, Tata Steel, which then had the largest industrial force any single Indian company had in those years, witnessed three strikes, the book says. "At such a tumultuous time, Mahatma Gandhi arrived in Jamshedpur to mediate. Along with eminent freedom fighter Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das and CF Andrews, he tried to rekindle the relationship between the management and the workers," it says. Bose sided with the workers and battled for their rights by negotiating a historic settlement. He became the Jamshedpur Labour Association's leader and would regularly visit Jamshedpur to engage with the workers, Shah writes. "However, Bose's involvement had reduced by 1932. He was also imprisoned by the British government as part of the freedom movement." The Tatas invited Rajendra Prasad and Jawaharlal Nehru to arbitrate between the workers and the management. "Their prompt arrival indicated the importance of Tata Steel in the larger priorities of leadership." There was a settlement soon with both sides compromising on certain issues. Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya and demanded that the Union government enact a legislation, if need be, for it. At a VHP rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, the RSS executive head said, "Those in power today had promised to construct a Ram Temple. They should listen to people and fulfil the demand of temple in Ayodhya. They are aware of the sentiments." Without naming the BJP, Joshi added, "We are not begging for it. We are expressing our emotions. The country wants 'Ram rajya'." A country that develops distrust for the judicial system cannot walk on the path of development. The Supreme Court should also delve into this factor and take public sentiments into account, Joshi said. "We are not engaged in a conflict with any community. We are not begging but expressing sentiments. Enacting a law is the only option for Ram temple. The movement will continue till the promise is fulfilled," he said. Swami Hansdevacharya of Haridwar "warned" Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "we will not let him off his seat until the temple is built. He must fulfil his promise." Thousands of people have gathered at Ramlila Maidan for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally, which comes ahead of Parliament's winter session commencing on Tuesday. The title suit of the Ayodhya land dispute case is pending before the Supreme Court. In January, the court is expected to announce a date for the beginning of the hearing. But as the dispute has remained unresolved for more than 25 years, right-wing groups are demanding that the Union government sidestep the courts and go ahead with the temple building. VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje said public sentiments should be respected as "in democracy, the public should be supreme not the court". "It's a misconception that we want to construct a temple in place of a mosque. The mosque was built there after demolishing the temple. Also, terming the demand for a Ram temple an election issue is wrong. There are elections in the country every six months... that does not mean we will keep sitting on it," Kogze said. The traffic police has issued an advisory detailing diversions in view of the rally. It said no traffic will be allowed on Ranjeet Singh Flyover (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Barakhambha Road), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Chaman Lal Marg near VIP gate. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Ramlila Maidan and snipers have been deployed on high-rises. The VHP had carried out a door-to-door campaign to make the rally a success. "It is a massive gathering which will change the hearts of all those who are not in favour of bringing the bill for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya," VHP's spokesperson Vinod Bansal said. The right-wing group had approached President Ram Nath Kovind and state governors during previous phases of its temple campaign. In the forthcoming stage, it will hold religious rituals and prayers at temples and matths. The campaign will culminate at Prayag with a 'Dharam Sansad' of priests and saints. The final religious congregation will be held on January 31 and February 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When it comes to Canadas border woes, the last thing we need is to sign onto a United Nations deal that will only further complicate our current mess. Yet thats just what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is planning to do later this month in Morocco when he signs on to something called the UN Global Compact on Migration. Its an international agreement that will see countries cooperate to deal with the movement of migrants around the world. We are, to put it mildly, skeptical of deals like this. The UN Human Rights Council seems to do more to shield human rights abuses than it does solve problems. And all the Paris climate deal has given Canada so far is the unpopular carbon tax. There are few reasons to believe this new deal on migration will make things better and many reasons to believe it will worsen our border woes. One big worry is that Canada will be pressured into accepting a volume of refugees or economic migrants that is not based on whats best for us but based on what the international community demands of us, that it will obscure the line between immigrants and migrants. Policies that deliver responsible immigration and integration should be determined by sovereign states, not by international bodies. Canadians must be in control of their borders and have full sovereignty over their immigration system, and refuse to allow the government to continue to cede this control to authorities beyond our borders, a Conservative motion calling on the government to reject the compact reads in part. (It was rejected by the Liberals Wednesday afternoon.) It would be great if this compact resulted in a sharing of best practices that strengthened Canadas immigration system, but currently, there is no real plan or funding to care for those who have already crossed our borders. The United States has a mess on their southern border thats tearing at their social fabric. Europe has no handle on their borders right now. And while its true that Canada has until very recently had an immigration system thats the envy of the world, we now have little control over the 20,000 people a year crossing illegally over our border. Before Canada makes further commitments, we need to fix and fund our refugee system here. Thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for Vishwa Hindu Parishad's rally to press for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, days before Parliament's winter session commences. The VHP has said the rally, to be addressed by RSS's executive head Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi, will be an attempt to give a clarion call to the Union government to enact a legislation, if need be, for the construction of the temple. Besides Joshi, VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and its international working president Alok Kumar are also expected to address the rally. The traffic police has issued an advisory detailing diversions in view of the rally. It said no traffic will be allowed on Ranjeet Singh Flyover (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Barakhambha Road), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Chaman Lal Marg near VIP gate. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Ramlila Maidan and snipers have been deployed on high-rises. The VHP has carried out a door-to-door campaign to make the rally a success. "It will be a massive gathering which will change the hearts of all those who are not in favour of bringing the bill for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya," VHP's spokesperson Vinod Bansal said. The right-wing group had approached President Ram Nath Kovind and state governors during previous phases of its temple campaign. In the forthcoming stage, it will hold religious rituals and prayers at temples and matths. The campaign will culminate at Prayag with a 'Dharam Sansad' of priests and saints. The final Dharam Sansad' will be held on January 31 and February 1. The winter session is set to begin on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Thousands of protestors marched through London in support of Brexit on Sunday amid tight security measures in place by Scotland Yard. The pro-Brexit march through London, dubbed the "Brexit Betrayal" march, was met by a counter-protest at the same time but taking different routes. The Metropolitan Police had earlier urged protesters to keep their demonstrations peaceful but indicated it is taking no chances against the backdrop of some violent clashes during the "Yellow Vests" street protests in the neighbouring French city of Paris over the weekend. "The right to protest is a fundamental right in our democratic society, but this right must be balanced against the right of people to go about their day without fear of violence, disorder or disruption," said Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor. "Experience has shown us that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder, not just on the day itself but in the longer term, he said, adding that the force would "adopt a robust arrest policy on anyone who attends and is intent on violence and disorder". The Met Police has said it would keep the two rival sides apart by issuing two separate routes for them to follow though the West End. The conditions have been imposed under Section 12 and 14 of the UK's Public Order Act, 1986. Far-right group English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson has joined the pro-Brexit march called by the anti-Europe UK Independence Party (UKIP), with the counter-protesters including groups like Unite Against Fascism and grassroots group Momentum rallying together against the "far-right extremists". UKIP said its march against the "Brexit Betrayal" would be "the largest pro-Brexit event of the year". Some of their banners refer to politicians committing "treason", also referring to the British prime minister, Theresa May, "Treason May". "Be there to show you want to Dump the Deal and that Brexit means Exit," said UKIP leader Gerard Batten, who has angered members of his own party by appointing Robinson as an adviser. UKIP's prominent former leader, Nigel Farage, had stepped down from the party recently expressing his anger at the party's swing towards extreme right-wing "This march isn't about Brexit, it's about far-right extremists dressing up in suits and pretending to be respectable," said Opposition Labour Party's shadow chancellor John McDonnell, as he called on people to take to the streets against the poison of the far-right. Meanwhile, a rally is also taking place in London organised by pro-EU group Best for Britain and the People's Vote campaign for another referendum to revisit the June 2016 vote in favour of Brexit ahead of a crucial House of Commons vote on Prime Minister May's controversial Withdrawal Agreement struck with the European Union. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of a crucial vote on Britain's divorce deal with the European Union (EU), thousands of protesters marched through London in support of Brexit on Sunday amid tight security measures in place by Scotland Yard. The pro-Brexit march through London, dubbed the "Brexit Betrayal" march, was met by a counter-protest at the same time but taking different routes. The Metropolitan Police had earlier urged protesters to keep their demonstrations peaceful but indicated it is taking no chances against the backdrop of some violent clashes during the "Yellow Vests" street protests in the neighbouring French city of Paris over the weekend. The march comes days before a crunch vote in the Parliament on the Withdrawal Agreement struck by Prime Minister Theresa May's government with the European Union on December 11. May on Sunday warned that parliament's rejection of her Brexit deal could leave Britain in the EU and bring the opposition Labour Party to power. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29 next year under the Article 50 process set in motion after the referendum over two years ago. Under the deal struck by the British prime minister with the EU, the UK would be able to negotiate trade deals with other countries, including India, during the transition period after Brexit day, but would not be able to implement them until the end of the planned 21-month transition period, which itself could be extended. May is facing her biggest crisis since coming to power a month after Britain voted by a 52-48 margin in June 2016 to leave the EU after 46 years. Commenting on Sunday's protests, Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said, "the right to protest is a fundamental right in our democratic society, but this right must be balanced against the right of people to go about their day without fear of violence, disorder or disruption." "Experience has shown us that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder, not just on the day itself but in the longer term, he said, adding that the force would "adopt a robust arrest policy on anyone who attends and is intent on violence and disorder". The Met Police has said it would keep the two rival sides apart by issuing two separate routes for them to follow though the West End. The conditions have been imposed under Section 12 and 14 of the UK's Public Order Act, 1986. Far-right group English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson has joined the pro-Brexit march called by the anti-Europe UK Independence Party (UKIP), with the counter-protesters including groups like Unite Against Fascism and grassroots group Momentum rallying together against the "far-right extremists". UKIP said its march against the "Brexit Betrayal" would be "the largest pro-Brexit event of the year". Some of their banners refer to politicians committing "treason", also referring to the British prime minister, Theresa May, "Treason May". "Be there to show you want to Dump the Deal and that Brexit means Exit," said UKIP leader Gerard Batten, who has angered members of his own party by appointing Robinson as an adviser. UKIP's prominent former leader, Nigel Farage, had stepped down from the party recently expressing his anger at the party's swing towards extreme right-wing "This march isn't about Brexit, it's about far-right extremists dressing up in suits and pretending to be respectable," said Opposition Labour Party's shadow chancellor John McDonnell, as he called on people to take to the streets against the poison of the far-right. Meanwhile, a rally is also taking place in London organised by pro-EU group Best for Britain and the People's Vote campaign for another referendum to revisit the June 2016 vote in favour of Brexit ahead of a crucial House of Commons vote on Prime Minister May's controversial Withdrawal Agreement struck with the European Union. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In separate cases, the bodies of a woman and a man were found in East and Dwarka districts of Delhi on Sunday, police said. In East Delhi's New Ashok Vihar, the body of a 35-year-old unidentified woman was found with her throat slit along Hindon Canal at around 3 pm. A passerby spotted the body and informed the police, following which they rushed to the spot, Pankaj Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) said. The body will be sent for post-mortem after identification, he said, adding that police are checking through missing complaints of women filed at nearby police stations to identify her. Police suspect that after killing the woman on Saturday night, the assailants might have dumped the body at the canal. Further investigation is underway, the officer said. In another incident, the body of a 30-year-old man with knife injuries was found along a drain in Dwarka's Najafgarh area on Sunday morning, police said. Police found that the man was bleeding from the mouth and carried a wound on the face, a senior police officer said. The officer said no other injuries were found on the body. The body was yet to be identified. The cause of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem, police said, adding that an investigation is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two men were arrested for allegedly cheating several government employees on the pretext of providing them Leave Travel Concession (LTC) tours, police said Sunday. The accused were identified as Ashwani Singh (32), a resident of Uttam Nagar and Harpat Singh (26), a resident of Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan, they said. In June 2013, a person filed a complaint alleging that one Monika Tyagi, who introduced herself as the marketing executive in INI Tour and Travel Pvt Ltd, contacted him regarding the tour program of Jammu and Kashmir for government servants, Madhur Verma, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) said. The complainant agreed for the tour and paid Rs 91,000 to her, he said. On June 15, 2013, he visited the office of the company in Delhi's Connaught Place but found nobody there, Verma added. Apart from this, 60 more complaints from the employees of different government organizations were also filed against the alleged company, the DCP said. During investigation, it surfaced that the company shut down the business after committing fraud with many government employees, Verma said. However, police traced the entire staff of the company, including Monika, and interrogated them, he said. Later, it was found that Bhavesh, Mahendra Paleja, Ashiwini Singh and Harpat Singh were behind the said fraud. They hired people and assigned them the task to sell LTC tour packages to government employees, Verma added. They offered the LTC tour package for June 12, 2013 to June 16, 2013 and June 16, 2013 to June 20, 2013, the DCP said. On June 12, 180 passengers departed from New Delhi to Srinagar but on June 16, when those 180 passengers moved to the Srinagar airport for their return journey, their flight was reported to be cancelled due to non-payment to the airline company, he said. In the same way, 180 more passengers reached at the New Delhi airport to start their tour from Delhi to Srinagar on June 16 but their flight was also cancelled over the same issue, he added. The accused persons had been absconding since 2013 and their whereabouts could not be traced, Verma added. On Wednesday, Ashwani Singh was arrested from Uttam Nagar and Harpat Singh was traced in Gurugram and later arrested, Verma said. Ashwani has a criminal background and was arrested in several cheating cases, the officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two onion farmers from Maharashtra's Nashik district have allegedly committed suicide in the last two days, apparently due to indebtedness and low rates commanded by the bulb in markets, police said Sunday. The deceased are identified as Tatyabhau Khairnar (44) and Manoj Dhondage (33) who hailed from Baglan taluka in the north Maharashtra district. Farmers in Nashik district, which accounts for 50 per cent of onion production in India, have claimed that they are unable to fetch good returns for their produce due to glut in production. A Baglan taluka police official Sunday said Khairnar allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his onion shed in Bhadane village Friday. "No suicide note was found on his body," he said. The official said the relatives pf the deceased had claimed that he was unable to sell his 500 quintals of onions stored in the farm due to low rates. "His family also maintained that Khairnar had an outstanding bank loan to the tune of Rs 11 lakh," he said, In another incident, Manoj Dhondage (33) consumed some poisonous chemical Friday. "Dhondage was found unconscious in his farm on Friday with a bottle of poisonous chemical near him. He was rushed to Malegaon-based civil hospital where he died Saturday morning," police said. "Dhondage's family members have said that his total outstanding loan is Rs 21 lakh and due to poor rates of onions in the wholesale market, he could not sell his produce," police said. Both the cases have been registered with Jaikhed police station in Baglan taluka. Bumper production of the kitchen staple has affected the farmers adversely. An onion-grower from Niphad taluka in the district recently sent his earnings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark his protest after he was forced to sell his produce for little over Rs 1 per kg. The farmer, Sanjay Sathe, had donated paltry Rs 1,064 he had received after selling 750 kg of onions to the Disaster Relief Fund of the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) through a money order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha Sunday accused the Narendra Modi government of destroying various institutions in the country, including the Union Cabinet. Speaking at a talk show, 'Idea of Bengal', organised by the ruling Trinamool Congress, Sinha accused the prime minister of trying to "undermine" the Rajya Sabha during the passage of key bills. "The Modi government has destroyed various institutions of the country. But the biggest casualty is the Union Cabinet," the former Union minister alleged. "I am saying this because several important decisions are being taken without informing the Cabinet, be it the Rafale jet deal or demonetisation," added Sinha, who held the finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Parliament was the "second casualty" as the Modi government has "tried to undermine" the Rajya Sabha, during the passage of several important bills, Sinha said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not enjoy majority in the Upper House of Parliament. Calling demonetisation a "disaster", Sinha said the government was trying to "dress up" the figures of economic growth to hide the "failures" of its economic policies. "First they changed the methods by which GDP is calculated. Next when it came out that the UPA government performed better that the present regime, they withdrew the data from the website. Then the government fudged figures to put up a healthy picture of the economy," he said. The Modi government has a "habit" of blaming the previous governments for all the wrong things that had "either happened or are happening" in the country, he added. "In 2014, the government had given specific figures of the amount of NPAs, now again in 2018 they have come up with a new figure of NPAs till 2014. The idea is to put all the blame on the previous regimes," he said further. Sinha stressed that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee had "all traits" to make a good prime minister. He hoped that West Bengal and TMC would play a major role in defeating Modi in the 2019 general elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US negotiator in charge of trade talks with China said Sunday he considers March 1 to be a "hard deadline" for reaching an agreement that would avert an intensifying trade war. "As far as I'm concerned it's a hard deadline," US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on CBS's 'Face the Nation'. "When I talk to the president of the United States, he's not talking about going beyond March 1, he's talking about getting a deal if there is a deal to be gotten in the next 90 days." Lighthizer also said he did not expect the arrest in Canada of a top Chinese executive, Meng Wanzhou of telecom giant Huawei, to interfere with the trade talks. "It shouldn't really have much of an impact," he said. "I can understand from the Chinese perspective how they would see it that way. That is a criminal justice matter. It is totally separate from anything that I work on." China has strongly protested the arrest and the US demand that Meng be extradited over allegations that Huawei has violated US sanctions against Iran. The arrest shook investors and rattled the markets amid fears it could reignite US-Chinese trade tensions just as a new truce had been declared. Since taking office, Trump has waged an often-fierce offensive against Chinese trade practices, which he regularly brands as "unfair." He has particularly denounced the forced transfer of technology to China by foreign firms seeking to do business there, as well as the country's weak protections of intellectual property rights. At the end of a dinner in Buenos Aires on the margins of the recent G20 summit there, Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping said they had agreed to put on hold the months-long trade war that has resulted in billions of dollars in tariffs being imposed on imported goods. Washington gave Beijing a deadline of March 1 to achieve concrete results and suspend the imposition of 25 per cent customs tariffs -- rather than the current 10 percent -- on USD 200 billion in imported Chinese products. In exchange, the Chinese agreed, somewhat vaguely, to purchase more American products and to work to reduce the enormous trade gap (around USD 335 billion in China's favour) that so irritates the US president. It was Lighthizer, a veteran of complex trade negotiations and a hawk on trade issues with China, who was tabbed to lead the American team in the talks. His remarks Sunday appeared to bring clarity after mixed signals from the administration, including a suggestion from Trump about possibly extending the truce. "The negotiations with China have already started," Trump said in a Twitter message Tuesday. "Unless extended, they will end 90 days from the date of our wonderful and very warm dinner with President Xi in Argentina. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With controlled agriculture methods gaining ground across the Gulf countries, vertical farming is becoming increasingly vital and attracting investments from regional and overseas players. According to Orbis Research, the vertical farming market, a type of agriculture in which food grows on trays or hanging modules in a climate-controlled, indoor facility, is expected to reach USD 1.21 billion by 2021 at a CAGR of 26.4 per cent from only USD 0.38 billion in 2016. One of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries leading this change is the UAE, which has upcoming projects facilitated by the government as well as private players to help increase food security in the region. These include the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and allotting space for 12 vertical farms to be built by Shalimar Biotech Industries, and the world's largest vertical farm for Emirates Airlines by Crop One Holdings Inc. With around 90 per cent of food being imported in the UAE, territorial problems of water scarcity and small percentages of arable land, vertical farming is becoming increasingly vital to ensure food security within the region. Mariam Al Mehiri, Minister of Future Food Security and a leading campaigner of urban farming, plans to create a 'Food Valley' or a technology hub, dedicated to the development of food and farming automation. The Food Valley, and other government-led initiatives, are being introduced to attract and enable a new generation of farmers to help build future sustainability. The minister, during an interview to euronews, said "(The idea) comes from the Silicon Valley in the US, where you have technologies, or start-ups, sprouting and developing into commercial giants. We want to bring this to the UAE and build a Food Valley that's all about food technologies. By capitalising on vertical space, and controlling the for year-round optimal growth, Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) can produce significantly more yields per square foot than traditional agriculture, while using only a fraction of the water. AgraME 2019 is creating a platform for the latest technology to be showcased to the regional agribusiness market, along with promoting knowledge sharing between leaders in the global industry and key local players around urban farming techniques and methods. AgraME 2019, to be held from March 5 - 7, will bring to Dubai some of the leading innovators and urban farming experts. Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder and Managing Director of Agritecture and an acknowledged global thought leader in urban agriculture, said the Middle East has an unprecedented ability to reshape critical infrastructure that supports modern human life. The potential is certainly there to transform what has historically been a relatively small traditional farming industry into perhaps the most technologically advanced agriculture industry in the world. This means economic development, increased production of nutritious local produce, and lowered food costs, all with minimal water consumption and increased resilience to climate change and foreign markets, said Gordon-Smith. Bob Hunsche, Sales Manager, Van der Hoeven said; We are really starting to see the horticulture industry take off in the Middle East. We have just completed the largest greenhouse project in the UAE (11 ha). With the most advanced technology in terms of climate and humidity control, the facility is expected to locally produce 3,000 tonnes of tomatoes year-round with the aim of helping the UAE become more self-sufficient in its food production. Samantha Bleasby, Exhibition Director of AgraME said, With the aim of increasing food security in the Middle East and attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger, we are excited to present the industry with new technologies from around the globe and free-to-attend learning and networking opportunities that will increase productivity in the region with sustainable use of water and land resources. (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. A wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who was luring youths into militancy, was arrested on Sunday in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said. Reyaz Ahmad, a resident of Sounder Dachhan village and a close associate of hardcore terrorist Mohammad Amin alias 'Jhangir', was arrested by a police party based on specific information from the town, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Rajinder Gupta told PTI. He said several pictures of Ahmad holding an AK assault rifle had gone viral on social media in the recent past and his name also surfaced during interrogation of two of his associates who were arrested in the town on July 1. Following the arrest of his two associates, a case was registered at the Kishtwar police station. The officer said Ahmad was also involved in another case related to militancy in the Parimpora locality of Srinagar. Some more arrests and recoveries are expected at his disclosure, the officer said, adding he was a hardcore motivator encouraging local youth to join militancy. Jehangir is the longest surviving terrorist active in the Kishtwar belt, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Can you imagine Hindu devotees circumambulating a mosque in their ritual attire and taking bath in a church pond as part of their annual temple pilgrimage? This is not a fairy tale of religious harmony but a real-life scene in Kerala where pilgrims of the famed Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa Temple visit a mosque and church as part of the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage. Both the Erumeli Nainar Juma Masjid, also known as Vavar Palli (mosque), in Kottayam district and Arthunkal St Andrew's Basilica in neighbouring Alappuzha have been opening its portals for the devotees of Lord Ayyappa for decades during the two-month-long pilgrim season beginning in mid-November. Wearing the traditional black dress and bead-chain and smearing 'bhasmam', the holy ash, on forehead, chest and arms, Hindu pilgrims visit the mosque and the church every year and offer prayers, reviving the local myth of the Lord Ayyappa's friendship with a Muslim youth and a Christian priest. It is heartening to see how the managements of the mosque and church wholeheartedly welcome and provide facilities for the Hindu pilgrims who step in chanting aloud 'swamiye saranam Ayyappa' mantras praising their deity. According to local lore, Vavar, for whom the mosque is dedicated, was the Muslim companion of Lord Ayyappa, the adopted son of the erstwhile Pandalam king as per Hindu belief. The Arthunkal church legends stated that one of its erstwhile vicars, popularly known as Arthunkal Veluthachan (fair-skinned father) among local people, had been a great friend of Ayyappa. Even when the country had witnessed tensions in the name of religion and belief, this temple, church and mosque stood as a unique example of deep-rooted communal harmony in Kerala. According to Hakim, joint secretary, Erumeli Mahalla Muslim Jama-ath, not only Keralites but devotees from neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also visit the Vavar mosque, situated over 60 km from Sabarimala, every year and offer prayers before they start trekking the hill shrine. "A large number of Ayyappa pilgrims visit the mosque throughout the November-January annual pilgrim season. They do not enter the prayer hall but circumambulate the mosque, provide kanikka (offering) and break coconut at the premises," he told PTI. "It is beautiful to see when we perform namaz inside the hall, our Hindu brothers perambulate the mosque and offer prayers as part of their traditional believes. The legend of the friendship of Ayyappa and Vavar is the reflection of the deep-rooted secularism and communal harmony in Kerala," he said. The Jama-ath, which takes care of the administration of the centuries-old mosque, provides parking facilities and space for placing 'viri' (bed spread) for the Ayyappas', how the Sabarimala pilgrims are generally known as. The Nainar Juma Masjid also conducts an annual festival named 'Chandanakudam' as a prelude to the 'pettathullal', the ceremonial mass dance of Ayyappa devotees, at the end of the yearly pilgrim season. Interestingly, there is a place at Sabarimala known as 'vavar nada', dedicated to the 'Vavarswamy', how the Muslim friend of Ayyappa is fondly being called by Hindu devotees. Meanwhile, Fr Christopher M Arthasseril, the parish priest of Arthunkal Basilica, said it has for long been a custom for the sea-side church to receive the Sabarimala pilgrims. After offering prayers at Sabarimala, a large number of Ayyappa devotees visit the 16th-century Arthunkal Basilica, built by Portuguese missionaries, to take out their mala' (bead-chain) worn as part of the pilgrimage. "Majority of the pilgrims visit the church to remove the traditional bead-chain marking the end of their 41-day vrata (renunciation of worldly pleasures)," Fr Arthasseril told PTI. After removing the chain by paying respect before the idol of Saint Sebastian, the devotees take a bath in a tank in the church premises or a dip in the sea, he said. Detailing the legend behind the church's Sabarimala connection, the priest said the visit of the pilgrims commemorate the bond between Lord Ayyappa and a Jesuit priest, one of the early vicars of the church. "The legend linking Sabarimala and Arthunkal Church has been attributed to Fr Jacomo Fenicio, a Jesuit who had served as the vicar of the church from 1584. As per the records, he had great interest and knowledge in Hindu culture and traditions and also in local martial arts like Kalaripayattu," he said. The local legend was that the priest, believed to have magical powers to heal diseases, was a friend of Lord Ayyappa, the adopted son of Pandalam king. Many had even considered them as brothers, as per the lore. The priest said they used to clean the temple pond before the Sabarimala season and provide other necessary arrangements to host Ayyappa pilgrims. However, both the mosque and church authorities admitted that the number of Sabarimala pilgrims was comparatively less this year. The devastation caused by the August deluge and the intense protests by devotees and right-wing groups against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups at the hill shrine have affected the pilgrim inflow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Predicting a fractured poll mandate in Telangana, the BJP Sunday claimed that it would play a "vital role" in the formation of the next government in the southern state, where the TRS is eyeing to retain power. Telangana went to polls on December 7 and the results for the state's 119 Assembly seats will be announced on December 11. "We have contested the election on our own for the first time after a decade. We have contested the polls to win. The BJP will be part of the government. Without the BJP, there cannot be any government. What happens after the results are declared, we will think of it," state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Laxman told PTI. He asserted that the saffron party had become a formidable force in Telangana and that it would increase its vote share substantially and the number of seats considerably. "We have surely become a formidable force in Telangana. We will increase our vote share and even the number of seats. The BJP is definitely going to play a very vital role in the formation of government," Laxman said. Asked about the reports that quoted him as saying that the BJP would support the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in the event of a hung verdict, he said his comments were being taken "in a different manner". The BJP leader, however, replied in the affirmative when asked if he had predicted a hung House. "It will definitely be a fractured mandate. If we had the time (to prepare for the polls), we would have formed the government on our own. Due to the time constraint, plus, unable to stand the (Prime Minister) Modi wave, the TRS opted for an early election, just to avoid Modi's charisma in simultaneous polls. We have bright chances," he said. Asked whom the BJP would support in case of a hung verdict, Laxman said the party would discuss the situation taking into consideration who would emerge as the single-largest party. "It all depends on the results, because even the Congress in Karnataka had repeatedly said the JD(S) was the 'B' team of the BJP. Finally, what happened? They (Congress) joined hands with the JD(S). These are all mind games played by the Congress. "Here also, we have never said we are going to support the TRS. We will see what happens once the results are out," he said. Stating that he was under the impression that no party was going to get a clear majority in Telangana, Laxman said, "We will play a crucial role." In a statement issued here, state BJP's chief spokesperson K Krishna Saagar Rao said, "We have fought the Telangana polls to win. We have fought to form the government. However, whatever the voters' mandate is on December 11, we will respect it and abide by their decision. The BJP will not support any party if there is a hung Assembly." The BJP had five MLAs in the Telangana Assembly that was dissolved on September 6. While the BJP and the TRS, led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, contested the polls on their own, the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) had formed the "People's Front". Meanwhile, the TRS Sunday said it was going to form the next government on its own by winning more than 80 of the 119 Assembly seats. "There will be no need for the TRS to have support -- either from the BJP or the AIMIM (the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen). We are going to form the government on our own with a comfortable majority, so the question of they (BJP) supporting us does not arise," TRS leader and Karimnagar MP B Vinod Kumar told PTI. "We are confident that the TRS will form the government on its own. There is no need for any support from any quarter," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Devraj Anbu has said the security forces would not hesitate to launch another against terrorists if the need to do so arises. "The on militant launchpads across the border was a show of strength by our armed forces and we won't hesitate to do it again if the enemy challenges us," Lt Gen Anbu said in reply to a question by reporters on the sidelines of the Indian Military Academy's Passing Out Parade (POP) in Dehradun on Saturday. India conducted the on September 29, 2016 across the as a response to a terrorist attack on an Indian Army base in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir earlier that month. Nineteen Indian soldiers died in the attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists. On Friday, Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda, who was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out, said the constant hype around the precision operation was unwarranted. He, however, said it was natural to have initial euphoria over the success of the military action. Responding to a question from the audience during a panel discussion in Chandigarh, Lt Gen Hooda said in hindsight, it would have been better had "we done it (surgical strikes) secretly". On the plans to give women combat roles in the armed forces, Lt Gen Anbu said different aspects of the proposition are being examined as conditions along the borders with Pakistan and China are different from the rest of the country. In July this year, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat role, currently an exclusive domain of men, is moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police. In November, he said the Indian Army is not yet ready to have women in combat roles. He said there are several other fields where the Army was thinking of inducting women and there were plans to have women as interpreters. Lt Gen Anbu was in Dehradun to address the POP at IMA as the reviewing officer. The POP saw a total of 427 gentlemen cadets including 80 from seven friendly foreign countries graduating from the academy. Yemen's Huthi rebels are open to more talks with the rival government if progress is made this week at UN-brokered talks in Sweden, a spokesman said. "If we leave these consultations having made progress -- progress in building confidence and finding a framework -- we can hold a new round of talks" in the coming months, Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam told reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry called in the U.S. ambassador on Sunday to lodge a "strong protest" over the arrest in Canada of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, and said the United States should withdraw its arrest warrant.Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions.The executive is also the daughter of the founder of Huawei.Chinese Vice Foreign Minister ... By Ahmed Elumami and Ayman Al-WarfalliTRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) warned on Sunday of "catastrophic consequences" if the El Sharara oilfield is brought to a complete halt by a tribesmen protest.Should the 315,000 barrel-a-day field shut down, it would take a long time to bring it back on stream and production from another field would also be affected, the state oil firm said."Shutting down production at the El Sharara field will have catastrophic, long-term consequences, it would take a long time to resume production because of the sabotage and ... DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's national budget for 2019 will show a forecast for a surplus, its Finance Minister Ali Shareef al-Emadi told a conference on Sunday.He reiterated that the financial statements for the first half of 2018 confirm the strength of its economy and the country has overcome the "blockade" imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies.He said non-oil sector economic growth for the first half of the year was over 5 percent. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia and Eric Knecht; Writing by Saeed Azhar; Editing by Tom Arnold)(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is ... Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images(PARIS) -- Protesters took to the streets of Paris for a third weekend of violence and looting despite French President Emmanuel Macron backing down on the fuel tax hike that sparked the movement in the first place. Seemingly hoping to recreate the mayhem of last week, protesters again created fiery barricades in the streets and smashed store windows for looting. But the protests were far smaller than last weeks demonstrations, as police sought to preempt any chaos by arresting protesters and confiscating dangerous objects before demonstrations began. A total of 737 people had been arrested before or during the protests, police told ABC News, adding that 55 people including three police officers were also injured. The protests, known as the Yellow Vest Movement, first began in mid-November to oppose rising fuel taxes, but have turned more broadly into a rebuke against the economic policies of Macron and the French ruling class, which many citizens view as elitist and indifferent to their struggles. Macron announced on Wednesday that he was backing down from his proposed hike due to fears over the growing violence. The fuel tax increases were Macrons attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fulfill his countrys part in the Paris climate agreement by making it easier for cleaner sources of energy to compete. President Donald Trump called it a sad day and night in Paris in a tweet on Saturday. Maybe its time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? Trump wrote, adding that the United States was way ahead of the curve in backing out of the deal. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. 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. news, latest-news The questioning of the suitability of place names in the ACT that some people find offensive or unpalatable crops up from time, accompanied by lobbying of the ACT Place Names Committee to change certain names. One name that can be relied on to be the focus of sporadic objection is Douglas Haig after whom Haig Park is named. Having been chair of the Place Names Committee from 1999 to 2009 I well recall at least two attempts which the committee refused to persuade the committee to expunge Haigs name from the park. The grounds for the objection were the same then as ACT Assembly member Bec Cody currently advocates. Haig as leader in August 1914 of the I Corps of the British Expeditionary Force, and particularly from 1915 when he became commander of the 1st Army, committed great masses of troops to unsuccessful offensives against the German trenches and gun emplacements protected by murderous machine gun strafing of attacking allied infantry. That this resulted in shocking slaughter of allied soldiers in what was seen as a war of attrition is undeniable. But Haig was not alone in thinking this strategy was the way to conduct the war. Other senior army officers supported it, as did the German command. Is Haig to blame from an historical perspective? Here is the dark side of history. What is usually glossed over by critics of Haig is that after the war he helped organise the British Legion and became its founding president. The legion's purpose was then - as it remains today - to give practical help to all men and women who have served in the forces in time of need, and to their widows and dependants. He travelled throughout the British Empire collecting money for needy former servicemen. Does this mean we should temper criticism of his actions as commander in chief? Whether one thinks so or not, it ought to be weighed in the equation and blame game. Of more serious concern are attempts to airbrush out past occurrences that someone finds unpalatable, thereby expunging evidence of someone or something from the human record and our history. Such action is tantamount to what is meant by rewriting history and usually takes one of two forms: historical revisionism or plain denial. In the case of revisionism it is an approach to trying to change the way we perceive events or events in history. Going down this path starts, if one is not careful, to smack of anti-intellectualism. I am of the view that recasting history and expunging people and events that someone finds unpalatable needs careful consideration as to what will be the consequences. What are the dangers? How will peoples values be affected? Human history and human actions have their dark side. To maintain a balanced society there is a need to recall the dark and the unpleasant aspects and try to learn from them. In the case of Haig Park and reflections on Douglas Haig the revised interpretative signs are an encouraging starting point of coming to terms with the dark side of history. It is also germane to remember that the naming of Haig Park dates back to 1928 when ways of seeing the world were different. Are we in effect by demands to expunge Haigs name belittling peoples thoughts, actions and values of 90 years ago. Society changes and with it societys values. To try to sanitise the world by negating the past and effectively rewrite history, however unpleasant, can be fraught with unseen and unintended consequences. One aspect that may not be of any consequences to those who want to annul history, but needs to be considered particularly where the annulling involves peoples names or memory, is the view of surviving families. Since the current form of the ACT Place Names Committee was instituted after self-government, the permission of the family must be given before any persons name may be used. Whether this was the case in 1928 and the Haig familys permission was sought I am unsure. Nevertheless if it were seriously considered that Haigs name should be struck down someone, it is to be hoped, would have the good grace and manners to do some research into this point. On this latter point and knowing most members I have every confidence in the ACT Place Names Committees due diligence in reviewing the matter and sticking to matters of historical integrity. Professor Ken Taylor is at the Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies, Research School of Humanities and Arts, Australian National University. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/83f30fbe-c542-40ff-85fc-da1039a40ac4/r0_100_2000_1230_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg life-style, life So its my birthday on Tuesday. Happy birthday me. Ive always approached the day I was born with a mindset of rebirth. An opportunity to reflect on the year gone by, and plan the journey to the next number. Fifty-two is a nothing kind of number. And this year has had that same feel about it. The rush of the big 5-ohh has worn off, Im settling into my fifth decade. But Im not settling into anything. Its been a strange year. I dont feel as though I have achieved very much at all. Survived might be a better way to describe it. Struggled at times, dragged myself out of dark corners. Drunk too much, exercised too little. Spent too little time with friends, given too much time - too much energy - to people who dont deserve it. How many times have I written a derivative of that sentence in the past few years? Live for the moment, they say, and theres been a bit of that. Long walks, days at the beach, hours entwined. But I need to plan for moments. I need to know whats for dinner, where the kids are, what were doing. I hate the spiral. And I know it has to change. When I professed my confusion to a dear friend, enthusing about the idea of getting everything back under control, she was honest enough to tell me that I say that a lot, and I do, I know, and that perhaps its time for me to actually do something about it. I had the pleasure a few weekends ago, to be invited into the Embassy of Kindness. It was the final day of Design Canberra and some friends and I had gathered around at Aspen Island to listen to Pete Lyon and his magic guitar, to enjoy the sunshine, and to drink a little champagne. Kanesan Nathan set up the Embassy of Kindness in 2016 as a way to stimulate a global conversation on kindness. It was a virtual enterprise until this point but for Design Canberra, with the help of the ACT Emerging Architects network, a physical space emerged. A cute little pop-up wooden structure on the back of a trailer so Kan could take kindness to the streets of Canberra. My lovely friend Yol and I sat in the embassy while he asked us a few personal questions about kindness. Whats the kindest thing youve done for someone, the kindest thing someone has done for you, how do you define kindness. It was quite an enlightening conversation, to actually think about something many of us take for granted. When Yol began to talk about her lovely husband, and the kind things he does for her - a cup of tea, a book he thought she might like, a hug - I almost fell in a heap. I miss that terribly. I miss someone thinking about me. I miss someone being kind to me. And I miss being kind to myself. When Kan asked us how we might be kinder in 2019, I knew my answer would be that I have to be kinder to myself first. Perhaps then the rest will follow. And so, for my birthday, that is what I am promising myself. Be kind. Be a little selfish. But become more generous and giving. To myself, and others. Get things back under control. Stop focusing on the things I know are distracting me from what matters. Take joy in the moment, but dont lose sight of the future. Filter the past. Some of that has no place in my heart anymore. When Kan asked what the kindest thing someone had done for me recently was, I told him the story of a dear friend - indeed the same honest, "I wont take your bullshit" friend from before, who took my call past midnight one night when I wasnt coping, and came to my house in her pyjamas and just held me for a while. I want to be that friend to myself. Recognise that sometimes I am not in a good place, but be strong enough, honest enough, and kind enough to take my own hand and pull myself up off the floor. So if theres any gift Im going to give myself on Tuesday, it is the gift of kindness, and strength, and love. I have so much of that in my heart to give and maybe I should start thinking about dishing some out to myself. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/c4d2fcd8-1005-4b24-b0ed-207357c1ce07/r0_352_478_622_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Prosecutors connect Trump to a federal crime for first time AP, Washington : The Justice Department says that President Donald Trump directed illegal payments to buy the silence of two women whose claims of extramarital affairs threatened his presidential campaign, the first time prosecutors have connected Trump to a federal crime. In a court filing , prosecutors said former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen arranged the secret payments at the height of the 2016 campaign "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump. Cohen has previously said Trump was involved in the hush-money scheme, but court documents filed ahead of Cohen's sentencing made clear prosecutors believe Cohen's claim. The filing stopped short of accusing the president of committing a crime. Whether a president can be prosecuted while in office remains a matter of legal dispute. But there's no ambiguity in Friday's filing that prosecutors believe Cohen's act was criminal and Trump was directly involved, a remarkable disclosure with potential political and legal ramifications for a president dogged by investigations. The payments are likely to become a target for House Democrats gearing up to investigate the president next year. It's unclear whether Trump faces legal jeopardy over his role. Federal law requires that any payments made "for the purposes of influencing" an election must be reported in campaign finance disclosures. The court filing Friday makes clear that the payments were made to benefit Trump politically. In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including campaign finance violations, and detailed an illegal operation to stifle sex stories and distribute hush money to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who had both claimed they had affairs with Trump. Trump has denied having an affair. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement signed days before the 2016 election and is currently suing to dissolve that contract. Trump denied in April that he knew anything about Cohen's payments to Daniels, though the explanations from the president and his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, have shifted multiple times since then. Another attorney for the president, Jay Sekulow, did not immediately return a call for comment. In August 2016, the National Enquirer's parent company reached a $150,000 deal to pay McDougal for her story of a 2006 affair, which it never published, a tabloid practice known as catch and kill. In 2015, the company's chairman met with Cohen and Trump and "offered help with negative stories" about Trump's relationships with women by buying the rights to the stories, prosecutors said. After McDougal contacted the Enquirer, the chairman of its parent company, American Media Inc., contacted Cohen about the story. After Cohen promised the company would be reimbursed, the Enquirer paid McDougal $150,000, according to court documents. An audio recording released by Cohen in July appeared to capture Trump and Cohen discussing buying the rights to McDougal's story from the Enquirer's parent company. Trump's lawyers have said the payments were never made. Legal experts have said the issue of whether Trump violated the law would come down to whether Trump tried to influence the election and whether he knew it was legally improper. Former Sen. John Edwards, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, was indicted in 2011 in connection with payments made on his behalf by a wealthy campaign donor to keep Edwards' mistress quiet, which prosecutors argued amounted to illegal campaign contributions. Edwards argued the payments were meant to keep his wife from learning about the affair - not to protect his campaign - and were therefore not political donations. A jury acquitted the North Carolina Democrat of one charge and deadlocked on the rest in 2012. The Justice Department did not retry the case. news, latest-news Residents in one of Canberra's newest suburbs are fed up with "rat runners" cutting through residential streets and creating lengthy delays as they attempt to bypass traffic. Throsby man Andrew Nathan said there had been times it had taken him 40 minutes to get onto Horse Park Drive from his house, which is 1.4km away by road, according to Google Maps. The cause of the issue, he and other residents say, are "rat runners" - motorists using the residential streets of Throsby in a bid to skip the lengthy peak hour queues on Horse Park Drive. Large numbers of drivers are coming off Horse Park Drive to take Bettong Avenue, which winds through Throsby, before re-joining Horse Park Drive at the Well Station Drive intersection. Mr Nathan said "rat running" had been a problem since he moved to Throsby in February. "Given at the time there were less than a dozen completed houses in the suburb, it was painfully frustrating to deal with each morning," he said. Mr Nathan said he had nearly been T-boned three times by drivers who treated Throsby "like a racetrack" in their haste to get back onto Horse Park Drive ahead of the traffic. He had also been abused by drivers at the intersection of Bettong Avenue and Well Station Drive intersection because they had mistaken him for a "rat runner", simply because he was coming from Throsby. "Theyll cut out and take up both lanes [on Horse Park Drive] so you cant merge in," Mr Nathan said. "One woman wound down her window and abused me. "I was like, I dont know what you want me to do. I live in this suburb. Ive got nowhere else to go." Fellow Throsby resident Ruwandi Perera said "rat runners" added about 15 minutes to her commute if she was going straight to work in Majura Park. She contacted the ACT government through the Fix My Street initiative in June to voice her concerns about the speeding and congestion "rat runners" were bringing to Throsby. She asked if anything could be done to stop drivers coming into Throsby unnecessarily. Ms Perera received a response from Access Canberra which put the congestion down to "a considerable number of road works occurring in the Gungahlin area". These included works on Horse Park Drive, Gundaroo Drive and stage one of the light rail project. "It is expected that once the major roadworks are completed traffic patterns will correct themselves and much of the rat running will subside," Access Canberra wrote in its response to Ms Perera. Access Canberra also encouraged Ms Perera to contact ACT Policing if she was concerned about the "rat runners" speeding. Drivers reported seeing police conducting an operation at the intersection of Bettong Avenue, Horse Park Drive and Well Station Drive on Monday morning, but an ACT Policing spokesman said it was not related to "rat running". "Between 8am and 9am, ACT Policing members from Gungahlin Police Station conducted [random breath testing] and other random traffic checks near Horse Park Drive, Gungahlin," the spokesman said. "This operation resulted in one driver being issued with a Traffic Infringement Notice for an unregistered/uninsured vehicle. "ACT Policing are aware some drivers choose to take shortcuts through Throsby, which is not illegal providing drivers obey the road rules." /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/b4c67226-8095-4e2e-81b2-a00c83de1950/r0_271_5000_3096_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Cancellation rates of flights at Canberra Airport remain well above the national average despite an improvement over the past 12 months. Newly released data shows flights to Sydney were the most likely to be cancelled out of Canberra Airport for October, with a rate of 2.3 per cent. While the figure dropped significantly from the highs of more than 8 per cent in September 2017, the rate is still greater than the national average for the month of 1.7 per cent of scheduled flights. Virgin flights between Canberra and Sydney were the most likely to be cancelled during October, with 4.1 per cent of their flights not taking off, compared to 1.4 per cent of Qantas flights. However, it was a different story on the return journey, with 3.3 per cent of Virgin flights cancelled and less than 1 per cent of Qantas flights cancelled. The overall cancellation rate for Canberra to Sydney flights for October was at its highest level since July, when the rate was 3.2 per cent. According to the report, the rate for cancellations and on-time flights were lower than the national average. "This month's on-time arrival figures [76.9 for arrivals and 78.3 per cent for departures] was lower than the long-term average performance of all routes at 82.6 per cent," the report said. "The [national] rate of cancellations, 1.7 per cent, was higher than the long-term average of 1.4 per cent." Across other flights in and out of Canberra, it was a different story. While Canberra to Brisbane flights were at similar levels to Sydney routes at 2.2 per cent, all other flights were at or below the national average. Brisbane to Canberra and Melbourne to Canberra routes both had 1.4 per cent of flights cancelled, while Canberra to Melbourne had just 0.8 per cent of its 496 flights during October cancelled. Canberra to Adelaide had the best track record out of any route out of the national capital, with all of its 80 flights getting up in the air. Data for November is set to be released in coming weeks, which is expected to include a number of cancellations due to strong weather. Large winds in both Sydney and Melbourne during late November had a knock-on effect to Canberra, with several flights in and out of the capital cancelled as a result. Cancellation rates for Canberra to Sydney flights has often been a source of contention for Canberra Airport, with its managing director Stephen Byron writing to Qantas and Virgin in April offering $100,000 to the airline with the lowest monthly cancellation rate. The airport had been at loggerheads with Qantas, with the airline's domestic boss Andrew David saying in May the airport's heavy-handed tactics were threatening its relationship. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/a7eeb786-bb02-4b2c-b93f-678d67358a03/r0_108_2000_1238_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, business, Canberra's burgeoning entrepreneurial class is fuelling an Italian luxury car brand's expansion into the capital. Backed by ACT car dealership mogul John McGrath, Maserati has opened its first Canberra store, offering the brand's full range of prestige vehicles. Maserati Australia chief operating officer Glen Sealey said the launch of the brand's "most accessible car it has ever had", the $125,000 Levante 350 SUV, had enabled it to move into smaller markets, such as Canberra and the Gold Coast. Mr Sealey said about a dozen Maseratis had been sold to Canberrans at interstate dealerships in the the past few years, signalling the potential for a store in the capital. "We tend to appeal to people who are entrepreneurs, or people who are entrepreneurial in their thinking," Mr Sealey said. "Canberra has just over 20,000 small businesses run by private entrepreneurs - that is actually a really strong market. "Yes, everyone thinks there is a political environment here and a very healthy public service, but that is backed by small businesses of which the heads are great people to buy Maseratis." Mr McGrath, who bought the Commonwealth Motors site in Phillip's Melrose Drive last month, now owns six sizeable sites around Canberra through which he retails nine separate new car franchises, and employs more than 300 people. Among them are 49 apprentices, trained at his registered training office in Belconnen. The son of a major Sydney Holden dealer, Mr McGrath bought his first Canberra franchise 18 years ago. "I know my business name is out there but I'm not keen on too much self-promotion; the car retailing business is a tough and competitive game even in Canberra and if you stick your head up too much, it tends to get shot off," he said. He admits that his latest business venture - buying the old JB Hi-Fi and liquor retail site on Melrose Drive next door to his Ford and Kia franchises, gutting and refurbishing it, and pouring $14 million into a new Maserati showroom and service centre - is a calculated punt on the low-profile but fast-growing Italian prestige brand. "We're very much investing in the future of the brand here, and I have a few other ideas for this particular site as well," he said. "I think Canberra people will be curious about Maserati. It's an interesting brand with a strong heritage. Canberrans love their SUVs, and Maserati have one out now and a smaller one coming. "But equally, the experience from our Mercedes-Benz dealership is that there's a big opportunity in Canberra for a site which sells high-quality, low-mileage prestige used cars. So if we can't sell a customer a Maserati, maybe they might be interested in something else we have." Founded more than 100 years ago in Bologna, Italy, Maserati targets a niche market of cashed-up luxury car drivers in Australia. Mr Sealy said the manufacturer would this year sell more than 700 across the country, where it now has dealerships in every capital city except for Darwin. He said it would aim to sell about 25-30 a year from its Canberra dealership in Phillip, which was officially launched on Wednesday. The store will stock Maserati's full range, including its most expensive offering, the $350,000 Quattoporte GTS. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/9dd12dc2-e747-4af3-bb53-c8e6c90c90d3/r0_254_5000_3079_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The deal to privatise Australia's visa processing could be worth more than $300 million a year to the winning company, tender documents show. The Department of Home Affairs on Friday released the next steps in its years-long process to privatise Australia's visa processing system, detailing what would be required of the company involved. Just two bidders are in the race for the contract, which is expected to require at least $1 billion in investment one helmed by Scott Briggs, Liberal Party heavyweight and friend to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former colleague of Immigration Minister David Coleman, and another joint bid from Australia Post and Accenture. Mr Briggs runs Pacific Blue Capital, which holds 19 per cent of the Australian Visa Processing Consortium, along with Qantas Ventures, PwC and Ellerston Capital. The bidders will be required to develop a "global digital platform" to process applications for temporary Australian visas, of which there were 9 million in 2017-18. The contract would cover 10 years, with the number of temporary visas expected to rise to 13 million a year in 2028-29. While the signed contract would be required to protect the $2 billion that pours into government coffers every year from visa application charges, it would allow the company running the system to recoup a service fee on temporary visas of around $35 per visa. Based on last financial year's intake, the $35 fee would bring in $315 million, and under the predicted 13 million visa applications to be made in 2028-29, revenue would increase to $455 million a year. The documents show the government doesn't intend to pay for the new program, and that the only source of revenue for the winning bidder would be from the service fee. The government expects the platform to be operational in the first half of 2021, first to be rolled out with one visa, and extending to other visas progressively. Responses from the bidders for phase one of the project must be received by February 20 next year, before the April budget and predicted announcement of a federal election in May, meaning the decision could be made before the caretaker period begins. At Senate estimates in October, Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo said public service jobs wouldn't be lost under the plan, and the system needed to be overhauled as its legacy computer systems were struggling to keep up with demand. Around 50 different systems are used in visa processing at the moment. The government has said it will maintain responsibility for actually making visa decisions, but it was necessary to outsource the IT system that handles the visa application process. The main public sector union has criticised the plans to privatise the visa system, and the tender process, which began when more than 10 companies were involved in an expressions-of-interest round. This is not an open tender, as only two shortlisted companies are in line to be handed our visa processing system," Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood said. "With phase one of this process closing in just over two months on February 20, it looks like the government is racing to sell out our visa processing system before voters can have a say on their plan. Such an incredibly important decision should not be rushed through in the shadows of an election. The union is concerned for public sector jobs under the plan as well as costs to those seeking visas. "This government seems unmoved by the 3000 jobs that are at risk under its plan, and completely oblivious to the disastrous experience of other countries that have already gone down the visa privatisation path," Ms Flood said. "Ordinary Australians will bear the brunt if its allowed to proceed, particularly those who were born overseas. Visas are already far from cheap here in Australia and costs have risen rapidly in the UK in just a few years since visa processing was privatised there." Correction: An earlier version of this story had incorrect numbers. It has been updated to say the $35 fee would bring in $315 million, and under the predicted 13 million visa applications to be made in 2028-29, revenue would increase to $455 million a year. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/471e0d35-8f3d-452e-8ffa-4472f072c3e9/r0_277_5315_3280_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Modified On Jan 23, 2019 01:48 PM By Raunak for Tata Harrier The Tata Harrier will get a 6-speed torque converter sourced from Hyundai The Tata Harrier, which is set to go on sale in January 2019, will initially be offered with a diesel-manual FWD combo A Hyundai-sourced 6-speed torque convertor unit will be offered at a later date Currently, only the Hexa offers a conventional automatic gearbox; the rest of Tatas lineup get AMTs instead The Harrier is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 13 lakh - Rs 18 lakh (ex-showroom) Update: The Tata Harrier has been launched in India and is priced between Rs 12.69 lakh and Rs 16.25 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). Read the launch story to find out more. Tatas upcoming flagship SUV, the Harrier, is set to launch in January 2019 with a single powertrain option - a 2.0-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox that drives the front wheels. However, Tata Motors has now confirmed that the Harrier will get an automatic gearbox by mid-2019. The transmission in question is a 6-speed torque converter which will be sourced from South Korean major, Hyundai. This transmission can currently be found on the Tucson, which is one of the Harriers primary rivals. Like the Harriers Fiat-sourced 6-speed manual box, the automatic too will drive the front wheels as Tata Motors is not keen on bringing an AWD variant anytime soon due to miniscule demand for 4X4 SUVs. Currently, the Hexa is the only vehicle in Tatas lineup to offer a conventional automatic transmission - a 6-speed torque converter. Tata Motors sources the Hexas 6L50 6-speed AT from Punch Powerglide Strasbourg (PPS) France, a former General Motors company. It must be noted that the Harrier features a transverse engine configuration while the Hexa gets a longitudinally-mounted unit. This means that the Hexas 6L50 gearbox does not fit the Harriers Fiat-sourced motor. The placement of the 2.0-litre engine also limits the number of gearbox options for the Harrier. While Tata Motors could have gone with a 9-speed automatic from ZF, this would have put the Harrier at a severe disadvantage in terms of cost. Coincidentally, the Harriers biggest rival, the Jeep Compass, is available with the same 2.0-litre engine and 9-speed ZF automatic in international markets. As far as the Rs 15 lakh to Rs 21 lakh diesel SUV segment is concerned, only the Hyundai Tucson and the Mahindra XUV 500 are available with a diesel-auto combo. Jeep is set to join the ranks with the launch of the Compass Trailhawk equipped with the above mentioned 9-speed automatic early next year. Expect automatic variants of the Tata Harrier to retail somewhere in between Rs 19 lakh to Rs 20 lakh (ex-showroom). Check out: India-spec Jeep Compass Trailhawk Production Begins Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials 1 year ago Photo: The Canadian Press A SMART Balsam tree is shown in a 2017 photo provided by Dalhousie University. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO- Dalhousie University MANDATORY CREDIT A Nova Scotia professor is striving to create the ideal Christmas tree, inside the only research lab of its kind in the world. Dalhousie University's Raj Lada is the director of the Christmas Tree Research Centre in Truro, N.S., a unique lab dedicated to improving balsam fir Christmas trees. "We are the pioneers in terms of what we have been doing," said Lada, a plant, tree and ecophysiology professor in the school's Plant, Food and Environmental Sciences Department. The centre's flagship product is the SMART Balsam, which epitomizes the quintessential Christmas tree: architecturally sound, fragrant and an able to retain its blue-green needles for up to three months. Lada said solving industry-wide challenges, such as needle retention, is critical to the survival of the multimillion-dollar Christmas tree industry in Atlantic Canada, as it competes with other markets and artificial trees. His interest in Christmas trees was sparked more than a decade ago, when a producer approached him after he was not paid for a shipment to British Columbia because of needle loss. "I could see it in his eyes," he said. "The trees had lost needles, but it looked like he had lost his life, like he had lost his business, his credibility." He began looking into the plight of the producer, researching shipping processes and other factors that affecting the trees during transport. Lada then went to the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia. "It seemed this had been a common problem all these years," he said. At the time, there had been no research on the physiology of post-harvest needle loss in balsam fir trees. And so, Lada took it on as his personal mission. He brought together producers from across eastern Canada to form the Atlantic Christmas Tree Research and Development Consortium, and they devised research priorities. The producers' No. 1 concern: needle retention. Eventually, Lada received a grant from Ottawa's Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency. Among his latest research projects is the SMART tree, which Lada believes will revolutionize the Christmas tree industry. Lada and his team started by screening balsam firs for ideal traits, including fullness and the ability to retain needles. Genetic markers for those traits were identified. SMART trees are now being mass produced for market. Lada expects planting to start next year. "They'll look great, smell great, and they'll also have a higher needle retention capacity," said Lada. "Nothing will beat the SMART trees." The centre has also developed and licensed needle-loss prevention agents, which are applied with water. As well, Lada's team has created technologies for shipping and storage that can help Christmas trees remain fresh for at least two months. Lada's partners include provincial government departments in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. "This has not being done in such a co-ordinated, consorted way in the past," he said. "The industry has been managing the situation, but now we have solutions for it." Richwood, TX (77531) Today A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. High 57F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 51F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Heavy rains continued in Chattanooga on Sunday, but temperatures did not drop low enough for the heavy snow that areas to the north and east received. The rain was bringing some minor flooding, especially in the Trenton and New England, Ga., areas and along Lookout Creek. South Chickamauga Creek was also rising, and was expected to exceed flood stage by late Sunday afternoon. Here is a statement on minor flooding from the National Weather Service: RIVER FLOOD WARNING IS IN EFFECT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WARNING FOR THE LOOKOUT CREEK NEAR NEW ENGLAND. * FROM EARLY THIS MORNING UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. * AT 1 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 10.9 FEET AND RISING. * MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP. * FLOOD STAGE IS 12 FEET. * THE CREEK IS FORECAST TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE EARLY THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE RISING, REACHING NEAR 14.9 FEET BY THIS AFTERNOON. * AT 12 FEET, FLOOD STAGE IS REACHED WITH MINOR FLOODING BEGINNING. FLOODING BEGINS ALONG SELLS LANE IN TRENTON, MASON ROAD NEAR RISING FAWN AND CREEK ROAD NEAR NEW ENGLAND. IN ADDITION, MINOR FLOODING OF PASTURE AND GRAZING LAND BEGINS ALONG THE FLOOD PLAIN. MINOR FLOODING OF THE CREEK CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED MUCH FURTHER DOWNSTREAM AS IT CROSSES THE TENNESSEE BORDER INTO THE TIFTONA AREA. AT 13 FEET, MINOR FLOODING EXPANDS ALONG SELLS LANE IN TRENTON, MASON ROAD NEAR RISING FAWN AND CREEK ROAD NEAR NEW ENGLAND. ALL THESE ROADS WILL BE CLOSED. ALSO, MINOR FLOODING EXPANDS MUCH FURTHER DOWNSTREAM AS THE CREEK CROSSES THE TENNESSEE BORDER INTO THE TIFTONA AREA. RIVER FLOOD WARNING FROM 3PM EST SUN UNTIL 5:30AM EST TUE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN, TN HAS ISSUED A * FLOOD WARNING FOR THE SOUTH CHICKAMAUGA CREEK NEAR CHICKAMAUGA TN. * FROM THIS AFTERNOON UNTIL LATE MONDAY NIGHT. * AT 07:15 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 16.3 FEET AND RISING. * FLOOD STAGE IS 18.0 FEET. * MINOR FLOODING IS FORECAST. * FORECAST...RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE TO RISE TO NEAR 19.5 FEET BY TOMORROW MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY TOMORROW LATE EVENING. * AT 20.0 FEET...MACK SMITH ROAD IS CLOSED. WATER CROSSES LOVELL FIELD LOOP, THE ACCESS ROAD AROUND THE NORTH END OF THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. Here is the latest forecast: Sunday Rain, mainly before 1pm. High near 40. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Sunday Night A slight chance of rain before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 34. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Monday A 40 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 44. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon. Monday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 46. Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Minister critical of archbishops support for gay conversion therapy ban says hes now barred from preaching event Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment An evangelical minister in the U.K. says he's been barred from preaching at an Anglican cathedral due to his criticism of an archbishop who's opposed to allowing people with unwanted same-sex attraction to obtain counseling, or as it's derisively called, "gay conversion therapy." Derby Cathedral, the institution in question, has denied that it has barred the Rev. Melvin Tinker, positioning that it has simply chosen not to invite him to preach at the Christian Union carol service. Tinker, who leads St. John Newland Church in Hull, told The Times that he was refused an invitation by Derby Cathedral for his past criticism of Anglican Archbishop John Sentamu. The progressives are continuing to gain ground and the biblical tradition is losing ground, Tinker said. The evangelical minister's church had asked Sentamu to repent for supporting a ban on gay conversion therapy, and for creating church services celebrating the gender transition of those who suffer from gender dysphoria and identify as transgender. The diocese of Derby responded to Tinkers claims by stating: The decision whether to invite someone to preach at the cathedral rests entirely with the dean, who prefers to invite preachers who are known to him. There is no suggestion that anyone in this case has been banned from preaching at Derby Cathedral, nor is there any suggestion that anyone in either the diocese of York or the Archbishop of Yorks office urged the dean not to invite Melvin Tinker. Tinker separately told The Christian Institute that the cathedral is being disingenuous in its denial, however. When they asked if someone else from St. Johns could speak they were told no because what is preached in the cathedral will be taken as being preached by the cathedral its a ban in all but name, he said. I think it was pretty mean of them to do this at such short notice to the 40-odd students who simply wanted the Gospel proclaimed at their carol service. Derby Cathedral meanwhile found itself the subject of criticism by many Christians in August after it decided to screen horror films that showed graphic sex, full female nudity, and human sacrifice. Steve Dunning, a church warden from within the diocese of Derby, spoke out against the screenings at the time. "I just think it isn't appropriate to show these films in a place of worship that is consecrated and hallowed, and therefore it compromises the spiritual integrity of the cathedral," Dunning said. Kristin Simmons, a deputy warden from another church, pointed out: "One film depicts a human sacrifice of a Christian man who recites Psalm 23 and 'curses' people upon his death, and in the other, the protagonist is employed to restore a church building; it involves seances and communication with the dead and a very explicit sex scene." The Very Rev. Stephen Hance, the dean of Derby Cathedral, said that the material in films like "The Wicker Man" and "Don't Look Now" isn't "showing God anything that He hasn't seen before." "They are actually really powerful stories about faith and doubt and some of the things people wrestle with," Hance said of the movies. Christian Positions Are Not Republican or Democrat, Tim Keller Says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Timothy Keller has argued that historical Christian positions on controversial social issues do not fit with America's two-party political system. Keller, a best-selling author and founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times on Saturday that the Christian approach to social issues could be attacked both by the left and the right. "For example, following both the Bible and the early church, Christians should be committed to racial justice and the poor, but also to the understanding that sex is only for marriage and for nurturing family," he wrote. "One of those views seems liberal and the other looks oppressively conservative. The historical Christian positions on social issues do not fit into contemporary political alignments." Keller pointed out that this does not mean that Christians should avoid making stands on important issues, noting that in the 19th century, churches that did not speak out against slavery were in reality supporting the practice. "The Bible shows believers as holding important posts in pagan governments think of Joseph and Daniel in the Old Testament. Christians should be involved politically as a way of loving our neighbors, whether they believe as we do or not," he positioned. "To work for better public schools or for a justice system not weighted against the poor or to end racial segregation requires political engagement. Christians have done these things in the past and should continue to do so." He argued that while believers can be active in politics, they "should not identify the Christian church or faith with a political party as the only Christian one." The preacher warned that doing so could legitimize the arguments of skeptics that say that religion is just another voting bloc looking for power. "Another reason not to align the Christian faith with one party is that most political positions are not matters of biblical command but of practical wisdom. This does not mean that the church can never speak on social, economic and political realities, because the Bible often does," he wrote. "Racism is a sin, violating the second of the two great commandments of Jesus, to 'love your neighbor.' The biblical commands to lift up the poor and to defend the rights of the oppressed are moral imperatives for believers. For individual Christians to speak out against egregious violations of these moral requirements is not optional." Keller argued that it is neither valid to withdraw entirely from politics, nor to "assimilate and fully adopt one party's whole package." "The Gospel gives us the resources to love people who reject both our beliefs and us personally. Christians should think of how God rescued them. He did it not by taking power but by coming to earth, losing glory and power, serving and dying on a cross. How did Jesus save? Not with a sword but with nails in his hands," he concluded. Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, praised Keller's op-ed in a blog post, but added that some Christians rightly serve God in a life of political abstinence while others serve God in politically partisan endeavors. "Cloistered religious orders, the Amish, various other separatist communities, and many persons are generous in prayer and charity without direct political witness. They serve God where they are without insisting all others follow their example," he wrote. And, "Intense or professional political activism is a special calling likely for very few Christians, as no doubt Keller would agree." Keller has made similar points in the past, and in 2016 told Christians divided by politics that their Christian identity should come first. "All across the world there is a lot of political fragmentation ... there is more and more political fragmentation in so many countries, and unfortunately Christians might be tempted to be fragmented right along. We might start getting divided politically instead of remembering that you're Christian first and you're white, black, Asian, Hispanic, second. You're a Christian first and you're American, or you're British and you're African second," the theologian argued weeks before the 2016 general election in the U.S., won by now-President Donald Trump. Convicted child pornographer promotes pedophilia in peer-reviewed academic journal Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A peer-reviewed academic journal has made the controversial decision to publish a piece promoting the normalization of pedophilia. The article, Childhood Innocence is Not Ideal: Virtue Ethics and Child-Adult Sex, was written by a convicted child pornographer and will appear in the December issue of Sexuality & Culture, an interdisciplinary journal that publishes peer-reviewed theoretical articles based on logical argumentation and empirical articles describing the results of experiments and surveys on the ethical, cultural, psychological, social, or political implications of sexual behavior, columnist Justin Lee noted this week in Arc Digital. The author of the piece is Tom O'Carroll, a British man who has been jailed twice for pedophilia-related offenses. O'Carroll's article argues that virtue ethics a broad term for ethical theories rooted in the thinking of ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, emphasizing the importance of character and virtue in moral philosophy rather than mere duty or acting in order is not grounds for rejecting sexual acts between children and adults, and that society should allow and even celebrate them. "The assertion that children are incapable of reciprocal sexual relations is empirically unfounded. Where is the evidence? A comparison with animals is again suggested. Dogs appear to be perfectly capable of reciprocity in loving relationships with human beings, often to the extent of being every bit as devoted and loyal in their affections toward their owners as their owners are toward them, and perhaps even more so," O'Carroll argues in the piece. "If even a dog can experience the requisite feelings in a reciprocal relationship of interpersonal (in all but name) character, why would a child be incapable of doing so," he continued. Although he doesn't say it outright, Lee believes that O'Carroll's writing serves a more nefarious goal that of encouraging children to consent to sexual relations with adults. O'Carroll further argues that pedophilia is a sexual orientation like any other, and calls into question the concept of a child's inherent "innocence." He also uses the term child-adult in a linguistic attempt to portray the child as the one who initiates sexual relations with adults, and attempts to link his case to feminist distaste for "patriarchy," laying the blame for the suppression of children's sexuality at the feet of "patriarchal societies." The rape of children is repeatedly minimized throughout the article as a kind of play, a type of "affectionate rough-housing between parent and child," Lee notes. In 2006, O'Carroll was convicted of making and distributing child pornography through his pedophile advocacy organization, the International Paedophile Child Emancipation Group, and its subsidiary, Gentlemen with an Interesting Name. Authorities uncovered a library of child porn that O'Carroll had helped run from his home which featured children some of whom were boys as young as 6 years old who had been filmed and photographed being tortured and raped, the Irish Times reported. O'Carroll saw the groups as a base for an "international secret society" of "academic" child abusers, police said at the time. O'Carroll is also the author of the 1980 book Paedophilia: The Radical Case and Michael Jacksons Dangerous Liaisons, published in 2010. Author and Christian thought leader Rod Dreher commented on his blog at The American Conservative this week that the article is further evidence that "[t]he destructuring of human relations under the guise of liberating desire is the goal of these people, whether they realize it or not." "Without God, or some other binding source of sacred order, there is only nihilism. If you will not have God, prepare to make room for Tom OCarroll and his celebration of diversity," he said. The publication of O'Carroll's piece isn't the first time academics have entertained viewpoints supportive of pedophilia. The Christian Post reported in August 2016 that SUNY-Fredonia philosophy professor Steven Kershnar had published a philosophical "analysis" of sexual relationships between children and adults. In his 168-page book, titled Adult-Child Sex: An Analysis, Kershnar calls into question pedophilia's moral status and compares the revulsion people experience at the thought of adults and kids having sex to the disgust some experience viewing images of obese people having sex. Sociologist Mark Regnerus noted that the climate today is less hostile toward these kinds of arguments and that while most still respond with disgust at the mention of pedophilia, much is happening under the radar. The Archives of Sexual Behavior journal published in the past year two studies by psychologist Bruce Rind, both of which argued that "minor-adult sex tends not to be reported as a bad experience, as unwanted, or as one with longstanding negative consequences," he claimed in September 2017. Rind wrote in a 1998 issue of Psychological Bulletin that the long-term destructive effects of child abuse are overestimated, a claim the American Psychological Association and both Houses of Congress rejected publicly. Yet last year both the APA and the federal government said nothing. Regnerus added: "What Congress readily condemned in 1999 has become something Congress ignores, or is unaware of, in 2017. Scholars with misgivings about the wisdom of any sexual standard beyond consent sense little space in which to operate today. Meanwhile, a liberative science of sex and sexuality has exploded in popularity in the past decade, with the help of empathetic foundations I'm thinking of Gill, Ford, and Arcus, among others and even the indirect complicity of the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation." Darlene Zschech reflects on new era of worship music: Songs used to be uptight, they're fearless now Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A pioneer of the modern worship era, Darlene Zschech says worship music has changed considerably compared to what it was just 10 years ago. In some ways it's just gone ahead in such amazing leaps and bounds. I love some of the lyrical content that is around at the moment, Zschech told The Christian Post in an interview about her new book, The Golden Thread, where she talks about God's faithfulness during life's battles, such as her recent journey through cancer. The acclaimed worship leader and songwriter said she loves how the musical expression of worship has progressed overall. I just love the way they feel it, said Zschech, who described her admiration for how some young worship leaders are able to express themselves in their songs. [But] theres a part of the church that got a bit caught on smoke and lights, she added. The Holy Spirit is very good at teaching this. I don't think we should walk around as the Jesus police and judge everybodys expression. Really, only God can see the content of the human heart, Zschech continued, noting that she never would've thought to put together lyrics in such ways as some popular Christian artists do now. In her 20 year career, Zschech penned the groundbreaking 1993 anthem Shout to The Lord, and more than 100 other songs, including Victors Crown, In Jesus Name, Worthy Is The Lamb, and At The Cross. Her music is regularly sung in churches across the world. Zschech told CP that she's not too concerned about modern day contemporary Christian music straying too far away from God because, she said, the pendulum always swings from one extreme to the other before it finds its way back to the middle. She went on to say that she also enjoys the acoustic feel of praise music that some groups are using. And said it makes her reflect on how King David must've been when he poured his heart out in worship. I love how people have stripped things back, and have found a way through the mess of lights, camera, action, she said. I just love it. I think we're being a little bit more fearless, free worship and flowing where even 10 years ago it was a little more uptight. There's a flow happening that I just love. The Australian native started her music career with Hillsong Church but has since planted her own ministry with her husband, Mark, in New South Wales, called Hope Unlimited Church. Her new book, The Golden Thread: Experiencing Gods Presence in Every Season of Life, chronicles her battle with cancer in 2013 and how maintaining a posture of worship before the Lord brought her peace in the midst of the storm. It also explores her journey from leaving Hillsong to plant HopeUC. For more information, visit Zschechs website. David Limbaugh explains why Christians must learn about Paul, his work and the early church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Christian faith cannot be understood apart from the radical obedience and transformation of a persecutor-turned-Apostle, Paul, whose life and words shaped the early church more than any other man. And author David Limbaugh believes it's vital that Christians understand the importance of Paul's missionary journeys and work as he testified to the miraculous event that was the physical resurrection of Jesus. While the first believers in the risen Lord were based in Jerusalem, the faith spread remarkably amid persecution and suffering, Limbaugh explains in Jesus Is Risen: Paul and The Early Church. Limbaugh explores the book of Acts and six New Testament epistles, navigating the activities and thinking of the earliest believers, particularly Paul, as they faced intense opposition, violence, and setbacks because of their zeal to advance God's Kingdom. Written with passion for the furtherance of the Gospel, Limbaugh equips Christians hungry to know more about the roots of their faith, who will no doubt notice his love for Scripture. The following is The Christian Posts Q&A with David Limbaugh about his book and what Christians can learn from Apostle Paul. CP: You write extensively about how the Apostle Paul was particularly effective at debating and making good arguments for belief in the resurrected Messiah. What can modern Christians learn from his example? Limbaugh: Paul was uniquely equipped to evangelize because of his sincerity, his intellect, his passion, his intimate knowledge of the Scriptures, his flexibility, and most of all, his love for Christ and for all those to whom he was delivering His life-giving message. Paul kept his focus on Christ and on his direct commission from Christ to preach the Gospel. He studiously avoided self-promotion; his singular mission was to be an obedient vehicle for the Holy Spirit, through Him, to win converts for Christ. So as dogmatic as Paul could be on matters of doctrine, he was quite adaptable in his approach to evangelism. He was adamant that the small issues those that wouldnt affect ones salvation not interfere with his presentation of the message. It was critical not to impose any artificial barriers that could impede the message. So he intentionally couched the message in terms that would most likely appeal to his particular audience, but never at the expense of right doctrine and the true Gospel message. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he wrote: For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Paul knew that not all people are alike they come from different cultures, different religions, and different worldviews. He was determined to meet them where they were. Ravi Zacharias employs the same technique in his approach to evangelism and apologetics, reminding his students that when someone asks them a question about the faith they must be attuned to the questioner as much as the question he or she is asking. Try to assess what is really troubling the person and then tailor your answer accordingly, being careful always to honor the truth and Gods Word. CP: You note the importance of the book of Romans, which has been called "The Cathedral of the Christian Faith." It's arguably the most substantive theological treatise in all of Scripture. Given its density, it's also a book where its meaning is most vigorously debated among theologians. Though Paul speaks to many things in it, in your study of the book what emerged as its most glorious truth? Limbaugh: There are so many glorious truths in the book of Romans it is difficult for me to rank them. But I agree with most commentators that the books theme is summarized in this passage: For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith (Romans 1:16-17). As I explain in the book, in this epistle, Paul masterfully articulates the interrelationship between righteousness and salvation. Eternal salvation is available to all people Jews and Gentiles through faith in Jesus Christ, not through ones works. Through faith the sinner is declared righteous Christs righteousness is imputed to him in a judicial sense and he is also empowered by the Holy Spirit to become more righteous in fact. All people are joined as one people in Christ. CP: The book of Acts chronicles the journeys of the apostles, especially Paul's, and you point out that the book isn't merely history, but that there are theological and life lessons to be learned within it, particularly about suffering in the midst of trials. As you explored this, what moved you most about the fathers of the early church and their work? Limbaugh: As I read the book of Acts and the epistles, especially in view of the Gospels, I am struck by the radical transformation of the apostles from the time they accompanied Christ in His earthly ministry to their work as missionaries following His resurrection and ascension. Even though they had been with Christ, listened to His words, experienced His sinlessness, and witnessed His miracles, they were still plagued with some doubt about who He was. At times they would respond that He was the Messiah, the Son of God, and the Savior of mankind, but yet still vacillated, especially after His crucifixion where Peter, of all people, denied Him not once, but three times. But once they encountered the resurrected Christ, touched Him, ate with Him, and prayed with Him after they had seen Him physically die and then reappear bodily in His resurrection they were transformed from ambivalent, skeptical, and feckless men to bold proclaimers of the Gospel. Their transformation was complete, so that when the religious authorities arrested Peter and John and commanded them to quit performing miracles in Christs name and to cease spreading the Gospel message, Peter and John responded: Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20). In other words, We dont mean to be disrespectful to you, but we dont really have a choice when it comes to following your commands or those of the living Son of God, who commanded us to be His witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). These ordinary men with little formal education became extraordinary men through the Spirit of Christ and the gates of Hell could thereafter not contain them. It is a powerful testimony to the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit to transform peoples lives. CP: The Church in Galatia was under the spell of false teaching. Paul rebukes them calling them "foolish" since they, as you explain, had the Gospel clearly presented to them but insisted on moving away from salvation by faith and returning to the Law and their own works. And we see throughout the New Testament similar rebukes and warnings to watch out for false teachers. Were it impossible to be deceived, there would be no such warnings present. Yet simultaneously, some Christians seem to have more of a belief in the enemy's ability to deceive them than in the Holy Spirit's ability to lead them into all truth, and as a result they function in a rather paranoid fashion. In other words, we're not immune to the same issues they experienced. How Can Christians today avoid that same predicament that the Galatians fell into, and rely on the Holy Spirit to preserve them? Limbaugh: Your question presents an opportunity to emphasize the universal applicability of Pauls letters to the particular churches of his day. Several interviewers have asked me what Paul might say to churches today that are struggling with internal and external threats. My response is that he would send them copies of his epistles because though many were written to specific local churches, they addressed problems that all churches would face throughout history. His answer is always the same and is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. The church must present the Gospel message, undiluted. It must preach Christ and Him crucified. It must preach our inability to save ourselves and that we find our salvation by grace, through faith in Christ alone. It must resist the anti-Christian influences of the secular world and their corrosive impact on the church. It must resist the temptation to please man instead of God, for example, by conforming to anti-Christian practices or beliefs prominent in the culture. It must resist the seductive teachings of false preachers who deliver a message that appeals to mans pride and his self-sufficiency. Paul would tell them to remain true to the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15). He would warn them to be vigilant against those false teachers who will say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim. 4:3). So in response to another part of your question, of course these traps that Paul warns about would be present throughout the history of the church and remain with us today. I dont know whether some Christians fear the enemys ability to deceive them more than they believe in the Holy Spirits ability to lead them into all truth. To me this presents a false choice. A true reading of Scripture warrants that we be forever aware of the ubiquitous forces of evil in the world and scrupulously avoid those, both consciously and by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver us from their influences. A healthy awareness of these dark forces, of the underlying spiritual warfare that is playing out beyond our range of physical vision, is essential to insulate us from their power over us. Such awareness will help motivate us to turn to the Spirit, which we must do, through prayer, Bible reading, and the whole panoply of other spiritual disciplines. Well never be wholly immune from these influences, which is why we must remain in the Word and in prayer on a daily basis. CP: I would imagine that when you pen a book with this depth, it's impossible not to encounter the living God in a powerful way. Did that happen for you while writing Jesus Is Risen? Limbaugh: I cant say that I have overt mystical experiences as some Christians describe, but I can tell you that when I study Gods Word in-depth, I grow closer to Him. In Jesus is Risen, I cover the book of Acts and six of the Apostle Pauls 13 epistles, and I read and reread these books intensely and close together so that I could better see their interrelationship than I ever could before. As a result of this study I also think I gained a greater appreciation for the struggles Paul, Peter, John, and the other apostles and early believers experienced. They were real people living in real history and you cant help but appreciate that as you read Lukes account of the history of the early church in Acts, and the intimate tone of Pauls letters to the churches he planted. As I read these books my appreciation for Gods sovereignty and superintendence of salvation history grows immeasurably, as does my awe for His Word and its glorious unity, integrity, and spiritual power. It is my fervent belief that studying Scripture draws us closer to God that most inspires my writing of these books, whose main goal is to encourage people to read the Bible for themselves. CP: Nowadays, among the worst of heresies being furthered in the West are related to human sexuality and sexual ethics, with increasing numbers of churches affirming what the early church condemned. You might say we have become like Corinth. How is it that we have forgotten that, as you say in your chapter "1 Corinthians 1-8: A Call for Unity in the Church," not only is the body the temple of the Holy Spirit and sexual sin strikes at the very core of our being, but that indeed it damages the witness of the entire church, not just the individual engaged in it? Limbaugh: Paul told the Corinthians that the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord our bodies are members of Christ. As such, we should not unite them with a prostitute, as one who is joined with a prostitute becomes one body with her and the two will become one flesh. But whoever is united with the Lord is with him in spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). We must particularly avoid sexual immorality, Paul cautions, because whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body, which is a temple of the Holy Spirit. As I attempt to explain in the book, I believe Paul is saying that the sexual sin is related to the body in a unique, more intimate way. Other sins may affect the body, notes Leon Morris, but this sin, and this sin only, means that a man takes that body that is a member of Christ and puts it into a union which blasts his own body. The sexual sinner sins against his own body. As our body was purchased with a price it does not belong to us, but to God and so must be used to glorify God. I dont know that we have forgotten these truths, as you suggest, but I do believe we have become numb to them, just as we have to other scriptural truths that have come under assault in our culture, and all too often, in our churches. Democrat Party Outreach to White Evangelicals Will Improve in 2020 Election, Clinton Adviser Predicts Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment WASHINGTON The Democratic Party's outreach to left-leaning evangelicals will "be better" in the 2020 presidential election than the "miserable" job Hillary Clinton did in reaching out to that cohort in her unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton told journalists over the weekend. Matthew Bennett, a political strategist who worked on both of Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns and also worked in the Clinton White House, spoke with reporters gathered for the inaugural Michael Cromartie Forum hosted by the Ethics and Public Policy Center in honor of their late and renowned colleague known for his influential work in guiding journalists toward a more nuanced coverage of religion. Bennett, a co-founder of the center-left Third Way think tank established in 2005, joined center-right polling expert Henry Olsen from EPPC in fielding questions from the group of 13 media members during a Saturday morning discussion at the Dupont Circle Hotel on political issues and polling trends. During the conversation, Emily Miller of the Religion News Service pointed out some commentary about one of the major failings of the Hillary Clinton campaign it failed to reach out to faith values voters. But since President Donald Trump has taken office, there has been much mobilization when it comes to left-leaning religious leaders signing joint declarations against Trump administration policies, and even hosting protests and other forms of public demonstrations. The panelists were asked if there was enough energy from the religious left to make an impact in the upcoming midterm elections. "When I look at the religious left, I don't see it as a large force," Olsen, an EPPC senior fellow and a trusted commenter on polling trends, explained. "When you take a look at the Democratic Party, it just proportionately relies on support from people who profess no religion. It tends do poorly among church-going Christians," he added. "You certainly have a religious element in the African-American community and you certainly have a minority of people in the Christian community but it doesn't strike me as a huge voter base outside of mobilizing the African-American community." Bennett agreed but suggested that Hillary Clinton should have done a much better job in her campaign of reaching out to that group and predicts there will be a "correction" in that area in a Democratic presidential push for 2020. According to exit polls, Clinton received just 16 percent of the white evangelical vote in 2016. By comparison, Democrat President Barack Obama received 21 percent of the born-again evangelical vote in 2012 and 24 percent of the born-again evangelical vote in 2008. "The Clinton campaign did do a miserable job of this and there will be a correction around that outreach to particularly white evangelical Democrats not a huge group will be better in 2020 than it was before." "Democrats always try to check the boxes they go to religious African-Americans, they go to religious Latinos, which now are both Catholic and evangelical. But they tend to put religious people in the same kinds of small boxes that they put others in our coalition in," he continued. "You are African-American, or you're millenial, or you're LGBT or you're religious. If Democrats continue to approach voters that way, we will lose." Bennett stressed that Democrats need to "craft a narrative that can be broadly useful" and used anywhere. "When I worked for Bill Clinton, he would say everywhere, 'If you work hard and play by the rules, you should get a fair shake.' He would say that every single place he went, no matter what he was doing," Bennett said. "Hillary said a different thing in every place she went and she was nuanced and she was sophisticated and it was a disaster. So, I think that is true for religious Democrats as well." One area in which many Democrats especially religious ones might feel out of step with their party is when it comes to LGBT issues or abortion. As another Democratic strategist detailed last week, some religious Democrats feel as though some of their opinions are "off limits" in their party that they feel is being overrun by the donor class. Moderator Jon Ward of Yahoo News asked Bennett about the rapid rate of advancement of certain transgender initiatives that have occured over the last few years that have discomforted some in the party. Bennett stressed that most "professional Democrats" believe that the party went "two ticks too far on the transgender rights issue in 2016." He explained that the Democrats "got out ahead of the country in ways that we did with gay marriage." "As you recall in 2004, [GOP strategist] Karl Rove was ginning up gay marriage ballot initiatives as it was driving turnout for Republicans because Democrats will sway out ahead of the country," Bennett said. "People just weren't there yet. That obviously changed and changed with head-spinning speed. But, I think that probably was the case again in 2016 on the bathroom bills and transgender rights generally." Bennett said that the transgender issue is "changing more slowly than gay marriage." "Marriage, as you all well know, has a whole set of underlying questions and drivers that the bathroom bill really doesn't," he said. "Most people understand that they know someone who is gay or lesbian. A lot of people don't know people who are transgender." Olsen chimed in by saying that sometimes it is not a matter of whether an issue is being pushed "too fast," but that it is "being made in a way that doesn't allow the people who are asked to change their views see themselves in the equation." "A white person could see themselves in the Civil Rights Movement because the idea was 'we are all going to be people together,'" Olsen said. "Whereas, if it is made in a more identity way, there is a winner and a loser and the loser just has to lump it." Considering that Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said last April that it is "not negotiable" that Democratic candidates must support abortion rights, The Christian Post asked if it is possible in today's Democratic Party for pro-life Democrats to run for office. Bennett said that although it is very hard for pro-life Democrats to run nowadays, there is now somewhat of a "cycle of desperation" from Democrats to retake the House of Representatives in the 2018 midterms that is "swamping every other imperative" for the party. As Pew Research found last year that 22 percent of Democrats believe that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico clarified last July that there is "no litmus test" when it comes to abortion and that the party was seeking "candidates that fit the district." "So, if there is a pro-life Democratic candidate in a pro-life district, you will see DNC behind him 100 percent with Pelosi's certain backing," Bennett said. However, the days of prominent Democrats voicing full-throated opposition for abortion are just about over, Bennett said. "[As far as] Gov. Bob Casey giving a speech at the [Democratic National] Convention saying, 'I am a proud, pro-life Democrat,' that is never going to happen again," Bennett said. "Our party has just moved too far from the day when you have a [faction] inside the party that is profoundly pro-life and would act that way in office." "You have a lot of people like Sen. Tim Kaine [of Virginia] who will say, 'I am a devout Catholic and I think abortion is a sin but I will not vote that way as a senator,'" Bennett added. "I think that is what you are going to get from pro-life Democrats running for office for the most part." DNC Chair Tom Perez bashes Christian voters: They only 'buy' what they're told in church Democrat Party Chair Tom Perez bashes Christian voters: they only 'Buy' what They Hear at Church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez warned Wednesday that Democrats need to come up with a broader communications strategy in order to reach Christian voters who buy what they are being told in church on Sundays. Speaking at The Court in Crisis Summit in Washington, D.C. hosted by Demand Justice, a nonprofit that supports liberal judicial nominees, Perez offered his thoughts on why the Democratic Party is having trouble penetrating center-right voters with their message. We all have to make sure that were fluent in whats happening across our ecosystem so we can come to each others defense because we need to build a bigger orchestra, Perez said. [The political right has] had a big orchestra for some time and theyve got the megaphones to amplify it, whether its Sinclair at the local level or Fox at the national level. Perez continued by stating that a person from northwest Wisconsin told him that most of the people I know, their principal sources of information are Fox News, the NRA newsletter and the pulpit on Sunday. And it should come as a surprise to no-one that our message doesnt penetrate, Perez asserted. As many conservative Christians and evangelicals supported the candidacy of President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election because of his vows to appoint conservative judges and justices to the federal courts, Perez reasoned that many conservative voters have elevated the issue of the courts to the top of their own political priorities because that person on the pulpit is saying ignore everything else that this person has done and is doing, we have to focus on one issue of Roe v. Wade. And people buy it, Perez said. Because thats their only source. As we move forward here, we have got to talk about a broader communications strategy, we have got to talk about other reforms that are going to enable us to elect Democrats up and down the ticket so that we can actually have the capacity to implement. According to Pew Research Center data from 2016, few Americans get information about political parties or candidates at their place of worship. Only 14 percent of those who reported attending a religious worship service at least once a month (16 percent for white evangelical protestants) reported receiving such information. And only 5 percent reporting hearing clergy tell them who to vote for, with 2 percent of pastors urging congregants to vote Republican, 2 percent urging to vote for Democrats, and 1 percent promoting third party or independent candidacies. Many Christian conservatives are hopeful that with a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, thanks to two confirmations during the Trump presidency, that the court will decide to take up a case that could lead to the overturning of Roe, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. At the end of November, the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission urged the Supreme Court to reconsider Roe and take up the appeal by the state of Indiana. An Indiana law that was signed by then-governor and current Vice President Mike Pence that banned abortions on the basis of gender, race or disability was blocked by a federal appeals court earlier this year. Abortion is not the only issue of importance to many conservative Christians. Many also strongly oppose same-sex marriage and desire laws and policies to protect their freedom to oppose and not be a part of such unions. One major Supreme Court ruling that conservative Christians celebrated in 2018 was a victory for Christian baker Jack Phillips, who was punished for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. Perez, who previously served as secretary of Labor under the Obama administration, has issued other controversial remarks in the past. In April 2017, Perez suggested that all candidates for public office who want backing from the DNC should support abortion. "[E]very Democrat, like every American, should support a woman's right to make her own choices about her body and her health, Perez said, adding that Democratic candidates support for abortion is "not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state. Perez's statement was denounced by some prominent Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. In condemning of Perezs remarks, Pelosi admitted that part of the reason why Trump won the election was because of the evangelical and Catholic voters who opposed same-sex marriage and abortion. In July 2017, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Rep. Ben Lujan clarified that there is no litmus test on abortion to receive DCCC backing because the Democrats needed a broad coalition in order to retake control of the House. This Week in Christian History: Boys Town, Martin Luther burns papal decree, Silent Night Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages. Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, and everything in between. Here are just a few things that happened this week, Dec. 9-15, in Church history. They include the founding of Boys Town, Martin Luther burning a papal bull that threatened him with excommunication, and the birth of the man who wrote the lyrics to Silent Night. 1 2 3 4 Next What are the biggest threats facing Christian seminaries? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Presbyterian pastor Ligon Duncan has listed out some of the biggest threats facing Christians seminaries in America, from unbelief to a lack of Biblical understanding in students. Duncan, who is the chancellor of Reformed Theological Seminary in Mississippi, said in a video published on YouTube on Tuesday that one of the main threats facing theological education today is the undergraduate debt crisis. The scholar warned that the debt is causing a lot of students to stay away from graduate theological education who would really benefit from it both personally and in their public ministry. Next, he said that there is a crisis in the devaluation of theological education. People don't have a high regard for what graduate theological education can provide people in preparing for the pastoral ministry. Duncan also warned of what he called the perennial challenges of unbelief being propagated in theological institutions. He said that such unbelief is not committed to the inerrancy of Scripture or to classic Christian Orthodox theology and the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Reformed Theological Seminary chancellor said that the biggest threat to theological education in North America, however, is people who think that they can be adequately equipped for a lifetime of gospel ministry without really knowing their Bibles, and without really knowing theology. We find today that more seminary students come to do graduate theological education with less knowledge of the Bible and theology than ever before. Fifty years ago, students came, they'd read through the Bible many times, they'd memorized a lot of the Bible, they had done their catechisms, they had been schooled in theology in their home churches. Today, however, churches are not equipping people in the same way with a knowledge of the Bible and a theology, he argued. So if people who know less Bible and less theology think that knowing more Bible, more theology is irrelevant to ministry, we're in trouble, he warned. Theology professors have also long been warning that biblical illiteracy in America has reached a "crisis point." Kenneth Berding, professor of New Testament at Biola's Talbot School of Theology, told The Christian Post back in 2014 that biblical literacy has reached an "all-time low." "My own experience teaching a class of new college freshman every year for the past 15 years suggests to me that although students 15 years ago knew little about the Bible upon entering my classes, today's students on average know even less about the Bible," Berding said back then. In an article titled "The Crisis of Biblical Illiteracy and What We Can Do About It," the theology professor said that Christians used to be known as 'people of one book.' They memorized it, meditated on it, talked about it and taught it to others," he wrote. "We don't do that anymore, and in a very real sense we're starving ourselves to death, he added. Watch Duncan talking about the threats to seminaries below: Christian teacher fired for not using male pronouns for female student who identifies as trans Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Christian teacher has been fired from his position at a Virginia public high school because he refused to refer to a trans-identified student by using male pronouns even though the student is female. West Point High School French teacher Peter Vlaming, who said that using the chosen pronouns violated his conscience, was fired in a unanimous decision Thursday by the school board. Superintendent Laura Abel said in a statement released Thursday that Vlaming was engaging in discrimination by not using the pronouns. That discrimination then leads to creating a hostile learning environment. And the student had expressed that. The parent had expressed that, stated Abel, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Vlamings attorney, Shawn Voyles, told the Times-Dispatch that the school system was not respecting the constitutional rights of his client. One of those rights that is not curtailed is to be free from being compelled to speak something that violates your conscience, said Voyles. Recently, Vlaming was placed on paid administrative leave for noncompliance. While he agreed to use the student's chosen name, he drew the line at pronouns. I won't use male pronouns with a female student that now identifies as a male though I did agree to use the new masculine name but avoid female pronouns, said Vlaming in response to the suspension. Administration is requiring that I use masculine pronouns in any and every context at school. I was informed that any further instances of using female pronouns would be grounds for termination. The teacher's public supporters are speaking out against the school district's treatment of him, and have signed an online petition calling for him to not be fired. As of Friday morning the petition has garnered over 1,800 signatures. Signatories from across the country expressed their outrage over the school boards decision, with comments being posted denouncing Vlaming's firing. Mr. V took a stand. He is right. If we as Americans don't support him we will all lose our God given rights, posted one signer from North Carolina. This is a clear violation of free speech. Yet another example of the LGBT and the tyrannical left trying to impose their agenda, stated another from Michigan. Michigan superintendent defends school's 3 Wise Men display after activist's complaint Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Michigan school district is being pressured to remove a Three Wise Men display sitting on top of an elementary school but the superintendent is defending it. The Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists has demanded that Newaygo Public Schools remove a Three Wise Men display located on the roof of Velma Matson Upper Elementary School. The display features the wise men, also sometimes referred to as the "Three Kings, riding their camels while presumably on their way to see the newborn baby Jesus. The display also features the Star of David located on the schools clock tower. The wise men are positioned so that they are facing the star. According to screenshots, the school posted a picture of the display on Nov. 24. That picture has since been taken down. LifeSiteNews reports that wooden wise men figurines have been a part of the towns Christmas decorations since the 1940s and were built by former Newaygo students. Mitch Kahle, the founder of the Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists, wrote a letter to Superintendent Dr. Peggy Mathis to argue that the display violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Public schools are institutions of knowledge not temples of religious ideology, Kahle wrote, according to Patheos.coms Friendly Atheist. Three Wise Men following a star is clearly designed to convey the Christian nativity story, while the Star of David is the preeminent symbol of Judaism. MACRA hereby requests that all religious symbols be removed from Velma Matson Upper Elementary School. Newaygo Public Schools must not display, own or maintain these or any religious symbols in the future. MACRA also requests the prompt removal of the post promoting the religious display from the Newaygo High School official Facebook page. Mathis reportedly responded by issuing a since-deleted Facebook post in which she claimed that the display has a secular purpose, according to Fox 17. The superintendent also vowed, however, to navigate the activists complaint fairly and legally. "Newaygo Public Schools has a legitimate secular purpose for the display. We are both upholding the community's tradition of celebrating a public holiday and attempting to point towards the importance of wisdom, knowledge, and open-mindedness, she wrote. They've been described as the scientists of their time. The wise men are found in secular and other religious traditions outside of Christianity. Finally, there is no evidence that they were Jewish or Christian before their travels and there is nothing noted in the Christian Bible to indicate anything about any religion they practiced after their travels." Mathis also issued a formal statement on the matter. We have received a complaint from MACRA. We are working with our attorneys to formulate an appropriate response, she stated, according to Fox 17. We are in no way seeking a primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion. Over 3,400 people have issued their support in an online petition calling for the Three Wise Men display to be left alone. Show the group who are asking for the wise men to be taken down that our community wants them there! the petition states. Resident Debra Webster Hart explained in the comment section of the petition that she wants her granddaughters to have years of memories seeing the same wise men that gave her joy when she was younger. I know one reason I was heart broken when they tore the old school down, how empty it would feel to not see the wise men in December. The new school went up and the other day as we drove into Newaygo, I got the biggest smile on my face when I spotted them all lit up atop that hill, she wrote. The city and people of Newaygo want them to stay. Prominent evangelical conservative leaders, such as the Family Research Councils Tony Perkins and leading evangelist Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, have weighed in on the display. I believe the display of the Three Wise Men over this town should stay up and continue to send a message for years to come, Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritans Purse, wrote in a Facebook post. Pray for the people of Newaygo as they battle for their religious freedom. Also coming to the defense of the display was Republican state Sen. Jon Bumstead. I stand with Newaygo Public Schools and their decision to uphold the long-standing tradition of placing the Three Wise Men on top of the elementary school, he wrote in his own Facebook post. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment John Carpenter, pastor and church historian, released an article, Answering Eastern Orthodox Apologists Regarding Icons, answering the claims Eastern Orthodox apologists use to target evangelicals. The article appears in the December 2018 edition of Themelios. Themelios is the Gospel Coalitions peer-reviewed international academic theological journal, edited by D. A. Carson. Q. Has Eastern Orthodoxy been drawing many evangelicals into its fold? A. Theyve been claiming to. They claim that about half of their nearly 1 million followers are converts and many of those are former evangelicals. Frank Schaeffer, son of famous evangelical philosopher Francis Schaeffer, was drawn to them. I had a Greek professor in seminary who was a former evangelical who used his Greek class to recruit for his Orthodox church, that he claimed was the most ancient. Last year the Bible Answer Man Hank Hanegraff joined them. Youll find Eastern Orthodox apologists on-line trying to win evangelicals. Q: What is it about Eastern Orthodoxy that draws many evangelicals? A: They are especially attracted to the Orthodox claims of historical roots back to the early church. They strongly appeal to those from serious Christian backgrounds, especially those with a formal theological education, people like my former Greek professor; people who see the early church as the pristine church to which they seek to return. The Orthodox are attractive to evangelicals who are tired of the showmanship and the superficiality of some evangelical worship. Q: Arent Eastern Orthodoxys practices inherited from ancient times? A: Thats definitely their claim. Rod Dreher, who wrote The Benedict Option, himself originally a Methodist who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, claims, Many evangelicals seek the early church; well here it is, in Orthodoxy. But theres many problems with that claim, notably that the Orthodox make icons a prominent part of their worship divine liturgy they call it and yet the early church strictly prohibited icons. The Orthodox claim that Luke painted the first icon a picture of Mary but there is no evidence anyone believed that prior to the Middle Ages, five hundred years after Luke. Augustine, who lived into the fifth century, wrote that no one knew what Mary looked like, so showing that the claim of Luke painting Mary hadnt been spread by his time. Paul Finney, in his important book on art in the early church states, No distinctly Christian art predates the year 200. This is a simple statement of fact. Q: What are icons? Are they different from decorations? A: Icons arent merely decorations. An icon is, according to their own theologians, a sacred image. Its an image of a saint or of Christ Himself that they use in worship; they will bow before it, pray before it, kiss it, use it as an aid in worship. The word icon is Greek and simply means image but now it is a technical term for the sacred images used in worship. But the early church believed that using such images was a violation of the second commandment (in Exodus 20:4). The pagan culture around the early church used many images in worship and the early Christians separated themselves from all such icons. Q: Arent the images discovered in archaeology proof that the early church used icons? A: The Orthodox will certainly claim that. But there is no real proof of that. One ancient church discovered by archaeologists in Dura-Europas, Syria has some images, frescos, on the walls. But, importantly, there are no images in the main room where the church actually met. And there is no evidence that the images that have been found are anything more than decorations, never becoming icons, images used in worship. Q: What did the early church say about icons? A: Not a lot but enough to make their position clear. There are four main sources from the early church on icons, first Origen, then the Council of Elvira, third Eusebius, and finally Epiphanius. While they vary some, they are unanimous in prohibiting icons. For example, Origen mocked the idea that images were helpful in worship. He believed the second commandment prohibited icons. He wrote that Christians not only avoid temples, altars, and images, but are ready to suffer death when it is necessary, rather than be involved in them. Q: But wasnt Origen a heretic? A: He certainly taught some strange things and I wouldnt recommend him as a theologian to follow. But soundness of Origens theology is not relevant to the validity of the historical reporting he provides. Origen gives us evidence to the practice of early Christian worship. On this topic, hes valuable as a reporter. The bishops meeting in Elvira, Spain, in the early 4th century, did the same. Q: But wasnt the Council of Elvira just a local synod, so not authoritative over the whole church? A: Like Origen, the Council of Elvira is valuable for the window it gives us into the early church. It also made a strict stand on icons, stating, Pictures are not to be placed in churches, so that they do not become objects of worship and adoration. Thats canon 36. Now, just because the bishops of Elvira concluded something doesnt mean we have to follow it. But they show us what the early church was practicing. I cite Elvira not dogmatically, seeking instruction; if I did, Id also have to follow their resolution for clerical celibacy. I cite it as historical evidence of what the church at the time practiced. Clearly, they didnt allow icons; they were even more conservative about mere decorations than most of us modern evangelicals would be. Q. That statement from that council seems definitive. How do Orthodox apologists answer it? A: First, as we just discussed, they try to relegate it to the status of a minor, local synod and so not authoritative over the church. To me, thats irrelevant. Im an evangelical and so dont see councils as ultimately authoritative any way. What they are valuable for is showing us what Christians in the early church believed. Second, they try to obfuscate the point, with debates about the fine points of translating the statement from Latin and arguing that it was only temporary, during the persecution, and so narrowing its intent so that it is, supposedly, irrelevant today. But Elvira, as one of the most important church councils after the close of the New Testament and before Nicea (in 325), is solid documentation for the practices of the early church at that time. It is an official testament, issued by representatives of the church in Spain, substantiating the churchs practice on images. Q: Did Eusebius speak approvingly of icons? A: No, he didnt. Eusebius is known as the father of church history and like a good historian he often just reported on things dispassionately. He once reported on a statue of a woman, originally a pagan statue that by his time had been re-interpreted as the woman with the issue of blood the Lord Jesus healed. That he didnt condemn it, is taken by some Orthodox apologists to be evidence he approved of it. But he didnt. We know that because in about the year 327, while he lived in Jerusalem, he received a letter from the emperors sister, Constantia, asking him for a picture of Christ. He rebuked her for the request, saying that such images are inadequate and tend to idolatry. Jaroslav Pelikan, a former Lutheran pastor who converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, called Eusebius the father of iconoclasm that is, of the opposition to icons. Q: Who is Epiphanius and what did he contribute to this debate? A: Epiphanius is the weightiest of the early church leaders to speak up on the issue. He was bishop of Salamis, Cyprus, at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint by both the Orthodox and Catholic churches. He also wrote a letter, Letter 51, that vividly demonstrates his absolute opposition to icons. He wrote to John, bishop of Jerusalem, about finding a church in Johns territory, in Palestine, that had a curtain on it with an image, of Christ or some saint. Theres no indication that the curtain was used in worship, like an icon; it may have only been a decoration. But Epiphanius was violently opposed to it. He torn it down and ripped it into shreds and ordered that the shreds be given to the poor. He goes on to tell John that such images are contrary to our religion and to instruct the elder of the church that such images are an occasion of offense. Q: How do the Orthodox apologists get around that and still claim their practices were inherited from the early church? A: They claim that Epiphanius letter was forged. They cant disavow Epiphanius, like they do Origen, since he is a canonized saint in their church. So they disavow the writings that come from him that show opposition to icons. In the ninth century, the 800s when the iconoclastic controversy was raging, the debate about whether to include icons in the church, one of the leaders advocating the use of icons Nicephorus (758828) claimed that Epiphaniuss letters opposing icons were forgeries. That claim was made about 400 years after Epiphanius died. There is no evidence to support such a claim. The questions of authenticity of the letter is not text-based; that is, there are no copies of Letter 51 without the iconoclastic remarks. So the overwhelming majority of modern scholars accept the authenticity of Letter 51 and conclude that Epiphanius opposed icons. Q: How can we evangelicals avoid getting mislead about church history when we often know it so poorly? A: Simply dont believe every claim you read. Theres fake history just like there is fake news. Some apologists for Eastern Orthodoxy throw the names of early church fathers around that are foreign to most of us evangelicals. It can appear impressive to be able to talk about so many early church leaders most of us have never heard of and so we can be bamboozled, especially if were discontent with some of the things in evangelical churches that should make us discontent. But use your common sense. If the Bible says not to bow before an image and someone says that it is okay to do exactly what the Bible says not to do, because, supposedly, his church has been doing it for millennia, inherited, they say, from the early church, believe what you read in the Bible over what you are told. Work to reform the evangelical churches so that they arent so compromised with showmanship and superficiality. Go back to the Reformers and Puritans who take you back to the Bible, not to a fictional world of icons and incense and chants that they say are inherited from the early church but are really the concoction of superficially converted pagans flooding into the church in the Middle Ages, bringing their pagan practices with them. Theres still no better advice than going back to the Bible. John B. Carpenter (M.Div. Fuller Theological Seminary, Th.M., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Ph.D. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) is pastor of Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Danville, VA. www.covenantcaswell.org. Christian teacher sacked after refusing to use transgender student's chosen pronouns A Christian teacher has been fired from his position at a Virginia public high school because he refused to refer to a trans-identified student by using male pronouns even though the student is female. West Point High School French teacher Peter Vlaming, who said that using the chosen pronouns violated his conscience, was fired in a unanimous decision Thursday by the school board. Superintendent Laura Abel said in a statement released Thursday that Vlaming was engaging in discrimination by not using the pronouns. "That discrimination then leads to creating a hostile learning environment. And the student had expressed that. The parent had expressed that," stated Abel, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Vlaming's attorney, Shawn Voyles, told the Times-Dispatch that the school system was not respecting the constitutional rights of his client. "One of those rights that is not curtailed is to be free from being compelled to speak something that violates your conscience," said Voyles. Recently, Vlaming was placed on paid administrative leave for noncompliance. While he agreed to use the student's chosen name, he drew the line at pronouns. "I won't use male pronouns with a female student that now identifies as a male though I did agree to use the new masculine name but avoid female pronouns," said Vlaming in response to the suspension. "Administration is requiring that I use masculine pronouns in any and every context at school. I was informed that any further instances of using female pronouns would be grounds for termination." The teacher's public supporters are speaking out against the school district's treatment of him, and have signed an online petition calling for him to not be fired. As of Friday morning the petition has garnered over 1,800 signatures. Signatories from across the country expressed their outrage over the school board's decision, with comments being posted denouncing Vlaming's firing. "Mr. V took a stand. He is right. If we as Americans don't support him we will all lose our God given rights," posted one signer from North Carolina. "This is a clear violation of free speech. Yet another example of the LGBT and the tyrannical left trying to impose their agenda," stated another from Michigan. Courtesy of The Christian Post The pain that transitioning can't heal Every once in a while, we're offered a peek behind an ideological curtain. That's what happened last week in the New York Times. If you were a surgeon and someone asked you to perform a surgery that would not heal, would not help, would not make them feel better, and would leave the patient with a permanent wound, would you do it? Is there any area of medicine where such a request would even be considered? The answer to the first question is, of course, no. No one should perform a surgery that does not help, does not heal, does not make someone feel better, and that would leave a permanent wound. The answer to the second question does any field of medicine perform such surgeriesis yes. One. Only one. In the case of gender dysphoria, doctors perform a surgery that, in effect, amputates perfectly healthy body parts. This kind of surgery is not performed in the case of any other type of what's called "body dissociative disorder," cases in which patients believe they were born into the wrong body. For example, there are those who believe they should be without an arm or a leg. But their requests to become an amputee are not honored, nor even taken seriously. However, in the case of gender dysphoria, amputative surgery will, we're told, "align someone's physical body with their internal sense of sex and gender." We are told that without this surgery, they'd be a high risk of suicide and other mental health risks. At best, this is pseudo-scientific. Dr. Paul McHugh, longtime chair of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School, has argued for years that such procedures ignore and may even aggravate underlying psycho-social troubles. In fact, those who undergo sex-reassignment still have a suicide rate nearly twenty times that of the general population. That's why McHugh famously called transgender medicine "cooperating with mental illness" and that's why he put an end to surgeries at Johns Hopkins. So why should these surgeries proceed? Andrew Long Chu, in a stunning, must-read piece in the New York Times, ventured an answer. Chu is a man who identifies as a woman and is currently raising money for sex-reassignment surgery. In his Times piece, he says that he knows the transition won't make him happy. "Until the day I die," he writes, "my body will regard [the result of this surgery] as a wound... (that) will require regular, painful attention to maintain." Chu even admits that the transition process and treatments have made him more miserable. "I was not suicidal before hormones," he writes. "Now I often am." And yet he insists that he has a right to the surgeryand that no doctor should refuse. Why? Because, it's what he wants. That's it. This deeply troubling opinion piece reads like a cry for help. In fact, more than a few transgender advocates have condemned it. And to be clear, not everyone who pursues gender reassignment surgery reports being as miserable as Chu. But his story is revealing something very important. Already, this is the only type of surgery that amputates fully-functioning and otherwise-healthy body parts for no physically necessary reason. The justification has always been emotional and psychological health. Now we have an individual admitting that it won't help him emotionally or psychologically either, but that he still wants the surgery anyway. If that's all it takes, then it's clear: Transgender ideology isn't really about health or scientific reality at all. What we're doing is aiding and abetting serious problems, not helping. As hard brutal even as this piece is to read, please do. It's a look behind the curtain of a harmful ideology to which our entire culture is currently bowing down. Anyone who disagrees is a bigot. Well, read this piece, and then read Ryan Anderson's important response to it, and see who's being hateful and who's being loving. As Ryan writes, the New York Times just "revealed painful truths about transgender lives." Come to BreakPoint.org and we'll link you to both articles. Resources My New Vagina Won't Make Me Happy, Andrea Long Chu | New York Times | November 24, 2018 The New York Times Reveals Painful Truths about Transgender Lives, Ryan T. Anderson | Public Discourse | November 25, 2018 The Sex-Change Revolution Is Based on Ideology, Not Science, Ryan T. Anderson | Heritage.org | January 22, 2018 Originally posted at Breakpoint. When John Santasiero, principal of the Houston development company Riverway Homes, visited Italy a few years ago, he was struck by the palazzos, impressive buildings built around open courtyards. Youd have a space thats lit up by the sun, he said. And theyd become very public spaces small and large. For Santasiero, the architectural feature is an elegant solution to the demands for density and open spaces a common courtyard can provide more outdoor space than individual backyards, while also providing a place to socialize. So for his latest project in the Washington Corridor, Thompson Court, he situated 16 townhomes around a shared park. According to Riverway Homes, the Washington Corridor has seen a 63 percent increase in homes sold over the past year. In the hot residential market, Santasiero believes the shared courtyard will differentiate Thompson Court from other new construction. Urban space is at a premium, he said. So creating any space is better than none. Riverway Homes is also bringing shared open space to single family homes for a development in Spring Branch, in which homes will be built around a shared green space. Of course, courtyards have a long history in Texas many of the missions were built around courtyards. Historic Houston buildings, such as Midtowns Isabella Court, feature courtyards as well. But over time, American architecture moved away from the courtyard, building homes with fenced-off private yards instead. You drive in a shared driveway and you pull in the garage. There is no space. Theres no opportunity to meet your neighbors, Santasiero said of a traditional townhome layout. Were bringing old ideas of architecture and community to new homes inside Loop 610. rebecca.schuetz@chron.com twitter.com/raschuetz A 7-year-old boy was shot and critically wounded after his assailant opened fire on the car he was in Saturday afternoon in Katy, according to authorities. A teen behind the wheel of the shot-up Cadillac drove the hurt child nearly five miles west to the Memorial Hermann Hospital along the Katy Freeway, Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Joe Ambriz said. A helicopter then rushed the child to Texas Childrens Hospital in critical condition. Even after making the journey to his final resting place in College Station, George H.W. Bush has more condolences to receive from Houstonians. Northwest Houston community members were able to give their own personal farewell to President Bush, who died on Nov. 30, by writing messages to the him and his family at the Barbara Bush Branch of Harris County Public Library. During the week following his death, a notebook was left open in which visitors could write. The composition notebook, filled with well wishes from the community, was sent to the Bush family. Thank you for your service, Mr. President, reads one note from Kelly Murphy. You were my first vote for president in 1992, Brian Bullard said in his message. I have never regretted it even though it was in a losing cause. You and your wife were examples of grace and courage and have set examples for all Americans. Clara Maynard, branch manager for the Barbara Bush Branch Library, said the dedication to the president is discreet and quiet like the Bushes visits to the library. Mr. and Mrs. Bush kind of liked to keep things low key, she said. When Mrs. Bush would visit us, a lot of times there would be no advance notice. She would just come by, maybe with one of her little dogs, and of course the secret service, and she would just come in and sit down and read to the children. Several books about President Bush were on display as well, including the biography Destiny and Power by presidential biographer Jon Meacham and George H.W. Bush: Character to the Core by Curt Smith. Maynard said the books were available to check out for visitors wanting more information about the president. Maynard said the Bush family donated money to Harris County Public Libraries to create family places, an area for parents and children to learn and interact, in eight of the HCPL locations. Family place is an interactive area where little kids under the age of three can interact with their parents with toys and learning equipment to help them learn the ABCs, their numbers, how to manipulate simple machines, she said. We're in the process of designing that and starting to purchase the equipment and the toys for that. That will be kind of a remembrance of mostly Mrs. Bush but also Mr. Bush. The notebook was sent to the Bush family on Dec. 7. Thank you for being our president, Kate Obernath said in her message. It probably was not easy. You were an amazing president. chevall.pryce@chron.com A teen is at large after investigators on Sunday charged him in the shooting of a 7-year-old Katy boy a day earlier. Authorities are offering a $5,000 reward and asking for the public's help finding Omarion Philip Bailey, who is wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deadly conduct and discharging a firearm at a moving vehicle. The 19-year-old was driving a late model Dodge Stratos near Fort Stanton and Grey Hawk around 2 p.m. Saturday, when he spotted a Cadillac Escalade at the corner, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. An 18-year-old was behind the wheel, and his two younger brothers - a 6-year-old and 7-year-old - were in the SUV with him. It's not clear if Bailey knew the boys were inside when he allegedly opened fire, hitting the 7-year-old in the back. Afterward, the shot boy's older brother drove him 5 miles to Katy Memorial Hermann Hospital, and he was then flown to Texas Children's Hospital in critical condition. He's now expected to make a full recovery. Authorities have not shed any light on a motive for the shooting. The wanted teen is described as 5-foot-7 and weighs 170 pounds, investigators said. He has black hair and brown eyes. Previously, he was arrested on a pair of theft charges that were ultimately tossed, and convicted of a misdemeanor assault that netted him 180 days in the county jail. Anyone with information on the case can call the sheriff's office violent crimes unit at 713-274-9100, or contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Baba Yega Cafe, a popular Montrose locale known for its brunch buffets, temporarily closed after a fire Friday evening but plans to reopen sometime next year. The building, located at 2607 Grant St., caught fire around 9 p.m., roughly an hour before the cafe was scheduled to close, a spokesperson said. All employees and guests escaped the building safely. Firefighters responding to the call found flames coming from the roof of the cafe, which appeared largely intact Saturday morning. HAZARDS: Storms move on, but flooding dangers linger around Houston The fire, which began during a period of heavy rain, likely started near the front entrance of the restaurant, the spokesperson said. Arson investigators were looking into what caused the blaze and did not immediately know if it came from an electrical issue or something else. Houston fire officials were not immediately available to provide more information, but the cafe posted a photo on its Facebook page Saturday morning showing eight firefighters in front of the building, its red "Baba Yega" sign still illuminated. "Thank you to the brave and amazing women and men who took care of us tonight and every day," the photo caption reads. "Unfortunately because of the fire we are closed at the moment we are closed until further notice and will keep you posted." Baba Yega opened in 1975, becoming a fixture of the Montrose dining scene over the years. It is owned and operated by Fred Sharifi and Ashkan and Sue Nowamooz, who acquired the restaurant from longtime owner Sidney Hakim in July 2016. The heaviest rains in Harris County tapered off by Saturday morning, but predicted flooding of the San Jacinto River persuaded the Kingwood Future Farmers of America leaders to move their animals to high ground. The student groups low-lying barns sit on the north bank of the San Jacinto River and were submerged by about 12 feet of water during Hurricane Harvey. Chapter president Caroline Hearn, a junior at Kingwood High School, helped organize the evacuation Saturday of dozens of goats, sheep, pigs, turkey and steer to the Humble Civic Center arena 8 miles south. It has been raining, and we dont want to risk the water coming into our barns and having our animals here, Hearn said. We want to get high and dry, and out of harms way. Forecasters with the Harris County Flood Control District predicted the river would crest at 53.9 feet by Saturday evening; any flooding above 52.3 feet is considered major. Even if the river reaches that level, it would still be 15 feet below the level it reached during Hurricane Harvey, which swamped entire neighborhoods and damaged the waterways sandy banks. The west fork of the San Jacinto is at moderate flood stage and has the potential to go to major flood stage Monday evening, said Francisco Sanchez, deputy emergency management coordinator for Harris County. Our forecast partners still expect that impact will still be limited to roads and access to neighborhoods. More than 100 volunteers began moving animals early Saturday morning, and most of the menagerie had been moved by mid-afternoon, Hearn said. Kingwood High School senior Jacob Oates helped Hearn move a stubborn steer into a trailer. He said during Harvey, when the San Jacinto rose to its highest level on record, there were fortunately only a few cattle on site. This time of year, weve got a full barn, so its a little bit more hectic, he said. At the semi-enclosed livestock arena in Humble, students and their parents set up pens for the animals. If the flooding at the Kingwood facility is minimal, the animals will be able to return within days. Forecast High pressure will produce dry weather for the area today. Mostly cloudy skies and cool conditions are expected. See more on page A40. See More Collapse Marley Morris, director of career technical education at Humble ISD, said because of heavy damage to the site by Harvey, Kingwood students had to board their animals at the New Caney FFA barn for months. He said while unfortunate, the episodes provide valuable lessons for FFA students. Youve got to deal with what comes your way, and thats neat about the experience, Morris said. Animals cant fend for themselves, so were going to take care of it. Kingwood students have now evacuated their animals for three flood events, but are building a new barn on high ground thanks to a bond approved by Humble ISD voters. Kingwood residents are grappling with being more vulnerable to flooding since Harvey, because that storm eroded the sandy banks of the San Jacinto and made the channel shallower. Still, they are making do as they wait for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a dredging project to improve the rivers flow. The San Jacinto crept into River Grove Park, just south of the Kingwood FFA barn, but residents were determined to enjoy the Saturday as if it were any other. Four men fished from a half-submerged pedestrian bridge and a dog chased an egret by the boat launch. On the south bank of the river, near U.S. 59, water cut off access to several neighborhoods. The flood control district on Friday evening warned residents of these riverside communities, which are often connected to arterial roads by a single outlet, that their neighborhoods could be isolated for days by floodwaters. In the Belleau Wood subdivision, dotted with the carcasses of homes owners abandoned after Harvey, water crept to within a foot of the only road leading to FM 1960 by midday. The swollen river lapped the River View Townhomes on the north bank, but posed no threat to residents. All left after the roaring San Jacinto gutted the complex during Harvey, and the entire neighborhood sits vacant. The site is a prime target for the Harris County Flood Control District buyout program, which was created for homes that are so flood-prone that tearing them down is the cheapest option for taxpayers. Some former residents of the complex have already sold, and dozens of others are in the buyout process. zach.despart@chron.com President Donald Trump isnt very happy with former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Thats because Tillerson had some very candid comments about his time in the Trump administration. After the Houston Chronicle ran a story Friday afternoon about Tillerson's recent public appearance at a local fundraiser for the MD Anderson Cancer Center, at which the former Secretary of State sat down with veteran CBS News journalist Bob Schieffer and made several surprising remarks about President Donald Trump, the president took to Twitter to voice his displeasure, calling Tillerson "dumb as a rock." The tweet was in stark contrast to Trumps previous praise of Tillerson. Before picking the former Chairman & CEO of ExxonMobil to be Secretary of State, Trump tweeted that Tillerson is a world class player and dealmaker. RELATED: Rex Tillerson makes rare public appearance in Houston Trump's tweet on Friday, which posted at approximately 2:04 p.m., lashed out at Tillerson. It reads: "Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn't have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at State!" In yet another tweet, Trump announced Tillerson's firing from the White House in March, also naming Mike Pompeo as his replacement. During the Houston MD Anderson charity event, Tillerson, 66, who is from Texas, told Schieffer and the audience that "Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. election. "What Russia wants to do is undermine our confidence and undermine the world's confidence in us," he added. He also alleged that Trump often seemed ignorant of the law. "So often, the president would say here's what I want to do and here's how I want to do it and I would have to say to him, Mr. President I understand what you want to do but you can't do it that way. It violates the law," said Tillerson. Trumps change in tune over Tillerson was not lost on the Twitterverse. I love how you used to say you only hired the best of the best and then turn around and say the people you hired were dumb, commented @vaine87. @WorshipTheGrape wrote, Then lets have a battle of wits between #RexTillerson and @realDonaldTrump pay per view debate. Proceeds go towards deficit reduction. You can see more social media reaction in the gallery above. When leaving his former position under Trump, Tillerson said Washington, D.C., can be a "very mean-spirited town." Apparently, that mean-spirit lives on in social media. Marcy de Luna is a digital reporter specializing in social media, the famous, and food. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna. Read her stories on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com. | Marcy.deLuna@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message The political domino effect began over dinner last November, when longtime U.S. Rep. Gene Green told a handful of possible successors he would not seek re-election. More than a year later, the political ramifications of Greens decision continue to play out through Tuesdays expedited special election to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Sylvia Garcia, who resigned shortly after winning Greens seat. Though four candidates three Democrats and a Republican are competing to represent the heavily gerrymandered district, state Reps. Carol Alvarado and Ana Hernandez appear best positioned to finish atop the field, campaigning for months and tapping into their deep ties among Houstons political circles to raise funds. Without much ideological separation, the Houston Democrats differ in how inclined they are to work with Republicans, a distinction they finally addressed head-to-head during a recent debate. Set off by a question about her lack of House chairmanships, Hernandez suggested Alvarado had compromised her Democratic principles to gain leadership roles under Republican Speaker Joe Straus. Alvarado later snapped back that promises dont equate to much if you dont have the results to back them up. On the campaign trail, Hernandez emphasizes her background as a once-undocumented immigrant and single mother. Her door hangers include a photo of herself and her son, Gregory Eli, and while canvassing the 74 percent Hispanic district, she tends to lead conversations with her backstory. As an immigrant, as an attorney, as a mother of a 6-year-old boy, I go through similar challenges to the rest of the communities in Senate District 6, she said in an interview. Alvarados pitch focuses on her wide-ranging resume, particularly working as Greens legislative aide and serving on City Council before joining the Texas House. Where prudent, she raises her track record of carrying bipartisan legislation, as she did while courting a Republican voter on a recent block walk. Between door knocks, she recounted carrying the bills of a handful of Republican state senators, including Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and Joan Huffman, R-Houston. There are bills that they could have given to other Republicans, but they I think had trust and confidence in me, being a Democrat, that I could get it passed, she said, also citing a collaboration with Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, on a law that authorizes courts to bar parental rights of parents who commit rape. For all the Democrats on-paper advantages, Republicans, encouraged by a September upset in a West Texas Senate race, smell opportunity in the unpredictable, low-turnout nature of special elections and a fractured Democratic field. Im doing this for my community. Im not doing this for a title or anything like that. I know that I can make a difference, said Martha Fierro, a precinct chair for the Harris County Republican Party who is among the field of candidates for the Senate District 6 seat. Still, the GOP faces a decidedly uphill climb in this deeply blue district, one that was drawn to elect a Democrat and covers the east end, north Houston, unincorporated Harris County and all or parts of Aldine, Baytown, Galena Park, Jacinto City and Pasadena. Also running is Democrat Mia Mundy, a consultant at a Houston recruiting firm. Deep ties to district Fixtures of Houstons Hispanic political community for the better part of two decades, Hernandez and Alvarado both grew up in the district, becoming absorbed in politics and government at young ages. Alvarado, raised near the Houston Ship Channel in Manchester, worked on her godfathers unsuccessful 1979 City Council campaign at age 12 during the same year Hernandezs parents brought her across the U.S.-Mexico border as an infant, raising her in Pasadena. While attending the University of Houston, Alvarado met Green then a state senator and later supported his bid for Congress against multiple Latino candidates, including Garcia. She worked after college as his legislative aide, primarily handling Port of Houston and womens health issues. Hernandez, meanwhile, became a U.S. citizen several years after her family gained permanent residency through immigration reform legislation passed in 1986. Her parents operated a popular Mexican restaurant, through which she became connected to the areas Hispanic community early on. Her political career began while she attended the University of Houston, earning political science credits through an internship with state Rep. Jessica Farrar. Mentoring interns and young staffers remains a focus, Hernandez said, because she once received the same benefit. More so than most lawmakers, Hernandezs background has informed her political approach, particularly amid fraught immigration debates. A former undocumented immigrant, an illegal alien, is your colleague standing before you today, Hernandez, 40, said during a floor speech last year, when the House was considering an anti-sanctuary cities bill that ultimately passed. In 2011, she told colleagues in a separate speech: Im not an alien. Hernandezs political experience has come entirely from the Legislature: she went on to become Farrars chief of staff, and also served as an aide to state Rep. Joe Moreno, who was grooming Hernandez to succeed him when he died in a single vehicle crash in 2005. Hernandez comfortably won the special election for his seat. Notably, Farrar is backing Alvarado in the race, along with state Reps. Harold Dutton, Jarvis Johnson and Gene Wu. Hernandez has won endorsements from Houston-area state Reps. Garnet Coleman, Mary Ann Perez, Shawn Thierry, Senfronia Thompson and Armando Walle. I have no criticism of Carol and her ability to do that job, Coleman said. Ana brings a less political point of view. Both are focused on issues - what anybody would tell you about Carol is, shes very scrappy. Alvarados path to the Legislature delayed by an unsuccessful run in 1994 passed through Houston city government, where she coordinated Mayor Lee Browns post-election transition and worked as his senior executive assistant. In 2001, she won the District I seat, ultimately becoming mayor pro-tem under Mayor Bill White and acting as something of a vote whip among council members. Alvarado, 51, is touting the support of the last three Houston mayors Brown, White and Annise Parker while Mayor Sylvester Turner is backing Hernandez. Once described by then-state Sen. Rodney Ellis as articulate, sassy and opinionated, Alvarado has thrown the sharpest elbows during the campaign, noting in interviews that her House district covers more of Senate District 6 than Hernandezs. In an interview last month, Alvarado also suggested that she knows parts of Hernandezs district better than the incumbent herself. Hernandez, who attended Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena ISD and often highlights her ties to the area, has been reluctant to go after Alvarado, instead seeking to draw distinctions between their approach to legislating. You work across the aisle where you can find common ground, Hernandez said when asked to about the difference between herself and Alvarado. But there is a definite line that I do not cross when it comes to values and principles and representing the best interests of my community. During the debate, Alvarado argued its necessary to work across the aisle to pass legislation, and possible to do so without compromising your values. I would say by mentioning the words compromise your values, Ive never done that, she said. I dont forget where I come from. Mundy, making her first bid for elected office, has not appeared to mount as competitive of a campaign as the other Democrats. She acknowledged at a recent forum that she is a political novice, but called herself a people-first, holistic-type person, who is willing to listen to everyone in the district. Election Date confusion Alvarado, who gave initial consideration to a bid for Greens seat, first ran for Senate District 6 in 2013, losing to Garcia by 1,049 votes in a special election runoff. She says she is using data from that race to inform her strategy. Hernandez backed Garcia over Alvarado in the 2013 race, which took place after state Sen. Mario Gallegos died of complications from liver disease. She, too, has run in a special election before, claiming her House seat in a December 2005 runoff that drew 3,500 total votes. She also was floated as a potential Green successor, but said she never seriously considered it. Both Democrats say they are prepared for another runoff, likely to occur in January, if nobody reaches more than 50 percent on Tuesday. That is only the latest uncertain element in a race that has had a uniquely confusing timeline, one complicated by a dispute between Gov. Greg Abbott and Garcia over her resignation. Though Alvarado and Hernandez both announced their candidacies the day after Garcia running in a solidly blue district won her congressional primary, they faced an uncertain election date for several months, and risked confusing voters if they campaigned before the Nov. 6 midterms. Both initially campaigned at a slow pace, Alvarado said, because we didn't know when this was going to happen. The election date remained a mystery until the minute Abbott ordered it for Dec. 11. His announcement came Nov. 9, the day Garcia resigned, giving candidates one week to file and 17 days to ramp up their campaign operations before early voting began. Since then, Hernandez has operated out of a campaign office in Pasadena. Underscoring the hurried nature of this election, she had to carve out a workspace that requires people to walk through a bathroom to move from one office to the other. GOP aims at an upset Alvarado is partly battling voter fatigue through TV ads, while she and Hernandez are investing heavily in digital advertising. Meanwhile, Fierro has drawn the support of state party resources, and county GOP Chair Paul Simpson says the partys grass-roots infrastructure bolstered in recent years by Abbotts campaign has marshaled in large numbers for Fierro, hoping to score an upset. Fierro, like Hernandez, received legal status through the 1986 immigration reform law. She says her focus in the Legislature would lie in part on combatting human trafficking. It just illustrates what probably defies the usual narrative, that the Harris County Republican Party is very open to Martha and anybody who is interested in promoting conservative principles, Simpson said of Fierros background. This marks the second special election for a Texas Senate seat this election cycle, coming less than three months after state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, won a seat that stretches hundreds of miles from San Antonio to far West Texas. Senate District 6, however, has a more exaggerated Democratic lean, going to Hillary Clinton 71 to 25 over Donald Trump. Statewide Republicans also are not pouring money into the race the way they did in the previous senate race. The winner of this race will finish out Garcias term, which ends in January 2021. jasper.scherer@chron.com | Twitter: @jaspscherer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- General Motors' decision to stop producing the Chevrolet Cruze at its Lordstown plant next spring is expected to harm the economy in the Mahoning Valley, from Warren to Youngstown. It could affect the rest of the state, as well. The impact is expected to reach far beyond Youngstown, rippling throughout Ohios automotive supply chain for months and even years, like aftershocks following an earthquake. But the devastation really started a few years ago. Lordstown once employed as many as 12,000 and produced 16.3 million Chevy cars and vans since its opening 52 years ago. Two years ago, there were 4,300 at the plant. GM eliminated its overnight shift in 2017 and earlier this year dismissed the afternoon shift. Today, the sprawling 6.2 million-square-foot assembly plant employs nearly 1,500. Jobs Ohio, an economic development company created by Gov. John Kasich, said its initial economic analysis is that hundreds of Ohio automotive supply companies could be affected if GM closes Lordstown rather than producing another car there after Cruze production ends in March. There are between 580 and 1,100 companies in Ohio that are in one way or another considered part of the automotive supply chain, according to the Ohio Development Services Agency and to statistics compiled by Team NEO in Cleveland. In the City of Cleveland alone there are about 90 small companies producing auto parts, most of them the kind a consumer will never see. They are metal stampings and the sub-assemblies that make up more familiar components such as fuel injectors and water pumps. You would be shocked at how many parts are assembled from all over, said Randy Solganik, owner of City Plating, an electroplating company on W. 130th Street that operates three shifts a day coating metal stampings and other small parts with zinc to make them corrosion resistant. He estimated that about 75 percent of his business is automotive. But City Plating does not deal directly with GM. Instead, its customers are other suppliers who themselves might manufacture a sub-assembly for another supplier who deals directly with an auto maker. For these reasons, predicting the impact on suppliers is complicated. Everybody will be affected, but the question is, to what degree," said Solganik. You are talking about thousands of parts, tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of parts." GM did not say it would actually close Lordstown or any of the other plants involved, a deliberate omission, says the United Auto Workers. They suspect the announcements are the opening salvo of new contract negotiations scheduled for next summer. In other words, GM might be persuaded to begin manufacturing another vehicle at Lordstown after production of the Cruze ends. Thats an outcome that Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown suggested immediately after GM announced its intention to end the Cruze. President Donald Trump has said GM had better get back to Ohio and find another vehicle to make at Lordstown. The potential impact of closing an auto plant on the overall economy is another question, one that economists are struggling to answer. Manufacturing Works, a membership-based non-profit economic development organization in Cleveland, took a swing at that question this week. Starting with the assumption that one high-paying job in an auto assembly plant creates 10 other jobs, including not only auto supplier jobs but other unrelated jobs in a community, Manufacturing Works projected that the shutdown of Lordstown will lead to the eventual loss of as many as 43,000 jobs in Ohio and across the industrial midwest. John Colm, president of Manufacturing Works, said the 1-to-10 jobs impact is a ratio that the Michigan-based Center For Automotive Research has used. Not all economists accept that 1-to-10 multiplier effect, though many agree that the job creation impact of automotive manufacturing is stronger than the impact of other manufacturing jobs on the surrounding economy George Zeller, an independent Cleveland-based economist, said generally speaking manufacturing jobs create about three outside supplier jobs. In other words, three people working in jobs supplying the car plant are dependent on one job inside the plant. This does not include induced jobs such as barbers, bar tenders or grocery store employees. There will be [supplier] layoffs, Zeller said. Some will be in Trumbull County, some in Mahoning County and others elsewhere, which happens to include Cuyahoga County," he predicted. Edward Ned Hill, an economist at the Ohio State University, also rejected the 1-to-10 multiplier and aligns more closely with Zellers three. It assumes that all the people in the plant lose their jobs, everyone in the supply chain loses their jobs, and that everyone they purchased services from loses their jobs, including government and at the funeral homes. And people do not get reemployed, he said. Hill also thinks GMs announcement is as much a marker for investors as a challenge to the UAW. This is not just a switch by consumers from autos to trucks, he said. They are saying the country is at peak auto right now, he said, meaning the industry has an over-capacity of production and in the future may not produce as many cars annually as it does today (about 17 million). They [auto makers] are seeing very dense cities and regions; people are using alternative transportation. People are moving out of traditional cars with internal combustion engines. he said. Sue Helper, an economist and professor at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, said another way to look at the aftermath of a Lordstown shutdown is the impact on the vibrancy of the future economy without the kind of skilled jobs available in the auto plant. Its not job loss but wage and purchasing power loss. Some people will take retirement earlier than they want to. Others will find jobs, but they wont pay UAW wages. And thats the real issue, that we are not creating jobs with that kind of purchasing power," she said. The story is not so much ripple effects in unemployment, she argued. Its what does the economy look like in the future in terms of purchasing power for ordinary people. And what happens to innovation loss? Adding to the complexity of such analyses is that GM simultaneously announced it would also stop producing five other cars next year: the Chevy Impala, the Chevy Volt, the Buick LaCrosse, the Cadillac CT6 and the Cadillac XTS, potentially laying off 14,000 workers, including about 8,000 salaried employees across several states and Canada. Some resulting supplier job loses that should be easy to figure are those at companies that directly supply an auto maker. For example the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., which supplies original equipment tires to some automakers. However Goodyear does "not expect the GM shutdown to have a significant impact on Goodyears manufacturing, wrote a spokeswoman in an emailed response. Steel maker ArcelorMittal, the largest steel company in the world, has a significant presence in the auto industry, supplying steel products to all automakers in North America, including GM, according to a spokeswoman. Steel is well-positioned to be the material of choice in the next evolution of GMs business model, wrote Mary Beth Holdford, division manager of external communications at ArcelorMittal. In other words, ArcelorMittal does not appear to be worried about GMs decision to stop producing slowing-selling models. One company that economists identify as likely to lose jobs if Lordstown is closed is GMs Parma Metal Center, known also as the Parma stamping plant. The plant processes more than 1,000 tons of steel a day for about 40 customers including a majority of GM North America- produced vehicles. The plant employs 1,344, including 170 salaried employees. Will there be layoffs at Parma? A plant spokeswoman said the company at this time does not anticipate any layoffs at Parma because of the decision to stop making the Cruze. At this time there is no impact, said Cheryl McCarron. This story has been corrected by the author to clarify that of the approximately 14,000 GM employees who could be laid off across the nation and in Canada, about 8,000 are salaried. CLEVELAND, Ohio Its been seven months since the state asked the federal government for permission to impose work requirements on those receiving Medicaid. Those in Ohio familiar with the process say the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is approving waivers based on the order they were received, meaning Ohios turn should be soon. The Trump Administration has continued to approve work and community engagement waivers in more states, said Rea Hederman, executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, a right-leaning think tank. This is an administration that is willing to work with states on these Medicaid reforms, and that bodes well for Ohio's waiver being eventually approved. So far, CMS has approved five of the 14 waivers that would, among other things, establish minimums on the number of hours needed to be worked to be eligible for Medicaid. CMS has approved waivers in Arkansas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and, most recently, Kentucky. Ohios waiver requires most able-bodied adults to work or participate in a sanctioned community engagement activity, like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) education and training activities, for 80 hours monthly to be eligible for Medicaid. The work requirement includes exemptions for people with severe disabilities, pregnant women, parents, caretakers and Ohio Works First recipients of cash assistance, as well as able-bodied adults living in counties with high unemployment rates, which excludes Cuyahoga County. The state submitted its proposal to the federal government on April 30. The plan was expected to go into effect July 1 of this year but has yet to be approved. A CMS spokesperson said that the agency does not comment on pending applications but is working with each state. While we cannot forecast a decision on components of a state's application, we strive to review and process applications as quickly as possible, the spokesperson said. A requirement to force recipients to work highlights a debate between whether Medicaid should be a temporary welfare program for those facing stints of unemployment or a means to provide long-term healthcare coverage to the country's most vulnerable. The waivers roll back some provisions of the Affordable Care Act, namely that the same number of people must be enrolled in healthcare plans, under which Medicaid was expanded in more than 30 states, including Ohio. In January, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued guidance to state Medicaid directors encouraging them to apply for waivers to establish work or community engagement requirements for Medicaid. Wendy Patton, senior project director for Policy Matters Ohio, a left-leaning think tank, said the Trump administrations healthcare policy changes are incremental blows to the ACA and to healthcare coverage. Its being eroded from the inside, and the work requirements are part of that, Patton said. When the state implemented similar work requirements for SNAP, it estimated 134,000 people would lose eligibility. In reality, nearly 370,000 Ohioans were disenrolled, according to Loren Anthes, public policy fellow for The Center for Community Solutions. After Arkansas instituted a Medicaid work requirement June 1, more than 4,000 people were disenrolled within the first three months for not complying with the new requirements. In Ohio, the state estimates about 36,000 people will not be eligible for Medicaid under the work requirements. Critics say that number is too low. Because low-wage earners often have little control over their hours, remaining eligible could be a challenge for many Ohioans, putting them at risk for losing coverage, Patton explained. And that ignores the challenge of routinely proving eligibility, she said. This is very bad for health, and it will reverse the gains weve seen, Patton said. Ohio expanded Medicaid to cover an additional 700,000 Ohioans under the Obama administration, bringing the state Medicaid population to about 3 million. To take something away that has existed is functionally more difficult, disruptive and harmful, Anthes said. I think the implementation of this is going to be difficult to achieve. In Kentucky, for example, a work requirement waiver was approved by CMS in January. A group of low-income Kentucky residents worried about losing their coverage challenged the decision, and a federal judge ruled in their favor. Last week, after another public comment period on the proposal, CMS again approved the work requirement in Kentucky. The requirement is expected to go into effect in April 2019. Anthes said he expects a similar trajectory in Ohio if the waiver is approved. CLEVELAND, Ohio A man was shot several times Saturday afternoon at a bus stop on Clevelands West Side, police say. The shooting happened about 1:15 p.m. at an RTA bus stop near West 88th Street and Detroit Avenue in the citys Cudell neighborhood, Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said. The shooting victim, whose age was not released, was hit multiple times, Lanton said. He was taken to MetroHealth for treatment. His current condition is unknown. Cleveland police have not released any additional details about the shooting, including if any arrests have been made. This post will be updated if more information about the shooting is provided Sunday. If youd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio Hours before Robert Bowers allegedly shot 11 people to death in a Pittsburgh synagogue on October 27, he was suspected of posting a message targeting the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). The posting read: HIAS likes to bring in invaders that kill our people. I cant sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, Im going in. The shooting was a horror, but the posting also came as a shock to officials of the group created in 1881 to aid Jewish immigrants to America who were fleeing persecution in Russia and Eastern Europe. Ill never forget that comment. Weve never been on the receiving end of threats of violence, said Bill Swersey, HIAS senior director of communications. That he invoked our name at all is off the charts, he added. I dont have anything to compare that to. There are people who dont support us, but it has never gotten to that level. The posting may have reflected the groups changing role in recent years. While noting that almost every American Jewish family has some connection to HIAS, Swersey said the group has expanded to include non-Jewish refugees from more than 20 different countries. We understand, we have an empathy for refugees, Swersey said. Helping refugees and welcoming a stranger is repeatedly mentioned in the Torah, and is a very strong expression of Jewish values. HIAS is one of nine resettlement agencies working with the U.S. State Departments Refugee Admissions program, sending new arrivals to 20 sites across the country. Working through a network of local social service agencies, its services include resettlement assistance, counseling, citizenship and education programs. Since 2016 the number of HIAS-assisted refugees has dropped from 4,191 to 1,632 in direct relation to the lowered levels of refugees allowed into the U.S. by the Trump administration. In Ohio, HIAS has partnered with the nonprofit US Together, headquartered in Columbus with with offices in Cleveland and Toledo. Nadia Kasvin, US Together director, whose family came to this country from the Ukraine 25 years ago, said the group was created in 2003 by Eastern European refugees, and continues to be largely staffed by former refugees. She said HIAS is one of several US Together partners in an effort that has re-settled 7,000 refugees in the past 15 years. But the possible mention of HIAS by the accused synagogue shooter left Kasvin disheartened. Im really heartbroken by all that rhetoric about HIAS bringing invaders, she said. It really hits close to home. We are Jewish refugees, giving back to our community, she added. We were given so many opportunities when we came to this country, and made a success. I want be sure that everybody who comes after us is given the same opportunity to reach their full potential. To that end the group offers some 30 programs covering housing, employment, financial literacy, education, and other support services. Kasvin said neither the synagogue shooting or comments regarding HIAS will affect what we do. We believe in our mission very strongly. We will continue to do what we do. Northeast Ohio has had a long tradition of aiding new Jewish immigrants starting in the late 19th century with two groups the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and Hebrew Relief Association that merged in 1883 and later became known as the Jewish Family Service Association (JFSA) of Cleveland in 1943. As one official of the Hebrew Relief Association noted in 1895, We have tried to make some of the applicants independent by giving them horses and wagons or establishing them in little places of business, and I am pleased to say we have accomplished a great deal of good. The JFSAs immigrant assistance continued through and after World War II, resettling refugees and Holocaust survivors, and into the 1990s with Russian refugees, but has since been largely discontinued. Swersey, of HIAS, noted that the group is often supported by local synagogues in refugee resettlement assistance. In Northeast Ohio this includes Beth El the Heights Synagogue where a group of members have provided donations of household items and financial support to local refugee resettlement agencies including US Together. If youre Jewish in the United States, youre not very far removed from being a refugee or immigrant yourself, said Robin Koslen, a member of the synagogue. She remembered her mother talking about the help she got from HIAS at Ellis Island when she came to this country from the Ukraine in 1920. She just talked about how scary it was, and how great it was to have somebody meet you there who could speak your language, Koslen said. It was so interesting to me, all these years later, when I started becoming familiar with HIAS and realized that Jews dont need it (refugee aid) right now, so they took the skill set and applied to the next group needing help. Koslen, who previously taught English as a second language courses, said synagogue members have been particularly supportive of the new refugees from Bhutan who have settled in the area. Her first reaction to the Pittsburgh shooting was personal because her sister lives in the same neighborhood (but does not attend that synagogue). Secondly, It was just so sad, she said. Here is this group doing something so positive, and here were people who see this as something to be afraid of and work against. Three years ago the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood invited representatives of US Together to speak at the synagogue. From that, sprang a stronger interest in volunteering, getting to know refugees, and what kind of needs these people have, said Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk. Staff members of US Together meet with members of the Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple to promote support of refugee resettlement efforts in Cleveland. The outreach to refugees by some 20-30 synagogue members included greeting a family of Syrian refugees when they arrived at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport last year. The greeters included Rabbi Joshua L. Caruso of the Fairmount Temple. That family was not only meeting its first Jew, but meeting a leader of the Jewish community, Nosanchuk said. Imagine, the first person who tells you welcome, and prays for you, is a rabbi. The effort is in keeping with Jewish tradition, according to Nosanchuk. There are no less that 36 times that the sacred Torah scroll commanded us to welcome the stranger and to not oppress them, he noted. He also recalled personal family experience in that his late grandmother, who died this year at age 101, came to this country with her family as refugees when she was just 16. Where would my life be without the resources that were dedicated to help her find her way? he asked. In addition to the airport welcome, synagogue members have donated food to local refugee families, and, in Nosanchuks case, a set of bunk beds. With the recent decline in refugees admitted to the U.S. down to a cap of 45,000 from 110,000 in 2016 Nosanchuk said there has been a corresponding loss of local US Together staff to coordinate local refugee aid. However, were actively looking for ways to help whenever and wherever the opportunity exists to advocate for policies that would be more affirming to this nations history of immigration, including refugees, he said. Its a mission, according to Nosanchuk. He referred to an observation once made by a HIAS official: We used to help refugees because they were Jews. Now we help them because we are Jews. CLEVELAND -- When I was a kid, growing up in Clevelands St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, my parents struggled to make ends meet. My dad, the son of Slovakian immigrants, worked long hours at an electronics production plant and my mom, an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia, stayed home to take care of my sister and me. When I was 12, my dads wages were cut, and we relied on a food bank to get by. My mom was so embarrassed by our block of cheese from the USDA box, that she hid it in aluminum foil so friends and neighbors wouldnt know. My familys struggle didnt deter my parents drive to achieve the American Dream. My dad spent more than 30 years in manufacturing and eventually he and my mom put two children through private school. My sister went on to earn her doctorate in religious studies, and I served on the Cleveland City Council for 18 years. We not only survived, we thrived, and gave back to our community along the way. During nearly two decades in public service, I passed LGBTQ human rights legislation, increased funding for agencies serving people with mental health needs, and supported the development of more than 15,000 new housing units in my ward. Former Cleveland Councilman Joe Cimperman heads Global Cleveland. I was disheartened to learn about the Trump administrations proposed public charge rule. Under the proposal, an immigrant family of four would be considered government-dependent if they used just $2.50 per person per day in benefits. Such immigrants could lose the ability to gain permanent residency and citizenship in the United States. If passed, this rule would have serious consequences for Cleveland. Immigrants have long played an important role in helping our city grow and flourish. Our 117,183 immigrant residents have more than $3.1 billion in spending power, and a large portion of them work in science and tech services, according to the bipartisan nonprofit New American Economy. Further, more than one out of every five Main Street business owners in the Great Lakes region are foreign-born, creating nearly 240,000 jobs for U.S.-born workers between 2000 and 2015. More than 8,000 of these entrepreneurs are in Cleveland. Immigrants in Cleveland make important contributions to the city and are succeeding here, as evidenced by NAEs new Cities Index, an analysis of how well immigrants are integrating in the nations 100 largest cities. Our perfect livability score, which measures rates of home ownership and health-insurance coverage among immigrants, is a prime example of this. And yet the public charge rule not only threatens to reverse this success but might gut our citys workforce. Clevelands immigrants play a crucial role in education, health care and transportation industries, which are also those likely to be most affected by the proposed rule. Thats because hard-working Clevelanders -- Americans and immigrants alike -- dont always make enough to be 100 percent self-sufficient. Thats not the fault of these employees; thats the result of stagnant wages and rising inequality. The fact is, we need more immigrant workers here, not fewer. As the president of Global Cleveland, a nonprofit that welcomes and connects international newcomers to economic and social opportunities in the region, I often talk to companies who say theyre experiencing extreme talent gaps in science and tech, as well as health care and advanced manufacturing. We help steer immigrants into local workforce programs and into the job pipeline, but its not enough. Our prosperity and economic development depend on welcoming immigrants, and Trumps public charge policy will only hurt us. If passed, the rule will mostly impact hard-working residents of Cleveland who are growing our economy. Nationally, more than 91 percent of noncitizens in the labor force who would be affected by the public charge rule are currently employed and earning a collective $96.4 billion in annual income, according to NAE. And the conservative-leaning Cato Institute found that this rule would likely apply to individuals who are 95 percent self-sufficient. These individuals shouldnt have to choose between survival and citizenship. Launching a business is more difficult if youre worried about how to put food on the table. We already have a high rate of hunger in Ohio lets not make it any harder than it already is for newcomers to find their place in this country. Our economy, and the future of our city, depends on it. Joe Cimperman, who served seven terms on Cleveland City Council, is president of Global Cleveland. The public can comment on the Department of Homeland Securitys proposed public-charge rule through Dec. 10: Click here and then on the Comment Now button. ******************* Have something to say about this topic? Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the Follow option at the top of the comments, and look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. With their 59-30 mostly party-line vote Nov. 28 to pass House Bill 625 out of the Ohio House, the General Assembly's Republicans are seeking yet again to undermine the home-rule powers that the Ohio Constitution gives cities and villages. They're also embarrassing the state with legislation that shows Ohio lawmakers are in denial about a significant environmental and clean-water issue. HB 625 would forbid local governments from imposing any "tax, fee, assessment or other charge" on plastic shopping bags or other "auxiliary containers" for merchandise, food or beverages. Only the state could tax retailers' plastic bags and similar packaging. But this legislature never will. No local government in Ohio has imposed such a tax. Cuyahoga County and some other localities discussed it. That was enough to mobilize the Statehouse's powerful retailing and plastic lobbies behind HB 625, which is now pending in the state Senate. The bill disregards significant evidence about the extent to which plastic pollution now fouls our waterways and oceans, while aiming another slap at the ability of localities to craft solutions to such problems. Home rule, which voters approved in 1912, aimed to keep special interests from making Statehouse end runs around city and village officials. In those days, the typical culprits were utilities and streetcar companies. Now, the range of special-interest players is broader. As one example, in 2004, the legislature forbade cities and villages from regulating gas and oil drilling. You don't want a fracking rig down the street? City Hall is powerless; complain to Columbus. HB 625 is the same kind of measure. The House had no business passing it. But some Greater Clevelanders supported it anyway, including Democratic Rep. John Barnes, of Warrensville Heights and GOP Reps. Marlene Anielski, of Walton Hills; Dave Greenspan, of Westlake; Thomas Patton, of Strongsville; Sarah LaTourette, of Chesterland; and Nathan Manning, of North Ridgeville. Ohio senators must stem the tide of denial and say no to the lobbyists behind this measure. 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. Former FBI Director James Comey on Friday defended his conduct and the bureau's handling of the months-long investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server, even as he acknowledged in hindsight that the actions of key officials involved in the case may have created an appearance of bias. In transcripts of a closed-door hearing released on Saturday, Comey reiterated that there was "no substantive case" against the former Secretary of State for mishandling classified information. As part of an agreement with the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, lawmakers agreed to release a full transcript of Comey's testimony within 24 hours. However, Comey told the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight Committee that he was unaware of a series of text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, two agents formerly assigned to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Strzok and Page were romantically linked, and exchanged thousands of messages disparaging to President Donald Trump during and after the election, while appearing to promote Clinton's candidacy. Replying to a Congressman's question, Comey suggested he would have blocked the agents from continuing in their roles in the probe. "To the extent you're asking about communications of Page and Strzok, if I had known about those things that they were communicating that I've seen in [the media], I would not have had them...playing any role in connection with that investigation," Comey said, in response to a lawmaker's question. "The challenge for me is I haven't read all the texts, but based on what I saw -- have seen in the media since I left the FBI, that unless there was some explanation for that that I was missing, in my judgment, they wouldn't have remained part of the investigation," Comey added. He also characterized the infamous Phoenix tarmac meeting between former Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton during the probe of his wife as inappropriate given the circumstances. "I was very concerned by the appearance of that interaction," Comey said, according to the transcript. "I remember being concerned about whether she should remain involved, especially after the tarmac visit," the transcript of Comey's remarks read. "But before I had an opportunity to discuss that with anyone at DOJ, the Attorney General announced that she would not recuse but would accept my recommendation and that of the career prosecutors." Comey sidestepped many of the questions related to the ongoing Russia investigation, but repeated that Trump was not the subject of the 2016 counterintelligence investigation involving four unnamed people linked to his campaign. The transcripts cover the first of what is expected to be two days of hearings with Comey in the House of Representatives. The former FBI director is due to appear before the committees again on Dec 17. Download a copy of the transcript here. --Reuters and CNBC's Kevin Breuninger contributed to this article. Read the transcript of Comey's entire testimony below. 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. The Xinhua report quoted Le as calling Meng's detention "extremely egregious" and demanded the U.S. vacate an order for her arrest. It quoted Le as calling for the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrong actions" and said it would take further steps based on Washington's response. The official Xinhua News Agency said Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng "lodged solemn representations and strong protests" with Ambassador Terry Branstad against the detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Meng, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran, was detained on Dec. 1 while changing planes in Vancouver, Canada. China summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing on Sunday to protest the detention of an executive of Chinese electronics giant Huawei in Canada at Washington's behest and demanded Washington cancel an order for her arrest. The move followed the summoning of Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over Meng's detention and a similar protest warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Meng's arrest has threatened to increase U.S.-China trade tensions and shook stock markets globally last week. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," downplayed the impact of the arrest on trade talks between the two countries aimed at defusing the tensions. "It's my view that it shouldn't really have much of an impact," he said. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that Chinese pressure on Canada's government won't work. "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide," Paris tweeted in response to the comments from Beijing. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng, whose case is shaking up U.S.-China relations and spooking global financial markets. Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained at the request of the U.S. during a layover at the Vancouver airport on the same day that President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed over dinner to a 90-day cease-fire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce. The U.S. alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York on Aug. 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled U.S. banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei." Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: She's facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing will resume Monday. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said that "we have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Canadian officials have declined to comment on Chinese threats of retaliation over the case, instead emphasizing the independence of Canada's judiciary along with the importance of Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said Canada "has assured China that due process is absolutely being followed in Canada, that consular access for China to Ms. Meng will absolutely be provided." "We are a rule-of-law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do," Freeland said Friday. While protesting what it calls Canada's violation of Meng's human rights, China's ruling Communist Party stands accused of mass incarcerations of its Muslim minority without due process, locking up those exercising their right to free speech and refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country in order to bring pressure on their relatives accused of financial crimes. The party also takes the lead in prosecutions of those accused of corruption or other crimes in a highly opaque process, without supervision from the court system or independent bodies. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Sunday he considers March 1 "a hard deadline" to reach a deal on trade with China, and that new tariffs will be imposed otherwise. "As far as I am concerned it is a hard deadline. When I talk to the president of the United States he is not talking about going beyond March," Lighthizer said on the CBS show "Face the Nation," referring to President Donald Trump's recent decision to delay tariff imposition until March 1 while talks proceed. "The way this is set up is that at the end of 90 days, these tariffs will be raised," said Lighthizer, appearing to tamp down expectations that the negotiation period could be extended. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is one of the advisors to President Donald Trump under consideration to be the next White House chief of staff, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. Yet Mnuchin has indicated to his inner circle that he feels best served as the head of Treasury, according to these people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the privacy of the ongoing discussions. Even so, according to a source close to the Treasury secretary, some of Trump's family members are pushing for Mnuchin as a possible replacement for the departing John Kelly, who is set to leave the administration by the end of the year after an often-chaotic time in the job. It's unclear whether Trump himself has spoken with Mnuchin about becoming his next chief of staff. There are other names being mentioned in reports as potential replacements for Kelly, but it's not clear whether any of them are in position to take the role. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive, is one of the members of the administration who is considered to be more in favor of free trade, as opposed to hawks such as trade advisor Peter Navarro. Mnuchin's potential move to chief of staff would come amid crucial trade talks with China. Markets, however, could see Mnuchin's move away from Treasury as a potentially destabilizing action. The New York Times had reported that Mnuchin was a possible contender for the chief of staff job. Mnuchin's spokesman declined to comment. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not respond to requests for comment. White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the president's chief trade negotiator, are also reportedly on the short list. Lighthizer had said in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that he had not been asked to replace Kelly. On Sunday, Nick Ayers, the chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence who had been the favorite to replace Kelly, announced he would be departing the administration at the end of the year. People close to Ayers said he could go back to leading Pence's political action committee, the Great America Committee. Kelly, who had a tumultuous tenure since taking over the role in summer 2017, had committed to staying through the 2020 election. A large wintry storm that struck the Southeastern U.S. over the weekend continued to disrupt travel on Monday. American Airlines said it canceled 415 flights scheduled for Monday, on top of 1,200 that it grounded on Sunday. The storm dumped snow and sleet across the Carolinas and Virginia, causing treacherous travel conditions. About 175,000 customers were without power on Monday morning, said Duke Energy. More than 380 flights in and out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, about a quarter of the American Airlines hub's scheduled departures and arrivals, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.com. "Operations at our Charlotte hub will begin to normalize this morning, with scatted cancellations expected throughout the day," American Airlines said in a statement on Monday. "The majority of these cancellations will be on smaller, regional aircraft." American waived date-change fees for travelers booked in or out of nine airports in the path of the storm if they can fly through next Saturday, Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways also waived date change fees. Southwest Airlines doesn't not charge travelers a flat fee to change their dates, but said customers impacted by the storm wouldn't have to pay the difference in fare for changing their dates, if they can travel within two weeks of the original travel date. Airlines in recent years have started canceling flights ahead of time when severe weather hits, an effort to avoid stranding passengers, crews and aircraft in the path of a storm, which can cause additional chaos and delays. Rijiju exhorts diaspora youth to attend Varanasi PBD, explore India Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju interacting with the participants of Know India Programme from eight countries, being organised by MEA in partnership with Andhra Pradesh Government, in New Delhi on Saturday, December 8, 2018. Photo courtesy: Indian Ministry of Home Affairs The Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has exhorted the diaspora youth to attend the upcoming Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at Varanasi and discover their roots in the Indian culture. The minister made these remarks during when a group of 40 Indian diaspora youth called on him yesterday. The participants from eight countries are in India as part of the 25-day visit under the 49th Know India Programme, or the KIP, being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with Andhra Pradesh Government. The 40-member delegation included 22 females in this edition of KIP from eight countries namely Fiji(11), Guyana(06), Myanmar(06), Netherlands(1) South Africa(06), Sri Lanka(01), Suriname(03), and Trinidad & Tobago(06). "Go, explore India," Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju to Indian diaspora participants of Know India Programme from eight countries, being organised by MEA in partnership with Andhra Pradesh Government, in New Delhi on Saturday, December 8, 2018. Photo courtesy: Indian Ministry of Home Affairs Interacting with the participants, Rijiju said the Indian diaspora should act as ambassadors of India's growth story and spread the good word about their experience in India upon their return. "Government recognises the importance of the Indian diaspora and has a well laid down policy for engaging with the diaspora community. Our diaspora community has been an important partner in India's development. Over the course of your visit across India, you must have seen the development happening across the country," he said. Welcome back to ancestral home! They are the young brigade of India's Ambassadors. It was a stirring interactive session with the young Indian Diaspora from different countries on a visit to India under "Know India Programme" initiated by the Ministry of External Affairs. pic.twitter.com/K43bay7aH8 Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 8, 2018 Rijiju said the government has instituted many revolutionary reforms for accelerating the development of the country that offer tremendous gainful opportunities to diaspora. "Government of India has over the last four-and-a-half years launched several measures and programmes with scope of foreign and NRI investment like Start-up India scheme, Make in India project along with significant reforms to improve Ease of Doing Business, liberalization of FDI norms etc. The Government has given special focus on disinvestment strategy which offers significant scope of investment to the NRIs," he told the visiting delegation. The minister encouraged the Indian diaspora to avail of several schemes targeted towards the youth. "I invite the Indian origin youth to know more about scholarship programme GIAN(Global Initiative for Academic Network), VAJRA Faculty Scheme which aims to bring a strong international connect to the R&D ecosystem of India, Mission Shodh GANGA(Global Alliance for New Generation Acceleration), Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children(SPDC) and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation(ITEC)," he said. "Indian Diaspora are ambassadors of India's growth story," Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju told the delegation of 40 Indian diaspora participants of Know India Programme from eight countries, being organised by MEA in partnership with Andhra Pradesh Government, in New Delhi on Saturday, December 8, 2018. Photo courtesy: Indian Ministry of Home Affairs The KIP is an important initiative of the Government with an aim to engage and make the young Indian Diaspora in the age group of 18 to 30 years feel a sense of connection with their motherland, to be motivated and inspired by transformational changes taking place in India and to give them an exposure to various aspects of contemporary India and its varied forms of art, heritage and culture. "India is the only country which has an ocean named after it, Rijiju said. "India is a vast experience, - from the coast to the mountains and from the marshes and deserts to the mangrove forests. Find time and visit remote villages located at more than 15,000 feet high altitudes, "said Rijiju, an avid traveller himself. The minister apprised the curious youth of the next Pravasi Bharatiya Divas being organized in the ancient city of Varanasi next month. Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in a group photograph with the participants of Know India Programme from eight countries, being organised by MEA in partnership with Andhra Pradesh Government, in New Delhi on Saturday, December 8, 2018. Photo courtesy: Indian Ministry of Home Affairs "We are adding components of the Kumbh Snan and Republic Day celebrations for the diaspora. We are also inviting the KIP groups to participate in the PBD Convention 2019. We are also organizing a special Pravasi Teerth Yatra for the elderly Diaspora. I would urge you to tell your relatives participate in these programmes in great numbers, he said. In its aim to connect with the overseas community, the MEA in partnership with the State Government of Andhra Pradesh is organising the 49th KIP from 20th November to 14th December, 2018. Over 40 Indian origin students from 8 countries met MoS for Home @KirenRijiju in New Delhi as part of the #KnowIndiaProgramme. pic.twitter.com/AHijqNNJp6 All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) December 8, 2018 Besides Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, the 25-day tour also takes them to Agra, while during their stay the group has interacted with senior functionaries in the Central and State Governments in order to have the first hand experience of the contemporary development in India. They are looking for the opportunities available for the Indian Diaspora youth in India and also for remaining connected with India. Since 2004, the MEA has conducted 48 Editions of KIP with participation of 1,612 Overseas Indian youth. The participants are selected on the basis of nominations recommended by the Indian Missions and Posts abroad. The participants are provided full hospitality in India with economy class return journey air ticket at a nominal contribution of 10 per cent of the cost of air ticket. May to handbag Brussels in bid to save deal Theresa May will seek to emulate Margaret Thatcher by travelling to Brussels to demand a better Brexit deal in a last-ditch attempt to save her government from collapse. Ministers and aides have convinced the prime minister that she needs a handbag moment with EU bosses if she is to have any chance of persuading her own MPs to support her. They expect May to announce tomorrow that she will launch a final throw of the diplomatic dice with a dash to Brussels, a move that could result in Tuesdays vote being postponed. Senior ministers bombarded the prime minister with warnings yesterday that she has to look like she is fighting for a deal that Brexiteers can support or face a catastrophic defeat that could lead to Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister by Christmas. One senior cabinet minister said: People in No 10 think she needs to have a handbag moment where she says: Up with this I will not put. Downing Street deny claim that vote will be delayed Mail on Sunday EU will negotiate if vote is lost, says Prodi The Observer Rudd says Norway-style option is plausible FT But The Sunday Times can reveal that even as she makes a final appeal to the EU, some of her most trusted ministers are already planning for a new referendum. More: Watching EU sees four choices for the Prime Minister Sunday Times Selmayr wants job running UK negotiations Sun on Sunday as Rudd warns a second referendum is possible Amber Rudd has become the first Cabinet minister to break ranks with Theresa May as she suggested there could be a second referendum if the Prime Ministers unpopular Brexit plan is rejected by MPs next week. The work and pensions secretary admitted anything could happen if Mrs Mays deal does not survive Tuesdays Commons vote, including a rerun of the 2016 vote or an eleventh-hour Norway-style arrangement with the EU. Her remarks are in stark contrast to the official line from Downing Street which has insisted there is no plan B for Brexit and the Prime Ministers deal is the only option on the table. Ms Rudd, a close ally of Mrs May, told BBC radio: If Theresa Mays plan doesnt get through anything could happen: peoples vote, Norway plus, any of these options could come forward. The Government is widely expected to suffer a crushing defeat over its Brexit plan next week after more than 100 Tory MPs publicly stated they would vote against the deal unless changes are made. Sunday Express Remainers gear up for second run with new NHS pledge The Observer Work and Pensions Secretary hits out at flouncing male politicians Sun on Sunday Comment: Do Remainer MPs who say leaving is undemocratic not see the irony? Dia Chakravarty, Sunday Telegraph Corbyn is inching away from Brexit Stephen Bush, Sunday Times Peoples Vote will be a blow to democracy Tony Parsons, Sun on Sunday Thatcher vs the miners should inspire our no-deal planning Matthew Elliott, Sunday Telegraph >Yesterday: Mohammed Amin in Comment: If there is a second referendum, no deal must be kept off the ballot paper and Mays ministry is rocked by further resignations T May urges rebels to back her or risk losing Brexit and Downing Street Sun on Sunday Fear and loathing swirl in Number 10 as the Prime Minister retreats to her bunker Sunday Times No hope of success, but the Prime Minister wont blink The Observer Abstentions may soften sting of defeat Sunday Times Ellwood warns that chaos could cost UK leading UN role Sun on Sunday wo members of the Government are resigning and a Cabinet minster is mulling whether to quit over Brexit this weekend as Theresa Mays administration appears to be disintegrating ahead of the most important vote of a generation. Government whips have given Conservative MPs until lunchtime on Sunday to set out how they will vote on Mrs Mays Brexit deal, in a desperate bid to judge the scale of a rebellion that threatens to bring down her government. Writing in The Telegraph, Will Quince MP, a member of the Defence Secretarys ministerial team, announces he is quitting his government role, saying he wants to implore the Prime Minister to go back to the European Union and find another way. A second Parliamentary Private Secretary, who The Telegraph has been asked not to name at this stage, has also told whips that they will quit on Monday, while a number of senior party figures were wrestling with decisions to resign. More resignations are possible from the Cabinet, with leading Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt said to be deciding over the next 48 hours whether to back the deal or quit in what one minister described as the week of unknowns. Sunday Telegraph Comment: I am resigning because Mays deal means obeying EU rules for years to come Will Quince, Sunday Telegraph Clueless Tories are dragging our nation towards the abyss Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday >Today: MPs Etc.: The number of Tory MPs who oppose the deal hits 70. Mitchell and Quince join the revolt. >Yesterday: Nick Hargraves column: The Conservative split is coming. Indeed, it is already here. Unless Andrew Rawnsley: The Prime Minister has no choice but to hold the vote Some have suggested that the vote be put off to later in the month in the hope that Mrs May might extract some last-gasp concessions at the European council meeting this Thursday. But members of the cabinet worry, with good reason, that this could set her up for more humiliation because European leaders will give her a dusty answer and she will return from Brussels with nothing. There are no good grounds for thinking that a bit more time would give Mr Smith an opportunity to substantially change the parliamentary maths. The usual levers of the governments enforcers arent working in this context. The issue is too momentous; their power is too feeble. You cant threaten a rebel MP with career-terminating consequences if he or she has already resigned from the government payroll to vote against the prime minister. There are far too many Conservative MPs against the deal and they are far too entrenched in their views for an extra week or so to make a meaningful difference. The Observer The Prime Ministers deal could triumph if shes not around Adam Boulton, Sunday Times Leavers need to ask themselves why Blair is cheering them on Dan Hodges, Mail on Sunday MPs know no deal is a hoax Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times Supportive: My reasons for why MPs should support the deal David Gauke, The Observer Agreement is best to deliver for the people of Britain Jeremy Hunt, Sun on Sunday Deal avoids the pitfalls of both no deal and no Brexit Rory Stewart, FT Alternative: Norway could return us to the golden days of our EU affairs Nick Boles and Stephen Kinnock, Sunday Times Opposed: MPs must vote down Mays Brexit plan Boris Johnson, Sun on Sunday This plan drains the opportunities that Brexit presents Dominic Raab, Sunday Telegraph The backstop is a betrayal, not a sop Iain Duncan Smith, Sunday Times My dog could have won a better deal Jeremy Paxman, Mail on Sunday >Today: Chris Grayling MP in Comment: Here at Transport, were getting ready for Brexit whatever happens. But heres why Im backing Mays deal. Rees-Mogg urges MPs to get behind Johnson/Rudd unity ticket in leadership vote How the vote could affect key players Sunday Times Johnson mounts brazen bid for Mays job Sun on Sunday Mordaunt burnishing leadership credentials Sunday Times None of the candidates have a positive approval rating Sunday Times Jacob Rees-Mogg today urges fellow Tories to back a unity leadership team of Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd if Theresa May is toppled during the crisis over her Brexit deal. The influential hardline Brexiteer uses an article in todays Mail on Sunday published below to signal his backing for pro-Brexit Mr Johnson to team up with Remainer Rudd, who yesterday infuriated No 10 by suggesting that the UK could pursue alternative options including Norway Plus should Theresa Mays Brexit plan be rejected by MPs. Mr Rees-Moggs plea comes as the main rivals for Mrs Mays crown prepare to launch their leadership bids. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Home Secretary Sajid Javid was canvassing support among MPs on Friday, asking them directly if they would back him in a tilt at No 10. A source said: Sajid does not think she will have to go next week, but is preparing for the possibility she might be forced to. He is understood to have discussed running on a joint ticket with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, but the pair are at odds on who would take the top job in such a relationship. Meanwhile, former Brexit Secretaries David Davis and Dominic Raab are also said to be locked in tense negotiations about who should be the senior man if they join forces on one ticket. Mail on Sunday Comment: Johnson and Rudd could steer us away from the rocks Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mail on Sunday If Tory MPs keep May after this, they will damn themselves Daniel Hannan, Sunday Telegraph >Today: ToryDiary: Why Conservative MPs should prepare to call for a confidence vote in the Prime Ministers leadership this week >Yesterday: ToryDiary: May should quit if she loses next week our special survey with The Times Cox reduced to tears by contempt vote The Attorney General was reduced to tears by the fight to save Theresa Mays Brexit deal, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. As the Prime Minister suffered her worst week since the humiliation of the 2017 Election, even hardened observers were stunned when Geoffrey Cox welled up on the front bench. The Commons witnessed four days of extraordinary scenes, but none more shocking than the QCs emotional response to the Government being found in contempt of Parliament for the first time in history. After a torrid battle to halt the release of his legal advice about Mr Mays deal, the Brexiteer was expecting a pasting from devout Leaver Nadine Dorries on Tuesday evening. But when she rose to praise the integrity and honour of the Governments most senior lawyer, his emotions were clear. Geoffrey was hung out to dry says one Tory MP. He was told his candid advice would never see the light of day and the whips said they would win the vote to block it. Senior Tories immediately turned their fire on Chief Whip Julian Smith after suffering three defeats in just 63 minutes a post-war record. Mail on Sunday Hancock to ban fax machines from the NHS Fax machines will be banned across the NHS under radical plans to overhaul outdated technology and IT systems, The Sunday Telegraph can disclose. Matt Hancock, the Health secretary, banned hospital trusts from buying fax machines on Friday and ordered them to be phased out completely by April 2020. NHS Trusts will instead be required to invest in new technology to replace any outdated systems, using 200million of Government cash set aside for modernisation earlier this year The news comes after it emerged that the NHS is the worlds leading buyer of fax machines, with more than 8,000 machines in service across the NHS including 600 in one hospital. Medical leaders blamed this a stubborn resistance to new technology, which risked medical records not keeping up with patients, putting people at risk of mistakes in critical situations such as in A&E. There is a risk that they are not a secure way to pass on medical information about patients. Under Mr Hancocks plans, which were issued as a ministerial edict, NHS organisations will be monitored on a quarterly basis until they declare themselves fax free. Sunday Telegraph >Yesterday: Rachel Maclean MP in Think Tanks: We must address the role of life-long learning in the future of work Katy Balls: Whod be a young Conservative? Currently the Tories have fewer than 10,000 members under the age of 30 out of a total of 124,000. In a sign of just how bad things have become, the party received more money last year from the dead (in bequests and legacies) than from living members. Theyre not doing much better with votes. In the 2017 general election, the Tories fell behind Labour in every age group under 40 of those aged 20 to 24, just over a quarter voted blue. As a political journalist who has spent the bulk of my 20s following the Tories, Im often asked why a young woman would consider voting for a party thats seen as so pale, male, middle-aged and stale. At times, its been difficult to come up with an answer. Whether the issue is the EU referendum (forced by a Conservative government), student loans (costs of which have tripled under the Tories) or the sight of Theresa May holding hands with Donald Trump, most of my peers Im 29 would rather walk across broken glass than pay a visit to the partys conference yet many regard Jeremy Corbyn speaking at Glastonbury as the height of cool. What drives a 20-something to risk social ostracism in the name of low tax? Mail on Sunday Tories say ULEZ could be Khans poll tax motoring taxes in France, Bacon said the mayor could have his own gilets jaunes moment once people realise they will be paying up to 4,000 a year more to drive their own cars. Sunday Times Mayor misled financial markets over Crossrail delay Sunday Times About 1m vehicles will be hit by a new levy to drive in large parts of London that is expected to raise up to six times as much as the congestion charge. The ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) fee of 12.50 a day will be a financial lifeline for Transport for London (TfL), which faces a cash crisis after the mayor, Sadiq Khan, froze fares and the government cut its grant. It will collect between 700m and 1.5bn a year from motorists. The congestion charge raises 230m. This could be Sadiqs poll tax, said Gareth Bacon, leader of the Conservative group on the London assembly. It has flown under the radar and people do not know what is going to hit them. Referring to protests against More trains: North betrayed over HS2 extension to Liverpool Sunday Times McDonnell promises to legalise sympathy strikes Labour would abolish Thatcher-era laws preventing workers in the UK from taking industrial action in solidarity with their counterparts in other countries, the shadow chancellor has announced. At an event in Airdrie, John McDonnell pledged that a Labour government would restore trade union rights by repealing legislation that undermines the ability of workers to take collective action and acts of solidarity. This would mean workers can revive the spirit of the Rolls-Royce workers in East Kilbride who struck a blow against the brutal Pinochet dictatorship in Chile in the 1970s, he said. The Hunter Hawker planes used by the Chilean airforce were powered by engines built in South Lanarkshire but workers there refused to repair them. When we go back into government we will restore trade union rights, and that will enable workers to take similar sympathy action on the basis of supporting fellow workers internationally, said McDonnell. The action, which was recently commemorated in the film Nae Pasaran!, was a fantastic example of the operation of trade union rights, McDonnell said. The Observer Drakeford poised to conquer Wales for Corbyn Farage setting up new party to defend Brexit However bad it is for May this week, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is unlikely to be an immediate beneficiary. But when Mark Drakeford is confirmed as the new leader in Cardiff, the Corbyn advance guard will have conquered the principality. Three million people, 7,900 square miles and 17bn will be in the hands of a 64-year-old former social policy professor who sees Michael Foot as a political hero and plans to push the boundaries of devolution to deliver 21st-century socialism. He is a kind, thoughtful man who told us he had no burning ambition to be first minister. But senior civil servants describe him as ruthless, and having paraded his pro-Corbyn credentials, he was happy to see his campaign turbo-charged by Momentum Drakefords manifesto provided a structure for his ideological instincts. He aims to ban smoking in town centres, nationalise buses and end the private finance initiative. Sunday Times Nigel Farage has said it is his destiny to fight for Brexit as he unveils his plans to launch a new political party to fight next years European Parliament elections if the Government delays Britains exit from the European Union. The former leader of the UK Independence Party told The Sunday Telegraph that he believed he had not fought my biggest battle yet and would relish the battle at Mays Euro elections, which he expects to be held if Brexit is delayed. Talks have been going on for a number of months about his new party but have been stepped in the past fortnight as the full detail of Theresa Mays Brexit deal has emerged. Mr Farage, 54, said he had held talks with a number of high profile business people to stand for his new party. Its new name was to be confirmed, he said Mr Farage believes there is a 55 to 45 per cent chance of the UK participating in the European Parliament elections on May 23. He predicates the Parliamentary deadlock means negotiations will continue and Britains expected exit from the EU in March 2019 will be put back by up to two years. Sunday Telegraph It may now not be possible for the Government to postpone Tuesdays evenings coming vote on Theresa Mays Brexit deal. Or the Speaker that friend of Labour and enemy of Brexit may somehow block any such move. Or Downing Street may find some face-saving amendment that minimises the scale of defeat. But whatever happens, the Prime Minister has a last chance this week to amend the element of the deal that makes it unacceptable: the backstop. So whether or not the vote takes place, she must push the EU in Brussels on Thursday for a unilateral right of exit or a time limit. We have no confidence that such a manoeuvre will succeed if executed by her at this stage. It could just be that, confronted by the prospect of a disorderly Brexit on its north-west frontier, the EU gives way. But it is far more likely to stand firm, hoping with reason that May will then lose control of the Commons altogether, which will then push for the postponement of Article 50 and a second referendum, to which pressure she will yield. The European Court is primed to pave the way for this development on Monday. Furthermore, backing down on the backstop would mean the EU27 deserting one of its own, the country which has been the biggest winner in the negotiation to date: Ireland. The Prime Minister would then have three policy options: that second referendum, Norway-plus-the-backstop and no deal. Since she opposes all of them, the logic of the impasse would point to resignation. But we read May as believing that it would be her duty as a public servant to carry on. And what seems to animate her most is a fear of no deal an outcome which the Government has had a duty to prepare for, which it has failed properly to do. She would therefore bend either to cross-party pressure for the Norway scheme, or for that second referendum thereby spitting in the face of the biggest-ever vote in British electoral history, breaking her own manifesto commitments, and crafting a narrative of betrayal that threatens frightening consequences for the country. Even if she doesnt do all this, however, the point at which she provided effective leadership and credible negotiating is past, if the backstop cant be altered this week. Conservative MPs will therefore have no alternative, if she cant extract that last-minute change, but to write to Graham Brady seeking a vote of confidence in Mays leadership. Cabinet members are preparing for this development already: todays papers are packed with details of fledgling leadership campaigns, and Amber Rudd has already broken with Downing Street by supporting a Plan B (Norway-plus-the-backstop) if Plan A fails. The way would thus be open for candidates supporting a second referendum, the Norway scheme or no deal to MPs and Party members. We suspect that the eventual outcome would favour that last option. The new Prime Minister would then face a titanic struggle between the Conservative manifesto position, reinforced by Party members, and those MPs determined to flout the referendum mandate. His or her message to Commons and the country would be: the government I lead will deliver the referendum result. If you want to thwart me, the only means available to you will be a vote of no confidence. Ultimately, the argument for this course is that the alternative is even worse. Mays threat of a Corbyn Government before Christmas is evidence of her desperation and unless the EU somehow saves her ruin. For the DUP has made it clear that it will only abandon the Conservatives if her deal passes the Commons, not if it fails. We are analyzing the site. Please wait a few seconds.. BRIDGEPORT Emily Todd grew up around the water. The 25-year-old Bethel woman hailed from a family of lobster men on the small coastal Chebeague Island in Maine. Her Facebook profile photo shows her staring out at the sea. The last thing Todd may have seen before police said she was shot in the back of the head was Bridgeport Harbor. She was here to meet with a man and obviously it didnt go well, Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said Monday afternoon of the woman found dead near the citys boat ramp on Seaview Avenue. Police are now searching for that as-yet unidentified man. They said Todd was shot at the scene possibly after a struggle. A 2011 graduate of Bethel High School, Todd attended Western Connecticut State University and Leslie University where she graduated in 2016 with a degree in expressive arts therapy. She was employed as a therapeutic recreational assistant at St. John Paul II Center in Danbury. Employees there declined to comment. Joe Henriques, owner of H&H Shellfish, was preparing to work on one of his boats Sunday morning with his brother and a welder when the trio noticed something on the sand near their Seaview Avenue docks. The welder saw like a dolly or something on the beach, Henriques recalled Monday. My brother started looking, says, No, this is a body. They had discovered, and then reported to police, the citys 10th homicide of the year. Police described Todd as heavy-set, with short, cropped hair, several tattoos and body and facial piercings. She was wearing a blonde braided wig with a scarf attached, a brown sweater with white print, blue jeans and short black boots. Todds body was found on a narrow stretch of sand between H&Hs property and a public boat ramp at the intersection with Newfield Avenue that abuts Dolphins Cove Restaurant. Henriques said the neighborhood is a decent one. His shellfish business has been open at that location about seven years and never had a problem. While Seaview Avenues name is an apt one it looks out over Bridgeports harbor and Long Island Sound much of the neighborhood is far from a picturesque New England coastal roadway. Seaview ends at a fishing pier and a dock where a water taxi ferries visitors to the tranquil Pleasure Beach peninsula at the mouth of the harbor during the summer. But the bulk of Seaview Avenue is a gritty mix of industrial sites, some active like the citys sewer plant some vacant, and old multi-family homes, a few decked out in whimsical nautical decorations. City officials and developers have certainly recognized the areas potential. MGM Resorts International has been lobbying the state Legislature for permission to build a casino, hotel and entertainment center along Seaview Avenue. And the Bridgeport/Port Jefferson Ferry company has for several years been working to move its terminal across the harbor to Seaview. Alfredo Elis of Bridgeport was pulling his boat out of the water for the winter Monday morning from the ramp near where the body was discovered. Its bad. Very scary, Elis said of the homicide. Noting the garbage littering the ramp, he wondered why the city could not put up a gate and lock the area at night. Bridgeports a little dangerous, said Gilbert Olivera, of Trumbull, who was similarly taking his boat out of the water until the spring. Juliana Murphy has rented an apartment along Seaview for two and a half years. Murphy recalled having some initial reservations about moving there from Trumbull, but said it is a nice neighborhood and she has great neighbors. One young woman who did not wish to be identified said she catches the bus daily from a stop across the street from the boat ramp. I walk to this bus stop every morning and home every night, she said. I personally feel OK. Jonathan Key has owned a home on Seaview Avenue for several years. Its a good neighborhood compared to what it used to be, he said. Nothing like that (the homicide) goes on around here. Key said he hoped police would check some of the cameras mounted outside of Dolphins Cove. The restaurant was dark Monday morning. Henriques also has several security cameras on his property. He said police reviewed footage on Sunday. I try to help the best I can, Henriques said. Julia Perkins contributed to this report. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Heanue at 203-581-5242 or call the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-8477. 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. POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. An afternoon fire heavily damaged a multi-family dwelling in the city on Friday, leaving at least 16 tenants homeless. The three-story building at 58 Smith St., near the intersection with Thompson Street, sustained heavy fire damage on the third floor, with the rest of the building sustaining heavy smoke and water damage. Poughkeepsie Fire Chief Mark Johnson said the two-alarm blaze started in an apartment on the third floor. In addition to Poughkeepsie firefighters, Arlington and Fairview firefighters assisted at the scene. The cause and exact origin of the fire are under investigation. Firefighters were aided at the scene by Mobile Life Support Services, the city of Poughkeepsie police and building departments, and Central Hudson Gas & Electric crews. In a release Saturday, the Mid-Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross said it provided assistance to 16 people who lived in the building. The agency said the residents included 11 adults and five children, ages 1, 2, 17, and two 7-year olds. Unless there is a last-minute postponement, Tuesday will be one of the most decisive moments in modern British history. All the arguments for and against Brexit will be considered in one place and will be resolved in our elected sovereign parliament. In theory this should mean reasonable men and women using facts and logic to reach a decision which is the best possible one for this country and its people. This is what the House of Commons is supposed to be for, a place where the real divisions of the country can be reflected, expressed and decided. But all the signs suggest that overheated fanaticism, combined with a delusional inability to study or accept hard facts, will instead lead to a dangerous rejection of the Prime Ministers hard-bought deal, by people who offer no realistic alternative. Theresa May has given an exclusive interview to today's Mail On Sunday. She has warned Tory MPs planning to revolt over her deal that they would be risking the double whammy of Jeremy Corbyn entering Downing Street and the UK cancelling Brexit Worse, those who refuse to act reasonably are wilfully courting great danger. Historians will be amazed at the determination of so many Tories to destroy their own party and Government, and to propel a dedicated Marxist into Downing Street. For this must be the most likely outcome of their desire to reject Mrs Mays compromise. The widespread belief among Brexit hardliners is that, the heavier her defeat, the more likely Brussels is to make more concessions. This is a delusional fantasy. The EUs chiefs will relish seeing us punished by events, so as to discourage any other escapers from their rule. They have no interest in rescuing us now. For all their admirable passion and patriotism, the all-or-nothing Tory Brexiteers are in peril of making the best the enemy of the good, rejecting a tolerable bargain in a hopeless search for some sort of miracle. Theresa May will travel to Brussels where she will meet with EU leaders including Commission President Jean Claude Juncker (pictured left, in Brussels today) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured right yesterday) But they are not the only culprits. Speaker John Bercow, who has disgraced his impartial office by publicly parading his anti-Brexit bias, has shown open contempt for the Prime Minister, handing over the Commons to a succession of her critics and opponents for long hours before eventually allowing her to speak, too late for many news bulletins. The stiff-necked Remainer Dominic Grieve, epitomising the snobbishness and elitist scorn of so many of his faction, has used his undoubted legal skills to tie Mrs May up in dangerous procedural knots, weakening her bargaining position and stealing her power. Other Remainers have dishonestly adopted the language of Brexit, when all they really want to do is to stop it. The Democratic Unionists seem to have let their brief taste of power go to their heads. It is quite true that they can bring Mrs May down. But if they do, they will bring themselves down with her, and expose their supporters in Northern Ireland to a worrying future. What do they think Corbynite Labour, crammed with IRA apologists, and the SNP, with problems of its own, will care for their concerns? The unreality of these positions is the most astonishing thing about them. It is as if we had a Parliament of Toddlers, rather than of adults. The Prime Ministers deal with the EU is not what she would have wanted. No serious negotiation ever produces total satisfaction for both sides. But nor is it what the EU would have wanted. It is the outcome of two strong opponents, testing their power against each other and finding a compromise that both can bear. It takes us legally out of the EU. It avoids the economic perils of a No Deal Brexit. Above all, it restores the control of our borders that was such a decisive issue in the Referendum, and which is still a major concern with huge numbers of Leave voters. This is perhaps Mrs Mays most significant achievement and was very hard won. Voters are not fools. They understand that you cannot always get everything you want. They know what is important and what can be negotiated away. They view the continuing quibbling of MPs with growing contempt and impatience, as those MPs will discover if they precipitate the Election they seem so keen on bringing about. The Prime Minister is pictured in her constituency, Maidenhead, on Friday If these hardliners of all sorts block the May plan on Tuesday, what will they bring about? A disastrously heavy defeat for the Prime Minister must lead to her own resignation, and to a period of political chaos which the country absolutely does not want or need. It is very difficult to see how the Tory party could survive such a crisis, let alone win the General Election which would follow. A smooth and well-handled exit from the EU would boost Tory fortunes. A descent into internal warfare, at this moment of national trial, would wreck those fortunes, probably for years to come. The appalling possibility of a Corbyn government cannot be stated too often, or too emphatically. The likelihood that he would govern with the help of the Scottish Nationalists, and Mr Corbyns personal sympathy for Irish Republicanism, make this even more alarming. There would be a real danger of a wholesale break-up of the Union. Then there is the question of what might happen on the very issue which these MPs claim to be so concerned about, if they vote down the Prime Minister on Tuesday. The worst possible outcome would be that Parliament runs away from a choice and votes for a second referendum. Even the wiser Remainers grasp that this would be a disaster. The fury of those who voted, in good faith, in the first referendum, would be great and potentially uncontrollable. They were offered the chance to influence the future of their own country directly, and told their choice would be respected. Another poll would shatter the vital trust between people and politicians, quite possibly for good. It could easily produce the same result as the first. But any result would be dismissed by millions, with reason, as a cheat and a fix. This is not just playing with fire. It is playing with TNT. Then there is some sort of ultra-soft Brexit, perhaps the Norway Plus which Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has so unwisely backed this weekend. For all its apparent charms this simply does not deal with the immigration problem which Mrs Mays plan addresses. Or there is the danger of a total loss of momentum by a paralysed Government, putting off Tuesdays vote to a far distant day, accompanied by the postponement of the March 29 leaving date. This could end with us not exiting the EU at all, an outcome as dangerous to our stability and democracy as a second referendum. 'The appalling possibility of a Corbyn government cannot be stated too often, or too emphatically. The likelihood that he would govern with the help of the Scottish Nationalists' All of these possibilities are appalling. All would damage the country. Only one, Norway Plus, even comes close to honouring the result of the referendum but will be rejected by many Leavers as Brexit in Name Only. The logic is inescapable. If MPs spend the next two days ignoring the noisy fanatics of both sides, and seek the true feelings of their ordinary, patriotic and thoughtful voters, they will find strong support for Mrs Mays level-headed, realistic compromise. The alternative is several different kinds of chaos, bad for us all and very bad for the economy and our prosperity. The absolute foundation and duty of Conservatism is the protection of the livelihoods and prosperity of the people, so that they can live harmoniously in freedom. Those who plan to defy the Prime Minister on Tuesday are betraying the very core of their partys beliefs. Yet it is not too late for reason to triumph over fanaticism. The Mail on Sunday urges MPs to end the chaos and indecision, recover their good sense, and support the Prime Minister. Loyalty has never been so important. Is John Bercows beloved New Years Eve party on the Commons Terrace under threat? Tory MPs who witheringly label the Speaker a preening popinjay are amused that parliamentary security guards are muttering about downing tools to protest at overtime rates for late-night work. Im normally against strikes, sniped one. But if it means that pipsqueak loses his party, Ill make an exception. John Bercows beloved New Years Eve party on the Commons Terrace could be under threat (he is pictured here in the Commons) Labour foes of Jeremy Corbyn reckon theyve solved the mystery over why he let Theresa May off the hook at Prime Ministers Questions by barely mentioning Brexit. Its because of the reaction he got at Shadow Cabinet the day before, whispered a party insider. He was so boring on the subject that even Diane Abbott nodded off. Really? Surely Jezzas ex-lover was merely resting her eyes. No wonder Eeyore Philip Hammond rarely tries to curry popular favour. The Chancellors apparently foolproof crowd-pleasing plan to mint a special 50p coin for Brexit Day next March has been given a resounding thumbs-down by voters. Secret polling for No 10 reveals the idea, unveiled in the Budget, has absolutely bombed with Joe Public. Racy truth behind Keeley's Romance Actor Richard Madden who played the protection officer to Keeley Hawes Home Secretary, left, in the BBCs Bodyguard intriguingly claims the plot line where he ended up in bed with his boss was anything but unrealistic. The bodyguards I spoke to, without naming certain names, were like, yeah, totally f***ed their principals, the actor tells GQ magazine. So those things definitely happen. Theres a couple of stories... unrepeatable stories... I want to tell you, but I cant. Pity! Keeley Hawes Home Secretary was seemingly killed in a terrorist attack during an episode of BBC's Bodyguard On his way into the Commons last week, outspoken Tory MP Johnny Mercer found himself trapped in the revolving door. Help! screamed the Army veteran through the security glass. This is like being stuck in the Brexit backstop. Blair's Nordic blast Labour Remainer Stephen Kinnocks relish at a rare Tony Blair return visit to Westminster ended abruptly when the ex-Prime Minister rubbished Kinnocks preferred solution to the Brexit crisis Norway-style membership of the EU-associated European Economic Area. I remember the words of a Norwegian Conservative 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 in the EEA, said Blair brutally. Would-be Tory leader Liz Truss dismisses her past flirtation with the Liberal Democrats as a youthful error. We all make mistakes as teenagers, she tells the Spectator podcast Women With Balls. Some people do drugs, other people join the Lib Dems. What can I say? But I saw the light. Given that La Truss was president of the Oxford University Lib Dems, it was a pretty heavy addiction. Theresa May unquestionably has many virtues. The Prime Minister is dutiful, patient and a good Christian. However, she has not succeeded in the face of her greatest challenge: achieving a proper Brexit deal which honours the 2016 referendum result. That is why regardless of whether she goes down to a crushing Commons defeat this week or tries to pull the vote she should stand down. Indeed, the humiliation of avoiding a Commons vote is as much a reason for her departure as defeat in an actual vote. It is her policy which has failed and for which she is accountable.And it would be much better if she left of her accord rather than face a no-confidence motion. The Conservative Party and the nation needs a new leader. JACOB REES-MOGG: Theresa May unquestionably has many virtues. The Prime Minister is dutiful, patient and a good Christian On its own, though, the departure of Theresa May is not enough. Time is now short and it may well be worth paying for a standstill agreement to allow time to prepare for leaving on World Trade Organisation terms or to negotiate a free trade deal. Then a plan to benefit from Brexit is needed, as is the leadership ticket to progress and unite the country and the party. If, for example, leading figures from either side were prepared to come together, such as Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd, they could potentially deliver the Brexit people voted for with a global, outward looking UK that could succeed. This may make it possible to steer the country away from the rocks towards which we are currently headed and instead lead us into the high seas of prosperity. As for this doomed withdrawal deal, I regret to say it has turned the promises of the Government into fiction. Even the Prime Minister herself has promised one thing and then done another. The Conservative manifesto said that the UK would leave the Customs Union but the backstop potentially leaves us there until kingdom come. JACOB REES-MOGG: However, she has not succeeded in the face of her greatest challenge: achieving a proper Brexit deal which honours the 2016 referendum result Mrs May said that no one in her high position could envisage separation between constituent parts of the United Kingdom. However, a whole protocol from the deal would separate Northern Ireland from Great Britain. The European Court of Justices role was to be limited to citizens rights as we take back control of our laws. Article 174 of the agreement states otherwise, though. Similarly nothing was to be agreed until everything was agreed but now the UK is to spend 39 billion with no guaranteed return. Brexit was supposed to mean Brexit, not a passport to Britain becoming a vassal state. This is a great risk for the Conservative Party, which now receives 70 per cent of its support from Leave voters. In desperation, friends of No 10 claim that opposing the deal may open the door a Jeremy Corbyn-led government. In fact, the reverse is true. It is refusing to deliver Brexit that would lay a carpet of the deepest red upon which Mr Corbyn could walk into Downing Street. Jeremy Paxman: 'When Mrs May says it is far from perfect she is not exaggerating' Outside the Palace of Westminster on Thursday I saw the driver of a massive cement lorry wind down his window to bellow in an angry Geordie voice. His target? A rent-a-mob of anti-Brexit demonstrators. Its about time you learned to respect the decision of the working class! he roared. What can he have made of the farce now engulfing Parliament itself? Or of professional politicians united in their conviction that when it comes to the most momentous decision to face us since the Second World War, they can agree precisely nothing? The outcome of the 2016 referendum was clear. By a margin of more than one million votes, the British people said they wanted to leave the EU. Yet more than two years later we are in paralysis, faced with a piece of paper that no one wants and with seemingly no way forward other than to take the Prime Ministers Deal. Theresa May pictured at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 20 November When Mrs May says it is far from perfect she is not exaggerating. Can you imagine Winston Churchill allowing his negotiators to dance the hokey-cokey with a bunch of foreign bureaucrats and then expecting the British Parliament to agree to a half-in, half-out arrangement which continues EU control until the organisation feels inclined to give it up? And which, by the way, makes it impossible for the UK to strike its own trade deals? To reflect the current mess, we would have needed a third choice on the referendum ballot paper reading: I dont like it, but I still want the EU to continue telling us what to do, if they can find some issue like the Irish border with which to be difficult. How, you might wonder, could any leader expect her party to acquiesce in an act of national humiliation? Northern Ireland MP Jim Shannon, representing the fishing port of Portavogie from the Gaelic Port of the Bogs is one of the worst orators in the House of Commons (a hotly contested title). But when he told the House I know codswallop when I see it, he was speaking for many. Codswallop is a kind way of describing the piece of paper MPs are being asked to endorse on Tuesday. If there has been a better example of the failure of Britains political class in the last 50 years, I have somehow missed it. The whole process has been mishandled from the very start, beginning with Camerons lazy choice of a yes/no referendum. Serious decisions need careful thought and action. Then came the business of implementing the wishes of the voters, which was left to the drones of the political class. Could the negotiations with the Brussels bureaucracy have been worse handled? My dog Derek could have made a better job of them. We have got used to the Foreign Office selling the country down the river. What is depressing is that 10 Downing Street might easily have assembled a negotiating team made up of some of the most accomplished business people in the world. Yet the Government preferred to stick with the familiar collection of forelock tuggers, who opened talks by offering to give Brussels billions. Is it any wonder that we have ended up with a dogs breakfast? Jeremy Paxman: 'Once upon a time we used to elect leaders who led and then took responsibility for their decisions rather than retiring to their agreeable Cotswold homes' Then came the refusal to make any preparations for a No Deal exit, the sort of clean break that so many voters wanted, that Europe fears and which would have given us a decent negotiating position. Was this sheer incompetence or, as many suspect, the deliberate foot-dragging of a Remain-dominated establishment? Now we are in the throes of a parliamentary process that could fairly be described as contemptible. The Government held Parliament in such contempt, in fact, that it refused to share the legal advice behind the deal it has managed to achieve. What sort of democracy is that? Theresa May is now asking MPs to endorse a plan for which no one ever voted. She claims it represents all that was attainable. What she means is that she was bested by a team of bureaucrats reporting to Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU Commission and a man with all the charm of a temperance society cheerleader. How have we reached such a pathetic state of affairs? Once upon a time, the House of Commons was packed with people who had done something with their lives already, and entered public life to make the world a better place. Of course, they differed about how to do it, which was why debates were sometimes hard to imagine, isnt it? genuinely thrilling. The Brexit debate, such as it is, has revealed how low we have sunk since politics became a lifestyle choice for deadbeats whose only achievement has been to strike an attitude as a teenager and not to grow up. We have had no leadership to speak of. Mrs Mays secret weapon is that in an age of nonentities she is First Among Equals. Her advisers know that the one thing Conservative MPs fear more than agreeing an appalling deal is a Britain governed by Jeremy Corbyn. Should she fail to get her agreement through Parliament, what little credibility she has will be gone. And failure, as things stand, seems overwhelmingly likely. I cannot see how she will avoid a vote of no confidence. Even Mrs May, however, cannot match the complacency of that nitwit David Cameron, who plunged the country into this chaos in the first place. Casually leaving the fate of the nation to the result of a referendum was a stupid thing to do, which catapults him into the top three of incompetent prime ministers. Once upon a time we used to elect leaders who led and then took responsibility for their decisions rather than retiring to their agreeable Cotswold homes. That lorry-driver showed the way that Brexit has polarised the nation and the divisions are likely to continue for some time to come. It is very depressing. If and when Brexit finally happens, there will be many ragingly disappointed people, including many of those who wanted to leave. Jeremy Paxman: 'Her advisers know that the one thing Conservative MPs fear more than agreeing an appalling deal is a Britain governed by Jeremy Corbyn' Certainly, those who voted whatever happens, it cant be any worse than what we have now will soon discover that leaving the EU is no panacea for the problems that Britain has allowed to fester for generations. If we are to believe that pliant smoothie-chops Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, and his reading of the tea leaves, Mrs Mays Deal will make some things materially worse. Yet in the circumstances, there is probably nothing much to be gained by rejecting it. Why send a proven bunch of incompetents back to Brussels to plead for something better? Why on earth would the EU agree such a thing? The core issue remains what it always was: sovereignty: the question of who governs us, to whom they are accountable, and how we can control them. Theresa May used to be fond of saying that Brexit means Brexit. If she seriously thinks she has achieved that, then it is time for the men in white coats to call. The sole optimistic note is this: however much of a trap the Backstop might seem to be, a sovereign nation can do what it likes. Parliament can make or unmake any law, including a treaty with the EU. So this is not the end of the story. But to have any sort of truly happy ending, we need a better calibre of politician than the current sorry lot. I thought Emmanuel Macron was asking for trouble when just after his 2017 election victory he staged a victory celebration in which he walked, alone and floodlit, across the courtyard of the Louvre, the old royal palace. Who does he think he is, I thought, the King of France? Since the Bastille fortress was stormed by the people of Paris on July 14, 1789, the country has got rid of three kings, two emperors and several presidents, and has worked its way, often violently, through 15 constitutions. Every time there has been a major uprising, it has taken everyone by surprise. The last king had to escape hastily from Paris in a hansom cab, and reached England on a Channel ferry disguised as Bill Smith. Indeed, every French monarch since 1815, and the first president of every republic, spent time as an exile in Britain. Emmanuel Macron gestures during a victory celebration outside the Louvre museum in Paris, France, after his election win back in May last year Frances Fifth Republic is a fairly remote system of government. Power is concentrated in the Elysee Palace and parliament is downgraded. So people workers, farmers, students, immigrants, pensioners often feel their only way of being heard is to cause mayhem. Monarchy tempered by riot, one might say. And out-of-touch presidents never see it coming. Its become almost a ritual. Now, once again, Frances rulers have been taken by surprise and all they can do is call out the riot squads. What began as a protest against fuel taxes has turned into a general movement of frustration and anger. Anger against what people feel to be the injustices and inequalities that stem from the great crash of 2007-08, and against the fact that the rich and clever seem never to suffer, while (as the French say) its always the same ones who pay. The French economy has been underperforming for years. Unemployment, especially among the young, has been chronically high. High school students stand on the defaced statue of the Republic in the Place de la Republique in Paris today. Yet more violence is predicted this weekend But Macrons problem is also a European problem, and a problem for Europe. A European problem because it is the French variant of a widening gulf between rulers and ruled that we see across the continent. For a generation, people have put up with stagnant wages, permanent unemployment, rising inequality and mass immigration. Power has been taken away from democratic national governments, often with their consent, and vested in distant and unaccountable bodies trade organisations, international courts, and above all, the EU. Being president of the Fifth Republic the nearest thing to an elected monarch is a difficult job, perhaps an impossible one. On one hand, the French want their president to embody the greatness of France. They didnt forgive Sarkozy and Hollande for looking vulgar and ridiculous. Riot police stand next to a burning bin after it was set alight during a demonstration by school students in Place de la Republique in Paris today But they also want the president to listen to them, to seem at least sometimes to be a man of the people who feels their pain. Good King Wenceslas rather than Sun King Louis. President Jacques Chirac sometimes managed this, slapping cows rumps at agricultural shows and eating man-sized slices of pate de campagne washed down with a glass or two of Rhone. With all his faults, he was liked. But this is not Macrons style. He is too fastidious. When first elected he said he wanted to be like the god Jupiter, high in the clouds. He has been sharply brought down to earth. Why did Macron think he was a different kind of monarch? A veteran French journalist who knows him told me: You have to remember that all his life hes been the cleverest man in the room. And now his cleverness has proved to be not enough. Perhaps even a handicap. He has some remarkable political gifts. Hes determined and charismatic. But he doesnt suffer fools gladly, and sometimes he seems to think the electors are pretty dim. Up in flames: Bins were torched in the street as protesters blocked schools during another day of unrest in Marseille today Well, General de Gaulle thought so too, but he kept it to himself. Macron sometimes shows it, and people are increasingly resentful of a man who seems remote and disdainful. They dont like being talked down to by a young man in a sharp suit, the embodiment of so much they resent. The rapid fall in his popularity and the venom with which people now talk about him is astonishing. Macron will surely survive, however. There is practically no way of removing a French president, and with the mobilisation of 80,000 police and gendarmes, with armoured vehicles in reserve, there will be no revolution. There hasnt been one in peacetime since 1848. The riots will peter out. But Macron cannot recover the position he once had. People have been shocked by the anger and violence on display, and by footage of 150 schoolchildren made by police to kneel in the mud with their hands behind their heads, like captured terrorists. Armoured cars equipped with machine guns will police the streets of Paris as the French government attempts to avoid urban warfare. This was the scene in Lille today as students protested in front of the lycee Montebello Macron has backed down and tried to buy off the demonstrators, and I suspect this means that his chance of really changing France and rejuvenating the economy has gone for good. And this brings us back to the EU. Macron has put himself forward as the saviour of the European project, which he claims is facing collapse unless it he leads it into the next stage of integration what he calls a sovereign Europe, ultimately in charge of finances, taxation, welfare, labour law and immigration. His effort to reform the French economy and cut spending is spurred on by determination to reduce Frances public borrowing below the EU target of three per cent. Paris is on lockdown as armed police battle to contain 'yellow vest' demonstrators with more than 700 arrests so far today in the fourth straight weekend of demonstrations over living costs and proposed tax rises in France. Angry protesters have been pictured throwing flares and smoke bombs at police who have returned in kind with tear gas and water cannons Only by doing so could he make good his claim to European leadership, as at least the equal of Germany. That too now seems a pipe dream. Where will France and the EU go from here? The future is unpredictable, and it is not very bright. When people feel they are no longer heard by the elites, protest becomes more vehement. We see it in various forms from Spain to Hungary. In France, it leads to burning cars and looted shops. In Britain, it leads to Brexit. France has once again provided us with a dramatic spectacle of what can happen when a political system implodes. In Britain, too, we need to heed the warning. If people feel those in power despise them, sooner or later they react. Advertisement Yvonne Engelman was 15 when she was ushered into a gas chamber with the door shut behind her at Auschwitz, the most notorious Nazi concentration camp of the Third Reich. Then a strange thing happened - nothing. A fault in the line meant the gas didn't work. 'I don't know what you should call it, fate, luck or God, but it was like a miracle,' she said. Maybe it had something to do with the promise she made to her father while crammed into a filthy cattle wagon en route to the death camp from Czechoslovakia: that she would survive. Whatever the reason, it was a pivotal moment in an extraordinary tale of survival, hope and love which saw Yvonne migrate to Australia after the war, marry a fellow Holocaust survivor and go on to have two sons and a daughter, followed by nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. More than 70 years after arriving at Auschwitz, smoke 'billowing' from the buildings, Yvonne - the only survivor from her extended family - has shared her remarkable story with Femail. With incredible clarity, Yvonne details her time in the ghetto, an encounter with Dr Joseph Mengele (otherwise known as the 'Angel of Death'), a gruelling death march through Germany - and the scars and 'constant anxiety' she carries with her to this very day. Yvonne Engelman was just a teenager when she was forced into a cattle train and transported to Auschwitz concentration camp, but she overcame adversity to survive the war, immigrate to Australia and marry her love John Engelman in 1949 The blistering cold from death marches left Yvonne with a severe chilblain which coloured her right cheek with a purple-red mark, still visible over 70 years later Yvonne was born in 1927 in Dovhe, then Czechoslovakia, a small industrial town at the foot of the Carpathian mountains. 'I had the most wonderful childhood, filled with nature and freedom. I was an only child as well as an only grandchild, and I was spoiled with love and attention,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Dovhe's steelworks brought a diverse range of nationalities to the town, and Yvonne remembers having both Jewish and non-Jewish friends, as did her parents: 'There was no distinction - we all mixed and went to school together, there was never any difference.' But when war came to Czechoslovakia, her parents Salamon and Rozalia had their business confiscated by occupying Nazi forces and the family were forced to wear a yellow Star of David pinned to their clothing to identify them as Jews. 'I could see the worry on my parents' faces, and on the faces of other adults in the street. They tried to shelter me from reality but I could sense things were not as they had been,' she said. By 1943 the wheels of war were in motion and Yvonne along with her parents, grandparents and neighbours were forced to move to a temporary transit ghetto where they slept on straw and had no contact with the outside world. 'A medical officer [Dr Josef Mengele, known as the 'Angel of Death'] examined us where we stood and pulled my mother's hand away from me,' she recalled (Josef Mengele pictured second from left) 'We left with just an overnight bag, no possessions. We had nothing and it was so cramped, with people not only from our town but from all around the country.' Arrival at the ghetto signalled the end of Yvonne's education, and she recalls the watchful eye of the authorities who were 'always there'. 'There was a constant feeling of uncertainty in the ghetto - even today, I suffer with anxiety because I grew up with this lingering sense of fear and dread. 'When I had my own children, if they were even a few minutes late I would be beside myself because I carried the uncertainty of this time with me everywhere I went. That's what it [the Holocaust] left me with, constant anxiety.' Today, Yvonne still deals with panic attacks but has always refused medication, learning to cope by staying busy and walking to calm her mind. Czechoslovakia and the Holocaust Czechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until its peaceful separation into modern-day Czech Republic and Slovakia on January 1 1993. According to the 1930 Czechoslovak census, 356,830 residents identified themselves as Jews. Before 1941, records report 26,000 Jews emigrated from the Republic. In November 1941, Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia Reinhard Heydrich ordered the creation of a transit camp and ghetto at Theresienstadt, 60 kilometres north of the capital Prague. Between 1941 and late 1944, the German authorities deported 73,603 Jews from Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc and other Czech towns to Theresienstadt. SS and local police personnel then transported the vast majority to killing sites across the Baltic States, concentration camps in occupied Poland and from 1942 onward, to the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau. During the Holocaust, the Nazi regime and its collaborators murdered approximately 263,000 Jewish citizens of Czechoslovakia. Advertisement After months of waiting for a fate they could not imagine, Yvonne and her family were taken to the ghetto's railway square where they were selected for 'relocation to the east'. 'We were marched into cattle wagons, my parents, my grandparents and my aunt, with no idea where we were going. I can't describe the fear,' Yvonne recalled. 'The trains were filthy, packed with tiny children and the elderly and there were no seats or toilets, just a bucket in the corner. The only food we had was an occasional slice of stale bread. We had been sent to a death chamber but a fault in the line meant the gas didn't work... it was like a miracle. 'The fear took all your confidence and made you paranoid, and to this day I'm aware of it - I know it will never leave me, but I try to push it to the back of my mind.' While they were travelling, Yvonne's father turned to her and said 'I want you to promise me one thing. I want you to promise me that you will survive', a request that confused her at the time but one she agreed to. At Auschwitz, the passengers were marched out of their wagons and Yvonne still recalls how overwhelming the scene was with 'the SS everywhere, shouting in German, and smoke billowing out of the buildings around us'. 'A medical officer [Dr Josef Mengele, known as the 'Angel of Death'] examined us where we stood and pulled my mother's hand away from me. 'My heart was thumping out of my chest when my mother, father and the rest of my family were directed to a group standing on the left hand side of the plaza, and I was sent to the right. 'That was the last time I saw my parents. Until I learned the truth, that they had immediately been sent to the gas chambers, I never stopped hoping that we would be together again after the war.' 73,603 Czechoslovak Jews were forcibly transported to concentration camps during the Second World War, many of them to Auschwitz-Birkenau where their heads were shaved, belongings stolen and millions were murdered in the gas chambers Along with hundreds of other new arrivals, Yvonne was taken to an enormous sorting hall where the women had their heads shaved and were stripped naked. Over seven decades later, the 'why' of what happened next is still a confusing mystery. 'A big group of us were forced into a large shower area and they locked the door behind us. There were shower heads but no water and we slept there overnight - I was so frightened, but in the morning we were led out.' 'It wasn't until much later we discovered we had been sent to a death chamber but a fault in the line meant the gas didn't work - I don't know what you should call it, fate, luck or God, but it was like a miracle.' Yvonne was put to work in the belongings hall working 10 hours a day, searching the luggage of the deceased and detained for valuables to line the pockets of her Nazi captors. During the winter of 1944 with the Allied forces and Russian Army fast closing in, German authorities liquidated Auschwitz-Birkenau to hide the truth behind the atrocities committed there and sent thousands like Yvonne on death marches back to Germany During the winter of 1944 with the Allied forces and Russian Army fast closing in, German authorities liquidated Auschwitz-Birkenau with the aim of hiding the truth behind the atrocities committed there, forcing anyone still able to walk on death marches west toward the German Reich. The blistering cold left Yvonne with a severe chilblain which coloured her right cheek with a purple-red mark, still visible over 70 years later. Those who survived the arduous journey were sent to work at a munitions factory in southern Germany fixing timers for explosives for the rapidly weakening Wehrmacht, until they were liberated by the Russian Army. The Red Cross followed shortly after with food, which the malnourished prisoners ate so much of and so quickly they were hospitalised until they regained their strength. 'When we were well enough, we all wanted to go back to our home towns to find our families. We started on foot because the railway tracks had been destroyed by bombing, and I left my name on blackboards at soup kitchens along the way in the hope that someone I knew would see I had survived and make contact.' Pictured are Jewish women and children, some wearing the yellow Star of David patch on their chests, at Auschwitz concentration camp, southern Poland, undergoing selections Yvonne married fellow Holocaust survivor John Engelman in 1949 and went on to have a three children (who she is pictured with), nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren Upon reaching Prague, Yvonne realised the dream of being reunited with her beloved parents was just a fantasy: 'I saw that this was it - it was just me now.' In the aftermath of the war, a number of countries offered a small quota of visas for Jewish survivors, and after studying a map of the world Yvonne chose to apply for Australia because it was 'the farthest I could get from Europe'. Along with 60 young Czech survivors, her application was accepted and she set sail on the SS Derna from Marseilles, France in August 1948 for the unknown of Oceania. Yvonne disembarked at Fremantle, Western Australia in November 1948 and travelled across the country to Sydney where she learned English and started work at a factory making costume jewellery. As well as a lasting battle with anxiety and a facial scar, the horrors of the Holocaust left Yvonne with a loathing for any form of food wastage. 'For years after I came to Australia, I would not leave the house without a piece of bread stuffed into my handbag. I was so afraid of being hungry again, I carried it just in case.' 'My greatest achievement is that Hitler never achieved what he set out to do - I was an only child, an only grandchild, and I became the only survivor of my family. I am very fortunate to have had my own family of four generations' For the past 26 years, Yvonne has honoured the memory of Holocaust victims and fulfilled what she sees as her obligation to Europe's six million by speaking to visitors at Sydney's Jewish Museum every Tuesday She is pictured here in 2017 after receiving the Order of Australia Medal for her work in keeping the memory of those murdered alive In 1949, Yvonne married fellow Czechoslovak Holocaust survivor John Engelman who she first met in Prague in the shell shocked aftermath of the war. The couple went on to have two sons and one daughter, followed by nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, a four-generational family which Yvonne describes as her 'greatest achievement'. 'I am very fortunate to have four generations. My greatest achievement is that Hitler never achieved what he set out to do - I was an only child, an only grandchild, and I became the only survivor of my family. 'The greatest crime against humanity is silence, and that is what drives me to tell my story. As a survivor, I have an obligation to perpetuate their memory and remember what I experienced for the six million who cannot share stories of their own.' Every Tuesday for the past 26 years, Yvonne has honoured the memory of Holocaust victims by speaking to students and visitors at Sydney's Jewish Museum. In 2017, she was recognised for her efforts with the Order of Australia Medal. The Sydney Jewish Museum is currently hosting a contemporary art exhibition 'The Fate of Things: Memory Objects and Art' which was conceptualised by Australian artists Anne Zahalka and Sylvia Griffin, both children of Holocaust survivors. The Fate of Things addresses the loss and family trauma experienced by the women, who still try to make sense of their fragmented histories. Looking after your skin while travelling is no easy task. But Australia's leading beauty artisan Jocelyn Petroni - who's a professional manicurist for Chanel Australia - has revealed her skincare secrets for a glowing complexion. She explained that aeroplane cabins have very low levels of humidity, making them extremely dry and moisture-free environments. 'When the air is dry, it will look for moisture wherever it can find it, including from the natural moisture in our skin,' she told FEMAIL. 'This is why our skin becomes so dry, dehydrated and visibly unhealthy on aeroplanes, because the cabin air is literally sucking the moisture and water out of our skin.' The official manicurist for Chanel Australia Jocelyn Petroni has revealed how people can look after their skin while travelling Before the flight Ms Petroni said there are a number of things travellers can do pre-flight to boost their skins overall hydration. The best treatment before flying is to have a hydrating facial as close to the flight as possible. 'A good hydrating facial will give your skin a super hydration soak so it is rich with nourishment and will not become dehydrated,' she said. 'If you dont have time for a facial, I would recommend a moisture boosting regime. I like to layer my moisturising products so that Im nourishing every layer of my skin from the deepest to the most superficial layers.' 'A good hydrating facial will give your skin a super hydration soak so it is rich with nourishment and will not become dehydrated,' she said The beauty guru explained that moisturising is essential when flying because it prevents the water within the skin from evaporating into the atmosphere, which leaves the skin feeling parched, dehydrated and looking dull and unhealthy. She starts by cleansing to wash away oil, dirt and dead skin that might prevent her hydrating ingredients sinking into their target layer. She then applies a hydrating serum followed by a rich moisturising cream to help the skin retain moisture. 'Serums contain high concentrations of active ingredients, giving the most visible and often immediate results,' she said. 'They are light in texture, which gives them the capacity to penetrate the deepest skin layers, so these active ingredients are delivered straight to their target site.' The beauty guru explained that moisturising is essential when flying because it prevents the water within the skin from evaporating into the atmosphere What are the products Jocelyn uses? - Shemanas Face Serum - Ultraceuticals C23+ Firming Concentrate - Rosehip oil and coconut oil - Ultraceuticals Ultra A Hydration Booster Mask - Organic Nations More than Rose Hydration Mist - La Mer The Lip Balm Advertisement For short haul flights she said she's loving Shemanas Face Serum, which is lightweight and 'loves all skin types'. She recommends that people apply a few drops under their moisturiser for instant hydration and glow. You can also add a few drops of this oil to your foundation, if you prefer to fly with make up on (for short haul flights only). 'For long-haul flights, I would recommend applying a Vitamin C serum to give the skin a strong boost of active ingredients.' she said. 'Vitamin C actually stimulates your skins natural oil production so this helps combat topical dryness and dehydration. 'Ultraceuticals C23+ Firming Concentrate was developed with the CSIRO and it the most potent vitamin C for collagen synthesis and real anti-ageing results.' For short haul flights she said she's loving Shemanas Face Serum, which is lightweight and 'loves all skin types' Next she recommended applying a rich face oil, anything from rosehip oil to coconut oil. Oils retain water within the skin preventing trans-epidermal water loss and dehydration, so using an oil to "lock-in" water content is the easiest way to prevent extreme dehydration that results from flying. 'Lastly, I apply my moisturiser, and when I'm flying, I wear a rich moisturising mask as my moisturiser,' she said. 'Right now I cannot get enough of Ultraceuticals Ultra A Hydration Booster Mask which is my secret to glowing skin.' 'Lastly, I apply my moisturiser, and when I'm flying, I wear a rich moisturising mask as my moisturiser,' she said If you prefer to wear makeup on a short-haul flight she suggested people prep their skin like above before they fly and use a hydrating facial mist to refresh and enliven the skin during the flight. She said it is important to look for ingredients like Rose and Aloe Vera to keep skin looking hydrated and dewy during the flight. 'Organic Nations More than Rose Hydration Mist is aloe vera based and includes hydrating hyaluronic acid so its more like a light serum than a mist,' she said. While you're up in the air Ms Petroni said it's great to use a deeply hydrating face mask as a moisturiser when flying. 'I remove and reapply my face mask every four hours which is essential to maintain a constant barrier of protection from the environment,' she said. Lip balm is another product she can't do without as she makes it a habit to apply it to as soon as she cannot feel the product on her lips. She particularly likes to La Mer The Lip Balm as she said it is 'amazing' for long haul flights as it nourishes, restores and strengthens the natural moisture barrier. Ms Petroni said it's great to use a deeply hydrating face mask as a moisturiser when flying After you land Post flight Ms Petroni said weary travellers should book in for an Omnilux treatment as the quick half hour light therapy treatment will deeply hydrate the skin and also help balance people's circadian rhythm. 'Your eyes can also be a giveaway for how tired you are, treat the area with detoxifying eye patches to minimise puffiness and dark circles,' she said. 'Keeping your skin hydrated is essential in keeping your skin protected so you avoid the post flight breakout.' Denmark's Crown Princess Mary looked every inch the stylish royal as she attended the Danish Music Conservatory Children's Choir Christmas concert. On Saturday, the Danish royal, 46, appeared delighted as she got into the festive spirit, with her husband Crown Prince Frederik and their four children. The mother-of-four swapped her woollen coat for a black Ralph Lauren knitted jumper and a floral midi skirt by Prada in Copenhagen just a day after she braved the chilly Latvian weather. Denmark's Crown Princess Mary looked every inch the stylish royal as she attended the Danish Music Conservatory Children's Choir Christmas concert The princess was joined by her husband Crown Prince Frederik and their four children Princess Isabella, 11, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, seven, and Prince Christian, 13 The $3,200 (1,805) pleated skirt featured a purple and green poppy motif - and she completed her look with high boots, Bottega Veneta handbag and a white gold necklace. The Australian-born princess was joined by her children Princess Isabella, 11, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, seven, and Prince Christian, 13. The stylish mother was glowing at the special occasion as she was presented with a bouquet of flowers at the event. Princess Mary is the patron of the children's choir consisting of about 80 kids and teenagers, aged between seven and 18. The choir has a large repertory including carols, gospel songs, and classical works. Her latest royal duty comes just a day after she visited Latvia with her husband Prince Frederik for their two-day tour of the country. The mother-of-four swapped her woollen coat for a black Ralph Lauren knitted jumper and a floral midi skirt by Prada in Copenhagen just a day after she braved the chilly Latvian weather The mother was glowing at the special occasion as she was presented with flowers at the event The $3,200 (1,805) pleated skirt featured a purple and green poppy motif - and she completed her look with high boots, Bottega Veneta handbag and a white gold necklace Princess Mary was dazzling onlookers with her impeccably polished style during a two day state visit to Latvia with her husband Crown Prince Frederik The royal chose a powder blue woollen coat with a coordinating pencil skirt and perfectly matched blue heels - apparently unfazed by the snow Despite the cold conditions, Mary was dazzling the Eastern European country in a series of impeccably polished ensembles, and didn't disappoint today in a powder blue woollen coat, matching pencil skirt, and perfectly co-ordinated heels. She and Crown Prince Frederik touched down in Riga on Thursday. Mary and Frederik were welcomed on Thursday by Latvia's President Raimonds Vejonis and Latvia's First Lady Iveta Vejone. The Princess wore a pale pink coat dress and coordinating pillbox hat that drew comparisons to Jackie Kennedy. Beneath her coat on Friday, the Princess wore a flower-embellished blouse, and accessorised with navy leather gloves and a co-ordinating clutch. Accentuating her stature, Mary completed the look with a pair of blue heels, and accessorised with pearl earrings. Wearing her chestnut-hued hair in a sleek centre parting, she enjoyed the wintry weather before continuing her tour. Power wardrobe: The Danish Princess touched down in Riga on Thursday in a pale pink coat dress, teamed with matching leather gloves and a Bottega Veneta clutch bag Australian-born Mary arrived with husband Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, 50, in Riga, Latvia on Thursday for their two-day tour of the country, and were welcomed by Latvia's President Raimonds Vejonis and Latvia's First Lady Iveta Vejone (seen right) Mary had a busy few days, arriving on Thursday in a stylish all-pink ensemble. Along with her husband, she was 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. 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. The royal couple were visiting Latvia to participate in celebrating the country's 100th year anniversary of independence. The whirl-wind two-day tour focused on art, design and history of the country. They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince. And according to Australian relationship expert Tala Scott, there are seven different types of men you will meet before finding 'the one'. Appearing on the Today show, the author rounded up the men you will most likely come across on the dating scene. Scroll down for video They say you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince (stock image) Reflecting back on her experiences, Ms Scott revealed she found her very own 'Mr Darcy' at the age of 29 - but she had to let him go because she was already married. Following her marriage breakdown, she set out to explore the stages of love - and she discovered the seven types of men following 25 years of research. Mr Grey From the outside, Mr Grey appears to be a handsome man who has his life together - but he has a fear of love. 'He's all about control and he's emotionally distant,' she explained. Mr McDreamy Mr McDreamy is the ultimate 'soulmate' of relationships - the man you typically see in romantic movies. She explained how women have an incredibly strong connection with Mr McDreamy who is filled with unconditional love, self-care and understanding. Everything seems perfect with Mr McDreamy but he can be platonic. According to Australian relationship expert Tala Scott (pictured), there are seven different types of men you need to meet before finding 'The One' Mr Unavailable Mr Unavailable has a deep sense of love but there's something missing. 'He's not available mentally or emotionally,' she said, adding that he can't offer a full connection in a relationship. Mr Upgrade 'There's a lot of magnetism with Mr Upgrade but he gets to a point in his life where he's very unsettled and he would usually upgrade to a younger lady,' she said. He has a strong soul connection but he's still unhealed from his past relationship. Reflecting back on her experiences, Ms Scott revealed she found her very own 'Mr Darcy' at the age of 29 - but she had to let him go because she was already married (stock image) Mr Variety She explained Mr Variety is the ladies man who loves to be the centre of attention - but he will leave once a relationship turns serious. 'He flips to different ladies and he won't commit so he's a little bit tricky,' she said. Mr Duality Mr Duality is probably the most complicated one out of all, she explained. 'He's what's known as what is called a "twin flame" so this person will be very different to you,' Ms Scott said. They share similar values and interests as you - but they often have unrequited love. Mr Darcy She describes Mr Darcy as the 'perfect man' who has a complete love of heart, mind, body and soul. He sees the perfection and beauty of you and you can spark up a divine union relationship with him. She is still finding her feet as a duchess, so it's perhaps of little surprise that the new Duchess of Sussex is looking to her sister-in-law for guidance. But palace staff are said to be 'baffled' at the growing similarities between the two women's wardrobes, as it's claimed Kate's staff think the resemblance to her own sartorial style is becoming 'inappropriate'. As Meghan settles into royal life, she is said to be drawing inspiration from Kate's immaculate royal style, with a source telling the Sun on Sunday that it 'hasn't gone unnoticed'. They told the newspaper that, while Meghan has always been a 'style icon' in her own right, she is finding it difficult to adjust from showbiz siren to demure duchess. It comes as rumours of a rift between the two women continue to swirl, following the news that Meghan and Harry will swap Kensington Palace for Frogmore Cottage, Windsor ahead of the birth of their first child next spring. Scroll down for video Kate in Manchester in 2015 (left) and Meghan in New Zealand in October (right). Palace staff are said to be 'baffled' at the growing similarities between the two women's wardrobes, as it's claimed Kate's staff think the resemblance is 'inappropriate' Meghan's white engagement coat from Canadian brand Line the Label (right) had strong echoes of a cream Max Mara Studio Gilles number worn by Kate in 2015 (left) An official reason for the move has not been given by the palace, but insiders have cited a growing 'tension' between the two couples. The source said: 'Since joining the royals she seems to be a bit lost. Instead of finding her feet she is copying what Kate wears more often than ever.' They added that it 'makes sense' for Meghan to follow Kate's lead because the Duchess of Cambridge 'has been in the family for years and know the protocol'. Kate married into the monarchy more than seven years ago, while Meghan is something of a newbie having tied the knot with Harry in May. The Duchess of Cambridge relies on PA Natasha Archer to coordinate her wardrobe, while the Duchess of Susses is thought to be relying on close friend and fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney to help pick her outfits. 'Kate's team are a bit miffed she's going down the same route as her and think it's inappropriate, as they're not as close as they were,' the source added. Kate in London in 2015 (left), and Meghan in New Zealand in October (right). Insiders have claimed that the new Duchess of Sussex is looking to her sister-in-law for guidance All white on the night: The Duchess of Cambridge in Warsaw, Poland in July 2017 (left) and the Duchess of Sussex in Wellington, New Zealand in October (right) True blue: Kate at Reach Academy Feltham in January 2018 (left) Meghan in a similar ensemble at an Armistice ceremony at Westminster Abbey in November (right) Kate in Berkshire in 2012 (left) and Meghan in Edinburgh in February 2018 (right). As Meghan settles into royal life, she is said to be drawing inspiration from Kate's immaculate royal style The Duchess of Cambridge on a visit to the Solomon Islands, September 2012 (left) and the Duchess of Sussex on her way to a meeting in Rotorua, New Zealand in October (right) On her recent royal tour of New Zealand, Meghan, 37, wore a grey check trench coat from Karen Walker that bore a striking resemblance to an LK Bennett number Kate wore in Manchester in 2017. Similarly, her white engagement coat from Canadian brand Line the Label had strong echoes of a cream Max Mara Studio Gilles number worn by Kate on a visit to Portsmouth in 2015. The Sun's source also noted that Meghan has started wearing some of Kate's favourite British labels such as Stella McCartney, Burberry and Mulberry. 'Kate has even told Meghan what to wear in the past,' the source said. 'She's not the kind of person to get annoyed that somebody likes what she wears. 'But her team think it's strange there are now so many similarities.' Actress Vanessa Paradis has insisted she's 'happy' daughter Lily-Rose Depp has chosen a career in the spotlight - even though her own teenage fame saw her labelled a 'whore' and punched in the street. Johnny Depp's ex, 45, explained how she regularly received abuse following her worldwide hit with Joe le Taxi at the age of 14, admitting it was 'tough because it became an everyday thing.' Vanessa said she still felt very much a teenager at the time, despite being labelled a 'provocative nymphet' in the press. Nevertheless, the mother-of-two insisted she is comfortable with 19-year-old daughter Lily-Rose's decision to follow her and ex Johnny into the showbiz industry by becoming a model and actress. Actress Vanessa Paradis (pictured at the Cesar Film Awards in Paris in March) has revealed she punched in the street and had 'whore' graffitied outside her building after finding fame at 14 In an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, Vanessa explained how she was shouted at in the street as a teenager, after being propelled into the spotlight. 'I sang a song. I was overexposed on radio, on TV. I was everywhere. People couldnt digest me,' she recalled. Admitting it was difficult, the actress said: 'Yes, it was tough because it became an everyday thing... I think some people really couldnt stand me.' However, Vanessa suggested she wasn't concerned about her daughter Lily-Rose, who is currently the face of Chanel No 5, being in the public eye. Despite the abuse she received as a teenager, Vanessa insisted she is 'happy' with 19-year-old daughter Lily-Rose Depp's decision to follow her and ex Johnny into the showbiz industry. The pair are pictured together at Paris Fashion Week in March Vanessa (pictured in 1988 at the age of 15) said she very much felt like a teenager after being propelled into the spotlight at 14 with her hit Joe le Taxi 'Im really happy shes where she should be. Shes very talented and makes great choices about what movies she does. Shes pretty much made for the job,' she said. During the awkward interview - in which Vanessa told journalist Chrissy Iley 'Youre in a weird demeanour' - the actress remained tight-lipped about her decision to marry French director Samuel Benchetrit, despite never tying the knot with Johnny during their 14 years together. Vanessa and Samuel, 45 - who fell in love after meeting on the set of drama Chien in 2016 - married in a quiet ceremony in the town of Saint-Simeon, east of Paris, in June this year. The actress had previously said she had no interest in tying the knot in an interview in 2011, before she met the director. Vanessa and Johnny Depp (pictured at the Oscars in 2008) parted ways in 2012, following 14 years together Vanessa married French director and writer Samuel Benchetrit (above, in March) in a quiet ceremony in the town of Saint-Simeon, east of Paris, in June this year Vanessa never wed long-term partner Johnny, whom she parted ways from in 2012. Johnny discussed their split with Rolling Stone magazine at the time, explaining: 'Relationships are very difficult. Especially in the racket that I'm in because you're constantly away or they're away and so it's hard. It wasn't easy on her. 'It wasn't easy on me. It wasn't easy on the kids. So, yeah. The trajectory of that relationship - you play it out until it goes, one thing leads to another.' Vanessa and Johnny also have 16-year-old son Jack together, as well as daughter Lily-Rose. Radio and television presenter Lauren Laverne has expressed her frustration on Twitter after her grieving mother was told she must pay 200 more a year in car insurance because she's now 'single'. Laverne recently revealed that her father, Dr Leslie Grofton, a respected sociology lecturer, had died on November 24th and on Friday she made it clear that the price hike on her mother's policy had caused the family further upset. She wrote: 'Mam called her car insurance people to say Dad had died, and they put her premium up by 200 a year because she is "single" (and presumably a girl racer??) Merry Christmas!' Scroll down for video The Desert Island Discs star, 40, told followers on Twitter that her mother Celia had been asked to pay 200 a year more on her car insurance policy after the recent death of Laverne's father Dr Leslie Grofton Laverne's father, a respected university lecturer, died on November 24th and when his wife Celia informed her car insurance company, they demanded 200 more a year The tweet has sparked a flurry of outrage on the family's behalf with many people asking Laverne to name and shame the company involved. Among those who tweeted was Nigella Lawson; the domestic goddess wrote: 'Im so sorry for your loss. A platitude, but deeply meant. These people!' Lots of people shared similar experiences: @minicheddar1975 wrote: 'My condolences. When I called to cancel my parents holiday (after dad suddenly died) the person asked why my mum couldn't take someone else on holiday with her...erm, her husband had just dropped dead at 59 and she wasn't really in the mood for a holiday!' @lexiconmistress added that she also felt the struggle of being deemed 'single'. She wrote: 'Actually, as someone whose husband died recently too, I am not single and do not describe myself as single. Morally, legally, emotionally I am still married. He just can't be in the room with me any more.' Hundreds of people, including Nigella Lawson, have tweeted their support to the presenter, who recently took over from Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs Others asked Laverne to broadcast the company so that others would be wary. @Prettytwitten added: 'Please name the insurance company so we can applaud them for their sympathy.' @pauljfranklin said: 'Weve been through a very similar experience in the last couple of weeks - its astonishing how they profit off stuff like this. Very sorry for your loss.' Laverne announced the loss of her father on Instagram on November 25th, saying: 'His life was extraordinarily rich in the things he cared about: music, ideas and us.' The star said support from well-wishers on social media was helping her to cope with her father's death. In August this year, it was revealed Laverne was taking over from Desert Island Discs hosts Kirsty Young, after the radio presenter revealed she is battling pain condition fibromyalgia. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden ditched ballgowns for a sharp trouser suit in Stockholm this morning. The future queen donned a stylish forest green two-piece as she brought a touch of style to a conference in the rainy Swedish capital. Part of the annual Nobel Week Dialogue, today's talk focused on solutions to the global water crisis and was held at the Stockholm City Conference Centre in Barnhusgatan. And Victoria, 41, looked like she meant business in the eye-catching green number which she paired with a ruffled shirt and pointed ankle boots. Scroll down for video It's not easy being green! Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden ditched ballgowns for a sharp trouser suit in Stockholm this morning (seen arriving at Stockholm City Conference Centre) Queen of style: The future queen donned a stylish forest green two-piece as she brought a touch of style to a conference in the rainy Swedish capital on Sunday 9 December The mother-of-two, whose full title is Crown Princess Victoria, Duchess of Vastergotland, completed her look with a stylish chain bag, tying her hair back into her signature bun. Victoria turned plenty of heads when she entered into the lecture theatre this morning alongside Nobel Foundation chairman Carl-Henrik Heldin. According to the event website, today's talk looked at causes and possible solutions for the global water crisis. The annual series of talks is organised to 'stimulate discussion at the highest level on a topical science-related theme'. The daughter of Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia is married to Prince Daniel, a former personal trainer and gym owner. Together the couple share Princess Estelle, six and Prince Oscar, two. Victoria turned plenty of heads as she entered the lecture theatre. Part of the annual Nobel Week Dialogue, today's talk focused on solutions to the global water crisis and was held at the Stockholm City Conference Centre in Barnhusgatan Suited and booted: Victoria, 41, looked like she meant business in the eye-catching green number which she paired with a ruffled shirt and pointed ankle boots (pictured with Nobel Foundation chairman Carl-Henrik Heldin) Crown Princess Victoria arrives at the conference this morning with Nobel Foundation chairman Carl-Henrik Heldin. According to the event website, today's talk looked at causes and possible solutions for the global water crisis Victoria, right, is welcomed to the centre this morning by Nobel officials. The annual series of talks is organised to 'stimulate discussion at the highest level on a topical science-related theme' according to the event's website Australian model Madeline Stuart has been admitted to hospital with a 'four out of four defect' heart failure. The Brisbane-born model with Down syndrome revealed she had suffered from an enlarged heart to the point where urgent surgery was required. From a hospital bed in the Prince Charles Hospital in Queensland, the 22-year-old shared the news with her followers on social media. Down syndrome model Madeline Stuart will undergo urgent surgery for a heart defect The 22-year-old Brisbane-born model has had heart complications since she was a baby 'Unfortunately I have gone into heart failure and my heart has enlarged to a point where if they do not operate it will not be able to be fixed,' she wrote on Sunday evening. 'Tomorrow morning I will have open heart surgery to hopefully repair my Mitral valve that has reached a four out of four defect. 'I am sorry I have not shared this news sooner but it has been a very stressful time. I know you will all be praying for me and I am so very grateful for that. I love you all.' In February, Ms Stuart said her heart was the 'healthiest it has ever been', despite a history of leaky valves and multiple holes. 'At my last check-up my doctor said it had not enlarged, as it is no longer working so hard to maintain the three holes and leaky Mitral valve,' she said at the time. Reaching out to her Facebook followers, Ms Stuart said she would undergo surgery for a 'four out of four defect' heart failure Ms Stuart's mother Roseanne revealed her daughter had only been given a 13 per cent of survival when she was a newborn. 'The first hurdle was open-heart surgery at eight weeks,' she told CNN. 'The doctors did not hold out much hope, giving her only a 13 per cent chance of survival, but that didn't deter me. 'Maddy was a fighter and, in the end, didn't let the odds win.' An aspiring Victoria's Secret model, Ms Stuart (right) is described as a 'fighter' by her mother Madeline revealed earlier in the year the effort she went to to get herself fit in hopes of never having to go under the knife again. Coming out of high school, the young woman admitted she struggled with her weight through her teenage years. 'It continued until she found it difficult to keep up with friends at dance and sport,' Roseanne told Daily Mail Australia. 'One day it all became too much, the puffing and feeling uncomfortable.' The 22-year-old revealed in February that she lost more than 23 kilos on her way to strutting down the catwalk with some of the industry's biggest stars. 'She did not lose weight to become a model, but became a model when she lost weight as she felt empowered and confident to strut her stuff,' Rosanne said. Madeline has since been featured in the likes of Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and has walked at New York Fashion Week for the past six seasons. A model who was kidnapped, drugged and forced to have sex with more than eight men at knife-point has warned it could happen to anyone - describing herself as 'just a normal girl'. Swedish-born Frida Farrell, now 38, was held as a sex slave in London for three days 16 years ago, following a chance encounter while walking home from Oxford Street. She was given a business card by the man in a suit, who asked if she wanted to model for a holiday brochure. The then-aspiring actress agreed to an audition the following day, which took place in a building on Harley Street. Frida - who is now a mother to a one-year-old daughter and lives in LA - was offered 7,000 for the job and asked to return to the same place the following day, when her ordeal began. Frida Farrell (pictured in September), now 38, was kidnapped, drugged and forced to have sex with more than eight men at knife-point when she was just 22 The model - who tells a story of her ordeal in film Selling Isobel - was held at knife-point, before being forced to drink a spiked glass of milk, and moved to a different location where she was forced to have sex with multiple men - she believes more than eight. She managed to escape after three days when her captor forgot to lock the door behind him. Speaking to the Huffington Post, Frida said: '[A]ny woman or any girl could be kidnapped and put into this situation. Anyone is for sale, youre just a body. 'They dont care where youre from or what you look like. I was just a normal girl, I was like anyone else in my class. It happened to me because I was walking home that night.' Frida (pictured here in 2013) has warned that anyone could become a victim of sex trafficking, describing herself as 'just a normal girl' Describing the effect it has had on her life, Frida - who now lives in LA - explained how she decided to move away from London, where her captors were. 'I used to love going out with friends, drinking wine, going to jazz bars, but it was hard for me to fit in now. What if they saw me and tried to take me away?,' she said. Frida told the story of her horrifying ordeal in the film Selling Isobel, also called Apartment 407, which she wrote and starred in. The actress has previously spoken about how she felt officers didn't take her seriously when she reported her ordeal to police. Frida turned her horrifying ordeal in the film Selling Isobel, also called Apartment 407, which she wrote and starred in (above) Friday was held at knife-point and made to drink a spiked glass of milk, before being moved to a different location where she was forced to have sex with multiple men Her mother Margareta told the Daily Mail in 2016: 'It was terrible. Frida called me just a few hours after she had fled from the apartment. She was beside herself and cried her eyes out when she told me what had happened. 'I immediately booked a flight to London and went there straight away. To hear that your daughter has had such a horrific experience really breaks a mother's heart. 'After I had arrived in London, we went to the police, but they did not believe her story. 'The officer just kept asking her if she entered voluntarily and what she was wearing. They seemed to believe that something like that could not happen in such a posh neighbourhood.' A mother-of-one whose smutty greeting cards have earned a celebrity following now turns over 1.5m a year. Graphic designer Stacey Dennis, 32, from Pontefract, Yorkshire, started her business with just 30 in the bank but now counts the likes of Katie Price and Georgia Toffolo among her fans. Stacey was made redundant in 2014 just as she went on maternity leave while pregnant with her daughter Layla and, in a cruel twist of fate, and her plasterer husband Jay, 37, injured his back shortly afterwards The couple had just 30 in the bank when Stacey set up in business as a freelance graphic designer and one of her first gigs was to create some Valentines cards for an LBGT charity. Stacey said: I have a pretty way out sense of humour, so I came up with some filthy slogans and some smutty cards and the 11 designs sold like hot cakes for the LBGT charity. Rags to riches: Stacey Dennis, 32, from Pontefract, Yorkshire, started her greeting card business with just 30 but now counts Katie Price and Georgia Toffolo among her fans Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo, left, and Geordie Shore star Abbie Holborn, right, with Layla Loves cards made by designer Stacey Dennis who launched her business following her redundancy A selection of cards from LoveLayla.co.uk. The business boasts celebrity clients including Vicky Pattison, Abbie Holborn, Charlotte Crosby and Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis I really pushed the limit and it worked so well and they eventually spiralled out of control. It was then that me and Jay realised we had the chance to make it on our own he was lying on the sofa for a month with his injured back. He wanted to help, so having never used a computer he took on the challenge to publicise the cards and got stuck into social media. We were selling on eBay at first, but after Mothers Day and some more rather risque cards we decided we needed our own LoveLayla.co.uk website. We went from a couple of cards at 3.75 including first class postage being done on the kitchen table to 60,000 in just six weeks. Turnover in that first year hit 1 million and there was just the two of us. We are up to five now and the turnover has gone up each year. We are now at 1.5 million and growing. And LoveLayla.co.uk also has celebrity clients including Vicky Pattison, Abbie Holborn, Charlotte Crosby and Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis, who recently received a racy LoveLayla card from his daughter. Vicky Pattinson with one of the cards, which have helped to earn Layla a fortune. Her business turns over 1.5m a year - a far cry from when the family were struggling to make ends meet Staceys daughter Layla has now started school, but had already learnt to write her name from the company logo. Stacey said: When we drive past our warehouse unit, Layla always says I am the real Layla! Fortunately, our Layla doesnt swear and shes not allowed to see all the cards as some are just too rude. Its funny, but I am not a fan of comedian Chubby Brown as I dont like the swearing, but our cards do sometimes us the c-bomb or the f-word, but its all about the humour for me. We do mainstream cards, but it is the rude and racy ones that really sell. We have a turkey on a card for this Christmas with the slogan Chicks Before d***s. Lightbulb moment: Stacey, 32, was made redundant in 2014 just as she went on maternity leave while pregnant with her daughter Layla and her plasterer husband Jay injured his back Another has a little gingerbread man on it with the message Gingers are for life not just for Christmas. Another says Santa knows youve been a k**b, you are getting f**k all and then there is one popular among girlfriends with the message You are on the naughty list for excessive use of your dildo. For the well-endowed ladies out there we have a card with the message Merry Christmas Tinsel T***s thats one of my favourites along with Christmas Time, Camel Toe and Wine. Her favourite card to date features a goggle-eyed Elf holding a present with the slogan When I think about you I touch my elf! And Stacey, who has won a clutch of small business awards for her enterprise that now has a staff of five, also has a message of peace for the festive season with her card declaring: Deck the halls, not your family. For those with other festive birthday celebrations her card reads: I am sorry that your December birthday is overshadowed by a bloke that wore socks with sandals. Stacey added: There is nothing out there, or as out there as our LoveLayla cards, because we are the realistic ones. We sit down all five of us and brainstorm and our brand is built on taking the pee out of each other. In the office it is constant banter and p*ss-taking. Stacey with daughter Layla. The family had just 30 in the bank when Stacey set up in business as a freelance graphic designer and one of her first gigs was to create Valentines cards We have had complaints from people including vegans, feminists and some Christians. If you dont like it then turn the page and dont look, but I am standing up for what I believe in and thats the freedom to be funny. We do some cards that dont swear, as I like the wit rather than the foul language. Her Australian husband of five years Jay, 37, added: Stacey has a wicked sense of humour, but this business shows what you can do when you are under pressure. There we were with 30 in the bank and then we open a business that turns over 1 million in a year. My favourite card is the one I came up withJesus loves you, but I think youre a d**khead. Sir Kenneth Branagh's latest role playing William Shakespeare has sparked a row amongst academics, with some saying the prosethic nose the actor has donned for the role is simply too big. Classic actor Branagh, 57, has added width and depth to his real-life nose to play the Bard in new film All Is True, which he also directs. The film follows the Bard when he returns to Stratford in 1613 after his Globe Theatre burns to the ground during a performance of his play All Is True, later known as Henry VIII. Scroll down for video Classically-trained actors: Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh are portraying William Shakespeare and his wife Anne in All Is True, which Sir Kenneth directs Branagh, who also directs the film, widened and lengthened his nose for the portrayal of Shakespeare but some historians have argued that the bard didn't have a long proboscis The film follows the Bard when he returns to Stratford in 1613 after his Globe Theatre burns to the ground during a performance of his play All Is True, later known as Henry VIII While some critics are delighted to see the actor portraying Shakespeare with a fuller nose, other historians have said that it's simply not accurate. It's an argument that has rumbled on for centuries with no-one seemingly able to agree on whether the world's greatest pensmith had a neat nose or one that was more commanding. Depictions of him from the 17th century have been pored over, with many agreeing that a painting owned by the Duke of Chandos, which now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, bears the closest resemblance. However, winding back the wheels of time, writer Ben Jonson said a 1663 engraving by Martin Droeshout was more accurate, saying the artist had 'hit his face' just as it was. The film, it seems, plumps for the former, with Sir Kenneth's publicist saying the version Branagh plays in based on the Chandos painting. They said: 'The portrait itself does, in fact, appear in the film and it has been a great source of inspiration for Ken.' A Sony Pictures source added that it became clear that a larger nose was more 'embedded' in the public consciousness, saying: 'There was a smaller version, based on another artist's work, but he obviously decided that would not work.' A 1663 engraving by Martin Droeshout is believed by some to offer the most accurate representation of the bard's features...but others have cast doubt on it A slew of 17th paintings depicting the world's greatest writer offer different interpretations of how his features appeared All Is True, which sees Judi Dench playing Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway, explores how he tried to reunite with her after long absences writing plays and performing in London. A spokesperson for All Is True said that the film 'is a poignant study' of a family being reunited. Shakespeare, who would die in 1616 aged 52, married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 and she 26. The age difference between Sir Kenneth and Dame Judi is far greater, 57 to 83. But a spokesman for the film dismissed questions on this, saying: 'It's not a rom-com, it's a dramatic film. And Judi Dench knows drama,' the film person added. Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh are portraying William Shakespeare and his wife Anne in All Is True, which Sir Kenneth directs. The film is released in the US on December 21st The film is produced by Tamar Thomas and Ted Gagliano and is set to be released in 2019. Between them Branagh and Dench have appeared in many movies concerned with the famed dramatist. Dench won a best supporting actress Oscar for her portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in the film Shakespeare in Love and has appeared in several stage productions of Shakespeare's plays directed by Branagh. Branagh received directing and acting Oscar nods in 1990 for Shakespeare's 'Henry V,' and was nominated in 1997 for his screen adaptation of 'Hamlet'. It is 30 years since the movie Working Girl hit our screens, describing to hilarious effect how an astute working class receptionist Tess McGill (played by Melanie Griffith) makes it in Wall Street investment banking despite her modest beginnings and duplicitous boss. It is also 30 years since Helena Morrissey (now Dame Helena) walked through the doors of investment bank Schroders in London as a graduate trainee. It was the start of a career that led her to become one of the countrys most successful female fund managers. These days, she does not manage money but is head of personal investing at Legal & General Investment Management. Her overwhelming mission is to prod the nation particularly women into investing. Success: Helena Morrissey is head of personal investing at Legal & General Investment Management. Her overwhelming mission is to prod the nation into investing As a celebration of her milestone, 52-year-old Morrissey has requested a proper briefcase for Christmas. She says: Recently I have been carrying around a bulging Planet Organic bag full of papers. I have decided to try to start a new trend of old fashioned briefcases. It is my Working Girl moment. This is a nod to the McGill character who transformed into executive mode whenever she picked up her sturdy leather briefcase. Morrissey hardly needs transforming after a lucrative career both for her and her main former employer, fund manager Newton. She was its chief executive, taking assets under management from 20 billion to 50 billion. Her journey to the top of the fund management tree may not have started from working class beginnings but it was relatively modest her parents were both teachers, she went to a comprehensive school and holidays were spent at an aunts cottage. But hard work and a philosophy degree from Cambridge University gave her the momentum she required. A stay-at-home husband Richard taking care of their nine children, now aged nine to 27 has also allowed her to pursue a high-octane career. She recognises her good fortune as a woman making it in a pinstriped mans world and has been busy encouraging more gender balance in the boardroom. She started the 30% Club five years ago a campaign to ensure the boards of FTSE 100 companies comprise at least 30 per cent women. Back then the ratio was 12.5 per cent. It achieved its target for the first time a couple of months ago. Modern family: Morrissey pictured with her husband and their brood of nine children From helping working girls get on in their careers she is now turning her attention to doing the same for investing girls. Her quest is to encourage more women to put money aside for their future. It is an almighty challenge, given that many women, especially mothers, neglect saving of any sort never mind delve into the dark arts of the stock market. WOMEN ARE FAILING TO SAVE A joint survey conducted by L&G and parents network Mumsnet published today reveals that one in four mums actively put off planning for their financial future while a similar proportion say they do not want to invest. All rather dangerous considering so many relationships now end up hitting the rocks. The most alarming statistic, says Morrissey, is that three in five women fail to save for more than five years in the future putting both their own and childrens prosperity at risk. The survey found just seven per cent of women have money in a tax-efficient stocks and shares Individual Savings Account. Even fewer (five per cent) have taken out a Junior Isa for their children. The nub, says Morrissey, is that often women simply dont have the money. The struggle starts as soon as women embark upon their careers and suffer from the gender pay gap. This cascades into a gender investment gap and finally a gender pensions gap. Morrissey adds: There are some shocking figures from Insuring Womens Futures, a campaign by the Chartered Insurance Institute. It shows that by retirement, married women have an average pension pot of 35,000. That is the size of the pot, not the annual income it will produce. This is one fifth the size of a males average pension pot. The most alarming statistic, says Morrissey, is that three in five women fail to save for more than five years in the future putting both their own and childrens prosperity at risk While recent Government figures show some six million women have Isas, just 900,000 have directed their contributions into the stock market. The rest have put them in cash condemning the money to shrink in real terms over time. Morrissey says: People have an emotional relationship with money. But we need to talk more about money even if its not that cool a subject. Making investment material more friendly would help. Morrissey has an artwork in her office that represents the holdings of an index tracker investment fund. The pictogram shows the logos of brands belonging to companies held in the fund from Apple computers to Marlboro cigarettes with their size dependent on the percentage that each represents in the index fund. When first put on display, Morrissey says it got people talking about what investments they would rather not invest in such as oil and tobacco. People have an emotional relationship with money. But we need to talk more about money even if its not that cool a subject. Passing on good financial habits to children is also key. Morrisseys father taught her, aged four, to count using pounds, shillings and pence. She adds: I was frustrated not long afterwards when Britain converted to decimalisation and I had to learn a new system. She has ensured her nine children keep on top of money issues. Her youngest daughter, for example, knows the cost of ingredients for her latest hobby making toy slime. Morrissey has enough money these days not to worry about household bills, but it was not always so. She says: It took me a long time to enjoy financial comfort, especially with all the childcare costs. Her first investment was in property, a flat purchased in 1988 just as the housing market peaked in advance of a colossal crash. It left many homeowners, including Morrissey, in negative equity. To add to the pain, mortgage rates shot up to 15 per cent. In hindsight this proved a big motivator, she says. It made me hungry to make money. A bit of serendipity helped improve her financial fortunes. She says. I was sent to New York soon after joining Schroders. But because I was being paid in pounds the exchange rate worked in my favour. I managed to save that extra. Morrissey recognises that many young mums have other issues on their mind than saving for the future. But she wants to convey the message that investing little and often is the best strategy for building wealth. She compares the approach to getting fit. She says: I want to make women think about investing in the same way as they do about keeping fit and healthy. Doing regular steps, attending classes, making it part of the everyday routine. INVEST LITTLE AND OFTEN Small beginnings might mean putting aside just 20 on a regular basis. She says: If there is volatility in stock markets then do not worry as that can be an opportunity to invest for less. Just one in 10 fund managers are women. But when she looked a couple of years ago at who were the managers behind environmental, social and governance funds investments that buy shares in companies looking to make the world a better place nearly two thirds were female. Unsurprisingly, this type of fund is also popular with women investors. With this in mind, she masterminded the launch earlier this year of L&Gs Future World Gender in Leadership fund dubbed the Girl fund. It invests in those firms with good diversity profiles and aims to empower investors to make a difference to the companies in which they invest and wider society. Experts such as Jason Hollands at broker Tilney believe there is a role for such an investment strategy. He adds: This is a fund for those who want their money to have an influence. L&G also embraces younger females by sponsoring a new saver badge with Girlguiding, the life skills organisation. She says: The badge is about teaching girls about saving time, money and resources. Ultimately, she wants organising financial matters to slip neatly into womens everyday life. She says: It would be great if we could end up with everyone setting aside a couple of hours once a quarter to focus on finance. It would give women a sense of achievement and make them less worried about money. There is still a long way to go before the wealth gap between men and women is plugged. But as Morrissey unwraps her briefcase on Christmas Day she will be sending a powerful message. This working girl still means business. Profits at Luke Johnsons artisan bakery were nearly wiped out last year, delivering another blow to the embattled entrepreneur as he fights to fix the mess at his Patisserie Valerie chain. The parent company of Gails Bakery, chaired by Johnson, saw profits tumble to just 142,000 in the year to February 2018, down from 2 million the year before. That was despite revenues at Bread Holdings rising from 79 million to 86.4 million, accounts filed at Companies House reveal. Luke Johnson, Chairman of Risk Capital Partners Ltd. The British serial entrepreneur is best known for his involvement with Pizza Express. As well as Gails, Johnsons umbrella company also includes the Bread Factory which supplies Waitrose and Ocado. London-based Bread Holdings cited competition in both the retail bakery and wholesale markets for its fall in profits. Risk Capital Partners, Johnsons private equity firm, backed a management buyout of Bread Holdings in 2011 and owns around half of the firm. He had been eyeing a sale of the company, but the process has been put on hold until after Brexit. Earlier this year, it was rumoured scandal-hit Patisserie Holdings the parent of cake and cafe chain Patisserie Valerie considered buying Bread Holdings. A tough year: The cafe and restaurant sector has faced a tough year, with Prezzo, Byron Hamburgers, Jamies Italian, and Carluccios all closing restaurants Gails has 47 bakeries, mainly in London, but it is now expanding further afield. It grew 25 per cent last year, while the Bread Factory grew by just 2 per cent. Last week, AIM-listed Patisserie Holdings hired Nick Perrin as interim chief financial officer. He succeeds Chris Marsh, who has quit over the discovery of a 40 million black hole that is being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office. Perrin joins new chief executive Steve Francis. The cafe and restaurant sector has faced a tough year, with Prezzo, Byron Hamburgers, Jamies Italian, and Carluccios all closing restaurants. Amazon is planning to open one of its high-tech till-free supermarkets in London's West End, it has been claimed. The Amazon Go stores allow customers to pick up their shopping and leave without having to go through a checkout, by charging them automatically through their phones. The internet giant wants to open its first British bricks-and-mortar store close to Oxford Circus, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Amazon is planning to open one of its high-tech till-free supermarkets in London's West End, it has been claimed There are already seven of the stores in the US Seattle, where Amazon is based, Chicago and San Francisco. Another is reportedly planned in New York. To use them, customers install the Amazon Go app on their phones. They then scan a code on their way into the shop and are tracked as they move around by hundreds of cameras and facial recognition software. Their credit card is automatically charged when they leave. Amazon has so far stuck to opening convenience shops which sell staple items. It has reportedly been looking at vacant retail space in the UK for several months. The company did not comment yesterday. The boss of Ford's European business has warned a no-deal Brexit would be a 'catastrophe'. Steven Armstrong said crashing out of the EU could lead to factory closures and job losses, and that a free-trade deal was needed on top of Theresa May's withdrawal agreement. 'If the industry can't continue to operate competitively, we would have to think about where we continue and how we continue to invest,' he said. Brexit would be 'catastrophe' for car market: Ford Europe's Steven Armstrong is the latest car boss to raise concerns around Brexit. Ford currently employs around 15,000 staff in the UK Ford this year reported a $1 billion loss in Europe, with $600 million attributed directly to Brexit and the fall in value of the pound since the EU referendum. The motoring giant has its European headquarters split between Cologne where the majority of its cars are made for the continent's market and Essex, home of production for vans and commercial vehicles. And while the commercial side of the business is performing better than passenger-vehicle operations, Armstrong warned that nothing should be considered Brexit-proof. Ford, like many others in the car industry, is backing Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement, which is due to be voted on by MPs this week. But Armstrong, speaking to the Mail on Sunday, said the Government still has a lot of work to do to satisfy his industry. My view is that whats on the table isnt perfect, he said. The Withdrawal Agreement does not contain enough to ensure the continuation of frictionless trade between the UK and EU, Armstrong added. Its important to recognise that we cant just push the cliff edge to 2020, he adds. We need to use the implementation period to get a free trade agreement and protect the ability to trade. Ford's Essex HQ in Dagnenham, which is the home of production for vans and commercial vehicles sold across Europe Fears are mounting that the industry could be one of the hardest hit by Brexit, with various car brands refusing to commit to their UK manufacturing hubs in the country. Asked if Brexit could result in pulled investment, factory closures and job losses in the UK, Armstrong said: All of the above could happen. If the industry cant continue to operate competitively, we would have to think about where we continue and how we continue to invest. He added: I love being in the UK, not just because Im English, but because its been a very good place for us to do business. 'But if the final deal erodes the competitiveness of our business and our facilities here, then the economic facts will prevail. Ford employs around 15,000 people in the UK. A young woman who worked in former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's electorate office helped his independent successor Kerryn Phelps take over as part of a 'handover'. University student Whitney Brennan spent four days in November helping Dr Phelps adjust to being the new member for Wentworth in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs, along with another former colleague. A Liberal Party source told Daily Mail Australia Ms Brennan participated in a 'handover' to help Dr Phelps transition into her role as a federal MP. Scroll down for video University student Whitney Brennan (second left with Mitchell Price, Alice Collins and Tanya Rosanne) had worked in Malcolm Turnbull's electorate office since late 2015 'I don't know why a former staffer for Turnbull would help a new independent establish links in the local community - it makes no sense,' the source said. Sally Betts, a close political ally of Mr Turnbull's in the Liberal Party, told Daily Mail Australia the woman in her early 20s had started working in the former PM's electorate office in late 2015. Ms Brennan worked part-time as she studied a university degree and wasn't a member of the Liberal Party, Ms Betts said. The young woman's main role was communicating with constituents. Ms Betts, a Waverley councillor and former mayor, who previously worked part-time in Mr Turnbull's electorate office, said other staff finished up on October 19, the day before the Wentworth by-election. A Liberal Party source from the moderate faction told Daily Mail Australia Ms Brennan participated in a 'handover' to help Kerryn Phelps learn about being the new MP for Wentworth Dr Phelps's spokesman Darrin Barnett, a former media adviser to Labor prime minister Julia Gillard, told Daily Mail Australia an electorate officer from Mr Turnbull's office spent three to four days in November helping the new member for Wentworth make the transition to being a new member of Parliament. He declined to confirm Ms Brennan's identity as did Mr Turnbull's spokesman Daniel Meers and Special Minister of State Alex Hawke. 'The Department of Finance does not comment on individual Members of Parliament or their staff,' a spokesman for Mr Hawke told Daily Mail Australia on Friday. Dr Phelps said two of Mr Turnbull's former electorate staff had recently helped her understand which community groups to contact. 'He was very kind in being able to allow a couple of his former staff members to come in to do a handover to my staff members to make sure that they understood which grants projects needed to be progressed,' she told Sky News. A close ally of Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) in the Liberal Party told Daily Mail Australia the woman in her early 20s had started working in the former PM's electorate office in late 2015 The new member for Wentworth confirmed she had kept in contact with Mr Turnbull about electoral matters. 'Of course I have,' she told Sky News. 'Malcolm Turnbull is the former member for Wentworth and he's been very keen to make sure there's an orderly handover for constituents.' Dr Phelps won Wentworth, which had been in conservative hands since 1901, after securing a 19 per cent swing against Liberal candidate Dave Sharma to get elected on preferences. She is now one of seven crossbenchers in a hung Parliament, where Prime Minister Scott Morrison's government lacks a majority. A group of activists broke into a Victorian abattoir and stole nearly 20 ducklings Vegan vigilantes broke into an abattoir and stole nearly 20 ducklings set for the slaughter. The rogue activists carried inflatable pools to Luv-A-Duck abattoir in Nhill, Victoria, on November 29, so the ducklings could swim for the first time in their lives. The protest was sparked following claims hidden camera footage shot inside the abattoir showed the ducks were conscious when they were slaughtered, due to improper stunning. Scroll down for video Vegan vigilantes broke into an abattoir and stole nearly 20 ducklings set for the slaughter The rogue activists from six Australian states carried with them inflatable pools to Luv-A-Duck abattoir in Nhill, Victoria so the ducklings could swim for the first time in their lives The activists say they 'peacefully' entered the building and removed 19 ducks who were destined for the slaughter. They then proceeded to set up inflatable pools to give the ducklings a chance to swim for the first time. The protesters from Bear Witness Australia and Aussie Farms also climbed up onto the roof of the abattoir with large banners. Spokeswoman for both organisations, Lissy Jane, said: 'We want to draw attention not just to this particular footage, but to the inherent cruelty of an industry in which aquatic animals are farmed without access to surface water. 'We believe most consumers would be horrified to know that these aquatic animals are raised over just seven weeks without access to surface water, then violently thrown into crates and trucked to the slaughterhouse where many have their throats cut while conscious.' Ms Jane told Daily Mail Australia that the ducks can suffer from leg and thigh joint issues from bearing their weight where they would ordinarily float. The activists say they 'peacefully' entered the building and removed 19 ducks who were destined for the slaughter line The rescued ducks were taken to various animal sanctuaries Luv-A-Duck is one of two of the largest duck farming companies in Australia and accounts for approximately 40% of domestic duck meat produce The rescued ducks were taken to various animal sanctuaries. Luv-A-Duck is one of two of the largest duck farming companies in Australia and accounts for approximately 40 per cent of domestic duck meat produce. Victoria Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that officers attended an address in Nhill following a planned protest and reports of individuals climbing a shed and displaying banners. Police spoke to a number of protesters in relation to trespass but there were no arrests. According to police, the protest ended peacefully and without incident. A spokesperson from Luv-A-Duck denied they had used improper stunning methods, telling Daily Mail Australia the slaughterhouse had been audited and validated and follows the 'appropriate guidelines.' A spokesperson from Luv-A-Duck denied they had used improper stunning methods Australian Defence Force newspapers have revealed the serious crimes of military staff that are being punished with seemingly light sentences. From January 1 to October 31, at least 10 cases relating to sexual misconduct were tried by Courts Martial or a Defence Force Magistrate, their results published in newspapers designed for the Army, Air Force and Navy. Members of the Australian Defence Force were accused of 'acts of indecency', which included non-consensual touching as well as entering private quarters without permission and sharing around intimate images of a colleague without their permission. The most severe punishments laid out were a sacking, a fine of a few thousand dollars, or less than two months jail. Outcomes from military courts show members of the Australian Defence Force are being given seemingly light sentences for serious crimes A member found guilty of two counts of distributing images of a colleague was sentenced to 56 days imprisonment, while a member found guilty of entering a colleague's room and of committing an act of indecency without consent was simply fired. One member, who was found guilty of two counts of indecency without consent, was 'severely reprimanded', and reduced in rank. The member who faced the most punishment - 28 days prison, a $6,002 fine, a reduce in rank and full dismissal, was found guilty of eight counts of an act of indecency without consent. Rhiley Boyson, 26, (pictured) was sentenced to three months prison on a rape conviction after sticking a bottle in a colleague's rear end. In a similar case tried in civilian court, three teenage boys were handed 18-month sentences On Monday, in a separate trial, Rhiley Boyson, 26, was convicted of rape at a military court in Canberra after he assaulted a male colleague with a beer bottle in the men's toilets during a work event in 2017. He was demoted from his rank as Captain, dismissed from the Army and will serve three months prison as a result of the incident. Boyson's sentence sits in stark contrast with the one handed down to three teenage boys, who were convicted of a similar charge last year after also inserting a bottle into their friend's rear end. Aged 18 and 19, each one was sentenced to 18 months jail, to be suspended after six months served. Documents released earlier this year under Freedom of Information laws reveal 29 reports regarding sexual assault were made to the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service from January 1 to March 2018. Some of these allegations were dropped, some were historical complaints, and many were heavily or fully redacted, but they uncovered a range of disturbing incidents. One woman was allegedly 'inappropriately touched between her legs, from her privates to her buttocks', during group photographs. Action taken, if any, was not added to the report. Two other incidents were marked as being forwarded to police. A member found guilty of entering a colleague's room and of committing an act of indecency without consent was dismissed from the ADF, but did not receive any custodial sentence or community service Earlier this year, a report was filed alleging a female member was sexually assaulted by a male colleague in 2017. This complaint was forwarded on to Queensland Police. A report was made alleging a male member had sent a sexually explicit image of himself to a 12 or 13-year-old girl via Snapchat. She allegedly responded by sending explicit photographs of herself to him, and the matter was handed over to the sex crimes unit. Along with the release of these allegations came a media release from the ADF. 'Unacceptable behaviour is not tolerated, nor is it accepted, in our Defence organisation,' the statement said. 'Over the past few years Defence has invested significant resources to reform its culture. The initiatives that have been introduced in that time are particularly focused on encouraging victims of sexual misconduct and bystanders to report and seek Defence support services, and making sure that they feel safe to do so. 'As these documents show, Defence takes all reports of unacceptable behaviour seriously and ensures appropriate action is taken.' 29 reports regarding sexual assault were made to the Australian Defence Force Investigative Service from January 1 to March 2018 The ADF has said it takes a victim-centric approach to tackling complaints and allegations, and there are some occasions where a victim may not wish to progress a complaint. 'Where an allegation of inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour is made against a member of the ADF, ADFIS will record that notification and either investigate the matter or refer it to the civilian police as appropriate,' the statement reads. 'Civilian police have primary jurisdiction if an incident is considered to be criminal in nature (i.e. sexual assault). However where civilian authorities are unable to prosecute they will refer the matter back to Defence so that the additional actions may be taken as appropriate.' The Department of Defence has been contacted multiple times for comment. More than a decade after an atomic bomb decimated the Japanese city of Hiroshima a small English seaside town was about to be next. Skipsea, in East Yorkshire, was the village chosen to be vaporised by up to 12 nuclear bombs as the army put its firepower to the test during the Cold War. But the tiny seaside town was saved when an eager to please Australian government stepped in and offered to instead sacrifice a remote section of the nation's outback. The area known as Maralinga, in South Australia - more than 15,000 kilometres from England - became a nuclear testing zone for the motherland and displaced the local Aboriginal tribe. More than six decades on the decision has created a little known 'cancer capital' in a remote part of the country - and thrown doubt over whether the nation will ever have nuclear energy. Incredible photos show nuclear testing carried out by the English army in the 1950s as Britain tried to match Soviet and US nuclear technology. The Australian government allowed English forces to run their tests in the outback, instead of destroying a small seaside town of their own An area known as Maralinga - more than 15,000 kilometres from England - became a nuclear testing (pictured) zone for the motherland and displaced the local Aboriginal tribe Documents unearthed earlier this year revealed the incredible plan experts had to destroy the seaside village with dozens of nuclear experiments. An underground bunker was built below the town from where scientists planned to assess the levels of destruction at ground level, the Daily Express reported. But the idea was dumped before it had even reached the floors of parliament. On the other side of the world, an eager to impress Australian government stepped in to offer up its own soil for testing. The remote area - some 200 kilometres north of Adelaide - belonged to the Anangu Pitjitjantjara indigenous language group. But the group was removed from their land between 1956 and 1963 when Britain appropriated the area to conduct nuclear tests. Australian and British servicemen built the test site and an airstrip on Section 400 in 1956 in a region known colloquially as the Woomera Rocket Range, which had been established as a restricted access area after the end of the Second World War. Britain's defence authorities decided to test nuclear bombs at Maralinga, as well as at another South Australia region called Emu Field. The area known as Maralinga (pictured), sits more than 200 kilometres north of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia English and Australian forces involved in the nuclear testing wore protective suits (pictured), but many of them still experienced vomiting, skin rashes, diarrhoea, fevers and, later, blood diseases and cancer English forces had initially planned to drop their nuclear bombs at Skipsea (pictured), a small seaside town in the country's north. Today it remains undisturbed and home to roughly 600 people An eager to impress Australian government offered up the remote Outback area for testing They also used the Montebello Islands off Western Australia, in a bid to establish its nuclear power status during the Cold War. At the time of the testing Sue Coleman-Haseldine was only a toddler. But she still tells stories of the 'black mist' of radioactive fallout floating across the sky in the hours after testing. Ms Coleman-Haseldine - who last year spoke about nuclear testing to the United Nations - said her family continue to be 'haunted' by it more than six decades later. 'I was a small child when the British and Australian governments tested nuclear weapons in the South Australian desert,' she told the UN convention in Vienna. 'For over a decade there were full nuclear explosions and hundreds of experiments. 'Aboriginal people were still living close to the test sites and were told nothing about radiation. 'High rates of cancer were eventually documented in the 16,000 test workers, but no studies were done on Aboriginal people and others living in areas of fallout. Sue Coleman-Haseldine (pictured) was only a toddler at the time of the testing, but has since seen many of her local people suffer from radiation-related sickness in what has been dubbed the 'cancer capital' Aside from the site in South Australia, nuclear bombs were also dropped at Christmas Island (pictured), an Australian territory off the north-west coast of the mainland An RAF serviceman having his hair cut on Christmas Island during preparations for a nuclear bomb test in 1957 'It's been called the cancer capital of Australia.' Although many Aboriginal people were forcibly removed from their land, more than a thousand were directly affected by the bombs. Vomiting, skin rashes, diarrhoea, fevers and, later, blood diseases and cancer were among the common conditions caused by the testing. A 1985 royal commission into the British nuclear testing in Australia found the fallout from exploding radioactive Caesium-137 and elements such as Uranium, Plutonium and Beryllium in the desert was three times greater than predicted. More than 25 years after the bombs dropped, the tests left Geiger counter readings 'off the scale'. The local Aboriginals, because of 'their unique lifestyle, and often their lack of clothing, footwear and permanent shelter' were particularly vulnerable to radiation; one group became sick after walking across highly radioactive ground in bare feet. More than 25 years after the bombs dropped, the tests of nuclear levels in the area left Geiger counter readings 'off the scale' (Pictured is the Maralinga Airfield base) It wasn't until 2014 that the land's traditional owners were finally allowed back on the nuclear testing site Some land title was returned to its Aboriginal owners after the royal commission and from 1993 to 2001 the Australian Government spent $100 million cleaning the area. In 2004, special legislation was passed handing back the title over 21,000 square kilometres to the Maralinga Tjarutja and Pila Nguru people. But it wasn't until 2014 that the land's traditional owners were finally allowed back on the nuclear testing site. Tours are run now through the out-of-bounds areas showcasing not just the testing site but also the disturbed Aboriginal land. Meanwhile on the other side of the world, a quiet seaside town remains undisturbed. The lawyer at the centre of the Informer 3838 scandal is anxiously awaiting the release of the criminal father of her firstborn child. Sources close to the Melbourne lawyer, who has gone into hiding, have told Daily Mail Australia the violent criminal could be back on the streets within weeks. The lawyer, who cannot be named due to court-imposed gag orders, is understood to be keen to reunite her young daughter with her father. The man, who also cannot be named, is understood to be linked with outlaw motorcycle clubs and the illicit drug trade. A lawyer who worked as a 'double agent' is eagerly awaiting the release of her child's father A man believed to be the father of Informer 3838's child is almost due for release Bikie web forums this week published the lawyer's name in what has become the nation's worst-kept secret. Informer 3838 previously spoke of her close connection to her two children, telling a psychologist that if it were it not for them, she did not think she would still be alive. A royal commission will be established in Victoria to look at the recruitment of police informants after news that broke this week that the lawyer reported on her clients. Heads are expected to roll as Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton declared a decision to allow the lawyer to be an informer from 2005-2009 would not be repeated. Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton (right) fronts the press while Premier Daniel Andrews watches on Pressure this week mounted on former police chief Simon Overland to resign from his $400,000 a year job as chief executive of Whittlesea Council because of his involvement in the informant scandal. Mr Ashton has also come under pressure because he held a senior role with the Office of Police Integrity at the time investigators were using the lawyer to reveal confidential information about her clients. The scandal could taint the convictions of senior gangland criminals, including drug lord Tony Mokbel, drug trafficker Rob Karam, and convicted killer Faruk Orman. Informer 3838 is understood to have packed up her children and left Melbourne only days before her role in the scandal was finally revealed by the High Court. Tony Mokbel is among a rogue's gallery of crooks who hope to be released from jail Victoria Police had fought for years to hide the lawyer's existence from the public because they feared she and her children would be killed. The lawyer has refused to enter witness protection and has described her life as a 'living nightmare'. If she were to enter the program, her children would need to be permanently moved to another location and forbidden from all face-to-face family and friend contact on a permanent basis. Melbourne had been in the grip of the Gangland War when the lawyer decided to turn on her criminal clients. The lawyer, who acted for gangsters including dead crime boss Carl Williams and Tony Mokbel, began working for police in mid-2003 when she met approximately six times with a Detective Sergeant of the Purana Taskforce, which was investigating Melbourne gangland crime. In a letter published by Daily Mail Australia last month, Williams revealed he believed his lawyer was a double agent who had helped police turn his hitman into a police snitch. He was spot on. Carl Williams and former wife Roberta in the days before the killer was locked away A letter Carl Williams wrote outlining his concerns about the rogue lawyer Lawyer Zarah Garde-Wilson, who was portrayed in the original and best Underbelly series by actress Kestie Morassi, became aware the lawyer had turned rogue years ago. The informer's exposure this week would have come as some relief after years of a confused public mistakenly assuming the mysterious lawyer was her. 'I knew she was playing both sides back in 2006 - it just took a while for it to come out,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Ms Garde-Wilson said the lawyer had 'absolutely' stitched-up some of her own clients over the journey. One of those clients was convicted drug trafficker Rob Karam, whom she acted as a solicitor for. Lawyer Zarah Garde-Wilson tried to expose the lawyer back in 2006 without success Ms Garde-Wilson was wrongly accused of being the dodgy lawyer Ms Garde-Wilson said Informer 3838's clients were oblivious to the fact they were talking to a police stooge. 'Having worked with the lawyer on other cases, it came to my attention in 2006 she was a dual agent so I ceased working with her,' she said. Others remained oblivious that there was rat among their ranks. 'It took other people a lot longer to realise,' Ms Garde-Wilson said. 'I've been pushing for a Royal Commission on this for the past four years ... We've issued subpoenas and the like. We did everything we could do at the time to bring it to the surface but we were just hit with brick walls.' Carl Williams reads a copy of the paper that exposed him as a rat as his killer Matthew Johnson approaches Victoria Police is believed to have arrested hundreds of people based on the information provided by the informer, with millions of dollars more taken in property and asset seizures. The lawyer allegedly turned on her clients after becoming disillusioned with Victoria Police's inability to lock-up crooks. The High Court's was scathing in its description of the fiasco. In a decision published this morning, the court was critical of the lawyers alleged behaviour. '(The lawyer's) actions in purporting to act as counsel for the Convicted Persons while covertly informing against them were fundamental and appalling breaches of EF's obligations as counsel to her clients and of EF's duties to the court,' it stated. 'Likewise, Victoria Police were guilty of reprehensible conduct in knowingly encouraging EF to do as she did and were involved in sanctioning atrocious breaches of the sworn duty of every police officer to discharge all duties imposed on them faithfully and according to law without favour or affection, malice or ill-will.' Former Homicide Squad detective Ron Iddles said he warned top brass almost 10 years ago using the lawyer as an informer would end in tears. 'I had a further conversation with senior police, including a superintendent, and I said: 'You don't get this. I can tell you now this will cause a royal commission',' he told 3AW. 'I was concerned about it and it was raised within the office about how a lawyer could be registered as an informer.' At least 20 notifications have been sent by the Director of Public Prosecutions to criminals who were represented by or had dealings with the lawyer. Two Commonwealth matters are also likely to have been impacted by the informer. A special taskforce named Landow has been established to deal with any legal ramifications associated with the scandal. The royal commission will provide an interim report by July 1 next year and a final report by December 1. A swimmer's body has been pulled from a river just hours after he was seen disappearing under water. The 45-year-old was swimming in the Hawkesbury River, Windsor north of Sydney, on Saturday when he disappeared at 6.45pm. The man became distressed and disappeared under the water but was unable to be rescued by other swimmers. The 45-year-old was swimming in the Hawkesbury River, Windsor north of Sydney on Saturday when he disappeared about 6.45pm (pictured) Witnesses called emergency services when the man did not resurface, leading to a search conducted by Hawkesbury Police, PolAir, police divers, NSW Ambulance, and NSW State Emergency Service. The victims body was located just before 11.30pm. According to Life Saving NSW, there have been seven drowning deaths reported in Australia this summer. The 45-year-old's death comes after a 15-month-old girl drowned at Euroa, 165km north-east of Melbourne, at 9pm on Thursday. On December 2, a 32-year-old man was pulled out of the Colo River in Sydney's north-west after he was found floating face-down. A 16-year-old Japanese high school student on a school trip to Australia also drowned while snorkeling on Wednesday at the Green Island, in Cairns, Queensland. Another man died on December 2 after being washed off rocks at a beach in the Royal National Park, south of Sydney. On December 3, a man drowned into the Moore River, in Western Australia, where he had been swimming with his girlfriend. According to Life Saving NSW, there have been seven drowning deaths reported in Australia this summer Chief Inspector Garry Sims of Hawkesbury Police Area Command is reminding people to make safety the priority when in, on or around the water this summer. 'Police urge all people engaged in aquatic activities to assess the environment and know the limits of their ability,' Ch Insp Sims said. 'It is a tragedy for this to occur at this time of year and at the start of the summer season.' A report will be prepared for the Coroner. A classroom was lit on fire, a teacher punched in the back and a student stabbed as schoolyard violence surged in one Australian state this year. The dark period for public schools in New South Wales, detailed in a report issued by the Department of Education, comes as a high school in Kelso, NSW was put into lockdown on Friday following an incident involving parents and students. The government summary brought together reports by school principals to the department and showed a rise of two-thirds in violence at public schools. A classroom was lit on fire, a teacher punched in the back and a student stabbed as schoolyard violence has surged in one Australian state (stock image) The findings in NSW come after figures showed a rise in the number of attacks on teachers by students in Queensland between July 2017 and July 2018. One of the most shocking incidents filed was when a Wagga Wagga student was stabbed after allegedly 'accidentally pushing' the perpetrator in July 2017. Other troubling incidents, seen by The Daily Telegraph, included a teacher persuading an eight-year-old to stop holding a knife to the throat of one of his contemporaries. A teacher also was punched in the back and taken to hospital after an attack in the Liverpool area in August of last year. More brazen behaviour last year included two Wagga Wagga students lighting a fire before one of them roamed around on-site with a knife. Western Sydney schools continued to face the worst of the violence, four years after it emerged the number of serious incidents at institutions in the area had almost doubled from the year before. Casula, Glenfield and Macquarie Fields were three of the suburbs laying claim to some of the state's most violent schools. A dark period for public schools in New South Wales, detailed in a report issued by the Department of Education, comes as a high school in Kelso, NSW was put into lockdown on Friday following an incident involving parents and students (believed to be pictured) The Department of Education tells teachers they do not have to intervene if they see students being violent to each other, but an industry head said in reality it never worked out like that. NSW Secondary Principals' Council Chris Presland told The Daily Telegraph: 'Every principal says the same thing to teacher, which is 'we don't expect you to endanger yourself physically'. 'But of course they get hurt because they won't stand back and watch someone get hurt.' Mr Presland credited the rise shown in new figures to teachers reporting more minor violence, while the DoE said there was an incident report for just one in every 695 students in NSW. The FBI's counterintelligence investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia initially focused on four Americans and whether they were connected to Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers during hours of closed-door questioning. Comey did not identify the Americans but said President Donald Trump, then the Republican candidate, was not among them. He also told the House Judiciary Committee that, contrary to Trump's claims, he was 'not friends in any social sense' with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is now leading the Russia investigation. Trump has repeatedly portrayed the men as exceptionally close as part of a long-running effort to undermine the investigation and paint the lead figures in the probe as united against him. 'I admire the heck out of the man, but I don't know his phone number, I've never been to his house, I don't know his children's names,' said Comey, who added that he had 'never hugged or kissed the man' despite the president's insistence otherwise. 'A relief to my wife,' he deadpanned. Former FBI Director James Comey speaks to reporters on Friday after testifying to the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform Committees on Capitol Hill The committee released a transcript of the interview on Saturday, just 24 hours after privately grilling the fired FBI chief about investigative decisions related to Hillary Clinton's email server and Trump's campaign and potential ties to Russia. Comey largely dodged questions connected to the current Mueller-led probe, including whether his May 2017 firing by Trump constituted obstruction of justice. The Republican-led committee interviewed Comey as part of its investigation into FBI actions in 2016, a year when the bureau - in the heat of the presidential campaign - recommended against charges for Clinton and opened an investigation into Russian interference in the election. The questioning largely centered on well-covered territory from a Justice Department inspector general report, Comey's own book and interviews and hours of public testimony on Capitol Hill. But the former FBI chief also used the occasion to take aim at Trump's frequent barbs at the criminal justice system, saying 'we have become numb to lying and attacks on the rule of law by the president,' as well as Trump's contention that it should be a crime for subjects to 'flip' and cooperate with investigators. 'It's a shocking suggestion coming from any senior official, no less the president. It's a critical and legitimate part of the entire justice system in the United States,' Comey said. Comey also told the House Judiciary Committee that, contrary to President Donald Trump's claims, he was 'not friends in any social sense' with Special Counsel Robert Mueller (above), who is now leading the Russia investigation In offering some details of the investigation's origins, Comey said it started in July 2016 with a look at 'four Americans who had some connection to Mr. Trump' during that summer and whether they were tied to 'the Russian interference effort.' The campaign itself, he said, was not investigation at that time. He did not identify the Americans, though Mueller's investigation has made clear that by that time, there had already been outreach from Russian intermediaries to Trump associates - including a 2015 encounter revealed for the first time in a court filing Friday. Also by that time Democratic email accounts had been hacked by Russian intelligence and a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, had been told that Russians had 'dirt' on Clinton in the form of stolen emails. That October, the FBI obtained a secret search warrant to monitor the communications of a Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, on suspicions he was acting as a foreign agent - something he has denied. Multiple Trump associates, including Papadopoulos, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, have pleaded guilty to lying about their interactions with Russians during the campaign and presidential transition period. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's foreign dealings, including to an associate the U.S. says has ties to Russian intelligence, has also attracted law enforcement scrutiny. Comey reiterated to lawmakers that it was the 2016 Papadopoulos encounter with a Russian intermediary in London that ignited the Russia investigation, rather than - as some Republicans have maintained - Democratic-funded opposition research compiled by a former British spy. 'It was weeks or months later that the so-called Steele dossier came to our attention,' Comey said. The FBI's counterintelligence investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia initially focused on four Americans, but President Donald Trump was not one of them, Comey told lawmakers on Friday He said that by the time of his firing, the FBI had not come to a conclusion about whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia's efforts to sway the election. And he insisted that the FBI would recover from the president's attacks on the bureau. 'The FBI will be fine. It will snap back, as will the rest of our institutions,' Comey said. 'There will be short-term damage, which worries me a great deal, but in the long run, no politician, no president can, in a lasting way, damage those institutions.' Besides the questioning on Russia, Republicans lawmakers pressed Comey on the FBI's handling of an investigation into whether Clinton mishandled classified information on her private email server. Comey's July 2016 announcement that Clinton and her aides had been 'extremely careless' but did not deserve criminal charges infuriated Republicans who contended that someone less powerful and well-connected would have faced prosecution. Under questioning from Rep. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican, Comey reiterated that the FBI and Justice Department didn't have a prosecutable case against Clinton because they couldn't prove she willfully violated the law by setting up the server. Casey Anthony told friends that the father of her late daughter Caylee had died in a car accident. The shocking disappearance of Caylee and her mother's subsequent murder trial is the focus of the new docuseries Casey Anthony: Her Friends Speak. Among those who are interviewed is Anthony's former roommate Clint House, who revealed the shocking claim about Caylee's father. 'She had told us that Caylees father had died in an accident,' says House in the episode that will air Sunday. He then adds that he cannot be sure she was telling the truth. Casey has never revealed the identity of her daughter Caylee's father. Scroll down for video Casey Anthony told friends that the father of her daughter Caylee was killed in a car accident Clint also claimed Casey was 'lying about everything' that happened when her daughter Caylee mysteriously vanished in June 2008 and was later discovered dead. One particular instance he referred to was Anthony's attitude after she was acquitted and said 'I sleep pretty good at night', claiming it wasn't the regular response for a woman who had lost her child. 'She's lying about everything,' he said in the episode that begins 8pm sees him cry at the spot Caylee's body was dumped. 'And that interview, where she says she sleeps pretty good at night, are you kidding me? 'If I was put on trial for killing my kid, and I was acquitted because I didn't do it, as soon as I walked out those doors at the courthouse, I would be on a manhunt trying to find out who killed my kid. I wouldn't sleep again until I found out who killed my kid. That says everything you need to know.' House was mentioning a comment she made to the Associated Press in 2017. Anthony said: 'I don't give a s**t about what anyone thinks about me, I never will. I'm OK with myself, I sleep pretty good at night.' But House was also convinced she played a part in her child's death due to her actions prior to Caylee being reported missing. Houses claims Csaey told him her daughter's father died in a car crash, comes on the heels of Casey's father George Anthony being medevaced to a Daytona Beach hospital after he was involved in a car accident near his Florida home. The Florida Highway Patrol said that he veered off the road while driving on Interstate 4 and then flipped his car multiple times when he tried to return into the lane of travel. Anthony was in a serious condition when he left the scene in a helicopter and has suffered 'incapacitating injuries'. He is recovering at the Halifax Medical Center, with no word yet on the specific injuries he suffered in the crash. Clint House met Caylee, 2, a few times and described her as 'intelligent' DailyMail.com was able to obtain the 911 calls made by some of the drivers who witnessed the event, with one stating multiple times that she saw Anthony suffer a seizure just before he went off the road. That same called implored emergency responders to the get to the scene as quickly as possible, saying 'it's bad' and growing increasingly hysterical as she was asked to give more exact information. She said that Anthony was 'covered in blood' before describing how she watched him drive into some pushed on the right hand side of the road before jerking his car and flipping over in the opposite direction across three lanes of traffic. The crash occurred almost 10 years to the date that officials discovered the bones of Anthony's granddaughter Caylee, who many believed was killed by her mother Casey. Casey was later found not guilty of the child's murder. The trial destroyed her relationship with her father, who the defense claimed had sexually abused his daughter from a young age. The defense also claimed that it was George who was responsible for Caylee's death, arguing that he hid the body after she drowned in his pool. That was enough to set Casey free, but her father was never tried, charged or convicted of a crime in the case. After flipping multiple times, Anthony's car eventually came to a rest on the median. Troopers were then forced to briefly halt westbound traffic on Interstate 4 so a helicopter could fly in to medevac Anthony. The shocking disappearance of Caylee and her mother's subsequent murder trial is the focus of the new docuseries Casey Anthony: Her Friends Speak . Among those who are interviewed is Anthony's former roommate Clint House (pictured) That admission comes on the heels of Casey's father George Anthony (pictured in 2011)being medevaced to a Daytona Beach hospital after he was involved in a car accident He was able to tell a trooper at the scene of the crash that he had no memory of what was happening before the accident, and it is still unknown what caused him to briefly lose control of the vehicle. Anthony was not suspected to have been consuming alcohol or drugs by those who responded to the scene, and was not tested for either at the time. Anthony was wearing both a shoulder and lap belt, but the airbag in the vehicle did not deploy according to the report. The car he was driving at the time, a 1999 Toyota 4Runner, is registered to his wife Cindy. She was not with him at the time of the accident, which was reported just after 3pm on Saturday. Additional 911 calls made by fellow drivers were also obtained by DailyMail.com. The first person to reach out lost service before they could report the accident, but the second caller was able to give a location and description of the crash, but said she did not stop because it seemed too dangerous. Casey Anthony (pictured with her daughter) told friends that the father of her late daughter Caylee had died in a car accident, he said Caylee's grandparents George (right) and Cindy Anthony at a February 2009 memorial. Cindy reported her missing a month after she vanished Anthony was blunt and straightforward in an A&E special last year about his daughter, stating that he believes his Casey had been drugging Caylee in the months before her death, and that is what caused Caylee's death. What's more, he called the idea that the little girl drowned in a pool 'bulls***.' Casey's mother Cindy said she was happy with the verdict, and admitted that she and her daughter still speak. George said he will never again have a relationship with his daughter. 'I don't believe that she drowned in this pool. I don't believe it,' said George. 'That's a bunch of bulls*** to me. That's too easy of a story to bring up cause if that would've happened, I think my daughter would have at least have had the common decency to come inside and call 911 and say something. "My daughter's in the pool, I can't get her."' George than added: 'That's a bunch of cr**.' He then explained how he arrived at his belief that young Caylee was being drugged by her mother. 'Caylee was always a very healthy child, a very healthy girl, but there were times that she would sleep for 10, 12, 13 hours at a time, makes no sense to me,' said George. 'When I would see her from one day to the next, it was totally different. I could see a difference with blackness underneath the eyes and stuff like that. A two-and-a-half, three-year old child would not have that unless something is going on.' George then plainly stated: 'I believe she gave her something. Yeah, that's just my beliefs.' His daughter lives in Palm Beach, and it was recently revealed that she is in a relationship. Health officials plan to roll out the retail restriction in the coming weeks Ministers are to unveil a sweeping ban on shops offering unhealthy snacks and sweets at checkouts in a bid to clamp down on soaring obesity rates and poor dental health. The Mail on Sunday understands that health officials plan to roll out the restriction in the coming weeks despite most major supermarkets already removing products voluntarily. Ministers are to unveil a sweeping ban on shops offering unhealthy snacks and sweets at checkouts in a bid to clamp down on soaring obesity rates and poor dental health [File photo] The move is part of Whitehalls plan to halve childhood obesity in England by 2030. But most major supermarkets such as Tesco and Waitrose have already banned sweets and chocolate from being stocked near tills. However, Health Minister Steve Brine has warned colleagues that other outlets, including high street clothing firms, have begun to stock sweets at their checkouts. There will be an exemption for smaller shops and newsagents in plans that will be put out for public consultation before the end of the year. The plan branded as nannying by critics is the latest measure to be adopted from the Governments Childhood Obesity Strategy following the implementation of the sugar tax in April. Health Minister Steve Brine has warned colleagues that other outlets, including high street clothing firms, have begun to stock sweets at their checkouts [File photo] But Christopher Snowdon, the director of lifestyle at the Institute of Economic Affairs, hit out, saying: The suggestion that moving chocolate away from supermarket tills will have any effect on an obesity problem caused by physical inactivity is ludicrous. It is believed to be only the third time a court in England and Wales has approved removal of parental responsibility An abusive father who repeatedly called his six-year-old autistic son retarded has been stripped of his parental rights in a rare legal move. Deputy High Court Judge Frances Judd QC ruled it was in the boys best interests for the fathers parental responsibility to be removed after he wrote about him in dreadful terms. It is believed to be only the third time a court in England and Wales has approved removal of parental responsibility, a legal concept setting out the rights and responsibilities of mothers and fathers. The judge said the father saw himself as a victim and sent deeply unpleasant emails to various people. The hearing was carried out at the Family Division of the High Court, above [File photo] A hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London was told how last autumn the father posted notes to his former partners neighbours telling them the child was retarded and could not enjoy trick or treating or Halloween. In November 2017 he also wrote to the mothers solicitors, saying: I have the greatest pleasure knowing that C (the mother) is struggling to cope with her retarded son and that she will now be spending a lot of her time with various autism support and parenting programmes etc and given the severity of her sons autism the pleasure of her son going to a special school for retarded children in the future. The father added that he was pleased that his former partner and their son had to sleep in her parents bedroom while the parents slept on a sofa in the front room. He wrote: I will continue to ensure that my income will continue to remain below the threshold to qualify for any maintenance payments whatsoever. The couple had been in a relationship for two years, which ended shortly after the birth of their son in 2012. Social workers became involved amid claims the father was emotionally abusive, intimidating and controlling. The mother later won a non-molestation order against him from the High Court in November 2017. She told the court he had blocked her efforts to ensure the boy had the medical and educational support he needed. The mother said that the father was intimidating and would be able to use his rights under parental responsibility to delay treatment for the boy, identified in court as B. Deputy High Court Judge Frances Judd QC ruled it was in the boys best interests for the fathers parental responsibility to be removed after he wrote about him in dreadful terms [File photo] In her ruling, the judge said the father saw himself as a victim and sent deeply unpleasant emails to various people. There was no prospect of a change in his attitude, which was belligerent, abusive and intimidating. The father is so bound up in himself and his own anger that he has been prepared to write about his son in dreadful terms, terms that will be deeply distressing to B if he ever comes to know about it, she wrote in her ruling. Judge Judd said she agreed that the boy needed a happy, confident mother and that the fathers involvement in his sons life was more about his need to control her than care for their son. I have... come to the conclusion that it is in (the boys) best interests for his fathers parental responsibility to be removed, she wrote. One Florida mother who was travelling with a sick baby is praising the kindness of strangers after she was offered a fellow passenger offered them his first class seat on American Airlines. Kelsey Zwick was travelling from Orlando to Philadelphia with Lucy, one of her 11-month-old twin daughters. She was taking the infant to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia because her baby suffers from severe chronic lung disease as a result of a complication during the pregnancy. She expressed her thanks in a Facebook post that has since gone viral with over 600,000 likes and shared 400,000 times. Kelsey Rae Zwick was travelling from Orlando to Philly with her 11-month-old daughter, Lucy, for treatment at the Children's Hospital when a complete stranger made a touching gesture Ms Zwick said she and Lucy had boarded American Airlines flight 588 when a flight attendant approached them and informed them a passenger in first class wanted to switch seats 'To the man in 2D. Today you were traveling from Orlando to Philly. I don't know you, but I imagine you saw us somewhere. I was pushing a stroller, had a diaper bag on my arm and also lugging an oxygen machine for my daughter. We had smiles on our faces as we were headed to see her 'friends' at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)', Zwick began in her much-talked-about Facebook post. 'We pre-boarded the plane, got cozy in our window seat and made jokes to those around us about having to sit by my yelling-but-happy baby. The flight attendant came over and told me you were waiting to switch seats. You were giving up your comfortable, first class seat to us. The good deed offered by a fellow passenger reminded Zwick how 'blessed' she and her husband, Yuri, are. The touching gesture, which Ms Zwick said she 'can't wait to tell Lucy someday', brought her to tears Lucy, a twin born 11 weeks early, stayed in the NICU for 100 days after she was born. Her sister stayed 86 days Lucy, right, suffers from chronic lung disease but still has a smile on her face 'Not able to hold back tears, I cried my way up the aisle while my daughter Lucy laughed! She felt it in her bones too... real, pure, goodness. I smiled and thanked you as we switched but didn't get to thank you properly.****************************Sooo... thank you. Not just for the seat itself but for noticing. For seeing us and realizing that maybe things are not always easy. For deciding you wanted to show a random act of kindness to US. It reminded me how much good there is in this world. I can't wait to tell Lucy someday. In the meantime... we will pay it forward. AA 588 passenger in seat 2D, we truly feel inspired by your generosity.' Zwick's emotional story evidently touched the hearts of many, sparking many supportive comments on the post that has since been shared over 164,000 times. It doesn't appear Ms Zwick has found the mystery man yet but in the meantime she said she promises to 'pay it forward' Ms Zwick shared the story on Facebook in hopes to find the man. It quickly went viral and had many people were left in tears after reading her tale She told Fox News that the generosity of her fellow passenger has since inspired her to 'reflect,' and to 'pay it forward.' She hopes others are inspired to go out and do good for others after hearing their story. 'You never know what people are going through. So many people helped us along the way. One small act of kindness is a ripple effect!' she said. 'And when you get to the other side of your struggle whatever that looks like pay it forward!' 'Thank you to the man in 2D! The world is hungry for kindness... and I hope this expands far beyond what happened to us yesterday,' she concluded. Ashen-faced and manhandled by a burly policeman, a British fraud investigator thousands of miles from home admits to trumped-up crimes in a Chinese courtroom before being sentenced to years in a hellhole prison. The chilling forced confession from Peter Humphrey was seen on Chinas state TV but, shockingly, was also aired on the regimes English-language news TV channel broadcast to millions of homes in Britain. This is just one of many horrific instances of brutality and bias that The Mail on Sunday has found on Chinese Global Television Network (CGTN) as Beijing pours vast sums of money into an enormous expansion of the superficially respectable propaganda outlet on British soil. After he was paraded, handcuffed, in a Chinese court in 2013 on trumped-up charges of breaking data laws, Peter Humphrey endured two years in jail where he was tortured and drugged The chilling forced confession from Peter Humphrey (pictured) was seen on Chinas state TV but, shockingly, was also aired on the regimes English-language news TV channel broadcast to millions of homes in Britain Our investigation has uncovered: At least nine forced confessions by prisoners paraded in Chinese courtrooms have been broadcast in Britain, only one of which has been investigated by broadcasting regulator Ofcom; Despite claiming to be objective, CGTN news reports ignore criticism of China and its human-rights record while flattering autocratic President Xi Jinping; In the US, security warnings have led the authorities to register CGTN and its employees as foreign agents, yet in Britain the channel is still being treated as an ordinary broadcaster. The disturbing revelations about the channel, which critics have likened to Russian President Putins mouthpiece TV network Russia Today, come amid growing concern over China using its huge wealth and technological might to gain ever greater influence abroad. Last week, the head of MI6, Alex Younger, said: We need to decide the extent to which we are going to be comfortable with Chinese ownership of these technologies and these platforms in an environment where some of our allies have taken quite a definite position. And just days ago the boss of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei which has a pivotal role in the next generation mobile network Britain will soon be using was arrested over suspicions of fraud. Chen Yongzhou was accused of defaming the Communist Party after uncovering corruption at a state-owned company. He was forced to confess before he was jailed for 22 months in 2013 In 2015, socialite Guo Meimei (left) was forced to confess to running an illegal gambling den and working as a call girl. She was jailed for five years. Publisher Gui Minhai (right) vanished in 2015. When he reappeared it was on state TV confessing to causing a death by drink-driving. He is still in jail Mr Humphreys courtroom ordeal in 2013 came after he arrived in China to investigate corruption at Glaxosmithkline. He was arrested on trumped-up charges of breaking data laws.He was manacled and forced to read from a script as he admitted to his fictitious crimes. In his forced confession in court, beamed to British TVs, he said: I sometimes used illegal means to obtain personal information. I very much regret this and apologise to the Chinese government. He spent the next two years in a Chinese jail where he was beaten, tortured and drugged. Other disturbing cases of forced confessions shown on CGTN include a Swedish bookseller still in prison on bogus charges of drink-driving and a journalist jailed for ten months for exposing corruption at a state-owned firm. After his release from jail and return to Britain, Mr Humphrey was horrified to learn that his travesty of a trial had been broadcast in Britain. With the support of civil-rights group Safeguard Defenders, he has gone to Ofcom calling for CGTN to be taken off air. Actor Ko Chen-tung (left) was made to confess to drug use in 2014 after he appeared in an anti-drug campaign video. He was detained for two weeks. Liu Tai-Ting (right), 27, was cleared of fraud in a court in Kenya, but after being deported to Beijing was forced to confess and jailed for 15 years Safeguard Defenders director Peter Dahlin a Swedish activist who himself was forced to confess on TV to endangering state security by supporting human rights in China said: Were not looking to close CGTN or stop it broadcasting, but we hope that Ofcom can apply enough pressure to put an end to the broadcast of forced confessions. But far from being cowed by the criticism, CGTN is pressing ahead with its plans for an enormous expansion. Earlier this year, the channel launched a major recruitment drive to hire 350 London-based journalists to fill a sprawling new production centre in West London. One advertisement for a director of news described CGTNs mission as providing objective, balanced, and impartial current-affairs content, reporting the news from a Chinese perspective. According to plans seen by The Mail on Sunday, the broadcaster intends to fill the entire 11th floor of a building in Chiswick and install an enormous satellite dish on the roof, with the help of property developers JAC. SECOND Chinese telecom giant poses 5G security risk to Britain China's ambitions in Britain go far beyond the CGTN channel. Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is the frontrunner for a lucrative contract to provide equipment for Britains new 5G mobile networks despite experts warning that the potential for espionage is too great to ignore. NEW HQ: CGTN will occupy a whole floor of this building in West London Bids running into billions of pounds for the contracts to construct the new networks will be submitted next year and Huawei is the leading candidate. In a rare public speech last week, MI6 chief Alex Younger warned Britain about the dangers of Chinese ownership of these technologies and these platforms. The US, Australia and New Zealand have all taken action to stop Chinese companies installing 5G equipment. And just days ago, a senior Huawei executive was arrested over a US fraud probe. But in Britain, Huaweis equipment is already at the heart of the telecoms network. MPs on the Intelligence and Security Committee concluded there is a disconnect between British policy on foreign direct investment and national security. Advertisement The channel is currently available on Sky and Freesat which together provide channels to about 10 million British households and broadcasts mainly from Beijing. The station has huge ambitions to compete with global broadcasters such as the BBC and CNN and is central to Chinas soft-power push. Since 2008, the state has ploughed more than 5 billion into efforts to seize discourse power from the West. Xinhua, Chinas main news agency, has established more foreign bureaux in the past decade than any rival, boosting its total to 180. CGTN is just one arm of Voice of China, a new media group that includes other television and radio services, and has been labelled the tongue and throat of Chinas ruling Communist Party. The difference in the Chinese perspective was most evident in CGTNs coverage this year of disturbing plans to abolish presidential term limits in Chinas constitution. While the Western media quickly pointed out that the plans could open the door to President Xi Jinpings indefinite rule, CGTN reported that leaders from around the world have been sending congratulations. Last year, a series of CGTN broadcasts featured prominent Chinese journalists accusing Westerners of being brainwashed by Western values of journalism, which were depicted as irresponsible and detrimental to society. Luo Jun, an editor at Xinhua, sang the praises of censorship, saying: We have to take responsibility for what we report. If thats being considered as censorship, I think its good censorship. But beyond the bias, the grand plans and the arrival of CGTN in London have horrified security experts who warn that Britain is abetting human right abuses and risks welcoming spies masquerading as journalists. We should be vigilant of CGTN and not treat it as a media outlet but what it is: a part of the repressive Chinese Communist Party apparatus, said Jonas Parello-Plesner, a senior fellow at the Washington DC-based Hudson Institute. Abroad, their employees have more in common with spies than with journalists. In September, the US Justice Department was so suspicious of CGTN and Xinhua that they were forced to register as foreign agents. The Hoover Institution, a leading Washington-based think tank, warned that Britains response to Chinas attempts to insinuate itself within Britains critical infrastructure, universities, civil society, political system and think tanks has been scattershot at best. Chen Yongzhou, a journalist with the New Express based in the southern city of Guangzhou, was forced to 'confess' In his Hudson Institute report, Mr Parello-Plesner wrote: The Peoples Republic of China has a distinctive system that blurs the lines between classical espionage, clandestine operations and influence-seeking. The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) goal is to quell dissenting and negative voices at home and abroad and influence civil society and governments abroad. With deep coffers and the help of Western enablers, the CCP uses money, rather than Communist ideology, as a powerful source of influence, creating parasitic relationships of long-term dependence. CCP interference and influence operations target the vulnerabilities in democratic systems. Retired Western politicians willingly peddle pro-CCP agendas for cash and other benefits. Ofcom has said it is examining Mr Humphreys show trial as a priority. It has previously ruled against channels named in similar complaints. In January, it fined Al Arabiya, based in Dubai, 120,000 after it broadcast footage of a Bahraini opposition politician confessing to offences while awaiting retrial. In 2011, Irans Press TV was slapped with a 100,000 fine after it broadcast an interview with an imprisoned journalist conducted under duress. The following year, its UK licence was revoked. A spokesperson for Ofcom last night told The Mail on Sunday: We have received a complaint which we are assessing as a priority. If, following investigation, we find our rules have been broken we would take the necessary enforcement action. Additional reporting by William Lowther in Washington DC NSW Greens have voted to ask MP Jeremy Buckingham to resign from the upper house after he was the subject of a complaint alleging sexual misconduct by a former employee of the party. The Greens' State Delegates Council passed a request Mr Buckingham vacate his position and ticket during a meeting on Saturday following the allegation. The MP has hit out at the decision, accusing the party's state branch of being 'corrupt and rotten'. NSW Greens have voted to boot MP Jeremy Buckingham (pictured) from the upper house after he was accused of sexual violence towards a former employee of the party Mr Buckingham has been the subject of a 2011 sexual harassment allegation, and factional rival Jenny Leong called on him to resign last month. Ms Leong said under parliamentary privilege the complaint by ex-Greens staff member Ella Buckland meant the upper house member could 'not stay silent anymore'. An independent investigation recommended no adverse findings against him though, having been unable to substantiate Ms Buckland's claims Mr Buckingham touched her inappropriately. In a statement given by Mr Buckingham last month, he said the allegation was 'investigated by independent workplace investigation specialists Workdynamic as per NSW Greens policy earlier this year and there was no finding of any wrongdoing.' The Workdynamic statement read: 'The NSW Greens resolve this matter with no adverse finding against you with respect to sexual harassment or inappropriate behaviour towards Ms Buckland.' The investigation had spoken to female witnesses who corroborated Mr Buckingham's version of events. The party agreed on Saturday Mr Buckingham's presence would stop the party from campaigning effectively ahead of next year's election. An initial no-confidence motion was unsuccessful, but an amended motion calling for him to remove himself from the tickets was passed with consensus. Two delegates registered dissent, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. In a statement lashing out at his party, Mr Buckingham said the Greens had thrown 'justice under the bus'. Mr Buckingham has been the subject of a 2011 sexual harassment allegation, and factional rival Jenny Leong called on him to resign last month 'While ... I have poured my heart and soul into the Greens for nearly 16 years, the fact is the NSW Greens as an organisation is corrupt and rotten,' he said following Saturday's vote. 'It's a sad and disappointing day for the NSW Greens.' Mr Buckingham, who has been under sustained pressure to resign despite denying the allegations, said the party had rewarded the bullies and the lynch mob. But the MP stopped short of commenting on whether he would resign, saying he would hold a media conference in Sydney on Sunday to provide further information. He said the proposal to request his resignation was factional warfare and it abandoned grassroots democracy by overturning a democratic preselection result. A New Zealand woman who accused her former boss of racial discrimination says it's ruined her life. Julie Savage, a former supervisor at the Vili's Cakes kitchen in Adelaide, said she was 'disrespected' when her co-workers repeatedly called her a 'Kiwi' instead of using her name. But her complaint, which was heard before the South Australian Employment Tribunal, was dismissed as a 'perceived lack of respect'. Julie Savage, a former supervisor at the Vili's Cakes kitchen in Adelaide , said she was 'disrespected' when her co-workers repeatedly called her a 'Kiwi' instead of using her name Ms Savage, who was referred to as 'Kiwi' by bakery owner Vili Milisits, said the colloquial term was used in a derogatory way, NZ Herald reported. 'I had a Kiwi flag on my desk, I am proud. But that wasn't my name, that's the issue. No-one called me that but him. He used it like it was my name, like ''go and do the dishes, Kiwi'', or ''wipe the table, Kiwi''.' Ms Savage said her boss used the name to order her to do jobs, rather than use the word as a term of endearment. 'He used that like it was my name,' she said, claiming it caused her to suffer from depression and low self-esteem. Ms Savage and her husband and son moved from Auckland to Adelaide in 2006. She was hired the next year. She was eventually promoted a supervisor role after working as a short order cook for a few years. Vili Milisits (pictured) was accused of discriminating against a New Zealand employee While she would take some New Zealand jokes on the chin, Ms Savage said the persistent use of 'Kiwi' wore her down. A year-and-a-half after laying her official complaint in 2016, Ms Savage lost her racial discrimination case. On Sunday December 2, the claim was dismissed by Tribunal Judge Leonie Farrell, who said: 'Calling a New Zealander a Kiwi is not of itself offensive. Kiwi is not an insult.' The bakery's owner admitted he had called Ms Savage the moniker, but argued that it was a fond nickname and never intended to be demeaning, Adelaide Now reported. Judge Farrell ultimately agreed, throwing out any accusations of discrimination. 'It was pretty satisfying when I saw what the commissioner said I'm happy with that,' Mr Milistits said. Ms Savage said her boss used the name to order her to do jobs, rather than use the word as a term of endearment He thanked the tribunal for finding in his favour, but said the 18-month-long trial was 'slow'. Ms Savage who is a 'a proud Kiwi' said she's lost her self-esteem and suffers from depression. She said she was disappointed with the tribunal's decision but wouldn't be able to afford an appeal. The case wasn't about money but rather about receiving an apology, Ms Savage said. 'I feel this case is a moral victory for me against Vili Milisits and that hopefully he will no longer call people that he employs by another name other than their given name.' Thomas Markle produced piles of medical bills that prove conclusively he had not one, but two heart attacks before the wedding of Meghan and Harry. Mr Markle had the first heart attack the weekend before the ceremony and has documents proving he was in hospital in Mexico for a day and a half. He then felt well enough to drive to Los Angeles to deliver flowers to his ex-wife Doria before being taken ill again when he returned home to Rosarito. The doctors told me I was having a second heart attack, he says. I had a blocked artery which they call the widow maker. A friend took me across the border to a US hospital and they saved my life. In a wide-ranging interview with Caroline Graham near his home in Mexico, Mr Markle revealed the anguish he feels at the thought of never seeing his daughter again Mr Markle shared these documents, including an expensive receipt from a California hospital, as proof he suffered a heart attack Bills totalling more than a 100,000 show he was discharged from Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center in California on May 17. Prince Harry called when Mr Markle was recovering in hospital and said: If youd listened to me none of this would have happened referring to the media stories about the faked paparazzi pictures. Mr Markle hung up on Harry but says he regrets this because it started the rift. Theresa May is expected to delay Tuesday's parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal and head to Brussels to demand better terms from the EU. According to the Sunday Times ministers and aides have convinced her she needs a 'handbag moment' - to emulate Margaret Thatcher - and demand better terms from the EU. A senior cabinet source told the paper: 'People in No. 10 think she needs to have a "handbag moment" where she says: "Up with this I will not put."' She is expected to push back Tuesday's vote and meet with EU chiefs in Brussels on Thursday, the Sunday Times say. Theresa May is expected to head to Brussels and delay Tuesday's meaningful vote on the Brexit deal as she seeks new terms, depsite claiming her deal was the best possible last week Michel Barnier the EU's chief Brexit negotiator had warned MPs to back May's deal or face a no-deal scenario Most pundits expect her to lose Tuesday's vote and ministers are concerned the scale of defeat would be such it could bring down her government. Ministers have urged her that unless she can win over the Brexiteers with a show of strength she risks being ousted by opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn. But Downing Street rejected suggestions May could delay holding the Brexit vote on Friday. A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The vote is going ahead on Tuesday.' With her own future in the balance, May has repeatedly threatened that her deal, which envisages continued close ties with the EU, is the only one on the table and that the alternatives are a painful 'no-deal' exit from the EU or possibly no Brexit at all. But the pressure on May mounted over the weekend after yet another minister - Will Quince - quit his government role on Saturday in opposition to her deal, and the Sunday Times said further resignations were expected. One minister told the Sunday Times that he would quit if the vote went ahead, and the newspaper added that at least two Brexit-backing ministers and two members of the whips office were also on the verge of resigning. The Sunday Times also said that some ministers were planning for a second referendum on EU membership, naming cabinet office minister David Lidington, and justice secretary, David Gauke, as those considering that as a possible outcome. The PM is expected to ask for more time - despite the EU warning there could be no extension - or for a concession to be made on the Irish backstop which caused fury among Brexiteers who believe the UK could be locked into the customs union indefinitely. May suffered a bruising triple defeat in the Commons on Wednesday as she tried to sell her deal to MPs, and in an unprecedented embarrassment, her government was found in contempt of Parliament. The mid-week rout no doubt meant advisers went back to the drawing board, as the Prime Minister sent ministers across the UK to sell her deal. Michael Cohen was paid more than $4 million by several firms for promising access to his former client Donald Trump. A federal prosecutor told a judge on Friday that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should spend between 51 and 63 months in prison for a range of federal crimes including tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws. Now federal prosecutors provided new details on the extent of former Donald Trump fixer Michael Cohens attempts to cash in on his access to President Trump. They claimed that Cohen extracted more than $4 million from major corporations in return for his supposed insight into White House policy making. Michael Cohen (left) was paid more than $4 million by several firms for promising access to his former client Donald Trump (right) Cohen met an associate named Imaad Zuberi who inquired about access to high level events where Trump and other White House officials would be in attendance According to prosecutors, Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to eight federal criminal charges, immediately sought to profit from his connections to Trump in the wake of his former boss 2016 election victory. They wrote in a sentencing memo: 'Cohen successfully convinced numerous major corporations to retain him as a consultant who could provide unique insights about and access to the new administration,' prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo filed on Friday. 'Some of these corporations were then stuck making large up-front or periodic payments to Cohen, even though he provided little or no real services under these contracts. 'Bank records reflect that Cohen made more than $4 million dollars before the contracts were terminated'. Cohens confirmed consulting clients were telecom giant AT&T, Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, and the investment fund linked to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, the Daily Beast reported. Two individuals familiar with the relationship told The Daily Beast that Cohen had also met Imaad Zuberi, a venture capitalist and Obama donor, who he met various times in 2016 and 2017. Zuberi had inquired at Trump's inauguration in January 2017 about access to high-level events and was apparently told he would need to pay upward of $1 million to attend events with key figures in the Trump administration. Cohen should spend between 51 and 63 months in prison for a range of federal crimes, according to a prosecutor The Daily Beast reported that Zuberi donated more than $900,000 to the inaugural committee and corresponded with Cohen directly about that donation. According to a report in The Intercept, Cohen reportedly asked Qatari government officials in late 2016 to chip in $1 million to the new administration's federal infrastructure spending fund in exchange for access to the Trump administration. The offer was apparently declined, but Cohen asked others for similar donations, according to those sources, and spoke at length with Zuberi about the fund. Zuberi had also been in close contact with Elliott Broidy, the former RNC chairman, sources told the Daily Beast. Broidy and Zuberi spoke at length about potential business partnerships. It is understood that Broidy hired Cohen to arrange a $1.6 million to a former Playboy model in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter. Two other payoffs to alleged Trump mistresses Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal were at the center of felony campaign finance violations to which Cohen admitted as part of his plea deal. In the sentencing memo on Friday, prosecutors said that those payoffs were undertaken 'in coordination with and at the direction' of Trump. Imaad Zuberi , seen at an event with Donald Trump, donated more than $900,000 to the Presidential inaugural committee at the start of 2017 Imaad Zuberi, a venture capitalist and a major political donor, is pictured with Paul Ryan (right) in an undated photo Novartis reportedly paid Cohen $1.2 million for insights on Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare. AT&T paid $600,000 for advice on antitrust issues surrounding its efforts to purchase Time Warner. In Robert Mueller's investigation, filed just last month, the special counsel alleged that Cohen has admitted lying about his efforts and timing on the Trump Tower Moscow plan, and alleges that he briefed Trump about the project's status in 2016. Cohen told investigators that the entire projet was scrapped before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary inJanuary 2016. However negotiations related to the proposal were going on through the time of the July Republican National Convention. Cohen arranged payoffs to porn actress Stormy Daniels (left) and former Playboy model Karen McDougal (right) to avoid embarrassments for then- Presidential candidate Donald Trump President Trump has termed Cohen 'weak' for cooperating with prosecutors Mueller charged Cohen with a felony for lying to his investigators, but said he was truthful in six other sessions where government lawyers plied him with questions. Khuzami told the court Friday that Cohen should be punished for 'extensive, deliberate, and serious criminal conduct,' and that 'a substantial prison term is requireda.' Longtime friends of Cohen assembled a counter-narrative this week to help him stay out of jail lauding him as a family man who provided advice on school bullying and once offered to buy his teacher a car. Cohen also fielded pitches from a friend who wanted to open a children's barbershop and helped others get their children into the right school. President Trump has termed Cohen 'weak' for cooperating with prosecutors. Zealous presidential allies have called him a 'rat' for cooperating with the government at all. Said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Friday: 'The governments filings in Mr Cohens case tell us nothing of value that wasnt already known. Mr. Cohen has repeatedly lied and as the prosecution has pointed out to the court, Mr. Cohen is no hero.' A teenage mother who became pregnant aged just 13 has won an extraordinary court battle to stop the violent and drug-addicted father being told about the baby. The schoolgirl, now 14, did not know she was pregnant until her waters broke and has since kept her baby girl a secret from all but her closest family. She feared what would happen if the father, who is 15, found out about the baby, who she now wants adopted, because of his history of violence. The two teenagers had sex only on two occasions. Now a High Court judge has agreed to her highly unusual request that social workers do not tell the boy about his child. A teenage mother who became pregnant at the age of 13 has won a court battle to stop the violent and drug-addicted father, who is 15, being told about the baby. (Stock image) Mr Justice Cohen said: I have reached the clear view that the combination of factors in this case does not make it appropriate for the father to be informed of the birth. The court, sitting in Newcastle, heard that the teenagers, who were at the same school, had an extremely short-lived relationship. The girl was only 13 when she got pregnant and the father was a year older. She claims she was unaware that she was pregnant until her waters broke when she rang her family in great distress and that none of her friends or teachers had suspected a thing. Her baby was placed with foster carers as soon as she was discharged from hospital and is to be adopted, as the girl immediately concluded that she could not care for [her]. Now a High Court judge has agreed to her highly unusual request that social workers do not tell the boy about his child. (Stock image) The teenage girl was said by psychologists to be intelligent and wants to continue at school then go to university. She has a history of self-harm and depression, and was said to be on edge and constantly fearful of noises outside because she fears the father will physically harm her if he finds out about the baby. The father, who is said to be a drug addict and alcoholic who carries a knife, has been convicted of criminal damage, been permanently expelled from school and may have been violent to his own mother. He lives with his father, who also has drug problems and is known to be violent. An independent expert consulted by the court said she has not had a case like this in 18 years of experience. Mr Justice Cohen said that he had to consider the interests of the baby above all, and concluded that there was no hope of the boy or his family looking after her. He also pointed out the very young age of the mother, the effect on her life if the news gets out of her baby and the fact she is psychologically vulnerable. The judge said: I have not taken the mothers objections to the father being told at face value without analysis and it is significant that the views of the harm that the mother might suffer are supported by [a doctor], by her school pastoral tutor and the counsellor with whom she works, and that her complaints about the father and his family have been supported by local authority social service files relating to the paternal family. In all the circumstances, I therefore order and direct that the local authority is not obliged to tell the father of the birth and should not do so. A man has been rushed to hospital after he fell from a roof and impaled his leg on a metal gate. Paramedics were called to a residential street in Alexandria, Sydney at 10.35pm on Saturday after the 40-year-old man had fallen around two metres onto the wrought iron fence below. A New South Wales Ambulance spokesman said four crews were called to a Maddox Street address following reports a man had fallen from a roof. A man has been rushed to hospital after he fell from a roof and impaled his leg on a metal fence (scene pictured) The man, who had impaled his left thigh, was taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition. The residents of the home where the fence was located assisted the man until emergency services arrived, Channel 7 reported. It is not known why the man was on the roof. Four emergency crews were called to a residential street in Alexandria, Sydney at 10.35pm on Saturday (metal gate pictured) Kathleen Bartlett required medical attention after apparently being elbowed in the face by a colleague who is now at the centre of a Royal Navy police investigation The female Royal Navy officer left with facial injuries following a fight at a top secret base was allegedly being bullied over whether women should be allowed to serve on submarines. The Mail on Sunday understands that an investigation into the attack on Lieutenant Kathleen Bartlett named for the first time today is focusing on claims that three male officers were mocking her moments before the violence erupted at the Faslane naval dockyard in Scotland. Lt Bartlett required medical attention after apparently being elbowed in the face by a colleague who is now at the centre of a Royal Navy police investigation. Two junior seamen who remonstrated with the officers allegedly mocking Lt Bartlett were also attacked. According to Navy sources, one of them was head-butted. Despite concerns about the risk of sex scandals, the ban on women serving on board nuclear submarines was lifted in 2011. The first female officers joined crews two years later. Colleagues of Lt Bartlett last night described her service record as impeccable. One Navy source said: Kat is a brilliant young officer who serves as the casing officer aboard HMS Artful. This is an engineering role. It comes with great responsibility and she has proved herself time and again. Those who mocked her should be ashamed of themselves. The Mail on Sunday understands that an investigation into the attack on Lieutenant Kathleen Bartlett named for the first time today is focusing on claims that three male officers were mocking her moments before the violence erupted at the Faslane naval dockyard in Scotland The three male officers, who could face being kicked out of the Royal Navy, are understood to belong to the crew of a rival submarine, HMS Ambush Lt Bartlett, who graduated from Southampton University in 2014, has told her family about the incident but has sought to play it down. Her sister, Deborah Bartlett, 27, said the matter which is believed to have taken place around a fortnight ago was being handled by Navy police. The three male officers, who could face being kicked out of the Royal Navy, are understood to belong to the crew of a rival submarine, HMS Ambush. Military detectives are studying CCTV footage of the quayside brawl as part of their inquiries. Last night the Ministry of Defence said it would be inappropriate to comment. A spokesman for the Royal Navy, which has repeatedly refused to provide basic information about when and where the fight took place and the ranks of those involved, said: We can confirm that the Royal Naval Police are investigating an alleged incident involving members of a Scottish-based unit. A spokesman for the Royal Navy said: We can confirm that the Royal Naval Police are investigating an alleged incident involving members of a Scottish-based unit (pictured: The commissioning ceremony for HMS Ambush at Faslane) HMS Ambush was launched in 2011 and achieved notoriety five years later off the coast of Gibraltar when it crashed into a tanker, causing 2.1 million of damage. Commander Justin Codd later pleaded guilty at a court martial to negligently hazarding the submarine during a training exercise. Last October, nine submariners from HMS Vigilant, another submarine based at Faslane, were booted out of the Navy after failing drug tests following cocaine-fuelled parties at a US naval base. Two of Vigilants commanding officers have also found themselves embroiled in controversy due to sexual relationships with subordinates. Earlier this year The Mail on Sunday reported how six Royal Navy sailors had been arrested in Florida for drunk and disorderly behaviour after the first transatlantic voyage of HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britains 3 billion aircraft carrier. A British sailors joy at being rescued from her crippled yacht in the Pacific was tempered when she was forced to scuttle the 200,000 vessel. When she was picked up by a Chinese cargo ship, Susie Goodall had to ensure her yacht, DHL Starlight, sank so it did not pose a risk to other vessels. Ms Goodall, 29, was 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn during the round-the- world Golden Globe Race when DHL Starlight flipped over in 70mph winds and mountainous seas. Ms Goodall (pictured), 29, was 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn during the round-the- world Golden Globe Race when DHL Starlight flipped over Susie Goodall is seen being rescued after she spent two days stranded in the Southern Ocean after her boat was smashed up by a monster storm The 'Golden Globe Race' is an ocean race in which sailors compete without high technology aides such as GPS or computers. Pictured, Susie Goodall leaves Les Sables d'Olonne Harbour on July 1 The vessels mast snapped, ending her dream of winning the 30,000-mile contest, and she was forced to cling to her bunk for two terrifying days as cargo ship Tian Fu raced to her rescue. Ms Goodall, from Falmouth, Cornwall, was winched aboard on Friday and is now heading towards Chile. Writing on social media, her family said: It was with a heavy heart Susie left DHL Starlight to fend for herself, before she fills with water and rests on the Pacific Ocean floor. DHL Starlight has been her home for the past few years; a faithful friend who stood up valiantly to all the elements, a guardian until their last moments together. Referring to her ordeal, they wrote: When she was younger, Susie loved doing somersaults on trampolines. We just never thought shed do one in a boat. Race spokesman Barry Pickthall said: She must be absolutely devastated as she will have spent about 200,000 on the yacht, including giving it a new rig and new sails. As she recovered yesterday aboard Tian Fu, Susie Goodall tweeted one simple message: A HOT CUPPA! Susie Goodall, 29, was rescued by a 38,000 tonne cargo ship some two hours after it arrived at her position 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn, in the Southern Ocean A weather map has shown the storm that lashed the area four hours before Miss Goodhall lost her rig Professor Mike Barnes was paid to write a major report which paved the way for a law change earlier this year A key adviser to MPs behind controversial new laws legalising cannabis for medical use is set to make millions from a deal with one of the worlds biggest suppliers of recreational marijuana. Professor Mike Barnes was paid to write a major report which paved the way for a law change earlier this year, allowing cannabis to be legally prescribed in Britain, including on the NHS. When he wrote his 169-page study in 2016, highlighting the health benefits of marijuana, Professor Barnes said he had no commercial interests in cannabis. Today, a Mail on Sunday investigation can reveal that he now stands to make up to 4.4 million selling a stake in his firm to a Canadian conglomerate. The Ontario-based Wayland Group supplies tons of cannabis to companies selling recreational marijuana products, including packets of pre-rolled, super-strength joints. It is shelling out up to 27.8 million for a half-share in Professor Barness company, Theros Pharma, on the basis that it will secure either a licence to grow cannabis for medical use in the UK, or a licence to import the drug. This paper can also disclose that: Professor Barnes is now also paid about 50,000 a year for consultancy work by a second Canadian company which invests in cannabis projects around the world; He was recently barred from joining an influential committee which will decide who can receive cannabis-based medicines, because of possible conflicts of interest. Following publication of Professor Barness 2016 report for The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Drug Policy Reform, the group called for people suffering from certain medical conditions to be allowed to grow cannabis themselves. Canadian giant's deal with firm that sells joints Pictured: Pre-rolled cannabis joints Canadian cannabis firm Wayland struck a deal to provide recreational marijuana to the Ontario Cannabis Store, an online shop that sells an array of products, including pre-rolled joints, above. Advertisement The MPs said that companies should be able to legally import or cultivate the drug here for medical use. Earlier this year, the Newcastle University neurologist also helped spearhead emotive campaigns to secure cannabis-based medication on prescription for two boys with severe epilepsy. The stories of Alfie Dingley and Billy Caldwell, whose parents said could only be helped by cannabis-based medicines, shifted public opinion on the issue prompting the Government to change the law. But there are fears some pro- cannabis campaigners and businesses are using the medical argument as a smokescreen to disguise their ultimate aim full legalisation. Cannabis is addictive, and studies show that regular use of stronger strains can triple the risk of psychosis. Only yesterday, the Centre for Social Justice think-tank predicted legalisation would open the floodgates to hundreds of thousands of new users, leaving many with mental health problems. Last night, MPs and anti-cannabis campaigners said Britain was at risk of its drugs laws being influenced by large firms. Conservative MP David Davies, vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cannabis: Harmful Effects On Developing Brains, said: Many people think that cannabis companies are small, family-owned businesses, but there are big companies which stand to make a lot of money. They have made millions from legalisation for recreational use in Canada and we must be vigilant against it happening here. The 2016 report for the APPG, Cannabis: The Evidence For Medical Use, extolled the drugs virtues for medical conditions including chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and anxiety. He backed campaign to ease boy's pain but failed to declare link to pro-cannabis lobby Alfie Dingley with mother Hannah Deacon Professor Barnes was instrumental in backing an emotive campaign to obtain cannabis oil medicine for Alfie Dingley, who has severe epilepsy. He helped the six-year-olds mother Hannah Deacon (above, with Alfie) to secure a licence to import the remedy from The Netherlands. The case and that of fellow epileptic Billy Caldwell, 12, from Northern Ireland, who he also helped shifted public opinion on the subject. In October, the Government announced it was changing the law to allow prescription of cannabis-based medicines in certain circumstances. In his report to the APPG on Drug Policy Reform, Professor Barnes failed to declare he was a member of the advisory panel for pressure group Clear, which aims to end the prohibition of cannabis for all users medicinal and recreational. He said at the time that he was only asked to advise Clear on its campaign to legalise cannabis for medical purposes. Last night he reiterated that he did not support legalisation for recreational use. He is still a member of Clears advisory board. Advertisement In it, he and co-author Dr Jennifer Barnes, his daughter, stated they had no commercial interests in cannabis or cannabis products. Four years earlier he founded Professor Mike Barnes Ltd, a business involved in specialist medical practice activities, according to Companies House records. Seven weeks ago he changed its name to Theros Pharma. Until last month he was its sole director and shareholder. On November 26, Wayland announced it was buying just over half of Theros. In a public statement, Wayland described the firm as an early stage company that has successfully imported cannabis to the UK for patients with a prescription for medical cannabis. Wayland will pay 3.8 million up-front for 51 per cent of Theros, followed by another 24 million when the UK firm is issued with either a licence to cultivate cannabis in the UK or import it for medical use. Professor Barnes was quoted as a neurologist and medical cannabis campaigner saying it would be a pleasure to work in collaboration with Wayland. His financial interest was not mentioned. But this paper has seen documents showing Professor Barnes stands to make up to 4.4 million from the deal. He said he gave away five-sixths of his business to other interested parties, and is selling just over half his remaining 15.9 per cent stake, which puts him in line to reap 4.4 million once Theros is granted either licence. He keeps a 7.8 per cent stake in Theros potentially worth a similar amount. Separately, The Mail on Sunday has found he twice applied to sit on a National Institute for Care Excellence (Nice) committee that will draw up guidelines on which patients will get cannabis-based products, but was rejected. Last night, Professor Barnes said his 2016 statement that he had no commercial interest in cannabis at the time was entirely true, adding he was only paid 1,000 for the report. Since January this year he had earned a modest monthly consultancy fee from SOL Global, totalling about 50,000 a year. He confirmed having a small minority shareholding in Theros and did not dispute that he would earn about 4.4 million if it was granted either licence. Two brothers have risked their lives by scaling radio towers and abandoned bridges over croc-infested waters before posting the dangerous stunts on Youtube. 'Took a trip to Adelaide River and climbed a bridge over the crocodile infested waters,' Tom Clarke posted over the video-sharing platform. 'Pretty risky video and there were some hairy moments along the way.' In video footage, the pair scale the old Adelaide River Railway bridge, with brother Robin bragging it was the 'biggest and most dangerous' stunt so far. Two brothers have risked their lives by scaling radio towers and abandoned bridges (pictured) over croc-infested waters before posting the dangerous stunts on Youtube In the video, the board-short clad pair are seen teetering on the edge of the bridge, seemingly without harnesses 'Took a trip to Adelaide River and climbed a bridge over the crocodile infested waters,' Tom Clarke posted over the video-sharing platform The board-short clad pair are seen teetering on the edge of the bridge, seemingly without harnesses. However, they do appear to have cameras strapped to their heads. After the two safely cross the bridge, Tommy says to his brother: 'You made it Rob, I'm impressed man. He hates heights but he just walked across that and across Adelaide River with crocs in there.' In the same video, the duo scale a communications tower near Adelaide River. Later, the brothers celebrate their 'daring' bridge crossing with a schooner at what appears to be a local pub. When the two safely cross the bridge Tommy says to his brother: 'You made it Rob, I'm impressed man. He hates heights but he just walked across that and across Adelaide River with crocs in there' Territory Police Duty Superintendent Shaun Gill told NT News : 'Videos such as these are examples of extremely dangerous and foolhardy behaviour and decision making' Other videos reportedly show the brothers cutting holes in barbed wire fences to access prohibited areas. '(We) don't have to show how we got in, just go, 'oh look there's a hole in the fence again',' Rob can be heard saying as the pair blatantly record their antics. 'There'll be people that report us on Facebook, because they're c**ts,' Tom says. 'This is the sort of s**t you can do in the NT man go and see a lighthouse have a good feed, do a bit of f***ing car surfing not many places you can do that.' However, Territory Police Duty Superintendent Shaun Gill told NT News: 'Videos such as these are examples of extremely dangerous and foolhardy behaviour and decision making.' 'This sort of behaviour not only puts the individual at risk; it also encourages others to engage in similar dangerous acts. It also creates potentially extremely dangerous situations to which police, fire and rescue and emergency services respond when these stunts invariably go wrong.' The Attorney General was reduced to tears by the fight to save Theresa Mays Brexit deal, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. As the Prime Minister suffered her worst week since the humiliation of the 2017 Election, even hardened observers were stunned when Geoffrey Cox welled up on the front bench. The Commons witnessed four days of extraordinary scenes, but none more shocking than the QCs emotional response to the Government being found in contempt of Parliament for the first time in history. Anguish: Attorney General Geoffrey Cox goes through tumultuous emotions as MPs vote to release his legal advice After a torrid battle to halt the release of his legal advice about Mr Mays deal, the Brexiteer was expecting a pasting from devout Leaver Nadine Dorries on Tuesday evening. But when she rose to praise the integrity and honour of the Governments most senior lawyer, his emotions were clear. Geoffrey was hung out to dry says one Tory MP. He was told his candid advice would never see the light of day and the whips said they would win the vote to block it. Senior Tories immediately turned their fire on Chief Whip Julian Smith after suffering three defeats in just 63 minutes a post-war record. Yet that was not the only historic event at Westminster. The Prime Minister, who has famously boasted: I dont gossip about people and I dont go drinking in Parliaments bars, was spotted in a MPs watering hole, appearing to make small talk with supporters over a fruit salad in the Members Tea Room on Monday evening. One MP joked: Its unfair to say she hasnt been in there for a decade, I saw her nine years ago. The Commons witnessed four days of extraordinary scenes, but none more shocking than the QCs emotional response to the Government being found in contempt of Parliament for the first time in history But her plan to sweet-talk MPs failed. One dining companion, former loyalist Richard Benyon, voted with Labour less than 24 hours later. Tension boiled over when the Commons sat late into Tuesday night. As Boris Johnson insisted he could get a better Brexit deal, rival Tom Tugendhat angrily shouted across the Commons, branding him an effing disgrace and savaging his record at the Foreign Office. Sources claim formal complaints have been made to No 10 after Smith noticeably refused to condemn Tugendhats appalling actions. In another spat, Energy Minister Claire Perry was accused of telling Shadow Minister Paula Sherriff to f*** off when she overheard her discussing the Tory defeat. Ms Perry last night admitted using robust language, but accused the Labour MP of aggressive remarks that she has reported to the MPs watchdog. Theresa May was last night wargaming a plan to cancel this weeks Commons vote on Brexit and make a desperate dash to Brussels to seek further concessions from the European Union. The Mail on Sunday understands the EU is prepared to offer Britain a six-week extension to the two-year Article 50 exit process. But senior Eurocrats have warned Downing Street there is zero chance of reopening the text of the Withdrawal Agreement. No 10 is instead focusing on seeking additional legally binding protocols to try to water down the hated Northern Irish backstop. After a furious backlash from her Cabinet and her aides, the Prime Minister is considering her options and how they might play out. After a furious backlash from her Cabinet and her aides, the Prime Minister is considering her options and how they might play out One scenario is to call off the Commons vote on her deal planned for Tuesday, and travel to Brussels on that day. There she would warn the EU that their current deal would not get through Parliament and seek more concessions. Last night, one May ally said: Losing the vote is a terrible look and pulling it is a terrible look, there is no denying that. Either way she is going back to Brussels. However, pulling the vote would remove the risk of Opposition amendments allowing Parliament to seize control of negotiations, plunging the Christmas period into chaos and raising the prospect of a second referendum. Diplomatic sources in Brussels told this newspaper that the aptly named EU Council legal boss, Hubert Legal, has drawn up secret plans to give Britain enough time to hold a second referendum before exit day in March. Mrs May is due to attend the EU Council in the Belgian capital on Thursday, but aides have warned her that if she goes early without putting the deal to MPs, the EU will not take her seriously. They say in that case she risks another Salzburg moment where EU leaders humiliate her, further endangering her premiership. She was ambushed at an EU summit in the Austrian city in September when other leaders unexpectedly declared that her Brexit proposals would not work. Theresa May was last night wargaming a plan to cancel this weeks Commons vote on Brexit and make a desperate dash to Brussels to seek further concessions from the European Union Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn is still deciding whether to table a no-confidence motion against the Government should Mrs May loses the key Brexit vote. Labour bosses fear that as Democratic Unionist MPs have said they would not support a no-confidence motion in those circumstances, Labour cannot win it. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday told The Mail on Sunday: Well judge when we see what happens on Tuesday. However, Labour MPs backing a second referendum are piling pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to go ahead with a no-confidence vote even if it looks set to fail. Because if it does the party will be committed to call for a so-called peoples vote as the only way to stop Brexit on Tory terms. One MP said: If we dont first try to hold a no-confidence vote and force a General Election in line with our party conference resolution this year well never get to the stage where we push for a second referendum. But were worried that Corbyn wont do it because he doesnt want a referendum in the first place. But a source in the Labour leaders office said: The timing of a no-confidence motion is a tactical decision to best achieve an election so those publicly lobbying for this option or that option arent following our policy of strongly preferring a General Election to sort out Brexit. A man wanted by police for allegedly possessing an AK47 rifle, ammunition and body armour was arrested with a stolen $53,000 watch on Saturday, police allege. The 23-year-old Mudgeeraba man was pulled over around midnight in the Tweed, south of the Gold Coast. A Hublot watch valued at $53,345 and $3,150 in cash were allegedly found when police searched the man's car on John Robb Way in Cudgen. A man wanted by police for possessing an AK47 rifle, ammunition and body armour was caught during a routine car stop with a stolen $53,000 Hublot watch (stock image) Police also allege the driver was wanted for possessing an AK47 rifle, ammunition, a sledge hammer, bolt cutters and body armour over a separate incident. He was charged with possession of stolen goods and dealing with proceeds of crime, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. He was refused bail and is scheduled to appear at Tweed Heads Local Court tomorrow. The brother of backpacker Grace Millane has released a heartbreaking tribute after a body was found in New Zealand. Her brother Declan Millane, wrote out the lyrics to You Are My Sunshine, as police confirmed a 26-year-old man has been charged with murder. He said: 'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. 'You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.' The body, thought to be that of Ms Millane, was found hidden in bushland, on the outskirts of Auckland today. It came just hours after her mother Gillian, posted an image of them together on social media. A 26-year-old New Zealand man has been charged with her murder and will remain anonymous until he appears at Auckland District Court on Monday. Declan Millane, (pictured) wrote out the lyrics to You Are My Sunshine, as police confirmed a 26-year-old man has been charged with murder Backpacker Grace Millane (pictured left) in a picture with her mother (pictured right) Gillian. She was travelling in New Zealand when she disappeared on December 1 Declan Millane, wrote out the lyrics to You Are My Sunshine, as police confirmed a 26-year-old man has been charged with murder British backpacker Grace Millane (pictured), had been travelling New Zealand when she disappeared on December 1. Her body was found more than a week later, on Sunday morning The scene where the body of British tourist Grace Millane has been found by New Zealand police in the Waitakere Ranges Since early this morning a scene examination has been underway in a section of bush on Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges. Police need to hear from anyone who saw this Toyota Corolla hatchback rental car Pictured: Police have been standing guard on a section of Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges A body was found about 10m from the road in bushland, and police believe it is Ms Millane's body Police had earlier declared the portion of Scenic Drive of interest in their investigation into the disappearance of Ms Millane, who went missing on December 1, and the area has been under police guard since Sunday morning. The body was found about 10 metres from the side of the road, hidden in bushland, and is believed to have been taken there in a rental car that was recently found nearly 300 kilometres (186 miles) away in Taupo. Detectives said they had identified a 'location of interest' after the investigation led them to a spot on Scenic Drive, a country road around 12 miles west of the city centre, on Saturday night. Earlier on Sunday, officers seized a 'vehicle of interest', and were trying to retrace the vehicle's movements since Ms Millane's disappearance last Saturday. The young traveller, from Essex, England, was last seen at the CityLife hotel in Auckland with the man. TIMELINE OF MISSING BACKPACKER MURDER PROBE November 20: Grace Millane arrives in New Zealand from Peru. She had been in nearly daily contact with her family. November 30: Ms Millane posts her last tweet saying 'I think travelling has changed me I just brought some blue jeans.' December 1: Ms Millane is seen at the CityLife Hotel, in Auckland, with a 'male companion' December 2: The 22-year-old's birthday. Her family do not hear anything from her, which is unusual behaviour. Just before noon: A red Toyota Corolla hatchback is hired from a central Auckland rental firm December 5: Her worried family file a missing persons report and pictured of Ms Millane are shared extensively online December 6: Police release an image of Grace Millane leaving the hostel at 7.15pm on December 1 December 7: Police said they had received dozens of calls to a hotline and more than 25 staff were working on the case, trawling through hours of CCTV footage to trace her movements After arriving in Auckland her father, David Millane, makes an emotional plea for help finding his daughter. Police reveal they have spoken to the male companion and he is a person of interest. The man was not taken into custody and police said there was no evidence of foul play December 8: A 26-year-old man is taken into custody at a central Auckland address by police December 9: Police announce they are searching an area on Scenic Drive, near the Waitakere Reservoir shortly after 4pm: Police find a body they believe to be Ms Millane in vegetation around 10m from the road A 26-year-old man is charged with her murder. He will appear in court tomorrow morning Advertisement Detective Inspector Scott Beard said he felt deeply for the young woman's family, but was glad to be able to at least return her to her relatives. Det Insp Beard said investigators had 'located a body which we believe to be Grace'. 'The formal identification process will now take place, however based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace,' he said at a press conference near the scene. 'Obviously this brings the search for Grace to an end. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them.' Ms Millane's body was found in bushes 'around 10 metres' from the road, Det Insp Beard said. Formal identification and a post-mortem will take place on Monday. The detective revealed that investigators are analysing a hire car as part of the probe. The red Toyota Corolla hatchback was hired from a central Auckland rental firm just before lunchtime on Sunday. The detective appealed for anyone who saw the car in the west Auckland area between 6.30am and 9.30am on Monday to come forward. At a press conference at 5pm local time on Saturday, Detective Inspector Scott Beard told reporters Ms Millane's family had been informed of the alleged killer's arrest. He said: 'Just after 3pm this afternoon (Saturday) a 26-year-old man was located at a central Auckland address by police. 'He was brought back to the Auckland Central Police Station and is currently speaking to us in relation to the murder of Grace Millane.' Det Insp Beard said the arrest had confirmed Ms Millane's disappearance was a homicide, but said he and his team were 'determined to find her and return her to her family'. Earlier on Saturday police released images of her necklace and watch and urged anyone who recognised the items to come forward. They said several of Ms Millane's possessions, including her passport, were missing. Despite a major police search and public campaign for information, no further sightings of the backpacker were confirmed. In a tearful press conference on Friday, Ms Millane's millionaire father, who travelled to Auckland to help find his beloved daughter, said the 'fun-loving' graduate's family were 'extremely concerned' for her welfare. Police released this CCTV image of Grace Millane, 22, leaving Sky City, in Auckland's CBD, at around 7.15pm on December 1 Ms Millane, who turned 22 on December 2, was last seen with a 'male companion'at CityLife Hotel, in Auckland, on December 1. Searches have also been carried out at the backpackers' accommodation. Det Insp Beard said: 'Detectives have assessed Grace's belongings that were found at the backpackers where she was staying. 'Several of her belongings, including her passport, are missing and police believe it is likely Grace has these items with her.' Ms Millane, from Essex, graduated from university in September and had embarked on a year-long worldwide trip. After visiting Peru she arrived in New Zealand on November 20 and had been 'bombarding' her family with photos as she kept in near-daily contact with her parents and brothers via social media. Her father, David Millane, said they last had contact on the day she vanished. Police said they had received dozens of calls to a hotline and more than 25 staff were working on the case, trawling through hours of CCTV footage to trace her movements. New Zealand Police have announced they believe missing British backpacker Grace Millane, 22, has been murdered. (pictured are released images of the young woman wearing her necklace (left) and her watch in the hope it might lead to information as to her whereabouts) Detective Inspector Scott Beard speaks at the scene where the body of British tourist Grace Millane has been found by New Zealand police in the Waitakere Ranges The scene where the body of British tourist Grace Millane has been found by New Zealand police in the Waitakere Ranges David Millane, Grace's property developer father, broke down in tears as he begged for help finding his backpacker daughter after she vanished in New Zealand A CCTV image shows she was at Sky City, a hotel a short distance away, at 7.15pm on the same night - but her whereabouts between those two sightings is unknown. Her father, a 60-year-old property developer, fought back tears as he urged anyone who has any information about his 'outgoing, fun-loving' daughter to come forward. 'We last had contact with her on Saturday the 1st of December and as a family we've been extremely concerned for her welfare,' said Mr Millane, who arrived in New Zealand on Friday morning. 'Grace is a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving and family orientated daughter.' Police earlier released a photo of a red 2016 Toyota Corolla hatchback (pictured), which was hired from a central Auckland rental car company Mr Millane wept as he made an emotional statement urging anyone who has any information about his 'outgoing, fun-loving' daughter to come forward Her brother Declan Millane made an emotional plea to find his sister in a video widely shared on social media The 22-year-old, originally from Essex in south-east England, travelled to Auckland three weeks ago He tearfully explained that his daughter has never been out of contact with her family for such a long period of time, usually contacting them on social media. 'She arrived here on the 20th of November and has been bombarding us with numerous photographs and messages of her adventures,' Mr Millane said. 'We're all extremely upset and it's very difficult at this time to describe the range of emotions we are going through.' 'Finally I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to anybody who has seen, spoken to or come into contact with Grace over the last few days to come forward with any detail no matter how small and contact the investigation team.' A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: 'We are providing consular support to the family in the UK, and working with the New Zealand Police in relation to reports of a missing British national in New Zealand.' The family said it was 'completely out of character' for Ms Millane to go silent as they would speak with her most days 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 December 5 (pictured) A Kremlin spokeswoman has lashed out at The Mail on Sunday after we reported security concerns over Russian journalists spying at UK military bases. Last Sunday we revealed how a camera crew from Russias main state broadcaster had been seen secretly filming at Britains cyber warfare HQ. British troops were issued with pictures of TV correspondent Timur Siraziev and his car after he was caught on CCTV cameras outside Denison Barracks in Berkshire, home to the modern-warfare specialist 77th Brigade. The Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova (pictured) has accused The Mail on Sunday of violating accreditation rules by publishing the story Sirazievs report, broadcast on Moscows Channel One station, accused 77 Brigade of falsifying evidence of Russian involvement in chemical attacks in Syria. He also told viewers that British claims that President Putin was responsible for the attempted assassination of ex-KGB agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury were a hoax. Now the Russian Foreign Ministrys spokeswoman Maria Zhakarova has accused The Mail on Sunday of violating accreditation rules by publishing the story. She said on state TV: We have got all the information regarding who, how many times, how, when and under what circumstances and even with what aims they have violated our accreditation rules. If this carries on like this we will respond in kind. A SpaceX delivery full of Christmas goodies arrived at the International Space Station on Saturday, following a slight delay caused by a communication drop-out. The Dragon capsule pulled up at the orbiting lab three days after launching from Cape Canaveral. Commander Alexander Gerst used the space station's big robotic arm to grab the cargo carrier, as the two craft soared 250 miles above the Pacific. It took two tries to get the Dragon close enough for capture. The Dragon capsule pulled up at the orbiting lab three days after launching from Cape Canaveral. NASA called off the Dragon's first approach because of trouble with the communication network that serves the space station NASA called off the Dragon's first approach because of trouble with the communication network that serves the space station. Equipment failure in New Mexico for NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite system resulted in a temporary loss of communication with the station. For safety, Mission Control ordered the Dragon to back up. It was a successful take two - just an hour-and-a-half late - after NASA switched to another TDRS satellite. The bolted-down Dragon holds everything the station astronauts need for Christmas dinner, as well as mice and worms for science experiments, and more than 5,000 pounds of station equipment. Fruit cake and candied yams are some of the goodies that the astronauts on board the station can look forward to on Christmas Day The holiday food includes smoked turkey, green bean casserole, candied yams, cranberry sauce and fruitcake. There also are shortbread and butter cookies, with tubes of icing for decorating. WHAT THE CHRISTMAS CAPSULE CONTAINED Smoked turkey Green bean casserole Candied yams Cranberry sauce Fruitcake Shortbread Butter cookies Tubes of icing for decorating Advertisement Three of the space station residents will be on board for Christmas; the other three will return to Earth on December 20. Until then, the station is home to two Americans, two Russians, one Canadian and Gerst, who is German. Expedition 58 crew members are Anne McClain of NASA, Oleg Kononenko of Roscosmos, David Saint-Jacques of the Canadian Space Agency and crew members of Expedition 57 Commander Alexander Gerst of ESA (European Space Agency) NASA Flight Engineer Serena Aunon-Chancellor, Roscosmos Flight Engineer Sergey Prokopyev. It is the second space station visit for this recycled Dragon; it was there last year, too. It took two tries to get the Dragon close enough for capture. It is the second space station visit for the recycled Dragon Three of the space station residents will be on board for Christmas; the other three will return to Earth on December 20 The Falcon 9 first stage rocket returns towards the intended landing pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station before missing and landing in the Atlantic Ocean: Wednesday's Falcon rocket was brand new, while the Dragon cargo carrier was recycled by SpaceX The first-stage booster used in Wednesday's launch is back at port, after landing at sea instead of Cape Canaveral. SpaceX towed the booster to shore for possible future reuse, as well as for an investigation into what went wrong. SpaceX has been making station shipments for NASA since 2012. This is its 16th delivery under contract. Two other supply ships are attached to the space station: One Russian and the other sent by NASA's other commercial shipper, Northrop Grumman. Paris, TX (75460) Today Showers this morning, becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. High 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 43F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. A train carrying 122 passengers from Sydney to Dubbo has crashed after colliding with a car on the tracks on Sunday. The Sydney to Dubbo express passenger train hit the front of a Subaru station wagon just before midday at a crossing 1km west of Blayney, in central west NSW. The car reportedly failed to stop at the crossing, a NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. A train carrying 122 passengers from Sydney to Dubbo has crashed after colliding with a car (pictured) on the tracks on Sunday The driver of the car (above) suffered lacerations on his leg and was taken to Orange health service hospital The car reportedly failed to stop at the crossing, a NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia The 69-year-old driver of the car suffered lacerations on his leg and was taken to Orange health service hospital. A Transport NSW spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the train returned to its route as usual and would be running about an hour late. The exact cause of the crash on Greghamstown Road is unknown but police from Chifley Police District said they will continue with inquiries into the incident. None of the 122 passengers on the train were injured. A Transport NSW spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the train returned to its route as usual and would be running about an hour late Friends have paid tribute to a young man who was killed in a tragic accident after the hammock he was lying in gave way. The man, 22, was reportedly lying in the hammock with a woman at a house party in the backyard of a ground floor unit in the Perth suburb of Subiaco early Sunday morning when the brick pillar it was tied to collapsed. He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital with critical injuries, where he later died. A man was killed after the hammock (pictured) he was lying gave way when a brick pillar collapsed 'Such a beautiful soul he was... the world is a whole lot worse off. Will miss you forever buddy,' one man posted on Facebook. Another added: 'Will be missed. RIP BIG FELLA.' The woman was also taken to hospital with minor injuries but is in a stable condition, Perth Now reported. The collapsed pillar was one of several holding up a pergola at the ground floor unit in Robinson Street. A neighbour told Perth Now he heard a loud bang at about 12.30am. Police remained at the scene in Subiaco on Sunday following the tragic accident He went outside and noticed the music from the unit had just stopped but didn't hear any noise commotion. He was unaware of what had happened until later in the day. A Western Australia Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia he was unable to provide further details, except that a report will be prepared for the coroner. An SNL sketch which depicts Donald Trump as a black President ends with him getting arrested by the FBI. In the humorous segment, inspired by Fox's hit show Empire, comedian Kenan Thompson plays POTUS 'Darius' Trump, who is married to Malika Trump with their children Darius Jr and L'evanka. The short clip, titled 'Them Trumps' opens with a adviser ominously informing President Darius Trump 'it might be over' following a week of controversy in which the real president tweeted that he was 'totally clear' of wrongdoing. An SNL sketch depicts President 'Darius' Trump getting arrested by the FBI The satirical sketch called 'Them Trumps' imagines what would happen if Donald Trump was black This week a federal prosecutor singled out Donald Trump as being directly involved in efforts to silence actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal to avoid October-surprise embarrassments during the 2016 election. In 'Them Trumps', the advisor tells Darius: 'Sir they know everything, they know about Russia. 'They know you used campaign money to cover up an affair with Magic City Stripper Cinnamon Mercedes and they know about the pyramid scheme you've been running through your company Darius Trump country hams'. After being informed his presidency might be over, Darius responds: 'Oh, it's not over. Not by a long shot. We'll beat this. Or my name isn't Darius Trump'. As they sit together in the Oval Office, Darius Jr tells his father: 'Dad, the media has been out for you since day one and you proved them all wrong'. His wife Malika then interjects: 'That's right, nobody ever thought you would get this far. The bankruptcies, your baby mama. But here you are on top'. Kenan Thompson who starred in the hit show Kenan and Kel plays POTUS 'Darius Trump' Darius Jr tells his father that the media has been out for him but he has proved them wrong L'evanka Trump, inspired by Donald's glamorous daughter Ivanka, reassures her father that everything will be alright Darius reassures them confidently that he will emerge from all the controversies with an untarnished reputation, saying: 'Yeah. Maybe I done some dirty things. I'm making America great again. 'And what these feds don't realize is that I'm the president! The most powerful man in the most respected office in the world. They can't like me. And even though I may be black... FBI agents suddenly storm into the Oval Office and approach Darius Trump saying: 'Freeze, Trump, you're under arrest!' He then responds: 'Yeah, that sounds about right'. The credits then roll before Darius Trump is freed because the president cannot be tried while in office. 'Theres only one rule in America: You cant prosecute a sitting president!', says Darius Trump. 'Its called checks and balances, baby'. A young man is dead and three others are fighting for life after a dance party in Homebush, Sydney A 19-year-old man is dead and three others are critically ill after a dance party in Homebush on Saturday night. The teenager, from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at the Olympic Park train station, and was 'having a fit' when he was rushed to hospital just before 1.30am. He died little more than three hours later at Concord Hospital, at 4.30am. Two women, 19 and 25, and a 24-year-old man, were taken to Westmead Hospital and are also believed to have overdosed. The 25-year-old woman and the man have been brought out of their induced comas, The Daily Telegraph reported, but the 19-year-old remains unconscious, and is believed to have severe kidney damage from the overdose. A spokesperson from Western Sydney Local Health District told Daily Mail Australia all three were in a 'stable' condition. A further 13 people were hospitalised following the event, while 130 people had to seek medical treatment during the 'Knockout Games of Destiny' party. Scroll down for video The party, attended by 18,000 on Saturday, ended in tragedy, with a 19-year-old man dying of a suspected overdose and three others, including two women aged 19 and 25, left in a critical condition for the same reason The event was marketed as the 'biggest indoor festival in the southern hemisphere', and was attended by 18,000 people. A statement from NSW Police said 62 people were found in possession of drugs at the event, including an 18-year-old girl who allegedly had 390 MDMA capsules 'internally concealed' in a condom inside her body. The teenage girl was charged with supply prohibited drug and will appear at Burwood Local Court on January 10. Jonathan Carey-Spence faced Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday, after police allegedly found bags full of pills spilling from his pants on Satuday afternoon. The 25-year-old was allegedly found carrying 145 MDMA capsules, and was also charged with supply prohibited drug and possess prohibited drug. Magistrate Darryl Pearce refused the young man bail, saying: 'Hes committed what it seems to me, serious offences.' Carey-Spence will return to Burwood Local Court again on Monday. Three others were also charged with drug offences. Five were arrested and charged with drug offences, including an 18-year-old woman who was allegedly found carrying 390 MDMA capsules, and a 25-year-old man, who was allegedly found with 145. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting those pictured at the event above are in any way related to the supply South West Metropolitan Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said the devastating impact of drugs was acutely felt on Saturday night, with one dead and three others fighting to stay alive. 'Police and emergency services continue to send warning messages about illegal drugs, and many festival-goers are choosing to ignore them,' he said. 'There is no acceptable use for drugs the message is clear. We will continue to have a strong presence at festivals and dance parties with the wellbeing and safety of attendees our number one priority'. Police are asking anyone with information about the 19-year-old's death to come forward. A report is being prepared for the coroner. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting those pictured at the event above are in any way related to the supply. A young father is facing years of recovery after a catastrophic asthma attack on his birthday left him with brain damage. Gareth Aucock, who lives in Labrador on the Gold Coast with his partner Juliet daughter, suffered the near-fatal attack in his sleep. Juliet performed CPR on her unresponsive partner for 20 minutes before paramedics arrived and took over. After 20 minutes without a heartbeat the 26-year-old was placed into an induced coma, where he remained for three weeks. A young father is facing years of recovery after a catastrophic asthma attack on his birthday left him with brain damage After 20 minutes without a heartbeat the 26-year-old was placed into an induced coma, where he remained for three weeks 'The prognosis was not good and doctors did not give Gareth much hope on surviving the next 48 hours,' a statement shared on behalf of the family said. Mr Aucock and Juliet have a two-year-old daughter named Violet. His family are convinced 'she was his reason for fighting' - and after the three long weeks in a comatose state, Mr Aucock was gradually woken up. 'The harsh truth is that neurological damage caused by his illness means Gareth needs 24 hour care, and at least two years of rehabilitation.' Mr Aucock was admitted to the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Brisbane, but progress has been slow His mother told the Gold Coast Bulletin 'I don't think Gareth will be as he was before, but in what ways we're not sure yet. It will be years of recovery' Mr Aucock was admitted to the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Brisbane, but progress has been slow. His mother told the Gold Coast Bulletin: 'I don't think Gareth will be as he was before, but in what ways we're not sure yet. It will be years of recovery.' 'He's an old soul and he's got a really good sense of humour, he does have his moments where he sheds some tears and he can't believe he's like this, but he's very determined and he's always been a hard worker,' Mrs Aucock said. The GoFundMe page was launched by colleagues and friends in order to assist the family during Mr Aucock's recovery. It has raised more than $8000 of its $15,000 goal in a month. A GoFundMe page was launched by colleagues and friends in order to assist the family during Mr Aucock's recovery Rangers have warned tourists in Australia's north to be wary of monster crocodiles this wet season as creeks turn into 'water highways' for the apex predators. Sharing a photo of a 'well-fed' 5.3 metre crocodile hauled in from a popular fishing spot in Darwin earlier this year, Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife warned of an impending influx of the reptiles. As Australia welcomes in the wet seasons, creeks and billabongs that have remained dry and empty for the past few months have started to fill. While the water levels are continuing to rise, rangers have warned these connecting waterways will turn into a 'water highway for crocodiles to move around.' A 5.3 metre crocodile was reeled in from a shallow waterway regularly used for fishing as rangers warn of an impending influx of the predators in lakes and rivers 'That means you could now be unknowingly sharing your secret dry season fishing spot with an apex predator,' they said. The warning comes after a 4.72 metre crocodile was caught in the Darwin Harbour - quickly becoming one of the largest of the animals captured on record. The well-fed crocodile was missing 60cm of his tail, meaning his total length would have been recorded as 5.3 metres. 'That's a 5.3m reminder that the Top End is croc country,' the rangers said. The well-fed croc was missing 60cm of his tail, meaning his total length would have been recorded as 5.3 metres long They shared a series of tips for locals to stay safe while around water. 'When you're fishing from the land make sure you stand at least 5m from the water's edge.' People were also warned not to get complacent, even if they are familiar with an area. 'Saltwater crocodiles are, and always have been, serious predators. When it comes to the danger posed by crocodiles, we take your safety seriously, but ultimately how you behave around crocodile habitats comes down to you.' British police are secretly revisiting at least two deaths in the UK over evidence they may have been Russian backed assassinations, it has been reported. As the investigation into the attempted murder of former double agent Sergei Skripal, 67 and his daughter Yulia, 34, continues officers have 'found new evidence' relating to other deaths. The Skripals were saved after ingesting military grade nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March sparking a furious row between London and Moscow. However the poison later killed Dawn Sturgess, 44, who is believed to have sprayed a bottle of perfume found discarded in a park on her skin. The perfume was laced with the poison and her partner Charlie Rowley also fell ill. He has suffered multiple strokes and fears he may die. Novichok attack survivor Charlie Rowley fears the poison is slowly killing him. He is losing his sight an has suffered strokes Now, the deaths of Alexander Perepilichnyy and Scot Young are both being revisiteed, The Times reported. If enough evidence is found they could be refiled as 'suspicious' and investigated again. Mr Perepilichnyy, a 44-year-old businessman collapsed outside his home in Surrey in 2012 after eating Russian sorrel soup. Scot Young died in 2014. He was involved in Russian business and was friends with critics of President Vladimir Putin Scot Young, 52, fell to his death from the penthouse apartment, impaling himself on railings below Alexander Perepilichnyy ate soup at home then went for a run but collapsed and died. It is believed he may have been poisoned Serge Skripal and Yulia Skripal photographed having a meal before they were targeted by Russian spies. Now, it is not clear where the family is staying Police initially thought his death was not suspicious because there were no signs of toxins in his body. But scientists later found chemical traces of gelsemium in his stomach. Shortly before his death Perepilichnyy approached a Bill Brower - the founder of the investment fund Hermitage Capital - and asked him to help expose fraud involving Russian tax officials. Two years later, Scot Young was found dead impaled on railings at his central London home in December 2014. Young, who originally came from an underprivileged area in Dundee had murky business dealings in Moscow, and was also friends with prominent critics of Putin. Police records state Mr Young rang the police in August 2009 and 'disclosed to officers that he believed he was going to be assassinated by gangsters and the Russian Mafia'. In 2015, a coroner ruled Mr Young's death could not be ruled as suicide due to insufficient evidence. President Vladimir Putin, left, has denied having any involvement with the deaths of Russians - or people linked to them - in the UK Members of the emergency services in green biohazard encapsulated suits afix the tent over the bench where the Skripals were found slumped It is reported now that at the time of both deaths agents from the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, were in Britain, according to evidence from SO15. GRU officers Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov have been named as the men who targeted the Skripals by Scotland Yard but president Vladimir Putin has denied any Russian involvement. 'One of their lines of inquiry relates to Russian intelligence officers travelling in and out of the country around the time of the deaths,' a source told The Times. Mr Young's family maintain he was forced out of a window in his Marylebone home. Ex wife Michelle Young, mother of his two daughters, says he 'was murdered'. Before his death he was ordered to pay her 26.5m despite claiming he had lost most of his fortune in Moscow. Salisbury Novichok poisoning suspects Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov are shown on CCTV on Fisherton Road, Salisbury Russian nationals Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, both aged about 40, who are wanted in direct connection with the Salisbury Novichok attack and Amesbury investigation Britain has already expelled scores of men and women it accused of being spies after the Novichok attack. Mr Rowley survived the Novichok attack in Amesbury but his partner died after he handed her a bottle of perfume he found and she sprayed it on her skin Police probes have found a number of agents for the GRU travelled to Britain on passports- all registered to the same Moscow address. This weekend, Scotland Yard refused to discuss the latest developments. Advertisement The Chelsea home that Kate Middleton shared with her sister Pippa before she became the Duchess of Cambridge has been put on the market for 1.95million. Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, own the three-bedroom flat in west London and are set to make a 1.2million profit from the sale, according to The Sunday Times. The Middletons, who bought the home for 780,000 in 2002, no longer need the luxurious flat due to the Duchess of Cambridge now residing in Kensington Palace and Pippa living in a 17million townhouse in London. The Chelsea home that Kate Middleton shared with her sister Pippa before she became the Duchess of Cambridge has been put up for sale for 1.95million The bedrooms are decorated with calm and neutral colours and simple furnishings. The home in west London was bought for 780,000 in 2002 The staircase and landing in the Chelsea flat, where Kate and Pippa Middleton lived before Kate became the Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton moved into Apartment 1A in 2013 after Prince George was born. The family of five live in the stunning 20-room home that has a view of Hyde Park. Pippa Middleton married hedge-fund multi-millionaire James Matthews and the couple recently spent 1.2million renovating their five-storey London mansion, which already boasted a gym, an underground cinema, a lift, a 'staff room' as well as six bedrooms. And the third sibling, James, who lives and works in Scotland, divides his time between staying up north, being in London and the seven-bedroom family home in Berkshire. Set on a stylish street in a well sought after area, the Chelsea flat is spread across three floors with a trio of bedrooms decorated with colourful cushions. The property is also decorated with a neutral palette, traditional furniture, oriental-style rugs and comfortable sofas. A spacious dining room includes patterned curtains and old-fashioned mirror. The Middletons have not revealed the reason they are selling the home The property has two bathrooms tiled in golden-coloured marble with modern fittings. The home is also spread across three floors The property, which features brickwork and a black door, is set on a stylish street in the sought after area of Chelsea in London. The Middletons could make a "1.2million profit from the sale And a small kitchen features oak-coloured furnishings with black marble counters and the bathroom is tiled in golden-coloured marble with modern fittings. A spacious dining room has been furnished with patterned curtains and more traditional furniture, such as old-fashioned gold mirror. Calm and neutral colours on the wall suggest the use of Mrs Middleton's favourite paint from Farrow & Ball and Cord and Hay, according to The Sunday Times. And the furniture may have been from some of her favourite shops including Peter Jones, a branch of John Lewis in Chelsea. Kensington Palace said they were unable to comment on the home being put up for sale. The estate agents, Knight Frank, have been approached for comment. A bedroom is decorated with neutral colours and furnished with London-themed cushions, patterned curtains and traditional furniture A small kitchen in the Middleton property has oak furnishings with black marble counters and modern fittings The property is decorated with simple and neutral colours and traditional furniture, oriental-style rugs and comfortable sofas A father-of-three has revealed the quick-thinking steps he used to survive a vicious shark attack when he was out in the waves on his own. Joel Mason, 36, was surfing off the shore of Nambucca Heads on the New South Wales mid-north coast Sunday morning when he was mauled by a shark. The only person in the water at 7.15am, Mr Mason had five bite wounds in his right leg and was rapidly losing blood. But thanks to some quick-witted use of a makeshift tourniquet and an off-duty lifeguard, the surfer survived his injuries. An avid surfer and father-of-three, Joel Mason (right) was mauled by a shark Sunday morning Raising his head from the stretcher, Mr Mason video called his wife to tell her he was okay Friends on the shoreline told Nine News Mr Mason had previously referred to himself as 'shark bait'. A fellow surfer and close friend Scott Boxsell said he was keen to get out into the surf until his friend 'just disappeared'. He and other onlookers described the attack as an 'enormous splash' which saw the surfer dip under the water for a few seconds. When he resurfaced, the water around him was crimson, and he was holding a closed fist in the air to indicate he was in trouble. Mr Mason (left) was described by paramedics as 'stoic' after he used the rope of his surfboard as a tourniquet The surfer was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a serious but stable condition on Sunday Onlookers described the desperate swim Mr Mason made to some rocks on the break wall, where he was dragged ashore by an off-duty lifeguard. With the father-of-three rapidly losing blood, he tied the leg rope at the end of his surfboard around his leg to act as tourniquet. He also used beach towels to stem the blood loss. Mr Mason was airlifted to hospital where he underwent surgery and received a blood transfusion. But the 36-year-old still had the mental awareness to video call his wife from the stretcher, telling her he was 'okay'. Paramedics at the scene said Mr Mason was calm and very 'stoic' when being treated. Six ambulance crews and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter attended the scene Six ambulances and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter were at the scene, along with police. An NSW Ambulance spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the man lost a substantial amount of blood. 'A man was bitten on his lower right leg and suffered five deep lacerations, so there was a lot of bleeding,' he said. 'He was treated at the scene before he was flown to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.' Several beaches in Nambucca Heads (pictured) were closed on Sunday after the attack The Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter had to stop briefly in Port Macquarie to collect more blood transported by police highway patrol officers from the local hospital. Several surfers were in the water at the time, according to Surf Life Saving NSW spokeswoman Donna Wishart. 'One of them has seen him disappear under the water, with a flume of water spraying up and then the victim has lifted his arm up to indicate he was having a problem,' she told the ABC. Ms Wishart added dolphins had been spotted in the area before the attack. Joel's father Rod said his son has loved surfing since he was young. But he speculates that it might be a while before he heads to the waves on his own. The species of shark involved in Sunday's attack is yet to be identified (stock image) Phil Alterator, 67, and his son Nathan, 35, were paddleboarding in the river 500 metres away at the time of the attack. 'Immediately we thought there's something going on there, it's a notorious stretch of the river with the rifts, the current and the swell and everything,' Mr Alterator told The Daily Telegraph. 'We know serious things have happened down there in the past, so we decided to head down to the wharf and have a look where the incident was. 'We weren't scared, but we definitely were anxious. If something serious happens in that area, it's probably not going to be good.' The shark attack occurred at Scotts Head Beach (pictured) near Nambucca Heads, where several beaches are currently closed A Department of Primary Industry spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that the species of shark is yet to be identified from photos of the man's injuries as he's still undergoing surgery. The shark attack occurred near the entrance of the Nambucca River. Mid North Coast Police District will liaise with the department to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Beaches in the area were closed throughout the morning, including Shelley Beach and Main Beach. Police urged beachgoers to follow safety advice by visiting dpi.nsw.gov.au/sharks and the SharkSmart app. Police are flogging a haul of nearly 20,000 worth of designer footwear after the 55 pairs were seized from a fashion conscious criminal. Isaiah Hanson-Frost, 22, shot at a blue Jaguar containing rival gang members after a music event in Gloucester last November and was jailed for six years. A court heard that Hanson-Frost had been living an ill-gained 'lavish lifestyle' and decided to strip him of his collection worth 18,500, with whatever money is raised by police going towards fighting crime. The 18,500 worth of designer trainers handed over to police to be sold at auction Among the shoes are luxury brands Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, Valentino and several more. One pair of Gucci shoes alone can cost upwards of 1000. During a hearing at Gloucester Crown Court on 23 November, Hanson-Frost - who was a gunman in the November attack - denied possession of criminal property but agreed to hand over the expensive collection. Isaiah Hanson-Frost, 22, from Gloucester, was jailed for six years last November Referring to the big-name brands on the list, Judge Ian Lawrie QC quipped: 'If there was a crime for bad taste...' The vast collection has been available for public auction under the Police Property Act. Police allowed the criminal to keep Nike shoes worth under 100. He was jailed in April after he admitted being in possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and violent disorder. CCTV footage captured the moment 22-year-old Isaiah Hanson-Frost aimed a firearm at a car just feet away from numerous people. His brother, Zuriah Hanson-Frost, 24, and friends who helped carry out the attack, Jivan Bryan-Munro, 25, and Hakeem Barriffe, 23, were each handed jail terms of up to 16 months. Hackeem Barriffe, 23 and of no fixed abode, can be seen in CCTV footage using a pole to hit the blue Jaguar during the violent incident. He pleaded guilty to violent disorder. Boxes of trainers including luxury brands like Gucci and Balenciaga were seized from Frost The fashion conscious criminal had a 55-pair haul of expensive trainers all seized by police Det Insp Dave Shore-Nye said: 'We often see the reason for someone to commit crime is down to their own personal greed and to make money. 'We are keen to put a stop to anyone who is living a lavish lifestyle which has been funded through crime.' The money raised will go to 30 police initiatives including the 'Getting Court scheme', which brings 15-18-year-old students to Gloucester Crown Court to see proceedings in action. Hackeem Barriffe, Jivan Bryan-Munro and Isiah's brother Zuriah Hanson-Frost were also jailed The luxury trainers were put into paper police evidence bags and will be sold to fund police Trainers made by Italian fashion brand Valentino. They are worth about 500 when new Referring to the big-name brands on the list, Judge Ian Lawrie QC quipped: 'If there was a crime for bad taste...' Among the shoes are luxury brands Balenciaga, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Louboutin, Valentino and several more EXCLUSIVE: Best friends Shakar Ali, 25, (top right) and Harem Pirot, 23, (top left) who grew up as neighbours in Iraq and set off together to find a new life in the UK are believed to have been on board the dinghy that deflated on Wednesday, killing 27 migrants on board. Their friend Sanger Ahmed, 33, said they phoned him just before setting off from a beach in France (pictured today) on Wednesday morning and they sounded terrified, telling him too many people were on the boat. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline in the Grand-Synthe camp in Calais (bottom left and right), Sanger said: 'It may have been that they were forced to get on board. I have heard stories about smugglers with guns making people get on board if they try and back out at the last minute. They are brutal people'. 27 people died - including three children - died on Wednesday in seas nowhere near as rough as predicted over the coming 48 hours due to Storm Arwen. Riaz Mohammed, 12, his relative Share Mohammed, 17, and two other teenagers, Palowan, 16, and Shinai, 15, were among those attempting the perilous crossing that day. Maryan Nuri, from Ranya in northern Iraq, told her husband, who is in the UK, she was travelling in a boat with around 30 other people but never arrived. An Iraqi Kurd called Karwan, 42, who once lived in the UK for seven years working in a Bury St Edmunds Pizza Express, said his friend Karim, 31, who shared a tent with him at the camp was also missing. The body of Amanda Gill (pictured) was returned to her family without any organs other than her lower bowel A dead British tourist's body was returned to her family with no eyes, heart or brain after she died in a Mexican hospital. Organ traffickers are feared to be the reason that 41-year-old Amanda Gill's corpse came home with every vital parts missing other than her lower bowel. Her devastated mother, 65-year-old Elaine Hines, told of her horror when her daughter 'came home empty'. 'They stole everything inside her,' she told The Sunday People. 'If this has happened to Amanda how many other people has it happened to and will again?' Amanda's sister, Katie Miller-Gill, said: 'Where are my sisters beautiful blue eyes? Why were they taken from her? Where is her brain, her heart?' The 35-year-old added that the family might have considered donating the organs if only they had been asked, but says that they were stolen before they could consider it. She thinks they may have been taken by criminals who did not think that a British family would follow the case up. Elaine Hines (pictured) was devastated when her daughter's body was returned with just one vital organ Barmaid and waitress Amanda from Shipley, West Yorkshire, died at Hospital de Cos following diabetes complications while travelling. It is thought that she may have suffered ketoacidosis, which can by treated through fluids from an IV drip. But she died less than 12 hours after falling ill. Hospital chiefs and local justices say they do not know what happened to the body and say it was placed in a sealed bag and handed to police with all its organs intact. But the country is blighted by criminals and corrupt doctors who steal organs to make money from Mexico's donor shortage. Hospital de Cos (pictured) has claimed that the organs were all intact when they handed the body over to the police Her mother said the family only found out about the missing parts when the body was subjected to a CT scan back in the UK. The lack of organs meant that a postmortem could not be performed to determine how she died. Elaine said that her daughter had been to hospital a few times with ketoacidosis but doesn't understand why she died on this occasion. She claims that the hospital said her daughter 'wouldn't take fluids'. Elaine says the first thing doctors have done in previous treatments is put her daughter on a drip, adding that ketoacidosis 'isn't something that would have killed her'. Mexican authorities gave one cause of death as 'visceral congestion' which pathologists in the UK have been baffled by. The family cremated the body on Amanda's birthday, February 27, without the organs after she died in December. Mexican authorities have blamed one another, with nobody willing to accept responsibility. Hospital de Cos admin manager Angeles Nava said that when Amanda died the British embassy was called. Amanda Gill (pictured) died just 12 hours after being admitted to the hospital He said the embassy then called the police, who came to collect the body. He said that when the body was sealed in a bag all of the organs were in there. Hospital de Cos handed the family documents telling them they owed the facility 1,600 for treatment. MailOnline has contacted the police for comment, but The Sunday People says that the force refused to speak to its reporters. Public prosecutor Edgar Camacho said he received a report about Amanda's death with listed the cause of diabetic shock. He claims to know nothing of the missing organs and says that no investigation had been launched even though the Foreign Office has contacted Mexican authorities. He said it was 'very strange' that somebody took her brain and eyes and described Hospital de Cos as 'very bad'. Mr Camacho claimed that about 90 per cent of patients who are admitted to the hospital die. A Bradford inquest into Amanda's death said that it was more likely than not that the death was the result of natural causes but acknowledged there were unanswered questions. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that it is supporting the family of a British woman who died in Mexico and that it has conveyed concerns to the country's mortuary services. A teenager has been stabbed to death at a home in south-east London. The victim, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering stab injuries at a block of flats in Greenwich on Saturday night. Officers attended the address on Prior Street at 9.41pm after receiving reports of an unresponsive man, Metropolitan Police confirmed. A teenager, 18, was stabbed at death at a home in Greenwich (pictured, police at the scene) at around 9.41pm on Saturday night The London Air Ambulance also attended the scene but the teenager was pronounced dead a short time later. A boy, 17, has been arrested in connection with the incident and remained in police custody on Sunday. The victim, who has not been named, became the 23rd teenager to be murdered in the capital this year, and the 25th in the last 12 months. His next of kin have been informed and a police cordon remained in place at the scene today. A boy, 17, has been arrested in connection with the incident and remained in police custody on Sunday The victim, who has not been named, became the 23rd teenager to be murdered in the capital this year, and the 25th in the last 12 months A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'A murder investigation has been launched after an 18-year-old man was fatally stabbed at a residential address in Greenwich. 'One male aged, 17, has been arrested in connection with this incident. He remains at a south London police station for questioning. 'A crime scene remains in place. Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating along with police in Greenwich. 'Police are appealing for witnesses and those with information about this attack to contact them.' The growing number of murders in the capital have happened in the south and north of London The force asks anyone with information to contact them 101 quoting CAD 7621/8Dec or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. It came as the number of murders in the country's capital reached 123 when a 26-year-old man was stabbed to death in east London last month. Zakaria Bukar Sharif Ali was was stabbed to death in the morning of November 24 when he tried to intervene in a confrontation outside a bar. He was fatally attacked after leaving the Rolling Stock bar in Shoreditch and died from his injuries two hours later. Earlier in November, in the space of a week, Rocky Djelal, 38, was fatally stabbed in Rotherhithe, 15-year-old Jay Hughes was killed in Bellingham, Malcolm Mide-Madariola, 17, was was fatally knifed in Clapham, Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez, 22, was murdered in Anerley, and John Ogunjobi, 16, was killed in Tulse Hill. Advertisement Temperatures are set to drop as low as -5C overnight bringing snow by Thursday in a predicted five-day freeze for Britain. Lows of -5C in Scotland and temperatures 'close to freezing' in Northern Ireland, the east and the west of England throughout the night will make it feel like a cold December morning on Monday with a chance of frost and ice. The snow is most likely on Thursday, when an area of low pressure will push in from the west, running into cold air on the eastern side of the country. Swimmers brave the December sea at Boscombe, Bournemouth, where temperatures are predicted to hover around 10C Snow is most likely on Thursday, when an area of low pressure will push in from the west, running into cold air on the eastern side of the country. Pictured, Perera family from Malaysia wrap up in coats and hats to enjoy a snow ball fight in the village of Tomintoul, Scotland today Met Office spokesman Becky Mitchell said: It could be the first significant snowfall of the season. However, it is still a few days off so precise details, including how much snow could fall and whether it will occur at low levels, are uncertain. The first few days of the week will mostly be dry and cloudy with the chance of rain and drizzle in the West and South West, Miss Mitchell said. Temperatures will be mild, with maximum figures of 12C (54F) in the South and 9C (48F) in northern areas. The dull conditions follow a widespread frost which was due to occur last night in northern England, with temperatures falling as low as -3C (27F). Persistent cloud will make overnight frosts unlikely tonight or tomorrow night, apart from in some areas of northern England, if there are any breaks in the cloud. The cold snap is due to arrive on Wednesday in eastern Britain, bringing dry and bright but chilly conditions. An area of high pressure over Scandinavia will bring northerly air from Iceland, Miss Mitchell added. To the west it will be milder with low pressure trying to make inroads. In its longer-range forecast, the Met Office predicts Friday could be wet and possibly very windy in the north-west, and colder and drier in the far east. Further snow is predicted. The Met Office states: There could be some snow where the colder air meets the wet weather, most likely over the hills in the north, but it may fall to lower levels in places too. Over next weekend, the weather is likely to be changeable and often windy and cloudy, with showers or longer spells of rain at times. Any snow is most likely on high ground in the north. Drier weather is forecast for next week, particularly in the East and South, with sunshine and frosty nights. But Christmas week is still likely to be changeable with longer spells of rain and possibly wintry showers on higher ground. Scroll down for video An early morning dog walker enjoys the beach at West Bay in Dorset today after rain and strong winds over the weekend Ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond told the Sun: 'There is a significant chance of disruptive snowfall as moister air arrives from the west from midweek.' Yesterday 5-10mm of rain was expected to fall in just one hour in some parts and north Wales was predicted 20-30cm throughout the day. Usually in December the UK has an average of 120mm of rain during the month, or around 3.8mm each day meaning Saturday's downpours are especially heavy. There are less rain showers predicted today and it is meant to be brighter despite it feeling noticeably chillier Despite the choppy waves it was a bright morning in Dorset and a dog walker wrapped up warm to brave the chilly weather Today is set to be bright and dry but temperatures will drop, hitting -5C in Scotland and parts of the north overnight Yesterday the Met Office said: 'Although we could see highs of 14C today it will feel colder due to the wind changing to a north flow and temperatures will drop by Sunday. 'Tomorrow the temperatures are down, but highs in the north and central England are still above average for what we'd expect at this time of year. 'Northern and eastern England will see highs of 5 or 6C but it will feel colder because of the wind.' Drier weather is forecast for next week, particularly in the East and South, with sunshine and frosty nights. But Christmas week is still likely to be changeable with longer spells of rain and possibly wintry showers on higher ground. A young man is dead and three others are fighting for life after a dance party in Homebush, Sydney A 19-year-old man who died from a suspected drug overdose after a rave in Sydney has been identified as a talented musician. Callum Brosnan, from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at a train station near the event, and rushed to hospital just before 1.30am. Mr Brosnan had attended the Knockout Games of Destiny Dance Party in Homebush and was admitted into hospital after a suspected overdose. He died little more than three hours later at Concord Hospital, at 4.30am. He was later identified by family and friends, who have pleaded with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to 'stop the drugs'. Mr Brosnan had recently been accepted into Sydney's prestigious Conservatorium of Music. A woman named Hayley Sheers, understood to be Mr Brosnan's girlfriend, posted a photo of the pair online and a heartbreaking tribute after his death. 'Rest easy my beautiful man. You were definitely taken to soon. I love you, I will always love you,' she wrote. Scroll down for video Callum Brosnan, from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at the train station, and rushed to hospital just before 1.30am Callum Brosnan, from Baulkham Hills, was found in a 'distressed state' at a train station near the event, and rushed to hospital just before 1.30am Mr Brosnan's relative told 7 News the family were struggling to cope with the news. 'I've just suggested they all have a Panadol, put their heads down, they've been up since whenever and I think it's the shock setting in,' she said. 'Stop the drugs,' she said, begging NSW Premer Gladys Berejiklian to take action after a spate of overdose deaths at Sydney music festivals in recent years. Mr Brosnan had attended the controversial Defqon 1 festival in September. He had also expressed interest in a number of other hardstyle music events across the state in recent months, and was a regular contributor to an Aussie hip-hop fans page on Facebook. Mr Brosnan had recently been accepted into Sydney's prestigious Conservatorium of Music Ms Berejiklian was mocked on social media after she announced harsher penalties for drug supply following the deaths of two people at Defqon. Mr Brosnan had even expressed interest in attending a party dedicated to 'removing' the premier. The 'Gladys Removal Day' event was created on social media and scheduled for March 2019. Mr Brosnan was one of 12,000 people who had expressed interest in attending the 'Huge FREE party that will rage all night and all weekend'. Five were arrested and charged with drug offences, including an 18-year-old woman who was allegedly found carrying 390 MDMA capsules, and a 25-year-old man, who was allegedly found with 145. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting those pictured at the event above are in any way related to the supply Two women, 19 and 25, and another man, who has not been identified, were taken to Westmead Hospital and are also believed to have overdosed. All three are in critical but stable conditions. A further 13 people were hospitalised following the event, while 130 people had to seek medical treatment during the event. The event was marketed as the 'biggest indoor festival in the southern hemisphere', and was attended by 18,000 people. A statement from NSW Police said 62 people were found in possession of drugs at the event, including an 18-year-old girl who allegedly had 390 MDMA capsules 'internally concealed' inside her body. The teenage girl was charged with supply prohibited drug and will appear at Burwood Local Court on January 10. The party, attended by 18,000 on Saturday, ended in tragedy, with a 19-year-old man dying of a suspected overdose and three others, including two women aged 19 and 25, left in a critical condition for the same reason A 25-year-old man was allegedly found carrying 145 MDMA capsules, and was also charged with supply prohibited drug and possess prohibited drug. He will face court on Sunday. Three others were also charged with drug offences. South West Metropolitan Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell said the devastating impact of drugs was acutely felt on Saturday night, with one dead and three others fighting to stay alive. 'Police and emergency services continue to send warning messages about illegal drugs, and many festival-goers are choosing to ignore them,' he said. 'There is no acceptable use for drugs the message is clear. We will continue to have a strong presence at festivals and dance parties with the wellbeing and safety of attendees our number one priority'. Police are asking anyone with information about Mr Brosnan's death to come forward. A report is being prepared for the coroner. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting those pictured at the event above are in any way related to the supply. Esther McVey today said that she would consider running for the Tory Party leadership if Theresa May is ousted over the Brexit chaos. Leading Conservatives are jostling to line themselves up for the top job, with Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson among those eyeing up the leadership. And throwing her name into the mix, Ms McVey said she would think about taking a run at the job if she was urged to by allies. Ms McVey, who left the government on the brink of collapse when she quit the Cabinet last month in fury at the Brexit plan, also said she could only support the PM if she tears up her deal and renegotiates. Quizzed about the leadership on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, Ms McVey said: 'If people asked me then of course you'd give it serious consideration, and do it, if people asked me.' Esther McVey (pictured on Sky today) today said that she would consider running for the Tory Party leadership if Theresa May is ousted over the Brexit chaos She said the next leader of the Tories should be able to 'unite the party behind a deal'. And she urged the PM to tear up her deal, go back to the EU and make fundamental changes to her deal. She said the controversial backstop should be scrapped while the UK should not pay the 39billion Brexit divorce bill until the country get a free trade deal. May considers delaying crunch vote to return to Brussels for a 'handbag moment' to demand more concessions Theresa May is considering postponing the crunch Brexit vote and making a last-ditch dash back to Brussels for more concessions. She has been urged to emulate Margaret Thatcher and have a 'handbag moment' with the EU. The PM is facing an overwhelming defeat on the deal after over 100 Tory MPs vowed to oppose it. Ministers have pleaded with the PM to reschedule the vote warning her it is pointless to hurtle head on into what looks set to be a humiliating defeat. One senior cabinet minister told The Sunday Times: 'People in No 10 think she needs to have a 'handbag moment' where she says: 'Up with this I will not put.' Mrs May is expected to make a final decision tomorrow on whether she will push back Tuesday's vote. Advertisement In her first TV appearance since quitting the Cabinet, she said: 'I stepped down from the Government because I didn't have confidence in what she was doing. I didn't have confidence in where it was going and what she was doing. 'If the Prime Minister goes back to the EU and gets changes...then I am fully behind her.' Ms McVey lashed reports that she had a 'meltdown' in last month's crunch Cabinet meeting which signed off on the Brexit deal. She quit the next morning. She blamed the reports on hostile briefings, and insisted that she did not cry during the tense five-hour meeting. And she revealed that Mrs May has rebuffed her pleas to return to Brussels and squeeze fresh concessions out of the EU on the backstop and the divorce bill. She said: 'If she goes back and gets changes on those two points then she will remain as Prime Minister. 'If she doesn't then it is going to be very difficult for her.' Her outspoken intervention comes amid reports that Mrs May is considering postponing next Tuesday's crunch vote on the Brexit deal and heading back to Brussels for fresh talks. The PM is staring down the barrel of a massive and humiliating defeat which could send her deal and premiership crashing down. She is being urged to emulate Margaret Thatcher and have 'a handbag moment' and make changes to the controversial Irish backstop plan. Ministers have pleaded with the PM to reschedule the vote warning her it is pointless to hurtle head on into what looks set to be a humiliating defeat. Mrs May is expected to make a final decision tomorrow on whether she will push back Tuesday's vote. The Prime Minister (pictured visiting a church in Maidenhead today) mounted a last-ditch bid to win over her mutinous backbenchers after over 100 Tory MPs threatened to rebel in the crunch vote on her deal And she made a last-ditch attempt to win over her critics on the Tory benches after over 100 vowed they will not back her plan. She warned her warring party to back her Brexit deal or risk handing the keys to No10 to Jeremy Corbyn and leaving the UK in the EU permanently. The Prime Minister mounted a last-ditch bid to win over her mutinous backbenchers after over 100 Tory MPs threatened to rebel in the crunch vote on her deal. But facing an overwhelming defeat on the deal, she is considering delaying the crunch vote so she can return to Brussels to squeeze more concessions out of the EU. She said: 'It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit. 'We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a General Election, no matter what the cost to the country I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take.' The family of an Iraq War veteran who took his own life have won a six-figure payout from NHS bosses who admitted a catalogue of failings in his care. Father-of-three Aidan Knight, who served in Iraq with the elite 2 Para, hanged himself after trying to get help from mental health professionals for months, lawyers representing his family said. He left the army after five years, telling his mother he had seen 'too much death' and also struggled to cope with the loss of his brother George in 2012. Between 2014 and 2015, Mr Knight took an overdose in the first of four suicide bids. Father-of-three Aidan Knight, who served in Iraq with the elite 2 Para, hanged himself after trying to get help from mental health professionals for months, lawyers representing his family said The family of Aidan Knight (names not given) outside the High Court in London. The family of the former soldier who committed suicide have won a six-figure payout from NHS bosses after they admitted a catalogue of failings in his care Mr Knight's mother Angie Aleksejuk, 55, from Stafford, said: 'I wish that just one person had thought differently in the period leading up to Aidan's death, as if they had he may still be here. 'He ticked all the boxes of being at risk - a former serviceman, under 30, he had lost his brother, lived alone and he even presented himself to A&E - but he slipped through the net. 'What happened has devastated our family. This was never about getting compensation but getting the trust to apologise for their failings in Aidan's care.' The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has written to his family apologising for the 'failings in the care he received' in the two months before his death. Mr Knight died a 'tortured soul' in April 2015 - the day before what would have been his brother's birthday The 29-year-old's three children have been awarded the financial settlement to be split between them after lawyers brought a civil action against the trust in the High Court under article 2 of the Human Rights Act which protects the right to life, firm Hodge Jones & Allen said. Mr Knight joined the Army aged 17 and within two years was on a six-month tour of duty in Iraq. Mr Knight died a 'tortured soul' in April 2015 - the day before what would have been his brother's birthday. His body was found in a park in Crawley, West Sussex, after he phoned his mother to say he was 'going to his brother's party'. A coroner concluded his death was a suicide and a serious incident mental health review admitted the trust, based in Worthing, should have done more for Mr Knight. Mrs Aleksejuk said: 'I think Aidan was a tortured soul after he came back but he bottled it all in and never spoke of what he did out there. 'He'd just say he had seen terrible things. He would have nightmares and cry out in his sleep.' Despite assessments by police and NHS psychiatrists recording that he had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), he was not considered high risk enough to be admitted to hospital. But he went to accident and emergency at East Surrey Hospital on March 5 2015. Mr Knight (pictured) died a 'tortured soul' in April 2015 - the day before what would have been his brother's birthday A psychiatric nurse diagnosed PTSD symptoms and five days later the community mental health team assessed him. It was not until March 26 that his referral to a mental health practitioner was confirmed. During that time his GP prescribed him anti-depressants for his erratic behaviour. But his mental health practitioner was on holiday until April 8 and he was not reassigned to another case worker. His body was found that day. Mrs Aleksejuk added: 'There were a number of missed opportunities to save him and it just feels like nobody listened to him. 'I'm realistic enough to realise that even if people had listened to him he may still have done what he did, but we will never know. 'I wouldn't want anybody to go through what we have as living through this has been like torture and has scarred us all.' Alice Hardy, the law firm's civil liberties partner, said: 'Aidan was deeply let down by the mental health professionals who had numerous opportunities to take actions that could have saved his life. 'Aidan's death has devastated his family and left three children without the father they loved. 'We appreciate the apology from the trust, but it is crucial that they learn from this avoidable tragedy to make sure nobody else is failed like this ever again.' The trust has been contacted for comment. For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch. See samaritans.org for details. Boris Johnson today said he feels a deep sense of 'personal responsibility' for Brexit as he predicted Theresa May will lose her vote on the deal by a big margin this week. The ex Foreign Secretary became visibly shaken as he was quizzed about the Brexit turmoil, and said he believed Britain can do 'much, much better' than the PM's deal. He also predicted that Mrs May will suffer a big defeat in the crunch vote on her deal which will give her a 'powerful' mandate to renegotiate. And he refused to rule himself out for the Tory leadership as he lashed the PM's Brexit 'betrayal'. His intervention comes as Britain is facing one of the most momentous weeks in politics in modern time with MPs due to vote on the deal on Tuesday. Mrs May today issued a fresh appeal to her mutinous backbenchers in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, warning them to back her deal or risk letting Jeremy Corbyn into power and stopping Brexit altogether. But facing a huge defeat, she is considering delaying the vote and heading back to Brussels to have a 'handbag moment' and squeeze more concessions out of the EU. Leading Brexiteers were out in force touring the TV studios this morning as they tried to heap pressure on the PM to mount an eleventh hour U-turn and tear up her deal. Mr Johnson said she must scrap the hated Irish backstop plan and refuse to hand over half of the 39billion divorce deal until the UK gets a free trade deal. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show today, 'Don't underestimate the deep sense of personal responsibility I feel for Brexit and for everything that has happened. 'Do not underestimate how much I care about this because this is fundamental to our country.' Boris Johnson (pictured today on the BBC) said he feels a a deep sense of 'personal responsibility' for Brexit as he predicted that Theresa May will lose her vote on the deal by a huge margin this week. He added: 'And it absolutely breaks my heart to think that after all that we fought for, all that we campaigned for, all that [Brexit Secretary] Steve Barclay campaigned for, all that everybody believes in, that we should consign ourselves to a future in which the EU effectively rules us in many many respects and yet we have no say around that table in Brussels. Theresa May prepares for 'handbag moment' with Brussels as she considers delaying crunch vote Theresa May is considering delaying the crunch Brexit vote and heading back to Brussels for a 'handbag' moment to squeeze more concessions out of the EU. It comes as she warned her warring party to back her Brexit deal or risk handing the keys to No10 to Jeremy Corbyn and leaving the UK in the EU permanently. The Prime Minister mounted the last-ditch bid to win over her mutinous backbenchers after over 100 Tories threatened to rebel in the crunch vote. But in the face of such overwhelming opposition, she is being urged to head back to Brussels, emulate Margaret Thatcher and have 'a handbag moment'. Ministers and Tory backbenchers are urging her to make changes to the controversial Irish backstop plan amid fears the compromise will torpedo her deal. Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay today insisted the vote will go ahead on Tuesday, but Mrs May is expected to make a final decision tomorrow on whether she will push it back. One senior cabinet minister told The Sunday Times: 'People in No 10 think she needs to have a 'handbag moment' where she says: 'Up with this I will not put.' Advertisement 'That is an absurdity. We cannot go down that route. 'And unfortunately the current backstop arrangements commit us to those arrangements. 'We have to change it. We can have a withdrawal agreement that does not contain the backstop. We can do much much better than this.' Mr Johnson's comments came after the PM desperately scrambled to try to pick off Tory rebels by warning them they could be handing the keys of No10 to Mr Corbyn if they reject her deal. Mrs May said Britain 'would truly be in uncharted waters' if the deal is voted down. She said: 'It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit. 'We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a General Election, no matter what the cost to the country I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take.' But Mr Johnson and several other leading Brexiteers, including former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, and ex cabinet minister Esther McVey, toured the television studios to urge her to tear up her plan and renegotiate. Mr Johnson said the Irish backstop agreed by the PM is hated by MPs because it keeps the UK chained to the EU. The backstop is a plan B which comes into force if a trade deal cannot be done in time which keeps the Irish border soft. It keeps the entire of the UK tied to the EU customs union and imposes extra single market checks on Northern Ireland. The plan has sparked fury from Remainers and Brexiteers alike, who have said it undermines the territorial integrity of the UK. The Prime Minister (pictured visiting a church in Maidenhead today) mounted a last-ditch bid to win over her mutinous backbenchers after over 100 Tory MPs threatened to rebel in the crunch vote on her deal While the DUP - who have just 10 MPs but wield a huge amount of power in Parliament because they are propping the Tories up in No10 - have warned it crosses their 'blood red line' and threatened to pull support for the PM over it. Esther McVey says she would consider running for Tory leader Esther McVey (pictured on Sky today) today said that she would consider running for the Tory Party leadership if Theresa May is ousted over the Brexit chaos Esther McVey today said that she would consider running for the Tory Party leadership if Theresa May is ousted over the Brexit chaos. Leading Conservatives are jostling to line themselves up for the top job, with Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson among those eyeing up the leadership. And throwing her name into the mix, Ms McVey said she would think about taking a run at the job if she was urged to by allies. Ms McVey, who left the government on the brink of collapse when she quit the Cabinet last month in fury at the Brexit plan, also said she could only support the PM if she tears up her deal and renegotiates. Quizzed about the leadership on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, Ms McVey said: 'If people asked me then of course you'd give it serious consideration, and do it, if people asked me.' Advertisement Mr Johnson lashed the plan today. He said: 'The real problem with the backstop arrangement is it gives the power to Brussels and to all the other EU member states effectively to blackmail us and to get what they want out of the future trade negotiation. 'It is a diabolical negotiating position.' And he predicted that MPs will reject her deal by a huge margin when it comes to the crunch vote on Tuesday this week. He said: 'If the House of Commons gives, as I think it will, a powerful mandate to scrap the backstop I think they [the EU] will listen.' The Tory MP, who quit the cabinet earlier this year in fury over the Brexit deal, branded the deal a 'lobster pot' which reduces Britain to 'colony status. And he urged the PM to radically change course. Confronted by continued reports that he is gearing up for a leadership challenges if Mrs May is ousted, he dismissed reports he has already handed out job offers for a Boris government as idle gossip. But he refused to rule out a run at the top job. He said: 'I will give you an absolute, categorical promise that I will continue to advocate what I think is the most sensible plan.' It comes as Ms McVey became the first leading Tory to throw her hat into a possible leadership contest - saying she would consider a run at the top job if Mrs May is ousted. The Tory MP and leading Brexiteer sent the PM's Government to the brink of collapse when she quit the Cabinet last month in fury at the Brexit plan. Her departure, alongside that of Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, triggered a wave of ministerial resignations and a failed coup to oust Mrs May. Quizzed about the leadership on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, Ms McVey said: 'If people asked me then of course you'd give it serious consideration, and do it, if people asked me.' The Tory MPs who could join forces to take a shot at the leadership if May is ousted: Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd Dubbed the 'bamba couple', they could form a unity ticket to try to unite the Tory Party in the wake of the bitter Brexit civil war. Boris Johnson is a leading Brexiteer while Amber Rudd was a vocal Remainer. Jacob Rees-Mogg has backed the duo. But the pairing would seem unlikely as they have repeatedly clashed. Ms Rudd once memorably said of Mr Johnson: 'He is not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening'. Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt Home Secretary Sajid Javid could team up with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt - to create the 'shunt' duo. Both men have been tipped for the top job by fellow Cabinet minister Liz Truss. Mr Javid has been canvassing MPs for support. A source said: Sajid does not think she will have to go next week, but is preparing for the possibility she might be forced to. Dominic Raab and David Davis Former Brexit Secretaries - and close allies - Dominic Raab and David Davis could team up to become the 'Daab' couple. The duo are said to be locked in talks as to who should be the 'senior man' on the ticket. Both true believers in Brexit, they would prove popular with the Tory Party's powerful Eurosceptic faction. Advertisement Her comments will fuel already frenzied speculation about possible leadership contenders if Mrs May is toppled from No10. Leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg backed a 'unity ticket' of Remainer Amber Rudd and Mr Johnson, although it would be an unlikely pairing as the two have clashed in the past. Mr Johnson's TV appearance came after he penned an article in The Sun on Sunday setting out his vision for Brexit in what will be seen as a very thinly veiled leadership pitch. He called for Britain to refuse to pay half of the 39billion divorce bill until after the trade talks are done. And he said that the hated Irish backstop must be scrapped as it risks keeping the UK chained to the EU forever. Writing in The Sun, he said: 'To show that we mean business, we must be able to walk away. 'This is a great country, capable of rising to immense challenges and I believe the people of this country are fed up to the back teeth of being told by their Government that they are simply incapable of managing the logistical problems of Brexit. 'For two-and-a-half years this Government has studiously and deliberately failed to address those logistical problems. It is that failure and that lack of resolve that has so weakened our hand in the talks.' There are just 48 hours to go until the crunch Brexit vote, which will determine the fate of the UK's relations with the EU. But the PM is facing a fresh barrage of attacks on all fronts, as her critics queue up to stick the knife into the plan. The DUP's Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said his party is 'determined' to defeat the Government over the Brexit deal. He told Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'Clearly if this is defeated or if the Withdrawal Agreement changed in a way that is satisfactory, then clearly those issues don't arise as far as any vote of no confidence in the Government is concerned.' He dismissed the PM's warnings that voting her deal down could result in Mr Corbyn moving into Downing Street. He said: 'I don't think anyone realistically believes that. 'This is a scare story being put out by Theresa May because under the terms of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act everybody knows, even people in the Labour Party know, that's unlikely unless this deal were to go through. 'I think then clearly Theresa May would be in difficulty in terms of the parliamentary arithmetic.' Tory MP Will Quince quits as an aide in fury over Brexit plan Colchester MP Will Quince resigned as Defence Secretary Parliamentary Private Secretary over Theresa May's Brexit deal Theresa May has been struck by another resignation after the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson's aide quit over her proposed Brexit deal. Colchester MP Will Quince urged the Prime Minister to return to Brussels and renegotiate the deal to remove the Northern Irish backstop. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said: 'I wanted to support this Withdrawal Agreement, and I still want to support it, but unless the backstop is addressed to include either an end date or a unilateral exit mechanism, I cannot support it and so am resigning from the Government as a Parliamentary Private Secretary. 'I implore the Prime Minister to go back to the European Union and find another way, to make this Withdrawal Agreement something we can all support.' Advertisement Meanwhile, former Brexit Secretary Mr Raab said Brussels recognised the need to time-limit the Irish border backstop before officials took negotiations in 'another direction'. He said Michel Barnier, the European Union's chief negotiator, told him he understood the backstop 'needs to be short' after being challenged over making it finite. Mr Raab said he told Mrs May the UK should have 'stood firm', and said Britain should have 'pressed harder' in the talks. He said: 'You could see this backstop issue coming down the line. It was obvious. It wasn't a shock or a surprise. 'I made clear that it had to be time-limited and finite, and Michel Barnier, at one point in one of our meetings, said "I understand it needs to be short". 'But I'm afraid after that the technical track for the negotiations took it in another direction and I was very clear with the Prime Minister that we should of stood firm at that point, and that was back in July. 'Now I'm not suggesting it's easy to go back. You lose moments in negotiations and you can't just claw them back. 'What I am suggesting is that there is probably more flexibility than is being suggested and actually we should have taken a robust line back then and we certainly should be taking one now.' Facing an onslaught of attacks from all sides, Mrs May was hit by another blow last night when Will Quince quit as an aide to the Defence Secretary so he can oppose the deal. The Colchester MP urged the Prime Minister to return to Brussels and renegotiate the deal to remove the Northern Irish backstop. Quince, 35, is the latest figure to resign over the Brexit deal. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Qunice said: 'I wanted to support this Withdrawal Agreement, and I still want to support it, but unless the backstop is addressed to include either an end date or a unilateral exit mechanism, I cannot support it and so am resigning from the Government as a Parliamentary Private Secretary. 'I implore the Prime Minister to go back to the European Union and find another way, to make this Withdrawal Agreement something we can all support.' Who are the Tory MPs who have indicated they will not back Theresa May's Brexit deal? Boris Johnson, Uxbridge and South Ruislip David Davis, Haltemprice and Howden Iain Duncan Smith, Chingford and Woodford Green Owen Paterson, North Shropshire Priti Patel, Witham John Whittingdale, Maldon Mark Francois, Rayleigh and Wickford David Jones, Clwyd West Sir Desmond Swayne, New Forest West Julian Lewis, New Forest East Jacob Rees-Mogg, North East Somerset Steve Baker, Wycombe Sir Bernard Jenkin, North Essex Sir Mike Penning, Hemel Hempstead Sir David Amess, Southend West Sir Edward Leigh, Gainsborough Sir Christopher Chope, Christchurch Andrea Jeankyns, Morley and Outwood John Redwood, Wokingham Ben Bradley, Mansfield Marcus Fysh, South Somerset Maria Caulfield, Lewes Simon Clarke, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Ross Thomson, Aberdeen South Henry Smith, Crawley Nadine Dorries, Mid Bedfordshire Chris Green, Bolton West Andrew Bridgen, North West Leicestershire Bill Cash, Stone Sheryll Murray, South East Cornwal Andrew Rosindell, Romford Lee Rowley, North East Derbyshire Peter Bone, Wellingborough 34. Anne main, St Albans 35. Craig Mackinlay, South Thanet 36. Charlie Elphicke, Dover and Deal 37. Conor Burns, Bournemouth West James Duddridge, Rochford and Southend East Trudy Harrison, Copeland Mike Wood, Dudley South 40. Andrew Lewer, Northampton South 41. Nigel Mills, Amber Valley 42. Martin Vickers, Cleethorpes 43. Richard Bacon, South Norfolk 44. Philip Davies, Shipley 45. Anne-Marie Morris, Newton Abbot 46. James Gray, North Wiltshire 47. Adam Holloway, Gravesham 48. Crispin Blunt, Reigate 49. Richard Drax, South Dorset 50. Philip Hollobone, Kettering 51. Laurence Robertson, Tewkesbury 52. Bill Wiggin, North Herefordshire, 53. Pauline Latham, Mid Derbyshire 54. Nigel Evans, Ribble Valley 55. Scott Mann, North Cornwall 56. Tim Loughton,East Worthing and Shoreham 57. Zac Goldsmith, Richmond Park 58. Robert Courts, Witney 59. Michael Fabricant, Lichfield 60. Michael Tomlinson, Mid Dorset and North Poole 61. Damian Collins, Folkestone and Hythe 62. Jo Johnson, Orpington 63. Phillip Lee, Bracknell 64. Heidi Allen, South Cambridgeshire. 65. Justine Greening, Putney 66. Dominic Grieve, Beaconsfield. 67. Dominic Raab, Esher and Walton 68. Esther McVey, Tatton 69. Shailesh Vara, North West Cambridgeshire 70. Rehman Chishti, Gillingham 71. Ranil Jayawardena, North East Hampshire 72. Suella Braverman, Fareham 73. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Berwick-upon-Tweed 74. Hugo Swire, East Devon 75. Neil Parish, Tiverton and Honiton 76. Steve Double, St Austell and Newquay 77. Theresa Villiers, Chipping Barnet 78. Royston Smith, Southampton Itchen 79. Mark Pritchard, The Wrekin 80. Grant Shapps, Welwyn Hatfield 81. Damien Moore,Southport 82. Daniel Kawczynski, Shrewsbury and Atcham 83. Lucy Allan, Telford 84. David Evennett, Bexleyheath and Crayford 85. Anna Soubry, Broxtowe 86. Rob Halfon, Harlow 87. Bob Stewart, Beckenham 88. Gordon Henderson, Sittingbourne and Sheppey 89. Stephen Metcalfe, South Basildon and East Thurrock 90. John Baron, Basildon and Billericay 91. Julia Lopez,Hornchurch & Upminster 92. John Hayes, South Holland and The Deepings 93. Sarah Wollaston, Totnes 94. Guto Bebb, Aberconwy 95. Tracey Crouch, Chatham and Aylesford 96. Sir Michael Fallon, Sevenoaks 97. Douglas Ross, Moray 98. Derek Thomas, St Ives 99. Sir Robert Syms, Poole 100. Matthew Offord, Hendon 101. Sam Gyimah, East Surrey 102. Mark Harper, Forest of Dean, 103. Giles Watling, Clapton 104. Johnny Mercer, Plymouth Moor View 105. Will Quince, Colchester 106. Andrew Mitchell, Sutton Coldfield 107. William Wragg, Hazel Grove Advertisement We had a people's vote. Let's deliver on it and get this done Exclusive interview with Theresa May by Glen Owen If these are Theresa May's final days in Downing Street, she seems remarkably sanguine about it. Despite intense pressure from all sections of her party to cancel Tuesday's momentous Commons vote or risk a humiliating defeat which could sink her political career the Prime Minister exudes a calm humour as she talks in her No 10 study. Her allies say this is testament to her steely temperament and patriotic sense of duty; her detractors describe it as a stubborn refusal to change her mind in the face of overwhelming opposition. As carol singers strike up in the street outside, Mrs May expresses the forlorn-sounding hope that she can bring the war with her party to a close in time to enjoy her traditional roast goose for Christmas. If these are Theresa May's final days in Downing Street, she seems remarkably sanguine about it, drinking from a mug which says 'proud to be a Bloody Difficult Woman' and using a hole punch which read 'please do not remove from office' Her determination finds an echo on her writing desk, which boasts a mug declaring that she is 'proud to be a bloody difficult woman' and, more prosaically, a hole-punch which is labelled: 'Please do not remove from office.' In her exclusive and wide-ranging Mail on Sunday interview, Mrs May: Warns Tory MPs planning to revolt over her deal that they would be risking the double whammy of Jeremy Corbyn entering Downing Street and the UK cancelling Brexit; Tells how she has received thousands of messages of personal support from ordinary voters; Reveals that she soothes herself after stressful days by wolfing down spoonfuls of peanut butter direct from the jar; Jokes that she can't have nightmares over her predicament because 'armed police' would storm her bedroom; Says her best Christmas presents from husband Philip are handbags; while he regards Mrs May herself as his perfect gift; Discloses that she relaxes by watching the BBC's Masterchef: The Professionals; Says her proudest achievement over her political career is the work she did on modern slavery. With the number of Tory MPs opposed to Mrs May's Brexit deal now estimated to have reached triple figures, the Prime Minister tries to quell the rebellion by weaponising the threat of Mr Corbyn and his predominantly pro-EU party. 'I'm not somebody who is normally a doom- monger [but] I genuinely am concerned that we would see greater division and greater uncertainty,' said Mrs May. 'The Labour Party see this as a way of trying to engineer a General Election. They are not looking at the national interest. 'They are playing party politics for their own short-term political gain and frankly that would lead to long-term national pain.' She tells her rebellious MPs: 'If you want Brexit, make sure you get it, and that's about this deal. 'When I say if this deal does not pass we would truly be in uncharted waters, I hope people understand this is what I genuinely believe and fear could happen. It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal. 'We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a General Election, no matter what the cost to the country. As someone who cares passionately about my country and my party, I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take'. Although multiple sources say that a growing number of senior Government figures were urging Mrs May to delay the Commons vote until after another attempt to extract further concessions from Brussels, the Prime Minister was maintaining the line that her Cabinet was united behind the idea of holding the vote this week. Proud to be a Bloody Difficult Woman... and determined to stay on 'Please do not remove from office' and 'Proud to be a Bloody Difficult Woman' Mrs May was delighted when former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke called her a 'bloody difficult woman', and she celebrates the epithet on her mug. But will she last longer in her office than her hole punch? Advertisement 'I have obviously talked to my Cabinet colleagues as well as I talk to other colleagues. I think we all recognise that this is a good deal', she insisted. Mrs May is privately furious that the Brexit 'ultras', including Jacob Ress-Mogg and Boris Johnson, are so determined to crash her deal that they will topple a line of dominos which could lead to a vote of no confidence, the end of Mrs May's leadership, the suspension of Article 50, a General Election ushering in a Labour-SNP Government and a second referendum to attempt to reverse Brexit. As one ally says: 'We would go to hell in a handcart'. But while large sections of her Parliamentary party remain unconvinced by her deal and her determination to put it to a vote, Mrs May says she has been cheered by more than 3,000 personal messages of support from ordinary voters. 'I've had a lot of letters, a lot of emails, a lot of support from people,' she says. 'It really has been encouraging. The overwhelming message from people is: let's get this deal done and then we can focus on the future. People say, 'look, we just wish you the best because we really want to see Brexit and we want to get on with this.' Mrs May one of the most effective stonewallers in Westminster deflects all questions about whether she will resign if she is defeated over the deal or go back to Brussels to demand more concessions. But she is openly dismissive about moves by a cross-party group of MPs, led by Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, to call a second referendum and withering about her predecessor Tony Blair's call for one. 'His view is that we should go for another referendum,' she said. 'We had a people's vote, that's what frustrates me when people talk about this, the second referendum being a people's vote. We had a people's vote, let's deliver on the first people's vote.' The prospect of another General Election, particularly after last year's fiasco, chills many Tory MPs, who argue that the party machine is not ready to fight a successful campaign, and that Mrs May is the wrong person to lead them into one. She isn't exactly enthused by the idea either: 'There isn't going to be a General Election. As far as I'm concerned, the next General Election is 2022. Jeremy Corbyn is trying to engineer an Election but the last thing this country needs is the instability and uncertainty that would produce'. Valiantly, Mrs May said she hoped the deal could be voted through by Christmas so she can enjoy that goose and 'a nice glass of red' chosen by Philip. 'I think most people want us to do this, to get it done and get it all wrapped up by Christmas and actually focus on the future,' she said. How will she celebrate, assuming events allow it? 'We like to have a quiet Christmas. We'll have a couple of friends round on Christmas Day, and the churches in Maidenhead have a lunch for people who would otherwise be on their own and so I go up and have a glass of sherry with them. Then we go home and we have our dinner.' The Mays will be sticking to their usual meal. 'It's always goose I'm afraid, yes. Most people always cook turkey, I always cook goose. With everything else that's going on it's tried and tested. I try to do a slightly different recipe every year. I saw one in a magazine the other day'. Her devotion to Philip, who she married 38 years ago after meeting at Oxford, is obvious. The tight bond between the pair was forged in extremis when her father, an Oxfordshire vicar, died in a car accident a year after the wedding. Her mother died the following year and she does not have any siblings. Mrs May praises Philip's Christmas present choices, saying he is particularly 'good at handbags; he does pick a good handbag'. What is the best present she has got him? 'I think he would look me in the eye and say, 'You, darling!' ' Even Mrs May's fiercest critics admire her resilience in the face of what must be almost intolerable pressure, combined with official duties such as last weekend's 14,000-mile round-trip to the G20 summit in Argentina. It was former Chancellor Kenneth Clarke who delighted Mrs May by describing her as 'a bloody difficult woman'. But surely her husband must worry about the impact of the pressure on the diabetic, 62-year-old Prime Minister. 'He is like any supportive partner is,' she says. 'He's there and wants to help.' She adds that she never takes out the strain on her staff. 'I am not the sort of person who naturally loses their temper,' she says, but confesses she does swear 'sometimes'. Does she ever wake up with nightmares? 'If I woke up and went 'aaagh!' I'd probably have several armed police officers coming into the bedroom,' she replies. The Prime Minister uses a powerful interview in today's Mail on Sunday to plead directly with the dozens of Tory MPs who have threatened to rebel in Tuesday's historic Commons vote on her Brexit deal The most unexpected moment of the interview comes when she reveals how she comforts herself after a gruelling day dealing with Jacob Rees-Mogg et al. 'One of my little indulgences, I have to confess, is peanut butter. Either on toast, or just a spoon. But I don't spend the entire day doing it.' Food has always been a passion for Mrs May: the woman who has more than 150 cookbooks says she is currently enjoying Ottolenghi Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-British chef. So although her workload means that she only sees 'snatches' of television programmes, she has enjoyed the 'odd bit' of the new Masterchef: The Professionals series: 'They have been absolutely amazing, absolutely incredible.' But she hasn't been to the cinema since watching Skyfall six years ago. Mrs May's vicarage upbringing was imbued with the sense of public duty exemplified by her father's work in the parish. 'What my upbringing taught me was whatever you're doing, put your whole self into it and do your best. 'I am genuinely trying to do my best for the country. I suppose it is a sense of public service'. Mrs May is keen not to strike a valedictory tone in the interview but cites her work on modern slavery and establishing the National Crime Agency when Home Secretary as the greatest achievement of her political career. And she laments the fact that Europe has suffocated the domestic agenda, with passions such as boosting technical education and her industrial strategy drowned out by the noise of Brexit. But is she still the best person to lead the Conservative Party? 'Yes I am'. Advertisement Hundreds of merry drinkers dressed up as Father Christmas caused mayhem on the streets of London as they partied into the night in an annual pub crawl to raise money for charity. Drunken festive revellers took to Trafalgar Square during Santacon and were spotted sitting on top of the famous lion statues, clambering on Nelson's Column and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. The streets were filled with boozy Santas dressed in bright red costumes as they caused chaos in central London on the fancy dress pub crawl - but it was all for a good cause. This year Santacon London is supporting Christmas for Kids, a small London based charity who devise and perform multi-sensory and interactive shows for free at children's hospices. Describing itself as 'a non-profit, non-political, non-religious and non-sensical', the parade that originated in San Francisco invites people to 'join the naughty list' and down drinks in bars and open spaces. And people in cities all over the world also spread Christmas cheer as they celebrated the tradition. Santas were spotted in Los Angeles, New York City, Madrid and Glasgow as they dressed up, took selfies, paraded the streets - and even took part in a Christmas tree throwing competition. A drunken reveller drinks a can of lager as he sits on top of the famous bronze lion statue in Trafalgar Square, London, as chaos descends on the streets of London during the annual Santacon Trafalgar Square was packed with hundreds of revellers dressed up as Father Christmas as they took part in the festive pub crawl Two men appear to have lost their trousers as they stand amid cans and bottles of alcohol left from the partygoers spreading Christmas cheer Crowds of people dressed up as Santas gather and one man appears to join the naughty list as he clambers his way up Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square Drunken Santas perch on the famous lion statue in Trafalgar Square in London as they drink and party deep into the night Two Santas looked a little worse for wear as the Santacon drew to a close after a night of drinking in the centre of London Around 8,000 people dressed as Father Christmas descended on the streets of glasgow to take part in a run to raise money for Beatson Cancer A grinch is spotted among a sea of Santas in Glasgow as they take part in the annual run for charity through the streets of the Scottish city A man dressed up as baby Jesus in a Moses basket graces the streets of New York city as thousands of revellers take part in the parade A woman dressed up as the grinch walks in the parade on the streets of New York City (left). A woman takes a boozy approach as she dresses up as Santas reindeer (right) People in Los Angeles get creative with their costumes during the annual Santacon. One woman is dressed as a Chritsmas tree, while another man wears a jumper that says 'get lit' A woman throws a Christmas tree during Santacon in Los Angeles, California, which brings out the good and the bad Santas A woman dressed up in a Santa outfit launches a Christmas tree into the air during the competition as part of Santacon in Los Angeles A Man dressed as Santa's elf, complete with striped tights and a sack of presents, walks around the streets of Los Angeles Hundreds of people in Madrid as they gather at the starting line to take part in a charity run around the Spanish capital Revellers in Madrid, Spain, dressed up as Santa ready to take part in a morning run around the city in the annual Santa race Santa dash: Thousands of people dressed as Father Christmas gather for a charity run in London Great Ormond Street Hospital patient Jasper Sherlock, three, with his family at the Santa run in Clapham Common, London, who raised 20,000 A sea of Santa Clauses pulled on their running boots and pom-pom hats for a charity dash in London to raise money for a leading children's hospital. Around 3000 people gathered at the course at Clapham Common to raise 300,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Among those in red was TV presenter and former Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba, who revved up the runners and met families and hospital patients. He said: 'To have all these people here raising as much funds as they can, bringing families together and helping them get through this time is an amazing thing to be part of.' The runners included inspirational three-year-old Esme Hughes, from Reading, who only months ago had a heart transplant at the hospital. Her father Kevin said: 'She had a heart transplant a few months back. As you can see, she's doing quite well.' Also running was three-year-old Jasper Sherlock, from Hampstead, London, who had a bleed on his brain hours after birth and survived after a number of surgeries at the hospital. His family raised 20,000 for hospital. 'They saved his life and they continue to help him,' his mother Gemma said. Advertisement Alcohol flowed freely as thousands of merry Santas took to the streets of London today to mark SantaCon - and these two decided to relieve themselves in some bushes Hundreds of Santas fill a street in Brixton, south London, and a couple merry participants raise their drinks into the air Two men, one wearing sunglasses, take a selfie of their Santa outfits and white-sprayed beards in Brixton, south London A bus drives through a massive group of Santas, and a few elves dressed in green, who are wearing festive hats and tinsel A woman sips on her drink (left) during the annual pub crawl while a man (right) wears a costume with a funny modern twist Participants in Santa costumes meet in Brixton, south London, before making their way through the streets of London A woman on crutches, several merry Santas and a lone elf, walk pass a row of Christmas trees as they take part in festivities A woman holds up her wine glass and others cheer as Santcon participants make their way down an escalator at Brixton tube Two Santas take a drinking break to play on the swings together while a friend pushes them in Pedlars Park in Vauxhall A man wears a turkey costume (left) to stand out from the crowd of Santas while a woman (right) swings from a lamppost Two female Santas push their drinks in a shopping trolley at Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park in south London A woman adds accessories to her costume by wearing a tinsel tree hat, jingle bell glasses and glittery snowflake earrings One man ditches the Santa theme and dresses up as a gold Christmas tree bauble for the day of festive fun in London Four Santas and two reindeers take a moment to relieve themselves on the wall of the Imperial War Museum A participant dressed up in a suit, hat and white beard drinks a beer in Brixton before setting off for the pub crawl Two people take a picture of the huge crowd of Santas outside of King's Cross station today Two friendly female Santas joining in on the fun with Santa and his helpers having fun around Euston Station and Bloomsbury These Santas struggle to control their 'reindeer' as they take part in SantaCon near Euston Station in London earlier today Santa pile-up! Everyone that took part in today's SantaCon in London seemed to be in high spirits, as shown by these Santas The happy Santas marked the day in several hilarious ways, including this female Santa who decided to wear an inflated outfit Thousands of people dressed up as Santa, Elves, Reindeer and Christmas Trees and took part in a chairty pub crawl for SantaCon This Santa decided to put his own twist on the classic white beard, decorating his face with baubles and fairy lights Advertisement This one-eyed leopard has a wound just like Scar from The Lion King. But it clearly hasn't hindered his hunting skills - as he's pictured lounging on a tree branch, licking his lips as he proudly displays a fresh kill. Photographer Holger W Grauel captured the leopard - who has a gaping wound where his left eye used to be - in Tanzana's Tarangire National Park. Despite having an eye apparently scratched out, the leopard managed to snag what appeared to be an antelope and was seen feasting on the unfortunate animal's carcass. A leopard with one of his eyes gouged out was captured by photographer Holger W Grauel in Tanzana's Tarangire National Park The leopard's wound was reminiscent of Scar (pictured right) from the Disney's popular animated film The Lion King 'It was a rather cold morning in the Tarangire National Park in Tanzania as we headed out on our first game drive of the day,' the 49-year-old photographer said. 'The animals were not very active, so I didn't expect to see any sort of extraordinary sighting. 'As we were driving through the park, enjoying the fabulous landscape, we approached a single tree and from a distance, I could spot something hanging down from it. 'Upon closer inspection we realised it was a leopard with its kill - a great sighting for us. However, even more of a surprise was that this leopard only had one eye. 'It is not clear how the leopard was injured, but looking closely through my camera lens I could see that the eye had been scratched out.' The one-eyed leopard's injury doesn't appear to have hindered his hunting skills as he was pictured lounging on a tree branch, licking his lips as he proudly displayed a fresh kill The leopard managed to snag what appeared to be an antelope and was seen feasting on the unfortunate animal's carcass He added: 'The wound looked quite bad, and it probably wasn't too long ago that it was injured. But, I was happy in the fact that the leopard had its kill up in the tree, meaning that it is still able to effectively hunt and is able to survive despite this handicap. 'So, the question remains: was the leopard injured by another leopard? Or maybe by another predator like a lion?' Holger explained that while he was happy to spot such a rare sight, he pitied the leopard. 'I'm not really sure if I love the images of the leopard with the handicap - actually, I feel sorry for it,' he said. 'It is not clear how the leopard was injured, but looking closely through my camera lens I could see that the eye had been scratched out,' the photographer said 'Well, it's an extraordinary image which can't be seen often. I prefer to see and photograph animals in their best healthy conditions. 'My favourites are leopards so, I always search for them when I'm on safari, but it isn't easy to spot those ghosts.' Leopards are active mainly from dusk till dawn and rest for most of the day and for some hours at night in thickets, among rocks or over tree branches. They are known for their ability to climb and have been observed resting on tree branches during the day, dragging their kills up trees and hanging them there, before descending from trees headfirst. 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 A three-year-old girl has been left with horrific chemical burns and permanent scars covering her arm after getting a henna tattoo on holiday. Freja Ellis was on a family break in Antalya, Turkey, when she got the temporary tattoo with permission from her mother Marlana, 32. But shortly after arriving back in the UK, Freja, from Herne Bay, Kent, complained the cat pattern - which stretched from her wrist to her elbow - was itchy. A henna tattoo in Turkey left three-year-old Freja Ellis with horrific burns and blisters on her arm The girl was taken to hospital when she returned home to Herne Bay, Kent, after her arm became unbearably itchy and sore The design erupted in a series of painful blisters which then became infected, leaving Freja with disfiguring scars. 'My little girl has been scarred for life after getting what I thought was a harmless black henna tattoo,' her mother said. 'She has been covered in blisters and in so much pain. It's been heartbreaking. Freja was on a family break in Antalya, Turkey, with her mother Marlana (pictured), 32, and grandmother The design erupted in a series of painful blisters (left) which then became infected. After being treated, the youngster still has visible scars (right) 'We were entirely unaware of the dangers and want to make sure other parents know what can happen so this doesn't affect other children.' Her mother, a nurse, said she had a great holiday with her young daughter and Freja's grandmother, Julie Ellis, 56. She added that Freja had been begging for a henna tattoo after seeing other children at the hotel with them. 'Freja was desperate for a henna tattoo as she'd seen older kids running around with them,' she said. 'I tried to put her off getting one as much as I could as I really didn't want her to get one, but she'd been so well behaved that on the day before we left I decided to treat her. 'We went to a nearby barber shop as they were doing henna tattoos. Freja flicked through the book of designs and chose a cute picture of a cat sitting down. Freja Ellis gets her arm treated the Queen Victoria Hospital in Kent after returning home 'The shop seemed really clean and tidy and the man who did the tattoo even wiped Freja's arm with an antiseptic wipe beforehand so I wasn't too worried. 'It took 10 minutes to complete and then we had to wait 10 minutes for it to dry - she was totally made up with it and it wasn't until we got home that we realised there was something wrong.' Freja began complained of itching and burning sensation just days later. The single mother-of-one said: 'We'd been home for about three days when Freja said: 'Mummy, my arm, it's warm and it's itching me. It hurts.' Freja began complained of itching and burning sensation just days later and had to be taken to A&E 'I had a look, but there was nothing visible to the naked eye so I gave her some Calpol as she had a bit of a temperature and decided I'd give it until the next day to see if she'd improved. 'But when Freja woke up the next morning, she was in tears and a nasty blister had started to appear. 'She was constantly itching it and had very red, raw blisters full of fluid on her arm.' Ms Ellis rushed her daughter straight to the local minor injuries unit, the Queen Victoria, in Herne Bay. The youngster had seen older kids with henna tattoos at their hotel and begged her mother to let her have one She said: 'We saw the duty doctor and I showed him a picture of the tattoo when it had been done. 'Straight away he identified it as black henna. I didn't realise it was different to any other type of henna. 'He explained it contains chemicals which aren't meant to be used and told me that it'd burnt her skin. 'I was shocked when he diagnosed it as a chemical burn. 'He dressed it with a wet dressing to cool it and gave her antihistamines for the itching.' A chemical called para-phenylenediamine, or PPD, is added to henna to make the tattoos darker and increase their lifespan. The mother (pictured with Freja in the hotel pool) let her have the tattoo done as a treat before returning home While PPD is present in many products, such as sun cream and hair dye, it is usually used in very small doses. The addition of PPD into henna is now recognised as a public health issue, as this allergenic chemical often causes hypersensitivity reactions in children. Three days after the initial diagnosis, Marlana took Freja back to the GP to have her wound re-dressed as fluid was seeping through the bandages. Freja returned a week later to be checked over and doctors discovered the wound was infected. 'Freja was given a course of antibiotics for 10 days,' her mother explained. 'After she'd finished her antibiotics it was then redressed again and we were told the infection was clearing up. Freja picked a design of a 'cute cat sitting down', but it erupted into an infected rash 'Now they've just taken off her dressings to try and get it to scab over and heal as much as possible.' Now, her mother wants to warn others of the danger of black henna tattoos. 'I just don't want any other families to go through what we have,' she said. 'Freja's tattoo will most definitely scar as the burn was quite deep - hopefully it will fade in time - but it will definitely leave a mark. 'I'd had brown henna tattoos done as a child and they were absolutely fine. The doctor said they sometimes use black henna abroad because it's cheaper for them to purchase. 'I want to make people aware because so many children have them done on holiday. 'Freja's going to be scarred for life - she'll forever have a cat on her arm.' A man has saved the life of a pelican who was stuck in the middle of a waterway by picking her up and kayaking her to shore before releasing her entangled wing. Rowley Goonan said he received concerned calls from a friend who saw a female pelican stuck in discarded fishing line on the Gold Coast's Burleigh waterway. Mr Goonan, founder of a wild bird rescue business, said his friend had seen the distressed pelican 'thrashing and struggling to get free'. Rowley Goonan (pictured) has saved the life of a distressed pelican who was stuck in the middle of a waterway by picking her up and kayaking her to shore before releasing her fishing wire entangled wing 'Fishing line entangled around a wing was preventing it from getting airborne and flying away which could have been disastrous,' Mr Goonan said in a post on Facebook. The Wild Bird Rescues Gold Coast founder had to think quick to help the terrified pelican. He told the Gold Coast Bulletin he asked to borrow a kayak from a stranger to rescue the bird. 'I managed to get on the kayak, quietly moved in and grabbed the fishing float. Then I pulled her gently towards me,' he told the publication. Mr Goonan kayaked 500m with the pelican before removing the fishing line which was caught under her wing and set her free. Mr Goonan's friend Mandy (pictured) had held the pelican's beak back while he untangled the fishing line from her wing He said his friend Mandy had held her beak while he untangled the fishing line. Mr Goonan said the pelican suffered from some minor chafing on her wing but she was well and free to fly. 'Just going for a paddle with my peli!' he said on Facebook, accompanied by a photo of him and the rescued pelican. He also sent a stern warning out to other fisherman. 'Never, ever set a fishing line and leave it unattended,' he said. (Pictured) Mr Goonan releases the female pelican back into the water after removing the entangled fishing line from her wing 'Just going for a paddle with my peli!' Mr Goonan said on Facebook, accompanied by a photo of him and the rescued pelican Mr Goonan picked up the pelican and put it on his kayak, paddling to shore where he removed the fishing wire and later releasing the bird back into the water. People have taken to social media praising Mr Goonan for saving the pelican's life. 'There can be no doubt this man is a living legend to all the bird life on the Gold Coast, keep up the great work mate,' one man said. 'Well done ... a true wildlife warrior,' another said. Mr Goonan's good Samaritan act comes just a week after a lifeguard rescued a Port Jackson shark that washed up on Sydney beach. The lifeguard picked up the shark and put him on his board before paddling him about 300m to the open ocean. British restaurants have been urged to remove avocados from their menus because profits from the superfood could be funding Mexican drug cartels. Drug bosses have seized control of farms and orchards where the fruit is grown following a spate of violence in Michoacan, west Mexico. It is estimated one of the area's most prominent cartels, Knights Templar, earns more than 150million a year by selling these 'blood avocados' to British buyers. Scroll down for video Drug bosses have seized control of avocado farms and orchards following a spate of violence in Michoacan, west Mexico This is makes the fruit far more profitable then marijuana, the Sunday Express reported. Last week, a Michelin-starred chef pleaded with the public to stop eating what he called 'blood diamonds of Mexico'. JP McMahon, who owns restaurants Aniar and Tartare, told the Irish Independent that food outlets 'should stop serving them'. He said: 'Change won't happen unless consumers avoid them. We don't use any in our restaurants. There are plenty of alternatives. 'I don't use them because of the impact they have on the countries that they are coming from - deforestation in Chile, violence in Mexico. For me, they are akin to battery chickens.' The Wild Strawberry cafe in Buckinghamshire, which previously served 1000 avocados per week, has also banned the savoury fruit. Last week, Michelin-starred chef JP McMahon pleaded with the public to stop eating what he called 'blood diamonds of Mexico' In an Instagram post last week, cafe owner Katy Brill confirmed she will no longer sell avocados because they damage the environment and enrich criminal cartels. She said: 'The Western World's obsession with avocado has been placing unprecedented demand on avocado farmers, pushing up prices to the point where there are even reports of Mexican drug cartels controlling lucrative exports.' The post also said 'extensive farming' of the fruit was adding to greenhouse emissions and placing pressure on local water supplies. Ms Brill, whose 8.50 avocado on toast dish was her most popular, has now replaced the fruit with sauteed garlic mushrooms. The self-imposed ban wasn't welcome news to everyone, with television Kirstie Allsopp tweeting 'WTF!' The Wildflower vegetarian restaurant in Peckham, London has also joined the ban. Chef Joseph Ryan said he was disturbed by reports of killings after Mexican gangsters got involved in the lucrative trade. Mr Ryan said: 'To be honest, I also think we might just be entering a post-avocado era.' But these calls for a British avocado ban haven't been warmly received by everyone. Television presenter Kirstie Allsopp tweeted: 'WTF! I'm expected to give up avocados, but no one dares say it might be a good idea to give up drugs!' Another Twitter user called for Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey Dooley to investigate the connection Another user, Sean, said: 'My first thought on the avocados thing was "Well, how bad are drug cartels really?"' A third called for Strictly Come Dancing star Stacey Dooley to investigate the fruit's connection with Mexican drug cartels. The governor of Michoacan, Silvano Aureoles Conejo, has promised more state and federal troops will be dispatched to try and stamp out turf wars over avocado production. Michoacan, where avocados are known locally as 'green gold', is the world's top producer of the food - with hot weather and volcanic soil providing the ideal climate for growth. A female police officer has taken her own life inside the Australian Federal Police's headquarters, the second to do so in less than two months. Sergeant Samantha Baglin, 44, is believed to have served about 15 years within the AFP in various roles before she was found dead in the organisation's Edmund Barton Building in Canberra on Sunday. Her passing comes only six weeks after another senior officer took his own life inside the headquarters, which is the fourth suicide in less than two years. Sergeant Samantha Baglin, 44, is believed to have served about 15 years within the AFP in various roles before she was found dead in the organisation's Edmund Barton Building in Canberra on Sunday A female officer in the Australian Federal Police has taken her own life (stock image) A spokesperson for the AFP confirmed that a female officer 'appears to have taken her own life', with a report for the Coroner currently being compiled. She was a mother and an experienced member of the AFP, The Canberra Times reports. A source from within the AFP told News.com.au she had been seeking professional help but was 'let down by the organisation', while another said: 'It's happened again.' Another source told the publication the officer was 'only young'. Her death comes exactly six weeks after Superintendent Richard Roberts went to work in the Edmund Barton Building and was found dead inside. His death was treated as a suicide. At the time, Commissioner Andrew Colvin sent a nation-wide email and video memo to Supt. Roberts' colleagues, informing them of his death. He is expected to have to repeat the process in the next day. A further two members took their own lives at the Melbourne office in 2017. The young woman's death at the AFP's Canberra headquarters (pictured) marks the second death there in the last six weeks AFP officer Malcolm Scott (pictured) died at AFP's Melbourne headquarters last November Other sources within the AFP said the young woman was involved in the organisation's Safe Place reform - an initiative Commissioner Colvin had been fronting amid speculations of bullying. A Federal Parliament committee launched an inquiry into the high rate of suicide deaths and mental health conditions of those working in emergency services in March this year. Its findings are due to be released in early 2019. Two months later, the AFP released a five-year Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which contained an action plan to address concerns raised by the Australian National Audit Office. The plan includes making access to support easier and clarity in health frameworks. For confidential 24/7 support, call Lifeline on 131 114 or beyondblue 1300 224 636 A group of Icelandic MPs were secretly recorded using sexist and obscene language about female colleagues. The six MPs, including former prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, decided to go out drinking rather than listen to a debate on the budget. They spent three hours at the bar called Klaustur in Reykjavik, and a person nearby recorded their conversation. Culture minister Lilija Dogg Alfredsdottir (pictured) called for the resignation of the MPs involved in the incident The MPs were heard rating female colleagues on how 'f***able' or 'non-f****able', they were also heard describing female ministers as 'clapped-out bags.' Former foreign minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson, who is known for being a champion of women's rights, is heard laughing at domestic abuse allegations levelled against a former MP and mocking someone else for coming forward as part of the #MeToo campaign. The political career of another woman is also questioned because she is 'not as hot this year.' Culture minister Lilija Dogg Alfredsdottir is also targeted, with one of the men saying 'she plays with men, as women do.' Freyja Haraldsdottir, who is disabled, was also spoken about and called an 'island'- with the reference a possible jibe at her wheelchair that allows her to lie flat. The six MPs, including former prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson (pictured), decided to go out drinking rather than listen to a debate on the budget The recording has caused uproar in Iceland, a country that has a female prime minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, and has topped World Economic Forum's index for gender equality for several years. Haraldsdottir, received an apology from Gunnlaugsson, but told The New York Times, that without action, it was an empty gesture. She said: 'The MPs don't consider what they did a violation, '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 everyone's 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.' Alfresdottir has also called for the resignation of the MPs last week, she said: 'I experience this as violence...they are thugs.' Kelly Ineson and Thomas Cummins have warned other families about the dangers of the cold sore virus after their daughter Kiara died when she was just 14 days old A heartbroken couple have warned others about the dangers of kissing newborn babies after their daughter died at only 14 days old. Kelly Ineson, 30, and fiance Thomas Cummins, 26, were told their little girl Kiara most likely caught the herpes simplex virus from a visitor when she became sick just ten days after she was born. Little Kiara was placed in an induced coma but doctors told her devastated parents that if she did pull through she'd probably be badly brain damaged. The mother, who has three other children, has now shared her story in a hope to warn other parents about the virus and avoid another baby getting sick. She told the Daily Star: 'We were always so careful, not letting anyone near her if they seemed poorly or hadn't washed their hands. 'I never in my worst nightmares imagined a kiss could kill my baby, and I don't want any other parents to go through this.' When Kiara became sick Kelly and Thomas were told their daughter had most likely contracted the virus through someone kissing her. Doctors said Kiara most likely caught the herpes simplex virus from a well-wishing visitor Herpes in babies is caused by the herpes simplex virus which is highly contagious and can cause and spread via cold sores in adults. The virus can be very serious for a young baby, whose immune system hasn't fully developed to fight off the virus. Sometimes neonatal herpes will only affect the baby's eyes, mouth or skin. In these cases, most babies will make a complete recovery with treatment. Kiara became sick when she was 10 days old and died in hospital only four days later But the condition is much more serious if it's spread to the organs. NHS England says nearly a third of infants with this type of neonatal herpes will die, even after they have been treated. Marian Nicholson, director of the Herpes Viruses Association, told the Daily Star: 'Please don't kiss other people's babies. 'You might be one of the people who has cold sores that are so mild you haven't noticed them, yet your mild infection could be transferred to a new baby.' In October Abigail Friend, 19, from Oakland, Maryland, revealed her heartbreak after her daughter Aliza Rose died at just eight days old after developing neonatal herpes. Ms Friend said Aliza was healthy for the first 36 hours of her life before she developed a fever, became lethargic and lost interest in food. She then quickly deteriorated as the disease 'ate her lungs and brain', leaving her struggling to breathe and suffering seizures. The young mother urged people in a Facebook post to: 'WASH YOUR HANDS. DO NOT KISS BABIES.' An investigation into lead corrupting water supplies in Australia has confirmed that public drinking fountains contain traces of the potentially poisonous element. The University of Western Australia study tested samples from 23 public water fountains across Perth in Kings Park, Swanbourne and Cottesloe. Several of the samples provided alarming results and were well below national standards. A fountain located directly next to a children's playground in North Cottesloe proved to be the worst of the samples. The coordinator of the study, Professor Anas Ghadouani, said the concentration of lead in that particular drinking fountain was double the maximum threshold that the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines set out, PerthNow reported. An investigation into lead corrupting water supplies in Australia has confirmed that public drinking fountains contain traces of the potentially poisonous element (stock image) Public drinking fountains carry some risk according to the guidance statement because in some cases water could have been sitting in the piping stagnant for an extended time (stock image) 'All other tested sites, while below the ADWG, still had detectable levels of around 2 to 3 parts per billion (ppb) with a handful exceeding 5ppb,' he said. As much as 4.5 per cent lead is allowed in Australian fittings currently, compared to just 0.25 per cent in the US and Canada. The findings have expedited the need for a broader examination of water quality. 'This is telling us that we should continue... There are hot spots out there of lead contamination that are just waiting to be discovered. This is serious,' Prof Ghadouani said. The revelation comes after an urgent lead poisoning warning was issued by the Department of Health in July, with infants said to be the most at risk from contaminated tap water. Australian taps are allowed to contain 18 times more lead than those in the US but the cost of replacing them could cost householders billions (stock image) The worst offender came from a fountain located directly next to a children's playground in North Cottesloe (stock image) The World Health Organisation has warned even low levels of lead poisoning can lead to serious neurological damage, particularly in children. The government has urged Australians to run their cold water taps for 30 seconds or more before drinking to help avoid as part of a new 'guidance statement'. Official advice has, however, recommended the amount of lead in standard Australian plumbing products be changed to fit international norms. The risk of poisoning, according to the report by enHealth, will vary 'depending on the amount of water consumed.' The World Health Organisation has warned even low levels of lead poisoning can lead to serious neurological damage, particularly in children, and the government is now urging Australians to run their taps for 30 seconds or more before drinking (stock image) Tap water is considered lead-free by most Australians because health regulations require routine monitoring of lead levels in the water. But the guidance statement says that lead is still used to manufacture plumbing products - including the the brass fittings used for taps. 'These products are widely used in drinking water systems in homes, buildings and associated water supply points, such as drinking water fountains.' The risks were mostly with older homes because lead-based solder is no longer permitted to be used by licensed plumbers in Australia. LEAD POISONING IN INFANTS Children younger than six years old are most at risk from developing lead poisoning, with the most extreme cases proving fatal. Mental and physical development can be stunted as a result of lead poisoning, with even small amounts of lead causing complications. While it can be difficult to spot the early signs of lead poisoning, parents should be aware of these symptoms: Developmental delay, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, sluggishness and fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, hearing loss, seizures and eating things, such as paint chips, that aren't food Source: The Mayo Clinic Advertisement Lead dissolves into water from some brass plumbing fittings 'particularly where water has been sitting in contact with these brass plumbing products for long periods'. 'Hot water systems may result in more dissolved metals in water, including lead, compared with cold water systems,' the statement said. 'Rainwater systems may also dissolve more metals from plumbing products. The slight acidity of rainwater can make rainwater corrosive to plumbing.' enHealth is supporting all efforts to reduce the risks of lead poisoning by encouraging the updating of plumbing products - which is being overseen by plumbing regulatory agencies, the statement said. Householders are warned lead dissolves into water from some brass plumbing fittings 'particularly where water has been sitting in contact with these brass plumbing products for long periods' (stock image) Public drinking fountains were also mentioned as a possible risk according to the guidance statement because in some cases water could have been sitting in the piping stagnant for an extended time and residents are advised to flush the water. 'It is therefore good practice to flush the public drinking water fountains and publicly accessible taps for about 30 seconds to draw fresh water to the outlet,' the statement said. Property owners and building managers are also advised that they are responsible for knowing the condition of the plumbing in their properties. 'Best practice measures should be adopted to maintain the quality of water, including a regular flushing regime to remove stagnant water and the progressive replacement of lead-containing plumbing products,' the statement said. There is no need for households to have their water tested for lead. Former prime minister Tony Blair attempted to keep details of his high paying advisory post secret from the public after he left Downing Street, it has emerged. The ex Labour leader wrote to government officials suggesting they treat contracts involving him and his firm with 'confidentiality' a year after leaving Downing Street. Consultancy firm Tony Blair Associates (TBA) had major clients including international companies and foreign officials when it wrote to the government, The Telegraph reports. However, according to the ministerial code the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA) should be informed of all roles for two years after leaving. It is then common practice to publish details of the firms former ministers are working with on its website. Mr Blair, it has emerged, asked this was not the case for him. ACOBA was forced to hand over documents to the newspaper after spending 10,000 resisting a Freedom of Information request. Tony Blair requested details over his multi-million pound deals were not made public via the government The investigation by The Telegraph centres of what exactly Mr Blair was told he could and could not do in terms of publishing how he was making millions advising in the Gulf. Mr Blair maintains he always followed advice given by ACOBA. But Mr Blair, the papers show, claimed his being named would 'attract unnecessary attention' if contracts were struck between the government and his clients. In 2008, Mr Blair told the committee he was setting up TBA as an advisory committee and named JP Morgan Chase and Zurich Financial Services among his clients. He requested in a string of letters his activities were not detailed. Mr Blair wrote in a letter: 'I am writing to ask that TBA be permitted to maintain confidentiality with respect to its clients rather than report each individual commission it is offered to you for advice and subsequent publication. 'Many of the individuals, governments and entities that TBA will serve, operate in competitive environments where disclosure of projects, plans and affiliations can have adverse commercial or political consequences, and they simply will not wish to have even the fact of a relationship with a consulting entity made public.' There has long been interest in Mr Blair's activities after he left Number 10 in 2007. In 2007 he took a role as Middle East peace envoy, to work as the special representative of the Quartet of international powers (US, EU, Russia and the UN) seeking a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Campaigners have accused Mr Blair of cashing in on deals struck while in office - something the former PM denies. The latest correspondence shows the former leader was granted a degree of privacy, which will likely anger his opponents. TBA requests it was listed as giving 'strategic advice' and said it was attempting to avoid press attention. The letters would appear to suggest Mr Blair's calls for secrecy were heard. Much of his work was revealed through newspaper investigations and not declarations. In February 2009, ACOBA published a note on its website about the work of TBA but it was not detailed. His work with Mubadala, the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi, and governments including Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates during the two year time frame were not disclosed via ACOBA. ACOBA even assured the former PM their notification would not 'attract unnecessary attention' after even seeking advice on his office's preference for wording. Mr Blair had high value contracts which were not fully disclosed via the government's committee on business appointments Mr Blair has always denied any conflict of interest. Mr Blair's spokeswoman said: 'Mr Blair acted in accordance with the ACOBA guidelines at all times. As this correspondence shows, his office was in regular contact with the committee, sought their advice and followed it. 'There was absolutely no conflict between the commercial activities of TBA and his work as Quartet representative. No consultancy touched on that work in any way at all. 'Mr Blair wound down Tony Blair Associates in 2016 and donated the substantial reserves, amounting to several million pounds, to his not for profit Institute.' ACOBA has been asked to comment. France's Foreign Minister has urged Donald Trump not to interfere in French politics after the US president posted tweets about the protests rocking the country and attacked the Paris climate agreement. 'We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated,' Jean-Yves Le Drian told LCI television. 'I say this to Donald Trump and the French president says it too: leave our nation be.' Trump had on Saturday posted two tweets referring to the 'yellow vest' anti-government protests that have swept France since mid-November and sparked rioting in Paris. Scroll down for video France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian (pictured) urged Donald Trump not to interfere in French politics A car burns during clashes with police at a demonstration of the 'yellow vests' movement in Marseille, France, on Saturday 'Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?' he suggested. Trump had earlier posted: 'The Paris Agreement isn't working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. 'People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting 'We Want Trump!' Love France.' The protests in France are not directly linked to the Paris climate agreement which was signed in 2015 and has since been abandoned by Trump, to the dismay of French President Emmanuel Macron and other Western leaders. Spurred by rising fuel prices - in part due to tax hikes aimed at helping France shift to a lower-carbon economy - the 'yellow vest' protests have grown into a broad movement against Macron's policies and governing style. Donald Trump (pictured) posted two tweets referring to the 'yellow vest' anti-government protests that have swept France since mid-November and sparked rioting in Paris Donald Trump falsely claimed that French protesters were chanting his name in a tweet Earlier this week, Trump retweeted one of several posts falsely claiming that French protesters were chanting his name. The videos that have been used to support this claim were in fact filmed at a far-right protest in London earlier this year. Other French politicians have also responded angrily to Trump's latest tweets, including a lawmaker from Macron's party who dubbed the US leader 'Donald the Senile'. 'DON'T INSULT MY COUNTRY DOTARD,' Joachim Son-Forget posted, employing an antiquated insult previously used against Trump by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Meanwhile, calls mounted Sunday for Macron to bring an end to the crisis gripping France as authorities in Paris and elsewhere counted the cost of another day of violent protests and looting. Authorities said the anti-Macron riots in Paris had been less violent than a week ago, with fewer injured - but city hall said the physical damage was far worse as the protests were spread out across the capital. President Emmanuel Macron is to deliver an apologetic address on television and announce further tax cuts on Sunday A man with a sign reading 'Macron resign' waves a French flag during a protest against rising oil prices and living costs at the highway's toll of La Barque, near Marseille on Sunday Protesters get some rest near an inscription reading 'Macron Hara Kiri' during a demonstration in Paris on Saturday Burned-out cars dotted the streets in several neighbourhoods on Sunday morning as cleaners swept up the broken glass from smashed shop windows and bus stops. 'There was much more dispersion, so many more places were impacted,' Paris deputy mayor Emmanuel Gregoire told France Inter radio. 'There was much more damage yesterday than there was a week ago.' The southwestern city of Bordeaux was also badly hit by rioting during a fourth successive weekend of nationwide 'yellow vest' protests. What began as demonstrations against fuel tax hikes have ballooned into a mass movement over rising living costs and accusations that Macron, an ex-banker, only looks out for the rich. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said the unrest was creating a 'catastrophe' for the French economy, with nationwide roadblocks playing havoc with the traffic and putting off tourists from visiting Paris. Parts of the city were on lockdown Saturday, with department stores shut to avoid looting along with museums and monuments including the Eiffel Tower. A car burns during a protest of 'yellow vests' protests against rising costs of living near Paris City Hall on Saturday 'It's a catastrophe for commerce, it's a catastrophe for our economy,' Le Maire told reporters as he visited shops in Paris hit by looting. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux vowed that Macron's centrist administration would find solutions that took into account protesters' different grievances. Overwhelmingly made up of people from rural and small-town France, the movement nonetheless includes protesters of various political stripes whose goals range from lower taxes to Macron's resignation. 'We need to find solutions that take account of each person's reality,' Griveaux told Europe 1 radio. 'It is anger that is difficult to understand from an office in Paris,' he acknowledged. The protests have shown little sign of easing since they began on November 17. The interior ministry said 136,000 people had taken part nationwide in Saturday's protests, which turned violent in several other cities including Marseille and Toulouse. In Paris, around 10,000 'yellow vests' flocked to the Champs-Elysees and other areas - 2,000 more than joined the action last week, as many headed in from the provinces for the first time. Graffiti is seen on a vandalised Starbucks coffee shop with broken store front windows the day after clashes in Paris Nationwide, more than 1,700 people were detained - over 1,000 of them in Paris as police vowed 'zero tolerance' for anarchists, far-right supporters and others seeking to cause trouble. More than 500 people were still in custody in Paris by Sunday morning, officials said. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe had congratulated police on the security operation, which mobilised 8,000 officers and saw armoured vehicles deployed in Paris for the first time. Thibault de Montbrial, head of the CRSI security think tank, tweeted that authorities had managed to contain the hooligans who have repeatedly hijacked the protests to go on a looting and rioting spree. But he added: 'The state cannot mobilise such forces every Saturday, and neither can shopkeepers barricade themselves in faced with violence which is not diminishing. 'This is a decisive political moment.' The embattled president - whose name rang out across the Champs-Elysees as protesters shouted 'Macron, resign' - is expected to address the demonstrations in a much-anticipated speech in the coming days. The crisis facing a leader who had been hailed internationally as a youthful defender of liberal values is being closely watched abroad. Burnt motorbikes are seen in the middle of a street in Paris on the sidelines of a demonstration that turned violent on Saturday Spain's El Pais newspaper said it was the first time the 40-year-old was 'hesitating, giving the impression that he does not know what to do'. Macron has already offered protesters a string of concessions, including scrapping further rises in fuel taxes - a major climbdown for a president who had vowed not to be swayed, like his predecessors, by mass protests. So far he has refused to back down on another policy hated by the 'yellow vests': his decision to scrap a 'fortune tax' on the wealthiest. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen - who is backed by some protesters from 'forgotten' provincial France, but by no means all - called for Macron to 'recognise society's suffering and deliver immediate, very strong responses'. And the movement has spread beyond France's borders, with around 400 arrested at a 'yellow vest' event in Brussels on Saturday and peaceful demonstrations taking place in Dutch towns. In France, authorities have also launched an investigation into social media activity from accounts allegedly drumming up support for the protests, sources told AFP. According to Britain's Times newspaper, hundreds of online accounts linked to Russia were used to stoke the demonstrations. Citing analysis by New Knowledge, a cybersecurity company, the Times said the accounts spread disinformation and used pictures of injured protesters from other events to enhance a narrative of brutality by French authorities. Senior Cabinet ministers have held talks with Labour MPs over holding a second Brexit referendum as the PM is braced for a bloody defeat on her deal. Theresa May's de facto deputy David Lidington and the Justice Secretary David Gauke have been holding the secret discussions with opposition MPs. They have discussed holding another vote - less than three years after the historic referendum - if Mrs May's deal is rejected by the Commons on Tuesday night. And the they have also discussed options for a Norway-style deal, which would effectively keep the UK in the single market and customs union, and keep free movement. The revelations, reported in The Sunday Times, will spark fury among Eurosceptics who have warned of a plot by Remainer MPs to thwart Brexit. It comes as Westminster is thick with plots ahead of what is set to be one of the most momentous weeks in politics as MPs will vote on the deal. And Mrs May was facing a fresh onslaught, with Brexiteers Boris Johnson, Esther McVey and Dominic Raab all touring the TV studios to urge her to tear up her plan. And facing what looks set to be a massive and humiliating defeat, Mrs May is considering delaying the crunch vote, due on Tuesday, and heading back to Brussels to squeeze some extra concessions out of the EU. She is being urged to emulate Margaret Thatcher and have a 'handbag moment'. Campaigners for a second referendum also tried to turn the screw on the PM by holding a mass rally today, despite warnings a second referendum could spark Paris-style riots. Cabinet Office minister David Lidington (pictured left) and Justice Secretary David Gauke (pictured right) have been holding the secret discussions with opposition MPs The Prime Minister (pictured visiting a church in Maidenhead today) mounted a last-ditch bid to win over her mutinous backbenchers after over 100 Tory MPs threatened to rebel in the crunch vote on her deal It comes Westminster is thick with plots and leadership speculation as Mrs May's premiership hangs by a thread. The PM is staring down the barrel of a massive defeat, with over 100 Tories declaring they will not back her deal. The Tory MPs who could join forces to take a shot at the leadership if May is ousted: Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd Dubbed the 'bamba couple', they could form a unity ticket to try to unite the Tory Party in the wake of the bitter Brexit civil war. Boris Johnson is a leading Brexiteer while Amber Rudd was a vocal Remainer. Jacob Rees-Mogg has backed the duo. But the pairing would seem unlikely as they have repeatedly clashed. Ms Rudd once memorably said of Mr Johnson: 'He is not the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening'. Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt Home Secretary Sajid Javid could team up with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt - to create the 'shunt' duo. Both men have been tipped for the top job by fellow Cabinet minister Liz Truss. Mr Javid has been canvassing MPs for support. A source said: Sajid does not think she will have to go next week, but is preparing for the possibility she might be forced to. Dominic Raab and David Davis Former Brexit Secretaries - and close allies - Dominic Raab and David Davis could team up to become the 'Daab' couple. The duo are said to be locked in talks as to who should be the 'senior man' on the ticket. Both true believers in Brexit, they would prove popular with the Tory Party's powerful Eurosceptic faction. Advertisement With the PM's plans plunged into turmoil, civil servants have war-gamed two versions of the UK holding another referendum. The first is a straight choice between the PM's deal and remaining in the EU. And the second would be a leave, remain contest with a second question asking them if they prefer the existing deal or a no-deal departure on World Trade Organisation terms. Meanwhile, defence minster Tobias Ellwood today hinted that he could back a second referendum in the future. He said: 'If parliament does not agree a Brexit deal soon, then we must recognise that the original mandate to leave, taken over two years ago, will begin to date and will, eventually, no longer represent a reflection of current intent.' One cabinet minister told The Observer that the PM was so committed to the deal that 'a second referendum could now be the only way of getting it'. The revelations come a day after Amber Rudd said ministers could back a Norway-style deal if Mrs May's plan is voted down this week. The Secretary for Work and Pensions became the first Cabinet minister to publicly discuss the merits of a 'Plan B' if Mrs May deal is defeated in Tuesday's crunch Commons vote. She said should the deal be voted down, she would prefer a so-called Norway-plus model for Brexit that would involve staying part of the European Economic Area. Mrs May has repeatedly refused to say what her 'Plan B' is if her deal is rejected by the Commons this week. But with just 48 hours until the crunch vote - which the PM is expected to lose by a massive margin - her ministers are breaking cover to fill the void themselves. While Mrs May is considering delaying the vote and heading back to Brussels to have a 'handbag moment' and squeeze more concessions out of the EU. One senior cabinet minister told The Sunday Times: 'People in No 10 think she needs to have a 'handbag moment' where she says: 'Up with this I will not put.' Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay today insisted the vote will go ahead on Tuesday, but Mrs May is expected to make a final decision tomorrow on whether she will push it back. Boris declares Britain can do much better than May's deal as he refuses to rule out leadership bid Boris Johnson today said he feels a deep sense of 'personal responsibility' for Brexit as he predicted Theresa May will lose her vote on the deal by a big margin this week. The ex Foreign Secretary became visibly shaken as he was quizzed about the Brexit turmoil, and said he believed Britain can do 'much, much better' than the PM's deal. He also predicted that Mrs May will suffer a big defeat in the crunch vote on her deal which will give her a 'powerful' mandate to renegotiate. And he refused to rule himself out for the Tory leadership as he lashed the PM's Brexit 'betrayal'. Mr Johnson said she must scrap the hated Irish backstop plan and refuse to hand over half of the 39billion divorce deal until the UK gets a free trade deal. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show today, 'Don't underestimate the deep sense of personal responsibility I feel for Brexit and for everything that has happened. 'Do not underestimate how much I care about this because this is fundamental to our country.' He added: 'And it absolutely breaks my heart to think that after all that we fought for, all that we campaigned for, all that [Brexit Secretary] Steve Barclay campaigned for, all that everybody believes in, that we should consign ourselves to a future in which the EU effectively rules us in many many respects and yet we have no say around that table in Brussels. 'That is an absurdity. We cannot go down that route. And unfortunately the current backstop arrangements commit us to those arrangements. 'We have to change it. We can have a withdrawal agreement that does not contain the backstop. We can do much much better than this.' Advertisement The PM desperately scrambled to try to pick off Tory rebels by warning them they could be handing the keys of No10 to Jeremy Corbyn if they reject her deal. Mrs May said Britain 'would truly be in uncharted waters' if the deal is voted down. She said: 'It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit. 'We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a General Election, no matter what the cost to the country I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take.' Her appeal is part of a massive Brexit PR blitz she has undertaken over the past fortnight as she urges her warring MPs to put the national interest first and back her deal. But with just two days to go until the vote on her plan, the word look to have failed to win over her Tory rebels, whose number grow bigger by the day. Last night Tory MP Will Quince became the latest Conservative to quit his post so he could speak out against the deal. The Colchester MP resigned as a parliamentary aide to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. And Mr Johnson launched a fresh broadside against her deal - branding it a betrayal. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr show today, 'Don't underestimate the deep sense of personal responsibility I feel for Brexit and for everything that has happened. 'Do not underestimate how much I care about this because this is fundamental to our country.' He added: 'And it absolutely breaks my heart to think that after all that we fought for, all that we campaigned for, all that [Brexit Secretary] Steve Barclay campaigned for, all that everybody believes in, that we should consign ourselves to a future in which the EU effectively rules us in many many respects and yet we have no say around that table in Brussels. 'That is an absurdity. We cannot go down that route. 'And unfortunately the current backstop arrangements commit us to those arrangements. 'We have to change it. We can have a withdrawal agreement that does not contain the backstop. We can do much much better than this.' Brexiteers and Remainers have both lashed the Irish backstop part of the PM's Brexit plan. The backstop would keep the UK tied to the EU's customs union if no trade deal can be done in time to keep the Irish border soft. While extra single market checks would have to be carrier out in Northern Ireland. The DUP - who have just 10 MPs but wield a huge amount of power in Parliament because they are propping the Tories up in No10 - have warned it crosses their 'blood red line' and threatened to pull support for the PM over it. Esther McVey says she would consider running for Tory leader Esther McVey (pictured on Sky today) today said that she would consider running for the Tory Party leadership if Theresa May is ousted over the Brexit chaos Esther McVey today said that she would consider running for the Tory Party leadership if Theresa May is ousted over the Brexit chaos. Leading Conservatives are jostling to line themselves up for the top job, with Sajid Javid, Boris Johnson among those eyeing up the leadership. And throwing her name into the mix, Ms McVey said she would think about taking a run at the job if she was urged to by allies. Ms McVey, who left the government on the brink of collapse when she quit the Cabinet last month in fury at the Brexit plan, also said she could only support the PM if she tears up her deal and renegotiates. Quizzed about the leadership on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, Ms McVey said: 'If people asked me then of course you'd give it serious consideration, and do it, if people asked me.' Advertisement Their Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said his party is 'determined' to defeat the Government over the Brexit deal. He told Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'Clearly if this is defeated or if the Withdrawal Agreement changed in a way that is satisfactory, then clearly those issues don't arise as far as any vote of no confidence in the Government is concerned.' He dismissed the PM's warnings that voting her deal down could result in Mr Corbyn moving into Downing Street. He said: 'I don't think anyone realistically believes that. 'This is a scare story being put out by Theresa May because under the terms of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act everybody knows, even people in the Labour Party know, that's unlikely unless this deal were to go through. 'I think then clearly Theresa May would be in difficulty in terms of the parliamentary arithmetic.' Meanwhile, former Brexit Secretary Mr Raab said Brussels recognised the need to time-limit the Irish border backstop before officials took negotiations in 'another direction'. He said Michel Barnier, the European Union's chief negotiator, told him he understood the backstop 'needs to be short' after being challenged over making it finite. Mr Raab said he told Mrs May the UK should have 'stood firm', and said Britain should have 'pressed harder' in the talks. He said: 'You could see this backstop issue coming down the line. It was obvious. It wasn't a shock or a surprise. 'I made clear that it had to be time-limited and finite, and Michel Barnier, at one point in one of our meetings, said "I understand it needs to be short". 'But I'm afraid after that the technical track for the negotiations took it in another direction and I was very clear with the Prime Minister that we should of stood firm at that point, and that was back in July. 'Now I'm not suggesting it's easy to go back. You lose moments in negotiations and you can't just claw them back. Shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan appeared on stage to address a crowd of thousands to declare her support for the so-called People's Vote (pictured at the rally today) 'What I am suggesting is that there is probably more flexibility than is being suggested and actually we should have taken a robust line back then and we certainly should be taking one now.' Meanwhile, Remainers were also piling pressure on the PM as they held a 4,000-strong rally to demand another Brexit vote. Shadow sports minister Rosena Allin-Khan appeared on stage to declare her support for the so-called People's Vote for the first time. But she risks sparking the fury of Mr Corbyn, who has said Labour wants a General Election, and that a second referendum is only one of the options 'on the table'. The Labour leader is facing mounting pressure from his own MPs to back another referendum. But Mr Corbyn and his closest allies are hugely resistant to the move, fearing it would lose them crucial votes in the Leave-backing north and could cost them the next election. Speaking at the Excel Centre in east London today, Dr Allin-Khan said: 'I launched a local Brexit Poll, asking people to give me their views on the Brexit deal and today, I published the results - 90 per cent of local people want a People's Vote. 'Parliament has a decision to make in the next few days which will alter the course of history for the UK, for us and for our children. 'The current Government is run on confidence and supply, but let's be straight confidence is in very short supply. 'Let's end the economic uncertainty, let's end the fear mongering - and let's have a campaign on the facts. 'If calls for a General Election are rejected - I'll be backing a People's Vote.' By Trend There is a serious need for state regulation of the appraisers' activities in Azerbaijan, Vugar Oruj, director of the assessment company Koneko Group and deputy chairman of the Society of Appraisers of Azerbaijan, told Trend. "Inexperienced appraisal companies damage the country's banking system. I believe there is a serious need for legal regulation in this area. The Society of Appraisers intends to work in this direction," Oruj said. He added that the wrong choice of the appraisal companies by banks and citizens played a huge role in the current problem loans. "In order to prevent unfair competition, we have created a registry of companies and specialists in this field," Oruj said. Orujov stressed that in Azerbaijan it is possible to encounter such assessment reports where international standards, procedures are not observed and serious mistakes are made. "Despite that these companies do not have any experience or certificate in this area, they succeed in attracting customers as a result of support from certain structures," Oruj added. He stressed that the Society of Appraisers needs state support. Advertisement Britain's unlikeliest tourist destination has been given a festive makeover - and it even had a ceremonial switching on of its new Christmas lights. The plastic covered tunnel linking a Sainsbury's store in Bude, Cornwall, to its car park has been thrilling visitors this year after unexpectedly topping TripAdvisor's list of things to do in the seaside town. It's racked up hundreds of comments with the majority of reviewers rating the 230-foot car park tunnel as 'excellent'. The plastic covered tunnel linking a Sainsbury's store in Bude, Cornwall, to its car park has unveiled its very own festive display The tunnel has been thrilling visitors this year after unexpectedly topping TripAdvisor's list of things to do in the seaside town The walkway has now been decked out with nearly 30,000 pixels of light and more than 6.5 miles of cabling - making it one of the longest light tunnels in Europe It has now been decorated with nearly 30,000 pixels of light and more than 6.5 miles of cabling - making it one of the longest light tunnels in Europe. To celebrate the tunnel, Sainsbury's staff went all-out with its Christmas offering - locals were treated to complimentary mince pies while being serenaded by local choirs and dance troupes. The tunnel is lit during store opening hours and will be open to visitors and shoppers until Thursday 13th December. Throughout this time, it will continue to operate as the main thoroughfare between the supermarket and the car park. Trevor Plant, 54, runs a taxi firm in Bude and also helps with the campaign to 'Light up Bude'. He said: 'Light up Bude came about around three years ago, as our town Christmas lights weren't great. Locals were treated to complimentary mince pies while being serenaded by local choirs and dance troupes at the opening Trevor Plant, 54, (pictured wearing a Bude Tunnel Christmas jumper) runs a taxi firm in the town and also helped with a campaign to 'Light up Bude' The dazzling lights slowly change colour as shoppers walk through the undercover path to the supermarket's car park 'We've run fundraising campaigns, and this year people have just donated what they want. 'I get people in my taxis asking to see the tunnel - I point it out as we go past, and some of them say "What's that - that's just a Sainsbury's?" and I say "No, that's Bude Tunnel!"' On TripAdvisor the tunnel is described as: 'The only tunnel Bude has to offer is open to the public free of charge, walk from the Sainsbury's car park to Crooklets Road completely undercover, protected from the elements whilst maintaining your view to the spectacular surroundings of Bude.' The initial review was written by a mysterious internet commenter known only as 'Barry Barnett', and was posted in late 2017 - gathering steam ever since. 'Barry', who wishes to remain anonymous, was at the festivities undercover, saying: 'The tunnel is something I have long admired, it's oddly charming. The Bude Tunnel now has hundreds of comments on Tripadvisor with the majority of rating the car park tunnel as 'excellent' The initial review was written by a mysterious internet commenter known only as 'Barry Barnett', and was posted in late 2017 'Barry', who wishes to remain anonymous, was at the festivities undercover. He said: 'The tunnel is something I have long admired, it's oddly charming' 'It has a fantastic perspective of repeating arches along its length, it's curious as it doesn't really need to exist yet it does - this is part of its charm and the reason I decided to list it on TripAdvisor. 'The lights that have been installed look amazing, they really accentuate the structure of the tunnel. 'It's great that this has happened alongside Light Up Bude, hopefully it will bring even more people to visit and be a good thing for the local community to enjoy.' Mother-of-three Kayleigh Vernon, 28, has lived in Bude for 12 years. She said: 'I think it's great, it gets people out. There have been loads of people going in and out of it all afternoon.' The front of the Bude Tunnel, which is directly next to the supermarket, is also decorated like the outside of an igloo A shopper pushes her trolley along the undercover path as the lights turn pink, yellow, and green above and around her Another pair of visitors stopped to take a brightly-coloured selfie in the festive tunnel as the lights changed to blue and red The Bude tunnel is lit during store opening hours and will be open to visitors and shoppers until Thursday 13th December Even the Mayor of Bude, Bob Willingham, was in attendance at the ceremony. He said: 'It's unbelievable, it's so impressive. It's people power, that's what it is. 'I'm so glad it's the number one attraction in Bude, Sainsbury's have really taken it on board. But the whole of Bude is unbelievable. We've got beautiful cliffs, a fantastic harbour, and a canal that's celebrating 200 years of its birth next year. 'Whether it's cold and wet or sunny, you just have to wear the right clothes. It's a wonderful place to be. Everybody's caught up in the moment, enjoying the spectacle.' Sainsbury's store manager Steve Gent added: 'We've been overwhelmed with the positive response for the Bude Tunnel. 'We're delighted to be working with the community to give it all we've got and bring the people of Bude something magical this Christmas. It'll be a shopping trip they'll never forget.' The Mayor of Bude, Bob Willingham, was in attendance at the switch-on. He said: 'It's unbelievable, it's so impressive. It's people power, that's what it is' Advertisement UKIP was left humiliated yesterday after its 'Brexit Betrayal' march organised by far-Right activist Tommy Robinson was 'vastly' outnumbered by counter-protesters. The English Defence League founder real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and Ukip supporters marched through central London before a rally in Westminster. Amid fears of violence, Scotland Yard placed restrictions on both their event and a counter-demonstration organised by Labour supporters and anti-fascists. Ukip claimed up to 10,000 supporters attended its protest against Theresa May's deal, whereas the counter-protest's organisers said they had attracted 15,000. Tommy Robinson (centre, holding a mobile phone) arrives to take part in a 'Brexit Betrayal' march and rally organised by Ukip in central London Tommy Robinson addresses the rally after taking part in a 'Brexit Betrayal' march organised by Ukip in central London With hundreds of officers in riot gear on the streets, three members of the counter-protest were arrested for a public order offence, assaulting a police officer and possession of an offensive weapon. Among the supporters of the Brexit Betrayal march were members of the British National Party and far-Right group Generation Identity. At least two placards had swastikas on them. Laura Parker, national co-ordinator of the hard-Left Labour group Momentum, said the counter-protest 'vastly' outnumbered the Brexit march. She said: 'Today is a huge blow for Tommy Robinson and his vile, hate-fuelled politics.' The decision by Ukip leader Gerard Batten to hire Mr Robinson as an adviser on rape gangs and prison reform has prompted a string of resignations from the party. Gerard Batten (right) appointed Tommy Robinson as a Ukip adviser - a decision Nigel Farage cited when outlining his reasons for leaving the party With hundreds of officers in riot gear on the streets, three members of the counter-protest were arrested for a public order offence, assaulting a police officer and possession of an offensive weapon With hundreds of officers in riot gear on the streets, three members of the counter-protest were arrested for a public order offence, assaulting a police officer and possession of an offensive weapon Among the supporters of the Brexit Betrayal march were members of the British National Party and far-Right group Generation Identity. Several placards had swastikas on them Rival protesters clash in Trafalgar Square as people take part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a 'Brexit Betrayal' Among the protesters were people waving the flag of Generation Identity (centre) - a far-right 'pan-European Identitarian Movement' Police officers push back counter-protesters in Trafalgar Square who came to disrupt the Brexit Betrayal march today Among Ukip supporters was a man who gave his name as Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage, who was carrying a gallows with a noose hanging down A man carrying a dummy Theresa May with a sign saying 'Theresa the traitor'. Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage with a noose he said was for the Prime Minister, referencing a sentence for treason from a by-gone era A man demonstrating alongside the pro-Brexit UKIP section of the supporters dons a hat popularised by US President Trump Theresa May was widely satirised as 'Treason May' among certain sections of people during the demonstrations A UKIP supporter holds a sign saying: 'Make Brexit happen, join UKIP' whilst wearing t-shirt donning the face of Donald Trump Police officers with batons at the ready force back protesters in Trafalgar Square this afternoon Police officers tackle a demonstrator to the ground as clashes break out in Trafalgar Square during protests and counter-protests Anti-fascist campaigners wave signs that say 'refugees welcome' and 'oppose Tommy Robinson' in the streets of the capital 'Make racists afraid again' is visible within a sea of anti Tommy Robinson placards among the Labour backed demonstrators Demonstrators unhappy with Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit negotiations show their disdain at the rally today Among those marching against the activists (centre) were grass roots group Momentum and Unite Against Fascism Founder and former leader of the anti-Islam English Defence League, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, AKA Tommy Robinson attends a pro-Brexit demonstration with a gash on his head, supported by swathes of pro-Brexit campaigners 'This march isn't about Brexit, it's about far-right extremists dressing up in suits and pretending to be respectable,' Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said. A sign reading 'Brexit means exit' echoes the opinions of Robinson-backed demonstrators People holding placards opposing Tommy Robinson take part in a separate protest ahead of a UKIP-backed Brexit betrayal rally. Their signs carry messages such as 'No to Islamophobia', something they think UKIP and Robinson facilitate The counter protest takes place three days before parliament is due to make the crucial vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal with the European Union Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, AKA Tommy Robinson (3rd L) smiles as he attends a pro-Brexit demonstration promoted by UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party) in central London Metropolitan Police officers marshal demonstrators during the Anti-Tommy Robinson and UKIP rally today People holding placards opposing Tommy Robinson take part in a separate, anti-fascist action, protest 'Oppose Tommy Robinson - don't let the racists divide us' adorn the placards waved by anti Tommy Robinson demonstrators The Metropolitan Police had appealed for both sides to protest peacefully, after some Robinson supporters praised rioting Some of the pro-Brexit contingent took aim at the BBC for 'Fake news' - a term popularised by right wing US President Trump Demonstrators hold flags and placards while linking arms during an Anti-Tommy Robinson rally in central London One sign among the pro-Brexit marchers reads: 'Treason May has signed over entire British defence system' Anti racism groups accused Tommy Robinson and UKIP of fascism and branded them 'Nazis' with some of their signage A woman holds up a sign throwing her weight behind the pro leave camp. 'Make Brexit happen, join UKIP' the sign reads Police officers marshal Tommy Robinson supporters away from demonstrators during the Anti-Tommy Robinson and UKIP rally A police officer controls his police horse as demonstrators march nearby during the Anti-Tommy Robinson and UKIP rally Police have heightened concerns after 'serious violence' broke out at a Robinson rally in London in June, with five officers injured when bottles and barriers were hurled at them Scotland Yard said it also imposed the conditions based on the 'current intelligence picture' The family of an Indian nurse said to be a person of interest in the death of a 24-year-old woman found dead on beach insist he is innocent. Toyah Cordingley, 24, was found dead in the dunes of Wangetti Beach, in Tropical North Queensland, nearly two months ago. Rajwinder Singh, who reportedly left behind his wife and three young children, is said to be a person of interest in her death. But Mr Singh's brother-in-law claims the father-of-three is 'not capable of murder'. He had been working as a nurse at Innisfail hospital for seven years and had a wife and three young children, including a baby, when he boarded a flight for his hometown of Amritsar in Punjab, India. The tickets were purchased on the day of Miss Cordingley's death and he flew out less than 24 hours later, The Courier Mail reported. Rajwinder Singh, who reportedly left behind his wife and three young children, is said to be a person of interest in Toyah Cordingley's death New details have emerged in the investigation of the Queensland beach murder of Toyah Cordingley (pictured) The 24-year-old was found dead in the dunes of an isolated beach Mr Singh was initially listed as a missing person, but police now have reason to believe he is in a remote village near the border of Pakistan and India. His brother-in-law Harpreet Singh said 'Raj is too quiet, too afraid,' to commit murder, but admitted he struggled to deal with dying elderly patients 'He would get mentally upset and want to get away,' Harpreet said of Rajwinder's trips to beaches north of Cairns. Mr Singh said his brother-in-law would go days at a time without making contact with his family, and had stopped speaking altogether as he became more and more isolated. A person of interest in the young woman's (pictured) murder has been reportedly said to have left the country on the day her body was discovered Police are said to be investigating mobile phone records and have information about a car at the beach at the time of the murder. Mr Singh's Innisfail home was raided four weeks ago, with police reportedly confiscating a number of personal items. Miss Cordingley's body was found in the dunes of Wangetti Beach by her distraught family nearly two months ago. In the days following the discovery of Miss Cordingley's body, colleagues noticed Mr Singh disappeared from work without an explanation. Police are hoping to link the Indian man's DNA to the beach where she was killed on Wangetti Beach (pictured) 'We can confirm the person is no longer an employee of Queensland Health,' a statement provided to The Courier Mail read. 'This matter is under police investigation and therefore we will not be making any comment.' Staff working in the same hospital as the suspect have reportedly provided statements to police about the man, his behaviour, professional record, personal details and his family history. Queensland Police have also maintained silence for the ongoing investigation, a spokesperson telling Daily Mail Australia: 'The Queensland Police Service will not be providing anything further other than the investigation is continuing'. 'Speculation surrounding elements of the investigation are not helpful and have the potential to jeopardise it.' Miss Cordingley (pictured) was found on Wangetti Beach by father Troy the morning after she died The community have rallied around Miss Cordingley's family, making more than 100 reports to Crime Stoppers while also distributing these bumper stickers to raise awareness Miss Cordingley, who was described as a 'beautiful soul' by those close to her, was murdered on October 21 in broad daylight. The pharmacy assistant was walking her dog along the secluded beach when she was attacked. Her body was found the next morning by her father Troy almost one kilometre from where her car was parked. Her dog was found alive and tightly bound to a nearby tree. The far-north Queensland community rallied around her family, making more than 100 separate reports to Crime Stoppers, who continue to appeal for information. A Danish photographer sparked outrage in Egypt after posting a picture of himself appearing to have sex with a woman atop the Great Pyramid. Andreas Hvid posted the explicit snap on his website and it was also featured in a video he posted on YouTube. It shows him and the unidentified woman in a sexual position at the top of the famous landmark. Now, authorities in Egypt are investigating after the case was referred to the prosecutor general by the minister for antiquities, state news agency Ahram Online reported. Khaled el Anany said Hvid's actions were a violation of public morality and referred the case for investigation. Andreas Hvid sparked outrage in Egypt after posting this picture of himself appearing to have sex with a woman atop the Great Pyramid The video, which was apparently taken down, was reposted on Hvid's page on Sunday. It shows Hvid and the woman climbing to the top of the 4,500-year-old pyramid and looking out over Cairo. Another clip shows the woman removing her top. In the video's description box, Hvid said he and the woman climbed the pyramid late last month. 'In late November 2018, a friend and I climbed the Great Pyramid of Giza (a.k.a. Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Cheops),' he wrote. 'Fearing to be spotted by the many guards, I did not film the several hours of sneaking around at the Giza Plateau, which lead up to the climb.' Egypt, a mostly Muslim country, regards the pyramids of Giza as among its most important monuments. File photo He also posted a link to his website, which shows the explicit picture. But it quickly attracted a backlash from commenters, who branded it disrespectful. One said: 'In my opinion, the nude stuff is very disrespectful and ignorant.' Another added: 'Total disgrace. Total disrespect for local culture.' 'On behalf of historians and archaeologists everywhere, I hope you both end up in jail,' another added. On his website, which also contains other examples of his 'nude art,' Hvid says he is 'forever in search of beautiful locations where you cannot be.' Egypt, a mostly Muslim country, regards the pyramids of Giza as among its most important monuments. Climbing them above a certain level is forbidden and the entire site is closed to the public after 5pm and patrolled by police officers. President Donald Trump began his Sunday lashing out at former FBI director James Comey and accused him of lying to House investigators. 'Leakin' James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful!,' he tweeted. The president's fury comes after Comey spent nearly seven hours on Capitol Hill Friday speaking to House investigators about the Russia probe. The released transcript shows he got in a few digs at the president during his questioning. President Trump began his Sunday with an attack on former FBI director James Comey The president accused James Comey, seen here after talking to House investigators on Friday, of lying to Congress in a pair of tweets And Trump slammed back in a pair of tweets on Sunday. 'On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didn't know, didn't recall, or couldn't remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) - didn't know who signed off and didn't know Christopher Steele. All lies!,' Trump tweeted. 'Leakin' James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed!,' he added. Trump has been on a tear about Comey over the past few days as news of Mueller investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election has garnered steam and made headlines. On Friday, prosecutors in New York recommended that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen spend between 51 and 63 months in prison for a range of federal crimes including tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws Comey on Friday met with members of the House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about the Russia probe. The 235-page transcript of his closed-door hearing was publicly released as a part of an agreement with the former FBI director. Comey used his time before the GOP-led committees to take a few shots at Trump's criticisms of the judicial system, saying 'we have become numb to lying and attacks on the rule of law by the president,' and Trump's suggestion that it should be a crime for subjects to 'flip' and cooperate with investigators. 'It's a shocking suggestion coming from any senior official, no less the president. It's a critical and legitimate part of the entire justice system in the United States,' Comey said. He also decried Republicans for bringing him back before them, calling Friday's hearing a 'desperate attempt to find anything that can be used to attack the institutions of justice investigating this president.' And he took umbrage with Trump's claim he is friends with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the the former FBI director who now leads the Russia investigation. 'I admire the heck out of the man, but I don't know his phone number, I've never been to his house, I don't know his children's names,' Comey said. 'I think I had a meal once alone with him in a restaurant. I like him. I am not a I'm an associate of his who admires him greatly. We're not friends in any social sense.' Trump went after Comey on Sunday morning He accused him of lying to Congress Trump has been on a tear about Comey over the past few days as news of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's (above) investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election has garnered steam and made headlines He added he'd 'never hugged or kissed the man' despite comments made by Trump in the past. 'A relief to my wife,' he deadpanned. He also reiterated to lawmakers that it was encounter in 2016 that Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos had with aRussian intermediary in London that ignited the Russia investigation, rather than - as Trump and some Republicans have argued - the so-called Steele dossier, a file of opposition reseach compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele and paid for by a law fim that did work for the Democratic National Committee. 'It was weeks or months later that the so-called Steele dossier came to our attention,' Comey said. He said he was not personally aware at the time that Steeles research for Fusion GPS was paid for by the law firm with ties to the Clinton campaign. He also responded 'I don't know' or 'I don't remember' in response to dozens of questions about details of the Russia investigation, Fox News reported. But he did reveal the original investigation into whether there were any ties between Trump's campaign and Russia initially focused on four Americans - and President Trump was not one of them. Comey didn't say who they were but did clarify the president was not in the mix. 'The Trump campaign was not under investigation,' he said. 'The FBI, in late July, opened counterintelligence investigations of four Americans to see if they were working in any way with the Russians to influence our elections,' Comey said. There were items his lawyers would not let him discuss. An FBI lawyer said Comey could not answer a question about the sources used by Steele, arguing the sources for the infamous dossier - which contains allegations that the president is susceptible to blackmailing by Moscow - are still relevant to the special counsel investigation. Trump has denied the allegations in the Steele memo and repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia. Republican lawmakers expressed frustration that Comey was prevented from answering questions related to Mueller's probe on the advice of a Justice Department lawyer. Comey was appearing for the interview after unsuccessfully fighting a subpoena in court. It is the first time he has answered lawmakers' questions since an explosive June 2016 hearing in which he asserted that President Trump fired him to interfere with his investigation of Russia's ties to the Trump campaign. His lawyers had fired off a brief seeking to quash the subpoena, demanding 'transparency' and arguing Republicans would selectively leak information if he were to appear behind closed doors. They argued that a closed hearing was 'abusive to witnesses.' Committee lawyers fought back at Comey's 'grandiose' arguments, saying he wanted to 'dictate the terms of his appearance by demanding a public hearing.' Comey buckled over the weekend, announcing he would appear following assurances that a full transcript would get released and he could speak about what he had testified. A mother who kidnapped her own daughter in Charleston, South Carolina after a bitter custody battle and spent two decades on the run before she was finally arrested, is speaking out about her decision to flee. In 1994 Dorothy Lee Barnett was fighting her husband Harris Todd in divorce court for custody of their daughter- then named Savanna. When the judge ultimately sided with Todd, a desperate Barnett came up with a wild plan to leave her home in the United States, and everyone she knew behind, and take her daughter with her. 'I feel the FBI and every other law enforcement agency underestimated me,' Dorothy Lee Barnett told 48 Hours. While on the run, Barnett started a diary to Savanna who would be renamed Samantha explaining to her her beginnings. 'A few months before my mom gave birth to me, she started writing a diary. ... And -- it starts off on the first page saying, ''To my dear Savanna. Someday I'll give this journal to you so that you can hopefully understand your mother.'' 'My name is Samantha Geldenhuys. I was born Savanna. But I didn't know that. Savanna Lee Barnett. 'I grew up on the Sunshine Coast ... in Australia. ...it is the most magnificent place. Lee Barnett, who would change her name to Alexandra Geldenhuys, opened up to 48 Hours about taking her daughter on the run for two decades until the law finally caught up with her In happier times: Barnett married Harris Todd. He did not want children. Trouble in their marriage started when she became pregnant Savanna Barnett would not learn the truth about her biological father or her own beginnings since being kidnapped from the United States by Barnett in 1994, until her mother's arrest in Australia in 2013 'I knew my mom as Alex my entire life... But in reality she wasn't Alex at all. 'She was Lee ... Lee Barnett. 'She's written, 'I've always loved the name Savanna. It reminds me of great beauty... it also reminds me of my home and someday it will hopefully be yours too. The endless reeds, the shrimp, the blue herons...'' Things in Barnett's marriage to Todd started falling apart when she first learned she was pregnant with her daughter, less than a year into their marriage. 'I need to tell the truth about what's happened ... something needs to be changed,' Barnett told '48 Hours,' as she revealed her version of the events that led up to her taking her baby on the run. When they first met, it started as a friendship. After five years however, the relationship had changed. 'He just professed to me that I'd made him feel different than anybody else has ever made him feel. And then one thing led to another,' said Barnett. She was an outgoing explorer, he was an introvert. She wanted children, he did not. 'I thought I was a person that was going to help him have a more normal, fun-loving life, 'cause he was so serious,' she explained. 'When Lee ... decided to get married ... I did not agree with that choice,' her close friend Patty Roth said. 'Lee wanted children. ...Harris was very clear-- to everyone that he never wanted children.' Barnett hoped she could change him. 'I don't know. I just thought that I was gonna do something and he would change. And we'd have this wonderful family ... and I just had this crazy dream that I'd make everything right,' Barnett said. 'He kept saying over and over throughout my whole pregnancy, ''There is no baby.'' Even when I was eight months pregnant. ''There is no baby. There is no baby,'' said Barnett. 'He wanted to hurt me so badly he didn't care who he took down, and that includes a little baby,' said Barnett. She contends that he never wanted children, and when she became pregnant he told her to get an abortion- a claim Todd has denied. 'I said to him, I said, 'I have a feeling I might be pregnant.' And he said, 'it's OK. Just have an abortion,'' Barnett told 48 Hours. 'I was heartbroken. ...But I still thought, ''Ah, he'll come right.'' ...Anyway, two days later, I found out I was pregnant. He was very cold and indifferent. And he remained that way.' In the coming months, one argument became so heated that Barnett flipped over a coffee table. When she woke up- Todd was gone. Pregnant and alone, Barnett says she was heartbroken. 'I just felt so abandoned. And I couldn't figure out how somebody I'd loved and known for so long could be this cruel,' Barnett said. Savanna Barnett was born in 1994 in the United States. She would be renamed Samantha Geldenhuys. Her and her mother would live on four different continents in the coming two decades A bitter divorce: Todd and Barnett's divorce would take ugly turns as he said she was cray- and had a doctor backing him up Todd would be awarded full custody of Savanna and told the court he would get her evaluated by a psychiatrist at three-years-old to determine if she had the same alleged condition as her mother He told her he wanted her out of the house, but she refused. 'I thought if I left his house, I would never, ever come back,' she said. Barnett says he started to lay the groundwork to undermine her mental stability while she was pregnant. 'He would say to me all the time, 'You're sick, you're insane,'' Barnett said. 'And he'd say... ''Look in the mirror. See your face. It's contorted. You're insane. You're insane.'' He would tell her repeatedly that she was crazy, and when, in a bid to save their marriage, she would suggest seeing a psychiatrist recommended by her mother for couple's counseling- the psychiatrist diagnosed her on the bipolar spectrum with a tendency towards violence. She told the psychiatrist: 'I said, ''I think I've got a good reason to be upset.'' He told her 'I'll give you something to make you feel better.'' The doctor prescribed Navane, when Barnett talked to a doctor friend who told her it was an antipsychotic drug and advised her not to take it. 'By that time, I'd already taken three pills,' she said. Unbeknownst to Barnett at the time, Todd had gone behind her back and called her mother, convincing her mother she was mentally unstable. Todd and her mother spoke with the psychiatrist before their first visit. When they arrived Todd and the doctor acted like they had never met before. Barnett ultimately filed for divorce and Todd would counter with a filing that alleged he had suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for her violent outbursts. Todd and Barnett were engaged in a bitter custody battle. He would paint her as a violent person who was a danger to him, and to herself. 'Came down the hallway and there she is ... sitting there banging her head against the wall,' Todd said in '99. 'I've never, ever bashed my head against the wall,' she told 48 Hours. She said she never threatened him, and while she admitted to slapping him once, she said she never struck him. In court the psychiatrist, Dr. Oliver Bjorksten, that had diagnosed her with being on the bipolar spectrum testified against her. She said that his testimony was beyond damaging. 'Damaging is probably not the right word. He was life destroying,' said Barnett. Dr. Bjorksten testified that the condition he diagnosed Barnett with 'is associated with violence'... and that Barnett's 'degree of dwelling' do 'things which are quite serious.' Despite two other psychiatrists telling the court she was not bi-polar, the damage to her mental credibility had already been done. 'The more you claim you're not mentally ill, the crazier you sound. ...Because people look at you as a mentally ill person then.' The judge would side with Todd for custody, and determined that Barnett's 'condition' might lead her to 'homicide or suicide.' 'And it left me so scared and so cold, because when you label somebody as that, that means I'm such a danger to my child,' she said. In February of 1994 Judge Mallard awarded full custody of nine-and-a-half-month-old Savanna to her father. Todd picked up Savanna from Barnett that same day. 'When they came and took her is when I lost it. And I just went to the bathroom and ... sat in the bathtub and cried,' Barnett recalled. Worse yet, she said that Todd told the court he would take Savanna to a psychiatrist at three-years-old if she exhibited any signs of her mother's illness. 'I knew as a grown woman ... if I couldn't prove that I wasn't mentally ill ... how could a two or three-year-old?' After fleeing the United States, Barnett would meet Juan Geldenhuys. She said she married him because he was in love with her daughter- who now was named Samantha A new start, a happy family: Juan was the only father Samantha would know Meanwhile back in the United States, Todd was keeping his daughter, and her mother, in the news as he searched for them When she appealed and the judge failed to file the necessary paperwork for an in time, as she grew more desperate she realized she was going to leave. 'I knew nobody was there to help me,' Barnett said. 'I started to make my plan to leave.' She took her last $10,000 and her baby during a scheduled visit and got into a rental car with her older brother, their faked birth certificates and subsequent passports went to the Atlanta airport and left the country. She was supposed to have Savanna back at 6pm, but by then she says she was probably in Paris. 'Oh, I don't think I ever smiled. I never wanted to take it for granted. Every second I had of freedom was never taken for granted,' said Barnett. 'I was free from them. She was free from them.' Todd called her younger brother Cliff. Missing poster for Savanna and Barnett 'He goes, ''Where's your sister?'' I said, 'I have no idea,'' Cliff Barnett said. 'And he goes ... ''Your sister is not a fit mother. She can't take care of a child by herself. ...She doesn't have the sense for it.'' And I finally ... just eventually said, ''Well, apparently, she has the sense to disappear from you.'' Barnett and Savanna traveled from Germany to France; Malaysia; South Africa; Botswana, and New Zealand. Barnett landed on Australia's Sunshine Coast. By now she had married the man she met in South Africa, an engineering geologist named Juan Geldenhuys. 'I got married to him because he was madly in love with my daughter,' she said. Soon the redone family had an addition with a son named Reece. 'The Sunshine Coast is known for its beaches,' Samantha Geldenhuys told 48 Hours. 'It's a very wonderful and family-like environment to grow up in.' Samantha/ Savanna's only father she had known, Juan, had split from Barnett after he fell in love with another woman. 'She stayed strong and she stayed resilient. And she was a great single mother,' Samantha said. And Reece makes three: Barnett and Juan had a son together who Savanna would believe was her full blood brother Savanna called her mother a wonderful single mother after her split from Juan who had fallen in love with another woman 'The doors were always open. Everyone was always welcome.' 'When she talked about America, she loved it. But at the end of the day you could see in her eye -- and if you know and you love someone well enough you can see when they are hurting. And it's not -- it's not for me to sit there and go, ''well, get sadder and tell me more and -- and tell me why, and I deserve to know,'' 'cause I didn't, you know. I trusted that when she wanted to tell me, she'd let me know,' Samantha added. However, Barnett had slipped up and confided in someone that she was in Australia on the run from an 'abusive' relationship in the states. That person called Todd. 'I was on the telephone at 7:30 in the morning and there was a big pounding on my door,' Barnett said. 'I was still in my pajamas and I open the door and this man was standing there with guns ... and he said, ''I'm here with a warrant for your arrest.'' 'All we really needed was a way to identify Miss Barnett under her alias. And once we had that information, it was very easy for us to then find the paper trail,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Williams explained. 'One of the agents said to me, ''you must be relieved,'' but I wasn't relieved. I knew that my life would change, my children's lives would change,' said Barnett of the conversations during her 2013 arrest. The law caught up with Barnett two decades later in 2013 after she slipped up and told the wrong person about how she came to be in Australia The man Samantha had known as her father had died just a week earlier from bone cancer. 'I'm very lucky to be able to say the last thing I said was, 'I love you.' 'Cause people don't get that,' said Samantha. Now she and Reece were facing losing their mother to prison. 'My mum was sitting on the couch with ... two FBI agents next to her. ...I said, 'Mum, what's goin' on?' And she took me to another room. And just told me everything that happened, told me I gotta trust her. And of course, I did,' said Reece. Barnett called her daughter who was studying to be a nurse. 'I said, 'Sammy. You know how we've never had communication with the family and friends in the U.S.?' She said, 'Yeah.' I said, 'Well, I was married before ... And I'm going to jail now ... 'cause I've e been accused of kidnapping you and I said I had to keep you safe,'' she explained. 'I had to call her back and say, 'Wait does that mean that dad wasn't my dad?' And then she started crying and I started crying,' said Samantha. The FBI sat Samantha down the following day and told her the story of how her life began. 'And that's when ... I learned when I was born, I learned Savanna. I didn't know anything before that,' she told 48 Hours. She also learned the backstory of how her mother was depicted in court. 'Every characteristic they said that my mother had was wrong and incorrect. Every single thing,' Samantha said. 'Like, she... she had bipolar. I mean, that was the most incredibly confronting thing. And I felt very rude because I just laughed in their faces.' 'I had to laugh. And I said, 'Whoa, you're wrong.'' The FBI asked if her mother had ever hurt her, and she was shocked. Samantha read every document and every transcript relating to the case. 'It's like a novel that is so sickening that you can't put down,' said Samantha. Barnett told Samantha about the diary she had kept a secret from her. 'I'm having difficulty writing because I'm very scared... I can only wait, though, and pray it's not our time to be found,' Barnett writes. 'If you think about every single little thing that she has gone through, I've lived this wonderful life,' Samantha said. 'She did everything she could and more to just keep me safe.' Barnett served 21 months in prison for charges of international parental kidnapping and two counts of passport fraud. She could have been put her behind bars for 23 years. 'The law was broken when a corrupt court system took that baby from me and took her mother away from her,' Barnett said of her lack of remorse for breaking the law. She believes she did not kidnap her as she is her own daughter, despite not legally being allowed to take her out of the country. 'Legal right be damned,' said Barnett. She has no remorse over cheating Todd out of watching Samantha grow up either. 'There's nothing wrong with me. I've never done anything violent. I've raised two amazingly healthy, intelligent children who are happy,' she said. 'So who's telling the truth? And who's lying?' A woman who had just been released from a Colorado prison ended up being arrested again after she created a hole in the bathroom wall, climbed up into the ceiling and then fell into the jail lobby. Jessica Leger, 29, had officially been released from the Jefferson County jail on November 21 when she decided to use the bathroom in the prison's lobby before leaving. She locked herself in the female bathroom and was screaming for prison guards to get her relatives because she said she was suffering a psychotic episode. Jessica Leger, 29, climbed into the ceiling of the Jefferson County jail in Colorado on November 21 before she dropped into the prison lobby just moments later While the guards were trying to unlock the bathroom door, Leger removed a paper towel dispenser from the wall above the toilet and climbed through the hole. Jessica Leger, 29, had just officially been released from the Jefferson County jail when she tried to leave through the ceiling Leger then climbed into the ceiling and tried to escape, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Fox31. Surveillance footage from the prison's lobby captured Leger dropping from the ceiling just moments later. She fell just several feet from where guards had kicked open the bathroom door. Leger could be seen trying to run through the lobby before she was caught by a guard. She arrested for criminal mischief and spent an additional two nights in prison. Leger, who was then released on personal recognizance bond, caused roughly $400 damage in the bathroom. It is not clear what Leger was originally in prison for. Surveillance footage from the prison's lobby captured Leger dropping from the ceiling and trying to flee White South Africans could be forced to give up their own homes from next year as the nation's government steamrolls through plans for land expropriation over claims 'Africa's original sin' must be reversed. Land is a huge issue in South Africa where racial inequality remains entrenched more than two decades after the end of apartheid when millions of the black majority were dispossessed of their land by a white minority. The National Assembly agreed to the establishment of a committee that will draft an amendment to section 25 of the Constitution a law which will allow the government to take homes from the people and refuse to pay them compensation. As many in the nation see the move as retribution for the 'original sin' when decades ago black people were driven off their land, it is believed white farmers will be driven from their homes immediately. President Cyril Ramaphosa's suggested (above) expropriation laws are feared by farmers Cyril Ramaphosa has made land redistribution from white farmers to black disadvantaged citizens a flagship policy Governing party The African National Congress (ANC) wants to amend the law so the government can take back land and distribute it. However, critics say it is likely it will be handed off to their friends rather than dished out to those in need. Last week the nations politicians fast tracked the set up of a committee which will write the legal change and present it next year. The motion was adopted with 183 MPs voting yes, 77 voting no and no abstentions in fiery scenes as South Africans battle over land reform. In the same week, South Africa's High Court rejected a legal challenge brought by a group representing white farmers against President Cyril Ramaphosa's plans for land expropriation without compensation. Currently section 25 of the Constitution 'just and equitable' payment which reflects 'an equitable balance between the public interest and the interests of those affected' must be offered for land but changes would abolish the need to compensate. Economic Freedom Fighters politician Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi said those arguing against legalising land grabs are 'beneficiaries of racism'. 'Your time is up, white people,' She added. The EFF will later put forward an amendment stating all land in private hands must be appropriated. Democratic Alliance chief whip John Steenhuisen said the amendment is being pushed through without proper procedure. 'What it (the passing of the motion) also says, very clearly, to the people of South Africa is that regardless of their submissions, this bill is a fait accompli (already decided),' Steenhuisen said. 'This is madness. The message it sends to the people of South Africa is 'we don't care what you say'.' MP Sibusiso Mncwabe supported the adoption of the motion: 'Let's continue giving this Christmas gift (expropriation without compensation) to our people.' Democratic Alliance Chief Whip John Steenhuisen has said process is not being followed Farmers could be kicked off of their own land by the government who will redistribute it The Joint Constitutional Review Committee's report recommended that section 25 of the Constitution be amended 'so as to address the historic wrongs caused by the arbitrary dispossession of land'. The report also recommended that the Constitutional Amendment Bill be tabled, processed and passed before the end of the Fifth Parliament, which will rise before next year's election, presumably in March or April. However, experts said it is not likely to happen if proper processes are followed. The motion gives the committee a deadline of March 31, 2019, to complete its work. ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu says the nationalisation of land presents a risk that could see those in power giving land away to their friends and cronies. In some places the wheels are already in motion. A city outside Johannesburg is preparing what the mayor calls a 'test case' over plans to take hundreds of acres of land from private owners, without paying for it in order to build low-cost housing. Last month, Ekurhuleni's city council voted in favour of forging ahead with 'expropriation without compensation' - a legal tool that the ruling African National Congress says is necessary to provide land for disadvantaged black citizens. Ramaphosa handed over the title deeds of 4,586 hectares of land to Chief Inkosi Mandla Mkwanazi of the KwaMkwanazi community in Empangeni, near Durban. The KwaMkwanazi community was forcibly removed from their land more than 100 years ago following the enactment of the 1913 Land Act. Like other South African cities, Ekurhuleni faces a dire housing crunch, with some 600,000 of its nearly 4 million people living in 'informal settlements' and a shortage of land to build homes. Executive mayor of Ekurhuleni, Mzwandile Masina, who heads the local ANC-led coalition, echoed the president, saying landowners in South Africa don't need to be 'scared'. He added: 'Our policy is not to take the land by force. Our policy is to make sure the land is shared amongst those that need it.' Ekurhuleni plans to expropriate about 865 acres (350 hectares) of land in the city limits, both private and government-owned, that has been vacant for decades and develop it to relieve pressure in vast tracts of ramshackle dwellings. The mayor did not identify the landowners. Jho Low, 36, is the central figure accused of stealing about $4.5 billion from a Malaysian government investment fund A yacht, a see-through grand piano an original Monet are among the list of lavish items the US government has revealed were seized by a financier accused of siphoning money from the Malaysian government. Financier Low Taek Jho, known popularly as Jho Low, is the central figure accused of stealing about $4.5 billion from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a Malaysian government investment fund. Low, 36, who is said to be the mastermind of the scandal, is believed to be hiding in China - and has denied any wrongdoing through a spokesman. The New York Times reports that the effort to recover all of the items included several federal agencies and investigators from several foreign countries. Low allegedly bought more than a dozen properties including a $31 million condominium at the Time Warner Center in New York City, the Viceroy L'Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel in California and a mansion in Beverly Hills worth $17.5 million. 1MDB was founded by former Malaysian premier Najib Razak in 2009 and is the subject of money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including the US, Switzerland and Singapore. Najib was ousted in a general election in May by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who reopened investigations into 1MDB and Najib's involvement at the fund. Najib is now facing nearly 40 money laundering and corruption charges related to losses at 1MDB and other government entities. He has consistently denied wrongdoing. The Financial Times reported in September that the government was looking to seize about $1.7 billion in assets - although the total value of items has not been confirmed. Among the items bought was a $250million yacht called the Equanimity that was custom-built and included a movie theater and a helicopter pad. The FBI seized it this year in Bali Low allegedly bought more than a dozen properties including a $31 million condominium at the Time Warner Center in New York City, the Viceroy L'Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel in California (pictured) and a mansion in Beverly Hills worth $17.5 million Around $200 million was used to buy artwork, including two Claude Monet paintings (pictures, Monet's Saint-Georges Majeur) and $179 million Pablo Picasso drawing sold by Christie's in 2015 According to prosecutors, the men involved in the laundering scheme put the money in a number of off-shore bank accounts and shell companies. Around $200 million was used to buy artwork, including two Claude Monet paintings and $179 million Pablo Picasso drawing sold by Christie's in 2015. At the time, it was the most expensive artwork ever sold at auction and, to date, it is the most expensive Picasso sold at auction, according to ArtNet News. Also bought was a 22-carat pink diamond necklace for Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor. Her lawyers told The Times that she saw the necklace, but claims she never received it. It has since gone missing. More than $100 million was used to finance several films in Hollywood including 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, 2014's Dumb and Dumber To and 2015's Daddy's Home. Both were semi-produced by Red Granite Pictures, co-founded by Riza Aziz,who is Najib's stepson. Riza was named in the FBI's lawsuit but, in March 2018, Red Granite agreed to pay $60million to the US Department to settle claims. Then there was the $250million yacht called the Equanimity that was custom-built and included a movie theater and a helicopter pad. The yacht was hard to track down because its's transponder was often turned off, but the FBI seized it this year in Bali. Low didn't just spend money on himself, he also gifted extravagant items including a see-through acrylic grand piano to supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2014. According to The New York Times, it sits in her Malibu home and investigators don't know what to do with it because it won't fit through the front door. More than $100 million was used to finance several films in Hollywood including 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street (pictured), 2014's Dumb and Dumber To and 2015's Daddy's Home. Low didn't just spend money on himself, he also gifted extravagant items including a see-through acrylic grand piano (pictured) to supermodel Miranda Kerr in 2014. Kerr has also handed over a pair of 11-cart diamond earrings and a nearly 12-carat diamond-shaped heart. Kerr was not the only celebrity lavishly gifted. Leonardo DiCaprio has since turned over his artwork that was being stored in Switzerland. This includes a Picasso painting titled Nature Morte au Crane de Taureau (Still Life with Bull Head) and a collage by Jean-Michel Basquiat titled Redman One. Low also gave DiCaprio the 1954 Oscar Marlon Brando won for On The Waterfront, according to the book Billion Dollar Whale, a book on the scandal written by two Wall Street Journal reporters. A spokesman for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told The Times that when any post-1950 Oscar is put up for sale, the academy has the right to buy it for $1. A Picasso painting titled Nature Morte au Crane de Taureau (Still Life with Bull Head) was given to Leonardo DiCaprio, who has since relinquished it Kerr (left) has also handed over a pair of 11-cart diamond earrings and a nearly 12-carat diamond-shaped heart. DiCaprio (right, with Low) has also given back the 1954 Oscar Marlon Brando won for On The Waterfront Last month, US prosecutors charged Low and two former Goldman Sachs bankers with conspiracy to launder 1MDB money and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. On Tuesday, Low and four others were charged with 13 money laundering and criminal breach of trust offences involving losses of 1MDB funds totaling $1.17 billion or 4.2 billion ringgit, based on foreign exchange rates at the time of the offence, Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement. Arrest warrants were issued against the five who have left Malaysia, Mohamad Fuzi said. 'If they are found to be in any other country, police and the Attorney General's Chambers will take action to request their extradition so that they can be brought back to Malaysia to face charges in court,' he said. Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza kept a detailed spreadsheet with 400 mass murderers, it has been revealed Before he walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and gunned down 20 children and six educators, Adam Lanza kept a spreadsheet with 400 mass murderers. Lanza began researching his extremely detailed list in 2006, six years before he committed one of the most horrific mass shootings in American history. The list had 17 categories, including the number of people killed, the weapons used, the date, time, and place of the murders, and what happened to the killer. It went all the way back to 1786 and ended in 2010. The final entry is Derrick Bird, who killed 12 people in Cumbria, England. The spreadsheet was among more than 1,000 documents recovered from Lanza's home in Newtown and obtained by the Hartford Courant. Lanza was so obsessive about his spreadsheet and the details it contained that he would even make corrects to mass shooters' Wikipedia pages. One such Wikipedia entry was for George Sodini, who killed three people in a Pittsburgh gym before shooting himself dead in 2009. The spreadsheet was among more than 1,000 documents recovered from Lanza's home in Newtown (pictured following the 2012 mass shooting) Michael McLendon (left) who killed 10 people in Alabama in 2009 was on Lanza's list, as was South Korean Woo Bum-kon (right), who killed 56 people in 1982 Derrick Bird (left), who killed 12 people in England in 2010, was the last entry on Lanza's list. Friedrich Leibacher (right), who killed 14 people in Switzerland in 2001, was also on the list Lanza spoke of his spreadsheet in one chatroom. 'Compared to the legions of people who focus solely on serial killers, it's almost impossible to find anyone who's interested in mass murderers so I thought that I might as well introduce myself,' he wrote. 'I've been researching this topic since 2006 and I started compiling a formal list at the beginning of 2010.' It remains unclear why Lanza stopped adding to his spreadsheet, although one June 2012 online post illuminates his state of mind. 'The enthusiasm I had back when Virginia Tech happened feels like it's been gone for a hundred billion years,' he wrote, referencing the 2007 massacre that left 32 dead. 'I don't care about anything,' he added. 'I'm just done with it all.' Six months later, Lanza killed 26 people at Sandy Hook - shocking the nation and bringing President Barack Obama to tears. The list had 17 categories, including the number of people killed, the weapons used, the date, time, and place of the murders, and what happened to the killer. Pictured are the firearms and ammunition found next to Lanza's body at Sandy Hook Elementary School Documents obtained from Lanza's home (pictured), where he shot and killed his mother, show the evolution of a boy excited about his hamster to a man obsessed with murder Documents obtained from Lanza's home, where he shot and killed his mother, show the evolution of a boy excited about his hamster to a man obsessed with murder. When he was in the third grade, Lanza wrote in his journal about the day his parents brought home Skippy the hamster. A young Lanza dreamed of becoming a farmer and once wrote a paper about a family vacation to New Hampshire. But by fifth grade his work had turned exceedingly dark, as seen in a 52-page story he wrote with another boy called Big Book of Granny. The book includes a scene in which 'Granny' goes to a daycare center with her son and a character named 'Dora the Beserker'. At one point in the story, Dora tells Granny 'Let's hurt the children'. At another point, Dora admits she likes hurting people - especially children. In one chapter of the book, Granny kills people on the set of 'Granny's Clubhouse of Happy Children'. One part of the book references a game called 'Hide and Go Die'. Lanza taped garbage bags over the windows of his bedroom to keep out any light (pictured) Ammunition found in a gun safe inside Lanza's bedroom. Documents show that Lanza was obsessed with firearms While he was a seventh grade student at St Rose of Lima School, Lanza wrote essays that were so disturbing his teacher showed them to the principal. The teacher said the 'level of violence' in the essays was 'disturbing' and that Lanza's 'creative writing was so graphic that it could not be shared'. An Office of Child Advocate report found that the essays showed Lanza was 'deeply troubled by feelings of rage, hate and (at least unconscious) murderous impulses'. Investigators also found a four-page, preliminary screenplay written by Lanza called 'Lovebound'. The story described itself as being about 'the beauty in the romantic relationship between a 10-year-old boy and a 30-year-old man'. It was just one document that showed Lanza's obsession with pedophilia, and also included scenes of familicide and goths committing suicide. There was also an eight-page document simply titled 'Me', in which Lanza reveals he has 'nothing but scorn for humanity'. While he was a seventh grade student at St Rose of Lima School, Lanza wrote essays that were so disturbing his teacher showed them to the principal. He is pictured here in 2005 'I have been desperate to feel anything positive for someone my entire life,' he added. In the same document, Lanza ponders why it's 'okay to kill an animal, but it's not okay to kill a human'. 'Killing yourself would intuitively be moral because you would not have the capacity to commit immoral deeds, which you innately do through being alive; and yet many would somehow forbid suicide as being immoral,' he writes at one point. Investigators also found a list Lanza created that included 35 reasons to hate food and fat people. 'Starve off the parts you don't need. They're ugly and they drag you down. Food is mean and sneaky,' he wrote. 27 wooden angels stand in a yard down the street from the Sandy Hook Elementary School 'It tricks you into eating it and it works on you from the inside out making you fat, bloated, ugly and unhappy.' Harold Schwartz, who was on the Sandy Hook Commission, believes Lanza's extreme anorexic condition - he was 6ft and 112lb - resulted in brain damage. 'I made the argument in the report for both the commission and the [report put together by the state Child Advocates office] that his extreme anorexia may have produced an organic brain syndrome brain damage from starvation,' Schwartz said. 'While still a theory, these documents support that conclusion.' Schwartz believes the documents obtained from Lanza's home are also 'further evidence of the very dark place that was Adam Lanza's world'. A family walks through a makeshift memorial in the Sandy Hook village center days after the horrific mass shooting The documents also show one of Lanza's victims, Mary Sherlach, was the chairperson of his Planning and Placement Team in the late 1990s and early 200s. Sherlach communicated with Lanza's mother and coordinated his speech and occupational therapists. In one document, Nancy Lanza praises Sherlach as being 'very helpful in keeping Adam's stress level at a minimum'. Sherlach was the second person killed when Lanza stormed into Sandy Hook on December 14, 2012. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have 30 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said Dec. 9. Armenian armed forces were using heavy machine guns. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. China has told Canada there will be 'severe consequences' if Huawei's chief financial officer is not released. China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng issued the warning on Saturday during a meeting with Canada's ambassador to Beijing, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, who faces US fraud charges related to sanctions-breaking dealings with Iran, has infuriated Beijing, stoking tensions amid a trade war truce between China and the US. Meng Wanzhou, heiress to the Huawei technology giant, was arrested in Canada on December 1 and accused of violating American sanctions against Iran In this courtroom sketch, Meng Wanzhou, right, sits beside a translator during a bail hearing at British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on Friday Meng - the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei - is in custody as she awaits a Canadian court's decision on bail on Monday. Le Yucheng summoned US ambassador Terry Branstad today and asked him to intervene in Meng's detention. 'Le Yucheng pointed out that the US side has seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, and the nature of the violation is extremely bad,' the foreign ministry said in a statement. China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng (pictured) said there will be 'severe consequences' if she's not let go 'The Chinese side firmly opposes this and strongly urges the United States to attach great importance to China's solemn and just position,' it said. China also urged the US to 'take immediate measures to correct wrong practices, and revoke the arrest warrant against the Chinese citizen.' The statement warned that there would be consequences in light of the US actions. Meng Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver airport as she changed planes on December 1, accused of violating American sanctions against Iran. Chinese media accused America of 'abusing' international law because Huawei is out-competing American firms in the technology market. In an editorial, the state-run Global Times wrote: 'The Chinese government should seriously mull over the US tendency to abuse legal procedures to suppress China's high-tech enterprises Chinese state media accused America of 'abusing' international law to curtail Huawei's business because its own companies are failing to compete 'Obviously, Washington is resorting to a despicable rogue's approach as it cannot stop Huawei's 5G advance in the market.' The China Daily warned that 'containing Huawei's expansion is detrimental to China-US ties'. US authorities have not disclosed the charges she faces following a publication ban sought by Meng. But 'one thing that is undoubtedly true and proven is the US is trying to do whatever it can to contain Huawei's expansion in the world simply because the company is the point man for China's competitive technology companies,' the daily said. Donald Trump has denied having any knowledge of the arrest, while Canada's Justin Trudeau said he was informed a couple of days ahead of time, but had nothing to do with planning the operation. China has lodged diplomatic protests over the arrest and has repeatedly asked the US and Canada to 'clarify' reasons for the arrest. 'In the past seven days, be it Canada or the US, neither have provided any evidence of the involved party breaking the law in either country,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing in Beijing. 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 Meng's arrest follows a US probe into the company's alleged violations of Iran sanctions. She faces a bail hearing in Canada on Friday. Though China's technology sector is still reliant on certain US exports like microchips, Beijing wants to transform the country into a global tech leader rivalling the United States in a plan dubbed 'Made in China 2025'. Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. Its products are used by carriers around the world, including in Europe and Africa. 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. A Democrat about to take power in the House of Representatives warned that it would be an 'impeachable offense' if President Donald Trump directed illegal payments to two women during his campaign. 'Certainly they're impeachable offenses. Even though they were committed before the president became president, they were committed in the service of fraudulently obtaining the office,' said Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler on CNN's 'State of the Union.' He added that the president was the 'center of a massive fraud' against the American people. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler said if President Trump directed the illegal payments to two women during his campaign - that would be an impeachable offense But Nadler cautioned the House of Representatives shouldn't 'necessarily launch an impeachment' against President Donald Trump 'because he committed an impeachable offense' 'These indictments and filings show is that the president was at the center of a massive fraud - several massive frauds against the American people,' Nadler, who will chair the House Judiciary Committee next year, noted. But he said the House of Representatives shouldn't 'necessarily launch an impeachment against the president because he committed an impeachable offense.' 'There are several things you have to look at. One, were there impeachable offenses committed? How many? And secondly, how important were they? Did they rise to the gravity where you should undertake an impeachment?' he said. 'An impeachment is an attempt to in effect overturn or change the result of an election,' Nadler added. 'You should do it only for very serious situations.' He was responding to revelations in two sentencing memos that came out on Friday tied to cases involving Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen. The New York case tells a story of Cohen working 'in coordination with and at the direction of' Donald Trump by his own admission to arrange for the National Enquirer to buy the rights to the two women's stories and 'kill' them, preventing media exposure of their claims. David Pecker, a longtime Trump friend who was CEO of the National Enquirer's parent company, got an immunity deal from Mueller to divulge his part in the plot. Cohen 'coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign,' according to the memo, 'including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments.' And as a result, 'neither woman spoke to the press prior to the election.' Nadler reference the payments to the two women - porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal - but also the Trump Organization's attempt to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. 'The fact of the matter is that what we see from these indictments and charging statements is a much broader conspiracy against the American people, involving these payments, involving an attempt to influence the campaign improperly, with improper payments involving the Russians, trying to influence the campaign, involving the president lying for an entire year about his ongoing business arrangements - business dealings with the Russians, involving obstruction of justice,' Nadler said. 'The president created his own swamp and brought it to the White House,' he noted. In Robert Mueller's case, filed just last month, the special counsel alleges that Cohen has admitted lying about his efforts and timing on the Trump Tower Moscow plan, and alleges that he briefed Trump about the project's status in 2016. Cohen told investigators that the entire project was scrapped before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary inJanuary 2016. In fact, however, negotiations related to the proposal were going on through the time of the July Republican National Convention. Mueller charged Cohen with a felony for lying to his investigators, but said he was truthful in six other sessions where government lawyers plied him with questions. Former Playboy model Karen McDougal (left) and porn actress Stormy Daniels (right) both claimed to have slept with Donald Trump in the past, but the government says Cohen coordinated with Trump to make sure the women were paid for their silence in effect a pair of massive campaign contributions designed to save the election for Trump Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should spend between 51 and 63 months in federal prison, according to a prosecutor's memo Mueller's seven-page memorandum says the former Trump fixer 'provided information about his own contacts with Russian interests during the campaign and discussions with others in the course of making those contacts.' 'Nothing in the constitution prohibits a president from being indicted,' Nadler said. 'All of these have to be looked at very seriously by the Congress, by the special counsel and by the Justice Department and to see what actions we should then take and what is clear also is that the Republican Congress absolutely tried to shield the president. The new Congress will not try to shield the president,' he noted. Other Democrats wouldn't go as far as saying impeachment, but did the allegations are 'serious.' 'I'm not going to give the House advice on whether or not to proceed with impeachment,' said Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy on ABC's 'This Week.' 'I think it is important to get the full report from the special investigator. But let's be clear, we have reached a new level in the investigation. The special counsel is starting to show his cards, and these are very serious allegations. This is a president who is now named as an unindicted co-conspirator, the allegation as he committed at least two felonies to try to manipulate the 2016 election,' he added. And Sen. Angus King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said there's not enough public evidence at this point to impeach the president. 'I don't think that there's evidence yet available to the public where there would be, more or less, a consensus that this was an appropriate path,' he said, adding: 'My concern is that, if impeachment is moved forward on the evidence that we have now, at least a third of the country would think it was just political revenge and, and a coup against the president. That wouldn't serve us well at all. The best way to solve a problem like this, to me, is elections.' 'We may get there, but we are not there now,' he added. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York wrote that Cohen worked at the direction of President Donald Trump in 2016 to arrange payments to two women for the purpose of keeping their sexual affair allegations from becoming public before the election Trump tweeted barely an hour after prosecutors filed their court statement about Cohen that it 'totally clears' him Trump claimed the filings out on Friday vindicate him. 'Totally clears the President. Thank you!,' he tweeted. And White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders - in a rare statement on the matter - dismissed the filings as nothing new. 'The government's filings in Mr. Cohen's case tell us nothing of value that wasn't already known,' she said in a statement. 'Mr. Cohen has repeatedly lied and as the prosecution has pointed out to the court, Mr. Cohen is no hero.' Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to Daniels, which prosecutors say violated campaign finance law prohibitions against donations of more than $2,700 in a general election. A $150,000 payment by American Media Inc. to silence McDougal was an illegal corporate donation to the Trump's campaign, prosecutors claim. Both women claim affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Prosecutors noted Cohen had implicated the president in the payments. 'Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1,' the prosecutors wrote. 'Individual-1' refers to Trump. A coating issue with Britain's new 100 million F-35 fighter jet could leave jets 'as visible on radar as a 747' - but the RAF say the aircraft is a 'significant success'. The single-engine jet was given a coating which makes it 'invisible' to enemy radar, but it is allegedly wearing off quicker than expected. A RAF source told The Express that scratches are hampering the jet's efficiency but a spokesman told Mail Online the jet is proving a 'significant success story'. Royal Navy Commander Nathan Gray making the first ever F-35B Lightning II jet vertical landing on the UK's new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in September The Maryland-based company have acknowledged the defects in the coating in the past, called LO or Low Observable, that makes it hard for enemy radars to pick up the jets. They also made it clear that the coating does have to be replaced but the RAF say it's nothing untoward and the issue is rectified before the jets become operational. A spokesman said: 'Stealth maintenance on the F-35 is proving to be a significant success story. 'It requires less maintenance and when it does, it is easier, more affordable and faster to repair compared to previous low observable aircraft, demonstrating the advances that have been made in this technology. 'Fleet wide, F-35 stealth maintenance is exceeding requirements.' Speaking to reporters at Lockheed's media day in March, Jeff Babione - who was at the time involved in production - acknowledged that they were having a slight problem with the coating material. 'We inadvertently scratch the coating system, and we have to repaint it. Or when the mechanics spray the airplane [with LO coating], not all of it is robotically sprayed. There's some overspray, and they have to go clean that,' he said. An RAF source told The Express: This situation obviously has to be rectified before the plane enters operational service.' The source also told the paper that defence secretary Gavin Williamson and RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen have always known about the issue. The news comes as Britain signed a deal to double its F35 fleet by 2022. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, have acknowledged defects in the coating The multi-million-pound contract signed will see the UK own 35 stealth jets by end of 2022 with Britain manufacturing 15% of the overall global order. A company spokesman for Lockheed Martin told The Express that the coating is proving to be a significant success because of its practical strong points of speed and low cost. The RAF spokesman agreed and added that maintenance of low observable aircraft requires a different approach to legacy aircraft, and that includes the coating. Despite this, Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, a former director of defence studies said: 'Lockheed Martin just say it's better now, but it takes just one scratch to give the fighter jet the same radar profile as a 747, then you may as well not be bothering.' But an RAF spokesperson said there is no design fault. They told Mail Online: 'The F-35 is a state-of-the-art stealth fighter that requires different maintenance of its surfaces than other RAF aircraft. This is neither unusual nor a design fault.' Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said there is a 'very real prospect' that President Donald Trump will be indicted on the day he leaves office and there is a 'real prospect' he will face jail time. 'There's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office the Justice Department may indict him. That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time,' Schiff said Sunday on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' 'We have been discussing the issue of pardons that the president may offer to people or dangle in front of people, the bigger pardon question may come down the road as the next president has to determine whether to pardon Donald Trump,' he added. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said there is a 'very real prospect' that President Donald Trump will be indicted on the day he leaves office Schiff said there is a very 'real prospect' that President Trump could face jail time Schiff, who will likely chair the House Intelligence Committee next year, claims the allegations that came out on Friday in two sentencing memos tied to cases involving Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen show the president committed a crime. Cohen worked 'in coordination with and at the direction of' Donald Trump by his own admission to arrange for the National Enquirer to buy the rights to the two women's stories and 'kill' them, preventing media exposure of their claims, one of the sentencing memos claims. 'To have the justice department basically say that the president of the united States not only coordinated but directed an illegal campaign scheme that may have had an election altering impact, is pretty breathtaking,' Schiff said. Cohen 'coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign,' according to the memo, 'including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments.' And as a result, 'neither woman spoke to the press prior to the election.' The payments were made to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, both of whom claimed to have affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Sitting presidents cannot be indicted, a memo written in 2000 by the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department found. 'The indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions,' the memo noted. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who's been mentioned for White House chief of staff and attorney general, said the language in Cohen's sentencing memo should concern the president's legal team. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Trump's legal team should be worried about the language used in the Cohen sentencing memos Former Playboy model Karen McDougal (left) and porn actress Stormy Daniels (right) both claimed to have slept with Donald Trump in the past, but the government says Cohen coordinated with Trump to make sure the women were paid for their silence in effect a pair of massive campaign contributions designed to save the election for Trump Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should spend between 51 and 63 months in federal prison, according to a prosecutor's memo 'The language sounds very definite, and what Id be concerned about is what corroboration do they have because everyone knows that Michael Cohen is not going to be the most effective or trustworthy witness on the stand given some of his past statements. The question is they sounded very definitive. And in experience, the problem is when prosecutors are that definitive they've got more usually than just one witness,' he said Sunday on ABC's 'This Week.' 'Now the flip side for the prosecutors is, they better have more than one witness on this, because if you're shooting at the president of the United States and the only bullet in your gun is Michael Cohen, well then I think that's a problem. So, I think it'll be very interesting to see how this plays out,' he added. And Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler warned that it would be an 'impeachable offense' if President Trump directed the payments to Daniels and McDougal. 'Certainly they're impeachable offenses. Even though they were committed before the president became president, they were committed in the service of fraudulently obtaining the office,' he said on CNN's 'State of the Union.' Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to Daniels, which prosecutors say violated campaign finance law prohibitions against donations of more than $2,700 in a general election. A $150,000 payment by American Media Inc. to silence McDougal was an illegal corporate donation to the Trump's campaign, prosecutors claim. Both women claim affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Prosecutors noted Cohen had implicated the president in the payments. 'Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1,' the prosecutors wrote. 'Individual-1' refers to Trump. Trump claimed the filings out on Friday vindicate him. 'Totally clears the President. Thank you!,' he tweeted. And White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders - in a rare statement on the matter - dismissed the filings as nothing new. 'The government's filings in Mr. Cohen's case tell us nothing of value that wasn't already known,' she said in a statement. 'Mr. Cohen has repeatedly lied and as the prosecution has pointed out to the court, Mr. Cohen is no hero.' A mother has released a distressing video of her being viciously beaten by her ex-boyfriend as she 'cowered in a corner and vomited blood'. Rachel Whitehouse, 34, was filmed by Paul McEvoy as he launched a vicious attack on her and smashed up their home. In the video, which McEvoy had taken so he could 'replay it again and again', Ms Whitehouse is mocked as she cries and says: 'You're going to prison'. Mother-of-two Rachel Whitehouse, 34, was filmed by Paul McEvoy as he launched a vicious attack on her as she cowered in a corner and vomited blood The mother-of-two can be heard screaming and sobbing in distress as she is hit by McEvoy in a drunken rage. Ex-DJ McEvoy was jailed for two-and-a-half years after a friend of Ms Whitehouse alerted the police about the shocking video, according to The Mirror. Brave Ms Whitehouse has since released the footage in order to help other women from being hurt who may be suffering in silence. She says she was initially too scared to press charges against McEvoy for fear he could hurt her. And the mother and her children, who are from a previous relationship, were moved to a secret address after McEvoy continued to torment her from prison. Ms Whitehouse was beaten by McEvoy and was left with bruises. She has since released the footage in order to help other women from being hurt who may be suffering in silence She told The Mirror: 'You can hear my screams, see him smashing up the house and hear me begging him to stop. 'I'd never forgive myself if a woman is killed because I didn't speak out.' The horrific attack began when McEvoy had returned from a drinking bender with his friends and began to beat her in a drunken rage. Ms Whitehouse told him to leave and then she phoned his mother, who lives in Blackpool, to warn her of the state he was in after he said he was going to stay with her. She told The Mirror: 'He punched me in the face while I was talking to her. He went crazy, smashing up the house and hitting me.' Ex-DJ McEvoy was jailed for two-and-a-half years after a friend of Ms Whitehouse alerted the police about the shocking video McEvoy reportedly threw a television as Ms Whitehouse's head, and then phoned police to say: 'I think I've killed her'. But when police arrived, Ms Whitehouse refused to press charges because she 'thought she loved him'. McEvoy was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court in June for assault and also breaching his licence after a racially-aggravated assault on a police officer. But since being locked away, McEvoy has continued to threaten the mother, including calling her 73 times in one day, telling her university she was dealing drugs and warning her people were 'watching the house'. The mother and her children, who are from a previous relationship, were moved to a secret address after McEvoy continued to torment her from prison The violent ex-boyfriend also shared intimate photos of Ms Whitehouse on social media. Other possessive behavior throughout their relationship included putting CCTV in her house and smashing her phone and giving her a new one with a tracking device. Ms Whitehouse also alleges he stood over her bed at night wielding a meat cleaver which he then held to her neck. Since the violent behaviour, Ms Whitehouse is studying to become an advocate for domestic violence victims and is looking forward to Christmas. Stormy Daniels has canceled a strip club gig after she claims the owner called her assistant a homophobic slur. The 39-year-old adult film star took to Instagram on Saturday to say she would not be performing at Goldfinger - a club in Sunrise, Florida - after the incident. In a photo, Daniels is standing outside the club with two members of her team and she is holding up her middle finger. 'I will NOT be performing at Goldfinger tonight because the owner called my assistant a f*****g f****t after asking me to do something not in my contract. That kind of abuse will not be tolerated,' she wrote in a caption. Stormy Daniels took to Instagram to announced she had canceled a strip club gig at Goldfinger after she claims the owner called her assistant a 'f*****g f****t' Daniels also took the opportunity in the last line of her post to take a shot at President Donald Trump, writing: 'When are dips***s gonna learn that I do not respond well to bullies?' (pictured, Trump with Daniels in 2006) Daniels also explained in her caption that the club was claiming she never showed up and she took the photo to prove that was not the case. The post has more than 8,000 likes and almost 500 comments. According to TMZ, the owner of the club responded on the social media platform denying that the incident occurred and claiming Daniels broke her contract. Daniels also took the opportunity in the last line of her post to not just take a shot at the club owner but also President Donald Trump, writing: 'When are dips***s gonna learn that I do not respond well to bullies?' Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims that the two had unprotected sex in 2006 and that she was threatened to stay silent. She publicly denied having an affair with Trump for multiple years and signed a non-disclosure agreement before going public. She was paid $130,000 from Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime attorney, in hush money to keep quiet about the affair. Trump has denied the affair, but essentially acknowledged the payment to Daniels. She has offered to return the money in exchange for a nullification of the nondisclosure agreement and the freedom to speak about the alleged affair. However, Cohen sued Daniels for $20million, alleging she violated the agreement. Earlier this month, attorneys for President Trump asked a court for nearly $800,000 in lawyers' fees and penalties from Daniels for a failed defamation lawsuit against him. Attorney Charles Harder defended ringing up a nearly $390,000 legal bill for the president and asked for an equal amount in sanctions as a deterrent against a 'repeat filer of frivolous defamation cases.' Daniels (left and right), whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, claims she and Trump had unprotected sex in 2006 and that she was threatened to stay silent. She was paid $130,000 from Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime attorney, in hush money to keep quiet about the affair. Earlier this month, attorneys for President Trump asked a court for nearly $800,000 in lawyers' fees and penalties from Daniels for a failed defamation lawsuit against him. Pictured: Goldfinger Judge S James Otero didn't immediately rule. He noted that fees by Harder's firm - as high as $840 an hour - were reasonable but the 580 hours spent on the case appeared to be excessive and might be trimmed in his eventual award. He didn't indicate how he felt about the requested penalties, but had questioned whether attorneys' fees alone would serve as a deterrent. Harder had not put a dollar figure on sanctions he was seeking before the hearing and Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti objected vehemently, calling it 'absurd and outrageous'. 'You can't just pick a number out of thin air in an effort to put my client under Donald Trump's thumb and intimidate her,' Avenatti said. Avenatti said he will be seeking attorney's fees against Trump in the ongoing hush money case and he anticipates being awarded a figure that 'dwarfs exponentially' what Trump is seeking in the defamation case, possibly exceeding $2 million. Ray Kelvin (pictured) faces a string of harassment allegations A Ted Baker newsletter dubbed the fashion firm as 'sex mad', it has emerged, as the company's founder faces a string of harassment claims. The edition carried a cartoon which featured a young woman being asked to perform sex acts and 'get her kit off' in a job interview. It comes after chief executive Ray Kelvin, 62, took a 'voluntary leave of absence' amid campaigners' claims that 'about 100' incidents of harassment have been reported. The pamphlet resurfaced in The Sunday Telegraph after it was originally printed in the nineties. Ted Baker faces heavy scrutiny - including an external investigation - after an online petition on the website Organise accused Mr Kelvin of forcing employees to hug him. Mr Kelvin is accused of shoving employee in front of witnesses after flying into a rage when he heard that he was not invited to the worker's wedding. It surfaced yesterday that he was reprimanded over the incident in 2016 when the staff member and his wife-to-be were given a settlement before signing a gagging order. The fashion chain is facing scrutiny over claims that its chief executive has harassed employees over the years The cartoon follows a young woman applying to get a job at Ted Baker, mimicking an agony aunt format. A source told the paper that the manager behind the carton, which was reportedly circulated through branches, was reprimanded and left soon after. The chief executive (famous for covering his face in pictures) faces allegations of harassment An openly gay regional branch manager said that Mr Kelvin made a homophobic remark about him. The chief executive is alleged to have told people: 'We used to be drinking mates until he started taking it up the a***.' A source close the Mr Kelvin claimed they did not recognise the newsletter or the alleged homophobic remark. They also said that the fashion chief does not drink alcohol so it is unlikely that he would claim to be the man's drinking buddy. A spokesman for Ted Baker said an investigation by Herbert Smith Freehills will 'consider all relevant matters which have been or are notified to the company'. He said that an announcement will be made as to how former and current employees can raise issues throughout the investigation. The company refuses to comment on specific allegations until the investigation has completed. A British teenager has been released after being held in an Egyptian prison after being accused of 'spying.' Muhammed Fathi Abulkasem, 19, was travelling to visit friends in Egypt when he was arrested on arrival at the airport in Alexandria on November 20 after taking a picture of it. His family said the teenager had been accused of 'collecting information of a military facility' and was currently being held in a jail cell. Muhammed Fathi Abulkasem, 19, (pictured) was travelling to visit friends in Egypt when he was arrested on arrival at the airport in Alexandria last week After three weeks of little contact with him, he has now been released and has joined his family in Libya, the Middle East Eye reported. In a video posted onto his YouTube account, Muhammed announced his release, saying: 'I was ready to give up mentally and physically. 'I am sure you would have heard about me through media outlets of my detention in an Egyptian hellhole. I am not ready to talk right now but I feel I owe you a duty now I am out.' He thanked his immediate family and the Human Relief Foundation, a UK charity which provides help and support in emergency situations. He said all of his supporters around the world 'lit a bright spark which gave him a glimmer of hope'. He added that unfortunately he couldn't say anything about his ordeal but 'in due time he would be back'. Muhammed's family say his arrest came when the A-level student, who was travelling from Libya with a friend, took a photograph of the airport from the plane window as he arrived in Egypt. The 19-year-old, a UK national from Cheetham Hill, in Manchester, was questioned by authorities at the airport who examined his phone and discovered a photograph which included an image of a military helicopter, his family claim. His cousin, Shareen Nawaz, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, said 'soft and compassionate' Muhammed has been locked up in a cold cell ever since. Shareen said: 'Everything is happening so fast. 'All within a few days he's in court being accused of being a spy. His parents are going out of their mind. 'His 13-year-old sister has been puking up blood because she overheard a conversation and it was her who told Muhammed to take the picture. 'It's madness - is it that easy being a spy?' Though Muhammed's (pictured) family said he has been accused of spying, no details have been confirmed by Egyptian authorities Muhammed's family have now appealed for the Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to step in. Muhammed's mother, Imaan Rafiq, said: 'My baby Muhammed would not even hurt a fly, he is a big soft teddy.' Shareen added: 'He is a soft and compassionate person, we just want to stop this before a kid's life is ruined.' Though Muhammed's family said he has been accused of spying, no details have been confirmed by Egyptian authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it could not comment on individual cases. Muhammed, an A-level student was travelling from Libya with a friend, took a photograph of the Alexandria airport (picture) from the plane window as he arrived in Egypt. However an FCO spokesperson said: 'We are seeking more information from the Egyptian authorities following the arrest of a British person in Alexandria, as well as permission for consular access. Our staff are providing assistance for his family.' Muhammed, who is one of five siblings, recently moved to Libya with his family to support an elderly relative. He has spent most of his life living in Manchester, where he was born and educated. He previously lived in Egypt with his family and had planned a trip back to the country to visit friends. Muhammed and his Libyan friend booked a hotel in Egypt together ahead of their visit. They boarded a flight from Libya on November 20, landing in Egypt later that morning. Upon arrival it is understood that both Muhammed and his friend were questioned and arrested by Egyptian authorities. Both young men have been held in jail ever since with two appearances in court, Shareen said. Muhammed has never been arrested, charged or even questioned by the police before now, his family said. They have hired a lawyer in Egypt who is currently working to help Muhammed. Humanitarian aid worker Shareen said details about the exact nature of the offence were unclear. However the family have been told by Muhammed's solicitor that he has been accused of 'collecting information of a military facility'. Shareen said: 'When they landed at the airport in Alexandria he was arrested and his bag and phone were checked. He has not been released since. 'Slowly over the course of the week we've been finding out what has actually happened. 'When he landed his mum didn't hear anything but when he finally spoke to her he said he'd been in court all day. And he said they'd thrown him in prison.' Shareen said Muhammed had told his family that conditions in prison have been difficult and he has been hauled before the courts twice. She understands that Egyptian authorities are due to review the photograph he took at the airport. Shareen said: 'He put his phone out of the window and took a picture of the airport and there is a military helicopter in the background. 'He says he has been accused of being a spy.' The Foreign and Commonwealth Office plus the Human Relief Foundation have been approached by MailOnline for comment. The chimes that mark Radio 4's 6pm news this Christmas Eve could sound a little different to the show's regular listeners. Big Ben usually opens the BBC's evening news slot but its bongs continue to be silent while construction continues. This year the bells of Rochdale Town Hall will ring instead of the in Parliament's Elizabeth Tower, The Sunday Telegraph reports. Big Ben, the bell inside Elizabeth Tower (pictured) will be silent for about four years as part of the refurbishment Rochdale Town Hall's bells will this year announce the 6pm and the midnight news on BBC's Radio 4 The capital's iconic bongs are only being used for national occasions and have been largely silent for more than a year. Since the four-year renovation project began, the broadcaster has used a recording of Big Ben's chimes for the 6pm and midnight news. The Greater Manchester bells were selected in part because it uses the same 'Westminster chime' as Big Ben. Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry suggested the town hall be used earlier this year. The BBC's director general, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, has now announced that he has agreed the broadcast. In a letter seen by the paper, he said that he was 'delighted' to reveal that the Rochdale bells will be used on December 24. The tower is covered in scaffolding as the multi-million pound refurbishment is carried out Mr Berry says he applauds the decision of the broadcast to 'move from its pre-recorded London centrism' and said that the northern town's bells were just as worthy as the capital's. Ian Duckworth, the 70-year-old former Tory mayor of Rochdale, has been campaigning for years for a greater appreciation. He welcomed the 'brilliant news' and said he will toast the festive chimes with his wife over a glass of champagne. The Grade-I listed Gothic town hall was completed on June 20 1887 on Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. In August 2017 Parliament announced that Westminster's chimes would be silenced for four years as repairs are made to the 158-year-old clock. The 13-ton bell was put out of action to protect the hearing of construction workers at the site. The 61million project included the dismantling of the Great Clock and the removal of its parts to be examined and repaired. Its four dials are set to be cleaned as the glass is also repaired and its hands removed and refurbished. Three women have been injured in a brutal stabbing attack at a train station in eastern France. RTL reported that the assailant stabbed three women in the French city of Mulhouse on Sunday at around 3pm - with one of the victims being knifed in the throat. According to RTL the women did not known the man who approached them out of the blue on Sunday afternoon. The incident took place at the city center train station in Mulhouse shortly after 3pm on Sunday [file photo] Local website France Bleu said the attacker started his rampage by stabbing a woman in the back as she was walking through the station with her 10-year-old daughter. He then reportedly attacked a second woman, who was hit in the hand. The man, said to be a 'young male', then fled the scene of the attack before being chased down by police and arrested. He was also said to have been known to police and was suffering from a 'mental disorder'. All three women are undergoing treatment but it is currently unclear how serious their injuries are. Nobel Laureate Thomas J Sargent will speak at NYU Abu Dhabi Institute this month, as part of the institute's 10th anniversary season. The NYU Abu Dhabi Institute has announced a public programme of events free of charge throughout the month of December. A visiting NYUAD faculty, Sargent will speak on 'US Tariff and Trade Policies: Then and Now". He will discuss the forces and interests that have determined the US government's trade and tariff policies since 1776. Sargent currently teaches a course on quantitative economics at NYU Abu Dhabi. Titled Topics in International and Macroeconomics, this course aims to guide students how to use the power of computing to analyze national economies by developing an understanding of international financial landscapes and discerning valuable monetary information. In addition, the institute, in collaboration with the NYUAD Arts Center and the Universitys Music Program, is hosting a public Piano Master Class with Artist Yeol Eum Son featuring performances by three NYUAD piano students. Other talks include: Now Africa!: Contemporary African Women Playwrights and Walking in the Steps of Poets: Courtly Themes in Early Sufism by chairperson and associate professor of Arabic Studies at the American University of Beirut Bilal Orfali. Established in 2008 as a centre of advanced research, scholarly, and creative activity in Abu Dhabi, NYUAD assembles academics, professionals, and leaders from around the world to its academic conferences and public program to discuss research areas and topics of local and global significance. - TradeArabia News Service Disgraced former CBS head Les Moonves (pictured, October 2012) is threatening to sue CBS after the report over allegations of his sexual misconduct leaked Disgraced former CBS head Les Moonves is threatening to sue CBS after the report over allegations of his sexual misconduct leaked. According to the New York Post, Moonves' attorneys will claim that the leaks break a confidentiality agreement and further tarnish his reputation. The 59-page report, whose findings were published by The New York Times, claims that he destroyed evidence and that other employees at CBS covered his tracks. If so, it means that his $120 million severance package could get cut significantly or even wiped out. The report, according to the Times, also alleges Moonves received oral sex from multiple employees and even had one of them 'on-call' to perform it when he demanded. Investigators noted that the instances were 'transactional and improper to the extent that there was no hint of any relationship, romance, or reciprocity'. Though the lawyers were not able to speak directly with all of the women, they determined that 'such a pattern arguably constitutes willful misfeasance and violation of the company's sexual harassment policy'. Moonves reportedly admitted to receiving oral sex from the woman but claimed it was 'consensual' and denies having any non-consensual sexual relationships. 'They think [the leak is] the dumbest thing they've ever seen,' a source told The Post about Moonves' lawyers. The Post reports the lawyers speculate the reported was leaked by somebody who 'acted out of emotion'. Moonves' attorneys will allegedly claim the leaks break a confidentiality agreement and further tarnish his reputation. The 59-page report says Moonves (with wife Julie Chen, left and right) destroyed evidence and that other employees at CBS covered his tracks Tom Johnson, the spokesman for the two firms who prepared the report - Covington & Burling and Debevoise & Plimpton - has denied that either are behind the leak. 'No findings have been reported to the board,' Johnson said in a statement. 'No draft of the investigators' ongoing work product has been shared with the board or the company. Anyone who may have disclosed draft information to the New York Times did so without authority and in violation of their obligations.' Through all this, Moonves's wife Julie Chen is sticking by him. According to Page Six, the conflict has brought the 48-year-old TV host and her husband closer together. Despite reports that Chen has been struggling with the fallout, a source told the website: 'Les managed to convince Julie that none of this was true, that he was being screwed over.' According to the report, Moonves's 2004 marriage to Chen was considered a 'bright line' and is thought to have put an end to his sexual acts in the workplace. Chen has publicly stood by her husband, signing off of Big Brother as 'Julie Chen Moonves' for the first time in September, after he resigned. She announced in September that she was leaving The Talk. It was revealed that Moonves lost his job after it was claimed he tried to stop Bobbie Phillips (left) from sharing possible allegations of sexual misconduct by giving her a role on a CBS series. June Seley Kimmel (right) also claims she told CBS about an incident of sexual misconduct that happened in 1985 when Les Moonves 'stuck his tongue down her throat' According to Page Six, the conflict has brought Moonves and his wife, 48-year-old TV host Julie Chen, closer together. Pictured: Moonves and Chen attend the late Senator John McCain's funeral in September 2018 'Right now I need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son,' Chen said at the end of the episode. But the bombshell report comes nearly a week after it was claimed that Moonves lost his job after he tried to stop Bobbie Phillips from sharing allegations of sexual misconduct by giving her a role on a CBS series. According to The Times, Bobbie Phillips was trying to break into the industry back in 1995 when she met Moonves at his office to discuss possible work, a fact that both parties and Phillips's agent acknowledge to be true. Halfway through that meeting, Phillips claims that Moonves exposed himself and said: 'Look how hard you make me'. That is when he allegedly forced himself into her mouth, stating: 'Be my girlfriend and I'll put you on any show.' Moonves denies ever forcing Phillips to perform oral sex, but does not deny that the sex act took place. June Seley Kimmel also claims she told CBS about an incident of sexual misconduct that happened in 1985 when Les Moonves 'stuck his tongue down her throat'. The teenager (pictured) was last seen wearing a green parka with a fluffy hood on November 28 in Leachkin, Inverness A body has been found in the search for a 19-year-old girl who went missing two weeks ago. Jade McGrath was last seen in the Leachkin area of Inverness on November 28. After a large-scale search involving police dogs, the RAF and specialist officers, police confirmed that a body was found in Inverness, Scotland, at around 3pm this afternoon. The 19-year-old is from Aviemore and her family has been informed of Sunday's discovery. A police statement said: 'Police Scotland can confirm they have recovered a body from Lawers Way, Inverness at about 3pm on Sunday. 'Formal identification is still to take place.' When the search for Jade started, police said they considered her to be 'vulnerable'. The family said in a statement released by Police Scotland: 'As each day goes on, we are growing increasingly concerned for Jade and we just desperately want answers and to know where she is. 'Anyone who was in the Leachkin area last Wednesday afternoon from around 1.45pm, please think back and if you think you might have seen anything please call the police. The teenager (pictured) has a diamond tattoo on her hand and has been missing since November 28 'She had no phone or money with her and she would most likely have been in a distressed state if you saw her. 'We are grateful to everyone who has helped so far and are just desperate for news. 'If Jade is reading this, we want you to know that we love you very much and we just want you home safe.' Jade is around 5ft 2in and petite, with long, bleached blonde hair with dark roots and faint wisps of blue in the ends. She was wearing a khaki green parka-style jacket with a fluffy hood, black leggings and Nike trainers. The teenager has an Alice In Wonderland tattoo on one of her forearms, with diamond and club symbols from a pack of cards on her fingers and a small diamond tattoo on her hand. Police officers investigating the missing girl found the body at Lawers Way, Inverness (pictured) Former FBI director James Comey was concerned the New York field office of the bureau had leaked information to Rudy Giuliani, a supporter of Donald Trump, during the 2016 campaign and he ordered an investigation of the matter. Comey's concern was revealed in his testimony on Friday to House investigators on the Judiciary and Oversight Committees. He told lawmakers he ordered a probe after Giuliani made public statements that indicated he had inside knowledge of the FBI investigation into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information with her private email server. James Comey said he was worried Rudy Giuliani was receiving and leaking information from FBI's New York field office during the 2016 campaign Rudy Giuliani has previously denied receiving leaked information from the FBI 'I was concerned that there appeared to be in the media a number of stories that might have been based on communications reporters or non-reporters like Rudy Giuliani were having with people in the New York field office,' he said according to a transcript that was released, The Wall Street Journal reported. 'Mr. Giuliani was making statements that appeared to be based on his knowledge of workings inside the FBI New York,' Comey noted. 'And then my recollection is there were other stories that were in the same ballpark that gave me a general concern that we may have a leak problem - unauthorized disclosure problem out of New York, and so I asked that it be investigated.' This is not the first time Giuliani has been asked if he received leaks from the bureau, which he has denied. But the remarks are the strongest from Comey to date indicating he was suspicious of the former mayor of New York City, who was close to a number of agents in the New York office dating from his role as former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. 'Did I get any leaks from the FBI? I said no,' Giuliani told the Huffington Post in June. He also told the publication FBI agents interviewed him earlier in the year regarding his 2016 remarks predicting a 'surprise' in the closing days of the presidential race that would benefit Trump. Giuliani was a top adviser to Trump's presidential campaign during 2016, He said the 'surprise' that he predicted was a 20-minute national television ad he was urging Trump to buy to deliver a speech 'hitting very hard on the Comey decision.' Comey had recommended Clinton not be prosecuted for having a private email server. However, the then-FBI director delivered a bombshell a few weeks before the election when he announced his agents were taking another look at her email use. A female passenger in an allegedly stolen car has hurled a brick at three young women in another vehicle during a terrifying road road attack caught on camera. The victims, all aged in their 20s, had been travelling on Melbourne's Monash Freeway in Narre Warren last month when a Toyota Echo drove up beside them. Police were told the driver threw a plastic bottle at the victim's car, before the front passenger hurled a brick out the window. The victims managed to capture the incident on mobile phone footage, which showed the two women yelling obscenities at them before driving away. Police have released images of two women who they believe may be able to assist with the investigation The brick caused minor panel damage to the victim's car, but its occupants did not suffer any injuries, police said. The Toyota Echo was later found abandoned in Fitzroy. Police have released images of two women who they believe may be able to assist with the investigation. The driver is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged in her mid to late 20's with long dark hair. The front passenger is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged in her mid to late 20's with short bleached blonde hair. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Senior Church of England bishops will start an inquiry into 'gay cure' therapies. Bishops will take evidence from people who have gone through the so-called 'treatments' to turn people from gay to straight. The treatments range from counselling to 'corrective rape', where victims are forced to have sex with someone of the opposite gender. The charity-led inquiry has begun a survey into conversion therapy taking place within religious groups. The Government planned to take action in July this year, after a survey of more than 100,000 LGBT people revealed that up to five per cent had been offered a form of the therapy. Its LGBT Action Plan said faith organisations were most likely to carry out the treatments [File photo] The Ozanne Foundation, which works with religious organisations to stop discrimination, has launched an online faith and sexuality survey open to UK residents over the age of 16. Jayne Ozanne, who is the director of the foundation, went through a form of gay cure therapy herself, the Ozanne Foundation said. She said: 'Like many, I voluntarily chose to put myself through various forms of deliverance ministry and emotional healing in order to try and rid myself of my unwanted sexual desires as I believed them to be sinful', the Sunday Times reported. 'Sadly, this ended with me being hospitalised twice for severe abdominal pain caused by stress and two nervous breakdowns. 'If I had understood the dangers I would never have put myself through such emotional and spiritual abuse.' The bizarre treatments range from counselling to 'corrective rape', where victims are forced to have sex with someone of the opposite gender. A leading charity has also begun a survey into conversion therapy taking place within religious groups [File photo] Bishop Paul Bayes, who is chair of the foundation, said they are concerned the practice is still being used by religious groups. He said: 'Conversion therapy has no place in the modern world, and has been roundly condemned by the Church of England among many others. 'Sadly, we already know that all too often it has devastating long term consequences'. The Government planned to take action in July this year, after a survey of more than 100,000 LGBT people revealed that up to five per cent had been offered a form of the therapy. The Government then launched a 75 point LGBT Action Plan costing 4.5million, and among other pledges, promised to outlaw the therapies. Its plan did not offer a definition or say how it was going to be outlawed, but noted the treatments included 'pseudo-psychological treatments to, in extreme cases, surgical interventions and 'corrective' rape'. The plan also said faith organisations were most likely to carry out the treatments. Last year the Church of England's General Synod endorsed a motion saying the practice is 'unethical, potentially harmful and has no place in the modern world'. The Church of England's Second Church Estates Commissioner, Dame Caroline Spelman, also met with ministers to consider outlawing the therapies. Advertisement The 26-year-old man charged with the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand had called her 'beautiful, very radiant' just 11 minutes before she was last seen alive. Jesse Kempson, 26, left the comment on the 22-year-old Essex native's Facebook profile picture shortly before she was spotted in the company of a man at a hotel in central Auckland on December 1. Today, Kempson was sat just yards away from members of Ms Millane's family at his first court appearance in Auckland, during which he was called a 'scumbag' from persons in the public gallery. Speaking to MailOnline as the 26-year-old father-of-one appeared in court, his grandmother described him as 'a very confused young man'. Scroll down for video Suspect: Jesse Kempson, seen here in his Facebook profile image (left), and playing softball in 2010 (right), was remanded in custody accused of murdering Grace Millane Charged: Kempson, 26, is pictured here alongside a policeman on his way to court on Monday, in an image obscured in accordance with New Zealand law 'Beautiful and radiant': Kempson, using his first and middle-name on Facebook, described Ms Millane as 'beautiful and very radiant' just hours before she disappeared The body of Grace Millane, 22, pictured right with her family, was discovered on Sunday afternoon as police arrested a 26-year-old suspect over the crime Ms Millane was a talented artist and would share her work on Instagram. Her final post; a watercolour painting of a skull, carries the eerie caption; 'Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead'. It is a line from the theme song of the TV show Pretty Little Liars, which is centered around the murder of a young woman. Earlier on Monday, Kempson, whose family live in Wellington, looked gloomy as he sat in the dock in Auckland District Court on Monday, having been led in wearing blue police overalls. After 90 minutes standing in the courtroom, he was led back to the cells by prison officers as a man in the gallery shouted 'scumbag'. Kempson didn't speak during his appearance and a plea was not entered on his behalf. Court documents showed the suspect had been living on the same road in Auckland as the hostel Ms Millane disappeared from on Saturday, December 1. Addressing Ms Millane's family in court on Monday, Judge Evangelos Thomas said: 'I don't know what to say to you at this time, but your grief must be desperate. 'We all hope justice will be fair and swift and ultimately brings you some peace.' Kempson will remain in custody, and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on January 23. Eerie: Ms Millane's final Instagram post is a painting of a skull, captioned 'Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead' Judge Evangelos Thomas addresses the family of Ms Millane as her suspected murderer appeared in court today Flowers left at the crime scene by members of the public near where her body was discovered on Sunday morning Ms Millane, pictured right and left with her mother Gillian. Members of her family appeared in court on Monday alongside her suspected killer An emotional New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern apologised on behalf of her nation to Grace's family The scene where the body of Ms Millane was found by New Zealand police in the Waitakere Ranges outside Auckland Last seen: Ms Millane is seen at three locations in central Auckland on December 1st, a week before her body is found MailOnline can reveal Kempson was in contact with Ms Millane in the hours before she vanished. On Saturday, December 1, at 9.29pm local time, he commented on a Facebook photograph of Ms Millane, describing her as 'beautiful, very radiant'. Ms Millane, from Essex, was last seen in the company of a man at the CityLife hotel in Auckland, not far from the hostel she was staying at, at about 9.40pm on December 1. Prosecutors claim Kempson killed her on that night, or on Sunday, December 2, which was her 22nd birthday. Her body was discovered by New Zealand police on Sunday morning after a nationwide search and international outcry over her disappearance. Kempson's family has revealed that he was partly raised by his grandparents after his parents split up when he was a young child, and that he had been living with his mother in Sydney as a teenager. 'He was a nice kid, but he sort of fell out with everybody, which is what happens with broken up marriages,' his grandfather told Stuff.co.nz. Kempson had become estranged from his family in recent years, with his father telling Stuff that he had not spoken to his son for two years because of 'a difference in opinion on life'. The 26-year-old is believed to have been living in Sydney, Australia, for several years, and his grandparents said he had fathered a daughter while in Australia but that he is not in a relationship with the mother. Ms Millane had been travelling New Zealand when she disappeared on December 1. Her body was found more than a week later, on Sunday morning Police have released photos of this red Toyota Corolla which was rented from an Auckland company for 24 hours and is believed to have been used to transport Ms Millane's body to where it was found. It was then returned on December 3, and rented out again to persons unrelated to the investigation, and located in the town of Taupo on Saturday 8th December TIMELINE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE AND SUSPECTED MURDER OF BACKPACKER GRACE MILLANE November 20: Grace Millane arrives in New Zealand from Peru. She had been in nearly daily contact with her family. November 30: Ms Millane posts her last tweet saying 'I think travelling has changed me I just brought some blue jeans.' December 1: Ms Millane is seen on CCTV leaving a hotel in Auckland at 7.15pm. Jesse Kempson describes Ms Millane as 'beautiful and very radiant' in a comment on a Facebook photo at 9.29pm. She is seen at the CityLife Hotel, in Auckland, with a 'male companion' at 9.40pm. December 2: The 22-year-old's birthday. Her family do not hear anything from her, which is unusual behaviour. Just before noon, a red Toyota Corolla is hired from a central Auckland rental firm. December: 3: The Toyota Corolla is returned, and eventually rented out again to persons unrelated to the investigation December 5: Her worried family file a missing persons report and pictured of Ms Millane are shared extensively online. December 7: Police said they had received dozens of calls to a hotline and more than 25 staff were working on the case, trawling through hours of CCTV footage to trace her movements. After arriving in Auckland her father, David Millane, makes an emotional plea for help finding his daughter. Police reveal they have spoken to the male companion and he is a person of interest. The man was not taken into custody and police said there was no evidence of foul play. December 8: A 26-year-old man is taken into custody at a central Auckland address by police. The red Toyota is located in the town of Taupo December 9: Police announce they are searching an area on Scenic Drive, near the Waitakere Reservoir. Shortly after 4pm local time (3am GMT), police find a body believed to be Ms Millane in vegetation around ten yards from the road. A 26-year-old man is charged with her murder. December 10: Jesse Kempson, 26, appears in court in Auckland. He does not enter a plea. Advertisement Yesterday, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made an emotional apology on behalf of the country to Grace's family. Addressing Ms Millane's family, she said: 'I cannot imagine the grief of her family and what they would be experiencing and feeling right now. 'My thoughts and prayers are with her father David, who is in the country, her mother Gillian, who cannot be here, and her wider family, friends and loved ones. 'From the Kiwis I have spoken to, there is this overwhelming sense of hurt and shame that this has happened in our country, a place that prides itself on our hospitality, on our manaakitanga [a Maori term meaning kindness and generosity] especially to those who are visiting our shores.' Her voice cracking with emotion, the PM added: 'So on behalf of New Zealand, I want to apologise to Grace's family. Your daughter should have been safe here, and she wasn't, and I'm sorry for that.' It remains unclear how Kempson and Ms Millane met or what the possible motive for the killing might be. Police took the 26-year-old suspect into custody earlier this week and have charged him with Ms Millane's murder. The suspect cannot currently be named in New Zealand or on social media due to a court order, the New Zealand Herald reported. Detective Inspector Scott Beard said Ms Millane's body was found near Scenic Drive, which leads through the Waitakere Ranges, a popular parkland west of Auckland. She was discovered about ten yards from the side of the road, hidden in bushland, with her body believed to have been taken there in a rented red Toyota Corolla. The red Toyota was then rented out again to persons unrelated to the investigation, and it was eventually seized by police some 190 miles from Auckland, in the small tourist town of Taupo. The remains of Ms Millane were found some ten yards from the road. Pictured: A forensics officer at over the scene on Sunday Police standing guard on a section of Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges as forensics teams investigate the crime scene David Millane, Grace's property developer father, broke down in tears as he begged for help finding his backpacker daughter after she vanished in New Zealand, days before her body was found 'The formal identification process will now take place, however based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace,' he said at a press conference near the scene. 'Obviously this brings the search for Grace to an end. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them.' Ms Millane, from Essex, graduated from university in September and had embarked on a year-long worldwide trip. After visiting Peru, she arrived in New Zealand on November 20 and had been 'bombarding' her family with photos as she kept in near-daily contact with her parents and brothers via social media. Her father, David Millane, said they last had contact on the day she vanished. Police said they had received dozens of calls to a hotline and more than 25 staff were working on the case, trawling through hours of CCTV footage to trace her movements. Jailed: Mark Starling with Rosalie, who gave him at least 8,500 Victims of a fraudster who conned friends and family including his daughter into putting 3million in a bogus investment scheme have told how he destroyed their lives. Mark Starling, 57, spent a decade convincing investors, including millionaires at his local rowing club, to let him manage their savings. Of the 3million handed over to him, he only actually invested 8,000 of which he lost 2,450. The father of three blew more than 1million on his childrens private education, property, cars and exotic holidays. He was jailed last month for five years after admitting fraud and operating unauthorised investment schemes between 2008 and 2017. The Daily Mail can now reveal the appalling web of lies Starling span by targeting those who loved him most. His eldest daughter Rosalie, 27, invested at least 8,500 while his 29-year-old nephew Christopher Bullett put in a similar amount. A total of 17 investors are set to lose a total of 1.8million. Some had cash returned to them over the course of Starlings fraud. Victims told how they were suckered in by Starlings charm as he played on his standing as a pillar of the local community. He kept up the facade with faked monthly investment updates showing impressive returns, while pretending to go to business meetings in the City and on the Isle of Man. At one point he even took investors on a trip to Le Mans race track in France without them knowing they were funding it themselves. Those he fooled included friends he had known for up to 35 years, and others who would dine with the family-of-five at their luxury rented home in Farnham, Surrey. An oil executive at Starlings rowing club ploughed in nearly 500,000. Judge Philip Bartle QC, sentencing Starling at Southwark Crown Court, said: He did not do a stroke of work over these years, he didnt do a stroke of lawful, gainful employment ... it was, in short, a pack of lies over a very long period of time' For some investors their losses will be life-changing with a pensioner having to return to work after trusting Starling with their retirement cash. An office worker said she had invested tens of thousands of pounds in the hope it would provide for her childrens future. A defrauded investor said: Knowing that he was actually destroying peoples lives while putting his kids through private schools it is just incredible. The most unbelievable behaviour I have ever come across. Starlings deception began in 2008 when he told friends he had become a proprietary futures trader and had developed a strategy that promised a low-risk investment with returns of up to 18 per cent a year. Mark Starling, 57, spent a decade convincing investors, including millionaires at his local rowing club, to let him manage their savings One investor said she even joked with Starling, asking him: Youre not going to run off to Bermuda with my money, are you? She said: He was absolutely charming a good laugh. He seemed so kind and genuine. A lovely family with the three lovely girls why wouldnt I trust him? Another investor who lost a small fortune said: I just cant comprehend how someone can treat friends and family this way all the while living off their savings. The impact this has had on peoples lives and their families is immense and makes this completely unforgivable. I have absolute hatred and anger towards Mark. he does not deserve any sort of comfortable life after this The fact that he has received such a short sentence and will return to the community is no justice at all. Starling spent 220,000 on property, 165,000 on school fees, 46,000 on shopping and 30,000 on cars. He spent 42,000 on family holidays, including annual ski holidays to friends chalet and two-week summer breaks in a Southern European villa. Michael Hick told Southwark Crown Court: Unfortunately the scheme was a scam from the start. The money was used to allow Mr Starling to live a comfortable life without the hassle of having to go to work or pay tax. Judge Philip Bartle QC, sentencing Starling, said: He did not do a stroke of work over these years, he didnt do a stroke of lawful, gainful employment ... it was, in short, a pack of lies over a very long period of time. Seth Mull, 31, was convicted on Friday of serial rape and human trafficking charges after he assaulted for women in Pennsylvania last year A Pennsylvania man who forced women to be sex slaves has been convicted of serial rape and human trafficking charges that could put him in prison for life. Seth Mull, 31, was accused of assaulting four women in the Bethlehem area and Philadelphia in a two-month span last year. A jury on Friday convicted Mull on 30 of the 36 charges he faced following his arrest in October. The judge said that Mull faces a sentence of hundreds of years. His accusers said Mull claimed them as his property after using his charm to lure the unwitting victims into a dark, violent world of sexual exploitation. Authorities said Mull would lure the women online and pounce on them in person, forcing them to be his 'sex slaves' while using violence and drugs to exert control. Mull forced the women he entrapped into prostitution and pornography, made them take cocaine and methamphetamine, raped and choked them, and threatened to kill victims and their families to ensure compliance. His accusers said Mull claimed them as his property after using his charm to lure the unwitting victims into a dark, violent world of sexual exploitation Authorities said Mull would lure the women online and pounce on them in person, forcing them to be his 'sex slaves' while using violence and drugs to exert control A police search of Mull's computers and phones revealed he had visited websites for human trafficking and sexual slavery. Police also found a written 'sex slave contract' and dozens of pornographic videos and photos recorded with his phone, according to court documents. In some cases, prosecutors said Mull sold the victims to other men. The defense, however, claims Mull had consensual sex with the women. Since the initial charges were publicized, several other accusers have contacted police to lodge assault, forced pornography and sex trafficking allegations against Mull. Bethlehem police said they've been in touch with law enforcement in several other cities, from Pittsburgh to San Diego to Honolulu, where Mull was charged last year after a woman accused him of raping and strangling her. That case was dismissed when the accuser declined to move forward. A terminally ill man married his sweetheart in hospital after being told he only has weeks to live. Transplant patient Darren Easton 24, is receiving end-of-life care after both his donor lungs failed. Darren, a cystic fibrosis sufferer took his vows with sweetheart Lauren Pope, who suffers from the same condition, as the 60 guests at the ceremony at Harefield Hospital, London wept tears of joy. Some 60 guests were present at the ceremony at Harefield Hospital, London and wept tears of joy Although mechanic Darren had to rest between the ceremony and the reception, he mustered enough strength to stand up from his wheelchair for their first dance Transplant patient Darren Easton 24, exchanging vows with Lauren, also 24 The couple were determined to seal the romance which began when they met at the funeral of a fellow cystic fibrosis sufferer in 2015. The couple exchanged their vows before family, friends and medical staff. Afterwards a frail Darren, 24, told the Mirror: 'When I knew I was going to die, we were going to do all we could to get married. More than anything I want Lauren to be happy and to know even after I'm gone, I'll always be with her.' And hairdresser Lauren, also 24, said: 'I know the vows say till death do us part, but it's not for us. Our love goes beyond that and will last long after both of us have gone.' The couple exchanged their vows before family, friends and medical staff Family friend Antoinette Holden, 46, helped the couple's dream become a reality when she crowdfunded 3,000 in just 14 days to pay for the ceremony. Darren proposed to Lauren in March 2016 moments after regaining consciousness following his double lung transplant. They had planned to tie the knot once they had saved enough money but when Darren's lungs failed on November 27 due to an infection he was told by doctors he had weeks to live. He was helped into his suit by best man Wayne Holmes, 27, who had stayed the night in his hospital room on a camp bed. Darren Easton and Lauren Pope wed after Darren's transplant lungs were rejected Darren, 24, wanted to make sure Lauren knew he would always be with her Family friend Antoinette Holden, 46, helped the couple's dream become a reality when she crowdfunded 3,000 in just 14 days to pay for the tragic couple's ceremony. Her post on Go Fund Me is pictured Although mechanic Darren had to rest between the ceremony and the reception, he mustered enough strength to stand up from his wheelchair to have the first dance with Lauren to Lukas Graham's Love Someone. The pair were diagnosed at birth with cystic fibrosis and their life expectancy was not expected to be longer than 40-years-old. When they were introduced in March 2015 at the funeral of a mutual friend and sufferer Ben Fidelia they realised how much they had in common. Just after Darren's lung transplant, March 2016. In March he was given 24 hours to live after a cardiac arrest The pair were diagnosed at birth with cystic fibrosis and their life expectancy was not expected to be longer than 40-years-old In early January 2016, Darren's condition worsened and he was put on the transplant list They met at hospital a few weeks later and they soon bonded after staying in neighboring rooms. Their closeness worried nurses, as cystic fibrosis patients are not meant to mix because of cross-infection risks. Lauren said the nurses used to 'tell them off'. She explained that the nurses let them stay together after they sang 'we shall not be moved' and were even spotted sneaking off to the pub together by a doctor. In early January 2016, Darren's condition worsened and he was put on the transplant list. By March he was given 24 hours to live after a cardiac arrest. But donor lungs were found and he had an eight-hour op at the Royal Brompton. Darren in recovery following his transplant operation that took eight hours Darren said: 'He said: 'Living together was amazing. We had an unusual relationship, though' After waking from his operation, Darren, of Fulham, moved into Lauren's flat in Watford a month later. He said: 'Living together was amazing. We had an unusual relationship, though. Most couples argue over what to watch on TV. We argued about fridge space for our medicines.' But their joy was short-lived when Darren's health deteriorated and he was admitted to Harefield last month.' When the couple were hit with the devastating news that Darren's lungs were failing and they expressed their wish to wed soon, Antoinette stepped in. Not only did Antoinette launch the crowdfunding appeal, she also organised the wedding in a week after her 1,500 GoFund, Lauren said she feels like she owes those who donated to the appeal 'everything.' Acting as bridesmaids for the couple's special day were Lauren's sisters Anne-Marie, 32, and Abigail, 13, plus her sister-in-law Chelsea, 26. While Darren's parents Lisa 52, and Darren Snr were also at the ceremony with Lauren's mum Samantha, 49, husband Phil and dad Tony, 62. The reception was at a nearby private home, Black Jack's Mill, donated by the owners. Darren said: 'It was the greatest day ever. My only concern now is Lauren will be stable. I have put away money for her as well as a box of my things to keep. I want her to be happy.' Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said the public facts out of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation show that President Donald Trump is 'beyond the stage' that led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. 'You are beyond the stage that led to impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, whether or not you think that was worthy of impeachment or not,' he said Sunday on ABC's 'This Week.' He also warned Trump he has stepped into the same territory that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said the public facts out of Robert Mueller's probe show that Trump is 'beyond the stage' that led to Clinton's impeachment President Trump has denied any wrongdoing 'The president has now stepped into the same territory that ultimately led to President Nixon resigning the office. President Nixon was an unindicted co-conspirator - certainly a different set of facts. But this investigation is now starting to put the president in serious legal crosshairs, and he should be worried and the whole country should be worried,' he said. 'Listen, nobodys rooting for the president to go down in this manner. This isnt good for democracy but this investigation may ultimately lead to Congress taking action,' he added. Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on Dec. 19, 1998 on two counts - lying to the grand jury about the nature of his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and for obstruction of justice in the Paula Jones case by encouraging Lewinsky to give false testimony if and when she was called to testify and by attempting to tamper with the possible testimony of his secretary Betty Curie. Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974, after a grand jury named him an unindicted co-conspirator in the Watergate break-in and as the House of Representatives was preparing articles of impeachment against him. But Senator Murphy also sounded words of caution on Sunday, saying Congress should do nothing until special counsel Robert Mueller completed his investigation. And he told Mueller to get something to Congress in early 2019. 'I think we should wait for Mueller's investigation,' Murphy said. 'But I would also counsel the special investigator to show his cards soon. I mean I think it's important for the special investigator to give Congress what he has sometime early in 2019 so that congress can make a determination.' He added: 'If the president did, in fact, collude with the Russians to try to manipulate the election, or engage in multiple felonies with Michael Cohen, it doesn't really make sense for Congress to get that report from the special investigator in 2020, we need that next year. We need that as soon as possible.' Murphy was referring to allegations that came out on Friday in two sentencing memos tied to cases involving Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen show the president committed a crime. Cohen worked 'in coordination with and at the direction of' Donald Trump by his own admission to arrange for the National Enquirer to buy the rights to the two women's stories and 'kill' them, preventing media exposure of their claims, one of the sentencing memos claims. Special Counsel Robert Mueller should wrap up his probe soon, Sen. Murphy said Former Playboy model Karen McDougal (left) and porn actress Stormy Daniels (right) both claimed to have slept with Donald Trump in the past, but the government says Cohen coordinated with Trump to make sure the women were paid for their silence in effect a pair of massive campaign contributions designed to save the election for Trump Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen should spend between 51 and 63 months in federal prison, according to a prosecutor's memo Cohen 'coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign,' according to the memo, 'including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments.' And as a result, 'neither woman spoke to the press prior to the election.' The payments were made to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, both of whom claimed to have affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to Daniels, which prosecutors say violated campaign finance law prohibitions against donations of more than $2,700 in a general election. A $150,000 payment by American Media Inc. to silence McDougal was an illegal corporate donation to the Trump's campaign, prosecutors claim. Both women claim affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Prosecutors noted Cohen had implicated the president in the payments. 'Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1,' the prosecutors wrote. 'Individual-1' refers to Trump. Trump claimed the filings out on Friday vindicate him. 'Totally clears the President. Thank you!,' he tweeted. Air BP, an international aviation fuel products and service supplier, will be showcasing its technical services capabilities and general aviation expertise, at the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (Mebaa) Show, to be held in Dubai, UAE. The event will take place from December 10 to 12, at the Dubai World Central (DWC). Air BPs technical services offer is a complete aviation fuel consultancy service tailored to customers individual requirements, said a statement. It includes a range of innovative technical services for airports including the design, build and operation of fuelling facilities to help customers manage their operations and associated risks. Air BP is currently providing technical services to customers in 11 countries across the Middle East, a region where it has been active for over 85 years, including Al Maktoum International airport, where the company was selected in 2015 as lead participant by the oil companies joint venture to design a new general aviation fuel terminal. Work has just commenced at the airport to connect the main fuel hydrant to the new general aviation terminal, which is home to Jet Aviation, Jetex Flight Support, ExecuJet, DC Aviation and Falcon Aviation, and is expected to be completed next year. Other notable recent successes include a technical services agreement with Adnoc, at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUD/OMAA), to interlink two existing ship unloading lines at Anabeeb fuel terminal, enabling greater efficiency and flexibility in fuel supply, plus the project management of the tank farm refurbishment at Erbil International Airport (EBL/OREL) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. This latter project is expected to commence next month and is anticipated to offer airlines visiting the airport a more reliable fuel supply. Air BPs general aviation fuelling expertise is unique in the region and recognised by customers, including the Emirates Airline Flight Training Academy at Al Maktoum International Airport, which has a fleet of 22 trainer aircraft. Michel Saba, general aviation manager, Air BP Middle East, who will be attending the show this week said: The Middle East continues to be an important region for Air BP where we are continuing to invest and grow with our customers. We are seeing our general aviation business grow ever stronger thanks to our experience in handling Avgas, which has led to tie ups with customers such as the Emirates Flight Training Academy and the commissioning of new fuel facilities at the Al Maktoum International airport general aviation terminal, he added. Visitors to Mebaa will also have the opportunity to find out more about Air BPs low carbon solutions. Air BP is the first aviation fuel supplier to achieve carbon neutrality for its into-plane fuelling services across its international network of over 250 operated facilities. This includes Air BPs operations at two of the largest airports in the region Dubai International and Sharjah International, it stated. TradeArabia News Service A couple has applied for their 20-year marriage to be annulled because the wife was unaware her husband identified as a female when they married. The New South Wales couple, each known as Ms Tien-Lao, applied to the Family Court for their heterosexual marriage to be annulled so they could be remarried as a same-sex couple, which was legalised in 2017. The biological wife told the court she believed she was marrying a man when they tied the knot in 1998. She claimed she had no inkling that he was 'not thoroughly male' until 2013, when he began the transgender process, according to court documents. A NSW couple wanted their 20-year marriage nullified so they could remarry as a same-sex couple (stock image) 'I am glad I married (the former male persona) because of our wonderful children and because it has meant I finally found (the current female persona),' she told the Family Court of New South Wales last month. 'However, I would not have married [the former male persona] if I had known [the current female persona] or if I had known it would mean that [the current female persona] and I would be stuck in a number of legal limbos simply because of how we were born.' The couple have known each other for more than 30 years and have been together since 1996, according to the court documents. Justice Stewart Austin said there was no dispute the respondent had male attributes at the time of marriage. 'He had exclusively male genitalia and he outwardly represented himself as male,' he said. 'His sex was registered as male on the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages Register and he publicly used the male name by which he was registered. His paternity of the parties two children, both conceived after the parties marriage, is compelling proof of his physiologically male gender.' The Family Court of Australia in Newcastle (pictured) declined the couple's request for their first marriage to be annulled He ruled that while the biological wife may not then have known the depth of her partner's commitment to the female gender, it didn't amount to mistaken identity. 'The respondent was and remains the same wise, kind, loyal spouse she intended to marry. In fact, her love for the respondent makes her want to marry her again,' Justice Austin said. He denied the couple's request, ruling that legal recognition of marriage and divorce was not for the spouses alone to decide. Justice Stewart Austin (pictured) ruled there was no dispute the respondent had male attributes when the couple married in 1998 'I am satisfied the parties genuinely believe in the merit of the nullity application, but their honesty and emotional investment in the outcome cannot be persuasive,' Justice Austin said. 'No doubt the parties will be disappointed by the dismissal of this application but it should not be regarded by them as any disrespect for, or slight against, the respondents gender.' A deadly brown snake has been caught slithering through the middle of Australia's capital, shocking weekend shoppers. Snakes may be common in the suburbs and outlying areas, but the slippery visit marks the first time a killer serpent has ever been found so close to Parliament - just three kilometres away. The one and a half metre long snake was rescued on Bunda Street outside the Canberra Centre on Sunday and narrowly avoided being killed by passers-by. Scroll down for Video A deadly brown snake has been caught slithering through the middle of Australia's capital on Sunday Canberra's Snake Rescue and Relocation team were called to the scene and found the snake hiding in the greenery on the main street lined with busy shops and restaurants. 'We jumped in and started looking for it. We did a bit of prodding around and saw it move,' Snake Catcher Emma Carlson told The Canberra Times. Together with fellow snake catcher Luke, who was also wearing protective leg gear, they put the reptile into a bag in front of curious onlookers. The pair then released the snake into the bush, away from people or houses. Reptile catching duo, Emma and Luke, captured the snake and put it into a bag in front of a stunned crowd Amid reports that some people tried to kill the snake, Ms Carlson said such action would have been a shame as well as potentially dangerous. The brown snake is suspected to have come from Mount Ainslie overnight in search of food, water and shelter. Another snake was spotted in Canberra on Sunday night at the front of the Old Parliament House. Another snake (pictured) was spotted in Canberra on Sunday night at the front of the Old Parliament House which was also rescued The Carpet python (Morelia spilota) was also captured by the Snake Rescue and Relocation team. This type of snake is not native to the Australian Capital Territory so it will not be released, and its fate was unknown. According to snake professionals, anyone who comes into contact with one of the reptiles should remain calm and keep their distance. Snakes only bite humans as a last resort, as they are reclusive by nature. Like many commuters, Brian Woodhead wastes much of his life navigating London's creaking transport network, travelling from his home in a village just outside Hitchin in Hertfordshire. The journey may be gruelling, but it does come with a perk a salary that most British workers can only dream of. Last year, Mr Woodhead pulled in a hefty 292,137, equivalent to roughly 11 times the national average wage. Yet if you thought this sort of fat-cat package was reserved for high-flying bankers, City lawyers, and hedge-funding members of London's corporate elite, think again. For this 58-year-old graduate of the University of Huddersfield is actually on the books of one of our most generous state employers. He's the Customer Service Director of Transport for London (TfL), a quango run by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, which is in charge of the capital's road, rail and bus networks. Brian Woodhead is the Customer Service Director of Transport for London (TfL), a quango run by London Mayor Sadiq Khan (pictured) which is in charge of the capital's road, rail and bus networks Woodhead is just one of 63 TfL staffers who last year took home more than 200,000, and sits in the third tier of the organisation's managerial flow-chart. Last week, he was at the centre of a heated party-political row. To blame was a press release by the London Conservatives, accusing Mayor Khan of wasting tens of millions of pounds on 'eye-watering pay rises' to TfL staff. The document contained extraordinary revelations about employment practices at the organisation, alleging that behind the steel and glass exterior of the HQ in Greenwich, South-East London, Khan is presiding over a culture of untrammelled corporate excess. It noted, for example, that TfL's 26,994 staffers last year took home a combined 2.25 billion, according to its last annual report. That equates to an average of 83,337 each. The gargantuan, some might say scandalous, figure is unrivalled almost anywhere in the public sector. It's higher than the equivalent at some of London's major finance houses. What's more, it represents a 17.6 per cent rise from the previous year, when 27,131 people on TfL's payroll earned 1.96 billion, equating to 71,238 each. In comparison, the Tories point out, Khan's predecessor as TfL chair Boris Johnson, was a model of restraint. He oversaw the employment of 27,501 staff on an average of a mere 70,615, at a total cost of 1.94 billion. The press release also pointed out that the stewardship of the Labour Mayor, who took office in May 2016, has seen TfL employees on more than 100,000 a year spiral upwards at an equally stratospheric rate. It has increased from 458 when Johnson left office in 2016, to 607 in the last financial year, which ended on April 1 a 34 per cent rise. Last year Brian Woodhead pulled in a hefty 292,137, equivalent to roughly 11 times the national average wage The small army of TfL staff trousering salaries upwards of 150,000 has also grown from 90 to 154, up 71 per cent over the same period. Those on more than 200,000 have increased from 46 to 63, a rise of 36 per cent. Like all TfL employees, they receive pension contributions of around 35 per cent of salary (three times the rate of local government employees) and free travel across the capital for both themselves and a member of their household, a perk worth 2,500 per person per year. Meanwhile, the higher tiers of this pay pyramid contain staff on individual packages which seem, to a layman at least, astonishing. Woodhead is a case in point. His 292,000 is around 3.5 times what the average UK company pays its customer services director, according to research by the recruitment firm CV-Library, which advertises almost 14,000 customer services jobs each month and maintains a database of 14 million CVs. It is also substantially more than is paid for the equivalent job in New York. There, the most senior executive of its Transport Authority, Andy Byford, was hired on a promise of a mere $325,000 (255,000) salary. Alongside Woodhead in TfL's HQ are the likes of Gareth Powell, the man in charge of Surface Transport (his earnings last year went up by 23,000 from 287,000 to 313,000), Lester Hampson, who oversees property development (307,000), Stephen Field, a pensions director (who got a 41,000 rise from 226,000 to 267,000) and Stuart Harvey, TfL's 'major projects director' (whose pay went up 38,000 from 280,000 to 318,000). Several owe their pay increases to a 'restructuring' of TfL overseen by Mayor Khan which saw a total of 51.4 million paid in 'golden goodbyes' to 704 departing staff. According to accounts for the 2017/8 financial year, the recipients included a 270,000-a-year former bus chief called Leon Daniels, who was given 444,000 for 'loss of office', and a 190,000 former surface transport boss named Garrett Emmerson, who got a payoff of 245,000. TfL argues that a large proportion of last year's highest earners owed their remuneration to pay-offs and one-off bonuses, rather than regular income, and says the number of staff on basic wages of over 100,000 has slightly fallen in recent years. It claims that it pays market rates to attract top global talent. Be that as it may, such free spending would perhaps be easier to stomach were TfL a model of solvency. But in fact, it's almost comically dysfunctional. Indeed, under Mayor Khan's leadership, it increasingly finds itself mired in financial crisis. The organisation, which has an annual budget of 10 billion, was more-or-less solvent two years ago, but now finds itself losing cash at a rate of around 1 billion a year. Stuart Harvey, TfL's 'major projects director', whose pay went up 38,000 from 280,000 to 318,000 Overall debts are more than 11 billion, meaning it's unable to borrow further under local government rules, and inside City Hall there are fears they may be forced into the humiliating position of requiring Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to take over its management. To blame are a combination of events that occurred on Khan's watch, from the phasing out of a 700 million-a-year government grant, to a somewhat reckless decision by the Mayor to freeze fares, costing around 640 million over four years. Then there has been a drop in passenger journeys which caused him to underestimate revenue by around 230 million. The latter fall, partly caused by more people working from home, was exacerbated by the gridlocked state of London's roads under Khan's reign. With average traffic speeds of around 8mph, many Londoners are abandoning buses and choosing to walk or cycle instead. Adding to problems is the impact of costly, politically motivated PR stunts, such as the decision to ban so-called 'junk food' advertising on TfL's network, at an estimated cost of 20 million. Perhaps the most damaging misstep, however, concerns Crossrail, the 15 billion new Tube line that will eventually run from London's western suburbs into deepest Essex, linking Maidenhead and Heathrow Airport, with Paddington, Canary Wharf with Shenfield and Abbey Wood. When Khan took office, the project was on time and budget. Its central section, which runs through the West End, was scheduled to be opened by the Queen this month. But now it seems unlikely to open until late next year, costing TfL an estimated 600 million in lost revenue. It's also running rapidly over budget, having required loans of almost 1 billion to stay afloat in recent months, and is expected to need 'hundreds of millions' more in the New Year, according to a Financial Times expose. The delay is the subject of an investigation by auditor KPMG, appointed by Khan despite having worked extensively on the project, leading a former Tory Minister, Greg Hands, to claim it was hired to deliver a 'whitewash'. In a second political row, Khan was accused of misleading voters and (crucially) the financial markets over its state of Crossrail. At the centre of this kerfuffle is the fact that neither the public, nor bond-holders who own Crossrail's debt, were informed that the opening deadline would be missed until August 31, when it was announced that another year was needed for 'safety testing'. A week later, amid growing criticism of his stewardship, Khan informed the London Assembly he'd been blindsided about the problems by Crossrail managers, claiming he'd found out about this delay only some two days earlier. He was, he claimed, 'frustrated, disappointed and angry'. Gareth Powell, the man in charge of Surface Transport. His earnings last year went up from 287,000 to 313,000 However, Crossrail's then chairman, Sir Terry Morgan, sacked by Khan last week, has recently claimed that answer was quite simply untrue. In a number of interviews, Morgan alleges he informed the Mayor that a delay was inevitable at a face-to-face meeting on July 19. A nine-page document that he presented at that meeting is said to have stated that 'delivery in 2018 is not feasible'. Although Khan denies telling lies, his regime (which he promised would provide 'the most transparent, engaged and accessible administration London has ever seen') has spent the past two months blocking attempts by news organisations to gain access to the crucial document under the Freedom of Information Act. Last Wednesday, the London Assembly's transport committee was therefore forced into the unprecedented step of issuing a summons for it to be published. The contents, when they emerge, could be hugely important, because Khan is required by law to promptly inform the financial markets of any issues which may affect the value of investments held by Crossrail's bondholders. The Financial Conduct Authority says it is 'aware of and is reviewing' the matter. If Khan's reign were proving an untrammelled success, he could perhaps ride out this storm. But in his first two years in City Hall, knife attacks in London soared by 21 per cent, shooting incidents by 23 per cent, street robberies by 33 per cent, motorbike robberies by 50 per cent and murders by 44 per cent. There have been more than 120 murders in the city this year. Khan blames government cuts to police budgets, though critics argue that there's nothing to stop him spending some of the millions he's splurging on staff salaries, at TfL and elsewhere, on employing more coppers. He's also failed to fulfil other promises, including one to build 80,000 affordable houses a year (his tally in his first two years is 21,461). On the transport front, he promised 'zero days of strikes', saying they were 'a sign of failure'. So far, there have been 18. To opponents, the only area where he's exceeded expectations is social media usage. He runs two Twitter feeds, two Facebook pages and two Instagram accounts, updated almost hourly with selfies, day and night. In the first six days of this month, for example, a total of 93 pictures and nine videos of him were added to the feeds. In the first two months of the year, to cite another example, they were jollified with more than 400 pictures and 61 images of Sadiq Khan. To celebrate International Women's Day in March, he posted 14 pictures and three videos of himself. This New Labour-style spin has led critics to dub him Britain's most vain politician. Maintaining a 24-hour brand costs lots of money supplied by taxpayers. During his first year, 21 more staff were put on the Greater London Assembly payroll. During his second, another 93. Over the two years, overall numbers rose 14 per cent, from 795 to 909. By November, the figure was 953 (almost 250 more than during the Boris Johnson era), costing an extra 9 million a year. The number on more than 100,000 was up by a quarter. It has since emerged that he intends to hire almost 100 extra staff next year. Meantime, the headcount in Khan's private office has increased by 23 per cent, from 48 to 59, since he took office. The cost of employing them is up by 60 per cent, from 3.8 million to 6 million. These are big numbers, and opponents understandably wonder what all these people do all day. But whether in Khan's own office or elsewhere across his sprawling empire, working for London's increasingly profligate Mayor sounds like very nice work if you can get it. The wife of an ISIS extremist has appealed against an 'unconstitutional' conviction for refusing to stand for a judge - claiming she was picked on for wearing a full-body veil. Moutia Elzahed, the wife of convicted terrorist recruiter Hamdi Alqudsi, was sentenced to community service after refusing to stand for a judge nine times. She refused to get up for a judge at Sydney's Downing Centre Court because she 'only stands for Allah' and has now filed an appeal against the decision in the NSW Supreme Court. In court documents obtained by The Australian, her lawyer said the decision contravened 'freedom of political communication' implicit in the constitution. The wife of an ISIS extremist has appealed against an 'unconstitutional' conviction for refusing to stand for a judge - claiming she was picked on for wearing a full-body veil (pictured outside court in February) Zali Burrows said her client had not been treated fairly because other Muslim terror suspects often didn't stand for a judge and they didn't face charges. Ms Burrows said: 'If she wasn't in a niqarb (sic) do you think they would bother charging her in the first place?' The lawyer also claimed it was wrong for the court to not take into account Ms Elzahed's religious views because she didn't submit oral evidence. Ms Burrows said: 'The court should have found on the balance of probabilities the plaintiff's reason for failing to stand was her religious belief.' Ms Elzahed's counsel said the decision was made by the court because there was no evidence of a genuine religious belief despite the woman wearing a full-body niqab for the whole hearing. Footage shows Moutia Elzahed (left and right highlighted) refusing to rise for the judge at the Sydney Downing Centre Court Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman ruled earlier this year there was no evidence Elzahed was acting on a genuine religious belief or that Islamic beliefs compelled such behaviour. Ms Elzahed's counsel added her client did not mean disrespect in her action during a civil trial in 2016. The Sydney woman was the first person in New South Wales to be found guilty of the new offence of disrespecting a court - and sentenced to 75 hours community service in July. A horror bus crash on a busy highway has left three people dead and nine others injured. A minibus carrying Chinese tourists collided head-on with a four-wheel-drive towing a trailer on Indian Ocean Drive, 127 kilometres north of Perth, Western Australia. Emergency services rushed to the highway at 3pm on Sunday after the tragic collision. Scroll down for video A horror bus crash on a busy Western Australia highway has left three people dead and nine others in hospital in various conditions Horrific scenes were reported at the site, with many involved trapped inside their vehicles, Nine News reported. Dozens of firefighters, paramedics and police spent hours freeing people. Nine injured passengers were rushed to hospital. Those with serious injuries were airlifted, but those in a less critical condition were transported to hospital in an ambulance. An off-duty nurse and off-duty doctor treated the passengers until emergency crews arrived. Emergency services rushed to the busy highway at 3pm on Sunday after the tragic collision One person died at the scene, while another died in hospital due to their injuries. On Monday, it was confirmed a third person had passed away. Indian Ocean Drive is one of the most notorious roads in Western Australia. Six people were killed on the busy road last year. They have already made history and now the family of miracle baby Luisa Santos could become even more extraordinary. Luisa is the first in the world to be born after her mother underwent a pioneering womb transplant. Fabiana Amorim de Lima, 34, received the organ from a donor who died. Now she is hoping for another child using her 53-year-old mother as a surrogate. Happy families: Fabiana Amorim de Lima, 34, with her 53-year-old mother Valdecy who she is hoping to use as a surrogate Fabiana gave birth to the word's first baby born using a dead woman's womb. The donor womb cannot be used again due to rejection. But she and husband Claudio Santos have fertilised eggs left over from the IVF procedure used to conceive Luisa The donor womb cannot be used again by Miss de Lima because of the risk of rejection. But she and husband Claudio Santos have fertilised eggs left over from the IVF procedure used to conceive Luisa. They hope to use them to try for a second baby, this time with the help of Miss de Lima's mother Valdecy Amorim Alves de Miranda, who would give birth to her own grandchild. Mr Santos, 33, said: 'Before the transplant they removed 16 eggs, and eight were fertilised then stored. The first egg they implanted into Fabiana was successful, so there are still seven eggs there. We're going to try implantation into my mother-in-law. If that doesn't work they will be discarded.' The pioneering womb transplant at a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, involved 11 hours of surgery. The pioneering womb transplant at a hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil, involved 11 hours of surgery. Fabiana is pictured with husband Claudio and daughter Luisa Mr Santos's wife, who received the organ from a 45-year-old donor who died after complications following a stroke, went on to carry Luisa for the full term. Their baby was delivered by Caesarean last December, weighing of 5lb 10oz. Miss de Lima, who was born without a womb, has always wanted more than one child. Mr Santos said: 'We want a brother or sister for Luisa and, although we can't do the same way again, we are looking at other options.' He said his mother-in-law, who lives with them, has agreed to attempt to implant one of couple's fertilised eggs into her womb. The identities of the Santos family were revealed exclusively by the Mail on Saturday, when the couple described Luisa as 'our little miracle'. The breakthrough gives new hope to at least 15,000 women in Britain without a womb. UK surgeons are preparing to replicate the process. A mother fed up with having her children's Christmas gifts stolen from her doorstep has exacted revenge on the brazen perpetrators. Crysti-Lei Arnold has been leaving 'decoy boxes' outside her Perth home after a string of deliveries were taken by thieves in the lead up to the festive season. CCTV footage captured a motorcyclist take the bait this weekend. A Perth mother has been leaving 'decoy boxes' at her doorstep after a string of Christmas deliveries were taken. CCTV footage captured a motorcyclist take the bait this weekend 'So after last weeks theft, we put out a decoy box, full of bricks. Some d*** brain just stole it,' Ms Arnold posted. The man rode to her front door and without hesitation picked up the box. As he made a speedy getaway, Ms Arnold opened her door, yelled inaudibly at the rider and flipped him the bird. 'Your reaction was hilarious but I can't catch what you said,' one questioned on social media. 'I believe it was something along the lines of "enjoy our bricks, d*** brain'',' Ms Arnold responded. 'Because I am known for my eloquence and grace and would hate to disappoint.' The man was seen in surveillance footage riding to the front door and picking up the box As he made a speedy getaway, Ms Arnold opened her door, yelled inaudibly at the rider and flipped him the bird Hundreds more voiced their shock at 'the hide' of the motorcyclist. 'I can't believe he rode his motor bike right up to your door! The freaking hide of some people,' one noted. Last week, the same surveillance camera captured a woman snatch another package from Ms Arnold's doorstep. 'I hope your kids enjoy their dog food for Christmas,' Ms Arnold captioned the video. Last week, the same surveillance camera captured a woman snatch another package from Ms Arnold's doorstep The string of thefts prompted some to suggest a criminal network may be at work. 'Makes me wonder if they are just two randoms... or maybe the lady knows him and tipped him off to how easy it was,' one said. 'The nerve of him... I'm in complete shock, I cant believe this has happened to you TWICE!' In Sydney last month, a heartless thief was caught on camera stealing presents from doorsteps after following Australia Post vans to find her victims. In Sydney last month, a heartless thief was caught on camera repeatedly stealing presents from families' doorsteps The woman was caught in the act on CCTV carrying a box she grabbed from a home in Mount Colah in the Ku-ring-gai area of the city's north. One victim filmed the shocking act on her CCTV cameras and said the thief followed the postage van in a grey car and waited for it to drop off its package. 'Australia Post said it's very common this time of the year for thieves to do this,' with so many gifts being bought online, she said. 'I'm so angry that someone would blatantly do something like this, like they're entitled to it because it's not locked up.' One victim filmed an incident in Sydney and said the thief followed the postage van in a grey car and waited for it to drop off its package Detective Inspector Neil Higgins said it was the third theft of packages from the front of a house reported to Ku-ring-gai police in November. The other two were in Pymble on November 7 and Warrawee on November 16, but neither had security cameras. Australia Post often leaves packages on doorsteps when there is no one home, unless the parcel requires a signature for delivery. Customers can also direct their parcels to free postal lockers where they can be securely stored until they are collected. Brewdog's Mr President American Double IPA, at 9.2 per cent, is sold in 300ml bottles at Tesco for 2.10 They are painstakingly brewed to win over discerning ale lovers and have been embraced by the middle classes. But craft beers can be as potent as the ciders or super-strength lagers favoured by street drinkers and officials fear they could be fuelling alcohol-related health problems. Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco are among chains selling craft beers and ales with more than 9 per cent alcohol-by-volume. Brewdog's Mr President American Double IPA, at 9.2 per cent, is sold in 300ml bottles at Tesco for 2.10. Just one has 3.04 units of alcohol almost a quarter of the weekly recommended maximum of 14 units. James Calder, of the Society of Independent Brewers, said Belgian beers, stouts and some IPAs 'have more interesting and complex flavours ... the higher [alcohol content] is simply part of that traditional style of brewing'. But Andrew Misell, of Alcohol Change, warned: 'If we drink these as we would a weaker beer, we're in danger of drinking a lot more than we intend.' President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday night tout his administration's accomplishments after reports his top contender for his chief of staff job wasn't taking the position and Democrats said he could face impeachment proceedings over hush money payouts to two women during his 2016 campaign. And we're having 'a great time doing it,' Trump noted - with an exclamation point. 'The Trump Administration has accomplished more than any other U.S. Administration in its first two (not even) years of existence, & we are having a great time doing it! All of this despite the Fake News Media, which has gone totally out of its mind-truly the Enemy of the People!,' he tweeted. President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday night tout his administration's accomplishments as he searches for a chief of staff and Democrats talk impeachement President Trump reassured America 'we are having a great time' His tweet came after Democrats took to the Sunday morning talk shows to warn him that impeachment could be on the agenda after Friday's revelation that the president's former personal attorney Michael Cohen worked 'in coordination with and at the direction of' Donald Trump by his own admission to arrange for the National Enquirer to buy the rights to the two women's stories and 'kill' them, preventing media exposure of their claims. And it comes after Nick Ayers, the top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, will not be taking the chief of staff job for the president. Trump has repeatedly touted his administration's many accomplishments without going into detail. Thus far the Trump administration has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, signed a pact with North Korea that contains no deadlines for denuclearization, increased trade tariffs with U.S. allies, and put in a place a tax cut that benefits wealth Americans. Failures include the repeal-and-replacement of Obamacare, building a border wall - although some construction has begun - and improving infrastructure. The administration lists its accomplishments here. Ayers was the leading contender for the position but didn't want to commit to working in the West Wing through the 2020 presidential election. Ayers, the 36-year-old-father of six-year-old triplets, is said to want to move back to Georgia. He told the president he only wanted the chief job on an interim basis, for the first three months of 2019. But Trump wanted someone who would be at his side through the upcoming re-election campaign. The president, who originally said he would announce a new chief of staff this week, will now make an announcement by the end of the year. Trump announced on Saturday that his Chief of Staff John Kelly would leave at the end of the year amid reports the two men were barely speaking. The president will now be looking for a top aide to guide him through a rocky 2019 and 2020 when Democrats control the House of Representatives and are warning Trump of dangerous waters ahead. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said on Sunday the public facts out of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation show that Trump is 'beyond the stage' that led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. 'You are beyond the stage that led to impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, whether or not you think that was worthy of impeachment or not,' he said Sunday on ABC's 'This Week.' He also warned Trump he has stepped into the same territory that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. 'The president has now stepped into the same territory that ultimately led to President Nixon resigning the office. President Nixon was an unindicted co-conspirator - certainly a different set of facts. But this investigation is now starting to put the president in serious legal crosshairs, and he should be worried and the whole country should be worried,' he said. Nick Ayers (left), the top replacement for outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly (right), is not taking the job 'The Trump Administration has accomplished more than any other U.S. Administration in its first two (not even) years of existence,' President Trump tweeted 'Listen, nobody's rooting for the president to go down in this manner. This isn't good for democracy but this investigation may ultimately lead to Congress taking action,' he added. Murphy wasn't the only lawmaker sounding the alarm. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said there is a 'very real prospect' that the president will be indicted on the day he leaves office and there is a 'real prospect' he will face jail time. 'There's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office the Justice Department may indict him. That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time,' Schiff said Sunday on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' 'We have been discussing the issue of pardons that the president may offer to people or dangle in front of people, the bigger pardon question may come down the road as the next president has to determine whether to pardon Donald Trump,' he added. Sentencing memos out on Friday about the Cohen case led to questions about the role Trump himself played. Cohen 'coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign,' according to one of the sentencing memo, 'including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments.' Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said there is a 'very real prospect' that President Donald Trump will be indicted on the day he leaves office Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said the public facts out of Robert Mueller's probe show that Trump is 'beyond the stage' that led to Clinton's impeachment And as a result, 'neither woman spoke to the press prior to the election.' The payments were made to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, both of whom claimed to have affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler warned that it would be an 'impeachable offense' if President Trump directed the payments to Daniels and McDougal. 'Certainly they're impeachable offenses. Even though they were committed before the president became president, they were committed in the service of fraudulently obtaining the office,' he said on CNN's 'State of the Union.' Cohen arranged for a $130,000 payment to Daniels, which prosecutors say violated campaign finance law prohibitions against donations of more than $2,700 in a general election. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler warned that it would be an 'impeachable offense' if President Trump directed the payments to two women during his campaign Prosecutors said Trump's former personal attorney Michale Cohen coordinated with 'Individual-1,' which is how Trump is referred to in filings A $150,000 payment by American Media Inc. to silence McDougal was an illegal corporate donation to the Trump's campaign, prosecutors claim. Both women claim affairs with Trump, which he has denied. Prosecutors noted Cohen had implicated the president in the payments. 'Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1,' the prosecutors wrote. 'Individual-1' refers to Trump. Trump claimed the filings out on Friday vindicate him. 'Totally clears the President. Thank you!,' he tweeted. Continuing our series featuring the holiday experiences of famous people, this week Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable recalls his lifetime of adventures First holiday I can remember Every year until I was 12 we used to go on a summer holiday to Scarborough or Bridlington. I remember catching the steam train from York with my bucket and spade and spending hours on the beach with my brother Keith. Happy times: Vince pictured above with wife Rachel The sea was too cold to do much but go paddling, but I still have fond memories of riding the waves at high tide. First time abroad I did a rail tour of Eastern Europe when I was at university in 1963. I visited Prague, Budapest, Kiev and Moscow during the days of the Cold War with a group of students. When I joined in a dance in Kiev and started doing the jive, a group of Russian officials came over to me, told me it was immoral and gave me a lecture on Western decadence. My first school trip We were taken to the Lake District and that was where I first discovered my love of British mountains. I have climbed Scafell and all the major peaks, and Ive been a keen fell-walker ever since. My honeymoon Ive had two. After my marriage to my first [late] wife Olympia in East Africa, we visited Zanzibar and then spent two months travelling back to Britain overland via the Sudanese desert not most peoples idea of an idyllic honeymoon. My second honeymoon in 2004 was spent with my wife Rachel walking in the Brecon Beacons. Best trip ever Its a toss-up between a wonderful trip around the coast of Ireland with Rachel, starting in County Antrim and staying in various country hotels in 2011, and my final trip to Goa with Olympia a couple of years before she passed away in 2001. It was a sad but moving trip. Scarborough fair: Vince, then aged 14, with younger brother Keith in the seaside town and the worst It was a recent holiday in southern Italy, courtesy of a certain budget airline. First of all we had the most appalling journey and then we had to wait around for hours on arrival because there was no one available to take the baggage off the plane. I dont think Ill be using that particular airline again in a hurry. Essential holiday item I dont have a Kindle so I just end up taking a pile of paperback novels on holiday with me. I always take a hat with me, too, if Im going somewhere sunny. Dream destination Id love to go on a road journey across the Himalayas to Tibet, and trek in the Andes. Id also like to go to the Hebrides, one of the few parts of the UK I havent visited. Abu Dhabi has officially been selected to host the 2019 United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido) General Conference (GC), the organisations supreme policy-making organ which convenes every two years. The announcement was made following a vote by the 53 member states of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) at their 46th annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, where they convened to review the implementation of the Unido work programme, approve budgets, and make recommendations to the General Conference on policy matters, said a statement. The consensus is a testament to the growing confidence in the UAEs role in shaping the future of manufacturing, and its development of a robust industrial base as part of a national vision for a diversified, knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy. Since becoming a specialised agency in 1985, Unido has never hosted the General Conference in the Middle East, and only hosted it away from its Vienna headquarters three times: in Bangkok, Thailand (1987), Yaounde, Cameroon (1993), and Lima, Peru (2013). Unido and the UAE have a long-standing relationship, with both serving as co-chairs for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), the worlds first cross-industry platform that gathers leaders from public and private sectors and civil society to harness the Fourth Industrial Revolutions (4IR) transformation of manufacturing to the regeneration of the global economy. The platform has seen Abu Dhabi emerge as a leader in driving this transformation, and hosting the UNIDO GC will build on its continuous efforts and initiatives, which seek to shape the future of manufacturing while promoting industrialisation for poverty reduction, inclusive global development, and environmental sustainability. The General Conference is scheduled to be held at the end of 2019 and will be preceded by Unidos Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Ministerial Conference. As the worlds largest donor of official development aid relative to national income, a leader in smart strategies, and a strategically positioned geographic location between East and West, the UAE has continuously demonstrated its commitment to contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Home to the ministerial Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, a first of its kind in the world, and co-chair to the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, hosting the Unido GC in Abu Dhabi will allow countries to benefit from a global pool of capabilities and enhance their understanding of, and preparation for, the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. According to data from Oxford Economics, from 2007 to 2017, the UAEs industrial sector (which includes extraction, manufacturing, utilities and construction) has grown by more than a third, and is forecast to grow by another third over the next decade. An integral part of the global supply chain, companies in the UAE such as Strata Manufacturing, the regions only aircraft parts manufacturer, Emirates Global Aluminium, which was the world's largest 'premium aluminium' producer in 2017, and defence vehicle manufacturer NIMR Automotive, have proven their capabilities and evolved into global players in knowledge-based and cutting-edge sectors. Following the announcement, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, affirmed the UAE's commitment to enabling inclusive and sustainable industrial development as a catalyst for economic and social prosperity, and commented on the occasion: Selecting Abu Dhabi to host the conference reflects the international recognition of the UAEs significant role in supporting the global industrial sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The UAE remains a pioneer in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and continues to bridge and connect civilisations between the East and West. Through its partnership with Unido in the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, the UAE is well-positioned to play a strategic role in shaping the future of the global manufacturing sector, he added. Unido director general LI Yong said: We highly appreciate the generous offer of the Government of the UAE to host the eighteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in Abu Dhabi. I look forward to further strengthening our ties, especially since UNIDO and the United Arab Emirates share the commitment to take a transformational approach towards shaping the future of manufacturing and jointly co-chair the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, Yong added. Engineer Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, said: The UAE has flourished in a relatively short period of time since its establishment, but many challenges had to be overcome to achieve this. Our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had the vision to leverage oil wealth to build a prosperous nation and enhance the welfare of UAE citizens, developing what are now world-class healthcare and education systems, and a globally competitive economy. This vision, however, was not exclusive to the people of the UAE; in the midst of the countrys renaissance, it arose as a leader in international cooperation and in the provision of humanitarian relief and development support to those less fortunate across the world, he said. Al Mazrouei continued: Clearly, spreading global prosperity is deeply instilled into our belief system, and unlocking the potential of the manufacturing sector will support our efforts; it has always been a key contributor to social and economic welfare, and is instrumental to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, the 2030 Agenda is being carried out at a time when the lines are blurred between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. The developments that the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings must be exploited to ensure prosperity is shared across all societies, particularly in developing countries. This is something we have been focused on delivering through the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit with Unido as our co-chair, and we have no doubt that our efforts will be amplified by hosting the Unido General Conference in the UAE, he added. TradeArabia News Service It is one of the last men-only bastions in the country, a club that has steadfastly refused to allow women through its doors as members for two centuries. But I can now reveal that The Garrick Club, in the heart of Londons West End, plans to hold a vote that could see women admitted as members for first time in its 187-year history. The club, which counts Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch as members, will host a secret meeting of its committee in the new year to decide whether it should hold a new vote on the subject. The Garrick Club, in the heart of Londons West End, plans to hold a vote that could see women admitted as members for first time in its 187-year history In 2015, 50.5 per cent of members voted in favour of allowing female members far short of the two-thirds majority needed for a rule change. Several sources close to The Garrick, which was named after leading 18th Century actor David Garrick and which has strong connections with the theatre world, confirmed that members were preparing for further discussions on the subject as there has been a change in mood since 2015. One of those in favour of female membership said: The role of women in the theatre should be recognised. I think there has been a huge swing [since that vote]. There is a great feeling that this is something we need to look at. At the last meeting those members who were anti women members were vitriolic, vicious and unbelievably rude and really unpleasant. Last time members such as Stephen Fry, Damian Lewis, Hugh Bonneville, Michael Gove and Sir Trevor McDonald indicated they would support women joining. And BBC journalist John Simpson said after the vote fell short: Nobody in The Garrick feels this is the end of the road. The club, which counts Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch as members, will host a secret meeting of its committee The Garrick was founded in 1831 and its original selection criterion decreed that it would be better that ten objectionable men should be excluded than one terrible bore should be admitted. It is one of just a handful of clubs that still refuse to admit female members. The others include Whites, Boodles and Pratts. The Garrick declined to comment. Robbie Williamss party lifestyle has taken such a toll on him, he forgot the words to one of Take Thats most popular songs. The X Factor judge, 44, needed the lyrics to The Flood on an autocue at last weeks gala performance of the Take That musical, The Band. If Robbies coming back for good, he might want to start practising He is famous for his snail porridge and egg and bacon ice cream, but celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has confessed on his Audioboom podcast that one of his favourite meals is the humble fish-finger sandwich. The only problem is he cant find fish fingers on sale anywhere near his home in Provence. Have you ever tried to buy fish fingers in a gastronomique area of France? he says. I did ask and someone just shook their head at me. Back in the 1990s, thousands of Friends fans rushed to their local hair salon, so desperate were they to copy Jennifer Anistons famous Rachel cut. Now the Hollywood actress seems to be the one following a style icon former The Only Way Is Essex star Lauren Goodger. When Jennifer, 49, posed for a backstage photo following an appearance on the popular US chatshow Ellen, she managed to bear a striking resemblance to the ex-TOWIE favourite. I bet Laurens friends on the show will be well jel. When Jennifer, 49, (left) posed for a backstage photo following an appearance on the popular US chatshow Ellen, she managed to bear a striking resemblance to the ex-TOWIE favourite Lauren Goodger (right) Will journalist John Humphrys have to start slapping on make-up at 5am every morning? The answer is yes if the BBC gets its way. Radio 4 Today programme bosses are in talks with the BBC News Channel about broadcasting some of the show on TV to boost ratings. I cant wait for John to start swapping make-up tips with fellow presenter Mishal Husain. Jasmine Yarbrough's representatives have denied reports that chaos ensued ahead of the shoe designer's wedding to Karl Stefanovic in Mexico on Saturday. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, they said claims that guests were panicking because they were being kept in the dark about the plans and locations of the ceremony were 'untrue'. According to an earlier report on news.com.au, 'secret texts' were causing anxiety among attendees. 'It's untrue': Jasmine Yarbrough's rep denied reports that there was chaos ahead of her wedding to Karl Stefanovic 'We don't know anything!' one panic-ridden guest reportedly told the publication. 'We just get these secret texts (saying) 'be here at this time."' Meanwhile, Jasmine and the Today show host, 44, went to extreme lengths to ensure any media suspects and threats are removed from the premises. According to news.com.au, gun-toting Mexican police patrolled the beach venue clad in camouflaged uniforms and carrying weapons, and police reportedly searched the public beach in front of the ritzy resort from 9am. Not true: In a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, her rep said claims that guests were panicking because they were being kept in the dark about the plans and locations of the ceremony were 'untrue'. According to an earlier report on news.com.au , 'secret texts' were causing anxiety among attendees Over-the-top security measures: According to news.com.au, gun-toting Mexican police patrolled the beach venue clad in camouflaged uniforms and carrying weapons, and police reportedly searched the public beach in front of the ritzy resort from 9am The website also claimed that resort staff were also spread around the Sea of Cortez, reporting on any new arrivals using two-way radios. The pair's guest list includes around 187 people, ranging from family members to well-known public figures. While they are already legally married in Australia, the couple will exchange vows in front of friends and family abroad. Karl has previously revealed that after tying the knot in Los Cabos, he and Jasmine will spend the remainder of their honeymoon back home. After stepping down as Oscars host on Thursday, comedian Kevin Hart returned to the stage in Australia on Friday, where he broke a comedy record. Hart, 39, took to his Instagram story, sharing a new video of one of his Irresponsible Tour posters, which revealed that his tour is now, 'the highest attended and highest grossing comedy tour in Australian history.' He also took to Instagram to share a video from the stage, where he thanked the fans for, 'two sold-out shows in Sydney, Australia.' Kevin on stage: Kevin Hart takes to Instagram to thank his Australian fans for their support just a day after stepping down from the Oscars 'I've gotta tell you, I'm f***ing blown away,' Hart said in his video, where the sold-out crowd could be seen with their phones out. '34,000 people, god dammit, this is what happiness looks like,' Hart continued. 'Thank you for listening, thank you for laughing, thank you for supporting me.' 'I love you, I will be back next year, y'all get home safe,' Hart concluded. Great fans: 'I've gotta tell you, I'm f***ing blown away,' Hart said in his video, where the sold-out crowd could be seen with their phones out Record breaker: Hart, 39, took to his Instagram story, sharing a new video of one of his Irresponsible Tour posters, which revealed that his tour is now, 'the highest attended and highest grossing comedy tour in Australian history' 'All I can say is WOOOOOOOOW.....Thank you so much Sydney Australia,' Hart added on his Instagram caption. 'Making the world laugh is forever a priority. Blessed to be able to bring laughter on a international level & do what I love,' Hart concluded with the hashtags #irresponsibletour #comedicrockstars**t and #livelaughlove. The international leg of the Irresponsible Tour continues December 9 in Brisbane, December 11 in Auckland, New Zealand, December 13 in Singapore and December 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Grateful comedian: '34,000 people, god dammit, this is what happiness looks like,' Hart continued. 'Thank you for listening, thank you for laughing, thank you for supporting me' Coming back: 'I love you, I will be back next year, y'all get home safe,' Hart concluded Hart also took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal what lead to him stepping down as the 2019 Oscars host. 'So I just got a call from The Academy. That call basically said, "Kevin, apologize for your tweets or we're going to have to move on and find another host."' 'I'm talking about the tweets from 2009, 2010. I chose to pass, I passed on the apology,' Hart said. Hart on Oscars: Hart also took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal what lead to him stepping down as the 2019 Oscars host New host: 'So I just got a call from The Academy. That call basically said, "Kevin, apologize for your tweets or we're going to have to move on and find another host"' 'The reason that I passed is I've addressed it several times,' he continued. 'That's not the first time this has come up. I've addressed it. I've spoken on it. I've said where the rights and wrongs were. I've said who I am now versus who I was then. I've done it,' the comedian said. 'I'm not gonna continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I've moved on. I'm in a completely different space in my life,' he added. 'The same energy that went into finding those old tweets could have been used to find the response to the questions that have been asked years and years and years after years,' he continued. 'We feed on the Internet trolls and reward them. I'm not gonna do it, man. I'm gonna be me, I'm gonna stand my ground,' Hart said. Speaking out: 'That's not the first time this has come up. I've addressed it. I've spoken on it. I've said where the rights and wrongs were. I've said who I am now versus who I was then. I've done it,' the comedian said It is one of the last men-only bastions in the country, a club that has steadfastly refused to allow women through its doors as members for two centuries. But I can now reveal that The Garrick Club, in the heart of Londons West End, plans to hold a vote that could see women admitted as members for first time in its 187-year history. The club, which counts Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch as members, will host a secret meeting of its committee in the new year to decide whether it should hold a new vote on the subject. In 2015, 50.5 per cent of members voted in favour of allowing female members far short of the two-thirds majority needed for a rule change. It has now been revealed that The Garrick Club, in the heart of Londons West End, plans to hold a vote that could see women admitted as members Several sources close to The Garrick, which was named after leading 18th Century actor David Garrick and which has strong connections with the theatre world, confirmed that members were preparing for further discussions on the subject as there has been a change in mood since 2015. One of those in favour of female membership said: The role of women in the theatre should be recognised. I think there has been a huge swing [since that vote]. There is a great feeling that this is something we need to look at. The move will be a pivotal one in its 187-year history. In 2015, 50.5 per cent of members voted in favour of allowing female members At the last meeting those members who were anti women members were vitriolic, vicious and unbelievably rude and really unpleasant. Last time members such as Stephen Fry, Damian Lewis, Hugh Bonneville, Michael Gove and Sir Trevor McDonald indicated they would support women joining. And BBC journalist John Simpson said after the vote fell short: Nobody in The Garrick feels this is the end of the road. The Garrick was founded in 1831 and its original selection criterion decreed that it would be better that ten unobjectionable men should be excluded than one terrible bore should be admitted. It is one of just a handful of clubs that still refuse to admit female members. The others include Whites, Boodles and Pratts. The Garrick declined to comment. Noel plans a new house party- in Monte Carlo Following his appearance on I'm A Celebrity, Noel Edmonds has put his French mansion up for sale so he can move to more upmarket Monte Carlo It appears Noel Edmonds stint on Im A Celebrity has revived his appetite for the showbiz lifestyle. The Deal Or No Deal host has put his French mansion up for sale so he can move to more upmarket Monte Carlo. I hear the six-bedroom villa, above, that he shares with wife Liz Davies, is on the market for 4 million. A source says: Hes got the taste for showbiz again and has gone back on his promise to quit TV. That will be welcomed by ITV boss Kevin Lygo, who wants to make a show with Noel and jungle pal Harry Redknapp. She always wanted to be top of the tree, and now Victoria Beckham has got her Christmas wish. Instead of a star or an angel, the fir at her shop in Dover Street, Mayfair, features a doll from her Spice Girls days. She has Poshs pout, hairstyle and wears a little black dress. But since Victoria, 44, wont be joining the bands reunion tour next year, I guess the mic is just for decoration Fiona or Fergie? It's too close to call... Sarah Ferguson, 59, wore a white dress with a floral design, while at an Artists For Peace And Justice event in Dubai Sarah Ferguson channelled a famous Royal in a flowing dress last week but sadly for her, it was Princess Fiona from Shrek. Fergie, 59, wore a white dress with a floral design, and her red locks were in an updo style just like Fionas in the famous films. As she channelled a famous Royal in a flowing dress last week for her, it was Princess Fiona from Shrek The Duchess of York was at an Artists For Peace And Justice event in Dubai, where the guests included Ben Stiller, Susan Sarandon and Natalie Imbruglia. It must have been a fun event as Fergie also got the chance to do some colouring in, right. She always wanted to be top of the tree, and now Victoria Beckham has got her Christmas wish. Instead of a star or an angel, the fir at her shop in Dover Street, Mayfair, features a doll from her Spice Girls days. She has Poshs pout, hairstyle and wears a little black dress. But since Victoria, 44, wont be joining the bands reunion tour next year, I guess the mic is just for decoration Instead of a star or an angel, the fir at her shop in Dover Street, Mayfair, features a doll from her Spice Girls days Double take 2 Back in the 1990s, thousands of Friends fans rushed to their local hair salon, so desperate were they to copy Jennifer Anistons famous Rachel cut. Now the Hollywood actress seems to be the one following a style icon former The Only Way Is Essex star Lauren Goodger. When Jennifer, 49, posed for a backstage photo, far left, following an appearance on the popular US chatshow Ellen, she managed to bear a striking resemblance to the ex-TOWIE favourite. I bet Laurens friends on the show will be well jel. Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston seems to be the one following a style icon former The Only Way Is Essex star Lauren Goodger Memo to the dim pair who hacked into Kate Beckinsales Instagram account find out who she is first. In a bid to extort money from her 2.2 million followers, two hackers pretending to be the actress offered to sell personal photos for $500. Fortunately, no one was fooled and Kate, 45, apologised with this picture, right, and a post saying: So sorry this keeps happening. In a bid to extort money from her 2.2 million followers, two hackers pretending to be the Kate Beckinsale offered to sell personal photos for $500 Doctor Who star Karen Gillan forgot her petticoat when she left home for a night out. Teaming a tiny top with a see-through mirrored skirt at a screening of her new film The Partys Just Beginning, Karen, 31, looked a long way away from Matt Smiths sidekick Amy Pond in the hit sci-fi series, where she wore a trademark checked shirt and leather jacket. I bet she wishes she had found that time machine before she went out on Friday Doctor Who star Karen Gillan, 31, looked a long way away from Matt Smiths sidekick Amy Pond in the hit sci-fi series, where she wore a trademark checked shirt and leather jacket Will journalist John Humphrys have to start slapping on make-up at 5am every morning? The answer is yes if the BBC gets its way. Radio 4 Today programme bosses are in talks with the BBC News Channel about broadcasting some of the show on TV to boost ratings. I cant wait for John to start swapping make-up tips with fellow presenter Mishal Husain. Will Smith knows how to the woo the ladies. And judging from a gesture he shared on his Instagram, even his mother-in-law won't be able to resist his endearing charm. The superstar actor posted an adorable photo of his son Jaden and daughter Willow with their grandmother, Adrienne Banfield Norris, with text over it saying: 'When your grandmother looks like your sister,' a reference to how young his mother-in-law looks. Family resemblance: Will Smith shared and adorable new new Instagram snap showing his son Jaden and daughter Willow with their grandmother Adrienne Banfield Norris Just to take home the compliment even more, Will even added an arrow above his kids' grandmother and pointed it right at her. In the snap, Jaden, 20, can been seen snuggling up next to his 64-year old grandmother's right, while Willow, 18, leans in and touches her shoulder on her left. All three of them have irresistible smiles and look undeniably like family, and according to Will's comment, they look more like siblings. Charming: The 50-year old actor was complimenting his mother-in-law's youthful looks in snap It's in the genes: Mrs. Norris, 64, is the mother of actress Jada Pinkett Smith Family affair: Jada, her mother and Willow host the popular web series Red Table Talk; Will joined them in a recent episode of the show Some fans of the Smith's might know Mrs. Norris for the popular web discussion show -- Red Table Talk -- on Facebook Watch. She, along with daughter Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow, share hosting duties and cover personal and sometimes controversial subjects. In a recent interview, Jada told Harpers Bazaar she likes to stay away from politics and instead focus on 'issues of the heart and issues of self-awareness and development.' Red Table Talk airs Mondays on Facebook Watch. Three generations: The resemblance is unmistakable Will is quite the busy actor right now. The 50-year old actor has three new films in production. He is set to star as Genie in the in fantasy musical Aladdin, directed by Guy Ritchie. He also plays the lead in the 3D computer animated spy comedy Spies in Disguise, and the science fiction film, Gemini Man. All three movies are set to hit theaters in 2019. She's no stranger to posing nude. And on Saturday, Elsa Hosk went topless for a sultry Instagram photo while on vacation in a tropical locale. 'Somewhere not home,' she captioned the image of her barefoot and wearing Gucci-print pants. Va-va-voom! On Saturday, Elsa Hosk went topless for a sultry Instagram photo while on vacation in a tropical locale. 'Somewhere not home,' she captioned the image of her barefoot and wearing Gucci-print pants Hosk, who was seemingly makeup free, pouted for the camera as she concealed her breasts with a strategically placed arm. The Victoria's Secret Angel wore her hair in wet, beachy waves for the bathroom shot that featured a tub and discarded towel. The photo comes exactly one month after Elsa modeled the Dream Angels Fantasy bra during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in NYC. Dripping in diamonds: The photo comes exactly one month after Elsa modeled the Dream Angels Fantasy bra during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in NYC Valued at $1 million, the bra was made entirely out of sustainable Swarovski diamonds. 'It makes me feel very sparkly and confident and gorgeous and happy,' Elsa said in an interview with the jewelry brand. 'It makes me feel very expensive. It's a very cool feeling.' Just a fantasy: Valued at $1 million, the bra was made entirely of sustainable Swarovski diamonds. 'It makes me feel very sparkly and confident and gorgeous and happy,' Elsa said in an interview with the jewelry brand Hosk, who hails from Sweden, became a VS Angel back back in 2015. But during a recent interview with Net-A-Porter, the model explained that people are just now starting to pay attention to her. 'It has really exploded recently, in terms of my following and people recognizing me,' she said. 'I'm such a private person, and if I'm working, it's all good, but on my own time, I wish that I could shut it off.' He touched down in Los Cabos, Mexico on Wednesday ahead of Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's nuptials. And just hours before the couple's wedding on Saturday, Christian Wilkins worked on his tan and enjoyed lunch by the beach. In photos shared to Instagram Stories, the 23-year-old wore a summery white ensemble as he dined with father Richard Wilkins and his girlfriend Virginia Burmeister. Lunch fit for a Prince! Christian Wilkins [far right], 23, enjoyed a gourmet meal by the beach with father Richard [centre] and his girlfriend Virginia Burmeister [far left] on Saturday, ahead of attending Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's lavish nuptials in Mexico For the lunch Christian donned a ripped white T-shirt and concealed his gaze behind oversized round-rimmed sunglasses. The fashionista tied his blonde locks into a ponytail and beamed as he took the beachside selfie. Christian was joined by his father Richard, 64, who sported a black slim-fit T-shirt and aviator sunglasses, and his girlfriend Virginia, who wore a white top and went makeup free. Christian was later seen working on his tan as he relaxed on the beach ahead of the star-studded nuptials. Getting his tan on: Christian was later seen working on his tan as he relaxed on the beach ahead of the star-studded nuptials Christian also showed off his signature style in a transparent white two-piece outfit as he arrived at Karl and Jasmine's pre-wedding welcome dinner on Thursday. Embracing the hot weather and the bridal theme, the socialite arrived at the dinner, held at the One&Only Palmilla resort, in an off-white design by Sydney designer YOUKHANA, which retails for $155. Christian paired the ab-baring ensemble with white underwear that could be seen under the transparent cotton. 'And the bride wore a subtle crop top to the welcome drinks,' he captioned a photo of himself on Instagram. Upstaging the bride! Christian also showed off his signature style in a transparent white two-piece outfit as he arrived at Karl and Jasmine's pre-wedding welcome dinner on Thursday While Christian arrived in Mexico ahead of the nuptials with his father Richard and Virginia, his partner Andrew Kelly was noticeably absent. While Richard shares a close relationship with his Today co-host Karl, Christian is also close friends with the bride-to-be. As they geared up for their star-studded nuptials in Mexico, Karl and Jasmine were the picture of bliss during Thursday evening's pre-wedding celebrations. Joined by their parents, the couple could not hide their jubilation as they embraced their loved ones during the welcome dinner. Pure joy! As they geared up for their star-studded nuptials in Mexico , Karl and Jasmine were the picture of bliss during Thursday evening's pre-wedding celebrations. Jasmine is pictured with her father Bob Yarbrough I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here's Emily Atack was reportedly accused of having a secret fling with married Dancing On Ice pro Fred Palascak by his wife Mel, according to The Sun. A source told the publication that Mel issued Fred a furious ultimatum when Emily was a contestant on the show in 2010, with the tension coming to a head at the series wrap party leaving Emily in tears. It comes after it was also reported that Emily had a secret fling with McFly's Dougie Poynter after splitting from model Jack Vacher earlier this year, and a representative for the actress denied claims she was secretly dating Big Brother's Ziggy Lichman. Brutal: I'm A Celebrity's Emily Atack has reportedly been accused of having a secret fling with married Dancing On Ice pro Fred Palascak by his wife Mel, according to The Sun Regarding her alleged relationship with Fred, a source claimed that Emily's chemistry with American dancer Fred on and off the ice sparked concern from his spouse Mel. They said: 'Mel had seen enough and told Emily to leave her husband alone. 'Mel then turned to Fred and said 'me or her'. He chose his wife. 'Emily left in tears with her mum. This was in front of everyone, it was very public, and a very awkward situation all round.' Brutal: A source claimed that Emil was confronted by Fred's wife over their close relationship at the series wrap party in 2010, with te Close bond: Emily was paired up with Fred on the show's fifth series, becoming the eighth couple to be eliminated after losing out to Danniella Westbrook in the skate-off Rough ride: It was reported that Mel - who was a dancer on the show - confronted Fred and Emily, and the fallout led to both pros being dropped from the show (above in 2010) It was also reported that the fallout led to Fred and Mel being dropped from Dancing On Ice ahead of the next series, and the bad blood remained between the trio during the show's live tour in the spring. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Emily Atack for comment. Emily was paired up with Fred on the show's fifth series, becoming the eighth couple to be eliminated after losing out to Danniella Westbrook in the skate-off. This news comes as Emily has been winning over viewers with her comedic charm during her stint in the I'm A Celebrity jungle, having made the final on Saturday with John Barrowman and Harry Redknapp. The comedic actress was recently forced to deny rumours that she was secretly dating ex-Big Brother star Ziggy, with a spokesperson telling MailOnline: 'Emily is categorically not in a relationship with Ziggy. This story is completely untrue. They are friends but nothing more.' Hilarious: This news comes as Emily has been winning over viewers with her comedic charm during her stint in the I'm A Celebrity jungle Not true: The comedic actress was recently forced to deny rumours that she was secretly dating ex-Big Brother star Ziggy Sources had claimed Ziggy had been missing Emily 'like mad' since she entered the jungle and was 'really proud' of her for getting on the show, according to the Daily Star. And after it was confirmed she would be taking part in the show, Emily was also at the centre of rumours that she had a secret fling with former jungle winner Dougie Poynter. A source told The Sun that Emily and Dougie briefly had a 'friends with benefits' style relationship, after she split from boyfriend Jack at the beginning of the year. Cosy? Emily was also at the centre of rumours that she had a secret fling with former jungle winner Dougie Poynter Emily was also at the centre of speculation surrounding her relationship with comedian Seann Walsh in October, amid reports by The Sun On Sunday that they had a fling while he was still with girlfriend Rebecca Humphries. An insider claimed Seann and Emily enjoyed a 'string of dates' and became 'totally wrapped up in each other' after clicking at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016. Emily did not publicly comment on the rumours, breaking her silence in a light-hearted tweet which read: 'The stress of this pub quiz in Crouch End is more than any stress Ive had this week.' The first Avengers: Endgame trailer hit the Internet on Friday morning, swiftly becoming the most-viewed movie trailer ever in just 24 hours. According to The Walt Disney Company, which owns Marvel Studios, the preview garnered a stunning 289 million views the first day. It beat the previous record holder Avengers: Infinity War by more than 50 million views. For her: Speaking to a broken Iron Man helmet, Tony Stark starts to record a message to his fiance Pepper Potts as he says: 'When I drift off I will dream about you, its always you' 'To the greatest fans in the world, thank you for being there from the beginning until the Endgame and making this the most viewed trailer in history with 289 million views in 24 hours,' the company tweeted on Saturday. The trailer's success was hardly surprising as Infinity War ended on a cliff-hanger of epic proportions after Thanos made good on his promise to kill half of mankind, including the superheroes. And fans have been desperate for any news about the sequel since then. Avengers 4 trailer: Iron Man was adrift in space in the first clip for the film which was released on Friday, as title was FINALLY revealed as Avengers: Endgame The intense first clip opened with an emotional monologue from Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man, as he was left to drift in space. Speaking to a broken Iron Man helmet, Tony Stark starts to record a message to his fiance Pepper Potts as he says: 'Hey Miss Potts if you find this recording dont feel bad about this, part of the journey is the end.' Seemingly in reference to Doctor Strange, he added: 'Just for the record being adrift in space was your promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds, food and water ran out four days ago.' Speaking again to Miss Potts, he added: 'Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning, thatll be it. When I drift off I will dream about you, its always you.' Going to war: Captain America vowed to defeat villain Thanos in the 'fight of our lives' Stuck: Iron Man was left to drift into space, after he and Nebula managed to survive Thanos' cull of Earth's population and cuts it by half There was also a brief glimpse of the Titan Thanos, as it showed his humble dwellings in a wooden hut surrounded by nature, as his golden armour was left on display on a spike. The villain's hand was visible as he walked through a field of flowers, as Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow narrated: 'Thanos did exactly what he said he was going to do, he wiped out 50 percent of all living creatures.' Heading to the Avengers base, Chris Evans' Captain America was seen crying alone before he spoke with Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff, about their next move. Villain: There was also a glimpse of Thanos and his humble dwellings in a wooden hut surrounded by nature, while his golden armour was left on display on a spike Glimpse: The villain's hand was visible as he walked through a field of flowers Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner is also shown briefly, as he looked at the files for all of the missing superheroes who died at the end of the last film. It also showed Ant-Man aka Scott Lang's profile, and he is labelled as missing after he travelled into the Quantum Realm in his second solo-film Ant-Man & The Wasp. Cap aka Steve Rodgers' voice then echoes out as Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Karen Gillan's Nebula are seen mourning the loss of Loki and Gamora. On my mind: Speaking to his fiance, he added: 'Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning, thatll be it. When I drift off I will dream about you, its always you' Dramatic: Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow narrated: 'Thanos did exactly what he said he was going to do, he wiped out 50% of all living creatures' The First Avenger says: 'We lost, all of us. We lost friends, we lost family, we lost a part of ourselves. This is the fight of our lives.' Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is then seen in Japan, with new weapons and a new outfit, it seems that he has now taken on the alias of Ronin from the New Avengers comic book storyline. Natasha reassures Steve, as she tells him: 'This is going to work Steve.' To which Cap ominously says: 'I know it is because I dont know what Im going to do if it doesnt.' Damage: Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner was shown briefly, as he looked at the files for all of the heroes who died at the end of the last film, as well as Ant-Man aka Scott Lang who is missing Easter egg: Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is seen in Japan, with new weapons and a new outfit, it seems that he has now taken on the alias of Ronin from the New Avengers comic book storyline Defeated: Cap aka Steve Rodgers' voice then echoes out as Chris Hemsworth's Thor (pictured) was seen mourning the loss of his adopted brother Loki The title was then revealed for the film, but that wasn't all as an extra clip saw the unexpected return of Ant-Man. Proving the franchise's humorous approach to the script is still around, Scott says to a video: 'Hi is anyone home, this is Scott Lang, we met a few years ago at the airport in Germany, and I got really big.' Cap, not entirely believing his eyes, asks Black Widow: 'Is this an old message?' But she informs him: 'Thats the front door.' As Scott can be heard explaining: 'Ant-man, Ant-man I know you know that. That's me, can you buzz me in?' Avengers: Endgame is due out on April 26. He's back, but how? But that wasn't all as the end saw the unexpected return of Ant-Man who asked Cap and Black Widow to let him in, despite last being seen in the Quantum Realm Contemplative: Karen Gillan's Nebula was also shown briefly, and she appeared to be at a loss after discovering that her sister Gamora was killed by Thanos Dassault Aviation will highlight its ultra-long range Falcon 8X and new Falcon 6X ultra-wide-body twinjet at the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) Show, which opens tomorrow (Dec 10). The new Falcon 8X flagship will be on display and visitors will be able to experience virtual reality demonstrations of the 6X cabin at the Dassault chalet at the Dubai World Central Airport. Large cabin Falcons make up a significant proportion of new Falcon deliveries, and those operating in the region. The Falcon 8X can fly nonstop from New York to Dubai, Dubai to Adelaide and Jeddah to Sao Paulo yet easily access short runway airports like London City, Gstaad and Lugano in Switzerland and Cannes, France that are typically off limits to big business jets. The Falcon 6X will comfortably link Dubai directly to destinations throughout Africa, Europe and Asia. Dassault continues to invest in the Arabian Gulf to improve and expand its regional product support network. It recently opened a new engineering office in Cairo to support the growing number of Falcons operating in the region, Dassault Aviation said. Falcon customers can also rely on an Authorized Service Center, spares distribution centre and regional sales office in Dubai and an Authorized Service Center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, it said. Middle East customers can also benefit from Falcon Response, Dassaults comprehensive aircraft on ground support service offering. FalconResponse is supported by two dedicated Falcon 900 aircraft that customers can also use for alternative lift an industry first. - TradeArabia News Service Their wedding celebrations have been described as a 'four-day Mexican fiesta'. And guests who attended Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's nuptials on Saturday evening went all out for the much-anticipated affair, held at the One&Only Palmilla resort in Cabo San Lucas. From bright colours to daring sheer ensembles, the likes of Karl's sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys, British blogger Louise Roe and Richard Wilkins' son Christian stepped out in style for the lavish ceremony. Statement hats, bold hues and sheer frocks: Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's wedding guests wore vibrant outfits as they gathered for the couple's ceremony in Mexico on Saturday. Pictured British blogger Louise Roe (right) TV presenter Louise, 37, stunned in a striking one-shouldered crimson dress teamed with bronze heels for the occasion. On her arm she had the best accessory, her husband Mackenzie Hunkin, who looked dapper in a smart velvet blazer, black trousers and a dashing bow tie. Earlier in the day, Louise showed off her glamorous makeup look, consisting of a nude lip and bronzed eye shadow. Her hair was pulled back to reveal a pair of extravagant gold and red earrings. Wedding look: Earlier in the day, Louise showed off her glamorous makeup look, consisting of a nude lip and bronzed eye shadow Meanwhile, Richard Wilkins' son Christian sported a black boater hat decorated with a floral band for the occasion. He also wore a daring sheer cream sleeveless top that featured a quirky neck bow, teamed up with shiny black trousers. He accessorised with aviator sunglasses and a cross-body Moschino bag. Guest Ali Rosenberg posed alongside Christian in black dress, as well as My Kitchen Rules star Della Muscat, who stood out in a bright orange dress. Glitzy! Meanwhile, Richard Wilkins' son Christian sported a black boater hat decorated with a floral band for the occasion Fun times! Guest Ali Rosenberg posed alongside Christian in black dress, as well as My Kitchen Rules star Della Muscat, who wore a bright orange dress Bold: Meanwhile, bridesmaid Tamie Ingham's sister Katie opted for a pink and red frock featuring puff shoulders and a plunging neckline. Pictured with Ali Rosenburg (left) and Della Muscat (center) Bridesmaid Tamie Ingham's sister Katie opted for a pink and red frock featuring puff shoulders and a plunging neckline. Elsewhere Karl's sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys looked incredible in a multicoloured yellow and purple gown. The flaxen-haired beauty sported a wide grin as she cuddled up to her husband and Karl's brother Peter Stefanovic ahead of the nuptials. Gorgeous: Karl's sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys looked incredible in a multicoloured yellow and purple gown as she posed with her husband Peter Stefanovic Her blonde locks were styled in tousled waves and she showed off her holiday tan by wearing minimal makeup. Travel blogger Claire Alexander-Johnston celebrated both the wedding and her partner's birthday in a stunning sheer frock. The see-through creation featured polka dots and a billowing silhouette, and she teamed the statement look with nude pumps and an embroidered clutch. Big day: Travel blogger Claire Alexander-Johnston celebrated both the wedding and her partner's birthday in a stunning sheer frock Details: The see-through creation featured polka dots and a billowing silhouette, and she teamed the statement look with nude pumps and an embroidered clutch Meanwhile, Marketing director Stephen Howard showed off his dapper tuxedo in a social media picture taken against the backdrop of the Sea of Cortez. 'Ready for #letsgetfizzykarl,' he excitedly penned in the caption. Another loved-up couple who attended the luxe celebrations posed up a storm for a social media snap - with the stunning brunette clad in a diaphanous print frock. Ready to roll: Meanwhile, Marketing director Stephen Howard showed off his dapper tuxedo in a social media picture taken against the backdrop of the Sea of Cortez Featuring a keyhole at the decolletage, she teamed up the elegant number with black pumps. Afterwards, she took a photograph beside two other gorgeous guests. One stunned in a blush-toned gown paired with glimmering heels as the other sported a classic red slip dress. Sweet: Another loved-up couple who attended the luxe celebrations posed up a storm for a social media snap - with the stunning brunette clad in this diaphanous print frock Guests: Afterwards she took a photograph beside two other gorgeous guests - one wearing a blush-toned gown paired with glimmering heels as the other sported a classic red slip dress Today show host Karl, 44, and Jasmine, 34, tied the knot in a sunset ceremony on the steps of a hilltop chapel at the One &Only Palmilla in Cabo, Mexico. The newlyweds initially began dating in late 2016, months after the Today host separated from his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn. Cassandra and Karl split in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. They share custody of three children: Jackson, River and Ava. Cardi B took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce she and Offset are 'not together any more' and 'grew out of love', amid reports her husband was pursuing group sex with other women. And the 26-year-old flaunted her newfound single status on Friday night, hitting the Jingle Ball red carpet in New York City without her wedding ring. The I Like It hitmaker seemed to be making a point of showing her ringless finger as she took ever opportunity to put her left hand front and center in the pics. No ring no worries! Cardi B, 26, flaunted her newfound single status on Friday night, hitting the Jingle Ball red carpet in New York City without her wedding ring The rapper cut an elegant figure in a long, fur-capped coat and had a smile stretched across her face. Featuring fur across the pockets, as well as the shoulders, the garment reached all the way to her ankles. Her long blonde tresses were parted down the middle and they fell straight across her shoulders. Cardi painted her lips a deep pink and added some hot pink eye shadow and a touch of blush. A pair of black boots were the only things visible underneath and one thin necklace was visible. Of course, the mother-of-one's jewelry did not include a wedding ring - unsurprising given the infidelity charges leveled against her Migos star estranged husband. New York, New York: Cardi B shined the brightest as she headed in to the Big Apple edition of Jingle Ball Shining: The Bodak Yellow rapper cut an elegant figure in a long, fur-capped coat and had a smile stretched across her face Bare: Of course, the mother-of-one's jewelry did not include a wedding ring - unsurprising given the infidelity charges leveled against her Migos star estranged husband Leaked text messages emerging on TMZ on Wednesday appeared to show Offset organising a threesome with Cuban Doll and another woman Summer Bunni back in June, shortly before Cardi gave birth to their daughter Kulture. It was also alleged that Cardi knew her husband had a habit of talking to women, but this latest revelation was too much to bear. Sources close to the beauty told the website there is no chance Cardi will renege on the split announcement, and seems 'deadly serious.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Cardi B and Offset for comment. In an text allegedly from the Migos rapper, Offset asks Summer to arrange a night with her and female rapper, Cuban Doll. A bridge too far: It was also alleged that Cardi knew her husband had a habit of talking to women, but this latest revelation was too much to bear The texts from June 28 were published on Instagram by a third woman, who tagged Cardi B in the screenshot. A second image showed Summer Bunni in a limo, seemingly Facetiming with Offset. In the messages, the sender, named as Offset, states: 'I want u and Cuban can u make that happen.' The recipient, named as Summer Bunni, replies that she is willing, but the other woman is unavailable on that day. Making money move: Later, Cardi B stormed the stage as the night's headline act while bringing the crowd to their feet Offset suggests the following day and offers to fly the women to Atlanta to join him. 'Okay' replies the woman. Cardi made no mention of Offset on Friday when she told DailyMailTV exclusively, 'holidays are all about family and I cant wait to spend her first Christmas with Kulture.' And the pair have ceased social media contact, according to TMZ. According to the gossip site on Saturday, 'Cardi's no longer following Offset on Instagram ... and he's responded in kind.' Happier times: Cardi B and husband Offset seen here in August 2017 No frills: She flaunted her flat stomach between a frill-covered dark green to and a short skirt bottom Later, Cardi B stormed the stage as the night's headline act while bringing the crowd to their feet. She flaunted her flat stomach between a frill-covered dark green to and a short skirt bottom. Black heeled booties added a couple extra inches to the star, and her taut legs were visible thru fishnet stockings. Marvel brought some of their biggest stars to Comic-Con Experience (CCXP) in Brazil on Saturday, including Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson. Larson was joined by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4: Endgame star Sebastian Stan, while Thor: Ragnarok star Tessa Thompson was also in attendance. Fans were given quite the surprise, though, when Tom Holland, Jacob Batalon and Jake Gyllenhaal made an unannounced appearance to debut the trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home. Brie in Brazil: Brie Larson speaks to the crowd during the Marvel panel at Comic-Con Experience in Brazil on Saturday Captain Marvel in the house: Larson was joined by Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4: Endgame star Sebastian Stan, while Thor: Ragnarok star Tessa Thompson was also in attendance Larson, 29, was spotted wearing a dark blue pantsuit with bejeweled shoulders, as she spoke about her new movie Captain Marvel, in theaters March 8, 2019. 'She's incredibly smart, funny, and strong,' Larson said during the panel (courtesy of Collider's Steven 'Frosty' Weintraub). 'And then she receives these powers that make her larger than life,' she continued. 'The film is about her coming to terms with her past and trying to figure out where she came from as she learns to harness and own her powers.' White Wolf arrives: Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes a.k.a. White Wolf, spoke about Avengers: Infnity War and the highly-anticipated Avengers: Endgame Sebastian Stan, who plays Bucky Barnes a.k.a. White Wolf, spoke about Avengers: Infnity War and the highly-anticipated Avengers: Endgame. While Tessa Thompson plays Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she was at CCXP for the Sony Pictures panel, to discuss her role in the upcoming Men in Black reboot with her Thor: Ragnarok co-star Chris Hemsworth. Fans were given quite the surprise when Spider-Man: Homecoming star Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds) took the stage, pretending to speak with his co-star Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man). Brie on stage: Larson, 29, was spotted wearing a dark blue pantsuit with bejeweled shoulders, as she spoke about her new movie Captain Marvel, in theaters March 8, 2019 All smiles: 'She's incredibly smart, funny, and strong,' Larson said during the panel (courtesy of Collider's Steven 'Frosty' Weintraub) Holland then took the stage shortly thereafter, along with Jake Gyllenhaal, who was recently confirmed to play the iconic comic book villain Mysterio. The stars unveiled the first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home, and while the trailer isn't available online yet, Collider reports that the trailer ends with a reveal of Mysterio's suit, which Gyllenhaal discussed on stage. 'It was incredible, the suit is incredible, and there are a lot of different secrets in the suit that are really cool,' Gyllenhaal said. The #SpiderManFarFromHome trailer doesn't acknowledge anything from @Avengers Infinity War or Endgame. Starts like you haven't left the Spider-Man universe. The trailer ends with the reveal of #jakegyllenhaal as #mysterio. And yes you see the costume! pic.twitter.com/myB9oqHntY Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) December 8, 2018 Tessa on stage: While Tessa Thompson plays Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she was at CCXP for the Sony Pictures panel, to discuss her role in the upcoming Men in Black reboot with her Thor: Ragnarok co-star Chris Hemsworth 'There are a lot of things to reveal about that suit,' Gyllenhaal added. Spider-Man: Far From Homecoming hits theaters July 5, 2019, set just moments after the events of Avengers: Endgame, in theaters May 3, 2019. The Avengers: Endgame trailer released earlier this week set a new record with 289 million views in the first 24 hours. Tom takes the stage: Holland then took the stage shortly thereafter, along with Jake Gyllenhaal, who was recently confirmed to play the iconic comic book villain Mysterio New Mysterio: The stars unveiled the first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home, and while the trailer isn't available online yet, Collider reports that the trailer ends with a reveal of Mysterio's suit, which Gyllenhaal discussed on stage I'm A Celebrity's Holly Willoughby has become the best-paid woman on British TV and friends say it's down to one bold decision: to cover up her famous cleavage. The 37-year-old presenter was so renowned for her low-cut outfits that she even earned the nickname 'Holly Willoughbooby'. And at one point TV watchdog Ofcom launched an investigation into a very revealing outfit she wore on The Voice following a string of complaints. But now Holly has undergone a startling image makeover, transforming herself into a svelte and elegant style icon. She has even told friends she wants to appear on the cover of fashion Bible Vogue. The TV presenter was once so renowned for her low-cut outfits that she earned the nickname 'Holly Willoughbooby'. However she has now undergone a transformation A source close to the star said: 'She made a conscious decision to put her cleavage away. While she is proud of what she looked like then, she has transformed herself into something much more classy. The I'm A Celebrity star, worth a reputed 10 million, hired stylist Angie Smith to advise her and her No 1 tip was that Ms Willoughby should make more of her legs than her breasts She is now a smarter, more chic 'brand'. Her 'yummy mummy' transformation began when Ms Willoughby, worth a reputed 10 million, hired stylist Angie Smith to advise her and her No 1 tip was that Ms Willoughby should make more of her legs than her breasts. Ms Smith even travelled to Australia to make sure the mother- of-three was immaculately dressed for I'm A Celebrity, which comes to an end tonight. Her 'Jungle Jane' style has certainly proved a talking point, with outfits she wears on screen flying off the shelves. Caroline Flack has opened up about her year-long battle with depression - which she says started the day after her Strictly Come Dancing win in 2014. The Love Island host, 39, explained how she felt ridiculous having such thoughts after being crowned champion of one of the BBC One hit show, and confessed that antidepressants were what got her out of bed in the morning. Speaking to the Sun, Caroline said: It all started the day after I won Strictly. I couldnt get up and just couldnt pick myself up at all that next year. I felt ridiculous, being so sad when Id just won the biggest show on telly and had such an amazing job. Struggles: Caroline Flack has opened up about her year-long battle with depression - which she says started the day after her Strictly Come Dancing win in 2014 The TV presenter also revealed that she felt like a joke during her stint presenting the X Factor alongside Olly Murs, 34, in 2015, and would often end up in tears backstage. She recalled: I was embarrassed about everything. I felt like a bit of a joke. We were getting slammed week in, week out and we couldnt do anything right. I could have walked on water one week and.. people would have gone, But wheres Dermot?. Caroline visited her doctor following a panic attack in her X Factor dressing room and was prescribed citalopram, a type of antidepressant, but didnt tell any of her friends or family, or her boss Simon Cowell. Heartbreak: The TV presenter recently split from fiance Andrew Brady, 28, once again after a string of break-ups and make-ups Winner: The Love Island host, 39, explained how she felt ridiculous having depressive thoughts after being crowned champion of one of the BBC One hit show (pictured in 2014) The star stopped taking them after six months as she realised she had become a little too reliant on them. To combat her need for them, Caroline eventually went on a juice retreat in the Mediterranean to get the pills out of her system. Thankfully, the hostess is now back on top form, feeling happy and healthy, with 2019 looking to be her busiest year to date. Troubles: Caroline also revealed that she felt like a joke during her stint presenting the X Factor alongside Olly Murs, 34, in 2015, and would often end up in tears backstage Caroline will be returning to our TV screens in Strictly Come Dancings festive special, Love Islands Christmas show and is about to make her West End debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Aside from her career, the TV presenter recently split from fiance Andrew Brady, 28, once again after a string of break-ups and make-ups. Caroline first got together with the reality star in January, with the pair announcing their engagement in April after a whirlwind romance. Back to her best: Caroline will be returning to our TV screens in Strictly Come Dancings festive special, Love Islands Christmas show and is about to make her West End debut in Chicago But as well as a heated argument on holiday in Portugal in the autumn, last month the pair had a row which resulted in Andrew prank-calling an ambulance. Yet Caroline has said they had a raw love and need to be happy in themselves before we can be together. She told the publication: 'We have a very passionate, raw love but at the minute we just need to look after ourselves. We need to be happy in ourselves before we can be together, I think and thats what were doing. I think we want the best for each other. As Karl Stefanovic, 44, married the love of his life Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, in Mexico on Saturday, his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn read The Handmaid's Tale. The 47-year-old mother-of-three shared a photo of the book cover to Instagram and described the novel as 'an emotional roller-coaster', seemingly taking a thinly veiled swipe at her ex. 'A good book for my journey. An excellent tv series that is an emotional roller coaster for women. Well worth watching!' she captioned. 'It's an emotional roller coaster': Karl Stefanovic's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn read The Handmaid's Tale as the Today host tied the knot with Jasmine Yarbrough. Pictured left on The Morning Show and right is a photo of Cassandra's book on Instagram Cassandra posted the photo to Instagram around the same time that Karl and Jasmine's wedding photos surfaced online. The Handmaid's Tale follows the life of June Osborne, who is oppressed and forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship in a dystopian future. Cassandra's children with Karl, Jackson, 19, Ava, 13 and 12-year-old River, are all in Mexico for their father's big day while the children's author is thought to be staying with a good pal in Melbourne. On Thursday, Cass was spotted at Sydney Airport boarding a flight to Melbourne. The journalist appeared strained and was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt with the word 'NEVER' emblazoned across it. 'NEVER': On Thursday, Cass was spotted at Sydney Airport boarding a flight to Melbourne. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with the word 'NEVER' emblazoned across it Wedding bells! Karl and Jasmine (centre) tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Mexico on Saturday. Cassandra posted the Instagram photo around the same time that wedding photos surfaced Earlier this week, Cass told Daily Mail Australia that she is fed-up with being portrayed as a 'bitter ex-wife' in the media. She was responding to an article originally published by The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, which claimed she made a subtle reference to Jasmine while hosting an event at Luna Park. Cassandra reportedly said on stage: '[Life] is not a fashion show, it's not a competition... It is not a competition on going out and dressing up.' Over: Cassandra and Karl split in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. Pictured on May 1, 2011 in Melbourne This was interpreted by critics as a 'dig' at Jasmine, who is a former model and shoe designer. Cassandra told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that she was not referring to her ex-husband's new wife. She was instead talking about motherhood in general and encouraging other women not to worry about their looks. Clarification: Cassandra told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday that she was not referring to her ex-husband's new wife, Jasmine, (right) but was instead talking about motherhood generally. Pictured left, Cassandra on October 4, 2017 in Sydney and right, Jasmine at David Jones in 2017 'Anyone who knows me at all knows I have never believed following fashion is a good thing,' she said. 'Women should dress in what makes them feel good. It is not a competition. That's what I said on the panel. They have been my views forever. Individuality and accepting ourselves for who we each are is what we should strive for.' Cassandra and Karl split in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. They share custody of their kids Jackson, River and Ava. She's her own woman who comes from hip hop royalty. And Angela Simmons appeared like she was living it up Saturday, as she shared some sultry social media from her vacation to Miami's Art Basel art fair. The 31-year old daughter of Run-DMC's Rev Run, took to her Instagram and flaunted her cleavage and curves, while offering some words of wisdom. 'I stopped worrying about how you feel.... once I started loving myself,' she captioned in one steamy pic of her on a hotel balcony. Hot in the city: Angela Simmons gave her 5.6million Instagram followers an inside look at her weekend in Miami, which includes photos of her flaunting her cleavage and curves in a bikini Angela posted several photos and video clips of her rocking a skimpy dark blue bikini while at her hotel on the Miami beachfront. On this warm and sunny day, she went shoeless and wore her dark tresses straight and long, flowing to near the bottom of her back. In one selfie video, she can be seen mugging up to the camera with bear ears, a button nose and some stars, compliments of a popular phone app filter. 'Miami I love you,' she added in the video caption. Seductive: The edgy number came to about mid thigh to show off her gams and had slits down both sides to an extra hint of her hips Personal growth: 'I stopped worrying about how you feel.... once I started loving myself,' the reality star captioned in one steamy pic from her hotel balcony Cute: The daughter of Run-DMC's Rev Run also used a popular phone app filter and added bear ears, a button nose and glistening stars for some video clips Bursting with enthusiasm, the Growing Up Hip Hop star's ample assets nearly fell out of her bikini while filming one clip. At one point the beauty took her frolicking escapade from the balcony, inside to her hotel room and snapped some more pics. Later in the day, Angela made a wardrobe change and slipped into a sexy silver sequin dress for her night on the town. 'It's not even my birthday,' she captioned in one pic, referring to her glammy look for the evening. The edgy number came to about mid-thigh to show off her gams and had slits down both sides to add an extra hint of her hips. Away we go: Angela pranced around her balcony while filming Revealing: The Growing Up Hip Hop star's ample assets nearly fell out of her bikini Angela first gained worldwide recognition as a teenager with her family's hit reality show, Run's House, that aired from 2005 to 2009. With a passion for fashion, Angela teamed up with her sister Vanessa Simmons and launched a shoe collection called Pastry in 2007. The line initially focused on feminine sporty footwear, but was later expanded to clothing, handbags and various other styles of shoes. Social butterfly: The Growing Up Hip Hop star flashed several seductive looks Cheeky: The fashion entrepreneur also brought her selfie escapade inside the hotel room According to Earn The Necklace, the sisters raked-in about $15million in the first year. She would eventually go solo in 2015 with the faux line, Foffi & Bella and open her own boutique. 'It's important to promote entrepreneurship and all the things that young adults can do because dreams can come true. Its important to be business-minded from a young age,' Angela revealed in an interview. Most recently she has starred in the WE reality series, Growing Up Hip Hop, alongside her sister Vanessa, as well as Romeo Miller, Kristina DeBarge, Boogie Dash, Egypte Criss, TJ Mizell, Brian Latrise and Tahira 'Tee Tee' Francis. Mariah Carey is reportedly struggling to sell tickets for her UK Christmas tour, as half of them are still on sale with just days to go according to The Mirror. A source told the publication that it has been a 'real struggle' for the iconic pop princess to fill the venues on her European tour, which will include shows in Nottingham, Leeds and London. It comes after Mariah confirmed she would play a series of festive shows to celebrate her classic All I Want For Christmas Is You. Tough time: Mariah Carey is reportedly struggling to sell tickets for her UK Christmas tour, as half of them are still on sale with just days to go according to The Mirror The publication also claimed that Ticketmaster still had more than half of the tickets for the 13,500-capacity First Direct Arena in Leeds available for purchase, just hours before Mariah is set to take to the stage. There is also reportedly more availability for Tuesday show at Londons O2 Arena, with prices ranging from 23 to 142. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Mariah and Ticketmaster for comment. Rough: A source told the publication that it has been a 'real struggle' for the pop princess to fill the venues on her European tour, which will include shows in Nottingham, Leeds and London Mariah of course has become a staple of the Christmas music season, thanks to get iconic song All I Want For Christmas Is You, which she wrote and produced early in her career. It hit the number one spot on the Billboard's Holiday Digital Songs, Holiday Hot 100 and Holiday Streaming Songs charts. Mariah has been performing shows all around Europe to celebrate her Christmas music legacy, and has also recently released a festive album to mark the occasion. Celebrate: Mariah has been on a tour of Europe to celebrate her Christmas music success, which includes the classic All I Want For Christmas Is You However Mariah hit a career speed bump last year when her docu-series Mariah's World was axed after just one season. In an open letter her ex-husband Tommy Mottola said in an open letter published by the New York Times' Page Six: 'She should hire more seasoned and respected professionals to help her with her career.' But regardless sources have also told The Mirror that Mariah has had a 'brilliant 2018' and hopes to make a return to the UK very soon. January Jones was getting in the holiday spirit Saturday, spotted heading out to a Christmas event with her eight-year-old son Xander. Jones, 40, held hands with her son and carried a wreath in her other arm as they walked into the Thousand Oaks, California event. The former model-turned-actress looked quite stylish alongside her dapper young son, who matched mom in his own boxy blazer at the event. Mother and son: January Jones wears a slightly-matching blazer with her son Xander as they head to a Christmas event on Saturday. Jones was wearing a black coat over a white blouse with black polka dots, and some bell-bottom jeans. She completed her look with a pair of sunglasses and black heeled boots. Her son Xander looked sharp wearing a blazer with gold buttons, a white dress shirt, red bow-tie, grey pants and black buckle shoes. Jones gave birth to Xander in September 2011, but she has never revealed publicly who his father is. Christmas spirit: Jones was wearing a black coat over a white blouse with black polka dots, and some bellbottom jeans All smiles: Jones gave birth to Xander in September 2011, but she has never revealed publicly who is The actress said that she knew all along she would raise her son alone in a 2013 interview with The Edit. 'I don't have room for anything else, so I don't know how I would have done it with a partner,' she said. 'I knew I would be raising my son alone. It was something I went in to knowingly, I was prepared mentally - and I was excited about it.' Jones started her career as a model at just 18 years of age, working for Abercrombie Fitch and Versace before transitioning to acting. She had small roles in studio films like The Glass House, Bandits, American Wedding and Anger Management and larger roles in Three Burials and We Are Marshall. Model-actress: Jones started her career as a model at just 18 years of age, modeling for Abercrombie Fitch and Versace before transitioning to acting Her breakthrough role was as Betty Draper in AMC's Mad Men, which ran for seven seasons and landed her an Emmy nomination and two Golden Globe nominations. After Mad Men ended its seven season run, Jones went on to star on Fox's The Last Man on Earth for its four-season run between 2015 and 2018. She is currently filming the Netflix series The Politician, for Glee and American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy. In the streaming series she stars alongside Gwyneth Paltrow, Zoey Deutch, Dylan McDermott and Jessica Lange, with the show debuting in 2019. Last month she was spotted treating her family to a trip to Disneyland. And on Saturday, Kelly Clarkson was at rival Californian theme park, Universal Studios, in The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter. The 36-year-old American Idol winner was decked out in costume from the acclaimed fantasy film series as a crew filmed her. Kid at heart: On Saturday, Kelly Clarkson was at Universal Studios, in The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter The Since U Been Gone hitmaker wore black robes, as well as a scarf of Gryffindor, the famed house of Hogwarts' most famed student, Harry Potter. Her wavy blonde tresses were worn loose for the scene, which involved Kelly inspecting items in the window of a 'Wizarding Equipment' store. A pair of platform heels added inches to the blonde beauty's 5ft3in frame. Woman wizard: The 36-year-old American Idol winner was decked out in costume from the acclaimed fantasy film series as a crew filmed her Magical: The Since U Been Gone hitmaker wore black robes, as well as a scarf of Gryffindor, the famed house of Hogwarts' most famed student, Harry Potter Long hair don't care: Her wavy blonde tresses were worn loose for the scene, which involved Kelly inspecting items in the window of a 'Wizarding Equipment' store Well-heeled: A pair of platform heels added inches to the blonde beauty's 5ft3in frame Alum: Kelly has been on The Voice in various capacities since 2005. Seen here earlier this month Kelly has been on The Voice in various capacities since 2005. But she is looking forward to adding a new challenge next year when she will host her own Kelly Clarkson Show on NBC that she and husband Brandon will also executive producer. Kelly was surprised when late night host Jimmy Fallon asked her about it in September. 'It's been leaked,' she said, adding, 'it's daytime, we're gonna be on right before Ellen.' Kelly dished that her touring band will be her house band on the show. Swisslog, a global leader in robotic, data-driven and flexible automated solutions, is meeting with business leaders to discuss material handling issues and answer questions related to fast, high-quality distribution and logistical processes, at an ongoing event in Saudi Arabia. The company is taking part in the 2nd edition of Materials Handling Saudi Arabia, which kicked off today (November 28) and will conclude tomorrow November 29, at the Park Hyatt Jeddah. The event is expected to draw hundreds of attendees as well as industry professionals and decisions makers, said a statement. Alain Kaddoum, general manager, Swisslog Middle East said that the event is an important expo for the company to be present given that the company has been active in the region for more than five years. Some of the companys recent customer wins include Almarai and Mai Dubai amongst others, including the recently secured new projects in Saudi Arabia. According to a research study conducted by YouGov, retailers in the Saudi Arabia state that the Internet of Things (38 per cent) and Big Data (34 per cent) will have the biggest impact in shaping the industry, furthermore, 87 per cent of retailers in the UAE and 89 per cent in Saudi Arabia who have adopted new automation technologies said they have seen a positive impact on productivity. Overall process automation in the Middle East and Africa market is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.15 per cent between 2018 and 2023. Alain Kaddoum is today conducting a session presenting intelligent automation in warehousing and distribution with insights into achieving the highest productivity and accuracy. He will also participate in a panel discussion conducted on the same day to discuss the latest technologies available in the sector as well as address the key pain points faced by businesses in the region. Alain Kaddoum, general manager at Swisslog Middle East, said: Future-ready warehousing and distribution solutions will enable companies to stay ahead of the competition. At our company we are constantly innovating our competitive technology to meet the demands of todays omni-channel storage and distribution. We are extremely proud to demonstrate the power of big data with Industry 4.0 while laying the foundations for artificial intelligence to achieve new levels of warehouse automation dynamics, he added. Since inception, the Middle East team at Swisslog has grown steadily in size year-on-year and plays a critical role in supporting the companys Logistics Automation continual global growth strategy and in driving its leadership position in automated intralogistics solutions throughout the region. As a growing global company, Swisslog has a presence in more than 25 countries; in partnership with Kuka, the company covers the entire automation value chain with robotic and data-driven automated solutions that create additional value for businesses. Most recently, the company added to its strength by appointing Anis El Shaar as sales manager specifically for the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets, whose role will be to support new clients through the complete sales cycle and manage relationships with existing accounts. Anis El Shaar brings vast experience working with companies that design, manufacture and deploy advanced robotics systems for automation in warehouses, distribution and fulfilment centres, it stated. TradeArabia News Service He's kept a low-profile since sexual misconduct allegations against him resurfaced courtesy of the #MeToo era. But Casey Affleck seemed in good spirits while out in LA Saturday, where he was seen grabbing lunch with a friend. Affleck, 43, was recently spotted at a pair of Christmas bashes, hitting up the Amazon Studios holiday party last week. Happy Casey: Casey Affleck is all smiles while grabbing lunch with a friend in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon He also put in an appearance at the Fox Searchlight holiday party in November, attending both parties with his girlfriend of two years, Floriana Lima. Affleck was spotted wearing a maroon short-sleeved collared shirt, khakis that were rolled up at the ankles and brown boots. He was holding a cardboard tray from Mendocino Farms in one hand and his cell phone in the other hand. The Oscar-winning actor was walking with a friend who was wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers hat and t-shirt. Casey and friend: Affleck was spotted wearing a maroon short-sleeved collared shirt, khakis that were rolled up at the ankles and brown boots Affleck's Oscar win for Manchester-By-The-Sea in 2017 was marred by the sexual misconduct allegations that re-surfaced from 2010. The actor was sued by two women who worked with him on the 2010 film I'm Still here, producer Amanda White and cinematographer Magdalena Gorka. The lawsuits were later settled out of court and dismissed, but when he won the Oscar for Best Actor, presenter Brie Larson silently protested by refusing to clap for him, stating later the gesture, 'spoke for itself.' Party time: Affleck and Lima attend the Amazon Studios holiday party Despite the controversy and allegations, Affleck hasn't had any trouble finding work lately. Affleck just recently starred in The Old Man and the Gun, his third collaboration with director David Lowery. He previously starred in the director's 2013 breakthrough feature Ain't Them Bodies Saints and 2017's A Ghost Story. Casey and Tika: He also put in an appearance at the Fox Searchlight holiday party in November, spotted with actress Tika Sumpter Affleck has been dating actress Floriana Lima since 2016, after splitting from ex-wife Summer Phoenix. The actor had been married to Phoenix from 2006 to 2015, and they had two sons together, 14-year-old Indiana and 10-year-old Atticus. His divorce with Phoenix was finalized in late 2017. Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, surprised Karl Stefanovic, 44, with a secret note before their wedding in Mexico on Saturday. The Mara and Mine shoe designer broke tradition by asking Karl to meet her at the One&Only Palmilla chapel in Los Cabos, moments before the ceremony, according to Who magazine. The Today show host agreed and met his wife-to-be at the chapel, where he saw the stunning blonde in her wedding dress for the first time. A true romantic! Jasmine Yarbrough surprised new husband Karl Stefanovic with a 'secret note' on their wedding day 'Holy sh- -! You're hot!' he said according to Woman's Day. Karl couldn't take his eyes off his new wife, who showed off a hint of cleavage in the thigh-skimming Jessica Andreatta number. The couple exchanged 'I dos' at the One&Only Palmilla resort before 187 of their closest friends and family. Sealed with a kiss! The couple exchanged 'I dos' at the One&Only Palmilla resort before 187 of their closest friends and family The father-of-three, whose wedding marks his second marriage, reportedly teared up as Jasmine declared her undying love while reading her vows. 'Sh-**, I'm terrible with this stuff,' an insider quoted Karl as saying. The pair were eventually pronounced husband and wife as guests including Richard Wilkins and Sylvia Jeffreys watched on. Mr and Mrs Stefanovic: The pair were eventually pronounced husband and wife as guests including Richard Wilkins and Sylvia Jeffreys watched on Other guests included Karl's three children Jackson, 19, Ava, 13 and 12-year-old River - who he shares with ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn, 47. Karl and Cassandra split in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. As Karl and Jasmine celebrated their big day, children's author Cassandra shared a photo to Instagram which showed her reading The Handmaid's Tale. Over: Karl and Cassandra split in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. Pictured on May 1, 2011 in Melbourne 'A good book for my journey. An excellent tv series that is an emotional roller coaster for women. Well worth watching!' she captioned. Cassandra posted the photo to Instagram around the same time that Karl and Jasmine's wedding photos surfaced online. Actress Blanca Blanco continued her week-long trip at the Marrakech International Film Festival on Saturday, looking stunning in two separate outfits. Blanco, 30, was pictured checking out the various marketplaces in Morocco in one outfit, while posing for a different photoshoot in a Morocco hotel later in the day. The Running From WISHconsin star has been in Morocco for a week, after her and her partner John Savage lost their home in Southern California's Woolsey Fire. Blanco in Morocco: Actress Blanco Blanco stuns in a white dress while checking out the marketplaces at the Marrakesh International Film Festival Photo shoot time: Blanco, 30, was pictured checking out the various marketplaces in Morocco in one outfit, while posing for a different photoshoot in a Morocco hotel later in the day The actress, who worked as a counselor for hospice patients before turning her attention to acting, was pictured in a white dress with tan heels. She was spotted checking out a shop with several bracelets and other items before changing into a completely different outfit. The talent was also spotted in an orange, Moroccan inspired dress for a second photo shoot on Saturday. She has also been giving props to some of her favorite restaurants to her 64,000 Instagram followers during her stay. Glamorous Blanca: The actress, who worked as a counselor for hospice patients before turning her attention to acting, was pictured in a white dress with tan heels Strike a pose: She was also spotted in an orange, Moroccan inspired dress for a second photo shoot on Saturday 'Best moroccan cuisine in town,' Blanco said in an Instagram post, tagging Le Salamma Marrakech. 'Thanks @lesalammamarrakech for having me here + my team,' she added. She revealed to DailyMail.com earlier this week that her trip to the Marrakech International Film Festival helped take her mind off losing her home in the Woolsey Fire. Shopping: She was spotted checking out a shop with several bracelets and other items before changing into a completely different outfit Glamorous: She has also been giving props to some of her favorite restaurants to her 64,000 Instagram followers during her stay 'I have been heart broken about losing my home but I am recovering and what gave me comfort is knowing that what happened was beyond my control... 'I had to accept reality and decide to focus on the solution - the solution is in my control,' the actress said. 'Coming to Marrakesh was something I had planned for months, therefore, I wanted to follow through with my obligations and I knew great results would lead from this trip,' she added. Reflecting: 'The main result is that it helped clear my mind and refresh myself emotionally all while enjoying the process,' Blanco added 'The main result is that it helped clear my mind and refresh myself emotionally all while enjoying the process,' Blanco added. She also said that she hopes to be, moving to a permanent home soon,' but she is, 'still at a hotel.' 'Lots of things to take care of and it will take time,' Blanco said. 'I am taking baby steps and practicing on being patience.' Advertisement Karl Stefanovic has praised Jasmine Yarbrough in his speech at the couple's wedding reception at Los Cabos, Mexico on Saturday. The 44-year-old described his new wife as his 'rock' and told friends and family that 'everyone needs a Jasmine in their life'. The Today show host went on to thank the shoe designer for 'taking on an enormous stress' by being with him as the couple continue to face intense media interest. 'Everyone needs a Jasmine in their life': Karl Stefanovic credited Yarbrough as his 'rock' during his heartfelt speech at the couple's wedding reception, at Los Cabos, Mexico on Saturday Private Sydney reported on Sunday that Karl described Jasmine as his 'rock' during his speech at the couple's wedding reception, which was held at a lit-up gazebo-style structure on the beach. The TV personality credited Jasmine, 34, for her strength in being able to face scrutiny from the public, and still stand tall. 'Jasmine you have taken on enormous stress with me, you have taken on another family, media and social criticism that would break most you've weathered it. You stand tall, you stand strong, you stand up and keep walking,' Karl told Jasmine. 'Everyone needs a Jasmine in their life,' he added. 'If they have it they're the luckiest people in the world. You are my rock, you are my saviour, you put me back together. His rock: Karl, 44, praised Jasmine, 34, for her strength in being able to face scrutiny from the public, and still stand tall 'I'm a better person because of you, a better friend, a better dad tonight I celebrate and toast you Jasmine my wife,' he concluded. Stunning pictures show the couple kissing outside the picturesque hilltop chapel at the One&Only Palmilla resort just moments before exchanging vows. Jasmine broke with tradition, wearing a bespoke high-low hemmed gown with detachable skirt by Sydney designer J. Andreatta, along with a flowing lace bridal train and a pair of white strappy high heel sandals. The gown featured soft blush tulle undertones with Aztec motifs beaded over lace, exclusively tailored for the Mexican setting. What's more each lace piece was carefully hand sewn in place. Pretty: Jasmine broke with tradition, wearing a bespoke high-low hemmed gown with detachable skirt by Sydney designer J. Andreatta Happy snap! A beaming Karl posed alongside his siblings, including brothers Peter, left, and Tom, right, and his sister Elisa Pointon, far right Meanwhile, all of Jasmine's seven bridesmaids donned floor-sweeping black gowns by Australian designer, Rachel Gilbert. Karl looked dapper for his twilight nuptials in a two-toned Tom Ford tuxedo with a crisp white jacket and black trousers. He added an Aussie touch to his ensemble by stepping out in a pair of RM Williams boots. His groomsmen also wore RM Williams boots. He also reportedly used colourful language when he first laid eyes on his stunning bride, telling the blonde: 'Holy s**t! You're hot!" Mariachi band! The freshly minted Mr and Mrs Stefanovic were aptly serenaded by a Mariachi band as they walked down the steps of the chapel moments after they said 'I do' According to the publication, Jasmine was giddy throughout the ceremony, and Karl's sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys took part in 'handfasting' - a traditional binding of the couple's hands with six ribbons. The freshly minted Mr and Mrs Stefanovic finished the luxurious ceremony in local style - by being serenaded by a mariachi band. The newly-married couple and their guests then enjoyed drinks and canapes followed by a formal dinner. At the main reception dinner, guests feasted on a three-course meal consisting of a Mexican entree, a main course, and a wedding cake described as a 'a five-tiered masterpiece' for dessert. Beaming brother! Karl's younger brother, Peter Stefanovic and his sister-in-law Sylvia Jeffreys posed on the steps of the hilltop chapel Guests were treated to a gourmet meal at the soiree, held underneath a lit-up futuristic structure on the beach. The 'Jas and Karlos' menu consisted of two choices for an entree, followed by one main dish and wedding cake for dessert. For entrees, guests had the choice of a chicken tortilla soup, with diced avocado and heirloom tomato, or a micro green salad with goat cheese and artesanal aged balsamic vinegar. There was one main course option: a grilled beef tenderloin with a mushroom enchilada, roasted poblano pepper and an avocado salsa. The whole gang's here! Christian Wilkins (left) beamed for a selfie outside the chapel on Saturday alongside My Kitchen Rules' Della Muscat front), Ali Rosenberg (back) and Katiee Ingham (right) Following the meals, guests were offered wedding cake for dessert and 'sipped the night away' on various beverages. It has been confirmed that Karl and Jasmine shared their first dance to Van Morrison's 'Tupelo Honey'. As the newlywed couple and their celebrity guests celebrated in style, it was a much different story for Karl's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn, who was in Melbourne reading The Handmaid's Tale. The 47-year-old mother-of-three shared a photo of the book cover to Instagram and described the novel as 'an emotional roller-coaster', seemingly taking a thinly veiled swipe at her ex. It begins! On Saturday, My Kitchen Rules' Della Muscat (centre) was pictured arriving at the wedding venue with fellow guests Ali Rosenberg (left) Katiee Ingham (right) 'A good book for my journey. An excellent tv series that is an emotional roller coaster for women. Well worth watching!' she captioned. Cassandra posted the photo to Instagram around the same time that Karl and Jasmine's wedding photos surfaced online. The Handmaid's Tale follows the life of June Osborne, who is oppressed and forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship in a dystopian future. Five star: At the main reception dinner, guests feasted on a three-course meal consisting of a Mexican entree, a main course, and a wedding cake described as a 'a five-tiered masterpiece' for dessert Jasmine had earlier spent the morning getting ready with her seven bridesmaids, including her high school friends, Sarah Johnson, Sophie Pentland, Jimilla Houghton, Stoj Bulic, Georgie Fleming, sister Jade Yarbrough and her business partner, Tamie Ingham. Meanwhile, Gold Logie winner Karl prepared for the special occasion with brothers Tom and Peter Stefanovic, as well as Jasmine's brother Josh Yarbrough. He also spent the morning alongside his close friends, Ben Tilley, Mick Doohan, Steve Marshall and school mate, Alan Rogina. The couple, who are already legally married, exchanged vows outside the picturesque hilltop chapel inside the lavish One&Only Palmilla resort with Australian former Ironman, Grant Kenny and model, Montana Cox among the guests. Say cheese! Blogger Claire Alexander-Johnston (right) also attended the event, taking to Instagram to pose in front-of a whitewashed facade of the chapel Ahead of the nuptials, a slew of high-profile guests were seen trickling into the cobble-stoned courtyard outside the chapel, including Karl's brothers Peter and Tom, Peter's wife Sylvia Jeffreys, fashion blogger Louise Roe, socialite Christian Wilkins and My Kitchen Rules star Della Muscat. According to The Daily Telegraph, Karl also became emotional at the rehearsal the night before the wedding. 'Having his three kids here with him means the absolute world to Karl,' a source told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday. Fiesta! Other high-profile guests included, athlete, Grant Kenny, model, Montana Cox (pictured) British fashionista, Louise Roe and skateboarder, Corbin Harris 'He is overwhelmed by all the attention but most importantly wants to share this amazing celebration with them and Jasmine.' A total of 187 guests are in attendance for the four-day Mexican fiesta including a slew of famous faces. Celebrity guests also include Today show entertainment reporter Richard Wilkins and and his girlfriend, Virginia Burmeister along with his socialite son, Christian 'Prince'. The 23-year-old model's boyfriend, Andrew Kelly did not accompany the trio to Mexico. Lady in red! British fashion blogger Louise Roe (right) courted attention as she arrived at the chapel with director Mackenzie Hunkin (left) on Saturday Former cabinet minister Julie Bishop, who has engaged in a number of fiery exchanges with Karl over years, also attended the nuptials alongside her long-term partner, property developer, David Panton. Other high-profile guests included British blogger and fashionista Louise Roe and skateboarder, Corbin Harris. However Karl and Jasmine's wedding day guest list suffered several causalities in recent days; with the likes of James Packer, Alan Jones and Kyle Sandilands pulling out at the last minute. Going to the chapel! The groom's sister Elisa Pointon conducted the sunset ceremony, which occurred in front of 187 guests including Karl's children, (whom he shares with ex-wife, Cassandra Thorburn) River, 12, Ava, 13, and Jackson, 19 Karl's longtime friend and casino magnate James did not partake in the auspicious occasion as it's reported he opted to spend time with his mother for her birthday. Last week, the KIIS FM radio star's model girlfriend Imogen Anthony, 27, revealed the couple were 'undecided' if they would attend the star-studded affair. Meanwhile Karl's Today show co-host, Georgie Gardner confirmed last week she would not attend Karl and Jasmine's wedding. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Channel Nine rep revealed the Today co-host already has prior commitments and therefore won't be in attendance. Shake it! Guests have been encouraged to shake maracas when the happy couple share their first kiss as man and wife It comes after The Daily Telegraph reported that Karl, who was busted criticising his colleague in a leaked Uber phone call in March, did not invite her to his big day. Today show fill-in and 2GB radio broadcaster Ben Fordham missed Karl's big day as well. Meanwhile the newlyweds are said to have tied the knot to the soundscape of English rockers Oasis. An insider at the resort told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday: 'It was unusual to hear Oasis being played at a wedding rehearsal, particularly an Aussie wedding, but the music will go down a storm. They're real sing-a-long, boozy anthems.' Seaside chapel: The couple exchanged vows at a picturesque chapel inside the lavish One&Only Pamilla resort, with Australian former Ironman, Grant Kenny and model, Montana Cox among the guests Following the sunset nuptials on Saturday, the bride and groom and their wedding guests will dance the night away inside a bizarre futuristic structure on the grounds of the five-star Cabo resort. An elaborate display of fireworks exploded overheads as guests partied at the venue. The gazebo-style construction features a set of DJ decks, a huge dance floor and an impressive canopy of LED fairy lights. The newlyweds have also planned a Studio 54-themed disco wedding recovery for Sunday night, according to news.com.au Wedding venue: The newlyweds and their guests are currently staying at the luxury One&Only Pamilla resort during their four-day Mexican wedding fiesta The scene: Aerial shot shows a row of seats set up in front of a stone pathway leading-up to the doors of the chapel According to a staff member at the resort, the couple's disco shindig could take place in the Palmilla's luxury nightclub, Club 96, which is only available to guests who rent out one of the pricey villas. Earlier on Friday, the couple enjoyed a wedding rehearsal at the exclusive resort with their nearest and dearest. Jasmine donned an elegant silk dress by UK designer Galvan, worth around $1400 for the couple's rehearsal dinner. More high-profile guests! What's more, former cabinet minister Julie Bishop, who has engaged in a number of fiery exchanges with Karl over years also attended the nuptials alongside her long-term partner, property developer, David Panton And on Thursday, Karl and Jasmine were the picture of bliss as they attended their pre-wedding soiree. Karl was in a rapture of happiness, literally sweeping his mother Jenny off her feet, giving her an emotional hug outside the luxurious dinner venue. While Karl's new wife Jasmine was seen in a loving embrace with her businessman father, Bob. The pair have booked two villas, one priced at $11,600 per night, and another at $15,000 per night for the four-day celebration. Ready to dance the night away! Following the sunset nuptials on Saturday, the bride and groom and their wedding guests will dance the night away inside a bizarre futuristic structure Time to party: After the ceremony, the guest headed to the wedding reception held on the beach in front of the One&Only Palmilla resort Lighting up the sky: The giant steel structure which was erected earlier the day lit up the sky while several uniformed waiters were seen waiting to serve guests It is only accessible by a private yacht or plane and has hosted the likes of Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston, Lucille Ball and former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Last month, a source close to the couple confirmed the couple has already been married after signing a marriage license in front of a Justice of the Peace in Sydney. 'They don't want to make a big deal out of it but this is a legal declaration of marriage,' the insider told Daily Mail Australia at the time. Security: To ensure the protection and privacy of the happy couple, Mexican marines and armed security guards were spotted patrolling the waters of Los Cabos around the One&Only Palmilla resort where the couple tied the knot on Saturday On guard! A team of security personnel were seen patrolling the beach around the resort with walkie-talkies Guarding the fort! It is understood that the serious security detail was to keep paparazzi and reporters away from the A-list couple's nuptials Big effort: Additionally, a source told Daily Mail Australia that the hotel is using frequency jammers to stop overhead drones from capturing the nuptials from above Karl and Jasmine's wedding was arguably one of the biggest showbiz events of the year in Australia. And to ensure the protection and privacy of the happy couple, Mexican marines and armed security guards were spotted patrolling the waters of Los Cabos around the One&Only Palmilla resort where the couple tied the knot on Saturday. It is understood that the serious security detail was to keep paparazzi and reporters away from the A-list couple's nuptials. Some paparazzi were reportedly 'threatened' by guards to leave the premises. Pure joy! Ahead of their star-studded nuptials in Mexico on Saturday, Karl and Jasmine were the picture of bliss at a pre-wedding celebration on Thursday. Jasmine is pictured with her father, Bob So happy! Karl was in a rapture of happiness at the welcome dinner, literally sweeping his mother Jenny off her feet, giving her an emotional hug outside the luxurious dinner venue Additionally, a source told Daily Mail Australia that the hotel is using frequency jammers to stop overhead drones from capturing the nuptials from above. In several images, armed Mexican guards, who are part of the Palmilla resort's security team, can be seen staring menacingly out to sea from the safety of a small boat. Channel Nine star Karl met Mara and Mine shoe designer Jasmine on a luxury boat cruise in Sydney in 2016. Brisbane-born Jasmine moved to Sydney in October last year, after she was spotted frolicking on-board James Packer's yacht on a romantic holiday with Karl. Chilling: Cassandra Thornburn shared a photo of the Handmaid's Tale book cover to Instagram at the same time that the first photos of Karl and Jasmine's wedding emerged, with Cassandra describing the novel as 'an emotional roller-coaster' Prior to her arrival, Karl had reportedly given up his $1980-a-week bachelor pad for the blonde beauty. The breakfast star moved into a $7million five-bedroom home in North Sydney, which awaited his bride-to-be. Jasmine and Karl made the surprising decision to have a commitment ceremony in March at a mansion in Sydney. Bliss: The couple smiled as their friends and family surrounded them at the pre-wedding drinks The 'wedding' took place in the lush garden of a mansion in Palm Beach on March 10, with Jasmine looking every inch the glamorous Sydneysider. 'We are very much in love. We clicked right from the start,' he told the Daily Telegraph at the time. In November, the pair threw a wild buck's weekend and hen's weekend in Melbourne. Jasmine and her girlfriends are understood to have rented out the Crown Casinos lavish $11,500-a-night Presidential Suite for the celebration. Jasmine Yarbrough's wedding dress designer has revealed how the pair collaborated to create the sensational racy number. Sydney-based Jess Andreatta of J. Andreatta told Vogue Australia how Jasmine, 34, came to her with 'an idea in mind' while praising the newlywed's vision. The dress then took six months to bring to life ahead of her nuptials with Karl Stefanovic, with each lace piece carefully hand sewn in place. 'She had an idea in mind': Jasmine Yarbrough's wedding dress designer, Jess Andreatta of J. Andreatta, reveals how they 'pushed boundaries' to create her racy look Speaking of the design process, Jess said: '[Jasmine] had an idea in mind of what she wanted and she showed me some references. 'And knowing the setting, we combined our ideas together and came up with the concept.' The designer then explained how she likes to 'push the boundaries' with her work. Jasmine and Jess were reportedly introduced by her new sister-in-law Jenna Dinicola, who is married to Tom Stefanovic, the publication wrote. '[Jasmine] showed me some references': Jess (pictured) opened up about the design process to Vogue Australia, while explaining how she likes to 'push the boundaries' with her work Jasmine put on a leggy display as she walked down the aisle in the high-low gown featuring a short, detachable skirt at the front and a flowing lace train at the back. The soft blush-coloured bespoke gown also featured a plunging neckline that revealed a hint of the bride's cleavage. It features soft blush tulle undertones, with Aztec motifs beaded over lace, exclusively picked and perfectly fitting with the Mexican setting. Show stopper! Jasmine put on a leggy display as she walked down the aisle in the high-low gown featuring a short, detachable skirt at the front and a flowing lace train at the back Meanwhile, all of Jasmine's seven bridesmaids wore black gowns by Rachel Gilbert. Karl looked dapper for his nuptials in Tom Ford tuxedo, and added an Aussie touch with RM Williams boots. His groomsmen also wore RM Williams boots. The groom's mother Jenny walked him into the service, and Jasmine's father Bob walked her down the aisle. She recently revealed that she hopes to be married by 2020 - despite her beau not yet popping the question. And Gemma Collins looked smitten with James 'Arg' Argent as they cosied up to one another at The Lean Body Project Christmas Party in Manchester on Saturday. Only having eyes for her beau, the 37-year-old TOWIE star looked more loved-up than ever. Cosy: Gemma Collins looked smitten with James 'Arg' Argent as they cosied up to one another at The Lean Body Project Christmas Party in Manchester on Saturday Showcasing her recent Dancing On Ice weight loss, the bubbly blonde donned a pair of leather trousers that she teamed with a cosy jumper. Despite it being dark out, Gemma - who lost a stone in 10 days with her skating training - accessorised with a pair of sunglasses and donned a tiger print scarf. Meanwhile, Arg, 31, looked dapper in a floral navy shirt teamed with a fitted cardigan. The look of love: Only having eyes for her beau, the 37-year-old TOWIE star looked more loved-up than ever James recently revealed he has big plans for 2019, saying in a interview with OK magazine that he'll propose to girlfriend Gemma within the next year. The TOWIE couple gushed about their long-term plans in the candid interview, with Gemma teasing they hope to have five wedding days as they can't decide on where to wed. Arg revealed to the magazine of his proposal plans: 'Ive got a few ideas up my sleeve! I cant tell you when but Im definitely asking Gemma to be my wife next year.' Hell for leather: Showcasing her recent Dancing On Ice weight loss, the bubbly blonde donned a pair of leather trousers that she teamed with a cosy jumper Calling her husband-to-be a 'romantic', Gemma revealed they hope to marry in 2020 if the proposal does happen soon. James added it could take some planning as they haven't decided on where the nuptials should take place. 'We love the idea of getting married in Essex or Brighton as theyre both special places to us, or we might go abroad and do it in Italy or Spain,' he mused. 'The first time we made love was in Marbella, so it would be nice to get married there. Its going to be hard choosing just one place well probably end up having five wedding days.' While they have big plans for marriage, Gemma explains that she's not putting pressure on herself to have children right away, confessing: 'Weve decided not to put a time frame on it. Over the years Ive felt a lot of pressure to have children but Ive realised now how silly that was.' 'I probably wont have a baby until Im at least 40, but Im okay with that. I think Ill be a better mum now that Im a bit older because I have more life experience. Love Island fans were left devastated after hearing news of their shock split on Thursday. But despite going their separate ways, Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham have proved there is no bad blood between them, as they shared a friendly exchange on Instagram on Saturday. Fans were sent into overdrive over the pair on seeing their conversation, with many hoping for a reunion as Jack sweetly commented on a snap Dani had shared of her grandmother to the social media site. Confusing: Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham have proved there is no bad blood between them, as they shared a friendly exchange on Instagram on Saturday - sending fans wild Reality star Dani, 22, appeared to be enjoying a dinner date with her nan and uploaded a snap of her grandmother holding a glass of wine. She commented alongside her picture: 'I really love you nanny,' prompting Jack to reply: 'Here she is,' on seeing his ex-girlfriend's post. Noticing his comment, Dani was quick to reply and responded: 'She loves ya,' adding a love heart emoji alongside her message. The exchange appeared to send fans into overdrive, with many left confused and questioning whether a reunion could be on the cards for the Love Island winners as they penned: 'Are you back together? Cute: Fans were sent into overdrive on seeing the pair's conversation, with many hoping for a reunion as Jack sweetly commented on a snap Dani had shared of her grandmother 'Here she is': Many were left confused over the very friendly display, questioning whether Jack and Dani are now back together following news of their split surfacing on Thursday 'Aww this has made my day I hope you two are back together. 'What are u still together?? (sic) '@danidyerxx can you clear it up if you and @jack_charlesf are together or not because everyone won't on yours backs as much (sic). 'I have absolutely no idea what is going on. Lol. 'Please don't be split up you guys are meant for each other.' Others claimed 'there is hope' that this isn't the end of the road for Jack and Dani, while some of the couple's fans insisted the pair's amicable display is purely because they have remained friends after splitting. 'They could still be friends': Others, however, were quick to point out that the exes have remained amicable despite their break up Sharing their thoughts on the situation, they added: 'He can still comment on something of hers even if they aren't together, they could still be friends. It's called being mature. 'I think he was on about her nan and u can still comment on posts even if ur just friends. If they were back together I think everyone would know by now. 'There not together I don't think there just close friends (sic).' The duo's 'confusing' display comes after Dani had fans 'praying' for a reconciliation between herself and Jack, as she appeared to delete her post confirming the couple's split just hours after first announcing it. It seemed that even Dani's grandmother wasn't in the know about their break up as she appeared to hit back at fans commenting on the split and posted: 'Oh do f*** off. They have not split up at all. They are both really busy and don't have to live in each other's pockets.' Baffled: The duo's 'confusing' display comes after Dani had fans 'praying' for a reconciliation , as she appeared to delete her post confirming the split just hours after first announcing it Dani and Jack's split comes as the former pen salesman hinted at strife in their relationship in an exclusive interview given to MailOnline, just a day before their break up was made public. Jack appeared to backtrack on his previous vow to wed Dani within a year. He told MailOnline: 'Marriage is not something we've thought about yet. Before we can even speak about that, we'd like to buy a house together first. 'We haven't really thought about kids either, but I'd like a boy and a girl, and I'd give them another little Sandy (their new bulldog) too.' This was despite revealing his plans to tie the knot with Dani, days after arriving home from weeks in the Spanish villa. He told The Sun: 'We're getting married next year, 100 per cent. Like my mum said to me so many times, 'When you know about someone, you just know.' And now I know what she's talking about. I just know that that's what we want to do.' Heartbreak: Dani had penned: 'Jack & I have sadly decided to part ways. It's been an incredible six months, and we will always have a place in our hearts for each other' Following their split, it was claimed Dani was the one to pull the plug on the pair's romance. A source told The Sun: 'Dani may have said this was a mutual decision, but that's not the case. She ended it. 'He felt they could have made it work, but she showed a hard side and called time on the relationship.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for both Dani and Jack for comment. Although they have gone their separate ways, Jack and Dani's professional and personal lives remain closely interlinked. Awkwardly, the exes have wrapped filming on their own reality show, which will focus on their lives post- Love Island. What next? Awkwardly, the exes have wrapped filming on their own reality show, which will focus on their lives post- Love Island The exes will also reunite on-screen in the upcoming Love Island Christmas special, with Jack admitting it wasn't all 'plain sailing' when the cast members were all in the same room again. They are also due to act as social media hosts for the National Television Awards on January 22, and will face an uncomfortable reunion on the red carpet. Announcing their split on Instagram, Dani had penned: 'Jack & I have sadly decided to part ways. It's been an incredible six months, and we will always have a place in our hearts for each other, but sadly we've come to the realisation that it's not meant to be long-term.' Dani continued in her statement: 'We both plan to stay friends. I hope you'll all understand. Love Dani x.' Shake-up: The exes will also reunite on-screen in the upcoming Love Island Christmas special According to reports, the reality stars, who moved in together following their big television win, have been drawn apart by their hectic schedules. A source told The Sun: 'When they left the villa they really thought they would stay together forever, but reality soon set in and things started to get strained.' It was continued: 'They came out to a whirlwind of publicity and after a while, things started to get to them and the cracks appeared. Dani and Jack initially fell for each other on the fourth series of ITV2 dating show Love Island that aired this summer. They went on to win the show and had moved in together once filming wrapped and they were back on home soil. Now, only three couples remain from the series - Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson, Kaz Crossley and Josh Denzel, and Adam Collard and Zara McDermott. She frequently puts on dazzling displays on-camera and at high-profile events. And Jenna Coleman proved she can look just as glamorous off the red carpet as she does on it, as she looked casually chic whilst on a coffee run after a shopping trip with her gal pal Dianna Agron. Covering up in a light brown longline coat, the actress, 32, looked like she was in high spirits as she chatted away with the Glee star, 32, on Thursday. Girl's day: Jenna Coleman looked chic in a brown longline coat as she had coffee with gal pal Dianna Agron after a shopping trip together Jenna teamed up her cosy outerwear with a striped monochrome shirt and loose-fitting black trousers, while she stepped out in bulky boots for a punk chic flair. Her brunette locks were brushed into a sleek, straight style, while she wore light touches of make-up to highlight her pretty features. Dianna seemed to match her friend as she wrapped up in a similar white longline coat, which she paired with a floral top and black trousers. The pair seemed to have enjoyed a fun afternoon together, as they both carried large brown paper shopping bags while sipping on their coffee. Stylish: Jenna teamed up her cosy outerwear with a striped monochrome shirt and loose-fitting black trousers, while she stepped out in bulky boots for a punk chic flair Meanwhile, Jenna recently starred in BBC One mystery drama The Cry - adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Helen FitzGerald. In the series, Joanna (Jenna), who is married to Alistair, travels from Scotland to a town in Australia, to fight for custody of Alistair's daughter, Chloe, against his ex-wife, Alexandra. As they drive from Melbourne to Geelong, their baby son Noah goes missing suddenly from the side of the road. In the aftermath of the tragedy, under public scrutiny, their marriage collapses and Joanna's psychology disintegrates. Jenna's appearance comes after she awkwardly had to discuss her ex Richard Madden on TV - who she split from in 2015 after a four year on-off romance. Appearing on The One Show, the actress was asked about Bodyguard and its recent finale, which her new series The Cry recently replaced on Sunday nights. Jenna kept her cool as she was asked how The Cry would compare to Bodyguard, after it gripped the nation for six weeks. Taking the questions in her stride, she said: 'I think its quite a different tone and pace perhaps. I watched all of Bodyguard and I thought it was fantastic.' She works hard to maintain her sensational figure. And Montana Brown ensured all eyes would be on her as she hit the beach in Dubai clad in a scanty bikini on Sunday. Soaking up the sunshine, the 23-year-old Love Island beauty seemed in high spirits as she enjoyed a stroll along the shore. Stunning: She works hard to maintain her sensational figure. And Montana Brown ensured all eyes would be on her as she hit the beach in Dubai clad in a scanty bikini on Sunday Showcasing her enviably taut stomach, the reality starlet donned a plunging tie front bikini top that also highlighted her perky assets. She teamed the garment with a pair of barely-there matching briefs which ensured her peachy posterior would be on full display. Montana finished off the look by styling her glossy raven locks in a sleek centre parting to frame her pretty features. Beach babe: Soaking up the sunshine, the 23-year-old Love Island beauty seemed in high spirits as she enjoyed a stroll along the shore Montana is happily loved-up with new beau Elliot Reeder, who she sparked up a romance last year. The Love Island alumni and Elliott have been dating for almost a year after bonding over their shared loves of fitness and travelling. Proving his model prowess, Elliott is on the books at W Model Management, which also boasts Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's brother Toby as a signing. Montana is also making a foray into high fashion modelling, having just signed with Select Model Management. It appears to be a happy ending for the raven-haired beauty, after her Love Island romance with Alex Beattie failed to last more than a few weeks after leaving the villa. Montana recently said she '100 per cent' regrets having sex with Alex on TV during her stint on the ITV2 show. Speaking to hosts Lizzie Cundy and Mark Byron about her decision to have sex on TV, Montana said: 'I 100 per cent wish I didn't do it. I wasn't in love and I didn't stay with him for very long.' The brunette also admitted she and former flame Alex don't keep in touch, adding: 'With him?! Absolutely no way!' She recently confirmed she had not been invited to the wedding of her former Today co-host Karl Stefanovic and his bride Jasmine Yarbrough. But on the day itself, Lisa Wilkinson was measured in her response to the nuptials. Speaking on The Sunday Project, the 58-year-old wished the pair, who married at at the One&Only Palmilla resort in Mexico on Saturday, very well. 'They've had a couple rough years': Lisa Wilkinson weighs in on her former Today co-host Karl Stefanovic's wedding with Jasmine Yarbrough ...after she was denied an invite. Lisa is pictured with former co-star Karl in 2017 After a news package on the wedding was aired, Lisa quipped: 'Yeah its lovely to see. They look very happy.' She went on to acknowledge that the couple had been the source of immense scrutiny during their relationship. 'I think theyve had a couple rough years. And itll be nice to get on with the rest of their lives. Together,' she intoned carefully. After a news package on the wedding was aired, Lisa quipped: 'Yeah its lovely to see. They look very happy. I think theyve had a couple rough years. And itll be nice to get on with the rest of their lives. Together' When it was mentioned there were 14 people in the bridal party, Lisa laughed and added: 'Thatll be a fun reception, then' When it was mentioned there were 14 people in the bridal party, Lisa laughed and added: 'Thatll be a fun reception, then.' It comes after it was revealed that Lisa was snubbed from the guest list of the luxurious nuptials. According to a report in New Idea Karl, 'knew The Project star wouldn't show up', even if she was invited. Not there: It comes after it was revealed that Lisa was snubbed from the guest list of the luxurious nuptials. Pictured: Jasmine and Karl at their wedding at the One&Only in Mexico A source allegedly told the publication: 'Karl knew she wouldn't come even if he asked her.' 'There is too much water under that bridge now and they both know it's too hard to come back from everything that's been said and done.' Earlier this month, Lisa confirmed to Confidential that she had not been invited to the wedding. No thanks? Earlier this month, Lisa confirmed to Confidentia l that she had not been invited to the wedding. Pictured: Jasmine and Karl at their wedding at the One&Only in Mexico There have long been reports that Karl and Lisa had a purely professional relationship, despite sharing a news desk for over a decade. 'There are elements of Today which I do miss but I am so focused on my new life and the new challenges which I have,' Lisa told Confidential. Lisa quit the Today show last year amidst claims Karl, 44, was reportedly earning $2 million - double her $1.1 million salary. ATS Travel, a leading travel management company in the UAE and Amadeus have signed a six-year agreement that will enable ATS to provide comprehensive travel solutions to corporate and individual travellers around the world. Through its alignment with Amadeus, ATS will focus on automation of the companys digital processes, using platforms such as Amadeus Touchless Suite to streamline operations and increase efficiency. This will enable ATS to deliver best-in-class services to its customers, bolstering its position as a top travel management company with offices in Saudi Arabia, India, China, Philippines and Indonesia. Saleem Sharif, deputy managing director of ATS Travel, said: We believe that technology is the key to realizing our aspirations of becoming a complete online travel suite with the capacity to serve all channels, including business to business, business to consumer, and more. Working with Amadeus will provide us with the tools to build towards our goals, and we are very pleased to expand our partnership with them in the years ahead. Founded in 1977 and one of the first Iata-accredited companies in the UAE, ATS has grown to become a regional player in travel management. Graham Nichols, managing director, Amadeus, said: Having worked with ATS Travel, we have seen firsthand how our partnership has enabled the company to optimize its operations in order to provide more value to customers in the UAE and beyond. Through our extended partnership, we will continue to support ATS Travel in realizing its business goals and facing the challenges of tomorrow. Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail and ferry operators, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and travel management companies). TradeArabia News Service She has become known for her glamorous displays both on and off the red carpet. And stepping out for a dinner date with her friends on Saturday night, Kate Beckinsale looked sensational as she slipped into a sultry pair of suede knee-high boots. The actress, 45, stunned as she stepped out in Westwood, Los Angeles - turning heads thanks to her risque footwear and thigh-skimming ensemble. Glamorous: Kate Beckinsale, 45, looked sensational as she slipped into a sultry pair of suede knee-high boots Favouring an all-black ensemble, Kate paired her boots with a mini skirt that fastened at the front and left her enviable pins firmly on display. Pairing her skirt with a complementing top that fleetingly teased a look at her svelte frame underneath, the beauty covered up with a statement furry jacket she wrapped over her shoulders. Kate added a boost to her getup with her sky-high footwear and playfully wore a tiara that boasted the word 'Queen' in gold letters. She left her brunette locks down in voluminous curls that fell past her shoulders and were parted in the middle, and favoured a glamorous yet minimal make-up look. Stunning: The actress stunned as she stepped out in Westwood, Los Angeles - turning heads thanks to her risque footwear and thigh-skimming ensemble Enhancing her natural features, the Pearl Harbor star stunned with a dewy complexion, bronzer swept cheekbones and a nude lip. Kate was joined by a slew of friends for her evening out across the pond, with her pals all sporting fake mustaches. Her appearance in Los Angeles comes after Kate recently hit headlines for enjoying a steamy kiss with British comedian Jack Whitehall, 30, in November. An onlooker told the publication: 'They were like a pair of loved-up teenagers and werent trying to hide their feelings, they were practically sitting on top of each other in the booth of the nightclub and were laughing with each other. 'Kate rested her hand on Jacks shoulder and she kept laughing and smiling at his jokes, as the night progressed, he seemed to be growing in confidence and put his arm around her and gave her a hug. Cheeky: Her appearance in Los Angeles comes after Kate recently hit headlines for enjoying a steamy kiss with British comedian Jack Whitehall, 30, during a night out in LA in November Steamy kiss: Onlookers described the pair like 'loved-up teenagers' during their night out together, adding: 'They werent trying to hide their feelings' 'Then he decided to put his hand around the back of Kates neck and pulled her across him, where they started to passionately kiss.' Kate divorced director Len Wiseman in 2016 after 12 years of marriage. She has previously been linked with on-off American toyboy Matt Rife. She has a 19-year-old daughter Lily with her former husband, the actor Michael Sheen, 49, who she split from in 2003. The Van Helsing star admitted to Tatler she is torn between having more children and enjoying her freedom in a recent interview. On whether she would have another child, she told the publication: 'I definitely would, but then I think "Oh God, I annihilated my twenties and I suddenly get a taste of freedom and annihilate myself again?" But I am open to seeing what happens' Kate also admitted she hasn't always been quite as wild as revealed she was voted 'sixth most boring person' at Oxford University when she was a student. She added: 'I didn't like drinking vodka out of a welly. In fact, I didn't drink at all, which meant there was no real chance of getting into my knickers - so what was the point of me? I was deeply unpopular.' Discussing her love life, Kate added: 'When you get divorced, everybody waits to see where you land. But I might not land anywhere for a bit. 'I'm really quite happy: it's quite nice to have a bit of Virginia Woolf time.' Elsa Pataky was dressed to impress at the world premiere of her new Netflix show, Tidelands, on Sunday night. The actress put on an eye-catching display at the Gallery Of Modern Art in Queensland's South Bank. The 42-year-old chose an avant-garde dress with a single sequined, white and silver strap that showed off her bust. Elsa Pataky turns heads in a very revealing black dress with one silver strap across the bust as she attends the launch of her series Tidelands at the Queensland Gallery Of Modern Art The strap vanished into the otherwise black frock, which appeared to be constructed from a heavy fabric. Ruched at the centre with a series of odd-shaped layers in different lengths and a high collar on one side, the design was certainly a fashion risk. With a halter-neck shape, the frock also gave the actress an opportunity to show off her toned back. Unusual: The 42-year-old chose an avant-garde dress with a single sequined, white and silver strap that showed off part off her bust Different: The strap vanished into the otherwise black frock, which appeared to be constructed from a heavy fabric Sassy: With a halter-neck shape, the frock also gave the actress an opportunity to show off her toned back Elsa paired the dress with a pair of glittering black Louboutin heels and opted to let the dress sing by not wearing any accessories. The Spanish-born star wore her hair slicked back, in a wet-look style that is currently all the rage with celebrities. A neutral-toned makeup palette consisting of pale pink eye shadow and matching lipstick complemented her bronzed skin. Upstart: Elsa's co-star Madeleine Madden also looked stunning in frilled dress featuring layers of sheer fabric adorned with polka dots and a leaf motif Pretty: The gorgeous 21-year-old showed off her slim figure in the frock, which also featured a blush-toned metallic panel at the bust Lovely look: She opted for pink lipstick and a trendy coral-toned eye shadow, her hair worn in loose curls around her shoulders Elsa's co-star Madeleine Madden also looked stunning in a frilled dress featuring layers of sheer fabric adorned with polka dots and a leaf motif. The gorgeous 21-year-old showed off her slim figure in the frock, which also featured a blush-toned metallic panel at the bust. She opted for pink lipstick and a trendy coral-toned eye shadow, her hair worn in loose curls around her shoulders. Good show! Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the rising star hailed the sci-fi series, which premieres on December 14, as 'empowering' and 'liberating' Good work: Explaining her racy scenes alongside Elsa, Maureen said it was never a problem filming for the two women Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, the rising star hailed the sci-fi series, which premieres on December 14, as 'empowering' and 'liberating'. Explaining her racy scenes alongside Elsa, Maureen said it was never a problem filming for the two women. She told the paper: 'If we had to do things a bit naked or an intimate scene it was good, because it was very much the women are in control.' Karl Stefanovic, 44, and Jasmine Yarbrough, 34, were married in Mexico on Saturday. But Ben Fordham stayed home, attending his four-year-old son Freddy's birthday bash back in Sydney. The 42-year-old took to Instagram to share photos from the party, which was attended by family and friends. 'Festival of old mates!' Ben Fordham skips the wedding of his Today co-star Karl Stefanovic to enjoy birthday celebrations with his four-year-old son. Pictured: Ben (far right) with son Freddy (second from right), daughter Pearl (far left) and wife Jodie (second from left) In one photo, Ben and his wife Jodie Speers pose with their two children, yellow zinc on their faces. Son Freddy chomps on a cupcake while the pair's daughter beams for the camera, posing in front of Freddy's birthday cake. The party appeared to have a lifesaver theme, as several guests had zinc on their faces or donned lifesaver outfits in yellow and red. Freddy could also be seen on a jumping castle, enjoying his afternoon with a bevy of friends and grown ups alike with Ben captioning the photos: 'Festival of Old Mate!' Happily wed: The birthday party fell on the same day that the TV host's Today co-star Karl Stefanovic (right) was wed to Jasmine Yarbrough (left) in Mexico The birthday party fell on the same day that the TV host's Today co-star Karl wed Jasmine in Mexico. In the days leading up to the nuptials, Ben stayed coy on whether he had been invited at all. Asked if he was able to confirm he did not receive a wedding invite from the couple, Ben was evasive. Not there: In the days leading up to the nuptials, Ben was coy on whether he had been invited at all. Pictured: Karl and Jasmine's wedding in Mexico Better things to do! 'We've got a big day tomorrow, because we've got little Freddy's fourth birthday party, so we're going to have a big day too tomorrow' Ben said before the wedding 'I don't think that's a very nice thing to be asking, when it comes to people's own weddings and their invitations and things like that,' the TV host said. He added: 'I think it's a personal thing, and it's nicer to leave those decisions up to themselves. 'We've got a big day tomorrow, because we've got little Freddy's fourth birthday party, so we're going to have a big day too tomorrow.' He's been keeping a low profile over the past few months. But Morgan Freeman was back at work to film part of his new documentary series in Nepal, where he was blessed by His Holiness Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji, last month. The actor, 81, was learning about the ancient Indian religion Jainism when he took part in the ceremony in which a holy thread was tied around his hand and he was given a coconut, both of which symbolise blessings. Blessed: Morgan Freeman was given a holy thread and coconut in a blessing ceremony with a spiritual leader as he studied the religion Jainism for new documentary last month The veteran star has been busy filming the National Geographic series The Story of God, which is set to air in 2019 and sees him travel around the world to learn about religion and culture. In this episode, Morgan was keen to talk to the monk about Jainism and how the religion is practised, as he is considered one of the holiest figures in India. The religion, which preaches non-violence, is also said to have heavily inspired leaders Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Finding out more: The actor, 81, was learning about the ancient Indian religion Jainism from His Holiness Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji Morgan's documentary filming comes after he was accused of sexual misconduct and 'inappropriate behaviour' by sixteen individuals in May according to CNN. The Oscar winner strongly denied the allegations in a statement at the time: 'I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by the media reports. 'All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humour. I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women and men feel appreciated and at ease around me. Studying: In the episode, Morgan was keen to talk to the monk about Jainism and how the religion is practised, as he is considered one of the holiest figures in India 'As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way. Clearly, I was not always coming across the way I intended. 'And that is why I apologised Thursday and will continue to apologise to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally. But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. 'I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.' They made the bold decision to leave behind their life in the UK and start afresh in the US after he landed his career-defining hosting role on The Late Late Show. And James Corden ensured he spent quality time with his wife Julia Carey as the couple dined at Madeo restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday night. The television presenter, 40, kept his ensemble casual with a black, round-neck, jumper, tied with dark wash jeans and white trainers. Date night: James Corden, 40, ensured he spent quality time with his wife Julia Carey, 41, as the couple dined at Madeo restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday night Meanwhile, TV producer Julia, 41, showcased her trim figure in a black sweater and skinny jeans. Wearing an eye-catching plaid blazer, Julia tied in her relaxed ensemble with a chic chain-strap bag and shiny black Chelsea boots. The couple's outing comes after the comedian created a parody version of Ariana Grande's popular Thank U, Next music video for his US talk show - singing a love letter to guest Jeff Goldblum. Dressed in a silk robe and lying in a bed, the Late Late star looked over photos of the hunk in a scrap book. TV producer Julia wrapped up in an eye-catching plaid blazer, while James kept his look casual 'First saw him in The Fly but his face was grotesque / then he won independence from an alien mess,' he sang. 'In Thor Ragnarok his performance was classic / but who could forget the hot doctor that he played in Jurassic.' A moved but slightly disturbed Goldblum thanked Corden afterwards for the tribute, but was worried about the stalker-esque scrapbook he'd complied. Funny: James parodied Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next in a hilarious love letter to Jeff Goldblum 'So that journal with all the pictures of me... Is that like you...have you had that for a while? You compiled that?' When Corden sheepishly offered to get rid of it, Jeff told him: 'You don't have to, it's very sweet. One person who wants to get her hands on it is Ariana herself, who tweeted afterwards: 'omg...... may i please..... please for christmas have the thank u, jeff book? its for a friend. promise.' Thanks: A moved but slightly disturbed Goldblum thanked Corden afterwards for the tribute, but was worried about the stalker-esque scrapbook he'd complied Nicole Kidman is one of Australia's most successful screen talents. But her daughters Faith Margaret, seven, and Sunday Rose, ten, may not be fully aware of just how versatile their mother's range as an actress is. During a interview with Amy Adams for Actors on Actors, the star, 51, revealed she's fearful of the day she'll have to explain some of her controversial roles to them. 'I'm actually scared': Nicole Kidman reveals she's fearful of explaining her leading roles to her children ...while confessing the one thing she'll never do in front of them. Pictured (L-R) Keith Urban, 51, Sunday Rose, ten, Faith Margaret, seven, Nicole Kidman, 51, in 2017 'I'm actually scared how to explain some of the choices,' Nicole recently said. 'It's incredibly exposing and vulnerable.' Some of Nicole's most recent roles include playing domestic violence victim Celeste Wright in Big Little Lies and Nancy in gay conversion therapy film Boy Erased. 'It's incredibly exposing and vulnerable': Nicole said in a new interview, with recent controversial roles including Nancy in gay conversion therapy film Boy Erased (pictured) Nicole also plays a 'tortured soul' detective in new crime drama Destroyer. She has been nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Erin Bell in the thriller. The star's performance landed her a nod in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture category, alongside Lady Gaga, Glenn Close, Melissa McCarthy and Rosamund Pike. Golden Globe pending! Nicole also plays a 'tortured soul' detective in new crime drama Destroyer (pictured), which has already scored her a Best Actress nomination During the chat with Amy Adams, Nicole also revealed the one thing she will never do in front of her children. 'I don't swear,' she said. 'I grew up with a father that never - I never heard him cuss ever.' However, the actress did admit her children have heard her swear while watching her on-screen. Elsa Pataky has revealed she won't let her and actor husband Chris Hemsworth's children watch her new show, Tidelands. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Monday, the Spanish-born beauty said her three children might get scared by the racy Netflix series. Explaining that her brood likes the idea of her as a mythical siren, Elsa thinks the sexy sci-fi series might be a little grown-up for them. 'They can't watch it': Elsa Pataky (pictured) explains why she's banning her children from watching her racy new Netflix series Tidelands 'They can't watch it as they might get scared,' Elsa confessed to the publication. The actress shares three children with Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth. The couple have a daughter India, six, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, both four. 'They can't watch it as they might get scared,' Elsa confessed her three kids India, six, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, both four, might get upset. Pictured here with father, Chris Hemsworth In the series, Elsa plays the the 'darkly enigmatic' Adrielle Cuthbert, queen of the half-human, half-siren Tidelanders. Elsa gushed over the strong female characters in the show earlier this month, when speaking to TV Week magazine. 'I love how strong the female characters are,' Elsa said. 'I love how strong the female characters are,' Elsa (above) has been praising the series for his strong message for message. Pictured with co-star Madeleine Madden ''I'm not saying that the men's characters are not, I'm just saying they're very equal. It's good to see stories like that right now,' Elsa added. The show is the first Netflix series to be filmed in Australia, with shooting taking place in Brisbane, near her home in Byron Bay. Elsa praised the stunning shooting locations, admitting the amazing sunsets, and the ocean were a massive drawcard for her. Amazing: Elsa admitted the beautiful sunset and ocean was a massive drawcard for her to be part of the film project. Pictured here with husband, Chris Hemsworth She went on to say that she had another project in the works next year. 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. Former child actor Shaun Weiss was arrested for shoplifting months after checking himself into a treatment center for substance abuse. The 40-year-old was taken into custody in November for allegedly stealing from a Los Angeles drug store, TMZ reported on Sunday. Shaun is best known for playing Goldberg the goalie in the Mighty Ducks franchise. Troubled times: Mighty Ducks star Shaun Weiss was arrested for allegedly stealing $200 worth of items from a drug store in Los Angeles, TMZ reported on Sunday Issues with the law: The actor has been arrested several times over the last few years for shoplifting and drug possession. This mugshot is from an August 2018 arrest for public intoxication According to TMZ, Weiss allegedly shoplifted '$200 worth of stuff' from a Rite Aid in LA and is 'facing a petty theft charge and probation violation.' The actor has found himself on a downward spiral recently after a series of run ins with the law. In August, TMZ reported that the former child star had been arrested for public intoxication and, shortly after, had entered a rehab facility. Over the last year, Weiss has been arrested several times for petty theft and drug possession. Claim to fame: Shaun, right, is known for playing Goldberg in the Mighty Ducks franchise In July of 2017, he was busted for shoplifting $151 worth of items from an electronics store and subsequently sentenced to 150 days in jail after he pleaded 'no contest' to the crime. At the time, his manager Don Gibble told Us Weekly that the actor planned on getting his life together. 'He hopes to stay sober when he gets out,' he stated. 'While he's in jail he hopes to write a script based on his recent experience.' Unfortunately, just days after being released from jail, Weiss was arrested yet again. Shaun had only served less than two weeks of his 150 day sentence for theft when he was released. Five days later, he was arrested for possession of suspected methamphetamine after reports of a man stumbling around yards near the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California. He was later sentenced to an additional 90 days in jail for the drug charge. Hard times: The 40-year-old has spent several days behind bars over the last few years for petty theft and possession of methamphetamine And, in 2013, an ex-girlfriend of the 90s star filed a restraining order against him after he allegedly got violent toward her. She claimed he punched her, threatened to kill her with a machete and also urinated on her while saying 'This is all you're worth.' A judge dismissed the case and dissolved the restraining order against Weiss after his ex-girlfriend failed to show up to court. Weiss rose to fame in the nineties starring in the Mighty Ducks franchise and other children's flicks like 1995's Heavyweights. Lauren Steadman was the eleventh celebrity to leave Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night, after she faced Ashley Roberts in the dreaded dance off. Having performed twice in the main show, both celebrities had to dance to one of their two song choices to persuade the judges that they should make it to the Strictly final next weekend. But after getting axed from the competition, Lauren reflected on her time with AJ, saying: 'I think it goes without saying that for you AJ everybody can think youre an amazing dancer and sometimes youre a bit hard on the outside but youre so squishy and marshmallow like on the inside. Last dance: Lauren Steadman became the eleventh celebrity to be eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night. pictured with her professional partner AJ Pritchard 'Ive got a lot of resilience and determination but Ive never met somebody quite like you. As a pair I didnt think we would be partnered and Im so grateful I got you as a partner, words cant explain how much I appreciate it.' Lauren's passionate tango to Tina Turners Nutbush City Limits with AJ, 24, wasn't enough to save the Paralympic athlete, 25. Meanwhile, Ashley and her dance partner Pasha Kovalev chose to perform their American Smooth to Aint That A Kick In The Head by Dean Martin. Once they had both performed, it was time for the judges to give their verdicts and Craig Revel Horwood, who had called Lauren's dance 'pedestrian' on Saturday night, chose to save Ashley and Pasha. He explained: 'Well one couple for me were clean, precise and dyanmic. And that couple? Ashley and Pasha.' Third time: She was eliminated after Ashley Roberts ended up in the dance off for a third time. Pictured with her professional partner Pasha Kovalev Nervous: Both dance duos waited nervously for the verdict on Sunday's episode of the show Hug it out: Lauren hugged her fellow celebrities after learning it was her turn to exit the show Main man: She saved an enthusiastic hug for dance partner AJ as they prepared to part ways Elimination: The dancing twosome spoke with host Tess Daly after learning of their elimination Darcey Bussell was up next, and she chose to save Ashley and Pasha as well as she said: 'Its really hard because youve worked so hard and youve got so far to the semi-finals, fabulous. 'But on a more finished performance, the couple I would like to save is Ashley and Pasha.' It was Bruno Tonioli's choice next, and he followed suit as he chose to keep The Pussycat Dolls star and her dance partner in the competition. The Italian choreographer said of his verdict: 'Well first I would like to say that all of you should be very very proud of what you have accomplished so far, you really did very very well. I have to choose a dance that is more accomplished overall so I will go for Ashley and Pasha.' Head Judge Shirley Ballas was the final one to give her decision, and she agreed with her fellow judges to save Ashley and Pasha. Passionate: Lauren's passionate tango to Tina Turners Nutbush City Limits with professional partner AJ sadly wasn't enough to save the Paralympic athlete Going for it: Ashley and her dance partner Pasha chose to perform their American Smooth to Aint That A Kick In The Head by Dean Martin Despite the bad news, Lauren was happy with her time on the show, as she told host Tess Daly: 'I have absolutely loved my Strictly journey and it has been so much more than anyone ever tells you its going to be and that you thought it would be. 'Down to the smallest things; I mean outfits, hair, makeup, this man [referring to AJ], the judges, all the choreographers. Its just I cant tell you just how magical it is.' AJ then gushed: 'Lauren has been fantastic. Honestly at the beginning of the series I couldnt have expected to make the semi-final which was just beautiful but honestly Im so proud of you as a person. You have changed so many peoples opinions and it has always been about ability not disability. 'You have attacked everything, you have always been stubborn, you have always been "I will be able to get this lift" even though its not going to work but well get there somehow by Friday and Saturday. But for me honestly its been a fantastic journey and youve done yourself proud.' Little Mix: Sunday night's instalment also featured a performance by Little Mix stars (L-R) Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock Racy: The band put on a typically raunchy display as they performed on the BBC show Plenty to smile about: The former X Factor winners were in high spirits after entertaining the studio audience on Sunday evening His kind words prompted Lauren to add: 'I think it goes without saying that for you AJ everybody can think youre an amazing dancer and sometimes youre a bit hard on the outside but youre so squishy and marshmallow like on the inside. 'Ive got a lot of resilience and determination but Ive never met somebody quite like you. As a pair I didnt think we would be partnered and Im so grateful I got you as a partner, words cant explain how much I appreciate it.' The remaining four couples will return for the last time for the final next weekend, where it will be down to the viewers alone to decide who wins. Each couple will perform three dances in the hope of being crowned the Strictly Come Dancing champions of 2018. Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One Saturday 15th December at 6.30pm. Happy: Despite the bad news, Lauren said, 'I have absolutely loved my Strictly journey and it has been so much more than anyone ever tells you' Proud: AJ gushed about the Paralympic athlete, 'You have changed so many peoples opinions and it has always been about ability not disability' Close to the wire: The remaining four couples will return for the last time for the final next weekend, where it will be down to the viewers alone to decide who wins Rapper Chief Keef has been ordered to pay child support for four more children - making the 23-year-old a father-of-nine. The musician fathered four children - who are all aged under five - with four different mothers, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on Sunday. He had previously been thought to have fathered five children - but with his new additions actually has a tally of nine. Busy man: Rapper Chief Keef has four more children than he had previously revealed (pictured Dec 2016) The revelation was made as the mothers of his four youngest sought child support from the Chicago-born artist. The I Don't Like hitmaker was ordered to support each of his youngest four to the tune of $564 per month, starting in January. Keef's young brood now includes three-year-old Kamiah, one-year-old Khalo and four-year-olds Khalil and Kirsten (who all have different moms). The musician told the court that he is a self-employed musician earning $9,000 a month, with $9,000 a month in expenses. Chief Keef, whose real name is Keith Farrelle Cozart, had his first child, daughter Kayden Kash Cozart, when he was 16-years-old. Large family: The 23-year-old musician fathered four children - who are all aged under 5 - with four different mothers, according to court documents obtained by TMZ on Sunday (pictured Sept 2013) In November 2013, DNA documents revealed that Keef had also fathered a ten-month-old daughter, and was subsequently ordered to begin paying child support. In September 2014, Keef announced the birth of his third child, and his first son, whom he named Krue Karter Cozart. In May 2015, Keef was sued by another woman, claiming that Keef is the father of her child. In August 2015, Keef controversially named his newborn son Sno FilmOn Dot Com, inspired by his current record label, FilmOn Music, to promote his album Bang 3. However, following a paternity dispute over the child, FilmOn Music retracted the name rights until the paternity is settled. The Love Sosa rapper, who escaped Chicago gang life when Kanye West first propelled the then-teenager into the Billboard top ten in 2012, is credited with creating drill music, the genre tied to gang-related murders in the UK and US. He has established the Stop the Violence Now campaign with his record label boss Alki David. Keef narrowly escaped being gunned down in June this year, following a confrontation with associates of New York rival Tekashi 6ix9ine. Demand for new commercial airplanes will continue to be strong in 2019, resulting in about $143 billion in deliveries by major manufacturers, with potential to grow to more than $180 billion by 2023, said Boeing in a new report. Boeing said it anticipates stable growth and broad, diversified funding will continue to support efficient aircraft financing in the next year, in its annual Current Aircraft Finance Market Outlook (CAFMO). The report evaluates and forecasts financing sources for new commercial airplane deliveries in the coming year and the industrys overall delivery financing requirements for the next five years. The CAFMO also explores trends within major funding sources and their potential impact on the broader market. The aircraft financing market remains healthy, with adequate commercial liquidity, providing a wide range of efficient options available for our customers, said Tim Myers, president of Boeing Capital Corporation. We expect another year of balanced funding for commercial airplane deliveries in 2019, mirroring the broader industry, primarily split between bank debt, capital markets and cash. Driven by a growing understanding of aviations strong growth potential and the industrys attractive returns, we continue to see innovations and first-time entrants into the market, providing increased capacity for funding new deliveries as well as pre-delivery payments, mezzanine debt financing and the secondary aircraft market, Myers said. New to this years report is the addition of the secondary aircraft financing market outlook, as well as expanded analysis of other funding sources, including the leasing community, tax equity and the insurance market. Highlights of the 2019 CAFMO include: Funding for deliveries is expected to be balanced between commercial bank debt and capital markets and cash. Airlines and lessors are expected to have some of their lowest historical costs of financing. Capital markets continue to grow, bolstered by unsecured borrowing. Aircraft leasing has grown to represent more than 40 percent of in-service commercial aircraft ownership. Export credit agencies remain a small but critical funding source, particularly in the United States. Strong industry fundamentals are attracting more participants and investment in new deliveries and the used aircraft market. TradeArabia News Service They've been on and off all year, last spotted out and about together on Halloween. But it seems that now the next holiday has come around, Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson are still going strong, snapped exiting a Christmas party on London's Regent Street in the early hours of Sunday morning. The pair left the private event - which is said to have also included Bradley Cooper, Suki's ex-boyfriend, on the guest list - at nearly 5AM Festive frolics: Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson are still going strong it would seem as they were snapped exiting a Christmas party on London's Regent Street in the early hours of Sunday morning The 26-year-old model sported a sparkling, silver cocktail dress with feathered cuffs and heels, wearing her blonde locks loosely. The 32-year-old actor let her lead the way down the steps, where they headed for a car. He wore an open collar shirt, jacket and slacks, with casual shoes. The pair seemed to be in great spirits as they exited the building, despite the late hour. The pair first confirmed their romance when they shared a passionate kiss in the streets last summer. An eyewitness told MailOnline at the time that the pair remained at exclusive celebrity haunt Soho House until 1AM, when they walked arm-in-arm back to Suki's abode, with Robert sharing another smooch with her before they entered her apartment. Home time: The 26-year-old model sported a sparkling, silver cocktail dress with feathered cuffs and heels, wearing her blonde locks loosely The actor - who split from his former fiancee FKA Twigs late last year - and Suki were then plagued by split rumours in August. While the pair are not in any kind of 'serious' relationship right now, they are spending time together are 'definitely into each other', said the source. Another source told E! News: 'Rob is having fun right now and has definitely moved on from his relationship with FKA Twigs.' Party's over: The 32-year-old actor let her lead the way down the steps, where they headed for a car. He wore an open collar shirt, jacket and slacks, with casual shoes Late night: The pair seemed to be in great spirits as they exited the building, despite the late hour But they were cosying up together on a night out in October, seemingly cementing their relationship status. Suki recently starred in the black comedy thriller Assassination Nation that also featured Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Colman Domingo and Bella Thorne. Assassination Nation premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival and was released on September 21. She also has a role in the upcoming Woody Allen romantic comedy A Rainy Day In New York. The film stars Timothee Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Diego Luna and Liev Schreiber. She has boasted about her 'multi-faceted' ability to wear a string bikini on the beach AND at a protest. And Emily Ratajkowski seemed to be perfecting her skills as an all-rounder as she soaked up some sunshine in a tiny bikini, whilst also promoting her swimwear line. The 27-year-old model sizzled in an image she posted to Instagram on Sunday, which showcased her impressive figure. White hot: Emily Ratajkowski seemed to be perfecting her skills as an all-rounder as she soaked up some sunshine in a tiny bikini, whilst also promoting her swimwear line Quickly garnering over a million likes, Emily captioned the image: 'Weekend Dreamz'. She appeared to have a glass of rose to hand, as she lazed on the comfortable-looking lounger. Emily was recently presented with GQ's International Woman Of The Year award in Sydney and roused the audience with a stirring speech as she accepted the gong. 'I think Woman of the Year is a pretty crazy title. But what I think about what's important in 2018 for both men and women, it's about defying stereotypes. It's about being multi-faceted,' she said. Stunning! Last week Emily dropped her latest swimsuit design and modeled the sizzling look on social media 'It's about wearing a string bikini on the beach, and at a protest.' She's been travelling a lot recently and also shared images of her adventures with her new husband Sebastian Bear-McClard with her followers. The newlyweds took in the sights during a vacation in Morocco and did some shopping for things like handmade rugs in the country's famous shopping bazaars. In February, Ratajkowski announced on Instagram that she had married her actor and producer boyfriend after only dating for a few weeks. The couple tied the knot in a surprise New York City courthouse wedding. He shocked fans earlier this year when he posted a selfie of a dramatically slimmed down appearance. But Johnny Vegas, 48, has revealed he used a photo editing app to create the snap. The comedian, whose real name is Michael Pennington, has been on a health kick as of late and has shed over four stone from his prior weight of 18 stone. Photoshop: Johnny Vegas, 48, has revealed he used a photo editing app to create a slimmed down snap of himself While appearing on the Sunday Brunch with his Death On The Tyne co-star Sian Gibson, who jokingly accused him of sucking in his cheeks for the photo. He said: 'No I didn't! I used an app, joking, and I posted it. It did look a bit shocking. It did look like I should be in a TB (Tuberculosis) hospital.' Johnny shared the altered snap on his Twitter account alongside a healthy breakfast of egg and avocados. New look: Johnny shared the altered snap on his Twitter account alongside a healthy breakfast of egg and avocados Change: The comedian, whose real name is Michael Pennington, has been on a health kick as of late and has shed over four stone from his prior weight of 18 stone He wrote: 'It's a far cry from a Thatto Heath fry up....ooh you've changed Vegas. 'Apologies fellow tweeters, busy of late and treating our chats like a bacon butty, sadly an all too rare a treat of late.' While he's enjoying his new healthier lifestyle, the actor still enjoys a pint from time to time. He said: 'Is okay to feel just a teensy weensy bit pleased with yourself when a compliment over weight loss ends with "...you look fabulous!?" Pals: Johnny appeared on the Sunday Brunch with his Death On The Tyne co-star Sian Gibson, who jokingly accused him of sucking in his cheeks for the photo Treat: While he's enjoying his new healthier lifestyle, the actor still enjoys a pint from time to time 'So glad I went for the healthy option now. Guinness IS good for you.' Johnny previously told how some of his weight loss was a result of his father Laurence Pennington passing away last year after a battle with cancer. Speaking on This Morning, he said: 'Its the thing with grief and you can tell yourself its your responsibility to carry on. 'If youve got a good parent and you miss them, then its your responsibility to be a good parent to your own children and be around. 'And my big thing that Im completely honest about is my smoking and I want to stop. Ive lost weight.' Heather Dubrow is speaking out about her former costar Kelly Dodd secretly filming her at the gym and calling her a 'b**ch' on social media. Dubrow addressed the incident on her popular podcast, Heather Dubrow's World, and said that her former Real Housewives cast mate was 'obsessed.' The issue between the ladies of Orange County, stemmed from a recent series of videos that Dodd posted to her Instagram stories. Obsessed! Heather Dubrow called Kelly Dodd 'obsessed' on her podcast Heather Dubrow's World after Kelly took a secret video of Heather at the gym Last week as Dodd was pulling in to the gym and Dubrow was leaving, Kelly secretly filmed Heather from inside of her car. 'Maybe I should be flattered that she's obsessed with me,' the brunette beauty said on her podcast. Dodd and Dubrow attend the same popular work out class, Orangetheory, in California. 'The b**ch won't leave,' Kelly said from behind the camera. 'The bitch won't leave,' Kelly said from behind the camera as she filmed Heather in front of Orangetheory Surprising: Heather had no idea that Kelly filmed her until it as posted on Dodd's social media Adding: 'So I'm gonna have to face the music and run into her, which is so annoying.' On this week's podcast, Heather called Kelly out for filming the creepy videos. 'Apparently we have a feud,' Dubrow began in this week's episode. The Bravo star said she was at home 'cooking latkas' for Hannukah when a friend spotted the videos online. 'Apparently we have a feud:' Kelly appeared to reignite a tiff between the reality stars that Heather had long since thought was over According to Heather, she didn't even realize there was a rift between them. 'Can you have a feud if only one of you is feuding?' asked Heather. 'In my mind, the last time we spoke, it was copacetic.' The best selling author was flabbergasted that Dodd would have taken the time to film her rather than just being cordial and getting out of the car. 'This grown woman, mother, is sitting in a car, filming me and my friend Sarah because we're standing outside Orangetheory talking,' she relayed in disbelief. RHOC: The women of the OC previously starred together on the hit Bravo show but Heather left two seasons ago Adding, that she wasn't blocking the door. 'I haven't barricaded it,' Heather said. 'She didn't want to run into me because she didnt want to say hi?' The reality star pointed out that Dodd could have 'very easily' walked behind her and into the studio without having to make chit chat. Dubrow thinks that Kelly posted the videos to get her attention, and it worked. Attention seeker: Heather felt that Kelly created this whole charade to get her attention 'You're not gonna make a video and post it and say my name seven times, you want me to see it,' Heather explained. 'Kelly, I saw it. Thanks for the laugh.' This type of drama might seem par for the course for the ladies of the Real Housewives, however, Heather gracefully bowed out of the show two years ago. 'I would just say, after two years of not being on the show, in the words of Frozen, "let it go!"' Heather joked. Disbelief: Heather said on her podcast that she had no idea there was still bad blood with Kelly Adding: 'Or don't and hold onto it and be obsessed, what can I tell you?' It seems that Heather has 'let go' of past drama with Kelly despite Dodd seemingly holding on to grudges. They previously had a falling out after Kelly accused Heather's husband, famed surgeon and Botched star Dr. Terry Dubrow, of 'killing' one of his patients. 'She went on Watch What Happens Live and said something not great about Terry, that he was killing people, it wasn't true and it was totally inflammatory,' Dubrow said. History: The duo originally had a problem after Dodd made 'inflammatory' statements about Dr. Terry Dubrow on WWHL and late retracted them Kelly later retracted her accusation publicly and, according to Heather, apologized. 'So, we had to call Evolution, the production company, call her and say you can't do this. She tweeted something nice, and then I ran into her at the gym and she came up to me and she apologized.' As far at the Dubrow's were concerned, that was the end of the issue but it seems, based on these videos, that Kelly isn't ready to move forward. Last month Kelly Dodd announced that she would not be returning to RHOC for season 14. Liam Payne has hinted One Direction will reunite over Christmas as the boys are all said to be in London at the same time. The Polaroid hitmaker, 25, kicked off Capital's Jingle Bell Ball in the UKs capital on Saturday when performing with Lennon Stella in front of 16,000 people. But before his grand entrance on stage, the Wolverhampton-native spoke behind the scenes with host Roman Kemp about visiting the members of the band during the festive period. Get together: Liam Payne has suggested One Direction will reunite over Christmas as the boys are all said to be in London at the same time He said: I spoke to Niall, we spent like four hours on FaceTime, I hadnt spoken to him in ages. I hope to [see him over Christmas]. I mean, the thing about it is I can understand that were all quite tired. Like I was saying to him the other night, oh Ill come over or whatever and then he flaked me twice so I was like look, listen, Ill just text you next week and well see whats happening. Just let me know when youre available. The singing sensation continued: Everyones so busy, it is what it is. I obviously saw Louis over the course of X Factor. Throwback: One Direction (Liam, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik) went on a hiatus in January 2016 (pictured in May 2015) Candid: Liam, looked dapper in head-to-toe Coach, kicked off Capital's Jingle Bell Ball, but before his grand entrance, the Wolverhampton-native spoke behind the scenes with host Roman Kemp about visiting the members of the band during the festive period 'I havent seen Harry in a while now but I think everybodys in London at the moment, which is cool, for the first time. The closest weve been in the band in a while. One Direction went on a hiatus in January 2016 and the five members (Liam, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik) have all enjoyed hugely successful solo careers. But the band is suffering a rumoured rift with Zayn, 25, who announced his departure from the group in 2015. Earlier this week, Louis, 26, appeared to hit back at Zayns new 'diss track' Good Years, hours after its release, tweeting: 'Proper confused. What a hypocrite! Meanwhile: Zayn's song, Good Years, which was released on Thursday, is rumoured to be about One Direction's split, with lyrics including: 'I'd rather be anywhere, anywhere but here' (pictured in 2014) Opening up: Just last year, Zayn opened up about his time in One Direction to British Vogue, he told the magazine that he hasn't seen any of the members in 'a long time' Hitting back: Louis tweeted: 'Proper confused. What a hypocrite!' followed by two other tweets Anywayyyyy just signed off on the final production of something Im very excited about :) Trying to steer away from the drama furthermore, he added: 'Also have to say X Factor was such an amazing experience! Cant believe its over. Thank you to the whole team and all the contestants!' Zayn's song, Good Years, which was released on Thursday, is rumoured to be about One Direction's split, with lyrics including: 'I'd rather be anywhere, anywhere but here. 'Too much drugs and alcohol. What the hell were we fighting for? Cause now the whole damn world will know. That we're too numb and just too dumb to change the story.' Phillip Schofield recently insisted his telly wife's stint on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! is only a 'caretaker role', as Ant McPartlin continues his break from TV. But ITV bosses reportedly want Holly Willoughby to make a return to the Australian jungle next year, joining co-hosts Declan Donnelly and Ant on the competition series. According to Daily Star, executives are keen to have the This Morning presenter, 37, back on screens after the show received its highest ever viewing figures, with a whopping 12.6 million tuning in to watch the star's first week. Making a comeback? ITV bosses reportedly want Holly Willoughby to make a return to the Australian jungle next year, joining co-hosts Declan Donnelly and Ant on the competition series A source told the publication: 'The original plan was for Holly to stand in while Ant was off and then hand the baton back. But shes been such a success that producers are now keen to keep her whatever happens. 'Many presenters would have crumbled under the pressure of joining such a big show, but Holly stepped up to the plate. The top people at ITV are now really keen to get her back next year. 'It now depends on whether or not she wants to do another series. Being in Australia for five weeks is a big commitment. She has her family to think about. And she also has her commitments at This Morning to think about', they added. Impressive: According to Daily Star , executives are keen to have the This Morning presenter, 37, back on screens after the show received its highest ever viewing figures A friend indeed: Ant, 43, revealed in August that he would be taking a break from presenting duties for the rest of 2018, with Holly standing in for the star (pictured June 2016) The insider also shared that bosses are set to present an offer to Holly by March next year. Representatives for Holly and ITV declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Earlier this week, Holly's This Morning co-host, 56, gushed over his telly wife's appearance on the show, but dismissed claims of a return to the Australian jungle next year. Fan favourite: The insider also shared that bosses are set to present an offer to Holly by March next year Incredible: So far the mum-of-three has been received warmly by viewers, with the launch show even drawing in a record-breaking 14 million fans He went on to brand her stand-in role as a 'caretaker' stint, before quipping: 'Don't get too attached.' Phil also revealed that Rochelle Humes was his 'first choice' to stand-in for Holly during her absence - but that doesn't mean he isn't missing his long-time co-host. He revealed the group are set to go out for a drink to make up for lost time following I'm A Celebrity. Ant, 43, revealed in August that he would be taking a break from presenting duties for the rest of 2018, following his drink-drive arrest in March, his acrimonious divorce from wife Lisa Armstrong and his stint in rehab. 'It's very much a caretaker role': Phillip Schofield warned fans not to get 'too attached' to his 'telly wife' Holly's stint on I'm a Celebrity as he ruled out her return to the show next year Pleased: Phil, 56, enthused he'd had 'great fun' with Holly's stand-in Rochelle Humes and admitted she was his 'first choice' replacement Breaking tradition: While the ITV series has been running for 16 years with Ant and Dec, 43, viewers appeared to have been pulled in by the new format It was later announced that Holly would be replacing Dec's long-time co-host who has presented the show for the last 16 years. So far the mum-of-three has been received warmly by viewers, with the launch show even drawing in a record-breaking 14 million fans. While the ITV series has been running for 16 years with Ant and Dec, 43, viewers appeared to have been pulled in by the new format, with the show managing a 47% share of viewing - the highest consolidated average ever for the series. More than 1.8 million extra viewers have tuned in in comparison to last year's series, whilst factoring online catch up brings the series average to 13.1 million viewers. She flew economy to Mexico for the wedding of Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough. But there was nothing budget about Julie Bishop's dazzling outfit as she attended the couple's beachside ceremony in San Jose Del Cabo on Saturday. The 62-year-old former Foreign Minister wore a sparkling, one-shoulder silver dress and even went barefoot for the occasion. The Minister of Fashion! Julie Bishop stunned in a sparkling silver dress while going barefoot at Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic's beach wedding in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico on Saturday She was accompanied at the five-star One&Only Palmilla Resort by her longtime boyfriend, property developer and winemaker David Panton. In the first photo to emerge of the politician and her partner at the event, the couple are seen chatting to another male guest on the beach. The picture was seemingly taken several hours after Karl, 44, and Jasmine, 34, exchanged vows as it appeared to be nighttime. Happily ever after! Karl and Jasmine, who were already legally married in Australia, exchanged vows at the One&Only Palmilla Resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico on Saturday Before the wedding, Julie and David were seen lounging by the resort pool with the Today show's Sylvia Jeffreys and Peter Stefanovic. The politician was spotted departing Sydney Airport on Friday, wearing a pair of $930 Nicholas Kirkwood heels. Julie was one of the most high profile guests to attend the wedding, joining the likes of model Montana Cox and a socialite Christian Wilkins. Star-studded: Julie was one of the most high profile guests to attend the wedding. Pictured: Karl and Jasmine with their bridesmaids and groomsmen at the One&Only's wedding chapel Her inclusion came as a surprise to many, as the former Liberal Party deputy leader has engaged in several fiery on-air exchanges with Karl in recent months. The marquee guest was supposed to be billionaire James Packer, a longtime friend of Karl's, but he pulled out at the last minute. There have been conflicting reports as to why the 51-year-old businessman decided to skip the ceremony. Some sources have claimed he was celebrating his mother Roslyn's birthday instead, while others insist he wanted to avoid the 'media circus' surrounding Karl's nuptials. Advertisement He filed for divorce last January after 22 years of marriage. And it's clear that the single life suits a newly divorced Cuba Gooding Jr, who was pictured sipping rose wine in the sunshine on Saturday. The muscular actor smiled happily as bikini clad girls crawled over his sun lounger, laughing and flirting with the 50-year-old. Enjoyingt he single life: Cuba Gooding Jr smiles and sips rose wine as bikini-clad girls crawl over his sunbed in Miami on Saturday Keeping Cuba busy: The star has just finished a Broadway run of Chicago, in which he reprised the role of Billy Flynn, which he previously played on the Chicago stage Cuba was in his element as he drank and laughed, relaxing in his swim trunks and a camo sun hat. His blonde friend, in a cheeky Brazilian-style bikini, rested a pedicured foot on Cuba's shoulder as they chatted with another female pal beside the pool in Miami. Cuba has just finished a Broadway run of Chicago, in which he reprised the role of Billy Flynn, which he previously played on the Chicago stage. He headed to Miami for the celebrity-attracting Art Basel, where he was pictured surrounded by girls at a party at the Versace Mansion on Saturday night. Admiring the view: The blonde, in a cheeky Brazilian-style bikini, was friendly with Cuba Day off: Cuba was in his element as he drank and laughed, relaxing in his swim trunks and a camo sun hat Making friends: One girl rested a pedicured foot on Cuba's shoulder as they chatted with another female pal He enjoyed a dance with pal Rosario Dawson, before chatting to his female friends. Cuba, the father of sons Spencer, 23, Mason, 21, and daughter Piper, 11, is presently single after filing for divorce from his wife of 22 years Sara Kapfer in January 2017. In one of the more confusing celebrity splits, the filing came two years after he and his high school sweetheart separated. Cuba's pal: The actor is in Miami for the celebrity-packed Art Basel but appears to be enjoying some down time Unattached: The father-of-three is presently single after filing for divorce from his wife of 22 years, Sara Kapfer, in January 2017 Time for a selfie? At one point Cuba was handed a phone by his pals as they chatted Sara filed for legal separation in August 2014, saying the couple had split in April of that year. Despite legally being estranged, the pair continued to date on and off. The actor asked for joint custody of their youngest child. According to court documents, The Jerry McGuire star also agreed to pay his ex spousal support. It's fun being Cuba:The Jerry Maguire was married for 22 years to his childhood sweetheart And another thing: Cuba chats away as his pal crawls over his sunbed However, he wanted any earnings he has made since their official legal separation date to be his and not split with his ex. This meant Sara would not be able to get any of the money since his career revival post American Crime Story: The People Vs. OJ Simpson. Staying hydrated: The star sipped a Bud Light as he relaxed on his sun lounger on the beach Leaving the beach: Cuba donned black hoodie and camouflage print hat as he made his way off the sand with blonde gal pal Time to relax some more: The smiling couple were apparently bound for the celebrity's hotel room He told Steve Harvey about his split: 'Listen, you know how things happen. Things happen, you grow up 'I took my wife on a date the other day. Took her to see a movie the other day. Yeah. We got kids, man. We got to keep this together, strong, you know? That's how I see it.' The pair were high school sweethearts and tied the knot in 1994. Party time: After his day relaxing at the pool, Cuba joined the guests for a party at the Versace mansion; he's pictured here with Marlo Hampton, Nicole Khalid and Catherine Brewton Well hello: Cuba partying with Rosario Dawson at the What Goes Around Comes Around 25th Anniversary Celebration Phone check: The actor checks his phone while relaxing and laying out All smiles: The actor and his friend take a stroll by the beach Eye spy: The actor spots a photographer while hanging out Laid back: He told Steve Harvey about his split: 'Listen, you know how things happen. Things happen, you grow up Blake Lively knows how to give the fans what they want. The 31-year-old star went back to her old Gossip Girl roots in a nostalgic Instagram post on Saturday. Fans went into a frenzy over the post which featured the mother of two on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Spotted: Blake Lively was photographed walking down the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, just like her former Gossip Girl character and she shared the image on Instagram with a nostalgic caption Throwback! Fans went bonkers over Blake's caption that read like a line from a Gossip Girl script In the image, Lively was decked out in head-to-toe sparkling Chanel in an embellished gold dress with a large belt cinching in her waist and a silky white jacket. As if that wasn't enough, the beauty rocked a stunning pair of thigh high white boots that were encrusted with golden beads and sequins. The A Simple Favor star was attending Chanel's Metiers d'Arts fashion show at the Met. 'Spotted: S, back on the steps of the Met,' Lively captioned the image. XOXO, Gossip Girl: Blake starred as Serena van der Woodsen in the CW melodrama for six seasons The caption read like it could have come straight from the script of Gossip Girl with the 'S' standing for her character Serena van der Woodsen. For six seasons, the leggy blonde starred on the show opposite frenemy Blair Waldorf, played by Leighton Meester, as Gossip Girl chronicled their every move. The Upper East Sider's home base was the steps of the Met so the caption couldn't have been more appropriate. 'OMG!!! I'm living for this caption,' one commenter exclaimed. The Met: Blake was back on the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art which served as a frequent setting on the show for scenes with co-star Leighton Meester Another added: 'That caption just gave me life' Several others shared the sentiment writing things like, 'this makes my heart so happy.' The CW show amassed a massive following during it's tenure from 2007-2012 and catapulted Lively to A-list status. Blake played a posh uptown 'it girl' who, along with her gaggle of elite prep school pals, got into a series of scandalous situations which were all broadcast via text by an all-seeing blogger who went by the moniker Gossip Girl. Jasmine Stefanovic (nee Yarbrough) looked simply breathtaking on her wedding day - but that didn't stop Twitter trolls from criticising her J. Andreatta dress. The Mara & Mine co-founder, 34, tied the knot with Today host Karl Stefanovic in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico on Saturday wearing a short-hemmed bespoke gown featuring a long detachable skirt. While her choice of wedding dress has attracted praise from leading figures in the fashion world, some members of the public have claimed it looked 'awkward'. 'She wore her grandma's curtains': Jasmine Stefanovic's J. Andreatta wedding gown featuring a detachable skirt has been savaged on Twitter - as fashionistas defend her daring mini dress Mixed reception: One person retweeted Daily Mail Australia's coverage of the wedding, but unfairly described the ceremony and dress as 'tacky' 'How awkward. Karl Stefanovic's bride Jasmine Yarbrough has turned up to the wedding wearing the veil for a dress and the dress for a veil,' one person tweeted. This prompted another Twitter user to describe it as a 'mullet dress', in reference to the infamous hairstyle that is 'business in the front, party in the back'. One fashion critic retweeted Daily Mail Australia's coverage of the wedding, but unfairly described the ceremony and dress as 'tacky'. They wrote: 'Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine marry on some tacky beach in Mexico - the bride repurposed grandma's curtains and wore them as a wedding dress!' Special day: The Mara & Mine co-founder, 34, tied the knot with Today host Karl Stefanovic in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico on Saturday wearing a short-hemmed bespoke gown featuring a long detachable skirt. The newlyweds are pictured with their bridesmaids and groomsmen Ouch! 'How awkward. Karl Stefanovic's bride Jasmine Yarbrough has turned up to the wedding wearing the veil for a dress and the dress for a veil,' one person tweeted Unique style: This prompted another Twitter user to describe it as a 'mullet dress', in reference to the infamous hairstyle that is 'business in the front, party in the back' Many other Twitter users were baffled by Jasmine's 'mullet dress', with one person claiming it looked like she 'knocked it up [on a sewing machine] in an afternoon'. According to The Daily Telegraph on Monday, other nasty comments included: 'Of all the dresses she could have had, she chose that?' and 'That wedding dress looks like she is going to hit the club.' Meanwhile, Jasmine's unique wedding dress also had plenty of supporters. Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann told News Corp that the couture gown was 'perfect' for the ceremony. 'Jasmine's length is an update on the traditional gown and perfect for the Mexican environment and weather,' she said. And stylist Joshua Flynn added that the bride, 34, has the figure to 'carry off' an unorthodox look such as a mini dress. Unorthodox: While Jasmine's choice of wedding dress has attracted praise from leading figures in the fashion world, several members of the public have claimed it looked 'awkward' Brutal: Some Twitter users were baffled by Jasmine's 'mullet dress', with one person claiming it looked like she 'knocked it up [on a sewing machine] in an afternoon' Karl and Jasmine, who has taken her husband's surname, exchanged vows at the One&Only Palmilla Resort on Saturday. They had already been legally married in Australia for several months after signing the required documents in front of a Justice of the Peace. Celebrity guests at the ceremony included Liberal Party politician Julie Bishop, model Montana Cox and Channel Nine stars Peter Stefanovic and Sylvia Jeffreys. ITL World, a leading travel management company, has created a roadmap for inclusion of NDC, a travel industry-supported program launched by Iata for the development and market adoption of a new, XML-based data transmission standard. With this, the company is aiming to transform the way air products are retailed to corporations, business travellers, by addressing the industrys current distribution limitations. Since its official launch in 1998, ITL World has been assisting companies in Saudi Arabia and across the globe to make the most of what they spend on travel. For travel and procurement managers, it means advising them on how to grow the value of their travel program. Weve helped our clients travel smart and achieve more with our committed and experienced team. A testament to this is the fact that we have maintained the regional industrys most consistent client retention rate (95 percent over the past 10 years being in operation in the GCC). Whilst 2018 revenues are modest compared to last year, these strong partnerships buoy us and are indicative of an exciting 2019 and beyond, said Rafeeq Mohammed, CEO, ITL World By 2020, the company, which operates in the Middle East, Asia & Europe, is aiming to extend its offering to North Africa and South East Asia. We have had another great year and are hopeful about the future as we build our global network with a consistent value proposition that includes continued focus on innovation, collaboration and unrivalled customer satisfaction. When it comes to corporate travel, the way professionals travel for business is constantly changing, and 2019 will be no exception. It is important for us to keep up with our discerning clientele, added Mohammed. The new Sabre Red Workspace (SRW) will help simplify travel complexity and assist airlines with upselling customized airline content. It increases the consultants ability to shop and book branded fares and ancillaries, which in return increases airlines revenue. Customers have increasingly demanded personalization, choice and the ability to unbundle every component of a ticket and dynamically re-bundle it to match their needs. SRW enables leading Travel Management Companies like ITL World to efficiently meet the expectations of the connected and well informed traveller. Having greater information and insights within consultants workflow allows them to design traveller experiences versus just offering itineraries, added Ramzi Al Qassab, commercial director, ME at Sabre Travel Network Middle East. With a shared commitment to our clients, we are committed to working with partners to leverage our integrated technology stack and deliver a smarter working environment for business travellers through cloud-based online solutions. We have deployed these products already and will continue to drive this with enhancements in 2019, added Mohammed. Whilst the average consumer might find it hard to differentiate between TMCs in the region, the astute corporate client values our strong network, impressive credentials and wealth of experience. Not to mention strategic partnerships that enable us to provide the most innovative and cost-effective travel management solutions to the corporate market. Incorporating new technology standards will benefit stakeholders across the travel ecosystem and were certain this will also contribute to our continued success in the region, he concluded. TradeArabia News Service They are fast approaching their one year anniversary. And Zoe Ball, 48, and her beau Michael Reed looked as loved up as ever on Sunday when attending Matthew Bournes Swan Lake at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London, alongside a host of famous faces. The radio veteran looked incredible in a chic double-breasted suit jacket, tied with tailored high-waisted black trousers which highlighted her slender legs. All smiles: Zoe Ball, 48, looked sensational when attending Matthew Bournes Swan Lake at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London, alongside a host of famous faces The TV presenter complemented her ensemble with a matching silk shirt embellished with white patterns. Letting the elegant garment do all the talking, the blonde beauty added height with a sparkly pair of heels. Styling her golden tresses in tousled waves, she framed her features with minimal make-up. Couple goals: Zoe and her beau Michael Reed looked as loved up as ever on Sunday Stylish: The radio veteran looked incredible in a chic double-breasted suit jacket, tied with tailored high-waisted black trousers which highlighted her slender legs Looking equally sophisticated, Michael, 47, cut a suave figure in a navy jacket, which he teamed with a light blue shirt and formal trousers. The couple were in good company at the star-studded event, with a host of past Strictly stars joining the It Takes Two star, including last year's winner Joe McFadden, Harry Judd, and champion Ore Oduba, as well as judge Bruno Tonioli. Also at the occasion was Tom Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black, who took some time away from parenting duties in order to attend the occasion. Loved up: Also at the occasion was Tom Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black, who took some time away from parenting duties in order to attend the occasion Looking good: The couple were in good company at the star-studded event with Lulu (left) and Harry Judd (right) in attendance Wow! A host of past Strictly stars joined the It Takes Two star, including champions Ore Oduba and Joanne Clifton Both looked appropriately dapper, with Tom, 24, rocking an edgy vibe with a burgundy jacket and tight formal trousers. Meanwhile screenwriter Dustin, 44, looked smart in a long black coat and striped trousers. Meanwhile, Zoe went public with new love Michael, a construction boss, in December 2017 and has been happily loved up ever since. Having a ball: Stephen Fry donned a wonderfully colourful tie when posing with Katy Lett Charming: Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli beamed for the cameras when at the event Family affair: David Walliams treated his mother Kathleen to a night out at the theatre The host was recently revealed as the first female host of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show in its 51-year history after bosses opted for her over Sara Cox. Zoe's 1million salary rise was agreed after several weeks of complex regulations, with bosses hoping to make savings on Chris Evans' 1.69million pay packet but fearful that slashing too heavily would raise equal pay questions, it is claimed. The Strictly It Takes Two host's previous salary was officially disclosed as between 250,000 to 300,000 for her work on Radio 2 and presenting the Strictly spin-off. Charming: Joe McFadden and Michael Cotton looked equally dapper in their suits Date night: Grant and wife Joan Washington looked cosy when attending the event Work it! Beverley Knight showed off her wild side in a glamorous fur coat Zoe will take over from January when Evans returns to Virgin Radio but she won't get his giant salary. When asked about her pay, Zoe said: 'I'm definitely not expecting the same. I am very, very happy with what the BBC are paying me. 'If it comes out, and usually these things do, I hope people will look at it and think: "That's fair".' In good company: Comedian David and swimmer Tom appeared in high spirits as they joined Strictly's Darcey Bussell Demure: Nailing androgynous chic, the 49-year-old rocked a white blazer and black wide-leg trousers They welcomed their first child in June. But Tom Daley, 24, and his husband Dustin Lance Black, 44, got to take the night off from dad duties as they turned out in style for a production of Swan Lake on Sunday. The couple looked stylish as ever as they arrived at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London for the show. Out and about: Tom Daley, 24, and his husband Dustin Lance Black, 44, got to take the night off from dad duties as they turned out in style for a production of Swan Lake on Sunday Tom wore a burgundy jacket and a matching turtleneck jumper for the evening. The Olympic diver added to the look with black pants and matching shoes. Film director Dustin donned black and and grey checked trousers and wrapped up for the frosty December weather in a knee-length black coat. Tom took to Instagram during the summer to announce the birth of his son, describing it as 'the most magical moment of my life.' Fashion: The couple looked stylish as ever as they arrived at the Sadlers Wells Theatre in London for the show He wrote: Welcome to the world our precious little Robbie Ray Black-Daley. 'The amount of love and joy you have brought into our life is immeasurable. Our precious son.' Dustin also shared a snap on Twitter of the couple cradling their son. He wrote: 'Welcome to the world little Robbie Ray. Thank you for bringing so much love and light with you. Outfit: Tom donned a burgundy jacket and a matching turtleneck jumper for the evening 'And thank you to those who helped make our dream of having a family into this wonderful reality.' During an appearance on This Morning, Tom gushed that his 'angelic' little boy is already sleeping well, meaning that he and Dustin typically get around seven hours rest a night. Tom admitted that other parents hate him saying how much sleep he gets. Speaking about expanding their family Tom said: 'We've always said we wanted a big family, for the moment we're sticking to one.' Tom and Dustin married at Bovey Castle in Devon on May 6 2017. Dustin is a filmmaker and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2008 for Milk, a film based on the life of American gay rights activist Harvey Milk. As exes they are far more amicable than many a married couple. And Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck put on another display of harmonious co-parenting on Sunday, as they attended church as a family. The 46-year-old actor arrived with their three children, before Jen - also 46 - rocked up separately for the same service in Pacific Palisades, California. Sunday best: Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck (pictured with son Samuel) put on another display of harmonious co-parenting on Sunday, as they attended church as a family Lady in red: Jen, 46, rocked up separately for the same service in Pacific Palisades, California Ben looked healthy, after his recent stint in rehab, wearing a lumberjack shirt and indigo jeans, which he paired with some blue sneakers from Allbirds. He was sporting a trimmed beard, and neatly cropped hairstyle. The Pearl Harbor star carried a coffee cup, as he steered their brood into the service. All smiles: The Miracles From Heaven star appeared to be make-up free, and looked relaxed Jennifer also had a beverage in her hand as she strode to the church. She looked stylish in a striking red skirt teamed with a black sweater. The Miracles From Heaven star appeared to be make-up free, as she looked relaxed and happy. Casual: Ben looked healthy, after his recent stint in rehab, wearing a lumberjack shirt and indigo jeans, which he paired with blue sneakers from Allbirds Her brunette tresses were freshly washed and neatly worn in an updo. The amicable exes are in a good place, after finalizing their divorce in October. The former couple had their 13-year marriage officially dissolved, and despite having ups and downs this year - with Ben completing a 40-day stint in rehab for alcohol addiction after Jennifer staged an intervention and drove him to the treatment center - they are still on good terms. The pair are also determined to keep co-parenting their three children - Violet, 13, Seraphina, nine, and Samuel, six - as 'seamlessly' as possible. Daddy daycare: The Pearl Harbor star carried a coffee cup, as he steered their brood into the service Smartened up: He was sporting a trimmed beard, and neatly cropped hairstyle Christmassy outfit: She looked stylish in a striking red skirt teamed with a black sweater Still close: The family were all together despite Ben and Jen's split Neat: Her brunette tresses were freshly washed and worn in an updo Charleston-born Jennifer's 13 Going On 30 role was lovingly sent up in Ariana Grande's new Thank U, Next music video, Ben, who has been to rehab multiple times over the course of his career, recently underwent another stint there after his former wife spear-headed an intervention. Ben and Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus had reportedly split after over a year together shortly before he entered rehab. Amid the Lindsay split, Ben was linked to 22-year-old Playmate Shauna Sexton, with whom he was glimpsed at such haunts as Nobu Malibu and Jack-In-The-Box, but the brief romance is now over. Family outing: Daughters Seraphina and Violet were also with them Bennifer, as they were known to fans, went public with their separation in 2015 amid an explosion of reports that Ben had allegedly been cheating on Jennifer with the family's nanny Christine Ouzounian. In a 2016 Vanity Fair interview, though, Jennifer clarified: 'Let me just tell you something. We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny.' Jennifer, who married Ben in 2005, insisted Christine 'had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation. Bad judgment? Yes. Its not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives.' Yet Bennifer remained amicable co-parents, and took so long to actually file for divorce that there were persistent rumors they would get back together. They finally got around to their divorce filing in April of last year before putting the legal finish on this split a couple of months ago. The pair even spent Thanksgiving together at the Justice League star's home in Montana. Peppermint actress Jennifer is reportedly now in a relationship with CEO John Miller who also recently finalized his own divorce. Christmas is just around the corner and it appears that Naomi Watts is well and truly in the festive spirit. The 50-year-old actress dazzled in a black knitted dress adorned with crystals as she attended the Swarovski welcome dinner for 2018 Fashion Award at 34 Mayfair in London on Sunday evening. The demure frock showed off a hint of her toned and tanned legs and she teamed the LBD with matching black pumps. Scroll down for video All that glitters! Naomi Watts stuns in a shimmering dress adorned with crystals as she attends the Swarovski welcome dinner at 34 Mayfair in London on Sunday Naomi accessoried with a silver glitter clutch and also wore jewels from Swarovski. While her outfit shone, so did the mother-of-two, who flaunted her glowing and youthful complexion underneath a minimal makeup palette. Naomi shares two children with former partner Liev Schreiber. Slim pins: The demure frock showed off a hint of her toned and tanned legs and she teamed the LBD with matching black pumps The former couple split in September 2016, after 11 years together. The Mulholland Drive star recently admitted that motherhood is her daily motivator. 'As soon as you become a parent, when your kids wake up in the morning your worries begin, and then when they're going to bed at night your worries don't go away,' she told Sydney's Daily Telegraph. 'You're always concerned about their safety and health and then as they get older, their emotional well-being.' Scott Disick sent his Instagram followers into a frenzy of speculation after he posted a new photo of two women. Fans immediately began speculating that the figures, seen in the distance of the luxurious pool scene, were none other than his girlfriend Sofia Richie, 20, and ex-love Kourtney Kardashian, 39. 'This looks nice,' Disick cryptically captioned the photo. Frenzy: This image posted by Scott Disick got the internet buzzing as they speculated the women in the photo are ex Kourtney Kardashian and current girlfriend Sofia Richie On one side of the frame, a woman who looks strikingly similar to Kourtney stands in a floral ensemble with her back turned to the camera. Her long raven locks seemingly serve as a giveaway to her identity. Meanwhile, in the pool, a woman who bears a resemblance to Sofia lounges in a red bikini and sunglasses. Fans flooded Let The Lord Be With You's Instagram page comments convinced that the women were, in fact, Sofia and Kourtney. Trouble: Scott and Sofia were on rocky ground after she was reportedly uncomfortable by this photo that Kourt captioned 'coparenting' But, some felt like the Keeping Up With The Kardashian's star was playing them. 'I feel like @letthelordbewithyou posted this so people can be confused about who's in this picture,' a user wrote. 'He's trolling the internet posting this,' another added. The post comes days after Sofia and Scott reportedly hit a rough patch after she was 'uncomfortable' by a racy 'coparenting' photo that the posted with daughter Penelope and Kourtney. Kourtney posted the photo which showed the mother of three reclining in bed in a sizzling black Gucci dress with cutouts while Scott and six-year-old Penelope sat in the background. She captioned the snap 'coparenting.' Trolling: Fans flooded the photo's comments to speculate as to whether the girls were Kourtney and Sofia Over it: Many commenters accused Scott of intentionally trying to stir the pot with the photo Us Weekly later reported that Disick's current girlfriend, the daughter of Lionel Richie didn't find the image so innocent and was 'uncomfortable.' After seemingly adding fuel to the fire with his post of what could be Kourtney and Sofia, Scott posted another image while out on 'date day.' Scott's lady of the hour on this date is one everyone can support because the reality star was out with daughter Penelope. The daddy daughter duo smiled for the selfie from the back seat of a Bently. Scott and Kourtney were a couple off and on from 2006-2015 and shore three children together; he and Sofia have been together since 2017. Ant McPartlin is reportedly set to return to work next month as he reunites with Declan Donnelly for Britains Got Talent auditions. The TV presenter, 43, will begin filming in January before hosting the live shows later in the year, the Sun revealed. He is also expected to appear in his usual co-hosting spot on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! in 2019 after Holly Willoughby stepped in for this years series. He's back! Ant McPartlin is reportedly set to return to work next month as he reunites with Declan Donnelly for Britains Got Talent auditions Ant, who split from his wife of 11-years Lisa Armstrong in January this year - took an eight-month break from the showbiz world after crashing his car during a drink drive incident which saw him fined 86,000. A source told the publication: Ant has completed his recovery and ITV has decided he is ready to be back at work for Britains Got Talent filming, which starts next month. Its been an incredible difficult two-year period but he has been entirely focused on turning his life around in order to return to work. On the show: The TV presenter, 43, will begin filming in January before hosting the live episodes later in the year Bitter split: Ant, who split from his wife of 11-years Lisa Armstrong (pictured) in January this year - took an eight-month break from the showbiz world after crashing his car during a drink drive incident which saw him fined 86,000 ITV is very excited about Ant and Dec being reunited but Ants recovery has been everyones first priority. MailOnline has contacted Ant's representatives for comment. While Ant will reportedly be making a comeback to most of his popular programmes, the double acts Saturday Night Takeaway wont be returning next year as the show would have required the presenter to start filming during his recovery time. Ants struggles - which included an addiction to prescription drugs and a stay in intense stay in rehab - saw him miss the Britains Got Talent live shows last time around and also this years series of Im A Celeb. As the jungle winner is crowned, Ant appeared to be in high spirits as he greeted a fan while taking his pet dog Hurley on a walk by Hampton Court Palace in Molesey, on Sunday afternoon. Standing in: He's set to watch his co-host Declan Donnelly crown this year's I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! winner with stand-in presenter Holly Willoughby Posted to the fan's Twitter account, the host grinned from ear-to-ear as he stopped to take a snap with the follower's dog. This year marks the first time Ant hasn't hosted I'm A Celebrity during its 16-year stint and it was recently reported that ITV bosses want Holly to make a return to the Australian jungle next year, joining both Ant and Dec on the competition series. According to Daily Star, executives are keen to have the This Morning presenter back on screens after the show received its highest ever viewing figures, with a whopping 12.6 million tuning in to watch the star's first week. A source told the publication: 'The original plan was for Holly to stand in while Ant was off and then hand the baton back. But shes been such a success that producers are now keen to keep her whatever happens.' Defendant Yamen A. (R), who is on trial for planning a car bomb attack, and his lawyer Wolfgang Ferner wait ahead of the proclamation of sentence at the court in Hamburg A German court on Friday sentenced a Syrian refugee to six and a half years in jail for planning an Islamist attack using a car bomb. The 20-year-old, named as Yamen A., was in the process of acquiring the chemical products and materials necessary to build a bomb when he was arrested in the northeastern town of Schwerin in October 2017. At the time, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said "a serious attack has been prevented". According to prosecutors, Yamen A. planned to kill or injure about "200 people" with a car bomb at an undisclosed location in Germany. He discussed bomb-making instructions in online chat groups and repeatedly tried to manufacture the powerful explosive TATP, his trial at Hamburg's higher regional court revealed. Prosecutors had sought a punishment of five and a half years, but judges opted for a longer sentence given the accused's "determination" to carry out an attack, DPA news agency reported. "You wanted to take lives, and in doing so endanger the security of the state," said presiding judge Ulrike Taeubner. Yamen A. arrived in Germany in 2015 at the height of the refugee influx to avoid military service at home. Investigators believe he was radicalised over the Internet by mid-2017 and became a supporter of the Islamic State group. Germany remains on high alert over the risk of a jihadist attack, having suffered several in recent years. The bloodiest, claimed by IS, was a truck rampage through a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016 that left 12 people dead. Building ties: US court filings suggest aides of President Donald Trump sought support from the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin for an ambitious Moscow skyscraper project even while Trump was running for the White House in 2016 Donald Trump had a dream of building a golden 100-story tower overlooking the Kremlin in Moscow, the crowning achievement of his global real estate empire. "Russia is one of the hottest places in the world for investment," he said in 2007. "We will be in Moscow at some point." But his pursuit of the Trump Tower logo gleaming over the Russian capital now threatens his presidency. On Thursday, his former lawyer Michael Cohen admitted in a court filing that they pursued the project throughout the first half of 2016 via contacts with Russian President Vladimir Putin's office, even after the real estate tycoon had captured the Republican nomination for the US presidency. Felix Sater, another Trump associate who worked with Cohen on the project, told Buzzfeed and other media that they even planned to gift the $50 million penthouse to Putin -- who is now accused by US intelligence of helping Trump win the 2016 election. "All the oligarchs would line up to live in the same building as Putin," Sater said. Cohen's admission contradicted previous claims he, Trump and Trump's family made that they had no business relations with Russia at the time. Trump on Thursday branded his onetime top assistant an outright liar. Still, the billionaire added, pursuing a deal with Russians during the 2016 presidential race wasn't illegal. "There was a good chance that I wouldn't have won, in which case I would have gotten back into the business, and why should I lose lots of opportunities?" Trump said. - 30-year Moscow dream - The golden landmark Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York impressed Russians, Trump said in his book "The Art of the Deal" Trump was already one of the titans of New York real estate, known for his gold-trimmed flagship Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, when he got the Moscow bug in 1986 in a lunch with Soviet ambassador Yuri Dubinin. "Dubinin's daughter, it turned out, had read about Trump Tower and knew all about it," Trump recalled in his book "The Art of the Deal." "One thing led to another and now I'm talking about building a large luxury hotel, across the street from the Kremlin." He traveled with then-wife Ivana to view potential sites the following year. "It was an extraordinary experience," he wrote. "I was impressed with the ambition of the Soviet officials to make a deal." The tycoon was bogged down over the next decade by multiple bankruptcies in his Atlantic City casinos. By 1997, he was back at the idea, discussing a possible casino project with rising political star General Alexander Lebed. He knew there was money and appreciation of his name: he was already selling Trump-branded condominiums in Florida to rich Russians. - 'I really like Putin' - Trump took his Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013, pursuing real estate projects during the trip In the mid-2000s, Trump's son Donald Jr. made a half-dozen trips to Russia. One idea was to renovate an old Moscow hotel and rebrand it in the name of Trump's daughter Ivanka, who was creating her own line of jewelry. Yet Russia was hard, Donald Jr. said in a 2008 speech. "As much as we want to take our business over there, Russia is just a different world ... It is a question of who knows who, whose brother is paying off who. ... It really is a scary place." Still, with the help of Russia-born Sater, they kept pushing, and Trump was enamored with Russia's strongman leader. "I really like Vladimir Putin. I respect him. He does his work well. Much better than our Bush," he told Russian journalists. The US financial crisis then intervened. But by 2013 Trump was back, taking his Miss Universe pageant to Moscow where he would try to advance new property projects. His partner in the pageant was Moscow mall developer Aras Agalarov, then launching into the massive riverside Crocus City development. "TRUMP TOWER-MOSCOW is next," Trump tweeted after the show. By then Trump was already seriously mulling a White House run. He didn't put his Russia plans on hold for it. "The Russian market is attracted to me," he told the US magazine Real Estate weekly about his 2013 visit. "I have a great relationship with many Russians, and almost all of the oligarchs were in the room." - Former spy was Moscow intermediary - Michael Cohen, former personal attorney to President Donald Trump, admitted Thursday that efforts to seal a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow continued into the middle of 2016 during the presidential race Court filings Thursday show that Cohen and Sater avidly pursued a new project through early 2016, with their eyes on well-connected partners and Russian bankers. Their main intermediary for contacts, according to Buzzfeed, was a former senior Russian military intelligence officer. The court filings said Cohen kept Trump and his children up-to-date on the project. In May 2016 Sater passed on to Cohen an invitation to attend a Russian economic forum the next month from a top Putin aide. "The entire business class of Russia will be there as well," Sater wrote. But Cohen never went. On Friday Trump continued to play it all down, saying the Cohen admission was part of a political "witch hunt" against him. "Against all odds, I decide to run for President & continue to run my business-very legal & very cool, talked about it on the campaign trail," he tweeted. "Lightly looked at doing a building somewhere in Russia. Put up zero money, zero guarantees and didn't do the project." Food magnate and former presidential candidate Sebastien Ajavon (pictured March 2016), known as Benin's "chicken king" because he made his money in livestock, was convicted at a special tribunal in Porto-Novo in October 2018 The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights has asked Benin not to impose a controversial 20-year jail sentence on opposition politician Sebastien Ajavon for a drugs conviction, his lawyer told AFP on Saturday. Ajavon is known as Benin's "chicken king" because he made his money in livestock. The former presidential candidate, who stood against eventual winner Patrice Talon in 2016, was convicted at a special tribunal in Porto-Novo in October. An international arrest warrant was issued as he was not present at the hearing, which his Paris-based legal team denounced as having "serious irregularities". No appeal is possible at the economic and terrorism tribunal (CRIET) but Ajavon's lawyers took the case to the African court, which ordered Benin to "suspend the execution of the judgement" pending further consideration. "The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights has given a total vote of no confidence in the state of Benin by ordering it to immediately suspend the implementation of the decision of the CRIET which found Sebastien Ajavon guilty," said lawyer Julien Bensimhon. "It is recognition of the illegal and undemocratic nature of the way in which the CRIET was created and functions, which we have already denounced," he added. Bensimhon said he hoped the Benin authorities would comply with the court's request, which was made on Friday. Despite backing millionaire businessman Talon to help him win the presidency, relations between the two men have since soured. Talon's political opponents have accused him of leading a crackdown. Ajavon in particular has faced a slew of legal action, including the drugs charges, which relate to the discovery of 18 kilogrammes cocaine in a container destined for one of his businesses. He previously went to the African court in Arusha, Tanzania, to demand nearly $990 million in damages from Benin on the grounds that he had been subjected to "harassment" and a "calculated plot" for two years. Ajavon has made no secret of his desire to run again for the presidency and in March founded his own political party, the Social Liberal Union (USL). There was no immediate reaction from the government to the African court's ruling. But Ajavon's political allies were expected to meet on Saturday evening to discuss its implications. "We prefer not to comment for the moment," said one senior USL member. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The remains of a New York pilot killed during World War II are the first of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen listed as missing in action to be identified, the Pentagon announced Thursday. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the agency charged with recovering and identifying the nation's war dead, said the remains accounted for earlier this year are those of Lawrence Dickson of Manhattan. Dickson was killed in a crash in Europe 74 years ago next month. Dickson was a 24-year-old captain in the 100th Fighter Squadron when he took off in his P-51 Mustang fighter plane from a base in Italy to conduct an aerial reconnaissance mission on Dec. 23, 1944. During the return flight, Dickson's engine failed and his plane was seen crashing along the Italy-Austria border, the Pentagon said. Searches for the crash site were unsuccessful, and in 1949, the U.S. military declared his remains non-recoverable. In 2012, an American recovery team found the crash site in Austria after receiving information from an Austrian researcher. The team found wreckage matching Dickson's type of fighter. Excavations conducted over four weeks in the summer of 2017 by the University of New Orleans and Austria's University of Innsbruck resulted in the recovery of human remains. This undated photo provided by the Pentagon's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency shows Lawrence Dickson, a New York pilot killed during World War II. Dickson is first of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen still listed as missing in action whose remains the Pentagon says they have identified through DNA samples provided by his daughter in New Jersey. Dickson was a 24-year-old captain in the 100th Fighter Squadron when his P-51 fighter plane was seen crashing along the Italy-Austria border during a mission on Dec. 23, 1944. Searches for the crash site were unsuccessful until 2012. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency via AP) The skeletal remains were later identified as Dickson's through DNA samples provided by his daughter, Marla Andrews, of East Orange, New Jersey, and another relative. "I was spaced out," Andrews said Thursday as she recalled her feelings last year when the Pentagon told her progress had been made in her father's MIA case. Last summer, the Pentagon gave Andrews and her relatives an official confirmation. "A lot of things have to come together for something like this to work," Andrews told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from her home. Andrews was 2 years old when her mother received notification that her husband was missing in action. She was born in a hospital in Harlem, where Phyllis and Lawrence Dickson were living when he enlisted in the Army. A South Carolina native who loved music and played the electric guitar, Lawrence Dickson was sent to Tuskegee, Alabama, for training in a newly formed African-American air squadron. The storied Tuskegee Airmen would shatter aviation and racial barriers during World War II. Qualifying as a pilot, Dickson flew with the 332nd Fighter Group's 100th Fighter Squadron, known as the "Red Tails" for the color of their aircrafts' tails. Sixty-six Tuskegee Airmen died in combat, including 27 who were listed as MIA when the war ended. Dickson was the first of those 27 to be identified, a DPAA spokesman said. Among the items recovered from the crash scene was part of a harmonica Dickson carried with him during flights. "Little things like that have been quite comforting," Andrews said. Phyllis Dickson died last December at 96 in Nevada, her daughter said. Lawrence Dickson will be buried March 22 with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Dubai-based flydubai today has announced the start of flights to Chittagong in Bangladesh, with the re-launch service set to begin on January 20, 2019 with daily flights. Sudhir Sreedharan, senior vice president Commercial (UAE, GCC, Subcontinent and Africa) at flydubai said, We are delighted that flydubai is returning to Chittagong. It reaffirms our commitment to serving underserved destinations and with daily flights we look forward to our passengers benefiting from our direct and convenient flights to Dubai and beyond. Emirates will codeshare on this route as part of the Emirates flydubai partnership announced in July 2017. For bookings under the codeshare, Emirates passengers will receive complimentary meals and the Emirates checked baggage allowance on flights operated by flydubai in Economy class. With the partnership, passengers from Bangladesh will have an opportunity to travel via Dubai to hundreds of destinations all over the world. FZ589 is scheduled to depart Dubai International Terminal 2 at 03:20hrs, arriving into Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong at 10:05hrs local time. FZ590 is scheduled to depart Shah Amanat International Airport at 1105 hrs local time, landing in Dubai International Terminal 2 at 1505hrs local time. TradeArabia News Service BRUSSELS (AP) - Police and hundreds of yellow jacket protesters upset over high taxes and living costs clashed Friday in Brussels. Dozens were detained as the grassroots movement that started in France two weeks ago gained traction in Belgium. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons on protesters, who threw rocks and paving stones after they were blocked from approaching government buildings and offices in Brussels. "Our officers started to use water cannons after they began throwing objects. They were throwing pool balls," said Brussels city police spokeswoman Ilse Van De Keere, estimating that over 300 people were involved in the clashes. A riot police cordon charged protesters after they attacked two police vehicles, overturning one and setting both alight. Road signs were uprooted and traffic lights smashed. Around 60 people were charged with disturbing public order. Many were carrying objects that police considered to be dangerous, including razor blades, tire levers and pepper spray, she said. Some were detained for having gas, ski and diving masks. The Brussels prosecutors' office said one person was detained for carrying a weapon and a second for willfully causing damage, while a third was being questioned by police over alleged drug offenses. It said an investigation has been opened into the torching of the police vehicles. A demonstrator gets hit by a water cannon during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: "all my support to forces of law and order which ensure our safety and guarantee our freedom. No impunity for the inadmissible violence in Brussels. Thugs and pillagers should be punished." His interior minister, Jan Jambon, lamented in a tweet what he described as "incomprehensible violence toward the police, which does its best to protect citizens and society. Scandalous." Earlier, dozens of protesters wearing the movement's high visibility vests blocked city streets, sometimes with pieces of scaffolding, causing traffic chaos along major roads. Some handed out vests to bystanders and people stuck in cars. As they marched, some protesters chanted "We are the people!" and held up placards marked: "Union is Strength" and "Shame on the Police." Michel has said he is willing to talk with some of their leaders, but it was not immediately clear whether any meeting had taken place. Protest roadblocks were also in place near the city of Charleroi, 60 kilometers (38 miles) south of Brussels. It's unclear exactly who the protesters are. Small rallies and roadblocks have been going on in the French-speaking south of Belgium for about two weeks. Some appeared linked to high fuel prices, seen as the cause of the protest movement in neighboring France. Belgian media say many are out in the streets over high taxes and food prices, low wages and pensions, but some question whether the movement is being exploited by far-left and far-right groups. Demonstrators throw rocks during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Anti riot policemen clash with protestors during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A man walks by a burning police van during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator throws a traffic cone during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Police use a water cannon on demonstrators during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Police spray tear gas at demonstrator during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator throws a rock during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Demonstrators, called the yellow jackets, holds up an EU flag during a protest against rising fuel prices in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator throws a traffic cone during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator gets hit by a water cannon during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Demonstrators destroy a police van during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Demonstrators light a police van on fire during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator, called the yellow jackets, is arrested by police during a protest against rising fuel prices in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Demonstrators, called the yellow jackets, light flares and shout slogans as they protest against rising fuel prices in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator throws a garbage bag during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Police use a water cannon on demonstrators during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Protestors are arrested during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Police use a water cannon on demonstrators during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Anti riot policemen push protestors back during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) A demonstrator throws a traffic cone during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Demonstrators throw rocks during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Protestors are arrested during a protest of the yellow jackets in Brussels, Friday, Nov. 30, 2018. The demonstrators are protesting against rising fuel prices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - A U.S. Naval Academy midshipman has pleaded guilty to using and distributing illegal drugs to fellow midshipmen at the academy, a school spokesman said Friday. Zachary Williams has been sentenced to 13 months confinement and dismissal from the Navy, said Cmdr. David McKinney, the academy's spokesman. Williams, of Canal Fulton, Ohio, pleaded guilty at the Washington Navy Yard on Thursday to introduction of a controlled substance on a military installation and distribution of a controlled substance. He also pleaded guilty to failure to obey a general regulation, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and use of a controlled substance. The charges were based on an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that began in November 2017, after midshipmen brought the drug use to the attention of school officials. Some of the charges related to Williams' arrest by the Dover Police Department in Delaware for selling and possessing controlled substances at a music festival in June. As a result of the investigation, six midshipmen were kicked out of the academy for using illegal substances, and five were disciplined for other policy violations. The guilty plea from Williams concludes the case, McKinney said. "The U.S. Navy and the Naval Academy both have a zero tolerance policy towards the wrongful use of controlled substances," McKinney said. The case prompted the academy to conduct a full review and make changes to urinalysis drug testing. Every midshipman will be tested randomly at least three times a year. Prosecutors said Williams obtained drugs on the dark web, where people search for drugs through secret web browsers and buy them using encrypted channels, code names and virtual currencies. Some of the drugs named in the case included cocaine, ecstasy, mushrooms and ketamine, which is an animal tranquilizer that can cause hallucinations. SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) - Authorities in Texas say an apartment fire that killed five people last summer was intentionally set. Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said during a news conference Friday that a criminal investigation into the July 20 blaze is underway. He says investigators know how the fire at Iconic Village apartments and the Vintage Pads apartments in San Marcos was started and where, but won't reveal those details. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. The fire occurred near Texas State University and four of the five killed were current or former students there, ranging in age from 19 to 23. About 200 people were displaced. San Marcos is 31 miles (50 kilometers) south of Austin. AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - Hundreds of protesters have called on the Jordanian prime minister to resign over his tax policies and perceived failure to improve the country's economy. Friday's protests in Jordan's capital of Amman came several months after Omar Razzaz' predecessor was toppled in large-scale protests against a tax reform plan. Critics at the time said the reforms disproportionately hit the poor and middle class. Razzaz promised to be more inclusive in coming up with reforms, but is also under pressure from international lenders to cut the government's large deficit. On Friday, protesters chanted, "Leave, leave Razzaz" and called for the latest version of the tax bill to be annulled. Police kept them from the prime minister's office. Protests over the summer had been larger, mainly because of organized union backing. HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - A Florida teenager who got stuck inside a vault at an abandoned bank is facing a trespassing charge. A judge on Friday ordered the teen to serve 21 days of home detention. Police in Hollywood, Florida, said the teen and his 15-year-old friend broke into the vacant Bank of America building Wednesday afternoon. An arrest report says the older teen entered the vault and "started touching buttons on the walls." The vault door closed and his friend called 911. During a nearly 8-minute call, the younger teen pleaded with the 911 dispatcher to get his friend out. The teen had been inside for about two hours when two Bank of America employees arrived with the code and opened the vault. The teens told police they entered the bank because they were "bored." TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - An appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit that accused Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott of underreporting his income, saying the judiciary has no authority to investigate such a complaint. The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled Friday that Florida's constitution gives the state ethics commission sole authority to investigate whether Scott followed the law when he reported a net worth of $232 million this year. Scott was sued by Tallahassee attorney Don Hinkle, once a top fundraiser for President Barack Obama, after the ethics commission dismissed his complaint. Florida's governor picks five of the ethics commission's nine members, and four others are chosen by state House and Senate leaders. BOISE, Idaho (AP) - A replacement has been named for a top Idaho wildlife official who resigned following outrage over a photo of him posing with a baboon family he killed during a hunting trip to Africa. Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter on Thursday announced the appointment of Tim Murphy to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. He replaces Blake Fischer, who resigned in October at Otter's request. The photo was taken during a hunting trip Fischer took in Namibia in September. It shows Fischer posing with baboons he killed with a bow and arrows. Fischer shared that photo and others with friends when he returned from Africa. The Idaho Statesman obtained the photos and first reported the story. Murphy is the former Idaho director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Theresa May has promised to deliver a robust message to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen when she meets him at the G20 summit. Fridays face-to-face meeting with the Crown Prince in Argentina is likely to prove the most difficult encounter of the two-day summit of major economies for the Prime Minister. The UK has issued demands for a transparent and credible investigation into the death last month of Mr Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and has also called for an end to bloodshed in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition is fighting Houthi rebels. Mrs May has faced calls to halt arms sales to the UKs traditional ally in the Gulf. Amnesty International UKs director Kate Allen said she should use her meeting with the Crown Prince to politely but firmly insist that only a UN investigation into the grisly murder of Jamal Khashoggi is going to be sufficient. Amnesty also called on the PM to urge Mohammed to order the release of womens rights activists including Loujain al-Hathloul. Theresa May has become the first serving Prime Minister to visit Buenos Aires. (G20 Argentina/PA) Speaking to Sky News ahead of the meeting, Mrs May said: I am going to speak to the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia but it is the relationship we have with Saudi Arabia that enables me to sit down with him and be robust on our views on two issues. First of all the terrible killing of Jamal Khashoggi, and the message I will be giving and the message we have given from the UK from the time it happened is that the Saudi Arabians need to ensure that their investigation is a full investigation, that it is credible, that it is transparent and that people can have confidence in the outcome of it and that those responsible are held to account. But I will also be raising the situation in the Yemen where the humanitarian crisis is getting worse, we are very concerned about that. We are a major donor to the Yemen, but we believe that now is the time, there is an opportunity to find a solution, to come to a political solution because that is the way to ensure the future and a safe and secure future for the people of the Yemen. I will be encouraging all parties, including the Saudi Arabians, to ensure that they sit down at the upcoming UN-led talks in Stockholm in the coming days and weeks and find a way through this, find a political solution for a stable future for Yemen. Former PM Tony Blair meets then Argentinian president Fernando De la Rua on Argentinian soil in Iguazu. (Chris Ison/PA) Before her meeting with the Crown Prince, Mrs May will hold talks with the summits host, President Mauricio Macri, at which the long-standing argument over the sovereignty of the Falklands is likely to be overshadowed by discussions on trade. Mrs May is the first Conservative Prime Minister to visit Argentina since the 1982 war, and only the second serving PM to do so, after Tony Blair briefly crossed the border from Brazil in 2001. Arriving in Argentina on Thursday night, she vowed to maintain Britains defence of the sovereignty of the islands known to Argentina as Las Malvinas. Mr Macri has toned down official rhetoric over the islands since taking over from Cristina Kirchner in 2015. This weeks announcement of a new air link between the Falklands and the South American mainland via Argentina has been greeted in London as an indication that relations are headed in a positive direction. Asked during her flight to Buenos Aires whether the UK remained ready to defend the islands with military force if necessary, Mrs May said: I am clear that our position on the sovereignty of the Falklands has not changed. What has changed in recent months is we have seen better relations with Argentina. I think the announcement we saw earlier this week of the extra flight from the Falklands through to South America is important. It is important for the Falklands and it is important in showing a different relationship developing. I am talking to President Macri about issues about trade and opportunities for trade, but our position on the sovereignty of the Falklands hasnt changed and will not change. On #RemembranceSunday we remember with gratitude those who made the ultimate sacrifice to liberate the #Falklands in 1982 and the 22 Islanders who died in #WW1, & 24 killed in #WW2, to maintain our freedom. #WeWillRememberThem @PoppyLegion @SAMA82office #LestWeForget pic.twitter.com/i1rzgLlERU Falkland Islands Gov (@FalklandsGov) November 11, 2018 Mrs May is not expected to have bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Buenos Aires, as relations between the UK and Russia remain in the deep-freeze following the Salisbury poisonings and the annexation of Crimea. Britain has been a keen supporter of sanctions against Moscow for its interference in Ukraine and Mrs May made clear she does not rule out their extension following the seizure of three naval ships and their crews in the Black Sea. Our message to Russia is very clear, she said. They should release the ships and sailors and de-escalate the situation. We have always been at the forefront in Europe of asking for sanctions on Russia in relation to its behaviour. We will continue to push for what we consider to be appropriate sanctions on Russia. The PM will use the G20 gathering to push her global Britain message, telling fellow leaders that her Brexit deal will be good for the world economy. After resuming its independent seat on the World Trade Organisation in April next year, the UK will become an active and leading voice in seeking reform of the body to increase transparency and modernise its approach to e-commerce, she will say. An evil allotment holder who strangled an elderly widow with a lawnmower flex has been jailed for at least 19 years. Rahim Mohammadi killed 80-year-old Lea Adri-Soejoko because he feared he would be thrown off his plot at Colindale Allotments in north London. Mrs Adri-Soejoko, the allotment secretary, was found dead in a locked mower shed wearing Wellington boots and an apron. Police had followed the sound of her ringing phone after her family had raised the alarm last February. Volatile Mohammadi, 42, from Hackney, north London, was found guilty of her murder following a retrial at the Old Bailey. Sentencing him on Friday to life with a minimum term of 19 years, Judge Richard Marks QC said: How bitterly ironic that the place she loved so much the allotment was the place she met her death. Mohammadi, a regular opium user, killed Mrs Adri-Soejoko in a violent loss of temper. The judge said: It goes without saying although Lea was fit for her age, she was an elderly lady and as such confronted and attacked by you as she was, was vulnerable in the extreme. Earlier, Mrs Adri-Soejokos children Mark and Tess spoke of the torturous road to justice and truth. The pair told how their happy and vital mother was having fun and living a full life before Mohammadi stole her from us. Her murder has nothing to do with the immigration debate, Mr Adri-Soejoko said, adding: Some people make a play about the fact he is an immigrant or refugee, but its not to do with that. Tess and Mark Adri-Soejoko said they are relieved their mothers killer has finally been brought to justice (Met Police/PA) Where they come from has nothing to do with it. We are the children of immigrants. This is about the actions of one wicked individual. Ms Adri-Soejoko added: Hatred is something you kind of rise to in a situation like this. Im just glad that the truth has been revealed about him and who he truly is. Im just glad he is not free and will not be able to do this to anybody else. The court had heard how the Kurdish Iranian had been involved with the allotment since 2008 through Freedom from Torture, an organisation helping torture victims suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In September 2016, he clashed with Mrs Adri-Soejoko at an allotment association meeting and he called her a bloody old witch. Then in February 2017, Mohammadi beat up Mrs Adri-Soejoko on the allotment, causing bruises and fractures to the ribs. He then throttled her with the mower flex to stop her from reporting the attack, which would have led to his eviction. Prosecutor John Price QC said: Mrs Adri-Soejoko was beaten up. That in turn does point to a motive for her murder to avoid detection for a shocking and very serious assault on a vulnerable old lady. The victims body was locked up in the mower shed, which only four key-holders had access to including Mohammadi and Mrs Adri-Soejoko, whose set were in her pocket. The prosecution said Mohammadi had planned to move her to avoid suspicion being cast on him, but police following the sound of her ringing phone found the body before he could act. His DNA was found on the cord used to strangle her and he was caught on CCTV coming and going from the allotment, jurors were told. Lea Adri-Soejoko, 80, was killed at the allotments she loved (Met Police/PA) The court heard Mohammadi sought political asylum in Britain in 2005 and was given indefinite leave to remain in 2010. Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, from Scotland Yard, said: Although I never had the privilege of meeting Lea, we have learnt what a lovely, caring lady she was, like everyones mum or gran. She was a real pillar of the community, a sprightly 80-year-old grandmother who was very active in her local neighbourhood and secretary of Colindale Allotment Association. The senior officer said Mohammadi was a manipulative, evil, controlling individual. Mrs Adri-Soejokos family could be seen wiping away tears as her killer was sent down. Five people have been arrested following the seizure of 2 million worth of cannabis in Belfast, the police said. Detectives from the PSNIs organised crime unit and local police officers carried out a number of searches across the city on Thursday. Four men, aged between 28 and 59, and one woman, aged 34, were taken into custody in south and east Belfast on suspicion of offences in relation to the supply of the drugs and a number of immigration offences. They were taken to Musgrave serious crime suite for questioning. Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton said: This is a significant haul and demonstrates our commitment to removing dangerous drugs from our communities. We are following several lines of inquiry, one is a potential link to a Triad organised crime gang and another is potential links to paramilitary groups. Police said it was a significant haul (PSNI/PA) With the festive party season approaching, Mr Singleton said he wanted people to think about where their money is going before they hand over cash for recreational drugs. Many people who spend money on a casual transaction at the weekend think that it isnt harming anyone else; the reality couldnt be further from the truth. Not only is it illegal to purchase these drugs but it fuels the local drug trade which causes irreparable damage and loss to many families and individuals whose lives it destroys. He added that spending money on drugs contributed to violence and intimidation inflicted by what he described as merciless crime gangs. By M Abdul Fathah A plethora of human rights rulings came out of the Indian supreme court has been a tonal material for many a recent vitriolic slogans aired in Indian streets and a charged deliberation in academic circles This obsession with a pro western liberal thought current , precisely in transplanting religious values to private sphere, has increasingly bought it into conflict with long cherished diverse cultural matrix of multifaceted Indian society. liberal knowledge tradition as a dominant impulse of 21st century played a decisive role in harvesting public consent for these lopsided rulings. Though this western export with a veil of universalism has become a leitmotif of modern values, the appalling ill fate of them insist us to contemplate on immanent loopholes and seek viable lieu for the same. Theoretical underpinning and dilemmas Support TwoCircles The historical roots of modern day human rights theories reach to Latin Christian natural laws and precisely how this medieval notion of human rights employed Aristotelian thought paradigms. In the later years, Protestant Reformation and enlightenment tendencies engendered by thinkers such as John Locke and Jean Jacques Burlamaqui rendered human rights theories with multifaceted meaning and were profoundly conceived and diffused through ventures such as French declaration and American bill of rights. Though modern view presupposes a state conception of human rights , Western human rights with so call inevitability is too inextricably interwoven with feudal lineage and religious institutions of medieval Europe. The same premise facilitated the 17th century theorists like John Locke to employ natural resource rights to wage intellectual debate against the medieval nations. Notwithstanding the Christian underpinnings at the out set, the enlightenment period with the cumulative weight of epistemological break and obscure moral legitimacy of church due to concocted values and draconian practices , marked a shift from revealed religious to theoretical and metaphysical premises. American declaration, for instance, take a stand greatly committed to laws of nature and natures god, and cite self evident truths as references, rather than the textual evidences. Nevertheless, since contemporary secular theorists like Nietzsche and the like vilifies any genre of divine and metaphysical orders, the theoretical mosaic of modern day human rights are characterized with outright denial of any of that sort and are captive to practical wisdom. As a result of this flexibility and materiality, the western human rights concepts invited bitter criticisms and repudiation from the enlightenment circles itself. While Edmund Burke and Jeremy Bentham sued the concept of inalienability , Karl Marx considered liberal inspired individual rights as rights of bourgeois and aristocrats who reined the production and natural resources. In his reasoning, they court market value than the much vaulted human dignity. In Arthur Dykes evaluations , duty free rights of Hobbesian model would end up in social polarization and disintegration of human relationships. However , seventeenth and eighteenth century Western human rights alluded to the limited territory of nations and lacked a universal legitimacy. Post Second World War era consensus among a couple of pro western minds and consequent declaration of human rights in 1948 played a cosmic significance in rendering it a universal character. Now one cannot but showcase them as moral language of universal justice. In the post World War era, much of the critique against those secular interpretation of Judeo Christian heritage loomed as debates and reciprocities between moral relativists and moral universalists. As cultural relativists such as Chris Brown and Makau Mutua put it, UDHR propound a human right theory completely alien to many a indigenous parameters closely intertwined with political, social and epistemological institutions immanent in the local tradition. Besides, the so fashioned universalism conducts the political, economical and cultural imperialism waged in east as residues of White mens burden and Civilizing mission. This moral universalism which undermined the very edifice of international trade and war laws has been receiving stiff opposition from Asian countries, who have been reiterating the same in UN General Assembly from 1980s. Mahathir Muhammed and Lee Juan Yu , prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore respectively, to name a few, claimed long before in 1990s that relevance ascribed to loyalty and forgoing personal freedom for the sake of social stability in Eastern values validate authoritarian regimes than democracy. However those like Abdullahi Naeem who stand at the forefront of challenging and constructive exchange taking place today between European and Islamic traditions, take a blow upon them to give precedence to internal interpretations within Islam to bring those indigenous cultures in conformity with western yardsticks, taking for granted the dynamic nature of cultures and centuries of relentless efforts beyond human rights. In the decolonial period, especially with religious symbols and sentiments fortifying their places in the societal mores, many a scholars have embarked upon criticizing its secular flavours while at the same time acknowledging the imperative of conforming with modern tendencies. Hannah Arendt , Talal Asad and John Milbank to name a few have all perceived it as a secular notion and criticized it from distinct intellectual heritage and social settings. In the western secular reasoning , though the material world has no ultimate meaning or transcendent value, it has relative meaning .Since individual is the source of meaning in the material world , the only value would be the meaning and value that man bestows on things. This as affirmation grounds the special morality that in turn grounds western human rights theories .The corner stone of the theory is that man himself finds the necessity of being moral. Since the source of mens inherent dignity is himself, he too have too find the means to meet the requisite requirements of his well being. He too requires a measure of inviolability to him well being and sometimes , something that outlast his lifetime to include legacies .Often, his well being necessitate even the well being of others since their uneasiness would have an opposite reaction on him. Thus what dictates and even entails a moral community has nothing to do with fear of divine retribution and divine intentions in creating humans, rather an inducement dictated by ones own existence and security. In the western secular reasoning , though the material world has no ultimate meaning or transcendent value, it has a relative meaning. Since individuals are the source of meaning in the material world, the only value would be the meaning and value that men bestow upon things. This is the affirmation that grounds the secular morality which in turn surfaces western human rights theories .The corner stone of this theory is that man himself finds the necessity of being moral. Since the source of mens inherent dignity is he himself, he too have to find the means to meet the requisite requirements of his well being. He too requires a measure of inviolability to his well being and sometimes , something that outlast his lifetime to include legacies .Often, his well being necessitates even the well being of others since their uneasiness would have detrimental effects on him. Thus what entails, and even dictates a moral community has nothing to do with fear of divine retribution or divine intentions in human creation, rather they are induced by ones own existence and security. In a sense, this secular project feeding on largely secular notions of scientific rationalism, natural rights, individualism and social contract is a superficial construct. Moreover, the critiques for the same from the enlightenment circle too presupposes a God free world of same enlightenment diction. Scientific rationalism deemed scientific world view and scientific truths as only confidential ways of acquiring knowledge and showcased other metaphysical knowledges to be outside of human sphere. It envisaged human reason to encompass all realms of human life and thus, human rights to narrow to human rationales. Human rights thus, came to be understood as alien to religious understandings and teachings which are ostensibly considered beyond reason. Most of these human rights declarations like UDHR presume human rights to be distanced from the questions of ideology i.e, philosophical questions that define the approach to man and universe. Thinkers of French revolution, for instance, saw religions and human rights to be concepts that had sole social significance and devoid of any truth value . They never attended to the philosophical questions of what does right mean? , who is the human being talked about? or whats mens intrinsic dignity? .etc In addition, enlightenment thought currents that has been acknowledged as congruent point for all these declarations relegate men to be formed by the nature and shaped on the whole by social circumstances .Emily Durkheim, for instance, consider humanity to be products of social reflection. While Sigmund Freud portrays them as a contractual form, Berkeley consider them to be mental products. The men molded up in these definitions, reaching up to even socio economic principles of Marx, is a material being that cannot possess any human rights. Moreover, most of the Western thinkers such as Immanuel Kant forged natural rights from the individualistic notions derived from the scientific rationalism. Alongside Frederick Nietzsche considered an individual engendered by individualism as subject to values. John Milbank who formulated a critique of secular from the Judeo Christian tradition had contended this unwarranted human sovereignty without any external influences or constraints. Though liberal view showcases the inalienable rights molded out of individualism as detrimental to the sovereignty of nation states, and a major milestone for human rights , it goes without saying that in an alternative reading , they poses a grace threat to the individual rights of humanity. This is because much of the self restriction maintained for the sovereigns human right is more or less lost in the face of stiff pressure generated by same liberal thoughts. Though Francis Hutchison who for the first time distinguished alienable and inalienable rights in his book Inquiry into origin of our idea of beauty and virtue conceives the same paradox, he seems to take on those that went against the public consensus premised upon Reformation principle of liberty of conscience. With such an ambiguity centering around it, UDHR along with other international war accords are constructed upon such public interests and secular commitment between states . Verily, though wars of that intensity and causality as first and second world war were kept at bay, ruthless violation of human rights, gathering momentum through neo colonialism and neo liberal economic strategies expose inherent loopholes of UDHR and a serious catastrophe. Even now, lives lost in aerial bombardment carried out pervasively in Middle East and Africa are subsided to the peripheral of human rights violations. Since an individual encounter and annihilation is tactically avoided, these are counted as collateral damage in the course of securing a constructed political good. Apart from American hypocrisy or stake of western countries to float international conventions unabashedly, they give hints to inherent limitations in this secular project. As an antidote to the loose walls of secular commitment, Islam, for instance, proposes a comprehensive and all encompassing idea about human rights. It envisages a worldview that transcends man and his needs and accommodate an ultimate meaning for the universe and everything encompassing rather than clamouring for a moral project premised upon ones own well being. Islam embodies human rights in the context of accountability to one god, and generate a compelling motivation for a deeper commitment of rights of fellow human beings who too are created equal to him. Muslim, as a firm believer in the primacy of oneness of God who is the creator of universe and everything encompassing it, believes that there exist a logical relationship between social and philosophical questions. This all knowing God , the exalted, is the only one who profoundly understands mans inherent dignity, and thus derives the genuine rights and duties of man on earth. The pretext and intrinsic drives for his right would be then his relationship to God and his viceregency on earth. Thus the liberal tendency to regard the human rights out of religious sphere is completely alien to Islamic world view .Moreover, as a envoy of god on earth, Islam endows no rights without responsibilities and duties which are to be duly fulfilled to avoid infringement. This accountability through duties is not only a key to spiritual confinement, but also serve as a crux to relationship with other par beings. From this premise, Islam bestows more of such on wealthy and maintains that these duties progress not out of compassion, but need to be discharged as a duty. However, natural rights, the corner stone of western human rights more or less keep duties at bay. Taking it for granted, declaration such as UDHR followed the same pattern .Verily, this has a direct bearing on the gruesome infringement of rights under sovereign regimes during the early 1900s which reined the undercurrents for the formulation of UDHR. The duties and obligation of UDHR thus, narrows to article 29. Modern state as a harbinger of human rights : how state violence nullifies human rights Talal Asad, a renowned anthropologist who launched a harsh critique on secular projects and precisely on western human right seeks to unfold such loopholes of UDHR in his book The formation of secular. The declaration of 1948, though commences by stating the equal and inalienable rights of human family, it immediately turns to state, bestowing the responsibility for the same upon the sovereign state. H Marshal in his account of the development of citizenship in Britain , for instance, notes how derisively, the centuries of seventeenth ,eighteenth and nineteenth when the modern state was , played a definite role in the formation of human rights. Moreover, as Hannah Arendt put it, the same enlightenment principles of human individuality and sovereignty in the matter of rights was a driving force behind narrowing human rights to the concept of state, resulting from a pretext that man is the only sovereign in the matters of authority and alienating any external forces such as religion from claiming authority. Even with a surge of declarations of rights , the rights authority still pertain within the circumference of state owing to the social contract tradition of French Revolution. However John Locke, hailing from the same revolutionary tradition and presenting natural rights as counterpoised to the despotism of autocratic regimes had long before contended this over sovereignty we have come to confront in the modern times. Consequently, the modern nation states employed human rights to an unscrupulous advantage in line with colonial governments treatment of its subjects. Modern world is replete with wars and conflicts between political structures such as nations and states , but they are not for and against the inherent worth of humanity, but solely over political settings this idea entails and their existence. Thus, modern human rights depend and pledge obedience to national rights that punish, protects and formulate one as citizen of a state. Even UDHR legitimizes rebellions against despotic regimes only when rights remain unprotected by rule of law. Whence, rebellions against the violation of rule of law and those against the curtailment of traditional moral justice are demarcated differently to provide only the former with legitimacy, what is deliberative ignored is that what may be lawful too can be unjust and intolerable. The fate of countries like Greece to themselves forcefully freed their official identities from long cherished traditional religious values and symbols as an implausible consequence of having been joined European charter of rights points to this paradox. The Greek govt at time opined that the legitimacy of institutional western human rights in a state could not be contested even by referendum of people. In fact, as Asad elucidates, this equalization of justice with law and privileging of states norm defining function looms as an irony before the underpinnings that led to human rights universal inception in 1948.It was the moral revulsion against the legalized terror of Nazi state that necessitated the invoking of medieval natural rights and thus, to frame UDHR. However, this has not led not to a recognition for the authority of non state laws, But to a formation of human rights laws that must ultimately depend on recognition by states. Moreover the popular convention that dignity of human being is not violated as a result of any genre of military actions or market restrictions perpetrated from powers beyond the state jeopardize the very notion of human rights. For instance, the dominant global order never take into account the human rights violations perpetrated through financial pressures by World Bank and IMF , leading to economic decadence of a large number of south Asian countries apart from the compromise of certain human rights. Here, the cruelties the individuals suffer as human and as citizens of particular state are separately dealt with. Since natural rights relates only with a state nature, these are often not applicable for members of political society, or citizens of modern state as in modern perception. These disillusionments and reservations in the secular modern human rights and state as its harbinger denotes neither our antagonism nor our intolerance in being a part of this persisting world order. Neither is it extreme fanatic tendency considering modem state and parallel secular constructs as Darul Harb (abode of war) for Muslims and jihad as the only response. Rather we seek a lieu to this retrogressive secular human rights from within the system itself. In addition, those dogmatic affirmation like those of Jack Donnelly that imbibing non western elements into the paradigm of human rights would further undermine it and that, oriental practices have a complete vacuum of any attempts at human rights formation, need to be problematized. This perception regards that human rights are alien to east and that it have always remained as a secular solution to a set of secular problems. However, a cast into the oriental tapestry unambiguously shows that those human rights were better protected through distinct theoretical frameworks other than the western oriented. Moreover, in the postmodern social milieu devoid of absolute truth, mirroring this as a logical necessity for even the people of alien culture brings forth an interesting paradox. What can be concluded is not that the culture and religion are immune from any critique , but rather than the liberal appeal to reinterpret fundamental principles of those like Islam in line with western human rights parameters, the self sustainability of various societies need to be recognized and their comprehensiveness mattered. Islam for instance has projected a comprehensive and coherent outline for human rights theory and had profoundly pragmatized them fully during the region of four Khalifas and Prophet PBUH himself. In seeking a lieu to modern concocted parameters of human rights, these rich flavours and experiences need to be fruitfully employed rather than the other way round. M Abdul Fathah is a research intern at Madeenathunnoor college of Islamic science, Calicut, Kerala. He is currently pursuing graduation from University of Calicut . His areas of interest includes Indian Muslims, Transnational Islam, Subaltern studies, Anthropology etc. He has presented two academic research papers at Markaz Knowledge City and Darul Huda Islamic University.He has penned articles in English and Malayalam portals such as Cafe Dissensus New York, The Companion, Risala Weekly, Tibaq.in, WFP.etc. He could be contacted through [email protected] As India does well in its Ease of Doing Business rankings, a comparison with the evolving business environment in Asia, China in particular, must propel it to promote reforms across the country rather than confine it to commercial hubs, writes B Shruti Rao The news of Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) to brainstorm on breaking into the top 50 rankings of World Banks Ease of Doing Business (EODB) report comes at an interesting time. Within months of assuming power in 2014, the Prime Minister had announced his Governments resolve to improve Indias EODB ranking. Over the years, both the Finance and Commerce Ministers have reiterated the Governments commitment towards the same, and not without results. As India vies for the top spot in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) confidence index in light of the US-China trade war, a comparison between the evolving business environment of Asias largest economies becomes inevitable. The sharp rise in the Ease of Doing Business rankings of these two Asian behemoths comes after a long period of stagnation and can be credited to the persistent focus on improving the regulatory environment of the economies under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Consequently, in the 2018 Ease of Doing Business World Bank report, India jumped 23 notches to rank 77 from its earlier 100th position. China jumped a staggering 32 notches to rank 46 from its earlier 78th position. The hike became even more striking as both countries had stagnated in the rankings for much of the last decade before new leaders took over the helm. India rose by 65 counts under Prime Minister Modi and China by 53 under President Xi. In this years assessment, China is the second top improver (after Djibouti) while India is the only economy (along with Djibouti) to make it to the list of top 10 improvers for a second consecutive year. One might critique the Prime Minister for showing excessive interest in this rather straightforward metric, but addressing administrative hurdles and red-tapism affecting businesses lead to corresponding benefits to other aspects of the economy as well. Nobel economics laureate Robert Lucas had once quoted: Once one starts thinking about actions to accelerate economic growth, it is hard to think about anything else. This powerful observation aptly explains the Prime Ministers focus on improving the EODB ranking. The improvement is not only a harbinger of increasing FDI, but there also exists a strong correlation between the rankings and the GDP per capita income of nations. To highlight this link, consider a research published in The Wall Street Journal by John Cochrane. It was seen the higher a countrys Distance to Frontier Ease of Doing Business score, the higher was its per capita income. The Central African Republic scored a dismal 33 and had an annual per capita income of just $328. Other scores were: India (50.3, $1,455), China (61, $7,000) and the US (82, $53,000). A comparison on Doing Business parameters: India leads China only under two heads: Getting credit and protecting minority investors. On the other hand, China leads in the rest eight. Thanks to SEBIs initiatives and the Companies Act clauses on disclosure of dividend distribution policy, mandatory audit committee approval before related party transactions and increased redressal avenues, India has a near perfect score in protecting minority investors and is ranked seventh. The establishment of debt recovery tribunals reduced non-performing loans by 28 per cent and lowered rates on larger loans. Faster processing of debt recovery cases has cut the cost of credit. This year in starting a business, China improved its ranking by almost 100 spots and is now ranked 28 while India, with its cumbersome incorporation norms, holds the 137th position. It has much to learn from Chinas One Window, One Form and five-in-one business license reforms that have reduced the duration for registering a business from 22.9 to nine days. In enforcing contracts, while China is ranked sixth, India at 163, occupies a spot in the bottom 15 per cent of the countries. Only an overhaul of Indias complex judiciary processes and contract laws can elevate it from the bottom of the pile. In getting electricity, China has jumped from rank 98 to 14 in a year by introducing a mobile application for customers to obtain connections and resolve connectivity issues. India can incorporate similar reforms under the umbrella of its digitalisation drive. Indias worst performance is in the metric of registering property, wherein China is ranked 27th and India 166th. Focussed reforms to improve transparency of information and reliability of infrastructure are a must. Indias most significant jump was in dealing with construction permits (from rank 181 to 52). For obtaining building permit, India implemented the Single Window Clearance System in Delhi and the Online Building Permit Approval System in Mumbai. Ease of Doing Business ranking has proved to be an impetus for India to compete for a more efficient regulation. Although the parameters considered in the ranking are necessary, they cannot be considered as sufficient drivers of economic growth. Macro-economic conditions, like cost of labour and capital, and socio-economic factors, like political stability, must also be considered. The World Bank report is not a portrayal of the national business environment of the countries as it looks only at domestic small and medium size enterprises in the largest business cities. The interpretation and implementation of policies across the nation can vary widely. An exemplar for India can be Chinas approach to emulate the success of its Shanghai City Councils Action Plan for EODB across the country. Reforms undertaken in Delhi and Mumbai should be promoted nationally. Till then, the Elephant must keep its steady pace to catch up with the slithering Dragon. (The writer is Research Fellow, India Foundation) SChief Minister in Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday reiterated that his party will again form the Government with a clear majority. He was talking to media persons, after talking to his party candidates through Audio Bridge from the State BJP Headquarters. State BJP president Rakesh Singh was also accompanied Chouhan during discussions. Chouhan, who is the Chief Minister in the State since 2005, also attacked the Congress party as he said that the grand old party is busy in exploring the name it will blame for its debacle when the results are announced on December 11. The BJP is going to form the government again, he said, adding that state BJP chief is holding discussions with partys district presidents and in-charges. He also asked BJP workers to stay calm but be alert. Congress is distressed. Like they first raised suspicion on EVMs and doubted the Election Commission, they will try to create obstacles at the time of counting too, he said. Notably, polling in Madhya Pradesh was held in a single phase on November 28 across all 230 assembly seats. According to the Election Commission, counting of votes will begin at 8 am on December 11 in all 51 districts of the state. Several exit polls have predicted a victory for the Congress in Madhya Pradesh where the BJP is in power since 2003. According to ABP News-Lokniti CSDS exit poll, the Congress is likely to get 126 seats against BJPs 94 seat. India Today-My Axis poll too predicted a win for Congress with 104-122 seats. It said that BJP will get 102-120 seats. The exit poll conducted by C-Voter predicted that the Congress will win 110 to 126 seats as against the BJPs 90- 106 seats. However, Times Now-CNX poll predicted the fourth term for BJP in MP with 126 seats and 89 seats for Congress. Army jawan Jitendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji, arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of a police inspector during mob violence in Bulandshahr last Monday, was sent to jail on 14 days judicial custody on Sunday. Meanwhile, the UP government removed an additional superintendent of police in Bulandshahr, the fourth police officer to be shunted out in the last two days. Director General of Police OP Singh said the situation in the district was peaceful now. Peaceful atmosphere prevails in Bulandshahr. Law and order is good, he told reporters in Shirdi. Jeetu Fauji was handed over to Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force in Meerut on Saturday night after his detention in Jammu and Kashmir by 22 Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore town. He was taken to the district hospital for medical examination and later produced before the magistrate who sent him to jail for 14 days. Sources in the STF said that the army man would be taken on police remand for further interrogation. The Army man was interrogated by the crime branch during the day and also questioned by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the UP government to probe the incident Sources disclosed that Jeetu Fauji admitted that he was present at the spot of the violence on the fateful day but denied that he had opened fire and killed Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh. Brother of the army man, Dharmendra, has rubbished the police claim that Jeetu was involved in the killing. Jeetu Faujis wife Priyanka has also claimed that her husband was with her in the market at the time of the incident. Jitendra Malik accepted that he was there when the crowd started gathering at the spot. Prima facie, it has been found true. It has not yet been ascertained if he is the one who shot the Inspector or Sumit. He said he went there with villagers, but denied pelting stones at police. Forensic examination of his mobile phone will be done, the police said. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 20-year-old Sumit were killed, when a mob attacked policemen after cattle carcasses were found in the fields on December 3. A total of nine people have already been arrested in the case. Earlier in the day, the UP government transferred Raees Akhtar, who was posted as ASP (Rural) in Bulandshahr, six days after two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter incident. In a statement issued here, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said Akhtar had been transferred to PAC Headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra, posted as ASP at modern control room, in Ghaziabad, has been made the new ASP (Rural) of Bulandshahr. On Saturday, the government had transferred Bulandshahrs SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh and attached him to the DGP office in Lucknow. He was replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. A day earlier, Circle Officer of Syana police area Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police outpost in-charge Suresh Kumar were also shifted. The officers were shifted on the basis of ADG (Intelligence) SB Shirodkars report, which reportedly mentioned that had the cops acted promptly, the untoward incident could have been averted. An inter-ministerial central team to assess drought condition has come to conclusion that crop damage is extensive in Jharkhand necessitating the start of relief measures for farmers. The team led by joint secretary union agriculture department Aatish Chandra visited 42 villages in 20 blocks of seven districts in state during their three-day review of the drought condition in state. The team wanted to verify the memorandum of demands raised by state government by studying the situation at the ground level. In a meeting held with senior government officials including the chief secretary Sudhir Tripahti on Sunday the central team demanded more documents related to drought from state government. The state government assured that the papers would be provided within two days. We have to look into the issues according to norms of NDRF. We would study the documents of state government and submit the report within 10 days, a central team officer stated. The central team has admitted that crop damage is extensive and that drought relief needed to be given to the state, said the CS. He added state governments demands were based on two planks including providing immediate relief to affected people and taking steps to prevent recurrence of the situation again. It may be stated here that state government has demanded a sum of Rs 818 crore as drought relief measures from centre. During an interaction with the central team before its field visit the state officials stated that among the worst affected districts were Koderma, Giridih, Palamau, Garhwa, Pakud, Godda and Dumka. The officials said processes of Drought Manual 2016 was adopted while declaring 129 blocks of 18 districts as drought-prone. Out of 129, 93 blocks have been badly affected and 36 have been affected moderately. Jharkhand Congress president Ajoy Kumar landed himself in a quandary when he leveled a charge that partys nominee at Kolebira bypoll Naman Bixal Kongari was receiving threats from Jharkhand Party former MLA and jailed leader Enos Ekka. However Konagri outrightly denied the claims putting his party chief in an embarrassing situation. Ajoy Kumar, also a former supercop, calling a press conference on Sunday claimed before the media that the party candidate and workers were under threat coming from the former MLA who is serving life sentence in a murder case after being unseated by the court. We are getting feedbacks and complaints that murder convict former Jharkhand Party MLA Enos Ekka is issuing threats to them and our candidate right from jail over phone so that people of the constituency do not come in support of the party. A delegation of the Congress party would lodge complaint about this to the Election Commission tomorrow and if nothing happens we would report the matter to the Election Commission of India in Delhi, said the PCC chief. He went on alleging BJPs hand behind all this and even charged the Jharkhand Party of being a B team of it. Jharkhand Partys control room for Kolebira is being run from Ranchi jail under the patronage of the State Government. Enos Ekka is getting all the facilities inside his cell. This is threat to a democracy. The Congress demands shifting Enos Ekka to jail situated outside the State to ensure free and fair election in the State, Ajoy Kumar alleged. Moreover, when asked about the alleged threat, Kongari denied having got any. I have not received any threat the party chief is talking about. I am not able to say anything about his statements, said the Congress candidate to The Pioneer over phone. He though added that the former MLA and Minister Ekka and his wife Menon Ekka, who is a candidate from the seat and have secured support of the leading Opposition party JMM, were indeed using money power to influence voters. They have been in power and are using that clout to influence the bypoll. But I am confident about my win because they have not been able to address issues of jal, jungle and zameen for the people of the area which are their mainstay for generations, added Kongari. Ajoy Kumar though maintained silence over JMMs support extended to Menon Ekka while slamming Jharkhand Party. The byelection is the result of the conviction happened in a murder case of a para teacher. Still Jharkhand Party made corrupt Menon Ekka a candidate, said Ajoy Kumar. Also present there were PCC spokespersons Alok Dubey, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, Lal Kishore Nath Sahadeo and Rajesh Thakur. The Election Commission of India had given special facilities to the disabled to join the voting process in the recently concluded Assembly elections -2018 in Madhya Pradesh. Its effect was that the people of the state voted without any inconvenience. Visually impaired voter Rani Patel of Jabalpur is delighted to vote for the first time with the help of Braille script guide. She says that she has voted several times but Braille script guide was made available to her for the first time which she found to be very useful in making voting easier for her. Rani Patel, a student said that after voting she felt that she too was a responsible citizen of the country. Voting is also a medium of service to the country. She also lauded the Election Commission for making voting so easy for the disabled voters. Disabled voter Sushri Patel voted in the polling station no. 195 of Jabalpur North Vidhan Sabha constituency. After casting his vote in Jabalpur West polling station no. 187, visually impaired voter Anil Kumar Saket, said that he was proud that he had voted for the first time for Madhya Pradesh elections. He thanked the Election Commission of India for the facility of voter number, room number and other information and guidance through Braille script.Balbhavan Girish Billore, Director in Women and Child Development Department, who suffers from polio, says that the decision taken by the Election Commission to facilitate disabled voters in the Vidhan Sabha Elections -2018 is undoubtedly praiseworthy. Billore said that he has also undertaken the responsibility of election work. He was entrusted the responsibility in media certification and monitoring section. Disabled voter Billore said that he was given a warm welcome by BLO Upadhaya as soon he reached the polling centre. Amid threats of terror acts during the Kumbh Mela commencing from January 15, 2019 in the Sangam city, the Anti-Terrorists Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police has deployed its sleuths in the mela area a month before the start of the mega event. A team of National Security Guards (NSG) will also camp permanently in the Kumbh Mela area to assist the ATS in case of any need. A mock drill was held in the Mela area on Saturday after which the ATS took over the reins of security of the Kumbh Mela area, spread over 3,200 hectares on the banks of rivers Ganga and Yamuna. The Mela area has been divided into 20 sectors. Inspector General (ATS) Aseem Arun said in Lucknow on Sunday that all arrangements had been made for foolproof security of the Kumbh Mela area. He said all the 40 police stations in the city and Mela area had been connected with Quick Response Teams (QRT) while the ATS field units had been made active. We will provide motorcycles to the ATS teams and the two Special Police Operation Teams (SPOT) for faster movement in the Mela area, he said. The security officials are also arranging a chopper, either from the Indian Air Force or the Border Security Force, and it will be stationed near the Mela area for use in any emergency. The intelligence sleuths suspect that terrorists can create disturbances during the Kumbh. These suspected terrorists are either from the city or have good knowledge of the topography of the city and the Mela area. According to reports, the ATS and other security teams will be stationed in the Kumbh Mela area till March 5, 2019. The Kumbh Mela starts from January 15, 2019 on Makar Sankranti with the first Shahi Snan. Retired cop found hanging in Nabarangpur Nabarangpur: A body of a retired police Sub-Inspector was found hanging in Nabarangpur town on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Premchand Bag (62). His body was spotted being hung from a tree with a plastic rope near the Public Works Departments Inspection Bungalow. Police seized the body for postmortem and started investigation into the incident. Though it was suspected that Bag committed suicide, the reason behind his extreme step was yet to be ascertained. Raghunath School celebrates golden jubilee Paradip: The Raghunath Nodal High School in Kothi village celebrated its golden jubilee here on Saturday. Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal attended as chief guest and unveiled the statue of Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das. He also released school souvenir and felicitated students for good performance. Among others, MP Dr Kulamani Samal and MLA Dr Damodar Rout, school Headmaster AK Samantaray and Old Boys Association secretary Major K Sutar were present. MCL bags 2 prizes at PRSI National Awards Sambalpur: The Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) won two prizes at the PRSI National Awards 2018. Uttrakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat awarded at the inaugural session of the 40th All India Public Relations Conference in Dehradun on Saturday. The MCL was also adjudged the Best Public Sector Organisation. A corporate film titled A Growing Coal Giant!, which was produced in-house by the MCL Public Relations Department was adjudged for bronze prize in the corporate film (Hindi) category. Aditya Birla Public School celebrates annual day Bhubaneswar: The Aditya Birla Public School UAIL Campus, Rayagada celebrated its 4th annual day with theme Incredible India at the school premises on Sunday. UAIL Doraguda president and unit head N Nagesh, Utkalina Ladies Club president N Srilakshmi and Cluster HR head Jasbir Singh attended as guests. School Principal LN Dash presented the annual report was followed by performances by students visualising the cultural ethos of India, its impeccable legacy of history and its enviable repertoire of awesome geographical diversity. The guests released the 4th issue of school magazine, Arunodaya, felicitated 11 students for attaining 100% attendance. IFFCO gets FAI Environment Protection AwarD Paradip: The IFFCO Paradeep Unit was awarded with the FAI Environment Protection Award in the category of NP/NPK Fertiliser Plants with Captive acid for the year 2017-18 at seminar of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) held in New Delhi. IFFCO Paradeep Unit Head Ashish Kumar Panda received the award from Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Sadananda Gowda and Union Minister of State, Fertilisers Rao Inderjit Singh. The unit was awarded for its continuous endeavour towards protection of environment in all its operations and processes. Governor inaugurates Royal Fables Chd Chandigarh: Royal Fables, a heritage platform that promotes regal, royal India in all its glory held its first exposition in Chandigarh in association with Kanjimull & Sons by Gaurav Khanna at Taj Chandigarh, with a formal inauguration by VP Singh Badnore, Punjab Governor. 17 royal exhibitors presented art, fashion, textiles and art objects made in leading palace studios across the nation. Anshu Khanna, Founder, Royal Fables said, Governor Punjab, himself a Rajput from the royal family of Badnore, understands the importance of nurturing our heritage and we feel blessed that he inaugurated the show. PGIMER dean honoured Chandigarh: PGIMER Dean Prof Rajesh Kumar has been conferred Honorary Professorship by London School of Hygeine & Tropical Medicine, UK - a top global public health institution. Prof Kumar has made immense contribution to the field of community medicine. Earlier, he has been bestowed with British Council Award for Epidemiology, Sri Ram Memorial Award for Community Health Research, and Fellowship of National Academy of Medical Sciences, Indian Council of Medical Research. He was also honored with Dr M K Sheshadari Gold Medal for Practice of Community Medicine, and Government of Australia conferred Endeavour Executive Award on him. Anumit Hira Sodhi cuts largest birthday cake Chandigarh: Member of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Anumit Hira Sodhi honoured Sonia Gandhi, the former President of Indian National Congress by cutting India's largest birthday cake on December 9. The cake weighed 71kg and was cut by Anumit at Student Centre, Panjab University. Getting inspired by the footprints of the former leader, Sonia Gandhi and in order to pay her the due respect, Anumit engaged himself in cutting the largest birthday cake on her behalf. The cake was cut in the presence of thousands of other Youth Congress office bearers and Congress activists who came in support of Anumit and to pay their regards to the former Congress chief. PSHRC to observe human rights day today Chandigarh: The Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) will organize a function in its office at Chandigarh to mark Human Rights Day on December 10. On the occasion, PSHRC chairperson and Patna High Courts former Chief Justice Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari will address the gathering of its officers and staff. Human Rights Day is celebrated on December 10 every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948 as the shared standard yardstick to protect human rights across the globe. app for healthcare professionals launched Chandigarh: Shire India, a leading global biotechnology company focused on serving people with rare diseases, on Sunday announced the availability of DosEdge a new free mobile app to aid healthcare professionals in determining appropriate dosage of anti-haemophilic factor or drug. Currently, healthcare professionals manually calculate factor dosage and frequency use variables like severity level, bleeding spot, patients body weight, and treatment type prophylactic or on-demand. Missing any of the parameters may lead to sub-optimal treatment. City-based NGO hails Health Ministry Chandigarh: Consumer Voice and Citizens Awareness Group have applauded the decision by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to declare government offices and buildings Tobacco Free. In a recent letter written by Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan to the Chief Secretaries of all State & Union Territories, Sudan has asked the authorities to make government buildings/offices tobacco free in order to protect public health in their specific states. Ashim Sanyal, COO, Consumer VOICE stated India is the third largest tobacco producing nation and second largest consumer of tobacco world-wide. The decision will protect people from the menace of tobacco. Surinder Verma Chairman Citizens Awareness Group also hailed the decision. Author Brijesh Luthra debuts with a sci-fi book Chandigarh: Launching his debut work of fiction, first time author Brijesh Luthra, a Zurich based professional is stepping into the fascinating world of childrens literature with a science fiction / humour book series describing the adventures of a ten-and-a-half-year-old boy, who likes to go by the name Ziptuxand his friend Dibbly, the most advanced robot in the universe. An ex-banker, consulting professional, coach of the Swiss national U-15 cricket team and an avid writer, Brijesh has taken a sabbatical from his mainstream career to focus on writing, and the first book of the series is being published in India by Crossword book store. The book launch is envisaged as a crisp evening dedicated to adventure, creativity, unique friendships and a quest to re-establish the position of books as a childs best friend. TCN News: Kausalya whose husband Shankar was brutally murdered in a honour killing by her own family in 2016 re- married Sakthi in a self-respect wedding ceremony at Coimbatore. Ever since her husband Shankar was killed for being a Dalit, Kausalya has been actively crusading against honour killings. The court sentenced her father and other family members, who were involved in getting her husband hacked to death were convicted and awarded death sentence and Kausalya had welcomed the court sentence further enraging people of thevar clan to which Kausalya belongs. Support TwoCircles After overcoming depression during which period Kausalya had also attempted suicide, she took to activism fighting against the caste hate killings and also teaching Parai to the children of the village in Coimbatore to which her late husband Shankar belonged. Kausalya and Sakthi, a Parai artist, also from the thevar clan, after their self-respect marriage ceremony a marriage which is solemnised without any priests or any rituals took a pledge to continue fighting against caste system. Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav will join the Congress and other opposition parties in the December 10 meeting called by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to chalk out a common strategy to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. I will attend the all-party meet in Delhi, it is important that I should go and attend it, Yadav said at the rally organised by his younger brother Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is president of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia). The Bharatiya Janata Party has already dismissed the meeting of the opposition parties on the eve of Parliament session beginning from December 11 as a coalition of rivals. The BJP also poked fun at the meeting, saying the traditional meeting of the opposition on the eve of every Parliament session is being projected as opposition conclave. Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejrival is also likely to attend the meeting in Delhi. It will be the first time that AAP will attend such a formal meeting of opposition parties, although its leaders have participated in protests such as the Bharat Bandh called by Congress on September 10 against rising fuel prices. Initially scheduled to be held in November, the opposition meeting was delayed due to the assembly polls in five states that are seen as a semifinal for the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu has been spearheading an effort to bring together major regional parties to put up a common front against the BJP in 2019. No confirmation is available yet about the participation of Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati or any of her party colleagues in the meeting. Earlier, Naidu had said he would speak to Mayawati, who has indicated that she would not be a part of their alliance. Those opposing the BJP, those who want to save this nation, will work together, he said. The Congress failure to tie up with the BSP in the poll-bound states, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, is seen as a setback to the efforts for forging an anti-BJP alliance. Along with Naidu, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is also involved in efforts to resolve differences between the Congress and its rival political parties to ensure that a broad-based alliance is firmed up to take on the BJP in the 2019 elections. It was a proud moment for the nine private English medium schools in the City when they received the International School Award (ISA) by British Council for the year 2018-21. In an award function organised by the British Council in New Delhi, school principals and teachers received the three-year accreditation. Schools from Jamshedpur that have received the accreditation are Little Flower School, Jusco School South Park, Kasidih High School, DBMS Kadma High School, ADLS Sunshine School, J.H. Tarapore School, Dayanand Public School, Kerala Public School, Kadma and a primary school Baug-E-Jamsheed School. "It is indeed a great achievement for us. This will also help us to get global recognition. The comprehensive effort made by the school administration, teaching and non-teaching staffs and the students resulted in winning this recognition," said official of one of the winning schools. Called British Council International School Award (ISA), the accreditation scheme recognises and celebrates exemplary practices of internationalism in schools. It provides a framework for cradles to develop an action plan and implement international activities round the year. It also urges schools to innovate with overseas schools on creative teaching practices and real-time global learning. The schools have worked on various projects that was designed for each class. Right from food, costumes, dolls, environment, handicrafts, geography, education system, school students guided by their teacher co-ordinators got involved in a number of fun filled activities while applying for the programme. Officials from British Council informed that a total of 40 schools have been so far accreditated in Jharkhand with ISA accreditation so far. ISA was introduced in India in the year 2003 and nearly 2500 schools across the country have joined this exciting journey since then. The range of schools participating in the International School Award varies from the well-resourced private schools to government schools from rural areas and schools for the less advantaged communities. The International School Award now has a presence in 31 countries worldwide. Key benefits of getting the International School Award: It has a positive impact on not just the students, but also the teachers and school in entirety.It is a leadership challenge and fosters team building, innovation, and project management. The International School Award provides a supportive and motivational framework to guide your international learning activities and helps you gain recognition for your ongoing international work. It can support schools at any stage of their international journey and can be adapted to any curriculum, said an official. The Uttar Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party will organise several programmes on the 94th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25. The main function will be held in Lucknow and it will be attended by BJP president Amit Shah. According to sources, Shah along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is expected to launch several welfare schemes in the name of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee. This will be the first birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister who died on August 16 this year. Sources in the BJP here said on Sunday that Shah was likely to attend the function on the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The function could be either held on the eve of December 24 or on December 25, the source added. Sant Siddh Bhau met the patients admitted in the hospital for their surgeries and inquired about their well-being in 93rd Free Urology Camp here in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Sant Siddh Bhau said that due to the lack of specialised medical facilities and resources, these poor patients are deprived of the proper treatment. He re-iterated that almighty God himself have sent the surgeons and trained paramedical staff to relieve them from the agony of the diseases. Siddh Bhau enquired about well- being of the operated patients also. He expected from duty Doctors, paramedical staff and volunteers to behave politely and sympathetically with the patients. Earlier, he went to the operation theatre and met the operating surgeons and took an account of ongoing surgeries. On this occasion Hongkong based Philanthropist couple Reeta and kan Lakhani, Trustees LC Janiyani, Mahesh Dayaramani, Hero Gyanchandani were also present. It is learnt that total 514 patients have registered their names for treatment. After their preliminary investigations, about 85 patients were identified for their uro surgeries. Efforts are being made to perform all surgeries before and upto December 10th, 2018. America based urology specialists Dr Gopal Badlani, and Anaesthesia specialist Dr Radha Sukhani, Delhi based Dr Prashant Jain, Ahmedabad based Dr Darshan Shah, Dr Dhruti Kalsaria, and Radiology specialist Dr Deepak Jhangiyani from Mumbai Anesthetist Dr Deepak Jain, and Dr Ajay Raghuwanshi Urologist Dr CP Dewani, and Dr Sudhir Lokwani of Bhopal, Dr Rajendra Punjabi of Indore and Dr Jitendra Amlani of Rajkot have also rendered their services in the camp. Physician Dr Naresh Himthani of Apollo Ahmadabad have taken the responsibility of the post operative care of the operated patients. Supreme Court Judge Justice AM Khanwilkar on Sunday proposed for identifying and developing software to enhance artificial intelligence for better court management. Justice Khanwilkar, speaking during the concluding day of the second national conference of Computer Committees of High Courts, however, advocated that technology is not panacea for speedy justice and is only a facilitator or enabler, which can be used for value addition of the Court management activity. At the same time, highlighting the unique initiatives taken by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in leading e-Awareness campaign, Chief Justice Krishna Murari has made special mention of involving State Legal Services Authorities in spreading e-Awareness at grass root level through para-legal volunteers. In a unique initiative, High Court of Punjab and Haryana has also engaged Law Universities and Law Colleges in e-Awareness campaign. They have been requested to provide link of websites of Courts on their websites for the benefit of students, he said. Several Judges, representing various High Courts, also shared best practices and use of software applications in their respective High Courts, besides deliberating upon new initiatives being taken and future IT projects for the benefit of litigants, lawyers and other stakeholders in the justice delivery system. Challenges, being faced by various High Courts, in migration from CIS 1.0 to CIS 3.0 were also discussed. In the interactive session, the participating Judges suggested for inviting experts from IITs and IIMs for seeking solutions to the technical and management issues. There was also suggestion for inviting officials from government organizations like ISRO to discuss feasibility of making use of satellite technology in place of use of optical fibre for connectivity. Making the concluding remarks, Punjab and Haryana High Courts computer committee chairman Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan said that the Conference has achieved its initial purpose of bringing together all the stakeholders in implementation of e-Courts Projects as the participants have been informed regarding developments being made by the Supreme Courts e-Committee. At the same time, the e-Committee, through its members, has been apprised of the challenges being faced by various High Courts in implementing e-Courts Projects, he said. Journalist, lawyer and social activist Debdas Kundu was remembered on his 6th death anniversary, December 8. The day was observed at the Handicap Welfare Institute here along with the disabled students. Speakers remembered Kundus attitude to help others. Kundu was upright, and advocated for truths even if they were bitter. He was extending possible help to the distressed and needy during his lifetime, the speakers said. Social activist and monthly feature magazine Rebati- Ama Matira Swara Subasini Jena, attending the meeting as chief guest, another social activist Gopamudra Mohapatra and senior journalist Ratikanta Patra recalled Kundus noble activities at the commemoration meeting, which was presided over by Senior Citizen Forum secretary Laxmidhar Behera. Several others from various walks of life including Gangadhar Rout, Bhubananda Das too spoke about the personality and deeds of Kundu. Ubachak Mohanty coordinated the event. Exhorting people from Ghazipur to visit their villages at least once in a year, Minister of State for Railway, Manoj Sinha, said that the time had come to think about the village and city where one was born and the place which gave an identity of which one was proud of. Speaking at a seminar, Ghazipur Samagam, here on Sunday, Sinha said that the people who belonged to Ghazipur should develop a community feeling which could help in extending bonhomie among the people of this region. The people who can afford should donate to improve infrastructure in schools because this is the place which builds character in a child, he said. Sinha said in the last four years, infrastructure in Ghazipur had improved. He said the city would be connected through air with New Delhi and Lucknow very soon. Ghazipur is now connected with all the major cities of the country. By 2022, Ghazipur will be connected with Mau through rail line, Sinha, who is MP from Ghazipur, said. Elaborating on the achievements of the Narendra Modi government, he said the Union government opened Jan Dhan accounts and gave free LPG connections to eight crore below poverty line (BPL families) across the country. This is the first government in the country which is working for the welfare of villagers and villages, he said. At present, we are the sixth largest economy of the world and very soon we will be fifth largest economy because the way we are progressing, no one can stop our march, he said. Later, talking to reporters, Sinha said that Ram temple would be constructed at Ayodhya. He said there were only two options one through judicial intervention and second by mutual consent. Everyone in India wants Ram temple at Ayodhya and it will be constructed soon, he added. When asked about Bharatiya Janata Partys prospect in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where exit polls have projected a loss for the party, Sinha said the results would be in favour of the BJP. The credibility of exit polls is always doubtful, he added. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ghazipur on December 29 and lay foundation stone of a medical college there. He is expected to address a rally of Rajbhar community there. The Prime Minister will be visiting Ghazipur after a gap of two years. He last came to Ghazipur on November 14, 2016, when he announced several projects mostly of the Railways. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday held wide-ranging talks with her counterpart from Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson on ways to deepen bilateral ties in areas of trade, investment and energy. Thordarson arrived here Friday on board the inaugural flight between New Delhi and Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. At the meeting, Swaraj said Iceland is a world leader in geothermal energy and cooperation in this sector could benefit India's transition to greener energy mix and help it in achieving ambitious renewable energy targets, according to MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. "EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Iceland Foreign Minister @GudlaugurThor discussed enhancing cooperation in trade & investment, renewable energy, specially geothermal energy, blue economy with a focus on fisheries, tourism and culture at the delegation-level talks," he tweeted. India's ties with Iceland have witnessed steady progress in the last few years. Iceland was the first Nordic country to publicly extend support to India's candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. It was one of the countries co-sponsoring India's resolution at the UN to declare June 21 as the "International Day of Yoga". The Army jawan arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of a police inspector during mob violence in Bulandshahr was on Sunday sent to 14 days' jail, even as the UP government moved out an additional superintendent of police, the fourth police official to be shunted out in the last two days. Uttar Pradesh DGP O P Singh said that the situation in the district was peaceful now. "Peaceful atmosphere prevails in Bulandshahr. Law and order is good," he told reporters in Shirdi. The Army handed over the suspect, Jitendra Malik, to UP Special Task Force team in Meerut late Saturday night, officials said. Malik was interrogated by the crime branch during the day and also questioned by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the incident, the city Superintendent of Police (Crime) said. Earlier in the day, the UP government transferred Raees Akhtar, who was posted as additional superintendent of police (rural) in Bulandshahr, six days after two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter incident. In a statement issued here, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said Akhtar has been transferred to PAC Headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra, posted as additional superintendent of police at modern control room, Ghaziabad, has been made the new ASP (rural) of Bulandshahr. Malik, suspected to be involved in the killing of the inspector, was taken to the district hospital for a medical examination and later produced before the magistrate, who sent him to prison for two weeks, the SP said. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Singh and his team had gone to the area to tackle the violence when they came under attack by the mob. On Saturday, the UP government transferred Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh to the DGP office in Lucknow. Kumar had said the senior superintendent of police will be replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. The government has transferred two other policemen of Bulandshahr district Circle Officer of Syana area Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police chowki in-charge Suresh Kumar. Additional Director General, Intelligence, SB Shiradkar submitted a report on the violence Friday. The transfers are understood to be in line with the findings of the report on police handling of the situation. Inspector Singh, who died in the mob violence, was the investigating officer of the Dadri lynching case from September 28, 2015 to November 9, 2015. However, the chargesheet was filed by a different IO in March, 2016. Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. In a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Raj had claimed innocence. Another inquiry by a government-constituted SIT is underway, and the team is going into the details and video footage of the incident, an official said. Also, a magisterial probe has been ordered by the government. The Uttar Pradesh government has been severely criticised by opposition leaders over law and order and for its handling of the situation after the violence. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the violence in Bulandshahr was an "accident" and there did not happen any incident of mob lynching in his state. He, however, assured that no one responsible for the violence will be spared. The Congress has slammed Adityanath's downplaying of the severity of an incident of mob violence and said he has attempted to "derail" the probe in the case. Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat Saturday said the international community knew about the role of Pakistani terrorists in the Mumbai terror attack and that India did not want anyone's acknowledgement about it. The Army chief's comments came when asked about reported remarks of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that the 2008 Mumbai attack was "an act of terrorism" and that resolving the case was in Pakistan's interest. Khan's comments during a media interview was seen as an indirect acknowledgement of involvement of Pakistani terrorists in the attack. "International community knows who did it...But even without it, we knew who did it," Gen. Rawat said on the sidelines of an event when asked about Khan's reported comments. The Army chief, however, said acceptance by Pakistan about the 26/11 terror attack was good. He further said, "We know who did it. I don't think we have to get anymore statement from anybody." Asked about comments by former Northern Army Commander Lt General (retd) D S Hooda that the "hype" around the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launchpads along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir was unwarranted and that it is not good when military operations get politicised, Gen Rawat said the remarks were an individual's opinion. At the same time, Gen Rawat said, he respected Lt Gen (retd) Hooda's words. As Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen (retd) Hooda was involved in planning and execution of the surgical strikes. Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav hit out at the BJP Sunday, saying the saffron party had "weakened" the country and it wanted to "instigate riots" for political gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' here, the first such event by the PSPL after its formation this October, Shivpal Yadav said, "The BJP has weakened the country. We will oust the BJP from power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh... We want peace and brotherhood, the communal people want to instigate riots." Adding an element of surprise to the Sunday gathering was the presence of SP patriarch and Shivpal Yadav's elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav, who attended the rally barely two days after sharing the stage with his son and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Firozabad. Mulayam Singh Yadav, while addressing the gathering, started speaking about the SP rather than the PSPL, causing embarrassment to Shivpal Yadav. "The SP carries everyone along with it, treats all human beings as equal irrespective of their caste and religion, so make the SP stronger," he said, leaving Shivpal Yadav nonplussed. Mulayam Singh Yadav stopped referring to the SP only after the PSPL chief nudged him. The SP founder's younger daughter-in-law, Aparna Yadav, also took everyone by surprise by attending the rally. Continuing with his attack on the ruling party, Shivpal Yadav said, "The then BJP government (in UP) had submitted an affidavit assuring security (of the Babri mosque). But, despite the affidavit, the Babri mosque was demolished. They want to spread the same fire in the country." "In the Dharam Sabha, which was held in Ayodhya on November 25, there were efforts to vitiate the atmosphere, and the workers of PSPL came out on the streets so that no riots take place in Ayodhya," the PSPL chief said. "The need is to remove the current government, which is dishonest, useless and false. I and 'netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav) are with the Muslims," he said. Shivpal Yadav said there should not be any temple on the disputed land and added that the Supreme Court order on the matter should not be defied. "If the temple is to be built, then a piece of land can be searched on the banks of the Saryu river. There is no dearth of land for the government," he said. Shivpal Yadav alleged that there is corruption across varied sectors and departments in Uttar Pradesh. "(Narendra) Modi ji might go on telling about his 56-inch chest, but there isn't any strength in it to combat corruption. Tall promises of the chowkidar of eradicating corruption have been just like a disaster in UP," he alleged. Shivpal, whose speech was punctuated with slogans from the crowd applauding him, assured the gathering that his party will make all efforts to provide jobs to the youth. On the day Shivpal Yadav floated his new outfit, Mulayam Singh Yadav had visited the PSPL office here and hours later dropped in at the SP headquarters for a chat with son Akhilesh, leaving his party workers guessing where his sympathies lay. Shivpal Yadav had offered his elder brother the mantle of his new outfit, but Mulayam Singh Yadav remained non-committal. "I have offered the party president's post to 'Netaji' (Mulayam) and a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha election from Mainpuri seat. Our party will carry forward the ideologies of Lohia," Shivpal Yadav had then said. At the PSPL office, Mulayam was also offered the new party's flag by Shivpal Yadav and both of them posed before shutterbugs. The Yogi Adityanath government recently allotted a sprawling bungalow at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, vacated by BSP supremo Mayawati on Supreme Court orders, to Shivpal Yadav. The SP workers' confusion began when Prateek Yadav's wife participated in a function organised by Shivpal Yadav and expressed her support for him. She was reported as promising to work towards strengthening the PSPL. Aparna Yadav, who shared the stage with Shivpal Yadav, had said, "I have always respected chachaji and Netaji (Mulayam)." Earlier too, Mulayam Singh Yadav had made an appearance at a function alongside Shivpal Yadav after he launched his new outfit. In August, Shivpal Yadav had launched 'Samajwadi Secular Morcha' after expressing his disappointment with the Samajwadi Party leadership and a month later, he floated his new party. American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. 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Sanchez Energy Corporation was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Occidental Petroleum: 1PointFive Inc., 1PointFive P1 LLC, APC Aviation Inc., APC International Holdings LLC, APC Midstream Holdings LLC, APC Venezuela Srl, ARCO Long Beach, Altura Energy, Amarok Gathering LLC, Anadarko 20-25 Company, Anadarko 20-36 Company, Anadarko 20-47 Company, Anadarko 20-48 Company, Anadarko 20-49 Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 403 c/e Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 406B Company, Anadarko Algeria Company LLC, Anadarko Algeria Oil & Gas Company, Anadarko Brazil Investment I LLC, Anadarko Brazil Investment II LLC, Anadarko Canada E&P Limited, Anadarko China Holdings 2 Company, Anadarko Colombia Company, Anadarko Consolidated Holdings LLC, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Block 103 Company, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Company, Anadarko DBMOS Operator LLC, Anadarko Development Company, Anadarko Development Holding Limited, Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC, Anadarko Egypt Holdings Company, Anadarko Energy Holding Limited, Anadarko Energy Services Company, Anadarko Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo e Gas Natural Ltda., Anadarko Finance Company, Anadarko Gabon Company, Anadarko Ghana Mahogany-1 Company, Anadarko Global Energy S.a.r.l, Anadarko Global Funding 1 Company, Anadarko Global Funding II Ltd., Anadarko Guyana Company, Anadarko Holding Company, Anadarko International Development S.a.r.l, Anadarko International Energy Company, Anadarko International O&G Company, Anadarko International Trading Corporation, Anadarko Jordan Company, Anadarko Kenya Company, Anadarko LMM S.a.r.l, Anadarko Land Corp., Anadarko Mexico B.V., Anadarko Mexico S.a.r.l, Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell BR Corp., Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell LLC, Anadarko Natural Gas Company LLC, Anadarko New Zealand Company, Anadarko OGC Company, Anadarko Offshore Holding Company LLC, Anadarko Offshore Well Containment Company LLC, Anadarko Oil & Gas 5 LLC, Anadarko Peru B.V., Anadarko Petroleum, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Anadarko Realty LLC, Anadarko Rockies LLC, Anadarko Royalty Holdings Company, Anadarko UK Corporate Limited, Anadarko US Offshore LLC, Anadarko USH1 Corporation, Anadarko Venezuela Company, Anadarko Venezuela LLC, Anadarko Venezuela Srl, Anadarko WCTP Company, Anadarko West Texas BR Corp., Anadarko West Texas LLC, Anadarko Worldwide Holdings C.V., Atlantic Rim Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aventine LLC, Baseball Merger Sub 2 Inc., Bear Branch Exploration LLC, Big Island Trona Company, Bitter Creek Coal Company, Bravo Pipeline Company, Cain Chemical, Cain Chemical Inc., Carbon Finance Labs LLC, Concord Petroleum Corporation, Conn Creek Shale Company, D.S. Ventures LLC, DMM Financial LLC, Deerwood Exploration LLC, Downtown Plaza II, Elk Hills Field, FLAG Development LLC, FP Westport Commodities Limited, FP Westport GmbH, FP Westport LLC, FP Westport Limited, FP Westport Services LLC, FP Westport Trading LLC, Fosters Mill Exploration LLC, Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., Globrep Representaciones S.A., Grand Bassa Tankers Inc., Grupo OxyChem de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Headwater II LLC, Houndstooth Resources LLC, INDSPEC Chemical B.V., INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Export Sales LLC, INDSPEC Holding Corporation, Ingleside Cogeneration GP LLC, Ingleside Cogeneration Limited Partnership, Interore Trading Ltd., Joslyn Partnership, KERR-McGEE TT E&P LTD., KM BM-C-Seven Ltd., KM International Insurance Ltd., Kerr-McGee Corporation, Kerr-McGee Natural Gas Company Inc., Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP, Kerr-McGee Shared Services Company LLC, Kerr-McGee Stored Power Corporation, Kerr-McGee U.K. Energy Corporation, Kerr-McGee Worldwide Corporation, Kerr-McGee do Brasil Ltda., Kerr-McGee of Canada Northwest Ltd., Laguna Petroleum Corp., Laguna Petroleum LLC, Liwa Oil & Gas Ltd., MC2 Technologies LLC, Mariana Properties Inc., Marico Exploration Inc., Miller Springs Remediation Management Inc., Moncrief Minerals Partnership L.P., NGL Ventures LLC, Natural Gas Odorizing Inc., New OPL LLC, OEVC Energy LLC, OEVC Midstream Projects LLC, OIH LLC, OLCV CE Holdings ULC, OLCV CE US Holdings Inc., OLCV Net Power LLC, OLCV Services LLC, OOG Partner LLC, OOOI Chem Holdings LLC, OOOI Chem Sub LLC, OOOI Chemical International LLC, OOOI Chile Holder LLC, OOOI Ecuador Management LLC, OOOI Oil and Gas Sub LLC, OOOI South America Management LLC, OPM GP Inc., OPM Holdco LLC, OTCF LLC, OTH LLC, OXY CV Pipeline LLC, OXY Campus LLC, OXY Inc., OXY LPG LLC, OXY Libya E&P Area 103 BR4 B.V., OXY Libya E&P Area 35 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P Concession 103 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 102 B.V., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1981 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1985 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P NC 143 144 145 150 B.V., OXY Libya Exploration SPC, OXY Libya LLC, OXY Little Knife LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings I LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings II LLC, OXY Middle East Holdings Ltd., OXY Oil Partners Inc., OXY PBLP Manager LLC, OXY Support Services LLC, OXY Tulsa Inc., OXY USA Inc., OXY USA WTP LP, OXY VPP Investments LLC, OXY West LLC, OXY of Saudi Arabia Ltd., OXYCHEM (CANADA) INC., OXYMAR, Oakwood Exploration LLC, Occidental (Bermuda) Ltd., Occidental (East Shabwa) LLC, Occidental Advance Sale Finance Inc., Occidental Al Hosn LLC, Occidental Angola Holdings Ltd., Occidental CIS Services Inc., Occidental Canada Holdings Ltd., Occidental Chemical Asia Limited, Occidental Chemical Belgium B.V.B.A., Occidental Chemical Chile Limitada, Occidental Chemical Corporation, Occidental Chemical Export Sales LLC, Occidental Chemical Far East Limited, Occidental Chemical Holding Corporation, Occidental Chemical International LLC, Occidental Chemical Investment (Canada) 1 Inc., Occidental Chemical Receivables LLC, Occidental Chemical de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Occidental Chile Investments LLC, Occidental Chile Minority Holder LLC, Occidental Colombia (Series G) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series J) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series K) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series L) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series M) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series N) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series O) Ltd., Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (Canada), Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (International), Occidental Dolphin Holdings Ltd., Occidental Energy Marketing Inc., Occidental Energy Ventures LLC, Occidental Exploradora del Peru Ltd., Occidental Exploration and Production Company, Occidental Hafar LLC, Occidental International (Libya) Inc., Occidental International Corporation, Occidental International Exploration and Production Company, Occidental International Holdings Ltd., Occidental International Oil and Gas Ltd., Occidental International Services Inc., Occidental Joslyn GP 2 Co., Occidental LNG (Malaysia) Ltd., Occidental Latin America Holdings LLC, Occidental Libya Oil & Gas B.V., Occidental MENA Manager Ltd., Occidental Middle East Development Company, Occidental Midland Basin LLC, Occidental Mukhaizna LLC, Occidental Oil Asia Pte. Ltd., Occidental Oil Shale Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas (Oman) Ltd., Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, Occidental Oil and Gas International Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas International LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas Pakistan LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas of Peru LLC, Occidental Oman (Block 27) Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 65 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 65 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 72 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 72 LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Company LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman North Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oriente Exploration and Production Ltd., Occidental Overseas Holdings B.V., Occidental PVC LLC, Occidental Peninsula II Inc., Occidental Peninsula LLC, Occidental Permian Ltd., Occidental Permian Manager LLC, Occidental Permian Services Inc., Occidental Peruana Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 101) Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 103) Inc., Occidental Petroleum (Pakistan) Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Occidental Petroleum Corporation Political Action Committee, Occidental Petroleum de Venezuela S.A., Occidental Petroleum of Nigeria, Occidental Petroleum of Oman Ltd., Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd., Occidental Power Marketing L.P., Occidental Power Services Inc., Occidental Qatar Energy Company LLC, Occidental Red Sea Development LLC, Occidental Research Corporation, Occidental Resource Recovery Systems Inc., Occidental Resources Company, Occidental Shah Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental South America Finance LLC, Occidental Specialty Marketing Inc., Occidental Tower Corporation, Occidental Transportation Holding Corporation, Occidental West Texas Overthrust Inc., Occidental Yemen Ltd., Occidental Yemen Sabatain Inc., Occidental del Ecuador Inc., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Bab) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Shah) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi LLC, Occidental of Abu Dhabi Ltd., Occidental of Bahrain Ltd., Occidental of Bangladesh Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Chipiron) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Cosecha) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Medina) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Putumayo) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia (Teca) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia PUT-36 LLC, Occidental of Dubai Inc., Occidental of Iraq Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Iraq LLC, Occidental of Oman Inc., Occidental of Russia Ltd., Occidental of South Africa (Offshore) Inc., Occidental of Yemen (Block 75) LLC, Oceanic Marine Transport Ltd., Opcal Insurance Inc., Oryx Crude Trading & Transportation Inc., Oxy BridgeTex Limited Partnership, Oxy C & I Bulk Sales LLC, Oxy Canada Sales Inc., Oxy Carbon Solutions LLC, Oxy Carbon Storage LLC, Oxy Climate Ventures Inc., Oxy Cogeneration Holding Company LLC, Oxy Colombia Holdings LLC, Oxy Colombia TopCo Ltd., Oxy Delaware Basin LLC, Oxy Delaware Basin Plant LLC, Oxy Dolphin E&P LLC, Oxy Dolphin Pipeline LLC, Oxy Energy Canada Inc., Oxy Energy Services LLC, Oxy Expatriate Services Inc., Oxy FFT Holdings Inc., Oxy Holding Company (Pipeline) Inc., Oxy International Ventures Ltd., Oxy LPG Terminal LLC, Oxy Levelland Pipeline Company LLC, Oxy Levelland Terminal Company LLC, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC, Oxy Midstream Strategic Development LLC, Oxy Oleoducto SOP LLC, Oxy Overseas Services Ltd., Oxy Permian Gathering LLC, Oxy Permian Plaza LLC, Oxy Petroleum de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Oxy Renewable Energy LLC, Oxy Salt Creek Pipeline LLC, Oxy TL LLC, Oxy Taft Hub LLC, Oxy Technology Ventures Inc., Oxy Transport I Company LLC, Oxy Vinyls Canada Co., Oxy Vinyls Export Sales LLC, Oxy Vinyls LP, Oxy Westwood Corporation, Oxy Y-1 Company, OxyChem Ingleside Ethylene Holdings Inc., OxyChem do Brasil Ltda., OxyChile Investments LLC, Oxychem Shipping Ltd., Permian Basin JV Tax Matters Member LLC, Permian Basin Limited Partnership, Permian VPP Holder LP, Permian VPP Manager LLC, Phibro, Placid Oil LLC, Ramlat Oxy Ltd., Rio de Viento Inc., Rodeo Midland Basin LLC, San Patricio Pipeline LLC, Scanports Shipping LLC, SequestCo LLC, Stetson Exploration LLC, Sun Offshore Gathering Company, Swiflite Aircraft Corporation, Transok Properties LLC, Troy Potter Inc., Turavent Oil GmbH [in liquidation], Tuscaloosa Holdings Inc., UP Petroleo III Ltd., Upland Industries Corporation, Venezuela US SRL, Vintage Gas Inc., Vintage Petroleum, Vintage Petroleum Argentina Ltd., Vintage Petroleum Boliviana Ltd., Vintage Petroleum International Finance B.V., Vintage Petroleum International Holdings LLC, Vintage Petroleum International LLC, Vintage Petroleum International Ventures Inc., Vintage Petroleum Italy Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America Holdings Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America LLC, Vintage Petroleum Turkey Inc., WGR Asset Holding Company LLC, WGR Canada Inc., Wardner Ranch Inc., Western Gas Resources Inc., Western Gas Resources-Westana Inc., Western Midstream Holdings LLC, Woodlands International Insurance Ltd., and YT Ranch LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc.. Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE:MNK) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August, 4th. The company reported $1.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.55. The firm earned $700.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $630.19 million. Mallinckrodt had a positive trailing twelve-month return on equity of 34.26% and a negative net margin of 89.94%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 14.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.53 earnings per share. View Mallinckrodt's earnings history. National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services, such as credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment provides investment solutions, trust and estate services, banking services, lending services, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and other wealth management solutions through internal and third-party distribution networks. The Financial Markets segment offers risk management products and services; and debt and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance expertise; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and the activities of targeted investments in certain emerging markets. The company also offers credit cards. It provides its services through a network of 483 branches and 1,573 banking machines. The company was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More JPMorgan BetaBuilders Japan ETF's stock was trading at $20.50 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, BBJP shares have increased by 172.8% and is now trading at $55.93. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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 KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF's stock was trading at $47.02 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, KWEB stock has decreased by 3.2% and is now trading at $45.53. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, 2nd Road Pty Ltd., ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Ltd, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Innovation Singapore Holdings Pte, ?What If! Limited, ?What If! Shanghai Co. Ltd, ?What If! USA LLC, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD Dialeto Agencia de Publicidade SA, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Beijing) Mobile Technology Co Ltd, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co Ltd, Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (South Africa) Pty Limited, Accenture (UK) Ltd, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Azerbaijan Ltd, Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BV, Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A, Accenture CAS GmbH, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc., Accenture Capital DAC, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd., Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SAS, Accenture Customer Services Limited, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Ltd, Accenture Delivery Poland sp. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital France Holdings SA, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance (Gibraltar) III Ltd, Accenture Finance GmbH, Accenture Finance GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II GmbH, Accenture Finance II GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Finance II Ltd, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services Srl, Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Ghana Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Ltd., Accenture Global Services Ltd, Accenture Global Solutions Ltd, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services Ltd, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc., Accenture Holding GmbH, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holding GmbH in liquidation, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SAS, Accenture Holdings plc, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazylym Cozumleri Limited irketi), Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture Insurance Services SAS, Accenture Insurance Services SpA, Accenture International BV, Accenture International Capital SCA, Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture International Sarl, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea BV, Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Managed Services SpA, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Middle East B.V, Accenture Middle East BV, Accenture Minority I BV, Accenture Minority III Ltd, Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi (Pty) Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Newco LLC, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations Sp. z o.o., Accenture Outsourcing SRL, Accenture Outsourcing Services, Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations BV, Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru S.R.L, Accenture Peru S.R.L., Accenture Post Trade Processing SAS, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process Ltd, Accenture Product Lifecycle Services, Accenture Properties, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture S.A., Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture SAS, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sendirian Berhad, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Ltd, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.r.l., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services Sp. z o.o., Accenture Services Sp. z.o.o., Accenture Services and Technology Srl, Accenture Services fur Kreditinstitute GmbH, Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Servicos Administrativos Ltda, Accenture Servicos de Suporte de Negocios Ltda, Accenture Solutions Co Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Sp. z o.o., Accenture Sp. z.o.o., Accenture SpA, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc., Accenture Sub Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag KFT, Accenture Technologia, Accenture Technologia Consultoria e Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Technology Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions SAS, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn. Bhd., Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures BV, Accenture Technology Ventures S.P.R.L., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co., Accenture Vietnam Co. LTD, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Limitada, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Customer Insight Limited, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Agave Consultants Limited, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, Allen International Consulting Group Ltd, Alnova Technologies Corporation S.L., AlphaBeta Advisors, Altima, Altima Asia Ltd., Altima SAS, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Appaloosa Technology SAS, Arca, Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Avanade, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade (Thailand) Co Ltd, Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Denmark ApS, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Ltd, Avanade Europe Services Ltd, Avanade Federal Services LLC, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SAS, Avanade GZ Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd. (SH), Avanade Guangzhou, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy SRL, Avanade KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Netherlands BV, Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland Sp. z o.o., Avanade Poland Sp. z.o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain SL, Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Ltd, Avanade do Brasil Limitada, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, AvantBiz Consulting Limited, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Benext, Bionic, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Boomerang Pharmaceuticals Communications Ireland Limited, Bow & Arrow, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brand Learning LLC, Brand Learning Ltd, Brand Learning Partners Limited, Brand Learning Pte Limited, Bridge Energy Group LLC, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CadenceQuest Inc., Capable Marketer Limited, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc., Certus Solutions Consulting Services Ltd, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cimation UK Limited, Cirruseo, Cirruseo SAS, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas (SN) (PTE.) Limited, Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Ltd., Cloud Talent Limited, Cloudsherpas, Cloudsherpas Inc., Cloudworks, Codagenic Pty. Ltd., Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda., Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda., Context Information Security, Coritel S.A., Corliant Inc., CreativeDrive, CustomerWorks Europe SL, Cutting Edge Solutions Ltd, D5 Global Holdings LLC, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd., DMA Solutions Limited, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (Australia) PTY LTD, DayNine Consulting (Deutschland) GmbH, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting France SAS, DayNine Consulting Japan K.K., DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings, Declarative Holdings LLC, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digiplug SAS, Digital Consulting & Software Services LLC, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Ltd., Duck Creek Technologies, Duck Creek Technologies LLC, Deja Vu Security LLC, ESR Labs, Elcurator SAS, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting L.P., End-to-End Analytics, Energuia Web, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Ltd., Energy Quote Private Ltd., EnergyQuote JHA, EnergyQuote JHA Ltd., EnergyQuote Trading Ltd., Enimbos, Enkitec, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V. , Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enterprise System Partners PR LLC, Enterprise System Partners S.A.S., Entropia, Epylon, Ethica Consulting Group, Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Exton Consulting, Fairway Technologies Inc, Fairway Technologies LLC, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, First Annapolis International, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Focus Group Europe Limited, Formicary, Formicary Holdings Limited, Formicary Limited, FusionX, FutureMove Automotive, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, Genfour Limited, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gestion Altima Canada Inc., Gevity, Global Public Firm S.L., GlobalView SAS, GoodFilm GmbH Filmproduktion Stuttgart, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Hytracc Consulting UK Limited, Hytracc Holding AS, I-Faber S.p.A., IBB Consulting, IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INCAD, INSITUM, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Imagine Broadband (USA) Ltd, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Industrie&Co, Infoman AG, Infoman Schweiz AG, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Infusion Development Inc., Infusion Development UK Limited, InfusionDev LLC, Innoveer Solutions India Pvt Ltd, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria Brasil LTDA, Insitum Consultoria Colombia SAS, Insitum Consultoria Europa SL, Insitum Consultoria Peru SAC, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., Intrepid, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Advertisement (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inventor Technology Limited, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, Javelin Group (Bulgaria) EOOD, Javelin Group Limited (UK), Javelin Group SASU, K Comms Group Limited, KCS.net AG, KCS.net AG West, KCS.net Deutschland GmbH, KCS.net Holding AG, KCS.net Osterreich GmbH, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Ltd, Kogentix Singapore Pte. Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kunstmaan NV, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon UKI, Kurt Salmon UKI Ltd., Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LabAnswer, LabAnswer Government, LemonXL Limited, Logistics Market Place Limited (UK), Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Corporation, Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte. Ltd., Mackevision UK Ltd, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd., Maihiro, Matter, Matter Llc, Maud Corp Pty Limited, Maxamine International, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing Corporation, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mindtribe Product Engineering LLC, MobGen, MobGen Technology S.L, Moonrise NV, Mortgage Cadence, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, N3 LLC, NBS Marketing Inc., NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile, Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Chile SpA, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda., New Energy Aborda, New Energy Associates Ltd, New Energy Group, New Energy S.r.l., NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage China Ltd., NewsPage Pte Ltd, Nice Agency Limited, Northstream, Northstream AB, Northstream Holding AB, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology LTDA, Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Octo Technology SPRL, Octoman SAS, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Openmind, Openminded, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium Consulting Ltd, Orbium GmbH, Orbium Holding AG, Orbium Inc., Orbium International AG, Orbium International sp. z o.o., Orbium Licences AG, Orbium Limited, Orbium Pte. Ltd., Orbium Pty Ltd, Orbium Services sp. z o.o., Orbium Sarl, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PCO Innovation Canada Inc., PCO Innovation EURL, PIXO PUNCH Limited, PLM Systems S.r.l, POC Holdings, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, Pach Invest SARL, Pach Invest SAS, PacificLink Group, PacificLink iMedia Ltd., Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald Inc., Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Partners Technology Mexico Holdings BV, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production K/S, Perseroan Terbatas. Accenture, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Ltd, Pragsis Technologies S.L, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Ltd, Procurian Germany GmbH, Procurian Inc., Procurian International I LLC, Procurian International II LLC, Procurian LLC, Procurian Singapore Pte. Ltd., Procurian Switzerland GmbH, Procurian USA LLC, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co Ltd, Radiant Services, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Limited, Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (Asia) Pte Ltd, Redcore (India) Private Limited (India), Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Renacentis IT Services, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Rothco, Rothco Holdings Designated Activity Company, Rothco Unlimited Company, S.C. EnergyQuote S.r.l., S3 TV Technology Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SEC Servizi, SEC Servizi S.p.A., SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Sagacious Consultants LLC, Salt Solutions, Sanchez Capital Services Pvt Ltd, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Airline Planning Group, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace Asia (Hong Kong) Limited, Seabury Aviation Consulting LLC, Seabury Cargo Advisory B.V., Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Human Capital LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Seabury Structured Finance LLC, Search Technologies BPO, Search Technologies BPO Inc., Search Technologies GmbH, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LATAM, Search Technologies LATAM S.A., Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Sente Partners LLC, Sentelis, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Shackleton, Shackleton Barcelona S.L., Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton Madrid S.L., Shackleton S.A., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., Silveo, Simian Pty Limited, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Commerce GmbH, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., SinnerSchrader Swipe GmbH, Sistemes Consulting S.L., Solutions IQ, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Storm Digital, Storm Digital B.V., Structure Consulting Group, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Systor AG, TQuila Limited (UK), Tadata Creative Unlimited Company, Tara Insurance DAC, Tara Risk DAC, TargetST8, TargetST8 Consulting LLC, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica Ltd., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Limited, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Total Logistics Supply Chain Consultants Limited, Tquila, Trivadis AG, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Verax Solutions, Verax Solutions Corporation, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong, Vertical Retail Consulting Hong Kong Ltd., Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd., Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, Weblinc Pty Ltd, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wire Stone Sarl, Wolox, Workforce Insight, Yesler, Zag, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines, Zenta Global Philippines Inc., Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc., Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, and solid-serVision.com GmbH. CEMEX SAB de CV engages in the production, distribution, marketing, and sale of cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates. It operates though the following geographical segments: Mexico; United States; Europe; South, Central America and the Caribbean (SCA&C); Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA); and Others. The Europe segment covers United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, and Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia, as well as trading activities in Scandinavia, and Finland. The SCA&C segment includes Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Caribbean TCL, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Jamaica, the Caribbean, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The EMEA segment comprises of Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates. The Others segment refers to the cement trade maritime operations, information technology solutions business, and other corporate entities as well as other minor subsidiaries with different lines of business. The company was founded by Lorenzo Zambrano Gutierrez in 1906 and is headquartered in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Aramark: 1ST & Fresh LLC, AIL Servicos Alimenticios e Participacoes Ltda., AIM Services Co. Ltd., AMP Limited Partnership, ARA Catering and Vending Services Limited, ARA Coffee Club Limited, ARA Coffee System Limited, ARA Food Services Limited, ARA Marketing Services Limited, ARA Offshore Services Limited, ARAMONT Company Ltd., Active Industrial Unif, Alcatraz Hospitality, AmeriPride Services, American Snack & Beverage LLC, Aramark (BVI) Limited, Aramark Airport Services Limited, Aramark American Food Services LLC, Aramark Asia Management LLC, Aramark Aviation Services Limited Partnership, Aramark B.V., Aramark Beverages Limited, Aramark Business & Industry LLC, Aramark Business Center LLC, Aramark Business Dining Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Business Facilities LLC, Aramark CCT Trustees Limited, Aramark Campus LLC, Aramark Canada Ltd., Aramark Canadian Investments Inc., Aramark Capital Asset Services LLC, Aramark Catering Limited, Aramark China Dining Services (Shanghai) Limited, Aramark China Holdings Limited, Aramark Chugach Alaska Services LLC, Aramark Cleaning S.A., Aramark Cleanroom Services (Puerto Rico) Inc., Aramark Cleanroom Services LLC, Aramark Co. Ltd., Aramark Colombia SAS, Aramark Concessions Services Joint Venture, Aramark Confection LLC, Aramark Construction Services Inc., Aramark Construction and Energy Services LLC, Aramark Consumer Discount Company, Aramark Correctional Services LLC, Aramark Defence Services Limited, Aramark Denmark ApS, Aramark Distribution Services Inc., Aramark Educational Group LLC, Aramark Educational Services LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Educational Services of Vermont Inc., Aramark Entertainment LLC, Aramark Entertainment Services (Canada) Inc., Aramark Executive Management Services USA Inc., Aramark FHC Business Services LLC, Aramark FHC Campus Services LLC, Aramark FHC Correctional Services LLC, Aramark FHC Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Kansas Inc., Aramark FHC LLC, Aramark FHC Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark FHC School Support Services LLC, Aramark FHC Services LLC, Aramark FHC Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark FSM LLC, Aramark Facility Services LLC, Aramark Food Service LLC, Aramark Food Service of Texas LLC, Aramark Food and Support Services Group Inc., Aramark Global Group S.a.r.l., Aramark Global Inc., Aramark GmbH, Aramark Gulf Limited, Aramark Gulf Limited Catering Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services LLC, Aramark Healthcare Support Services of the Virgin Islands Inc., Aramark Healthcare Technologies LLC, Aramark Holding Deutschland GmbH, Aramark Holdings GmbH & Co. KG, Aramark Holdings Ltd., Aramark Industrial Services LLC, Aramark Intermediate HoldCo Corporation, Aramark International Finance S.a.r.l., Aramark International Holdings S.a.r.l., Aramark Inversiones Latinoamericanas Limitada, Aramark Investments Limited, Aramark Ireland Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan Holdings Limited, Aramark Japan LLC, Aramark KSA LLC, Aramark Kazakhstan Ltd., Aramark Lakewood Associates, Aramark Limited, Aramark Management GmbH, Aramark Management LLC, Aramark Management Services Limited Partnership, Aramark Manning Services UK Limited, Aramark Mexico Group, Aramark Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Monclova Support S.A.de C.V., Aramark Norway SA, Aramark Organizational Services LLC, Aramark Partnership Limited, Aramark Personnel Services, Aramark Peru S.A.C., Aramark Peru Servicios de Intermediacion SRL, Aramark Processing LLC, Aramark Property Services Limited, Aramark Qualified Opportunity Fund, Aramark Quebec Inc., Aramark RBI Inc., Aramark Rail Services LLC, Aramark Receivables LLC, Aramark Refreshment Group, Aramark Refreshment Services LLC, Aramark Refreshment Services of Tampa LLC, Aramark Regional Treasury Europe DAC, Aramark Remote Workplace Services Ltd., Aramark Restaurations GmbH, Aramark S&E/QCF Joint Venture, Aramark S.A., Aramark S.A. de C.V., Aramark S.R.O., Aramark SARL, Aramark SCM Inc., Aramark SM Management Services Inc., Aramark SMMS LLC, Aramark SMMS Real Estate LLC, Aramark School Catering Facility Ltd., Aramark Schools Facilities LLC, Aramark Schools LLC, Aramark Senior Living Services LLC, Aramark Senior Notes Company LLC, Aramark Service Industries (China) Co. Ltd., Aramark Services Inc., Aramark Services SA, Aramark Services of Kansas Inc., Aramark Services of Puerto Rico Inc., Aramark Servicios Industriales S. de R.L. de C.V., Aramark Servicios Integrales S.A., Aramark Servicios Mineros y Remotos Limitada, Aramark Servicios SRL, Aramark Servicios de Catering S.L., Aramark Servicos Alimenticos e Participacoes Ltda., Aramark Sports Facilities LLC, Aramark Sports LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Group LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services LLC, Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services of Texas LLC, Aramark Sub Investments Limited, Aramark Technical Services North Carolina Inc., Aramark Togwotee LLC, Aramark Trademark Services, Aramark Trustees Limited, Aramark U.S. Offshore Services LLC, Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel Group Inc., Aramark Uniform & Career Apparel LLC, Aramark Uniform Holding de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Aramark Uniform Manufacturing Company, Aramark Uniform Services (Canada) Ltd., Aramark Uniform Services (Matchpoint) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Rochester) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Supply Chain), Aramark Uniform Services (Syracuse) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (Texas) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services (West Adams) LLC, Aramark Uniform Services Japan Corporation, Aramark Venue Services Inc., Aramark WTC LLC, Aramark Workplace Solutions (UK) Ltd., Aramark Workplace Solutions Yonetim Hizmetleri Limited Sirketi, Aramark Worldwide Investments Limited, Aramark-Clarksville Club, Aramark-FINCO of Texas LLC, Aramark-Gourmet DPS LLC, Aramark-KWAME of St. Louis LLC, Aramark-SFS Healthcare J.V. L.L.C., Aramark/Dasko Restaurant and Catering Services S.A., Aramark/GM Concessions Joint Venture, Aramark/Giacometti Joint Venture, Aramark/Globetrotters LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-1 LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-2 LLC, Aramark/HF Company, Aramark/HMS LLC, Aramark/Hart Lyman Entertainment LLC, Aramark/Martin's Stadium Concession Services OPACY Joint Venture, Aramark/QHC LLC, Aramark/SFS Joint Venture, Avendra, Avendra Canada Inc., Avendra Gaming, Avendra Replenishment, Avoca, Avoca Handweavers Designs Limited, Avoca Handweavers Limited, Avoca Handweavers NI Limited, Avoca Handweavers Shops Limited, Avoca Handweavers UK Limited, Beijing Golden Collar Dining Ltd., Boompjes Hotel BV, Brand Coffee Service Inc., BuyEfficient, CDR Mantenimiento Integral S.A., Campbell Catering (Belfast) Ltd., Campbell Catering (N.I.) Ltd., Campbell Catering Holdings Limited, Campbell Catering Limited, Campbell Catering Ltd., Campbell Catering Services, Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Co., Canyonlands Rafting Hospitality LLC, Catering Alliance Limited, Caterwise Food Services Limited, Central Multiservicios S.R.L., Central de Abastecimiento Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Multiservicios Limitada, Central de Restaurantes S.R.L., Centrapal S.R.L., Centro de Innovacion y Servicio S.A., Cliff House Hospitality, Comertel Educa SLU, Comertel Residencia SLU, Comertel SA, Complete Purchasing Services Inc., Corporate Coffee Systems LLC, Crater Lake Hospitality, D.G. Maren II Inc., Delicious on West Street LLC, Delsac VIII Inc., Distributor JV Limited, Dongguan Best Property Management Co., Doyon/Aramark Denali National Park Concessions Joint Venture, Effective Partnerships Limited, Filterfresh Coffee Service, Filterfresh Coffee Service LLC, Filterfresh Franchise Group LLC, Fine Host Holdings LLC, Food JV Limited, Freedom Ferry Services, GTB Gastro Team Bremen GmbH, Gestion de Alimentacion y Limpieza Colectivadades SLU, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Concessions LLC, Glen Canyon Rafting Hospitality, Glenrye Properties Services Limited, Golden Collar, Good Uncle Services, Gourmet Aramark Services LLC, Guaranty Energy Group 1981, HPSI Purchasing Services LLC, Harrison Conference Associates LLC, Harrison Conference Services of North Carolina LLC, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of New Jersey, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of Penn., Harry M. Stevens LLC, Hunters Catering Partnership Limited, Institutional Processing Services, Instituto ICS S.A., Inversiones Aramark Chile Limitada, Inversiones Centralcorp Limitada, Inversiones Palm Limitada, Inversiones en Aseo y Mantenimiento S.A, Irish Estates (Facilities Management) Limited, L&N Uniform Supply LLC, Lake Tahoe Cruises LLC, Landy Textile Rental Services LLC, Lifeworks Restaurant Group LLC, Lotus Facilities Management, MESA, Masterplan, Medical Equipment Solutions & Applications Sagl (MESA), Mill Mount Weavers Limited, Muir Woods Hospitality, MyAssistant Inc., New Aramark LLC, Nissho Linen, North Rim Hospitality, Old Time Coffee Co., Olympic Peninsula Hospitality LLC, Orange Support Services Limited, Overall Laundry Services Inc., Paradise Hornblower LLC, Pelican Procurement Services Limited, Philadelphia Ballpark Concessions Joint Venture, Prem Hospitality Limited, Premgroup Franchise Services Limited, Premier Management Company (Dublin) Limited, Premier Partnership (Catering) Limited, Quebec Linge Co., ReMedPar, Restaura Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospitality LLC, Rushmore Hospitality LLC, SeamlessWeb, Seguricorp Servicios S.A., South Rim Hospitality LLC, Spokesoft Technologies Limited, Stuart Cabeldu Catering Limited, Sun Office Service Inc., Tarrant County Concessions LLC, The Aramark Foundation, The Original Food Company Limited, Travel Systems LLC, Trinity Hospitality Services GmbH, Trinity Hospitality Services SARL, Trinity Purchasing N.V., Vector Environmental Services Limited, Vector Workplace and Facility Management Limited, Veris Plc, Veris Property Management Limited, Veris UK Limited, WearGuard, Wilderness River Adventures, and Yosemite Hospitality LLC. The following companies are subsidiares of BorgWarner: B80 Italia S.r.l., BERU AG, BW El Salto S.A. De C.V., BWA Receivables Corporation, BWA Turbo Systems Holding LLC, Borg Warner Europe Holdings (PDS) B. V., BorgWarner (China) Investment Co. Ltd., BorgWarner (Reman) Holdings L.L.C., BorgWarner (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner Aftermarket Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Alternators Inc., BorgWarner Arden LLC, BorgWarner Arnstadt RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Asia Inc., BorgWarner Automotive Asia Limited, BorgWarner Automotive Components (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Brasil Ltda., BorgWarner Chungju Co. LLC, BorgWarner Comercial e Distribuidora de Pecas para Veiculos Automotores Ltda., BorgWarner Comercializadora PDS S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner Componentes PDS S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner Cooling Systems (India) Private Limited, BorgWarner Cooling Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Diversified Transmission Products Services Inc., BorgWarner Drivetrain Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Drivetrain Management Services de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Drivetrain de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Electric Motors L.L.C., BorgWarner Emissions Systems (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Emissions Systems (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Emissions Systems Holding LLC, BorgWarner Emissions Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Emissions Systems LLC, BorgWarner Emissions Systems Portugal Unipessoal LDA, BorgWarner Emissions Systems Spain S.L.U., BorgWarner Emissions Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Emissions Talegaon Private Limited, BorgWarner Engineering Ketsch RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Engineering Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Esslingen GmbH, BorgWarner Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Europe Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Gateshead Limited, BorgWarner Germany Holding GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Holding Services GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REH GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REM GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, BorgWarner Global Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Heidelberg I RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg II RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg REH GmbH, BorgWarner Heidelberg REM GmbH, BorgWarner Holding Inc., BorgWarner Holdings Limited, BorgWarner Hungary Kft., BorgWarner IT Services Europe GmbH, BorgWarner India Holdings Inc., BorgWarner Investment Holding Inc., BorgWarner Ithaca LLC, BorgWarner Ketsch Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Ketsch REH GmbH, BorgWarner Ketsch REM GmbH, BorgWarner Kft., BorgWarner Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Korea Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Korea Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Korea LLC, BorgWarner Limited, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf REH GmbH, BorgWarner Markdorf REM GmbH, BorgWarner Massachusetts Inc., BorgWarner Mauritius Holdings Ltd., BorgWarner Mexico Holding BV, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings II LLC, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Morse Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Morse Systems Italy S.r.l., BorgWarner Morse Systems Japan K.K., BorgWarner Morse Systems Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Muggendorf RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner NW Inc., BorgWarner Netherlands Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Oroszlany Kft., BorgWarner PDS (Anderson) L.L.C., BorgWarner PDS (Changnyeong) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Indiana) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Livonia) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Ochang) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner PDS (USA) Inc., BorgWarner PDS Brasil Produtos Automotivos Ltda., BorgWarner PDS Irapuato S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Technologies L.L.C., BorgWarner Poland Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Pyongtaek LLC, BorgWarner Romeo Power LLC, BorgWarner Rzeszow Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Shenglong (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner South Asia LLC, BorgWarner Southborough Inc., BorgWarner Spain Holding S.L.U, BorgWarner Sweden AB, BorgWarner Systems Lugo S.r.l., BorgWarner Thermal Systems Inc., BorgWarner Thermal Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems Beijing Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Tralee Ltd., BorgWarner Transmission Products LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Arnstadt GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Korea LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Tulle S.A.S., BorgWarner Trustees Limited, BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems France S.A.S., BorgWarner Turbo Systems Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC, BorgWarner Turbo Systems Worldwide Headquarters GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Turbo and Emissions Systems de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner UK Financing Ltd., BorgWarner UK Holding and Services Ltd., BorgWarner US Holding LLC, BorgWarner USA Industries L.L.C., BorgWarner United Transmission Systems Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Waterloo Inc., BorgWarner Wrexham Limited, Cascadia Motion LLC, Creon Insurance Agency Limited, Delphi Technologies, Dytech ENSA, Gustav Wahler GmbH u. Co. KG, Haldex, Kuhlman LLC, Kysor Europe Limited, M. & M. Knopf Auto Parts L.L.C., NSK-Warner (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., NSK-Warner K.K., NSK-Warner Mexico S.A. de C.V, NSK-Warner U.S.A. Inc., New PDS Corp., Old Remco Holdings L.L.C., Old Remco International Holdings L.L.C., Remy International, SeohanWarner Turbo Systems LLC, Sevcon, Sevcon New Energy Technology (Hubei) Company Limited, and Transmission Systems AutoForm LLC. 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. The following companies are subsidiares of Fluor: 202 Maintenance Services LLC, 3Angle B.V., 3Angle EPCM V.O.F., 684033 N.B. Ltd., AAR 2007 Limited, ADP Marshall Contractors Inc., ADP/FD of Nevada Inc., AG&P Fluor Joint Venture Company Inc., AJS V.O.F., AMECO COLOMBIA S.A.S., AMECO Caribbean Inc., AMECO Holdings Inc., AMECO PANAMA S.A., AMECO Peru S.R. L., AMECO Project Services Inc., AMECO Services Inc., ATCO Fluor Support Solutions Ltd., Acqyre B.V., Agensi Pekerjaan TRS Malaysia SDN. BHD., Ameco Chile S.A., Ameco Equipment Services Inc., Ameco Inc., Ameco Mexico Administracion y Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Ameco Pty. Ltd., Ameco Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Ameco Services S. de R.L. de C.V., American Bridge/Fluor Enterprises Inc. A Joint Venture, American Construction Equipment Company Inc., American Equipment Company Inc., Arbeitsgemeinschaft BAB A S Ausbau Augsburg - Munchen, Asset Management Solutions S.A.S., B.C. Mining Joint Venture, Bellefonte Construction Services LLC, Bouwcombinatie Sluizen 4-5-6 V.O.F., Brady-Fluor LLC, CEJV Ingenieria y Construccion Limitada, CGF Projects Ghana Limited, COOEC-Fluor Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., CSP EG S.L., Canadian National Energy Alliance Ltd., Cascadia Monorail Company LLC, Cavendish Fluor Partnership Limited, Cibolo Creek Infrastructure Joint Venture, Colorado River Constructors JV, Compania Minera San Jose Del Peru S.A., ConOps Construction Ltd., Connect 202 Partners LLC, Consorcio Generation P135 MASA-VEPICA, Consorcio Grupo Stork, Consorcio KGM JV, Consorcio MASARTEC POWER JV, Consorcio Stork Y Masa JV, Consorcio Turnaround Alliance JV, Consorsio MSC JV, Consorsio Stork-TMI, Contingent Mission Sustainment Inc., Cooperheat Franchising B.V., Cooperheat GmbH, Cooperheat Saudi Arabia Company Limited, Corrosion Inspection & Integrity Services Sdn. Bhd., Crown Energy Company, D/FD Operating Services LLC, DAX Industries Inc., DSC Maintenance V.O.F., Daniel International Corporation, Dean / Fluor LLC, Del-Jen Inc., Denver Transit Constructors LLC, Denver Transit Holdings LLC, Denver Transit Operators LLC, Denver Transit Partners LLC, Denver Transit Systems LLC, Desarrolladora De Etileno S. de R.L. de C.V., Dominican Republic Combined Cycle LLC, Duke Fluor Daniel, Duke/Fluor Daniel, Duke/Fluor Daniel Caribbean S.E., Duke/Fluor Daniel International, Duke/Fluor Daniel International Services, Duke/Fluor Daniel International Services (Trinidad) Limited, Duke/Fluor Daniel LLC, EQIN B.V., EQIN Industrial B.V., EQIN N.V., ESSI LLC, Efdee Connecticut Architects Inc., Efdee Engineering Professional Corporation, Efdee Mississippi Architects A Professional Corporation, Efdee New York Engineers & Architects P.C., Elgin RBG (Pty) Limited, Empresa Constructora Fluor Salfa SGO Limitada, Encee Architecture Services P.C., Energy Resourcing Limited, Etileno XXI Contractors SAPI, Etileno XXI Services B.V., Europea de Ingenieria y Asesoramiento, Evergreen Equipment and Personnel Leasing Inc., FBT Services Inc., FCI/Fluor/Parsons a Joint Venture, FD Architects & Engineers Corporation, FDEE Consulting Inc., FDH JV, FDH JV KNPC AZRP/ZOR, FDHM Inc., FHdB LLC, FIID LLC, FLAG Joint Venture, FLUOR M Ltd., FM Operating Services LLC, FMC Holding Company LLC, FPMM XXK (FPMM LLC), FWPJV Limited, Federal Maintenance Logistics Solutions LLC, Fluor (China) Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd., Fluor (Nigeria) Limited, Fluor A&E Services Inc., Fluor A27/A1 B.V., Fluor AMEC II LLC, Fluor Aker Solutions Indonesia JV, Fluor Alaska Inc., Fluor Americas Inc., Fluor Arabia Limited, Fluor Argentina Inc., Fluor Argentina Inc. Sucursal Argentina, Fluor Australia Pty Ltd., Fluor B.V., Fluor BC Ltd., Fluor BNA GP Inc., Fluor BNA Holdco Inc., Fluor BNA O&M GP Inc., Fluor BNA O&M USA LLC, Fluor Boke Inc., Fluor Brasil Ltda., Fluor Brasil Servicos de Engenharia Ltda, Fluor Canada Ltd., Fluor Caspian Services Limited, Fluor Cebu Inc., Fluor Central Asia LLP, Fluor Chile Inc., Fluor Chile Ingenieria y Construccion S.A., Fluor Colombia Limited, Fluor ConOps Limited, Fluor Construction Services Pty Ltd., Fluor Constructors Canada Ltd., Fluor Constructors International. Inc., Fluor Consultants B.V., Fluor Craft Services Inc., Fluor Daniel (Japan) Inc., Fluor Daniel (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Fluor Daniel Asia Inc., Fluor Daniel Brasil Ltda., Fluor Daniel Caribbean Inc., Fluor Daniel China Inc., Fluor Daniel China Services Inc., Fluor Daniel Coal Services International Inc., Fluor Daniel Construction Company, Fluor Daniel Development Corporation, Fluor Daniel E&C LLC, Fluor Daniel Eastern Inc., Fluor Daniel Engineering Inc., Fluor Daniel Engineers & Constructors Inc., Fluor Daniel Engineers & Constructors Ltd., Fluor Daniel Engineers & Consultants Ltd., Fluor Daniel Engineers SA (PTY) Limited, Fluor Daniel Espana S.A., Fluor Daniel Eurasia Inc., Fluor Daniel Global Limited, Fluor Daniel Global Services Limited, Fluor Daniel Holdings Canada Inc., Fluor Daniel Holdings Inc., Fluor Daniel Illinois Inc., Fluor Daniel Inc. Philippines, Fluor Daniel India Inc., Fluor Daniel India Private Limited, Fluor Daniel International (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Fluor Daniel International Services Inc., Fluor Daniel Latin America Inc., Fluor Daniel Maintenance Services Inc., Fluor Daniel Mexico S.A., Fluor Daniel Mining & Metals Ltd., Fluor Daniel Modesto Inc., Fluor Daniel Nigeria Limited, Fluor Daniel Overseas Inc., Fluor Daniel P.R.C. Ltd., Fluor Daniel Pacific Inc., Fluor Daniel Pulp & Paper Inc., Fluor Daniel Services Corporation, Fluor Daniel South America Limited, Fluor Daniel Technical Services Inc., Fluor Daniel Venture Group Inc., Fluor Daniel a Professional Architectural Corporation, Fluor Daniel-AMEC Philippines Inc., Fluor Daniels Holdings (Botswana) (Pty) Limited, Fluor Driver Inc., Fluor Energy Technology Services LLC, Fluor Engenharia e Projetos S.A., Fluor Engineering Corporation, Fluor Engineering N.V., Fluor Engineering Solutions Ltd., Fluor Enterprises Group Inc., Fluor Enterprises Inc., Fluor Europe B.V.IIIIIX, Fluor Facility & Plant Services Inc., Fluor Federal Global Projects Inc., Fluor Federal Inc., Fluor Federal Petroleum Operations LLC, Fluor Federal Services Inc., Fluor Federal Services LLC, Fluor Federal Services NWS Inc., Fluor Fernald Inc., Fluor Finance International B.V./S.a.r.l., Fluor Finance U.S. Inc., Fluor Flatiron Balfour Beatty Dragados DBJV, Fluor Global Plant Services (Proprietary) Ltd., Fluor Global Services Australia Pty Ltd., Fluor GmbH, Fluor Government Group International Inc., Fluor Government Group Canada Inc., Fluor Guinea Inc., Fluor HDR Global Design Consultants LLC, Fluor Hanford Inc., Fluor Heavy Civil LLC, Fluor Holding Company LLC, Fluor Idaho LLC, Fluor Industrial Construction Corp., Fluor Industrial Services Canada Inc., Fluor Industrial Services Inc., Fluor Industrial Services Limited, Fluor Infrastructure B.V., Fluor Intercontinental Arabian Peninsula LLC, Fluor Intercontinental Germany GmbH, Fluor Intercontinental Inc., Fluor Intercontinental Solutions LLC, Fluor International C.V., Fluor International Holdings B.V., Fluor International Inc., Fluor International Limited, Fluor International Nigeria Limited, Fluor Investments LLC, Fluor Ireland Limited, Fluor Island ehf., Fluor Kazakhstan Inc., Fluor Kazakhstan LLC, Fluor Kuwait KSC, Fluor Limited, Fluor Maintenance Services Inc., Fluor Management Company L.P., Fluor Management and Technical Services Inc., Fluor Marine Propulsion LLC, Fluor Mediterranean Inc., Fluor Middle East LLC, Fluor Mideast Limited, Fluor Mining and Metals France Inc., Fluor Mocambique Limitada, Fluor NE Inc., Fluor Ocean Services Limited, Fluor Pension Trustee Limited, Fluor Plant Engineering S.A., Fluor Power Services Pty Ltd., Fluor Project Services B.V., Fluor Projects Limited, Fluor Rail Services Pty Ltd., Fluor S.A., Fluor S.A. (Pty) Limited, Fluor SPN Inc., Fluor Services B.V., Fluor Services LLC, Fluor South Africa (Pty) Limited, Fluor Spain Holding S.L., Fluor Supply Chain Solutions B.V., Fluor Supply Chain Solutions LLC, Fluor Supply Chain Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fluor Techint SRL Construccion y Servicios Limitada, Fluor Technologies Corporation, Fluor Texas Inc., Fluor Transworld Services Inc., Fluor US Services Inc., Fluor Uganda Engineering and Construction Limited, Fluor Virginia Inc., Fluor WEP Holdings Inc., Fluor WorleyParsons Arctic Solutions, Fluor environmental Resources Management Services Inc., Fluor-B&W Oak Ridge LLC, Fluor-BWXT Portsmouth LLC, Fluor-Brady LLC, Fluor-CDM Space Services LLC, Fluor-Habboush International Limited, Fluor-Igoda Projects (Proprietary) Limited, Fluor-Lane 95 LLC, Fluor-Lane LLC, Fluor-Lane South Carolina LLC, Fluor-SKM Iron Ore Joint Venture, Fluor/Technip Integrated JV, Fluor/Westinghouse Liquid Waste Services LLC, FluorAMEC LLC, Fru-Con/Fluor Daniel Joint Venture, GLT-Plus V.O.F., GLX Constructors an unincorporated joint venture, Genesys Telecommunications Holdings Limited, Genesys Telecommunications Limited, Giovenco Industrial Services Pty Ltd., Giovenco Industries (AUST) Pty Limited, Giovenco Industries (AUST) Trust, Giovenco/Insulations International JV Pty Ltd., Giovenco/Insulations International JV Unit Trust, Gladstone Pressure Welders Pty Ltd., Global Project Execution Inc., Goar Allison & Associates, Goar Allison & Associates LLCndo-Mauritian Affiliates Limitednfrastructure Civil Equipment LLC, Greenville Technical Services Inc., Grupo Alvica SCS, Grupo Empresarial Alvica S.A., ICA Fluor Daniel S. de R.L. de C.V., ICA Fluor Operaciones S.A. de C.V., ICA Fluor Operaciones S.A. de C.V., ICA Fluor Petroquimica S.A. de C.V., ICA Fluor Servicios Gerenciales S.A. de C.V., ICA Fluor Servicios Gerenciales S.A. de C.V., ICA Fluor Servicios Operativos S.A. de C.V., ICA Stork S. de C.V., ICA Stork S. de R.L. de C.V., IF Proyectos S.A., IFD Servicios de Ingenieria S.A. de C.V., IT Development Centre B.V., IXAS Gaasperdammerweg B.V., IXAS Zuid-Oost B.V., Industrial Del Hierro S.A. de C.V., Industrial Services France SAS, Industrial Services SF Peru S.A.C., Industrial Services SR Peru S.A.C., Infra Combinatie Zuid-West, Infraspeed Holdings B.V., Ingenieria y Construccion Fluor Daniel Chile Limitada, Iraq Construction Ltd., Iraq Water General Contracting Company L.L.C., Istimewa Electrotechniek B.V., J Crowder Corporation, J. Crowder Corp., J.A. Jones International, JGC Fluor BC Joint Venture, JGC Fluor Kitimat LNG Project JV, JGC Fluor Mocambique Lda, JGC/FEI Joint Venture, JGC/Fluor JV, KDPC Limited, KMK-DJI JV, KPJV Limited, Karratha Engineering Services Pty Ltd., Kazakh Projects Joint Venture Limited, KazakhNefteGasServis LLP, Koninklijke Machinefabriek Stork B.V., Lone Star Infrastructure Joint Venture, Lone Star Infrastructure LLC, Louisiana Operations and Maintenance Services LLC, M&W/Marshall a Joint Venture, MGJV Pty Ltd., Maquinaria Ameco Guatemala Limitada, Mecanicos Asociados S.A.S., Mid-America Conversion Services LLC, Middle East Fluor, Mineral Resource Development Corporation, Mongolian National Facility Services (MNFS) LLC, Mourik Istimewa Combinatie V.O.F., NWKC LLC, Najmat Al-Sabah for General Services Limited Liability Company, NuScale Holdings Corp., NuScale Power LLC, Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners Joint Venture, P.T. Fluor Daniel Indonesia, P.T. MITRA BERSAMA ENGINEERING, P.T. Nusantara Power Services, PFD (UK) Limited, PFD International LLC, PRI/DJI A Reconstruction JV, PT Signet Indonesia, PT Singgar Mulia, PT. MITRA BERSAMA ENGINEERING, Pacific Defense Constructors LLC, Palmetto Seed Capital Ltd. Partnership, Parkway Infrastructure Constructors, Pegasus Link Constructors, Pegasus Link Constructors LLC, Phoenix Constructors Joint Venture, Pipeline Maintenance Alliance JV, Plant Engineering Services LLC, Plant Performance Services, Plant Performance Services Caribbean Limited, Plant Performance Services International LLC, Plant Performance Services International Ltd., Poort van Den Bosch B.V., Poort van Den Bosch V.O.F., Prairie Link Constructors JV, Prairie Link Constructors LLC, Pro-V/ConOps JV, Provo River Constructors, Purple Line Transit Constructors LLC, Purple Line Transit Operations LLC, Purple Line Transit Partners LLC, Qatar National Facility Services, RBG Kazakhstan LLP, Rash Inversiones 2007 S.L., Rock Island Integrated Services, S-M V.O.F., SDT Maintenance Management Group Limited, SFS 007.298.633 Pty Limited, SSLP/FCCL JV, Sacyr Fluor Bolivia S.R.L., Sacyr Fluor Colombia S.A.S., Sacyr Fluor Participaciones S.L., Sacyr Fluor S.A., Saddleback Constructors, Sakhalin Neftegas Technology, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC, Servicios Cuyuni E.T.T. C.A., Servicios Mineria Inc., Servicios de Construccion del Pacifico Inc., Servitrade Servicos Investimento y Trading Limitada, Servitrade Servicos Investimentos y Trading Limitada, Signet Engineering Pty Ltd., Signet Holdings Pty Ltd., Soli-Flo Inc., Soli-Flo LLC, Soli-Flo Material Transfer L.P., Soli-Flo Partners L.P., Soli0Flo Partners L.P., Springfield Resource Recovery Inc., Springfield Resource Recovery Limited Partnership, St. Joe Participacoes, St. Joe Participacoes Ltda, Stork Asset Management Consultancy B.V., Stork B.V., Stork Caspian LLC, Stork Colombia S.A.S., Stork Elecon Ltd, Stork Gear & Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Stork Gear & Services B.V., Stork German Holding GmbH, Stork Getriebe & Services GmbH, Stork H&E Turbo Blading Inc., Stork Holding, Stork Holding B.V., Stork Integrated Solutions B.V., Stork Intellectual Property B.V., Stork International B.V., Stork International Limited, Stork Mechanical Works and Maintenance Co. K.S.C.C., Stork Nederland B.V., Stork Oryx Turbo Machinery Services LLC, Stork Peru S.A.C., Stork Peru S.A.S., Stork Plastic Machinery B.V., Stork Power Services & Technology Beijing Limited, Stork Power Services B.V., Stork Power Services OOO, Stork Power Services USA Holding Inc., Stork TS Holdings Limited, Stork TS UK Limited, Stork Technical Services (Holdings) Limited, Stork Technical Services (RBG) Limited, Stork Technical Services (STS) Ltd., Stork Technical Services Australia Pty Ltd., Stork Technical Services Beheer B.V., Stork Technical Services Belgium N.V., Stork Technical Services GmbH, Stork Technical Services Group B.V., Stork Technical Services HOLDCO B.V., Stork Technical Services Holding Australia Pty Ltd., Stork Technical Services Holding B.V., Stork Technical Services International Limited, Stork Technical Services International South Africa, Stork Technical Services Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Stork Technical Services New Zealand Limited, Stork Technical Services Norway AS, Stork Technical Services Sadaf LLC, Stork Technical Services Saudi Arabia Co., Stork Technical Services Trinidad and Tobago Ltd, Stork Technical Services UK Limited, Stork Technical Services USA Inc., Stork Thermeq B.V., Stork Turbo Blading B.V., Stork Turbo Service B.V., Strategic Organizational Systems Enterprises Inc., Strategic Organizational Systems Environmental Engineering Division Inc., Support Services International LLC, Supreme Modular Fabrication Inc., TDF Inc., TRS Consultants JLT, TRS Craft Services Inc., TRS Far East Sdn. Bhd., TRS International Group S. de R.L. de C.V., TRS International Payroll Co., TRS Labour Hire Solutions Pty. Ltd., TRS SA Holdings Company (Pty) Ltd., TRS Search and Selection (Pty) Ltd., TRS Staffing Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd., TRS Staffing Solutions (Canada) Inc., TRS Staffing Solutions (Pty) Ltd., TRS Staffing Solutions B.V., TRS Staffing Solutions Inc., TRS Staffing Solutions India Private Limited, TRS Staffing Solutions Limited, TRS Staffing Solutions Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., TRS Staffing Solutions Mozambique Limitada, TRS Staffing Solutions S. de R.L. de C.V., TRS Staffing Solutions SA (Pty) Ltd., Tappan Zee Constructors LLC, Technical Resource Solutions S.L., Technip-Fluor JV, Thermoprozess Cooperheat GmbH, Trans Florida Express LLCenezco Inc., Trans-Africa Projects (Pty) Ltd., Trans-Africa Projects Ltd., UNEC Engineering, United Rentals Industrial Services LLC, WODECO Nigeria Limited, Walsh-Fluor Design-Build Team, Wescon (B) Sdn. Bhd., Wescon International B.V., Williams Brothers Engineering Company, Williams Brothers Engineering Limited, Williams Brothers Process Services Inc., Wilmore/Fluor Modesto LLC, Windsor Essex Mobility Group GP, WorleyParsons Arabia Limited Fluor Arabia Limited Joint Venture, Wright Engineers (Chile) Limitada, Wright Engineers Limitada Peru, and ZuidPlus V.O.F.. There is not enough analysis data for PIMCO Income Strategy Fund II. 4.8 Community Rank Outperform Votes PIMCO Income Strategy Fund II has received 105 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes PIMCO Income Strategy Fund II has received 41 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment PIMCO Income Strategy Fund II has received 71.92% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about PIMCO Income Strategy Fund II and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe PFN will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe PFN will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next The following companies are subsidiares of Daimler: AEG Olympia Office GmbH, Achtzehnte Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft DVB mbH, Anota Fahrzeug Service- und Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, Athlon Beheer International B.V., Athlon Beheer Nederland B.V, Athlon Car Lease Belgium N.V, Athlon Car Lease International B.V., Athlon Car Lease Italy S.R.L., Athlon Car Lease Nederland B.V., Athlon Car Lease Polska Sp. z o.o., Athlon Car Lease Portugal lda, Athlon Car Lease Rental Services B.V, Athlon Car Lease Rental Services Belgium N.V., Athlon Car Lease S.A.S., Athlon Car Lease Spain S.A., Athlon Dealerlease B.V., Athlon France S.A.S., Athlon Germany GmbH, Athlon Mobility Consultancy B.V., Athlon Mobility Consultancy N.V., Athlon Rental Germany GmbH, Athlon Sweden AB, Athlon Switzerland AG, AutoGravity Corporation, Banco Mercedes-Benz do Brasil S.A, Beat Chile SpA, Beat Ride App Colombia Ltda., Beat Ride App S.A., Belerofonte Empreendimentos Imobiliarios Ltda., Brooklands Estates Management Limited, CARS Technik & Logistik GmbH, CINTEO, CLIDET NO 1048 (Proprietary) Limited, Campo Largo Comercio de Veiculos e Pecas Ltda., Circulo Cerrado S.A. de Ahorro para Fines Determinados, Clever Taxi, Clever Tech S.R.L., Clever Tech Sud S.R.L., Conemaugh Hydroelectric Projects Inc., Cuspide GmbH, DA Investments Co. LLC, DAF Investments Ltd., DAIMLER FINANCIAL SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, DAIMLER SERVICIOS CORPORATIVOS MEXICO S. DE R.L. DE C.V., DAIMLER TRUCK AND BUS HOLDING AUSTRALIA PACIFIC PTY LTD, DTB Tech & Data Hub Unipessoal Lda, Daimler AG & Co. Anlagenverwaltung OHG, Daimler Australia/Pacific Pty. Ltd., Daimler Automotive de Venezuela C.A., Daimler Brand & IP Management GmbH & Co. KG, Daimler Brand & IP Management Verwaltung GmbH, Daimler Buses North America Inc., Daimler Canada Finance Inc., Daimler Canada Investments Company, Daimler Capital Services LLC, Daimler Ceska republika Holding s.r.o., Daimler Colombia S. A., Daimler Commercial Vehicles (Thailand) Ltd., Daimler Commercial Vehicles Africa Ltd., Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA FZE, Daimler Commercial Vehicles South East Asia Pte. Ltd., Daimler Compra y Manufactura Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Daimler Export and Trade Finance GmbH, Daimler Finance North America LLC, Daimler Financial Services AG, Daimler Financial Services Africa & Asia Pacific Ltd., Daimler Financial Services India Private Limited, Daimler Financial Services Investment Company LLC, Daimler Financial Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Daimler Financial Services S.A. de C.V. S.O.F.O.M. E.N.R., Daimler Financial Services UK Trustees Ltd., Daimler Fleet Management GmbH, Daimler Fleet Management Singapore Pte. Ltd., Daimler Fleet Management South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Daimler Fleet Management UK Limited, Daimler Fleet Services A.S., Daimler FleetBoard GmbH, Daimler Gastronomie GmbH, Daimler Greater China Ltd., Daimler Group Services Berlin GmbH, Daimler Group Services Madrid S.A.U., Daimler Grund Services GmbH, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Private Limited, Daimler Innovation Technology (China) Co. Ltd., Daimler Insurance Agency LLC, Daimler Insurance Services GmbH, Daimler Insurance Services Japan Co. Ltd., Daimler Insurance Services UK Limited, Daimler International Assignment Services USA LLC, Daimler International Finance B.V., Daimler International Nederland B.V., Daimler Investments US Corporation, Daimler Ladungstrager GmbH, Daimler Manufactura S. de R.L. de C.V., Daimler Mexico S.A. de C.V., Daimler Mitarbeiter Wohnfinanz GmbH, Daimler Mobility Services GmbH, Daimler Motors Investments LLC, Daimler Nederland B.V., Daimler Nederland Holding B.V., Daimler North America Corporation, Daimler North America Finance Corporation, Daimler Northeast Asia Parts Trading and Services Co. Ltd., Daimler Parts Brand GmbH, Daimler Parts Logistics Australia Pty. Ltd., Daimler Pensionsfonds AG, Daimler Protics GmbH, Daimler Purchasing Coordination Corp., Daimler Re Brokers GmbH, Daimler Re Insurance S.A. Luxembourg, Daimler Real Estate GmbH, Daimler Retail Receivables LLC, Daimler South East Asia Pte. Ltd., Daimler TSS GmbH, Daimler Truck AG, Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Pty. Ltd., Daimler Trucks & Buses US Holding Inc., Daimler Trucks Asia Taiwan Ltd., Daimler Trucks Canada Ltd., Daimler Trucks Korea Ltd., Daimler Trucks North America LLC, Daimler Trucks Remarketing Corporation, Daimler Trucks Retail Trust 2018-1, Daimler Trucks and Buses (China) Ltd., Daimler Trucks and Buses Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd, Daimler Trust Holdings LLC, Daimler Trust Leasing Conduit LLC, Daimler Trust Leasing LLC, Daimler UK Limited, Daimler UK Share Trustee Ltd., Daimler UK Trustees Limited, Daimler Unterstutzungskasse GmbH, Daimler Vans Hong Kong Limited, Daimler Vans USA LLC, Daimler Vehiculos Comerciales Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Daimler Verwaltungsgesellschaft fur Grundbesitz mbH, Daimler Vorsorge und Versicherungsdienst GmbH, Daiprodco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Detroit Diesel Corporation, Detroit Diesel Remanufacturing LLC, Detroit Diesel Remanufacturing Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Detroit Diesel-Allison de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Deutsche ACCUmotive, Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG, Deutsche Accumotive Verwaltungs-GmbH, Dreizehnte Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft DVB mbH, EHG Elektroholding GmbH, EvoBus (Schweiz) AG, EvoBus (U.K.) Ltd., EvoBus Austria GmbH, EvoBus Belgium N.V., EvoBus Ceska republika s.r.o., EvoBus Danmark A/S, EvoBus France S.A.S.U., EvoBus GmbH, EvoBus Iberica S.A.U., EvoBus Italia S.p.A., EvoBus Nederland B.V., EvoBus Polska Sp. z o.o., EvoBus Portugal S.A., EvoBus Reunion S. A., EvoBus Russland OOO, EvoBus Sverige AB, FLINC GmbH, Familonet GmbH, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation, Friesland Lease B.V., Funfte Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft Zeus mbH, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 2 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 3 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 4 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 5 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 6 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 7 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Alpha 1 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Beta OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Delta OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Epsilon OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Gamma 2 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Gamma 3 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Gamma 4 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft Daimler AG & Co. Gamma 1 OHG, Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft EvoBus GmbH & Co. OHG, Hailo Network IP Limited, Hailo Network Iberia S.L., Intelligent Apps GmbH, Interleasing Luxembourg S.A., Invema Assessoria Empresarial Eireli, Koppieview Property (Pty) Ltd, LAB1886 GmbH, LBBW AM Daimler Re Insurance, LBBW AM MBVEXW, LEONIE CORP DVB GmbH, LEONIE DMS DVB GmbH, LEONIE FS DVB GmbH, LEONIE FSM DVB GmbH, LEONIE PV DVB GmbH, LEONIE TB DVB GmbH, Lab1886 USA LLC, Lapland Car Test Aktiebolag, Legend Investments Ltd., Li-Tec Battery, Li-Tec Battery GmbH, MB GTC GmbH Mercedes-Benz Gebrauchtteile Center, MBarc Credit Canada Inc., MBition GmbH, MDC Power GmbH, MDC Technology GmbH, MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS POLSKA SPOKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA, MFTA Canada Inc., MITSUBISHI FUSO TRUCK EUROPE Sociedade Europeia de Automoveis S.A., MYTAXI ITALIA S.R.L., MYTAXI POLSKA SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA, Mascot Truck Parts Canada Ltd (2017), Mascot Truck Parts USA LLC, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd, Mercedes pay AG, Mercedes pay S.A., Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd., Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Limited, Mercedes-Benz (Yangzhou) Parts Distribution Co. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz AG, Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Adm. Consorcios Ltda., Mercedes-Benz Antwerpen N.V., Mercedes-Benz Argentina S.A., Mercedes-Benz Asia GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Assuradeuren B.V., Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty Ltd, Mercedes-Benz Auto Finance Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust 2016-2, Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust 2016-B, Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust 2017-A, Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust 2018-A, Mercedes-Benz Auto Lease Trust 2018-B, Mercedes-Benz Auto Receivables Trust 2015-1, Mercedes-Benz Auto Receivables Trust 2016-1, Mercedes-Benz Auto Retail Trust 2018-1, Mercedes-Benz Bank AG, Mercedes-Benz Bank GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Bank Polska S.A., Mercedes-Benz Bank Rus OOO, Mercedes-Benz Bank Service Center GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Banking Service GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Belgium Luxembourg S.A., Mercedes-Benz Bordeaux S.A.S., Mercedes-Benz Broker Biztositasi Alkusz Hungary Kft., Mercedes-Benz Brooklands Limited, Mercedes-Benz CPH A/S, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc., Mercedes-Benz Capital Rus OOO, Mercedes-Benz CarMesh GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans Brasil Industria e Comercio De Veiculos Ltda., Mercedes-Benz Cars Ceska republika s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Cars Middle East FZE, Mercedes-Benz Cars Nederland B.V., Mercedes-Benz Cars UK Limited, Mercedes-Benz CharterWay S.A.S., Mercedes-Benz CharterWay S.r.l., Mercedes-Benz Compania Financiera Argentina S.A., Mercedes-Benz Connectivity Services GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Consulting GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Corretora de Seguros Ltda, Mercedes-Benz Credit Penzugyi Szolgaltato Hungary Zrt., Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Center Maastricht N.V., Mercedes-Benz Danmark A/S, Mercedes-Benz Dealer Bedrijven B.V., Mercedes-Benz Drogenbos N.V., Mercedes-Benz Egypt S.A.E., Mercedes-Benz Energy Americas LLC, Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Espana S.A.U., Mercedes-Benz Europa NV/SA, Mercedes-Benz ExTra LLC, Mercedes-Benz Finance Co. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia Pty. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Austria GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services BeLux NV, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Canada Corporation, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Ceska republika s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Espana E.F.C. S.A., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services France S.A., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Hong Kong Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Italia SpA, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Korea Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Nederland B.V., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services New Zealand Ltd, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Portugal Sociedade Financeira de Credito S.A., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Rus OOO, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Schweiz AG, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Slovakia s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Taiwan Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Limited, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC, Mercedes-Benz Finans Danmark A/S, Mercedes-Benz Finans Sverige AB, Mercedes-Benz Finansal Kiralama Turk A.S., Mercedes-Benz Finansman Turk A.S., Mercedes-Benz Formula E Limited, Mercedes-Benz France S.A.S., Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Forsaljnings AB, Mercedes-Benz G GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Group Services Phils. Inc., Mercedes-Benz Hellas S.A., Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Limited, Mercedes-Benz Hungaria Kft., Mercedes-Benz IDC Europe S.A.S., Mercedes-Benz India Private Limited, Mercedes-Benz Insurance Broker S.R.L., Mercedes-Benz Insurance Services Nederland B.V., Mercedes-Benz Insurance Services Taiwan Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Investment Company LLC, Mercedes-Benz Italia S.p.A., Mercedes-Benz Japan Co. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Korea Limited, Mercedes-Benz Leasing (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Leasing Co. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Leasing GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Leasing Hrvatska d.o.o., Mercedes-Benz Leasing IFN S.A., Mercedes-Benz Leasing Kft., Mercedes-Benz Leasing Polska Sp. z o.o., Mercedes-Benz Leasing Taiwan Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Leasing Treuhand GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Leasing do Brasil Arrendamento Mercantil S.A., Mercedes-Benz Ludwigsfelde GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Mercedes-Benz Manhattan Inc., Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary Kft., Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o., Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Rus Ltd, Mercedes-Benz Master Owner Trust, Mercedes-Benz Mechelen N.V., Mercedes-Benz Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Mercedes-Benz Minibus GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Mitarbeiter-Fahrzeuge Leasing GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Museum GmbH, Mercedes-Benz New Zealand Ltd, Mercedes-Benz PRAHA s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Paris SAS, Mercedes-Benz Parts Logistics Eastern Europe s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Parts Logistics Iberica S.L.U., Mercedes-Benz Parts Logistics UK Limited, Mercedes-Benz Parts Manufacturing & Services Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Polska Sp. z o.o., Mercedes-Benz Portugal S.A., Mercedes-Benz Project Consult GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Renting S.A., Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America Inc., Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Tel Aviv Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Private Limited, Mercedes-Benz Retail Belgium NV/SA, Mercedes-Benz Retail Group UK Limited, Mercedes-Benz Retail S.A., Mercedes-Benz Retail Unipessoal Lda., Mercedes-Benz Risk Solutions South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Roma S.p.A., Mercedes-Benz Romania S.R.L., Mercedes-Benz Russia AO, Mercedes-Benz Schweiz AG, Mercedes-Benz Service Leasing S.R.L., Mercedes-Benz Services Correduria de Seguros S.A., Mercedes-Benz Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Mercedes-Benz Sigorta Aracilik Hizmetleri A.S., Mercedes-Benz Slovakia s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Solihull Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Sosnowiec Sp. z o.o., Mercedes-Benz South Africa Ltd, Mercedes-Benz Srbija i Crna Gora d.o.o.u likvidaciji, Mercedes-Benz Subscription Services USA LLC, Mercedes-Benz Sverige AB, Mercedes-Benz Taiwan Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Trucks Belgium Luxembourg NV/SA, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Center Sint-Pieters-Leeuw NV/SA, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Ceska republika s.r.o., Mercedes-Benz Trucks Espana S.L.U., Mercedes-Benz Trucks France S.A.S.U, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Italia S.r.l., Mercedes-Benz Trucks MENA Holding GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Molsheim, Mercedes-Benz Trucks Nederland B.V., Mercedes-Benz Trucks Schweiz AG, Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK Limited, Mercedes-Benz Turk A.S., Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc., Mercedes-Benz USA LLC, Mercedes-Benz Ubezpieczenia Sp. z o.o., Mercedes-Benz V.I. Lyon SAS, Mercedes-Benz V.I. Paris Ile de France SAS, Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia Pacific Pty. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Vans Ceska republika s.r.o, Mercedes-Benz Vans Espana S.L.U., Mercedes-Benz Vans LLC, Mercedes-Benz Vans Mobility GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Vans Mobility S.L., Mercedes-Benz Vans Nederland B.V., Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Limited, Mercedes-Benz Vehiculos Comerciales Argentina SAU, Mercedes-Benz Venezuela S.A., Mercedes-Benz Versicherung AG, Mercedes-Benz Vertrieb NFZ GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Vertrieb PKW GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Vietnam Ltd., Mercedes-Benz Warszawa Sp. z o.o., Mercedes-Benz Waterloo S.A., Mercedes-Benz Wavre S.A., Mercedes-Benz Wemmel N.V., Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Receivables LLC, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil Assessoria Comercial Ltda., Mercedes-Benz do Brasil Ltda., Mercedes-Benz Osterreich GmbH, Mercedes-Benz Aluguer de Veiculos Unipessoal Lda., Mercedes-Benz.io GmbH, Mercedes-Benz.io Portugal Unipessoal Lda., MercedesService Card Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Mitsubishi Fuso Bus Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc., Monarch Cars (Tamworth) Ltd., Montajes y Estampaciones Metalicas S.L., Multifleet G.I.E, NAG Nationale Automobil-Gesellschaft Aktiengesellschaft, P.T. Mercedes-Benz Indonesia, PABCO Co. Ltd., PT Daimler Commercial Vehicles Indonesia, PT Mercedes-Benz Distribution Indonesia, Porcher & Meffert Grundstucksgesellschaft mbH & Co. Stuttgart OHG, R.T.C. Management Company Limited, Renting del Pacifico S.A.C., RepairSmith Inc., Reva SAS, Ring Garage AG Chur, SILVER ARROW CHINA 2017-2 RETAIL AUTO LOAN ASSET BACKED NOTES TRUST c/o CITIC TRUST CO. LTD., SILVER ARROW CHINA 2018-1 RETAIL AUTO LOAN ASSET BACKED NOTES TRUST c/o FOTIC: China Foreign Economy and Trade Trust Co. LTD., SILVER ARROW CHINA 2018-2 RETAIL AUTO LOAN ASSET BACKED NOTES TRUST c/o FOTIC: China Foreign Economy and Trade Trust Co. LTD., STARKOM d.o.o., Sandown Motor Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Sechste Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft Zeus mbH, SelecTrucks Comercio de Veiculos Ltda, SelecTrucks of America LLC, SelecTrucks of Toronto Inc., Setra of North America Inc., Silver Arrow Australia Trust 2017-1, Silver Arrow Canada GP Inc., Silver Arrow Canada LP, Silver Arrow Lease Facility Trust, Silver Arrow S.A., Special Lease Systems (SLS) B.V, SportChassis LLC, Star Assembly SRL, Star Egypt For Import LLC, Star Transmission srl, Starexport Trading S.A., Sterling Truck Corporation, Sumperska sprava majetku k.s., T.O.C (Schweiz) AG, Taxibeat, Taxibeat Ltd. UK, Taxibeat Peru S.A., Taxibeat Teknoloji Hizmetleri A.S., Thomas Built Buses Inc., Thomas Built Buses of Canada Limited, Transcovo SAS, Transopco France SAS, Transopco GmbH, Transopco Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Transopco UK Ltd., Trona Cogeneration Corporation, Ucafleet S.A.S, Vierzehnte Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft DVB mbH, Western Star Trucks Sales Inc, Zuidlease B.V., Zweite Vermogensverwaltungsgesellschaft Zeus mbH, car2go, car2go Belgium SPRL, car2go Canada Ltd., car2go China Co. Ltd., car2go Danmark A/S, car2go Deutschland GmbH, car2go Europe GmbH, car2go Group GmbH, car2go Iberia S.L.U., car2go Italia S.R.L., car2go N.A. Holding Inc, car2go N.A. LLC, car2go Nederland B.V, car2go Sverige AB, car2go Osterreich GmbH, moovel Group GmbH, moovel North America Inc., moovel North America LLC, myTaxi Iberia SL, myTaxi UG, myTaxi UK Ltd., myTaxi USA Inc., mytaxi Austria GmbH, mytaxi Network Ireland Ltd., mytaxi Network Ltd., mytaxi Portugal Unipessoal LDA, mytaxi Sweden AB, ogotrac S.A.S., smart France S.A.S., smart Vertriebs gmbh, and trapoFit GmbH. The following companies are subsidiares of Bristol-Myers Squibb: 1096271 B.C. ULC, 345 Park LLC, A.G. Medical Services P.A., AHI Investment LLC, AbVitro LLC, Abraxis BioScience Australia Pty Ltd., Abraxis BioScience Inc., Abraxis BioScience International Holding Company Inc., Abraxis BioScience LLC, Abraxis BioScience Puerto Rico LLC, Acetylon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Adnexus, Adnexus a Bristol-Myers Squibb R&D Company, Allard Labs Acquisition G.P., Amira Pharmaceuticals, Amira Pharmaceuticals Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Apothecon LLC, B-MS Generx Unlimited Company, BMS Benelux Holdings B.V., BMS Bermuda Nominees L.L.C., BMS Data Acquisition Company LLC, BMS Forex Company, BMS Holdings Sarl, BMS Holdings Spain S.L., BMS International Insurance Designated Activity Company, BMS Investco SAS, BMS Korea Holdings L.L.C., BMS Latin American Nominees L.L.C., BMS Luxembourg Partners L.L.C., BMS Omega Bermuda Holdings Finance Ltd., BMS Pharmaceutical Korea Limited, BMS Pharmaceuticals Germany Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals International Holdings Netherlands B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Korea Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Mexico Holdings B.V., BMS Pharmaceuticals Netherlands Holdings B.V., BMS Real Estate LLC, BMS Spain Investments LLC, BMS Strategic Portfolio Investments Holdings Inc., Blisa Acquisition G.P., Bristol (Iran) S.A., Bristol Iran Private Company Limited, Bristol Laboratories Inc., Bristol Laboratories International S.A., Bristol Laboratories Medical Information Systems Inc., Bristol-Myers (Andes) L.L.C., Bristol-Myers (Private) Limited, Bristol-Myers Middle East S.A.L., Bristol-Myers Overseas Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc.. The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 211 E. Russell Road LLC, Air-Relief, Belliss & Morcom Brasil, Belliss and Morcom, Boardwalk Enterprises, Charm Merger Sub Inc., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Canada, CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir Holman Ltd, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., CompAir UK Ltd, CompAir USA, Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Emco Wheaton, Emco Wheaton GmbH Branch, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton UK, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Propriety Limited (South Africa), GD Aria Holdings #2 Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First UK Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings, GD Global Holdings II, GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd., Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Ltd. - US Branch, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SA, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Services Ltd, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Hoffman, Gardner Denver Holdings, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica, Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd. Branch, Gardner Denver International, Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Intl Ltd Middle East Regional Rep Office, Gardner Denver Investments, Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan, Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd, Gardner Denver Ltd South Africa, Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd. Branch (Ireland), Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co, Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oberdorfer Pumps, Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Petroleum Pumps, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia, Gardner Denver SudAmerica S.r.l., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas, Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH, Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver UK, Gardner Denver Water Jetting Systems, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, Indonesia Foreign Trade Representative Office, LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MP Pumps Inc., Mako Compressors, Nash, Nash Elmo, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Robuschi, Rotary Compression Technologies, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Syltone, TCM Investments, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, TODO AB, Tamrotor Marine Compressors AS, Thomas Industries, Thomas Industries Inc., Tri-Continent Scientific, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, and Zinsser NA. iShares MSCI Mexico ETF's stock was trading at $35.82 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWW shares have increased by 23.5% and is now trading at $44.23. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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 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 Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved. 326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at contact@marketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EWU stock has increased by 25.3% and is now trading at $32.08. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. iStar, Inc. is a real estate investment trust company, which engages in financing, investing, and development of real estate and related projects. It operates through the following business segments: Real Estate Finance, Net Lease, Operating Properties, Land and Development, and Corporate and Other. The Real Estate Finance segment includes all of the activities of the company related to senior and mezzanine real estate loans and real estate related securities. The Net Lease segment comprises activities of the company and operations related to the ownership of properties generally leased to single corporate tenants. The Operating Properties segment focuses in the activities and operations related to its commercial and residential properties. The Land and Development segment refers to the developable land portfolio of the company. The Corporate and Other segment represents all the corporate level and unallocated items, joint venture, and strategic investments, which are not included in the other reportable segments. The company was founded by Jay Sugarman in 1993 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov summed up results of development of his country in 2018, noting that he was pleased. According to him, despite difficult situation in global economy, Turkmenistan has managed to maintain high growth rates - by the end of the year, the GDP will be around 6.2%. Head of state said that new program of economic development until 2025 will be adopted in the near future, and it will become the basis for sectoral reforms. However, population will last year remember for abolition of social benefits, reduction of state subsidies, dropping employment rates, drop in income and food crisis. Despite difficult situation in global economy and problems in several industries, Turkmenistan, has managed to maintain high growth rates of the national economy, Berdymukhamedov announced at an expanded government meeting after 11 months of the year. "According to forecasts, the GDP growth at the end of the year will reach 6.2%. Production volumes increased in almost all sectors of the national economy. Thanks to adopted programs, share of private sector in the economy has increased, and it currently stands at 65%," state news agency quoted him as saying. "Wages, pensions and government benefits are paid as planned. Numerous industrial and social facilities were commissioned this year. State budget for 2019 has been adopted, and the Stabilization Fund has sufficient funds," Berdymukhamedov noted. Turkmen leader stressed that there's a need to accelerate privatization of state-owned enterprises. To achive this, according to him, it's necessary to create stock market and ensure competitive market, in which shares of enterprises will be sold. However, privatization in Turkmenistan was announced back in 2016, but during this time only state-owned association Turkmenkover and system of consumer unions were privatized. Bankrupt enterprises are usually put up for privatization, which leads to job cuts and increase in unemployment rate in the country. According to experts, Berdymukhamedov solves problem of lack of money in the state treasury at the expense of budget cuts. However, successful privatization is almost impossible in the Turkmen realities. "President has took certain position - all investments must go through the Union of Entrepreneurs and Industrialists, and foreign investors have no autonomy and can't propose any initiatives. In other words, if you come to Turkmenistan with your money and technology, you have to find local partnerts, which will be playing more dominant role. It's a dead end. Protection of investments won't work, local partner will always have priority, Turkmen expert said on condition of anonymity. Despite the fact that government meeting was dedicated to results of the economic development of Turkmenistan, the word crisis has never been mentioned. A few days ago, Berdymukhamedov held a video meeting, during which he demanded the Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Amandurdy Ishanov, to reduce imports and fill the country's markets with various domestic products at affordable prices. The reason for that demand is that it's no longer possible to hide the existing food crisis. iShares Edge MSCI USA Size Factor ETF's stock was trading at $78.51 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, SIZE stock has increased by 70.5% and is now trading at $133.86. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. 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. BHD, Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC*, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Diversey, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Getpacking.com GmbH, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, KRIS Automated Packaging Systems Holding Company, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Polyrol Limited, Polyrol Packaging Systems LLC, ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal- Producao de Embalagens LTDA, Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings BV, Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Real Estate Pty Ltd, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile SpA, Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Cyprus Ltd., Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air GmbH (Germany), Sealed Air GmbH (Switzerland), Sealed Air Hellas SA, Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK I Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. 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. The President of Qatars National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has said the European Union (EU) must do more to end the humanitarian tragedy caused by the ongoing blockade of the country. Speaking in the Austrian capital Vienna, Ali Bin Smaikh Al-Marri called on EU countries to take stronger measures to put an end to the ongoing humanitarian tragedy caused by the embargo imposed on Qatar 18 months ago. As The Middle East Monitor reports, he pointed out that Austrias current presidency of the European Union which rotates between member states every six months is an opportunity to take a stricter position towards those countries responsible for imposing the blockade, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. We are confident that Austria [] can contribute more closely [] to persuading the EU countries to make more powerful decisions to pressure the countries of the blockade, he said. Al-Marri also stressed that EU countries should not continue to pursue a policy of negative neutrality in the face of ongoing violations of the rights of Qatari citizens and residents. This, he argued, goes against the EUs principles and its commitment to the defence of human rights. He explained: "The countries of the European Union, which have consistently affirmed their commitment to the principle of defending human rights anywhere in the world, cannot carry on the negative neutrality approach when it comes to serious violations of human rights that have violated and continue to violate the rights of thousands of citizens and residents of Qatar." While in Vienna, Al-Marri held a series of fruitful meetings with officials from the Austrian Parliaments Human Rights Committee. He also met with officials from Austrias Department for Human Rights and Ethnic Minority Affairs. During a session dealing with the siege which has been imposed on Qatar since 5 June 2017 the Al-Marri presented reports by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the NHRC, which document serious violations of Qataris human rights and stress the discriminatory measures pursued by those countries imposing the blockade. Further, these countries continue to disregard the calls of international governments and human rights organisations to end to the siege, he added, citing the UAEs decision to ignore rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). To resolve the issue, Al-Marri suggested that EU member states should use their political and economic relations to leverage an end to the blockade. The countries of the European Union [] should put human rights as a priority on the table in any negotiations or economic and investment partnerships with the embargo states, Al-Marri stressed, adding: Human rights should not be marginalized as a secondary issue of any economic or political interest, as confirmed by the founding charters and regulations of the European Union. Al-Marri concluded that the forthcoming dialogue between the Qatari government and the European Union on human rights slated for early next year should be seen as an important step towards resolving the issue. The following companies are subsidiares of BlackRock: Acero Cooperatief U.A., Acero Holdings I B.V., Amethyst Merger Sub LLC, AnalytX Hosting LLC, AnalytX LLC, AnalytX Software LLC, Aperio, Aperio, Aquila Heywood, Asia-Pacific Private Credit Opportunities Fund I (GenPar) Ltd., BAA Holdings LLC, BFM Holdco LLC, BLK (Gallatin) Holdings LLC, BLK SMI LLC, BR Acquisition Mexico S.A. de C.V., BR Jersey International Holdings L.P., Beijing eFront Software Company Limited, BlackRock (Barbados) Finco 1 SRL, BlackRock (Channel Islands) Limited, BlackRock (Luxembourg) S.A., BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V., BlackRock (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco II Pte. Ltd., BlackRock (Singapore) Holdco Pte. Limited, BlackRock (Singapore) Limited, BlackRock AP Investment Holdco LLC, BlackRock Advisors (UK) Limited, BlackRock Advisors LLC, BlackRock Advisors Singapore Pte. Limited, BlackRock Alternative Advisors GP Holdings LLC, BlackRock Alternatives Management LLC, BlackRock Argentina Asesorias Ltda., BlackRock Asset Management Canada Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG, BlackRock Asset Management International Inc., BlackRock Asset Management Investor Services Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Ireland Limited, BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited, BlackRock Asset Management Schweiz AG, BlackRock Asset Management UK Limited, BlackRock Australia Holdco Pty. Ltd., BlackRock Brasil Gestora de Investimentos Ltda., BlackRock Cal 1 Investor LLC, BlackRock Canada Holdings LP, BlackRock Canada Holdings ULC, BlackRock Capital Holdings Inc., BlackRock Capital Investment Advisors LLC, BlackRock Capital Management Inc., BlackRock Cayco Limited, BlackRock Cayman 1 LP, BlackRock Cayman Capital Holdings Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco 2 Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco 3 Limited, BlackRock Cayman Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay IV Limited, BlackRock Cayman Z Limited, BlackRock Channel Islands Holdco Limited, BlackRock Chile Asesorias Limitada, BlackRock Colombia Holdco LLC, BlackRock Colombia Infraestructura S.A.S., BlackRock Colombia SAS, BlackRock Company Secretarial Services (UK) Limited, BlackRock Corporation US Inc., BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc., BlackRock Enterprise Management Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Europe Development Management Limited, BlackRock Execution Services, BlackRock Finance Europe Limited, BlackRock Financial Management Inc., BlackRock Finco LLC, BlackRock Finco UK Ltd., BlackRock First Partner Limited, BlackRock France SAS, BlackRock Fund Advisors, BlackRock Fund Management Company S.A., BlackRock Fund Managers Limited, BlackRock Funding International Ltd., BlackRock Funds Services Group LLC, BlackRock Germany GmBH, BlackRock Group Limited, BlackRock HK Holdco Limited, BlackRock Holdco 2 Inc., BlackRock Holdco 3 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 4 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 5 LLC, BlackRock Holdco 6 LLC, BlackRock Hungary Kft, BlackRock Index Services LLC, BlackRock Infrastructure Management I LLC, BlackRock Institutional Services Inc., BlackRock Institutional Trust Company National Association, BlackRock International Holdings Inc., BlackRock International Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Dublin) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Korea) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Investment Management (Taiwan) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Investment Management Ireland Holdings Limited, BlackRock Investment Management LLC, BlackRock Investments LLC, BlackRock Japan Co. Ltd., BlackRock Japan Holdings GK, BlackRock Jersey Finco 2 Limited, BlackRock Latin America Holdco LLC, BlackRock Latin American Holdings B.V., BlackRock Life Limited, BlackRock Lux Finco S.a r.l., BlackRock Luxembourg Holdco S.a r.l., BlackRock Mexican Holdco B.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura I S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura II S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Infraestructura III S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager II S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager III S. de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Manager S de R.L. de C.V., BlackRock Mexico Operadora S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, BlackRock Mortgage Ventures LLC, BlackRock Niagara LLC, BlackRock Operations (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., BlackRock Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., BlackRock PC Holdings LLC, BlackRock Pensions Limited, BlackRock Peru Asesorias S.A., BlackRock Property Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BlackRock Property France S.a.r.l., BlackRock Property Lux S.a.r.l., BlackRock Property Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., BlackRock Realty Advisors Inc., BlackRock Saudi Arabia, BlackRock Scale Holdings LLC, BlackRock Services India Private Limited, BlackRock Singapore III Pte. Ltd., BlackRock Slovakia s.r.o., BlackRock Strategic Investors GP LLC, BlackRock Strategic Investors LP, BlackRock Trident Holding Company Limited, BlackRock UK (Alpha) Limited, BlackRock UK (Beta) Limited, BlackRock UK (Delta) LP, BlackRock UK (Gamma) Limited, BlackRock UK (Sigma) Limited, BlackRock UK 2 LLP, BlackRock UK 3 LLP, BlackRock UK 4 LLP, BlackRock UK A LLP, BlackRock UK Holdco 2 Limited, BlackRock UK Holdco Limited, Blackhawk Investment Holding LLC, CIE Automotive, Cachematrix Holdings, Cachematrix Holdings LLC, Cachematrix Integrations Private Limited, Cachematrix Software Solutions LLC, Cachematrix UK Limited, FutureAdvisor Inc., Glass Mountain Pipeline, Global Energy & Power Infrastructure Advisors LLC, Global Energy & Power Infrastructure II Advisors LLC, Grosvenor Alternate Partner Limited, Grosvenor Ventures Limited, HLX Financial Holdings LLC, MGPA (Bermuda) Limited, MGPA (Exec) Limited, MGPA Limited, Mercury Carry Company Ltd., Mercury Private Equity MUST 3 (Jersey) Limited, Object Capital Technology Inc., Phoenix Acquisition B.V., Phoenix Acquisitions Holdings LLC, Portfolio Administration & Management Ltd., Prestadora de Servicios Integrales BlackRock Mexico S.A. de C.V., SVOF/MM LLC, St. Albans House Nominees (Jersey) Ltd., State Street Research & Management, Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC, Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC, Tlali Acero S.A. de C.V. SOFOM ENR, Trident Merger LLC, eFront, eFront, eFront (Jersey) Limited, eFront DMLT Holdings LLC, eFront DMLT Holdings S.R.L, eFront DR S.R.L, eFront Do Brasil Solucoes Informaticas Para Sistemas Financeiros Ltda., eFront FZ-LLC, eFront Financial Solutions Inc., eFront GmbH, eFront Holding II SAS, eFront Holdings SAS, eFront Hong Kong Limited, eFront II SAS, eFront Kabushiki Kaisha, eFront Ltd, eFront SAS, eFront Singapore Pte. Ltd, eFront Software Luxembourg S.a r.l., eFront Solutions Financeieres Inc., eFront d.o.o. Beograd, iShares (DE) I Investmentaktiengesellschaft mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, and iShares Delaware Trust Sponsor LLC. Presentation of the eighth and ninth volumes of the Moment and Eternity" series, written by rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Yevgeny Bazhanov, was held in the Biblio-Globus trading house. Using family memoirs, author tells about the time he traveled to Austria, Belarus, Great Britain, Germany, USA, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and other countries with his wife Natalia Bazhanova, as well as analyzes historical, political and civilizational processes. "Despite all of uniqueness of Japanese civilization, it took a lot from Chinese civilization. From 6th to 10th centuries, Japanese took a lot of things from Chinese. This is not surprising, because they weren't the only one's who did that. China was like ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy for all Asian nations. Japanese built their capital Kyoto based on the model of Chinese capital, they used Chinese hieroglyphs, classical Chinese literature, which is still being studied in Japanese schools, they use ikebana, kimono, as well as Confucianism and many other things. I wrote about all of that in these books," Yevgeny Bazhanov said. Multi-volume books is a story about the life of Natalia Bazhanova, political scientist, scientist, diplomat and historian. She made significant contribution to study of international relations, global economy, ethnic groups and countries. All volumes of this book helped me to understand how wide the world is even better. In the past we knew little about what is happening in other countries, in other cultures, Boris Yesenkin, director of the Biblio-Globus trading house, noted. Books were published by trade and publishing corporation "Dashkov and Co". "The name of this series - the 'Moment and Eternity' - already says a lot. It has great philosophical meaning. Books show that human life is just a moment, a moment in our historical development. But if person leaves something behind, his legacy becomes an eternity," Leonid Dashkov, director of the "Dashkov and Co", said. Eighth and ninth volumes cover period from 1993 to 1999. "What's really interesting is that Yevgeny Petrovich continues to maintain civilizational approach to analysis of the modern world even in latest volumes. It seems to me that this is one of the most successful methods of evaluation what's happening in the context of what we have learned about this world and our Soviet period," head of the department of world economics of the Diplomatic Academy, Petr Tolmachyov, stressed. Presentation was attended by Askar Akayev, who served as president of Kyrgyzstan in the 1990s. According to him, works of Bazhanov family memebers really helped him in his career. "Articles and books of Evgeny Petrovich and Natalia Evgenyevna had details and information that was unbelievable for that time. They helped to build good relations, gain trust of the other party, agree on fruitful cooperation. Basically, articles and books written by Evgeny Petrovich and Natalya Evgenyevna helped us a lot," Askar Akayev said. WestJet Airlines Ltd. provides scheduled airline services and travel packages. The company offers scheduled flights, as well as cargo and charter services. It also operates WestJet Vacations that provides air, hotel, car, and excursion packages; WestJet Encore, a regional airline with a fleet of turboprop aircraft in a network of destinations in Canada and the United States; and Swoop, an ultra-low-cost carrier for air transportation. As of December 31, 2018, it operated a fleet of 115 Boeing 737 Next Generation aircraft, 11 Boeing MAX 737 aircraft, 47 Bombardier Q400 aircraft, and 4 Boeing 767-300 ERW aircraft for approximately 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Read More Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Xerox: A B S Digital Limited, Acorn Business Machines (Holmfirth) Limited, Alloy Acquisitions Corp. 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Armenias third president Serzh Sargsyan cast his ballot in early parliamentary elections, News.am reported. Machine did not recognize his fingerprints, and it took some time, but finally everything was fine. Sargsyan refused to answer reporters questions. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Ambassador Alice Wells is set to visit Astana on December 8-12 for the U.S.-Kazakhstan Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue, Kazinform reported. Ambassador Wells will lead the U.S. delegation, which will include representatives from the National Security Council, USAID, and the State Department's Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, for discussions on global and regional security issues, counterterrorism cooperation, economic and trade agreements, C5+1 initiatives, human rights and rule of law, people to people ties, and other issues of mutual interest Israeli and Russian experts may gather for another meeting to discuss coordination on Syria in the coming days in Moscow, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a government meeting on Sunday, TASS reports. "I talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday. We agreed that the delegations of Russian and Israeli armies on coordination on Syria will meet as soon as possible. I hope this will be in the coming days, most likely in Moscow. And our meeting with President Putin will be held later," Netanyahu said, according to his press service. The case on the Salisbury poisoning of former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia is nothing but a farce as the UK authorities are unwilling to cooperate in its investigation and literally destroy the evidence, chief of Russias Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin said on Sunday, TASS reports. "Regrettably, the British side is unwilling to cooperate. Moreover, as we see it on our part, the British side keeps on destroying evidence, pets and other objects," he said in an interview with the Deistvuyushchiye Litsa (Political Actors) with Nailya Asker-zade on the Rossiya-1 television channel. Truth, in his words, can be established only in joint investigation. "Only a joint professional investigation can probably help find out what really happened. Until now, we have been interpreting it as a farce, as a provocation," he said. He recalled that the Russian side had offered assistance immediately after the incident and had been stressing its readiness to take part in the investigation of this incident. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has expressed condolences over the death of human rights champion Lyudmila Alexeyeva at the age of 91 on Saturday, TASS reported. "Lyudmila Mikhailovna Alexeyeva devoted her entire life to protecting human rights and freedoms, and was one of the most active public figures. She had to pass many tests but she always lived with her head held high and with crystal-clear conscience," Medvedev wrote on his Facebook page. Alexeyevas name became a symbol of freedom and democratic changes in Russia, Medvedev noted, stressing that "she was not afraid to speak when others kept silence," and she "continued struggling for her principles when others gave up." Medvedev emphasized that Alexeyeva "achieved great results, including in the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights, where she had worked for many years." "At any time, there were no forbidden issues and authorities for Lyudmila Alexeyeva, besides the authority of law. She was characterized by courage, dedication, and unfailing firmness in defending her position," he said. Some 1,726 people were detained during Saturdays "yellow vest" protests in France, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has said, TASS reports. At least 1,220 protesters have been placed in custody, the minister said, according to BFM TV channel. Most protesters were hauled off in Paris and 619 of them were sent to a pre-trial detention center. Many protesters carried weapons on them, but their lawyers claimed that their clients sought to express strong protest, but did not use violence. Most demonstrators who are in custody are suspected of "plotting to commit violence or inciting a crime." Using an ATM card or debit card almost seemed like a privilege when demonetisation was first announced, and with the possibility of India losing 50 per cent of its ATMs by March 2019, may become even more so. However, while an ATM card allows you to withdraw money with ease, shop online, and go cashless, theres a lot to it that you probably dont know. Being well-informed can help you use your ATM card more prudently while staying up to date with the current norms. Without further ado, here are five important aspects of your ATM card you may have overlooked. IF ITS YOUR CARD, DONT ALLOW OTHERS TO USE IT While handing over your ATM card and PIN number to a family member to withdraw money may seem convenient, you may end up losing out big-time. According to bank regulations, an ATM card and PIN number is only to be used by the card holder. So, if the ATM fails to dispense the money when the registered cardholder is not using the card, youll have no discourse. Instead of risking your finances, heed the non-transferable rule and either consider opening a joint account getting two debit cards or visit the ATM in person. AN SMS IS MANDATORY FOR ALL TRANSACTIONS In an attempt to reduce and prevent fraud, the RBI has mandated SMS alerts for all transactions post June 30, 2011. This way you are kept in the loop and can immediately notice unauthorised transactions done using your debit card. In an event where you arent receiving such alerts, pay a visit to your bank and double-check your registered mobile number too. UPGRADING TO CHIP CARDS IS MANDATORY The RBI has directed debit cards with magnetic strips to be replaced with cards that have an EMV chip and are PIN-based by December 31, 2018. This means if your card isnt one with an EMV chip embedded in it that runs on a PIN, it will be ineffective and not function from the January 1, 2019. Make sure you put this down in your financial checklist before bringing in the New Year! YOUR MONEY CAN BE LOST IN TRANSIT While booking movie tickets, paying utility bills, or conducting other transactions online, you may get debited for an amount that doesnt reach your payee. This can happen due to technical glitches, and you must avoid reusing the same mode of payment immediately as your second attempt is most likely to fail too. The deducted amount is usually refunded to your account within approximately five days and if it isnt, it is important that you reach out to your bank. ITS ON YOU TO USE IT SECURELY Did you know that both online and offline transactions with your ATM card are risky if you dont take adequate precaution? Card skimming, which involves recording the data on the magnetic strip of your cars, is one of the biggest risks. In fact, in August 2018, banks lost Rs 20 lakh in Kolkata thanks to card skimming, the shiny, new posterchild of ATM card fraud. In such cases, your PIN is usually recorded by placing cameras in ATMs or by shoulder surfing, where people may stand behind you trying to see your PIN as you enter it on the machine. Additionally, you should beware of scamming sites and fake apps that replicate brand websites and applications. Their main goals is tricking you into making a payment. While you may practise caution by never writing down your PIN, also watch for malware and public Wi-Fi, using which your confidential card details may be hacked. So be careful of free internet, and keep your smartphone and laptop protected with the right security software. Now that you are a little better informed, pay heed to all your ATM card transactions to avoid a financial misstep. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has written to the Chief Ministers of states where the party is in power or in an alliance to have a resolution passed in their Assemblies seeking one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state elections. In his letter to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Mr Gandhi noted that the Rajya Sabha passed the 108th Constitutional Amendment Bill in 2010, but it lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. The Congress and several parties have called on the Prime Minister to ensure the passage of the Womens Reservation Bill and pledged their support. While the opponents of the Bill have cast doubts on the ability of women to affect change, the leadership role taken by women after the 73rd and 73th constitutional amendments have proved the detractors wrong, he said in his letter. In his letter, Mr Gandhi also said that Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev had also written to all party-led state governments in this regard on November 23. The legislative assemblies of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have already taken a lead and passed a resolution calling on the Central government to enact the Womens Reservation Bill, he added. He said India ranks 148 out of 193 countries in terms of the percentage of women in Parliament. The situation was even worse in state Assemblies, he wrote. Mr Gandhis letter comes just days before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament. Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, too, on Thursday had written to all chief ministers seeking their support to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women. Mumbai: A man allegedly slapped Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale at a public event in Ambernath on Saturday night. Mr Athawale, the president of the Republican Party of India (RPI), has claimed that the police had failed to provide adequate security. The leader was getting down from the stage after delivering a speech on the Constitution at a rally when a former RPI member named Pravin Gosavi allegedly slapped him on the pretext of garlanding him. In a statement issued Sunday morning, Mr Athawale said, The police did not provide sufficient protection, which aided the assailant. My popularity is growing, and it may have resulted in a jealous person acting out against me. I am going to meet the chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis regarding the matter. After the incident supporters of the Union minister beat the accused, who has been shifted to a state-run hospital in Mumbai. As soon as Gosavi allegedly slapped the minister, around 10.15 pm, bystanders and police stepped in to foil further attempts to assault the leader, according to Thane Police. After the incident supporters of the minister beat the accused, who has been shifted to a state-run hospital in Mumbai. The police has also detained Gosavi. Gosavis RPI membership was terminated a year ago after he was found blackmailing people using Right to Information Act pleas. He may have been frustrated about this and tried to manhandle the Union minister, P.P. Shewale, deputy commissioner of police (zone IV), Thane police, said. Mr Athawale on Sunday morning asked his party workers to maintain peace in the wake of the incident. Russian aviation security specialists arrived in the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh and will begin inspections at the airports of these cities on Monday, sources close to the Egyptian Ministry of Civil Aviation said, Sputnik reports. "[The experts] arrived this morning. Tomorrow they begin to inspect airports," the source said. The two groups will work in parallel in two resort cities until December 16, he specified. "These are large groups. We hope that this is the last check before opening flights to Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh," the source added. Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will be going to Delhi on Monday to take part in a meeting of non-BJP parties, which is seen as a precursor to stitching a grand alliance at the national level against the ruling party. Mondays meeting comes a day before the results in the five states will be announced. It is being viewed as a high stakes battle fought by the BJP and the Congress in the Hindi heartland. Tuesdays results will also indicate whether the efforts of Mr Naidu to stitch together an anti- BJP front along with the Congress, with which it is in alliance for the elections in Telangana, are likely to be successful. The extradition of Christian J. Michel, a British national, by India from Dubai early last week, on December 4, has aroused great public interest within the country. More significantly, it gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi ammunition for his electioneering on December 5, the last day before the campaigning closed in Rajasthan, where the BJP faced serious anti-incumbency according to pre-poll estimates. Mr Modi used Michel to tar his partys principal opponent, the Congress, based mostly on innuendo and presumptive guilt when the accuseds interrogation had barely begun. While seasoned politicians surmised it was too late to derive any political mileage, most voters having already made up their minds, the governments frantic attempt raised a number of questions about electoral propriety and the inadvisability of dragging in foreign nations into our domestic politics. After all, in the United States, almost ever since President Donald Trumps victory, an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller is under way into possible Russian government efforts to interfere with the American presidential election. Mr Trump had been referring to his opponent all through the campaign as crooked Hillary. Was it illegal to contact the Russians for material on her? As per US election law, part (a)(1)(A), it shall be unlawful for a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value. Seeking damaging information from Russia on Hillary Clinton is being construed as having value that could interfere with the US election. The extradition of Michel falls into a different category as it is the Indian State which is pursuing a fugitive through legitimate legal processes to unravel possible bribes in a defence contract. But the counter-argument can be that considering Michel was already under detention in Dubai, he could well have been surrendered by the Dubai authorities two days later, when voting would have ended in the crucial state elections in the Hindi heartland that will possibly cast a huge shadow on the Lok Sabha polls next year. This in no way would have affected Indias graft-bursting zeal. This again raises the question of whether India too needs laws that disallow such blatant use of law-enforcement actions for political point-scoring in the middle of actual electioneering, while a code of conduct is in place. Naturally this would not cover situations where the escape of a fugitive is anticipated. The worry is that the use of diplomacy to spring a fugitive in a politically-sensitive case may not end with Michel. What is to keep a future non-BJP government in a possible inquiry into another contentious defence deal from approaching another foreign government for information in lieu of promised future contracts or threat of cancellation of existing deals. But to return to laffaire Michel, as Indias ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in 1999-2003 I oversaw the beginning of collaboration in deporting to India of terror-related fugitives starting in 2002. Although by then the extradition treaty between India and the UAE was already in operation, the method chosen by mutual agreement was, as the fugitives were Indian nationals, to bypass the extradition proceedings altogether and simply deport them to India. The Michel case, however, needed proper legal proceedings as he was a British national and was wanted on bribery charges in a defence deal. After the Dubai court approved the extradition, the matter was in the hands of UAE federal authorities as extradition is a quasi-political act, with foreign offices normally needing to sign off before actual transfer. Thus, the timing was deliberate and by mutual choice. However, India would have needed to negotiate at two levels. Dubai, an emirate having its own ruler and judicial system, had to conduct the extradition trial, but Abu Dhabi as the federal authority took the final call on actual implementation. Past experience dictates that individual emirates tend to be transactional and weigh their own benefit in obliging a foreign interlocutor. In the present case, it appears that New Delhis prompt action paid off in apprehending Sheikha Latifa, the rebellious daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who is the Ruler of Dubai and vice-president-cum-Prime Minister of the UAE, somewhere in the Arabian Sea and returning her despite her protests to Dubai. Separately, Prime Minister Modi had made two visits to the UAE and hosted Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations last year, although he is neither head of state nor head of government. Mr Modi also made an exception, unprecedented for an Indian Prime Minister, to receive at the airport in person a mere crown prince of an emirate. In turn, Abu Dhabi, dubbed Little Sparta by the US defence secretary, has been playing an ambitious role in tandem with Saudi Arabia in the region and beyond, which is becoming contentious even in eyes of the American Congress in the make of the Jamal Khashoggi murder. To foil Iran, which is stitching a regional alliance of Shia powers, the UAE wooed India to wean it away from Iran. Thus, on the Michel issue, the interests of Dubai and Abu Dhabi converged. They may or may not have understood the domestic implications of their move in India. It, however, again highlights the need to place the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under an independent Lok Pal, who is of such eminence, which clearly the Central Vigilance Commissioner is not, that his actions are above political interference. A similar misstep by the director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, days before voting in the US presidential election in 2016, when he let it be known that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was under investigation, may have cost her the election. The Rajasthan election results may still go in favour of the Congress, but in case they do not the stink of a foreign hand will linger over them, as it does over Mr Trumps victory. The much-hyped surgical strike of September 29, 2016 has been regularly criticised by commentators and critics of the government, but now Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda (Retd), who was the Northern Army commander in 2016 and had overall charge of that operation, appears to share their view. At a public event in Chandigarh recently, the retired general said that while it was natural for the Army to be euphoric about a successful operation by crossing the Line of Control that was necessary after a terrorist attack from across the border on an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir, it should have been kept under wraps, and that politicising it was unwarranted. This is the most significant criticism of the incumbent government and ruling party over the controversial political use of a military operation. Indias long-standing creed has been that the armed forces and their actions must not be made a matter of partisan politics in a healthy democracy, and that the military must be sheltered from domestic politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought to play up the surgical strikes in the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in early 2017. This year, the BJP even observed the Surgical Strike Day in September in order to emphasise its so-called nationalist credentials. In the 10 years of UPA rule, similar strikes were not publicised. An important reason is that while India has cause to routinely criticise Pakistan for permitting the violation of the Line of Control, it observes bilateral agreements and international protocols not to do so. Its not good news that the leaders of the top three European economies are in trouble at the same time. Angela Merkel, once thought of as having the potential to be the worlds most powerful leader, has got her handpicked successor elected to leadership of the Christian Democratic Union, but as Chancellor she is somewhat emasculated after a series of poll setbacks caused by her liberal refugee policy. In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May faces the prospect of losing power over her nations inability to resolve the Brexit problem. A second referendum seems the only solution now to end the political deadlock, but Ms Mays plans to leave the EU seems headed for a crushing defeat in Parliament. In France, Emmanuel Macron is facing the worst crisis of the three after having been voted in only last year as the modern reformist President who could deliver France from economic pressures. A fourth successive weekend of mayhem on the streets of Paris and other major cities gravely threatens Mr Macrons once pre-eminent position as the man who slew the far right, keeping populism at bay in the republic. By maintaining a studious silence on the violent protests fuelled by the grassroots Gilet Jeunes, or yellow vest movement, the French President may only have further stoked the unrest. Having walked to the Arc de Triomphe to survey the damage to a historical monument last week, Mr Macron made a token attempt to get talks going with the protesters against his ecological fuel tax. He beat a retreat in withdrawing the tax that proved the definitive trigger for civil unrest, which saw cars burnt and shops looted in Paris. The magnetic iconic Eiffel Tower was closed to tourists and shops were shuttered during the height of the Christmas shopping season. Tax sops for corporates and income-tax relief for the rich in Mr Macrons pro-business policies, a feeling of disenchantment over the citizens of Paris enjoying all the facilities while all others seem lesser people, rising unemployment and lower economic growth constitute a deadly cocktail fanning discontent. The protesters were seen utilising Facebook to the fullest in spreading disaffection even as the social media giants changed algorithms prioritising local news helped the rebellion wreak havoc in the countrys worst rioting in 50 years since Charles de Gaulle had to take a trip to England to escape the wrath of the Parisian student movement. If theres a lesson in all this for all, including developing economies, it has to do with rulers having to lend an ear to peoples woes and doing something about the common mans problems rather than barricading themselves in citadels of power. Theres a point to the argument the peaceful protesters are making that only violent rioting draws a response while the feelings of the majority of the people are invariably ignored. The exit polls have created quite a buzz with their projections of the results of the five state Assemblies for which voting was held recently. As one awaits the actual day of counting (Tuesday, December 11), a few trends seem clearly discernible and merit detailed reflection. Firstly, the exit polls seem to be unanimous in stating that Rajasthan would see a change of guard and Telangana would see the the TRS, under K. Chandrashekar Rao, retaining power. The few surveys in Mizoram also indicate that the Mizo National Front is marginally ahead of the Congress. There seems to be a little difference of opinion among the different polls on the direction of the Chhattisgarh result, and Madhya Pradesh seems to be a close race between the incumbent BJP and its main challenger, the Congress. Three immediate issues come to the fore in any discussion of the trends. First, the cycle of anti-incumbency appears to be coming full circle. Soon after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP managed to win state after state elections, wresting power from either the Congress or state-based parties. The incumbent governments had completed one or two or in some cases even three terms and faced a determined BJP that made the best of the strong anti-incumbency sentiment. As the Narendra Modi-led BJP nears the end of its five-year term, state governments headed by the BJP are now facing the heat of anti-incumbency. In Gujarat, the BJP managed to retain power after a closely fought electoral battle. In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan it faces a stiff challenge from the Congress. In the past four years (since 2014), the Congress has been unable to defeat the BJP in any straight contest. If the exit poll numbers are to be believed, December 11 could see a turnaround, with the Congress stemming the tide of continuous defeats. How dramatic the turnaround is will depend, of course, on whether that return to winning ways is limited to one state, stretches to two states or encompasses all the three states of North India! Second, the trends that the exit polls indicate are indicative of the fact that at the end of the day, governance, as perceived by people on the ground, truly matters. If the BJP loses power in Rajasthan, it would truly be a reflection of public perception of governance at the state level and the peoples response to the attitude and approach of those entrusted with the responsibility of leading the state. Similarly, it seems clear that in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, rural distress and the challenges of securing employment could play a major role in defining the nature of the peoples verdict. In Telangana, the public perception of the work done by the TRS over the last four years and the euphoria over the formation of the new state may well help the incumbent secure another term. A lot of media space has been devoted to the role of the leadership (both at the state and the national level) in determining the electoral outcome of the state Assembly polls. This leadership is often seen by the people from the prism of performance in terms of visible implementation of welfare and development programmes on the ground. The results that would be out by Tuesday are likely to categorically underscore this point. Third, we are clearly moving into a phase of politics where voters across the country are making a clear distinction between a state-level and a national election. In the current round of state elections, the voters are responding to specific issues linked to their states and regions. While national events may have a tangential impact, the core factors are patently state-specific. This explains why despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi being reasonably popular in Rajasthan, if the BJP is voted out of power in the state, it would largely be a response to the state government and its leadership. The electoral verdicts in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh would surely be a vote on popular perceptions of the performance of the state government. This implies that next years Lok Sabha polls would see a different set of factors influencing voter choices. Electoral slogans across the states which have had voted for new Legislative Assemblies clearly recognise this distinction between state and national verdicts. In the past it was often argued that the trend in the state Assembly polls was often repeated in the Lok Sabha polls when held within a year. In 2014, Karnataka bucked this trend and a year later Bihar and Delhi saw state verdicts being distinctly different from the Lok Sabha verdicts of those states. The larger point one is trying to make is that while the verdict in the five state Assembly polls is crucial is helping parties and alliances defining strategies, it need not necessarily be an indicator of the way 2019 is likely to go. Even those who have characterised these elections as a semi-final do concede that the specific context of a semi-final may not be totally relevant for the finals. The finals need to be viewed in the specific political context that that particular election is fought in. As one saw party leaders responding to the exit polls, one noticed that they were taking the cautious stance that these were just projections and that the real peoples verdict would be known only on December 11. Yet, their cautious optimism or guarded skepticism reflected an acceptance of the fact that it was truly difficult to definitively conclude the mood of the voter and what had been locked up in the EVMs. The fact that everyone is kept guessing and waiting with bated breath for December 11 reflects the strength and vitality of Indias democracy. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. (Photo: AP) China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltds chief financial officer, calling the case extremely nasty. Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her companys links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. In a short statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canadas ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a strong protest. Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Saturday there is nothing to add beyond what the Minister said yesterday. Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China is important and valued, and Canadas ambassador in Beijing has assured Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huaweis CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing. Canadas arrest of Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move ignored the law, was unreasonable and was in its very nature extremely nasty, he added. China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused. The statement did not elaborate. There will probably be a deep freeze with the Chinese in high-level visits and exchanges, David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, said on Friday. The ability to talk about free trade will be put in the ice box for a while. But were going to have to live with that. Thats the price of dealing with a country like China. Mengs arrest was on the same day that US President Donald Trump met in Argentina with Chinas Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the worlds two largest economies. We are tracking the developments of this case and refer you to the filings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, said a US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The news of Mengs arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have played down its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. A Huawei spokesman said on Friday the company has every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion. The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Security executives for companies including Walt Disney Co, Alphabet Incs Google, Facebook Inc, and PayPal Holdings Inc attended the meeting. (Photo AP) At a closed-door security meeting of US companies in Singapore on Thursday, one topic was high on the agenda: the arrest of a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei and the potential backlash on American firms operating in China. Officials from major US companies who attended the event, a scheduled meeting of the local chapter of the US Department of States Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), voiced concerns about retaliation against American firms and their executives, two people with knowledge of the meeting said. A number of attendees said their companies were considering restricting non-essential China travel and looking to move meetings outside the country, one of the people added. Security executives for companies including Walt Disney Co, Alphabet Incs Google, Facebook Inc, and PayPal Holdings Inc attended the meeting, according to the sources and a LinkedIn posting by one of the attendees. The companies all declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication. Following publication of this story, Google spokesperson Taj Meadows said in a statement that it misrepresents what happened at the meeting. He asserted that there was no discussion on the record or behind closed doors about the arrest of a top Huawei executive or about American companies operating in China. Meadows also said he was not at the meeting and could not say whether attendees discussed China travel informally. The discussions at the meeting underscore concerns rippling through US businesses in the worlds second largest economy, already facing a delicate balancing act amid a tense trade standoff between Washington and Beijing. The formal agenda for the meeting, held at Googles Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, included presentations on economic crime and terrorism in the region. OSAC promotes security cooperation between American private sector interests worldwide and the US Department of State, according to its website. But informal conversations among attendees soon turned to possible risks in China prompted by the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer and heiress of Chinese telecom network equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, who was detained in Canada on Dec. 1. The news of the arrest was made public on Wednesday. Meng, the daughter of Huaweis founder, was held at Washingtons request as part of a US investigation of an alleged scheme to use the global banking system to evade US sanctions against Iran, people familiar with the probe said. The arrest has roiled global markets amid fears that it could further inflame the Sino-US trade row. Risk consultants and analysts said that the arrest could prompt Beijing to retaliate in some form. This will pressure a lot of Chinese officials to look strong in this dispute, said Nick Marro, Hong Kong-based Asia analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, who added that technology companies were particularly at risk. This could mean either taking a stronger stance on trade negotiations, or taking a stronger stance on US tech firms in China right now. Asked whether there would be any retaliation against any foreign executives in China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday China has always protected the lawful rights of foreigners in China in accordance with the law. Of course in China they should respect Chinas laws and rules. OSAC says it is made up of 34 private and public sector member organisations. It lists its events on its website, including the Dec. 6 meeting in Singapore. There was also a separate listed meeting held in Shanghai on the same day. Prashant Nayak, Disneys Asia Pacific director of corporate security, posted about the Singapore meeting on LinkedIn, tagging other executives at Google, Facebook, Amazon.com Inc, Marriot International Inc, Microsoft Corp and others. Nayak did not respond to a LinkedIn message seeking further comment. The second person with knowledge of the event said the Huawei arrest and potential fallout was a hot topic at the meeting. A senior diplomat from the US embassy in Singapore gave opening remarks, but an embassy spokesperson said she left before any discussion. Asia-based risk consultants said they had seen a rise in the number of clients asking about the Huawei issue and potential concerns related to the impact on US firms in China. Jakob Korslund, CEO of Singapore-based consultancy Deutsche Risk, said his firm had received a number of enquiries in the last two days asking about the risks of travelling to China. For a few we have advised postponing trips that were not time critical, telling clients to wait for the next few weeks to see the situation, he said. James McGregor, chairman of APCO Worldwides Greater China region, said companies would likely err on the side of not sending executives to China for the time being. Its all about avoiding risk, because what do you do if somebody is arrested? he told Reuters, adding anxiety was also spreading among executives already in China. People are joking about it a little bit and saying maybe I should take an early Christmas trip home. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The US government has long viewed the company and its close ties to the Chinese government as a threat to national security. (Photo: ANI) Huawei CFO, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada has been accused of fraud with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei allegedly allowed the company's subsidiary SkyCom to do business in Iran, thereby violating US sanctions against the country, TechCrunch reported. The US government has long viewed the company and its close ties to the Chinese government as a threat to national security. Huawei reportedly also received several warnings over violating Iranian sanctions. Meng may be extradited to the US, subject to approval from the Canadian court. Meanwhile, Huawei claims that it is not aware of any wrongdoing by her. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign affairs has firmly requested Meng's release. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. An audit by Ontarios auditor general said this week the deal was rushed. (Photo: AP) Ontarios provincial government has fired three board members from a government organization working with a Google-affiliated company to create a smart-city development in Toronto. The move raises doubt about the developments future. Monte McNaughton, Ontarios minister of infrastructure, said in a statement Friday that he informed the three provincial appointees he was bringing new leadership to the Waterfront Toronto board. Waterfront Toronto chair Helen Burstyn confirmed late Thursday that she, Michael Nobrega and Meric Gertler have been removed from the board. A unit of Googles parent company Alphabet is proposing to turn a rundown part of the citys waterfront into what may be the most wired community in history. Sidewalk Labs has partnered with Waterfront Toronto on plans to erect mid-rise apartments, offices, shops and a school on a 12-acre (4.9-hectare) site a first step toward what it hopes will eventually be an 800-acre (325-hectare) development. An audit by Ontarios auditor general said this week the deal was rushed. It also said there were cost overruns at the government agency on other projects. Burstyn said she has no regrets about the partnership with the Google affiliate which still requires final approval by the board, which has four representatives each from the city, province and federal governments We did everything right. There were lots of claims about things being too rushed. Where we saw things as being too rushed, we slowed things down, she said. But McNaughton said he was shocked to learn the board was given one weekend to examine the most important transaction in its history before being asked to approve it. He also said the board failed to properly consult with the province and the city on the project, which was heavily promoted by federal officials. He said he wouldnt speculate on what will happen in the future with the development. I can tell you that our actions will be guided by three principles: respect for taxpayer dollars, strong oversight and the protection of peoples privacy, he said. Complaints about the proposed development prompted Waterfront Toronto to re-do the agreement over the summer to ensure a greater role for the official agency. Earlier this year a prominent Toronto developer resigned from the Waterfront Toronto board over the project. Some Canadians are rethinking the privacy implications of giving one of the most data-hungry companies on the planet the means to wire up everything from street lights to the pavement. And some want the public to get a cut of the revenue from products developed using Canadas largest city as an urban laboratory. The concerns have intensified following a series of privacy scandals at Facebook and Google. Among other things, the development plans to have heated streets to melt ice and snow on contact, as well as sensors that would monitor traffic and protect pedestrians. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. A clear financial dispute and affection towards a lady have emerged as the key motive behind the ghastly murder of diamond merchant and antique dealer Rajesh Udani. So far, the Mumbai police have questioned over 50 persons which include several women including some small-time actress and bar girls. On Sunday, popular actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee, known for her role Gopi Bahu was questioned again by the Pant Nagar police station. The case is being directly supervised by Additional Commissioner of Police Laxmi Gautam and Deputy Commissioner of Police Akhilesh Singh. "My client was called to the police station, her statement was recorded and she is cooperating with police," Devoleena's lawyer Falguni Brahmbhatt said. According to police, two persons - a BJP worker Sachin Pawar (37) and his friend Deepak Pawar (27), a suspended Local Arms constable, who also ran a gym at Ghatkopar, have been booked for the sensational murder. On Friday, Deepak was arrested on charges of a rape case and is under custody. On Saturday, Sachin, who is a former PA of Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta, was arrested and on Sunday he was produced before a Magistrate court, which remanded him to police custody till 14 December. The telephone number of Devoleena (28) was found in the call records of the Ghatkopar-based Udani (57), who ran a jewellery firm, Mriya Concept & Design. He was also into antiques and reality. Udani went missing on 27 November and his body was found in Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district. He is survived by mother, wife, son and daughter. The post-mortem was conducted at the government-run Sir JJ Hospital at Byculla, which confirmed strangulation and smother. He was lured into a trap with the help of a bar girl. The two motives that police is working is a financial dispute between Sachin and Udani and a call data records reveal that they were frequently in touch with each other. Besides, the businessman also had "wrong intentions' on a lady friend of the main suspect. However, it is not yet clear who this lady friend is. Turkey's president has condemned the violence in Paris, following clashes between French police and "yellow vest" protesters. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that although trouble seems to have been started by anti-government protesters - dubbed the "yellow vests" due to the high-vis bibs they wear - police were also guilty of using "excessive violence", The New Arab reported. "The policemen of those who ridiculed our police, who criticized them, who said that our police was cruel, look what their police is doing now," Erdogan said. "Turkey is against the violence, the violence of chaos created by protesters and the disproportionate violence that is reciprocated (by police)." A BJP worker, who was a former personal assistant (PA) of a high-profile Maharashtra minister, and a suspended police constable were arrested in connection with the mysterious murder of Rajeshwar Udani, billionaire diamond merchant and an art-collector. Popular television actor and dancer, Devoleena Bhattacharya was also questioned by police for having links with the businessman, who was missing for over 10 days and now found dead. Devoleena, known for her work in Saath Nibhaana Saathiya as 'Gopi Bahu', was grilled for several hours on Saturday evening. She is one of the highest paid soaps actor. The police have arrested Sachin Pawar, a former PA of Housing Minister Prakash Mehta. Devoleena and Sachin were taken into custody for interrogation after they landed here from Guwahati. The suspended constable was identified as Deepak Pawar, who was already in custody for a different case since November 7. "So far we have arrested two persons Sachin Pawar and Deepak Pawar... Further investigation is in progress," a police official said. Asked about the reason, he said: "As of now one of the reasons is financial dispute. Another could be that the victim had wrong intentions towards a lady friend of the suspect." When pointed out that a TV actor has been questioned, the official said: "We have interrogated several persons." Mehta, however, said he had no association with the prime suspect, Sachin. "He (Sachin) worked as an assistant from 2004-09. In 2009 corporation elections, he contested as an Independent. The BJP had suspended him from the party. Since then I have no relations with him in any way," he said. In 2017, Pawar returned to the BJP and his wife was given ticket for municipal polls. "It is wrong to link me with Pawar. The Mumbai police is an efficient organisation and they would deal with the case sternly," Mehta added. Nearly 10 days ago, the 57-year-old diamond trader, a resident of Mahalaxmi apartment in Ghatkopar West was reported missing. Udani's son Ronak had lodged a formal comlaint with the police. On Friday evening, highly decomposed body of Udani was found near Dehrang dam close to Dudhane village in Panvel in the adjoining Raigad district. The Pantnagar police identified the body with the help of family members. The body was identified based on clothes and footwear of the deceased. There were no external injury marks on the body. The post-mortem was conducted at the government-run Sir JJ Hospital and the report is awaited. Udani was last seen after he left his Vikhroli office on November 28. His cellphone was active for some time but later went blank. On November 29, a missing complaint was filed but on December 4, it was converted into an FIR of kidnapping. His last location was traced to Rabale. His call data records have revealed that he was in touch with several women including bar girls. Apart from diamond trade, the Udanis also deal in antiques. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Pawar had introduced Devoleena to the businessman. Tucked away in a picturseque valley, this quaint little hydel power station has been continuously supplying electricity to Bengaluru and other parts of the state for the last 80 years. The Shimshapura Generating Station, set up by philosopher-king of the erstwhile princely Mysore state, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV in 1939, is famed for not only being Karnatakas second power station; it also prides itself for being fully functional to this day. Today, however, it faces the threat of sinking into oblivion literally. The station will be among the many casualties of the controversial Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project, which the Karnataka government is determined to implement. Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday told DH that though there would be collateral damage, the drinking water project was the only respite for the burgeoning Bengaluru city. Shivakumar, who made a spot visit to the start and end points of the proposed Mekedatu project, said that more than 4,900 hectares of land (forest, revenue, private) will be submerged, and the Shimshapura Station would among them. There is no way of protecting or saving this power station. It is bound to get submerged once the Mekedatu project is implemented. But Shimsha is a small power plant, while the Mekedatu project is massive. Also, the Shimsha stations capacity is very small. We need to sacrifice something to gain something. Fortunately, the Shivanasamudra hydel power station will not be affected by the Mekedatu project, he said. Power house trolley. (DH Photo/B H Shivakumar) Shivakumar, however, said that the government was exploring the possibilities of shifting the station upstream. I have asked the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL) to explore if the station can be shifted to a higher elevation, where power generation can continue. There are technologies available today where power can be generated at 15 or 25 feet height. I have seen this in Germany and Switzerland. We are thinking of adopting the same technology here, he added. ALSO READ: Mekedatu project will benefit Tamil Nadu also, says DKS One of the unique features of the Shimsha station is its power house trolley, which has been operational since 1942. The power station can only be accessed by the trolley, which takes eight minutes to ascend and descend the steep slope. Shivakumar said that the trolley track too would be shifted. The station was built at a cost of Rs 19.2 lakh. The then government had spent an additional Rs 39.25 lakh on the hydroelectric works. The station, which produces water from Cauvery river water, sells the power generated at 99.7 paise per unit. 4.9k ha to be submerged Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar said that more than 4,900 ha of land will be submerged once the Mekedatu project is implemented. While around 4,700 acres will be forest land, 280 acres will be revenue and private land. The Minister said that a "maximum" of 1,500 people residing in three villages -- Sangam, Muthathi and Madivala, will be displaced. All three villages will get submerged, he said. Shivakumar said that the Water Resources Department would provide alternative land (revenue) in the district for afforestation. When the U.S. House of Representatives convenes for its new session after the first of the year, it will look dramatically different than the one sitting in those seats today. It will be more diverse. There will be more women. There will be more people of color. All of that is a good thing. After all, shouldnt the House of Representatives actually represent all the people, not just white males? Leading this charge was southeastern Pennsylvania, where four women captured seats in Congress as Democrats regained control of the House. Before Novembers midterm election, Pennsylvania had zero women in Washington. Come January there will be four. This was not an accident. There were several factors, including a dramatic backlash against President Donald Trump, and the fallout from the #MeToo movement and the simmering issue of sexual harassment in our society. But there was another important factor in play in Pennsylvania. Voters were selecting their representatives according to new boundaries drawn up by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The move came as a result of a lawsuit filed by several citizen groups against the old districts. They argued the misshapen districts were a classic example of partisan gerryrmandering. The high court agreed. Not only that, but they threw out the old boundaries and drew up new ones after the state Legislature and Gov. Wolf failed to reach agreement. Gone was the poster boy for partisan gerrymandering, otherwise known as the old 7th Congressional District. Mocked as Goofy Kicking Donald Duck for its bizarre shape, twisted into a pretzel to eliminate pockets of Democratic strength and include bastions of GOP registration, it is why former Rep. Pat Meehan cruised to easy re-election wins with as much as 60 percent of the vote in a district that was once considered a tossup. The 7th was replaced with the 5th under the new map, which put all of Delaware County under one Congressional roof. Meehan, who would have faced a much stiffer re-election run, resigned his seat in a scandal over a harassment suit filed against him. Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon cruised to an easy win over Republican Pearl Kim. In Chester County, Rep. Ryan Costello took one look at the newly constructed 6th District, another that was drawn up to boost the GOPs chances, and immediately threw in the towel, indicating he would not seek re-election. Another Democrat, Chrissy Houlahan, rolled to a convincing victory in the new district. Republicans, including Costello, as well as county and state party leaders, complained that the high court had engaged in their own form of gerrymandering, constructing districts that now tilted toward Democratic candidates. The election may have made the U.S. House more representative, but it did not solve the problem. That is because efforts to resolve the inherent problem of having politicians hands involved in drawing up districts have consistently fallen short. A push in the Legislature last year to remove politicians and judges for that matter from the redistricting process failed. Now Gov. Tom Wolf is trying to breathe new life into the idea. He is setting up a commission to look into ways to improve the process. He signed an order creating the Pennsylvania Redistricting Reform Commission, and he named David Thornburgh, who heads the government watchdog group Committee of Seventy, as its chairman. The 15-member panel is comprised of a variety of politicians, experts and advocates. Theyve been tasked with traveling the state to hear ideas on how to make the system work better and reform the process. Theyve got nine months to do it. Republican leaders are not exactly enamored with the idea. They see this new redistricting push as a way of ignoring rural areas usually GOP strongholds in favor of more urban and Democratic areas. They believe the governor is grandstanding. Theyre dubious that they will be fairly represented and thus have indicated they will not fill their two slots on the commission. They also point out that Wolf is ignoring the constitutional mandate that drawing up these districts falls under the purview of the Legislature. Not exactly an auspicious start. There is no question that the recent election under the new Congressional boundaries produced a more representative Pennsylvania delegation. Granted, the bar was pretty low, since the state had no women members of the House. Every state is required to go through the redistricting process based on the results of the biennial census. The next one will be come in 2021, based on the results of the 2020 census. Republicans continue to control both chambers in the state Legislature. If they did not care for the boundaries put in place by the high court, now is the time for them to prove it. As long as politicians continue to have their fingerprints all over these maps, they will continue to tilt toward the party in power. Dont think for a moment that Democrats would not be doing the same thing if they held the reins of power in Harrisburg. The solution is to get the politicians out of this equation. An effort to do just that came close before stalling last year. Now Wolf is looking to give it another shot. We hope hes successful. Not because hes a Democrat or because the new maps got several Democrats elected, but because they better represent the state. The House of Representatives looks a little more like the people who go to the polls. That is the way the system is supposed work, right? 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Caldwell worked for decades with the oldest of the Christensen brothers, Willam (his brothers Lew and Harold formed the trio), who founded Ballet West and created Americas first Nutcracker. Now Caldwell endeavors to preserve their legacy. Building America's "Nutcracker" While the Christensen brothers have rightly earned their place in dance history for founding major ballet companies and schools, their best-known achievement continues to take the form of giant mice, snow queens, candy fairies, Russian trepaks and a dashing toy nutcracker come-to-life. Having never seen the rather obscure and unpopular 1892 Russian Nutcracker set to Tchaikovskys better-known score, the three Brigham City natives borrowed from both their ballet training under the likes of George Balanchine and their years on the vaudeville circuit to piece together what they hoped would be a hit for American audiences. And it was. Soon, other artistic directors (including Balanchine) stood up and took notice, and Willam Christensen's original 1944 production for the San Francisco Ballet paved the way for thousands of others in the U.S. and abroad, according to Nutcracker.com. Today, only Ballet West continues to perform its founders original version. The company recently toured it at the Kennedy Center to nearly sold-out audiences and will bring it back home for its local holiday run at Salt Lakes Capitol Theatre Dec. 14-29. 'Give them a show' While preserving the legacy doesnt fall squarely on one set of shoulders, many look to Caldwell, longtime ballet master and company archivist for Ballet West, as a guardian of the nostalgic ballet. While the whole artistic staff stages different pieces, Bruce oversees the entire shape and arc or the production each year, Sklute said. He has worked with Mr. C (as he is affectionately known) since his childhood in the 60s, then as a principal dancer with the company until the '80s, and finally as Mr. Cs ballet master. He understands his mentors movement quality and theatricality those things that make our 'Nutcracker' so charming and memorable. It might have been the Christensen brothers enhanced sense of theatricality that gave wings to the poorly received Russian version. Caldwell pointed out that for a classical ballet, the light-hearted style and clipped pace influenced by vaudeville gave this Nutcracker and America something uniquely its own. I think his 'Nutcracker' worked so well because it has something for everyone. It has kids, humor, pathos and art, said Caldwell, who celebrates 50 years with Ballet West this season. Mr. C always reminded us to give them a show, he added. Tinkering with a classic On Nov. 3 of this year, Mayor Jackie Biskupski declared it Bruce Caldwell Golden Anniversary Day in a ceremony honoring him before Ballet Wests season-opening show. Salt Lake City is extremely proud of this native son for advancing and elevating the arts in Utah, Biskupski said in her speech. Elevating The Nutcracker has always been Caldwells end goal when he and the company consider any modifications to the ballet, which has become all the more sacrosanct with the passing of Willam Christensen in 2001. Lew Christensen passed in 1984 and Harold Christensen died in 1989. Mr. C adjusted and changed it from time to time, Caldwell said. He was always wanting to improve the product as we went along that was always the aim. Be cleaner, make good lines, wow the audience. So when weve felt a need for some minor change to update it or make it work better with our current size or strengths, we do it but were careful. Sklute said when he sees a need to tinker with the ballet, he often mines Caldwells memory, talks to the companys first ballet mistress, Bene Arnold, and searches old film which Caldwell has meticulously archived. Together they look for past versions that may better suit the companys needs today. For example, with such a strong corps of men now, I wanted to create more mens roles in the production, Sklute said. It was Bruce and Bene who remembered that once upon a time, Mr. C had a male lead in the Spanish dance. So we watched old film and reincorporated that. Sklute also discovered from his conversations with Caldwell and Arnold that the Christensen brothers often borrowed elements from each others productions (Lew Christensen had created a similar production for the San Francisco Ballet some years after Willam). Learning that, said Sklute, we felt comfortable introducing Lews choreography with a stronger male role in the Chinese dance. 'This is great!' Other revisions include five set and costume redesigns over the past 74 years. Mother Buffoon has been revamped several times for safety reasons, increased sensitivity to racial stereotyping has led to the elimination of certain makeup, and even the Nutcracker doll itself has had several makeovers. Choreographic changes have been minimal, but the most extraordinary because of the companys ever-growing technical prowess has included adjustments to the grand pas de deux between the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier. We felt we had some wiggle room with that because it is considered a public domain classic, said Sklute, who pointed out that even in Mr. Cs time, Marius Petipas original Sugar Plum choreography was part of the classic pantheon that all dancers learned and performed even if the ballet as a whole was relatively unknown. Most of the technicalities occur under the audiences radar, but of course, those who have worked in and with the production recognize even the slightest modifications. Caldwell said when such adjustments have been made, hes tried to live inside the mind of his mentor. Mr. C would have loved the fact that we have such a large company now. He would have wanted to involve everyone and he would have loved to have the money to create more special effects on the stage, Caldwell said. The images of falling snow during the opening scene or the flying sleigh at the end I can almost see his face and hear him saying, This is great! If you go What: Ballet West's The Nutcracker When: December 14-29, times vary Where: J. Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South How much: $44-$125 Phone: 801-869-6900 Web: balletwest.org WASHINGTON "When you strike at a king you must kill him," Ralph Waldo Emerson once said. Well, this year, China tried to strike at President Trump for daring to launch a trade war with Beijing and missed the mark entirely. After Trump imposed massive tariffs on Chinese goods earlier this year, Beijing responded in June with what appeared to be a clever strategy: targeting retaliatory tariffs against Trump voters in rural farming communities across the United States. China is the largest importer of U.S. soybeans, buying $14 billion of them in 2017. Three of the biggest soybean-producing states, Indiana, Missouri and North Dakota, not only voted for Trump, but also in the 2018 midterms had Democratic senators, Joe Donnell, Ind., Claire McCaskill, Mo., and Heidi Heitkamp, N.D., who were up for reelection. If Beijing imposed painful tariffs on soybeans, Chinese leaders likely calculated, they could create a rift between Trump and rural voters who put him in the White House, give Senate Democrats a boost and force Trump to back down. But Trump did not back down. He countered by announcing $12 billion in aid for farmers, threatened to increase his tariffs on Chinese goods and asked his rural base to stick with him while he faced down the economic predators in Beijing. That is exactly what they did. Far from abandoning the president, rural voters hurt by Chinese tariffs rallied around Trump and the GOP. They threw Donnelly, Heitkamp and McCaskill out of office, allowing Republicans to expand their Senate majority. And while Republicans lost control of the House, few of the GOP losses came from rural districts. Competitive rural districts mostly ended up staying Republican; it was the urban-suburban districts that flipped to the Democrats. China's tariff ploy didn't just fail to sway the 2018 midterms; it actually backfired. The tariffs made the U.S. soybeans that China depends on more expensive, and Beijing soon found that alternative suppliers in South America could not produce enough to meet Chinese demand, leading to shortfalls. In other words, China went for a kill shot and ended up shooting itself in the foot. That has emboldened Trump in his negotiations with Chinese President Xi Jinping as shown by news this week that a senior executive of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei had been arrested in Vancouver, at the request of the United States, on charges of violating sanctions on Iran. China demanded her release but nonetheless affirmed that it will still observe the 90-day tariff cease-fire Trump and Xi reached during their meeting last week in Buenos Aires putting off a scheduled Jan. 1 escalation of U.S. tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese goods while the two sides negotiate a deal. Trump has leverage going into those talks. The U.S. economy is booming, while China has just posted its weakest growth in nearly a decade. Moreover, during the Group of 20 meeting in Argentina, Xi saw how Trump has been able to bend his trade rivals to his will, and deliver trade victories for his working-class political base, when he held an elaborate signing ceremony for the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. China will, of course, be a much tougher adversary than Mexico or Canada. As my American Enterprise Institute colleague Derek Scissors points out, the Chinese Communist Party controls the economy through state ownership and massive subsidies in dozens of sectors where U.S. goods and services can't compete fairly. Lifting tariffs is easy. Getting China to change its entire industrial policy will be hard as will stopping China's theft of U.S. intellectual property. But Trump knows that he has no chance of doing so by filing complaints with the World Trade Organization. So Trump is playing a game of chicken with Xi, appearing to calculate that the United States is in a better position to survive an all-out trade war. The markets panicked this week over Trump's recent pronouncement that he would be just as happy imposing tariffs as cutting a deal with China, but getting this message through to Xi is the only way to force his hand. As Trump tweeted this week, "We are either going to have a REAL DEAL with China, or no deal at all at which point we will be charging major Tariffs against Chinese product being shipped into the United States," adding, "remember I am a Tariff Man." He means it. Trump actually believes that tariffs are good for the U.S. economy. The question is whether Xi believes he believes it. The answer may determine whether we get a deal or a trade war. Budgeting is easier when money is abundant, and Utah undeniably is in an age of abundance. The state continues to rank high in numerous surveys of the best places to do business. Employment is strong and the population is growing. With that in mind, Utah Gov. Gary Herberts proposed 2019 budget is prudent, especially considering recent projections that the state will reap $1.3 billion in new revenue a combination of new ongoing funds and one-time windfalls. He wants a $200 million cut to the sales tax. Thats a valid desire, considering surpluses indicate taxpayers are paying more than is necessary to fund government. Of all taxes, the sales tax is the most regressive. The poor pay the same rate as the rich, but for the poor this represents a proportionately higher amount of their total resources. The governor also wants to revisit something conservative politicians have talked about for years the large number of loopholes, or tax exemptions granted to various services or industries. That makes sense. Tax exemptions are governments way of picking winners and losers in the free market. If they went away, tax rates could drop because the base of tax contributors would be broader. In practice, however, eliminating these exemptions is extremely difficult to do. Each came about as a result of a convincing plea, usually in the name of economic development or some other perceived public good. During each legislative session, more of these arguments are made, and exemptions typically are granted, sometimes without enough thought to the larger tax picture. Also, each exemption comes with advocates who will vigorously resist its removal. Herbert argues that the percentage of economic transactions covered by the sales tax in Utah has dropped from 70 percent in the 1980s to about 40 percent today. That makes the tax less effective while also placing a larger burden on those transactions that are taxed. We encourage lawmakers to confront this complicated issue now rather then wait for less prosperous times. As always, education promises to be a big part of budget discussions during the upcoming legislative session. This year, it will be complicated by Question 1, a ballot measure that would have increased education funding through a 10-cent hike in the gas tax. It failed overwhelmingly, with 65 percent of voters saying no. Is that to be interpreted as a lack of support for education? Likely not. The ballot question was confusing and critics said drawing a link to the gas tax and education was not a smart approach. Polling regularly notes support for education by the public. The governor proposes $445 million in additional state-directed funding toward public schools, which he said would add to more than $1 billion more in education funding over the past four years, exceeding by one year his 5-year goal to put $1 billion into education. That represents a healthy commitment to the education of the states large youth population a commitment statistics have shown waning over the past few decades. The governors proposed budget includes much more, of course, including $100 million to combat the type of polluted air that crept into the Wasatch Front this week. We look forward to a robust debate on these issues. The Legislature holds the power to craft the states annual budgets. Governors can only suggest, lobby and, if things go badly, veto. But if lawmakers take the same prudent approach to flush times as Herbert has suggested bearing in mind that good times wont last forever the state would be well-served. ST. GEORGE A 26-year-old man from northern Utah has been arrested in southern Utah after authorities said they learned of alleged threats to shoot people at a Walmart store and commit suicide by cop. The Washington County Sheriff's Office says deputies took Milton Bowcutt into custody Thursday night in Virgin after authorities were informed of the alleged threats and investigators in northern Utah reported that Bowcutt had been tracked to the Washington County area. Bowcutt was jailed in lieu of $10,000 bond for investigation of threat of violence as well as drug and weapons offenses. Court records don't list a defense attorney who could comment on the allegations. SALT LAKE CITY An email came to me from a woman who watched the conversation between director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics and host Jason Perry and myself on "The Hinckley Report," which aired Friday night on KUED. "After hearing you say on "The Hinckley Report" that Utahs air is getting better, I am wondering what data you are using to determine that. Please let me know the source. Im somewhat of a nerd who finds data/statistics interesting." Here's what we know: 1. Utah has a serious air pollution problem. 2. There is life-or-death urgency to solve the problem. 3. Utah's and the nation's air quality is, in fact, getting better. 4. Utahns have a choice to take personal responsibility for it or ignore it. Perry, whose show airs again Sunday morning at 11, does a good job bringing forth issues each week from the world of politics and this week was no exception. He led the panel I shared with Lindsey Whitehurst of the Associated Press and Univisions Lester Rojas through topics that included the special legislative session creating new law for medical marijuana and the governor's newly released budget. It was the discussion on the budget and the state's $1.3 billion surplus that led to the exploration on what's next for Utah in the fight against air pollution. Can we finally find a breath of fresh air? The governor is recommending $100 million be dedicated to improving air quality, looking for incentives in places where we know it makes a difference, such as curtailing use of wood-burning stoves. Beyond the much-needed financial support to fight air pollution, the Deseret News is trying to build awareness and motivation for change. 1. How serious is the problem? One need only look to this week's air quality index to understand the issue. Weather apps Saturday listed "unhealthy" air for sensitive groups, meaning children, the elderly and certainly those with asthma or other ailments. The most unhealthy air was recorded from North Salt Lake south to Point of the Mountain along the Wasatch Front and over to Herriman. Utah County was faring better with "moderate" air quality. Many Deseret News readers live out of state, but we hear from them and they know well Utah has a temperature inversion season and we are at the beginning of it. 2. Why is it a life or death issue? Health professionals note that bad air contributes to significant health challenges and higher mortality. I've written before about the work of Deseret News reporters Amy Joi O'Donoghue and Erica Evans as they've chronicled the problems and put forth possible solutions. In 2012 O'Donoghue wrote: "Three national studies earlier this year have brought greater urgency to the problem, revealing that even short-term exposure to levels of pollution considered "safe" by federal standards bring immediate risks of heart attack and stroke." There are many studies and statistics that grab your attention but consider two highlighted by O'Donoghue's 2012 report: "A 10-year study in the Boston area that followed nearly 20,000 women ages 70 to 81 found that those who breathed in dirtier air longer had a two-year head start in the decline of mental acuity." The second point to consider, nearly one in 10 children and one in 12 adults are afflicted with asthma and in areas of Utah where air quality is the poorest, there are higher hospitalization rates for those sufferers. 3. So in the face of such statistics and studies, how is the air getting better? This gets to the heart of the email this week and here's the answer. In August we reported on anEPA report that noted the following national data: "Since 1990, eight-hour measurements of carbon monoxide have plunged by 77 percent, annual measurements of nitrogen dioxides diminished by 56 percent and eight-hour ozone levels are down by 22 percent." In Utah, there has also been improvement as clean air standards have become more stringent in industry, in homes and for automobiles. And technological advances have perhaps brought about the most significant changes providing cleaner solutions to industrial production problems. Our coverage of the improvements can be read at Deseretnews.com. 4. So that brings us to this question of what are the choices for us to make? The air is trending better, but still harmful and is causing great health hardship. My own observation is that personal engagement will make the greatest difference. A story on motivation, written by Evans, noted that part of what's needed is convincing each of us that one person can make a difference. That means owning our own contribution to the problem or to the solution. It means making some change any change in personal behavior as a start. The woman who emailed me is engaged enough to learn more. This is how change happens, one person at a time. LAS VEGAS With drought entering a second decade and reservoirs continuing to shrink, Utah and six other states that depend on the overtaxed Colorado River for crop irrigation and drinking water had been expected to ink a crucial share-the-pain contingency plan by the end of 2018. They're not going to make it at least not in time for upcoming meetings in Las Vegas involving representatives from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and the U.S. government, officials say. Arizona has been the holdout, with farmers, cities, Indian tribes and lawmakers in the state set to be first to feel the pinch still negotiating how to deal with water cutbacks when a shortage is declared, probably in 2020. "There will be cuts. We all know the clock is ticking. That's what a lot of the difficult negotiations have been around," said Kim Mitchell, Western Resource Advocates water policy adviser and a delegate to ongoing meetings involving the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Central Arizona Project, agricultural, industrial and business interests, the governor, state lawmakers and cities including Tucson and Phoenix. In Arizona, unlike other states, a final drought contingency plan must pass the state Legislature when it convenes in January. Federal water managers wanted a deal to sign at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association conference beginning Wednesday in Las Vegas, and threatened earlier this year to impose unspecified measures from Washington if a voluntary drought contingency plan wasn't reached. However, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman is signaling that the agency that controls the levers on the river is willing to wait. She is scheduled to talk to the conference on Thursday. "Reclamation remains cautiously optimistic that the parties will find a path forward," the bureau said in a statement on Friday, "because finding a consensus deal recognizing the risks of continuing drought and the benefits of a drought contingency plan is in each state's best interest." Colorado River water supports about 40 million people and millions of acres of farmland in the U.S. and Mexico. After 19 years of drought and increasing demand, federal water managers project a 52 percent chance that the river's biggest reservoir, Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam, will fall low enough to trigger cutbacks under agreements governing the system. The seven states saw this coming years ago, and used Colorado River Water Users Association meetings in December 2007 to sign a 20-year "guidelines" plan to share the burden of a shortage. Contingency agreements would update that pact, running through 2026. They call for voluntarily using less to keep more water in the system's two main reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell upstream from the Grand Canyon in Utah and Arizona is currently at 43 percent capacity; Lake Mead, downstream, is at 38 percent. Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, the river's Upper Basin states, aim to keep the surface of Lake Powell above a target level to continue water deliveries to irrigation districts and cities and also keep hydroelectric turbines humming at Glen Canyon Dam. The Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada aim to keep Lake Mead above a shortage declaration trigger point by using less water than they're legally entitled to. If Lake Mead falls below that level, Arizona will face a 9 percent reduction in water supply, Nevada a 3 percent cut and California up to 8 percent. Mexico's share of river water would also be reduced. Water officials in most states from the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas to the Colorado River Water Conservation District in Glenwood Springs, Colorado have signed off on plans in recent weeks. In Arizona, the board governing the Central Arizona Project irrigation system approved the Lower Basin plan on Thursday. In California, the sprawling Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves some 19 million people, is set to approve it Tuesday. Board members there were reminded the agreements are only a short-term fix. According to a board briefing, the Bureau of Reclamation, seven basin states and water contractors will begin negotiating again no later than 2020. "That process is expected to result in new rules for management and operation of the Colorado River after 2026," the board briefing said. Google Translate has been updated to reduce gender bias from its results. The company announced that the service will now display feminine and masculine translations for some gender-neutral words to address gender bias. The Google Translate service is said to learn from hundreds of millions of already-translated examples from the web and even if a query had grammatical genders, it provided only one translation for it. Now, one will get translations in both the genders for a single word like for example, surgeonwhen translating from English into French, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish. When translating phrases and sentences, one will also be displayed results in both masculine and feminine forms. For example, type o bir doktor in Turkish and Translate will show she is a doctor and he is a doctor as the gender-specific translations. Google says that gender-specific translations will be rolled out for more languages in the future and for the Translate service in other platforms like iOS and Android apps, along with the addressal of gender bias from even auto-complete suggestions. Google says, we're already thinking about how to address non-binary gender in translations, though its not part of this initial launch. Google Translate was recently updated for the web too and it got a responsive design with several new features. The service now features a responsive design, which means that it can dynamically adjust to the users screen size even when a browser window is stretched or resized. The service has also been updated with labelling and typography, which is said to make it easier to navigate within the service. Additionally, there are now labels to each saved translation to help find them easily. You can read more about the new updates in detail here. Samsung Galaxy S10 is expected to be the next flagship device the smartphone manufacturer delivers in its S series next year. Rumours of the upcoming device have started pouring in and most of them point at a significant update from this years Galaxy S9, which is to be expected since the Galaxy S9 is an incremental update over its predecessor with minor overall changes and enhancements. Reports suggest that the Galaxy S10 might be launched in three variants this time, one of which could be a budget model. Samsung is tipped to incorporate an in-display fingerprint sensor on the device and some of the latest reports, which reveal cases and covers of the new phone suggest the same. With so many reports of the Samsung Galaxy S10 floating around the internet, its high time for a rumour roundup. We will keep adding and updating this article as more details of the phone emerges but do read till the end to know the phones pricing and launch date, which is based on the latest leaks. Samsung Galaxy S10 Series display and design Samsung could launch the Galaxy S10 lineup in three different screen sizes. Quite a few leaked images of the device suggest that the company might radically depart from its usual design this time. @OnLeaks tweeted an image of the Galaxy S10 Plus some time back and since the source is fairly reliable, it just might be the best look yet at the upcoming phone. Going by the image, the Galaxy S10 might feature an infinity display design but more interesting is the pinhole notch for the front camera. The notch is seen situated on the upper right corner of the display and its a fairly large notch that might be housing dual front cameras, along with some additional sensors. The image also reveals the devices rear panel, which is seen housing a quad-camera setup. Previously leaked image of the phone, via SlashLeaks, tipped at a triple-rear camera setup. However, the image is speculated to be a photoshop of the Galaxy Note 9. The image by OnLeaks seems more accurate and give more details like an audio jack on the phone, along with a metallic frame and a glass back. There is also no fingerprint sensor on the back, which further inferrs at the presence of an in-display fingerprint scanner. Another OnLeaks report suggests that the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus could be launched in Black, Blue, Red, Green, Grey, and Yellow colour models. As mentioned earlier, Samsung might introduce a budget Galaxy S10 phone this time. A recently leaked image of the Galaxy S10 Lite suggests that the company might fit it with a flat display instead of an infinity display design and skip on the in-display fingerprint sensor. However, it might feature a side mounted fingerprint reader that doubles as a power button and a headphone jack could also be present on the phones bottom edge. While the above-mentioned design is thought of being the most reliable one till now, another popular tipster Evan Blass has also posted an image of A case manufacturer's expectations for the Galaxy S10 lineup. The images suggest a totally different design than we have seen previously and tip at the screen size of the three models as well. The Galaxy S10 Lite is said to features a 5.8-inch display, while the S10 could be equipped with a 6.1-inch screen and the S10 Plus might feature a 6.4-inch display. The phones are speculated to be codenamed Beyond 0, Beyond 1 and Beyond 2 respectively. Additionally, the images suggest a pinhole notch on the upper middle portion of the Galaxy S10 Lite and S10s screen, while a similar dual pinhole notch can be seen on the S10 Plus. We say you take this information with a pinch of salt since the images could be based on the ongoing rumours of the phones and all three of them feature Infinity Display design, which is not said to come to the S10 Lite. Processor performance and memory on the Galaxy S10 device lineup Its almost confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy S10 phones will feature the companys latest Exynos 9820 chip, which has already been revealed. The octa-core SoC is built using an 8 nm fabrication process, which is a bit surprising since everyone was expecting Samsung to move onto the 7 nm process. However, the new chip is said to be 20 percent faster in terms of single core performance and 40 percent more power efficient with 10 percent reduced battery consumption. The new SoC also comes with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit this time, which is supposed to help process AI related tasks faster than its predecessor. Do note that the chip doesnt come with 5G support but is said to deliver download speeds of up to 2Gbps. While the Exynos version of the phones is expected to hit regions outside the US, Samsung might equip the phones with the recently announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 in the States. The new Snapdragon 855 is built on the 7nm process and comes with more transistors packed even tightly. A Alleged Samsung Galaxy S10+ scores 325,076 points on AnTuTu benchmark sighting of the Exynos 9820 suggests that the new SoC does perform better than its predecessor but is unable to match up to the new Snapdragon 855 SoC or Apples A12 Bionic. Benchmarking of the Snapdragon 855 was also leaked and it suggested that the new SoC is capable of beating not only its predecessor but also the Apple A12 Bionic. Rumours suggest that the S10 lineup could be offered with 4GB RAM and it could go up to 12GB with up to 1TB of internal storage. The onboard storage for the phones might also be upgraded to UFS 3.0, which is said to be twice as fast as the current storage modules and takes up less space, making room for other components. Samsung's One UI skin is already available for the companys Galaxy S9 lineup and a more refined version of the same is expected to be seen on the Galaxy S10 phones, which will most probably be based on Android 9 Pie. Galaxy S10 series camera details Reports on the camera segment on the Galaxy S10 lineup are currently all over the place as there's not much reliable information. However, as mentioned earlier, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus model is expected to feature four cameras on the rear, similar to the Galaxy A9 (2018). The standard Galaxy S10 could feature a triple rear camera, similar to what we have seen on the Galaxy Galaxy A7 (2018). Reports suggest that the Galaxy S10 Lite might feature either a single or a dual rear camera setup. However, Samsung is most likely to fit it with a dual camera if its a part of the flagship S10 lineup. While there are no specifics of the four camera setup on the Galaxy S10 Plus, a report gives some info on the triple-camera configuration expected on the Galaxy S10. The device could feature a 12MP wide-angle lens with a variable aperture between f/1.5-f/2.4, along with a 13MP telephoto lens with a f/2.4 aperture. There could also be a 16MP super wide-angle lens with a f/1.9 aperture with a 123-degree field of view. On the front, both the Galaxy S10 Lite and the Galaxy S10 are rumoured to feature a single camera, which might be housed in a pinhole notch. The Galaxy S10 Plus could sport a dual front camera setup, with the same pinhole notch display. Number of variants, release date and expected price While Samsung usually releases only two flagship devices in its S series, it might change things this time around. There have been reports of a new budget Samsung Galaxy S10 variant, besides the regular S10 and the larger S10 Plus models. While the two regular models are expected to ship with all the latest tech, the budget S10 model could skip on most of them to keep the cost low. As for the rest of the two variants, we have already described what they could come within the sections above. In terms of the devices release date, the smartphones could be announced early next year and Samsung is expected to reveal them during the Mobile World Congress 2019. Seeing how the South Korean smartphone maker released its Galaxy S9 during last years MWC, it is very likely that the Galaxy S10 lineup could again be revealed one day before MWC 2019 commences, on February 24. Theres another rumour of the phones bring revealed at CES 2019, which is held from January 8-11, 2019. However, this seems too early for Samsung to launch the phones. Samsungs flagship phones are priced higher and the same trend can be expected with the Galaxy S10 models as well. Since theres also a budget model expected to launch this time, it could be priced much lower than the devices standard and Plus variant. Reports on pricing of the Galaxy S10 Lite suggest that the phone could start at around $650 ( Rs 46,400 approx). Theres no concrete report on what the Standard Galaxy S10 and the Galaxy S10 Plus might cost but considering that their pricing might be in line with the companys current year flagship, the Galaxy S10 could be priced starting at $850 (Rs 60,600 approx), while the Galaxy S10 Plus might be launched starting at $950 (Rs 67,800 approx). On November 27 2018, NASAs InSight rover successfully landed on Mars and soon after set a record for generating the highest amount of solar power in a given day on the Red Planet. The rover accomplished the feat with the help of two, seven feet wide solar arrays that are said to produce 600 to 700 watts of power on a clear day. Now, the machines sensors captured the first ever wind sounds on Mars. Two of its sensors apparently caught low rumbling vibrations that are caused by the wind, which was blowing between 5 to 7 meters per second and since the two sensors were placed in different positions, the captured sounds also vary. One of the sensors to record sounds of the Martian wind is an air pressure sensor inside the lander. The other sensor is a seismometer that is currently sitting on the machines deck and is waiting to be placed on Mars surface by InSight's robotic arm. While the air pressure sensor recorded air vibrations directly, the seismometer recorded the noise produced by the solar panels as the wind blew over them. As per NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this is the only phase where the seismometer is capable of detecting any vibrations produced by the lander. This is because, in a few weeks, the sensor will be placed on the Martian surface and covered by a domed shield that protects it from changing wind and temperature. The device will then commence measuring vibrations from deep inside the red planet to help scientists better understand its interior. We recommend you plug in your headphones to hear the sounds of wind blowing on Mars. The detected sound of wind on the Martian surface by the seismometer is quite low pitched and difficult to hear. Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPM) released a video with the original version of the audio and then one where the sound was raised two octaves to make it more perceptible. Additionally, the air pressure sensor recorded the sound, which is 10 hertz below the lower range of human hearing. This audio was sped up by a factor of 100 to shift its frequency to a higher range and make it more audible. "The InSight lander acts like a giant ear," said Tom Pike, InSight science team member and sensor designer at Imperial College London. "The solar panels on the lander's sides respond to pressure fluctuations of the wind. It's like InSight is cupping its ears and hearing the Mars wind beating on it. When we looked at the direction of the lander vibrations coming from the solar panels, it matches the expected wind direction at our landing site." Scientists at NASA aim to record even clearer sound of the Martian atmosphere with Mars 2020 rover, which is scheduled to land on the red planet with two microphones onboard. It will be the first time ever a Mars landing is expected to be recorded. Cover image and intext video courtsey: NASA/JPL-Caltech 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. 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. Hotel Emma /Hotel Emma San Antonio hotels raked in about $19 million more between July and September than they did during the same stretch last year. Inns in the metropolitan area generated about $342 million in revenue in the third quarter, according to a report by Source Strategies Inc., a San Antonio-based hotel consulting firm. SAN ANTONIO More than a year after Bexar Towing founder John DeLoach was found guilty of overcharging for towing a vehicle, another judge has reversed it. Bexar County Court-at-Law Judge Scott Roberts issued his ruling April 2, overturning the Jan. 23, 2013, decision by Municipal Court Judge Robert Lipo. San Antonio police had ticketed DeLoach in July 2012 after officers launched a major offensive against towing companies that were charging more for a tow than the city allowed at the time. The city's towing cap, which has since been raised to $177, was $85. But Bexar Towing was charging the maximum allowed by state law $250, plus additional fees. DeLoach argued that the state law trumped the city ordinance and said that the city had failed to conduct a study looking at the fair-market cost of a tow. Lipo didn't buy DeLoach's argument and levied a $500 fine. That same day, however, Lipo found Bexar Towing's President Alex Garcia not guilty for overcharging in at least one instance. DeLoach appealed the decision to the Court-at-Law, which heard arguments last fall, said DeLoach's attorney Mark Cannan. Roberts concurred with DeLoach. The judge wrote that the San Antonio ordinance was unenforceable because the city failed to conduct the study and the state cap rendered the city's limit ineffective. It confirms what we've been saying from day one, Cannan said. It's very comforting to know that the court agrees with us. Roberts' decision only deals with one towing incident, but police issued hundreds of tickets against Bexar Towing in 2012. Last year, Lipo said in court that the city would likely not pursue prosecution of those cases until these initial criminal offenses were resolved. The city attorney's office did not return a call for comment about whether the city plans to appeal the reversal. Liz Johnson, a spokeswoman for Bexar Towing, said Wednesday the company is pleased with Roberts' ruling and hopes that future rulings reinforce this one. This is not DeLoach's first victory in court: Last year, County Court-at-Law Judge Jason Pulliam reversed decisions by Justice of the Peace Edmundo M. Zaragoza to give refunds to two drivers who argued Bexar Towing had overcharged them for a tow. In another incident, Justice of the Peace Jeff Wentworth, the former state senator, also ruled in Bexar Towing's favor rather than the driver's. But the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the state body that oversees towing, is also considering levying $90,000 to $100,000 in fines against Bexar Towing for allegedly violating the city cap dozens of times. Cannan again argues that Bexar Towing cannot be fined because the state law supersedes the city rules. vdavila@express-news.net Twitter: @viannadavila On Saturday morning the traditional Native American chants echoed from the Spanish Governors Palace, signaling the start of the Four Seasons Indian Market. The aroma of seasoned beef wafted from one of several tents set up outside of the wooden front doors. Artisans displayed works of art that ranged from hand-crafted jewelry to polished wood carvings. And throughout the event, there were traditional songs about the rivers of the past and the story of creation. Blanche Mendoza, with the City of San Antonio World Heritage Office, said the event highlighted the palaces historic significance to San Antonio. Were working hard to bring all of the ancestor groups associated and related to the Spanish Governors Palace together, she said, and bring awareness to the public and the community. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., guests visited the Four Seasons Indian Market sponsored by the World Heritage Office and American Indians in Texas. Organizers estimated that more than 100 people had visited the market before noon. The event featured a variety of activities that included, demonstrations, vendors, food, and music. Admission to the palace, located at 105 Plaza De Armas, was free during the festival. Vasquez said the markets are usually hosted at one of the Missions, but this was the first year at the palace. Inside of the education room, she greeted artist Ramon Sanchez y Vasquez, the first artist to exhibit artwork in the palace. Visitors peered over his watercolor and acrylic paintings set upon easels and detailed pen drawings of tracts of land that made up 18th-century San Antonio. Vasquez said he hoped people would take away that its imperative for everyone to remember history, especially indigenous people. I think its important that we know who we are, he said. and learn what it is to be a Native American and not be ashamed of it. Dressed in a period military commanders uniform, Richard Rose, led tours through the 10-room structure originally known as the Presidio San Antonio de Bejar. Clusters of guests followed him past a smoldering fireplace in the dining room that led outside to a cobblestone patio. One of the guests, Luis Rodriguez, toured the palace on his own. He said he came to the market to learn more about the culture of San Antonio. He snapped photos with his cellphone of the Spanish colonial architecture, squinting his eyes in a daylight-lit room. It must have been a hard life, he said. Karla Aguilar, development coordinator for American Indians in Texas, said the market is an example of local indigenous communities doing work for themselves to create visibility for a rich and beautiful culture. Though we went through the Tricentennial, we still have so much more wonderful work ahead of us, she said. And demonstrate to the city of San Antonio that theres an active, vibrant, native community that has so much to offer. Before the market closed, visitor Bobby Strobel stood outside and looked over the craftsmanship of the building. He said as an architect, he was impressed by the way the workers built and put everything together so many years ago. A lot of what we do today, he said, we took from the way they did it. 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 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 such as 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. In the early 19th century, Mexico granted empresarios, such as Stephen F. Austin, contracts to settle the Texas wilderness to act as a buffer from land predators. These settlers were to learn the Spanish language, among other conditions. When those arriving families wrote back home about the paradise they had just found, their relatives and friends descended on Texas illegally. In his book Stories From Texas: Some of Them are True, author W.F. Strong said that the new immigrants were creating quite a problem after crossing the Sabine River separating Texas from Louisiana. William Barret Travis was one of those undocumented aliens working in Texas. Strong said the new arrivals would not assimilate or acculturate and refused to learn the language. The government was frustrated. It talked of posting the military on the border. The border laws needed to be enforced. A law was passed prohibiting all new immigrants into Texas, and the military was sent to ports of entry to stop those without legal papers. Does this sound familiar? This was Texas almost 200 years ago, the 1820s and 1830s, before the battle of the Alamo. The concerned government was not in Washington. D.C., but in Mexico City. George Farias Salary too small Way to go, San Antonio! Do you really think you are going to get a top city manager for only $300,000 a year? The city of Schertz, a small suburb of less than 50,000 people, just hired a city manager for $180,000. That is only $120,000 less than you can pay. Al Florida, Universal City Oh, the irony Re: State sues S.A., police chief because law demands it, Another View, by Ken Paxton, Thursday: Call me an old fogey, but I would not want my daughter to marry a man who has been indicted on two counts of first-degree securities fraud and one count of third-degree failure to register with the state securities board. Granted, our wonderful democracy declares us innocent until proven guilty, but I wouldn't such a man in my family. Now comes Ken Paxton suing the city of San Antonio because of Senate Bill 4. How ironic, and how sad that the electorate voted such a man into office. How great is our country ! Carlos Carranco Jr., Laredo The Macedonian Ministry for Transport and Communications has, for a third time this year, relaunched a tender for the granting of financial support to an airline for the introduction of new routes. Two previous attempts at awarding the financial stimulus were annulled. On both occasions, low cost carrier Wizz Air, which has benefited from similar incentives between 2012 and 2018, was the only one to apply. However, the Ministry noted that the airline first failed to clearly write its name and address on the submitted envelop, while on its second attempt it refused to introduce new routes from Ohrid immediately and instead planned to do so from next summer season, which was contrary to the tender brief at the time. The newly offered incentives will be provided to the winning airline between 2019 and 2022. Those applying must have carried at least ten million passengers in 2017 and recorded a net profit of 25 million euros. The selected airline must establish and/or maintain a base with at least one aircraft in Skopje or Ohrid by March 26, 2019 at the latest for the duration of the financial support program. Furthermore, the carrier in question must launch at least two new routes from Skopje by March 26 and four new routes from Ohrid, the first two by late March 2019 and the rest within a year of being granted state support. The newly launched routes from Skopje and Ohrid cannot be served from the other airport and cannot have been served over the past two seasons. In addition, every new destination introduced at Macedonia's two international airports must be run at least twice per week throughout the year. Applicants are free to introduce additional new services, with the Ministry noting that the winner will be chosen based on the number of new destinations proposed. If two carriers commit to the same number of routes, the winner will be determined based on the number of frequencies. The financial support includes a one-time payment of 40.000 euros for each new route launched, as well as nine euros per passengers for each new destination from Skopje for the first year, eight euros during the second year and seven during the third. On the other hand, the carrier will receive thirteen euros per passenger during the first year of operations on a new route out of Ohrid, twelve during the second and eleven euros per traveller in the third year. Commenting on the tender, Wizz Air's CEO Jozsef Varadi, told EX-YU Aviation News last week , "If the government decides to launch a bid for a new process, we would certainly consider it and we would likely apply because we are the incumbent carrier". Interested airlines have until December 21 to submit their bids. BRIDGEPORT A convicted felon was charged by city police after officers found him in possession of a stolen gun, according to a police report. Anthony Velazquez, 43, of Sanford Avenue in the city, was charged with criminal possession of a revolver, theft of a firearm, carrying a revolver without a permit, illegal possession of weapons in a motor vehicle, illegal possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. An officer patrolling in the area of Grant Street on Nov. 7 around 8:35 p.m. spotted a car missing a front license plate and the officer followed the car to make a traffic stop, according to a police report obtained through a recent Freedom of Information Act request. The report indicated the car didnt immediately pull over, behavior ... common with individuals who are potentially delaying being stopped by the police to take an opportunity to conceal a weapon or contraband, the report said. The car eventually pulled over in the 70 block of Prince Street. The officer, according to the report, said when the driver of the car lowered his windows, the cop could, smell a strong odor of burning marijuana emanating from the vehicle. The driver, who was issued two tickets but was not charged, was unable to provide his license but claimed he lived nearby. While an officer was dealing with the driver, a sergeant approached the passenger in the car, later identified as Velazquez, and spotted a gun, the report said. Police said the gun was loaded with six live rounds on Velazquezs waistband. Velazquez, who was found to be a convicted felon, was also allegedly in possession of marijuana and cocaine at the time of the incident, the report indicated. A check on the gun came back to show it was stolen out of Stratford, according to the report. Velazquez was held on a $50,000 bond. Hes expected in court on Jan. 15 to answer to the charges, court records show. James Hardie Industries plc, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells fiber cement, fiber gypsum, and cement bonded building products for interior and exterior building construction applications primarily in the United States, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Canada. The company operates through three segments: North America Fiber Cement, Asia Pacific Fiber Cement, and Europe Building Products. It offers fiber cement interior linings, exterior siding products, and related accessories; and fiber cement building materials for a range of applications, including external siding, internal walls, floors, ceilings, soffits, trim, decking, and facades. The company also provides planks and flat panels; fiber gypsum and cement-bonded boards for interior applications, such as dry lining walls, walls in timber frame buildings, and flooring solutions; and cement-bonded boards for use in exterior and industrial applications, and fire protection. Its products are used in various markets comprising new residential construction and commercial construction markets. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More ADVA Optical Networking SE engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of optical and Ethernet-based networking solutions to deliver data, storage, voice, and video services worldwide. It offers open optical transport solutions, such as FSP 3000 open terminals, FSP 3000 open line systems, pluggables and subsystems, and optical access solutions; packet edge and aggregation products, including carrier Ethernet and programmable multilayer edge, metro aggregation, and edge computing products; disaggregated networking, such as packet optical terminals and ensemble activators. The company also provides network virtualization products comprising ensemble connectors, orchestrators, and harmony ecosystems, as well as operates ensemble virtualization director, a management platform for the creation and deployment of virtualized services; network infrastructure assurance products; timing and synchronization products; and automated network management products, such as ensemble optical, sync, fiber, and packet director, and ensemble controllers. In addition, it offers professional services to plan, operate, and maintain the networks. The company sells its products to telecommunications service providers, private companies, universities, and government agencies directly, as well as through a network of distribution partners. ADVA Optical Networking SE was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Pearson: AEL (S) PTE Limited, ATI Professional Development LLC, Addison Wesley Longman Inc., Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers Inc., Aldwych Finance Limited, Americas Choice Inc., Atkey Finance Limited, Author Solutions, Axis Finance Inc., CAMSAWUSA Inc., CTI Education Group (Pty) Limited, Camsaw Inc., Casapsi Livraria e Editora Ltda, Centro Cultural Americano Franquias e Comercio Ltda., Century Consultants Ltd., Certiport, Certiport China Co Ltd, Certiport China Holding LLC, Certiport Inc., Cogmed Systems AB, Connections Academy of Arkansas LLC, Connections Academy of Florida LLC, Connections Academy of Iowa LLC, Connections Academy of Maine LLC, Connections Academy of Maryland LLC, Connections Academy of Minnesota LLC, Connections Academy of Missouri LLC, Connections Academy of Nevada LLC, Connections Academy of New Jersey LLC, Connections Academy of New Mexico LLC, Connections Academy of New York LLC, Connections Academy of Oregon LLC, Connections Academy of Pennsylvania LLC, Connections Academy of Tennessee LLC, Connections Academy of Texas LLC, Connections Education Inc., Connections Education LLC, Connections Education of Florida LLC, Dominie Press Inc., Dorian Finance Limited, Dorling Kindersley Australasia Pty Limited, EBNT Canada Holdings ULC, EBNT Holdings Limited, EBNT USA Holdings Inc., Edexcel Limited, Edexcel South Africa Pty Ltd, Education Development International plc, Education Resources (Cyprus) Limited, Educational Management Group Inc., Educational Publishers LLP, Embanet ULC, Embanet-Compass Knowledge Group Inc., EmbanetCompass, Embankment Finance Limited, English Language Learning and Instruction System Inc., Escape Studios Limited, FBH Inc., Falstaff Holdco Inc., Falstaff Inc., GED Domains LLC, GED Testing Service LLC, George (Shanghai) Commercial Information Consulting Co. Ltd, Global Education, Global George I Limited, Global George II Limited, GlobalEnglish, Globe Fearon Inc., Guangzhou Crescent Software Co. Ltd, Heinemann Education Botswana (Publishers) (Proprietary) Limited, Heinemann Publishers (Pty) Ltd, INTELLIPRO INC., Icodeon Limited, IndiaCan Education Private Limited, Integral 7 Inc., Integrated Analytics LLC, J M Solucoes Exportacao e Importacao Ltda, K12 Learning Services LLC, Kagiso Education Pty Ltd, Knowledge Analysis Technologies LLC, LCCI International Qualifications (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., LCCIEB Training Consultancy. Ltd, Learning Catalytics, LessonLab Inc., Lignum Oil Company, Linx Brasil Distribuidora Ltda., Longman (Malawi) Limited, Longman Australasia Pty Ltd, Longman Group(Overseas Holdings)Limited, Longman Indochina Acquisition L.L.C., Longman Kenya Limited, Longman Mocambique Ltda, Longman Romania S.R.L., Longman Swaziland (Pty) Limited, Longman Tanzania Limited, Longman Zambia Educational Publishers Pty Ltd, Longman Zambia Limited, Longman Zimbabwe (Private) Ltd, Longmaned Ecuador S.A., Major123 Limited, Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Limited, MeasureUp LLC, Modern Curriculum Inc., Multi Holding, Multi Treinamento e Editora Ltda, NCS Information Technology Services (Beijing) Co Ltd, NCS Pearson Inc., NCS Pearson Pty Ltd, NCS Pearson Puerto Rico Inc., National Computer Systems Japan Co. Ltd, Ordinate Corporation, PN Holdings Inc., PT Efficient English Services, Pearson (Beijing) Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Pearson (Guizhou) Education Technology Co. Ltd., Pearson Affordable Learning Fund Limited, Pearson America LLC, Pearson Amsterdam B.V., Pearson Australia Finance Unlimited, Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Pearson Australia Pty Ltd, Pearson Benelux B.V., Pearson Books Limited, Pearson Brazil Finance Limited, Pearson Business Services Inc., Pearson Canada Assessment Inc., Pearson Canada Finance Unlimited, Pearson Canada Holdings Inc, Pearson Canada Inc., Pearson Central Europe Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson College Limited, Pearson DBC Holdings Inc., Pearson Desarrollo y Capacitacion Profesional Chile Limitada, Pearson Deutschland GmbH, Pearson Digital Learning Puerto Rico Inc., Pearson Dollar Finance Two Limited, Pearson Dollar Finance plc, Pearson Educacion SA, Pearson Educacion de Chile Limitada, Pearson Educacion de Colombia S A S, Pearson Educacion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pearson Educacion de Panama SA, Pearson Educacion de Peru S.A., Pearson Education (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Pearson Education Achievement Solutions (RF) (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education Asia Limited, Pearson Education Botswana (Proprietary) Limited, Pearson Education Hellas SA, Pearson Education Holdings Limited, Pearson Education Inc., Pearson Education Indochina Limited, Pearson Education Investments Limited, Pearson Education Korea Limited, Pearson Education Limited, Pearson Education Namibia (Pty) Limited, Pearson Education Publishing Limited, Pearson Education S.A., Pearson Education SA, Pearson Education South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Education South Asia Pte. Ltd., Pearson Education Taiwan Ltd, Pearson Education do Brasil S.A, Pearson Educational Measurement Canada Inc., Pearson Educational Publishers LLC, Pearson Egitim Cozumleri Tikaret Limited Sirketi, Pearson Falstaff (Holdings) Inc., Pearson Falstaff Holdco LLC, Pearson France, Pearson Funding Five plc, Pearson Funding Four plc, Pearson Funding Two Limited, Pearson Holdings Inc., Pearson Holdings Southern Africa (Pty) Limited, Pearson IOKI Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Pearson India Education Services Private Limited, Pearson India Support Services Private Limited, Pearson Institute of Higher Education, Pearson International Finance Limited, Pearson Investment Holdings Inc., Pearson Italia S.p.A, Pearson Japan KK, Pearson Lanka (Private) Limited, Pearson Learning China (HK) Limited, Pearson Lesotho (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Loan Finance No. 3 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No. 4 Limited, Pearson Loan Finance No.2 Unlimited, Pearson Loan Finance Unlimited, Pearson Longman Uganda Limited, Pearson Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Pearson Management Services Limited, Pearson Management Services Philippines Inc., Pearson Maryland Inc., Pearson Netherlands B.V., Pearson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Pearson Nominees Limited, Pearson Online Tutoring LLC, Pearson Overseas Holdings Limited, Pearson PEM P.R. Inc., Pearson PRH Holdings Limited, Pearson Pension Nominees Limited, Pearson Pension Property Fund Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Limited, Pearson Pension Trustee Services Limited, Pearson Professional Assessments Limited, Pearson Real Estate Holdings Inc., Pearson Real Estate Holdings Limited, Pearson Schweiz AG, Pearson Services Limited, Pearson Shared Services Limited, Pearson South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pearson Strand Finance Limited, Pearson Sweden AB, Pearson VUE Philippines Inc., Pearson in Practice Holdings Limited, Pearson in Practice Skills Based Learning Limited, Pearson in Practice Technology Limited, Penguin Capital LLC, Phumelela Publishers (Pty) Ltd, ProctorCam Inc., Reading Property Holdings LLC, Rebus Planning Associates Inc., Reston Publishing Company Inc., Rycade Capital Corporation, Shanghai AWL Education Software Ltd, Silver Burdett Ginn Inc., Skylight Training and Publishing Inc., Smarthinking Inc., Sound Holdings Inc., Spear Insurance Company Limited, Stark Verlag GmbH, Sunnykey International Holdings Limited (BVI), TQ Catalis Limited, TQ Clapham Limited, TQ Education and Training Limited, TQ Global Limited, TQ Group Limited, TQ Holdings Limited, The Financial Times (I) Pvt Ltd, The Learning Edge International pty Ltd, The Waite Group Inc, Trio Parent Holdings LLC, US Learning Services LLC, USLS Holdings LLC, Virtual Nerd, Vue Testing Services Israel Ltd, Vue Testing Services Korea Limited, Wall Street Institute Kft., Williams Education GmbH, eCollege.com, and Editions Du Renouveau Pedagogique Inc.. 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]ketbeat.com | (844) 978-6257 MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security. Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research. Ishqbaaz will be getting revamped soon as the show is all set to take a generation leap. The latest promo of Ishqbaaz was released a few days back, which showed Nakuul Mehta as Shivaansh Sigh Oberoi, Anika and Shivaay's son. Fans who were already disappointed with the exit of several actors including Surbhi Chandna, didn't seem as excited about the promo either. With the new track being premiered from December 17, 2018, the last episode with the original cast will be shot today as per Pinkvilla's latest reports. It has also been reported that Anika and Shivaay's epic love story will come to an end in the most tragic way. Apparently, Shivika will be shown dead and the story of their death will unfold post leap while shifting the focus on Shivaansh. The other family members are said to move on as Shivaay and Anika's lives. Reportedly, the other family members will be shown settles abroad. Meanwhile, the latest spoilers have revealed that Shivaansh who is shown to be a superstar will get kidnapped and he will be saved by Manjiri, who will be seen playing the role of a cop. The show is believed to kick start with the above sequence. MOST READ : Ali Asgar WON'T Be Attending Kapil Sharma's Wedding But Celebrates B'day With Sunil Grover! Over the past two years, Ishqbaaz grew to be one of the most loved shows of Indian television. While Anika and Shivaay became household names, fans are quite apprehensive about accepting new characters such as Shivaansh and his love interest. The show is already being criticized for replacing majority of the prominent characters. VIENNA, December 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bid acceptance demonstrates confidence in UAE ' s leading role in shaping the future of manufacturing Partnership between UNIDO and the UAE government reinforce s role of manufacturing in advancing global prosperity First time in over 30 years that UNIDO GC will be held in the Middle East Abu Dhabi has officially been selected to host the 2019 United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) General Conference (GC), the organisation's supreme policy-making organ which convenes every two years. The announcement was made following a vote by the 53 member states of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) at their 46th annual meeting in Vienna where they convened to review the implementation of the UNIDO work programme, approve budgets, and make recommendations to the General Conference on policy matters. The consensus is a testament to the growing confidence in the UAE's role in shaping the future of manufacturing, and its development of a robust industrial base as part of a national vision for a diversified, knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy. Since becoming a specialised agency in 1985, UNIDO has never hosted the General Conference in the Middle East, and only hosted it away from its Vienna headquarters three times: in Bangkok, Thailand (1987), Yaounde, Cameroon (1993), and Lima, Peru (2013). (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/795704/Suhail_Mohamed_Faraj_Al_Mazrouei_and_Li_Yong.jpg ) UNIDO and the UAE have a long-standing relationship, with both serving as co-chairs for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), the world's first cross-industry platform that gathers leaders from public and private sectors and civil society to harness the Fourth Industrial Revolution's (4IR) transformation of manufacturing to the regeneration of the global economy. The platform has seen Abu Dhabi emerge as a leader in driving this transformation, and hosting the UNIDO GC will build on its continuous efforts and initiatives, which seek to shape the future of manufacturing while promoting industrialisation for poverty reduction, inclusive global development, and environmental sustainability. The General Conference is scheduled to be held at the end of 2019 and will be preceded by UNIDO's Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Ministerial Conference. As the world's largest donor of official development aid relative to national income, a leader in smart strategies, and a strategically positioned geographic location between East and West, the UAE has continuously demonstrated its commitment to contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Home to the ministerial Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, a first of its kind in the world, and co-chair to the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, hosting the UNIDO GC in Abu Dhabi will allow countries to benefit from a global pool of capabilities and enhance their understanding of, and preparation for, the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. According to data from Oxford Economics, from 2007 to 2017, the UAE's industrial sector (which includes extraction, manufacturing, utilities and construction) has grown by more than a third, and is forecast to grow by another third over the next decade. An integral part of the global supply chain, companies in the UAE such as Strata Manufacturing, the region's only aircraft parts manufacturer, Emirates Global Aluminum, which was the world's largest 'premium aluminum' producer in 2017, and defence vehicle manufacturer NIMR Automotive, have proven their capabilities and evolved into global players in knowledge-based and cutting-edge sectors. Following the announcement, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, affirmed the UAE's commitment to enabling inclusive and sustainable industrial development as a catalyst for economic and social prosperity, and commented on the occasion: "Selecting Abu Dhabi to host the 18th UNIDO General Conference reflects the international recognition of the UAE's significant role in supporting the global industrial sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The UAE remains a pioneer in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and continues to bridge and connect civilisations between the East and West. Through its partnership with UNIDO in the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, the UAE is well-positioned to play a strategic role in shaping the future of the global manufacturing sector." UNIDO Director General LI Yong said: "We highly appreciate the generous offer of the Government of the United Arab Emirates to host the eighteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in Abu Dhabi. I look forward to further strengthening our ties, especially since UNIDO and the United Arab Emirates share the commitment to take a transformational approach towards shaping the future of manufacturing and jointly co-chair the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit." His Excellency Eng. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy & Industry said: "The UAE has flourished in a relatively short period of time since its establishment, but many challenges had to be overcome to achieve this. Our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had the vision to leverage oil wealth to build a prosperous nation and enhance the welfare of UAE citizens, developing what are now world-class healthcare and education systems, and a globally competitive economy. This vision, however, was not exclusive to the people of the UAE; in the midst of the country's renaissance, it arose as a leader in international cooperation and in the provision of humanitarian relief and development support to those less fortunate across the world. "Clearly, spreading global prosperity is deeply instilled into our belief system, and unlocking the potential of the manufacturing sector will support our efforts; it has always been a key contributor to social and economic welfare, and is instrumental to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, the 2030 Agenda is being carried out at a time when the lines are blurred between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. The developments that the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings must be exploited to ensure prosperity is shared across all societies, particularly in developing countries. This is something we have been focused on delivering through the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit with UNIDO as our co-chair, and we have no doubt that our efforts will be amplified by hosting the UNIDO General Conference in the UAE." The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in the UAE's efforts to drive industrial development, with the Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi (DED) having shaped the Emirate's Industrial Strategy 2011-2015. The DED also established a department focused on the development of the industrial sector, and cooperated with government and semi-governmental bodies to update the industrial strategy of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2016-2020. His ExcellencySaif Mohammed Al Hajeri, Chairman of the DED said: "The Emirate of Abu Dhabi's economic diversification roadmap - Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030 - has set out a goal for the non-oil sector to raise its contribution to GDP from 41% in 2005 to 64% by 2030, and the development of the industrial sector is specifically recognised for its vast potential to contribute to this goal. We have already made headway in achieving this objective, with the sector's contribution to GDP in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi having increased from 5% to 7% in recent years. This is a clear demonstration of the success of the Emirate-wide industrial strategy, which aims to attract foreign direct investment and facilitate a smooth transition to a post-oil economy. "Collaboration is key to achieving our vision, and we are honoured that Abu Dhabi was chosen to host the UNIDO General Conference in 2019. We look forward to welcoming the UNIDO Member States to Abu Dhabi, and to discussing how the sector can drive competitiveness and social welfare all over the world." Badr Al Olama, Head of the Organising Committee for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), said: "GMIS was established with a strong conviction and mandate to make the Fourth Industrial Revolution fully inclusive, harnessing its potential in manufacturing to make the world a better place for all. We have made great progress with UNIDO and the UAE Ministry of Energy & Industry as co-chairs of GMIS, and have attracted interest from stakeholders all over the world who share our commitment. As a cross-industry platform, the tangible outcomes that GMIS has delivered have been made possible through global collaboration and partnerships. "The Fourth Industrial Revolution is seeing disruption across all sectors, and GMIS' approach is to empower the manufacturing sector to not only deploy new technologies, but to anticipate and leverage such disruption to the sector's benefit and in a way that maximises social and economic impact. As such, we are absolutely thrilled to be hosting the UNIDO General Conference in Abu Dhabi. This is a new milestone for GMIS, and marks the beginning of a new era in which policy-makers address anticipated changes to the sector, and channel them towards achieving global prosperity, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals." The UNIDO GC will take place at the end of 2019 in Abu Dhabi. As the host country to the UNIDO GC, the UAE will have the opportunity to nominate a President for the GC and recommend a theme for the conference, both of which are currently underway. Note to Editors Supplemental information: 1. The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): UNIDO is the specialised agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation and environmental sustainability. As of 17 May 2018, UNIDO has 168 Member States, such as Brazil, Germany, France, Russia and Japan. They regularly discuss and decide UNIDO's guiding principles and policies in the sessions of its Policymaking Organs. Following the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, UNIDO's mission is to promote and accelerate 'Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development' (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognised by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which frame the United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development in the next fifteen years. UNIDO's mandate is fully recognised in SDG-9, which calls to "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation". The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organisation's programmatic focus prioritises creating shared prosperity, advancing economic competitiveness, safeguarding the environment, and strengthening knowledge and institutions. Each of these programmatic fields contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO's four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. In carrying out the core requirements of its mission, UNIDO has considerably increased its technical services over the past ten years. At the same time, it has also substantially increased its mobilisation of financial resources, testifying to the growing international recognition of the Organisation as an effective provider of catalytic industrial development services. 2. The UNIDO General Conference The General Conference (GC) is UNIDO's supreme policymaking organ where all Member States meet once every two years. It determines the guiding principles and policies of the Organisation, approves UNIDO's budget and work programme of UNIDO, and drives activities to strengthen UNIDO's thought leadership in the industrial sector Additionally, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Ministerial Conference is a key stream of the General Conference. The current Director-General of UNIDO, Mr. LI Yong (China), assumed office in June 2013, with the GC appointing the Director-General every four years. The GC also elects the members of the Industrial Development Board and the Programme and Budget Committee. 3. The UAE and the Industrial Sector Over the past eight years, the UAE has advanced 13 positions on the UNIDO Competitive Industrial Performance Index, which measures the performance of 150 countries around the world, ranking it 41st on the 2018 index, compared to 54th in 2010 and 43rd in 2015. The industrial sector is a key driver of economic development in the UAE and plays a pivotal role in enhancing the country's Gross Domestic Production (GDP). The UAE's dynamic industrial sector is not exclusive to oil derivatives, but includes multiple industries such as aerospace, defence, aluminium, building materials, food and pharmaceuticals, as well as industrial SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). The UAE is a vital part of the global supply chain ranking 11th in the World Bank's latest Logistics Performance Index. It is also a pioneer in testing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) innovations. By 2021, key sectors of 4IR are expected to grow exponentially across the globe: Artificial Intelligence (AI) by 55.1%; blockchain by 61.5%; automation by 28.1%; and renewable energy by 40%. According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, roughly 6,300 factories in the UAE have been operational representing investments worth more than AED103.1 billion (US$ 28 billion) until the end of 2016. 4. The development of a new industrial strategy f or the UAE The UAE's Ministry of Energy & Industry is currently developing a strategy for the industrial sector by establishing a set of capabilities at the federal level in an effort to enhance the sector's contribution to the GDP. The strategy is being developed in cooperation with the relevant authorities in the UAE, with the aim of driving an increase in the sector's growth and enabling sustainable development. The new strategy indicates that these goals will be achieved through innovation, a reduction in carbon emissions, the support of SMEs, the stimulation of innovative industries, and a focus on non-oil sectors. The new strategy comprises clearly defined work programmes for each Emirate, including a programme to integrate the UAE's different industrial zones, maximising the purpose, strength and comparative advantage of each. Other programmes include the standardisation and modification of investment procedures for the industrial sector, and simplifying the issuance of industrial licenses and their merging in order to better appeal to investors. By attracting investors, the new strategy allows the industrial sector to realise its potential to build a sustainable, knowledge-based and innovative economy, in line with the national vision to increase the sector's contribution to GDP. The UAE has already succeeded in establishing a solid industrial base in recent years, and is now building on this momentum to bring about further growth and progress, and enhance its global competitiveness. The objective of maximising the sector's role in the national economy is also fundamental to UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071, striving to achieve a sustainable, diversified, knowledge-based and innovative economy with less reliance on oil. This would see the UAE on par with developed countries, where the industrial sector is one of the key pillars of any national economy. The UAE's prominence as a destination for major industrial companies at the regional and international level has been growing. The country offers numerous advantages, including a legal system that protects the rights of investors; security and political stability across the country including its major industrial zones; state-of-the-art infrastructure, roads and transportation, including international ports and airports, and logistics warehouses equipped with the latest technologies and human resources. In 2017, the UAE built 37 industrial zones and cities equipped with infrastructure facilities, roads, modern office complexes, and energy, with the aim of establishing competitive local industries and attracting investments. The zones include eight in Abu Dhabi, six in Dubai and 19 in Sharjah, Al Jurf Industrial Area (Ajman), Umm Al Quwain Industrial Zone, Fujairah Industrial Zone, and Ras Al Khaimah Free Industrial and Technological Zone. 5. Updating the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy 2016-2020 The Industrial Development Bureau of the Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi (DED), in cooperation and collaboration with relevant governmental and semi-governmental entities, is in the process of updating the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy 2016-2020. The new phase of the industrial strategy will focus on the next stage of providing and improving the business environment for the industrial sector in the short term. Over time, the strategy will support a number of targeted industries, which are dependent on some of the current key industries, as well as creating greater added value and better managing resources. During the course of the next three years, the Industrial Strategy will focus on empowering the UAE's industrial sector by focusing on the needs and requirements of performance in the business environment, such as industrial finance, intellectual property protection, and foreign property laws. The industrial sectors targeted in the updated strategy include aerospace, defence, industrial equipment, plastics and finished metal products, which will be supported by the major existing industries in the Emirate - steel, aluminum and petrochemicals. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi currently has eight industrial zones and cities, with plans to expand to nine zones by 2020. These areas focus on maximising the country's export capabilities, in particular petrochemical, iron and cement products. The zones also seek to attract investors and SMEs in order to contribute to sustainable economic growth by linking ICT infrastructure across the industrial zones and through the development of modern, high-end road networks and mega-ports. The Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (ZonesCorp) operates a number of dedicated industrial zones in Abu Dhabi, including the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) and Al Ain Industrial City. ICAD has five industrial zones and cities: the first Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD I), which specialises in heavy-to-medium manufacturing, engineering and processing industries, ICAD II, which is focused on light-to-medium manufacturing, engineering and processing industries, ICAD III, for light-to-medium manufacturing, ICAD IV for technology and light industries, and ICAD V, specialised in the automotive industry. Meanwhile, Al Ain Industrial City (I and II) is dedicated to light-to-medium manufacturing, engineering and processing industries. Meanwhile, the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park in Abu Dhabi's city of Al Ain, spanning 25 square kilometers, is a multi-faceted development that will consist of industrial projects, business, and office facilities, and mixed-use residential zones complemented with world-class community services and amenities. Jointly created by Mubadala Investment Company and Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC), Nibras is a key driver in diversifying the emirate's economy and will focus on attracting Global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), Industry Suppliers and Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) that can serve the industry. Abu Dhabi is currently implementing projects to develop new industrial zones and infrastructure in Al Dhafra, including Ruwais Industrial City, which focuses on the chemical, petrochemical, plastics, cement, oil and gas, building and logistics sectors, while the Madinat Zayed Industrial City will target oil, gas, food manufacturing and logistics industries. The Abu Dhabi Municipality operates the Mussaffah Industrial Area, which includes six specialised industrial zones. The first is focused on the automotive, machinery and auto spare parts sector; the second on food, textile and beverage sectors; the third on engineering, wood and herbal industries; the fourth on chemical, plastic and petrochemical industries; the fifth in construction related materials; and the sixth in advanced technology industries. Abu Dhabi Ports Company is developing the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), located within Khalifa Port, which will become Abu Dhabi's main commercial port. The project includes a wide network of land, sea, air and network transmission lines. The industrial sectors targeted in KIZAD include petrochemicals, steel, pharmaceuticals, bio-chemicals, chemicals, biotechnology, metals, food, beverages, logistics and transportation. The industrial complex of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) hosts a number of petrochemical industries. The complex includes an oil refining plant, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cracker, a fertiliser plant, a seaport and a sulphur treatment plant. 6. The UAE and the Fourth Industrial Revolution The UAE is committed to harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to advance global prosperity. The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), a joint initiative of the UAE and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is a global platform that gathers international industry leaders together to shape a transformative new chapter for the sector that will deliver a better future for all society. In doing so, the UAE government launched the Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, a first of its kind ministerial council in the world. As part of its remit, the council announced a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) strategy that seeks to strengthen the UAE's position as a global hub for the 4IR and to increase its contribution to the national economy by means of advancing innovation and future technologies. As it pursues its vision of building a diversified, sustainable, and knowledge-based economy, the UAE is uniquely positioned to lead the global ambition to transform the manufacturing sector, and to utilise its established role in international cooperation to support other countries in achieving peace and prosperity. In a relatively short period of time since its founding, the UAE has succeeded in cultivating key businesses; its numerous companies in aerospace, renewable energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, petrochemical and defence are cutting-edge, and now form an integral part of the global value chain. The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for the post-oil era, is an essential driving force for the development of the UAE's advanced industrial capabilities and to enhance the UAE's global competitiveness. These efforts fall directly in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which seeks to secure a diversified, knowledge-based and sustainable economy for generations to come. The industrial innovation brought about by the 4IR will transform the world as we know it, and the UAE is well-placed to become a hub for the development of next-generation technologies from across the globe. In doing so, the UAE will transition from an importer of technology to an exporter of knowledge, harnessing the potential of the 4IR and its immense impacts. 7. The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) was established in 2015 to build bridges between manufacturers, governments and NGOs, technologists, and investors in harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution's (4IR) transformation of manufacturing, to enable the regeneration of the global economy. A joint initiative by the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), GMIS is a platform that presents the manufacturing sector with an opportunity to contribute towards global good, and that is committed to bringing benefit to all. As the world's first cross-industry initiative, GMIS offers a platform for leaders to engage on the issue of the future of manufacturing, highlighting the need for greater investment in capabilities to foster innovation and drive skills development on a global scale. Uniting key stakeholders - including world leaders, industry CEOs, and specialist researchers and academics - GMIS has placed manufacturing at the heart of economic transformation and government policy-making, promoting it as a tool for global cooperation and collaboration. The first edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at the Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in March 2017. It brought together over 3,000 government, business, and civil society leaders from over 40 countries to advance manufacturing and industrial development globally, and to identify key trends and opportunities. The second edition of GMIS will be held in July 2019 in the city of Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia. The 2019 Summit is themed on "Nature-Inspired Technologies" and will build on the ground-breaking success of the first edition, ensuring that manufacturing adapts, evolves, advances, and retains its place at the vanguard of global economic prosperity. Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, is scheduled to return to the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. London: Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, is scheduled to return to the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is "politically motivated" and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. "I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Kingfisher Airlines. Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud," he said in his recent Twitter post on the issue. "I have offered to repay 100 percent of the principal amount to them. Please take it," the flamboyant businessman tweeted earlier. While dismissing that his intervention has anything to do with the extradition case, it came just days before Judge Emma Arbuthnot is expected to present her ruling in the case. The trial, which opened at the Magistrates' Court on 4 December last year, has gone through a series of hearings beyond the initial seven days earmarked for it. It opened with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) team, led by Mark Summers, laying out the Indian government's prima facie case of fraud and money laundering against Mallya. Summers sought to establish a "blueprint of dishonesty" against the businessman and that there are no bars to his extradition on human rights grounds. Mallya's defence team, led by Clare Montgomery, deposed a series of experts in an attempt to prove that the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. The court was also told that a consortium of Indian banks, led by the State Bank of India (SBI), rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principal loan amount owed to them. While the CPS argued that Mallya never intended to repay the loans he sought in the first place because his airline's demise was inevitable, the defence tried to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the company's control. "There are clear signs that the banks seem to have gone against their own guidelines [in sanctioning some of the loans]," judge Arbuthnot had noted during the course of the trial. In relation to the defence's attempts to dispute Indian prison conditions as a bar to Mallya's extradition on human rights grounds, the judge had indicated to the CPS that she did not require any further information in reference to the prison conditions awaiting Mallya at Barrack 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after seeking a video of the cell. "If the judge is satisfied that all of the procedural requirements are met, and that none of the statutory bars to extradition apply, he or she must send the case to the Secretary of State for a decision to be taken on whether to order extradition," explains Pavani Reddy, a UK-based legal expert and Managing Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. The judge's decision on whether to send Mallya's case to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid can be appealed with the UK High Court's permission, with the person to be extradited entitled to make an application for permission to appeal to the high court within 14 days of the date of the Chief Magistrate's ruling. On the other hand, the Indian government would also have 14 days to file leave to appeal to the High Court, seeking permission to appeal against a decision not to extradite. "In case the concerned individual does not file an appeal, and Secretary of State agrees with the magistrate's decision, then the individual must be extradited from the UK within 28 days of the Home Secretary's extradition order. "This will also apply if an appeal lodged by either party in the High Court is unsuccessful, but the 28 days will commence from the date when the appeal hearing was concluded," said Reddy. If the judgment goes ahead as scheduled on Monday, it would mark a significant point in this high-profile extradition trial that has lasted over a year. Shrey, eldest son of SHO Subodh Kumar Singh who was killed during Bulandshahr mob violence, says that his father's murder must serve as an example against lynching and cow vigilantism It is seldom that children of police officers who have died in action, question, in an impassionate manner, the events that resulted in the death of a member of their family. The two sons of SHO Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot dead in a mob violence in Nayabans village in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, Shrey, a graduate of Delhi University and Abhishek, a Class 12 student DPS Noida, are articulate and are willing to question both Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the police establishment about the events that led up to their fathers death. Singh's eldest son, Shrey speaks exclusively to Firstpost about the events that led to his father's death and the situation that has unfolded since. How many of the 27 people who were named in the FIR and accused of cow vigilantism that resulted in the killing of your father (SHO Subodh Kumar Singh) have been arrested so far? I understand seven to eight people have been caught, though the main accused in the mob lynching including Yogesh Raj is still absconding. According to sources, the cops have a general idea of where he is but he is yet to be arrested. The Aligarh SP informed us that all these people have been booked under strong charges. What do you make of the SIT report which suggests that your fathers death was an accident? It is very strange how they have come to such a conclusion. It was a motivated murder because the 400-strong mob had gathered there to instigate terror. Even the UP Director General of Police OP Singh has said that when we went to meet the chief minister (Yogi Adityanath). This is a big conspiracy. DGP Singh has assured us that the enquiry is still going on. What is surprising is that all this happened so close to 6 December and the Babri Masjid demolition. Obviously, this cow slaughter agitation has some deep connexions. We have not read the SIT report. We are presently at my fathers village in Etah to complete the final rites. But even the UP chief minister has called the death an accident? I have read his statement where he said that it is an accident and not a case of lynching. The government has promised us full co-operation. We will wait for another week following which, we hope to meet the chief minister again. If things are not okay, we will ask for CBI enquiry which should be court-monitored and fast-tracked by the High court and Supreme Court. An example must be made of this case. Do you have any questions with regards to the circumstances under which your father was killed? My father never went to a troubled spot alone. He always went with at least three to four constables. And all these constables are armed with carbon rifles or even with an AK-47. In self-defence, the police have been given the right to fire at mobs or criminals. My father also carried his own private pistol which has gone missing. We have not yet received the post-mortem report so we do not know exactly which weapon was used to shoot him, though we were told it was a .32 bore pistol. But what I have learned after talking to senior officers is that the police were apprehending trouble which is why he received the first phone call at around 5 am from a senior police officer asking him to report to the thana in the early hours of the morning. Some protestors arrived at 11 am at the Chingrawathi chowki. They had brought slaughtered pieces of cow meat to the chowki. The chowki in-charge and others were there. My father tried to pacify the crowd. There was stone-pelting and my father got hurt. The senior officers in the chowki reportedly hid in a nearby school. My question is: why did no one come forward to help my father? Why did these officers not fire at the mob in order to disperse them? We placed this apprehension before the chief minister and he said that he would conduct an enquiry into the whole matter. He said both the city SP and SSP would be questioned. Besides, a police driver and a constable were in the Tata Sumo car along with my father. In an interview, the driver said that that he was trying to rush my father to the hospital but the vehicle was surrounded by the mob, and so he and the constable ran for their lives. Why did they not fire in self-defence? The other question is how did the vehicle with my injured father ended up in an agricultural field? After all, the driver must have used the road to drive the vehicle. He would not have driven it into some fields. Three of my fathers phones are missing. His revolver is missing. My father's body was carried away and then the car was vandalised and burnt. Who was responsible for burning the police vehicle? We asked these questions to DGP Singh who said that the enquiry is still going in. All of this does not speak well for the UP policemen who allegedly went into hiding? In the army, all these cops would have been court marshaled. All I can say is that it was a motivated murder. The mob was there to instigate terror. What is even more shocking for me is that members of the mob were shooting a video about this whole ghastly incident instead of rushing my father to the hospital. Also, it is obvious that this whole thing was pre-meditated because how did a crowd of over 400 people gathere so quickly at that spot? In the videos, you can see my father is standing there alone talking to the mob but all the other police officers are missing. They were more experienced than him. Where were they not with him? What do you make out of the allegations of cow slaughter, which reportedly incited the crowd? These people are all anti-social elements who had gathered to ignite communal tensions. The place where the cows were slaughtered in the Mahaw village is close to the area where a large congregation of Muslims had gathered (Tabligi Itjetma). Some people did not like this and wanted to create trouble. My question is: why are the authorities focusing so much on the cows? Are human beings not important to them? I feel human beings are more important than cows. What do you think of the two videos which have been posted by Yogesh Raj and others in which they are pleading innocence? I find these videos highly disrespectful. They claim they are innocent they claim they are being framed and yet they are in hiding. Your father was known to be a brave officer who sustained three bullet injuries earlier in his professional life. What happened in those cases? It was his nature. He told me that in 2017, when he was SHO Vrindavan, he had been informed some gangsters were on the run. He went after them and was shot in the arm by one of the criminals. Earlier, he was chasing a criminal whose bullet grazed past his neck. He was wearing a chain that saved him. That happened in 2003. This time, he was put in the forefront and he took the bullets. And by doing so, he managed to prevent a major communal conflagration. Does his killing have anything to do with his investigation in the Akhlaq lynching case? The state government must find out. What we do know is that when he was the Investigating Officer for this case, he did not hesitate to take action against the accused. Our only priority is to ensure justice for my father. We want to ensure that people are not allowed to take the law into their own hands. Some BJP leaders had asked for his transfer because he was creating obstacles for their religious functions. Is that true? My father was very fair in his dealings with everybody. He is known to do his duty in an honest manner. When did you first learn about what had happened to your father? I was in the Metro when my mother called to inform that father was seriously ill and we would have to rush to Bulandshahr. I did not realise then that he was dead. The Uttar Pradesh village has become a symbol of the deepening communal divide in India as some Hindu men from the area complained they had seen a group of Muslims slaughtering cows in a mango orchard a couple of miles away. Nayabans (Uttar Pradesh): Nayabans isnt remarkable as northern Indian villages go. Sugar cane grows in surrounding fields, women carry animal feed in bullock carts through narrow lanes, people chatter outside a store, and cows loiter. But this week, the village in Uttar Pradesh state became a symbol of the deepening communal divide in India as some Hindu men from the area complained they had seen a group of Muslims slaughtering cows in a mango orchard a couple of miles away. That infuriated Hindus, who regard the cow as a sacred animal. Anger against Muslims turned into outrage that police had not stopped an illegal practice, and a Hindu mob blocked a highway, threw stones, burned vehicles and eventually two people were shot and killed, including a police officer. The events throw a spotlight on the religious strains in places like Nayabans since prime minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power at the national level in 2014 and in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. Tensions are ratcheting up ahead of the next general election, due to be held by May. The BJP said it was bizarre to assume the party would benefit from any religious disharmony, dismissing suggestions that its supporters were largely responsible for the tensions. In a large country like India nobody can ensure that nothing will go wrong, but its our responsibility to maintain law and order and we understand that, party spokesman Gopal Krishna Agarwal said. But people are trying to politicize these issues. Nayabans, just about three hours drive from Delhi, has about 400 Muslims out of a population of 4,000, the rest are Hindu. Relations between the communities began deteriorating around the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2017 when Hindus in the village demanded that loudspeakers used to call for prayer at a makeshift mosque be removed, local Muslims said. For 40 years mikes were used in the mosque, calls for prayer were made five times a day, but no one objected, said Waseem Khan, a 28-year-old Muslim community leader in Nayabans. We resisted initially but then we thought its better to live in peace then create a dispute over a mike, he said. We dont want to give them a chance to fan communal tensions. Reuters spoke with more than a dozen Muslims from the village but except for Khan, no one else wanted to be named for fear of angering the Hindu population. Several among a group of Muslim women and girls standing outside the mosque said they have been living in fear since the BJP came to power in the state in 2017. They said that Hindu groups now hold provocative processions through the village during every Hindu festival, loudspeakers blaring, something that used to happen rarely before. They said they felt terrorised by Hindu activists. While passing through our areas during their religious rallies, they chant Pakistan murdabad (down with Pakistan) as if we have some connection to Pakistan just because we are Muslims, Khan said. Hindu priest chief minister The subcontinent was divided into Muslim Pakistan and Hindu-majority India at the time of independence from British colonial rule in 1947. During the violence on Monday, many Muslims in Nayabans locked themselves in their homes fearing attacks. Some who had attended a three-day Muslim religious congregation some miles away stayed outside the area that night to avoid making themselves targets for the mob. Muslim villagers say they are particularly fearful of the top elected official in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is a Hindu priest and senior BJP figure. Hindu hardliners started asserting themselves more in the village after he was elected, they say. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 lawmakers to the lower house of parliament, the largest of any state in the country. Considered the countys political crucible, it has also been the scene for spiralling Hindu-Muslim tensions. Adityanath said the lead up to the rioting in Nayabans was a big conspiracy, but did not elaborate. In the only statement from his office on the incident, Adityanath ordered police to arrest those directly or indirectly involved in the slaughter of cows and made no mention of the death of the police inspector. He announced 1 million rupees ($14,110) as compensation for the family of the other dead man, a local who is among those accused by police for the violence. Both men were Hindus and died of bullet wounds, although police said it was not yet clear who shot whom. Police say they have arrested up to five people for the cow slaughter but have not given their religion. Locals say all the arrested people are Muslims. Four Hindu men have been arrested for the violence leading to the deaths. All invidious elements who may have conspired to vitiate the situation will be exposed through a fair and transparent investigation, Anand Kumar, the second highest police official in Uttar Pradesh, told Reuters. Asked if there was any bias against Muslims, Uttar Pradesh government spokesman Sidharth Nath Singh who is also the states health minister told Reuters: We believe in equality and our motto is sabka saath, sabka vikas, using a Hindi phrase often used by Modi that means collective effort, inclusive growth. Relative Harmony The two communities in Nayabans have lived in relative harmony for years, residents from both groups said. But now Hindus in the village, who mostly say they support Yogi, accuse the Muslims of trying to turn themselves into the victims when they werent. Cant believe they are raising our processions with journalists! said Daulat, a Hindu daily wage labourer who goes by one name. They are making it a Hindu-Muslim issue, we are not. Their people have been accused of killing cows, so they are playing the victim. At a middle school, metres from the police outpost near where the two men got killed, two women teachers, sitting on a veranda soaking in the winter sun, said its 66 students stopped coming for classes in the first few days after the violence. We worship cows and their slaughter cant be accepted, said one of the teachers, Uma Rani. Two Hindus died here but nothing happened to the cow killers. Both teachers were Hindus. Political analysts say relations between the two communities are likely to stay tense ahead of the national vote, particularly in polarised states such as Uttar Pradesh. The BJP made a near-clean sweep in Uttar Pradesh in 2014, helping Modi win the countrys biggest parliamentary mandate in three decades, but pollsters predict a tighter contest next year because of a lack of jobs and low farm prices. Facing economic headwinds and lacklustre job growth, Modi will rally his conservative base by selectively resorting to Hindu nationalism, global security consultancy Stratfor said in November. Muslims say they increasingly feel like second-class citizens in their own country. The BJP will definitely benefit from such incidents, said Tahir Saifi, a Muslim community leader a few miles from the area of violence who supports a regional opposition party in Uttar Pradesh. They want all Hindus to unite, and when religion comes into the picture, other issues like development take a back seat. The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday midnight arrested armyman Jeetendra Malik, one of the suspects in the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during Bulandshahr mob violence. The Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday midnight arrested army jawan Jeetendra Malik, one of the suspects in the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during Bulandshahr mob violence. "We've arrested army jawan Jeetendra Malik, he was handed over by the army at 12.50 am on Saturday. Preliminary interrogation has been done. He is being sent to Bulandshahr and will be produced before the court for judicial custody," said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhishek Singh of Special Task Force in Meerut. Bulandshahr: Army jawan Jeetendra Malik has been brought to Syana police station for further questioning. He has been named in the FIR filed in #Bulandshahr case. pic.twitter.com/Dp2PBCdiCL ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 9, 2018 Inspector General of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, Amitabh Yash, told PTI that Malik had accepted that he was part of the mob when Subodh was killed in Siyana, but he denied having any hand in the SHO's murder. A local court sent Malik to 14-day judicial custody on Sunday. He was earlier in police custody in Meerut. "He accepted he was there when the crowd started gathering. Prima facie, it has been found true. It's not yet ascertained if he is the one who shot Inspector or Sumit. He said he went there with villagers, but denied pelting stones on the police. Forensic of his mobile will be done," UP Police officials said. Video courtesy: Saurabh Sharma/101 Reporters Jeetendra alias Jeetu Fauji was detained by the 22 Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore town in Jammu and Kashmir and was handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police for further investigation on Saturday. Earlier on Saturday, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that full cooperation will be extended to the Uttar Pradesh Police in the investigation of the incident. Meanwhile, on Saturday Malik's brother, Dharmendra Malik, that there was a conspiracy to trap his brother. "My brother is being trapped in some conspiracy, he's not involved in the killing of the inspector. I have evidence to prove that my brother wasn't present at the site where the incident took place. I request the chief minister to help me," ANI quoted him as saying. Malik's mother also expressed disbelief about her son's role in the violence, but said, "If he is the one who has killed the inspector, then he deserves to be punished." Malik's wife, Priyanka Malik also claimed that he was innocent and not present at the site of the crime. However, she added that if Malik is found guilty they would accept the punishment meted out to him following the due course of law. Video courtesy: Saurabh Sharma/101 Reporters On 3 December, clashes erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr after cattle carcasses were found in a field, which led to agitation by locals demanding the closure of all illegal animal slaughterhouses. In the protests that ensued, policeman Singh and a civilian Sumit were killed. Malik has been spotted in various videos taken of the incident, during which Singh was killed. Criticising the top court for depending on the Constitutional morality, the Attorney General while speaking at the Second J Dadachanji Memorial Debate said, 'The use of Constitutional morality can be very, very dangerous and we can't be sure where it will lead us to. I hope Constitutional morality dies.' Taking a potshot at the powers of the Supreme Court, Attorney General KK Venugopal on Saturday said it "has garnered to itself vast power, which no apex court in the world has ever exercised". Criticising the top court for depending on constitutional morality, the Attorney General of India said, "The use of constitutional morality can be very, very dangerous, and we can't be sure where it will lead us to. I hope constitutional morality dies." While speaking at the Second J Dadachanji Memorial Debate in Delhi, Venugopal said that if constitutional morality still breathed, first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's fear that the Supreme Court will become the third chamber of Parliament might come true. "As a powerful weapon that surpasses all the powers conferred on the Supreme Court by the Constitution, Article 142 merely permits the court to pass such decrees or orders as to do complete justice in any cause or matter pending before the court. But the article is treated as a 'Kamadhenu' from which unlimited powers flows to the apex court of the country," he added. The Attorney General of India, while talking about the history of conflict between the judiciary and the legislature, underscored that in its early days, the top court had struck down land reform and nationalisation laws as the judges noted that it violates equality. "The laws were struck down on a strict and literal interpretation of the Constitution," he said. Further criticising the judiciary's dependence on constitutional morality in judgments, such as the Sabarimala temple dispute, he said: "In the Sabarimala case, the dissenting judge said we can't interfere with a matter of faith. But the other four judges dealt with constitutional morality. It's one thing for the Supreme Court to deal with an individual, but here you're dealing with a whole population. What is this constitutional morality? If a bench of the Supreme Court speaks in two different voices, one saying constitutional morality will permit the entry of women and the other one saying no, it's prohibited because of constitutional morality, which is a very dangerous weapon. You cannot use it. It can result in grave injury without anyone knowing where it's going to end." Recalling the statement made by the then chief justice Hidayatullah on amendments in the Constitution, the attorney general said that the former said the only purpose of the amendments was "to neutralise the judgments of the Supreme Court." Venugopal added that given the circumstances it is "very difficult to say whether the court was right. Expressing dissent over the interference of the top court, Venugopal said, "The Preamble of the Constitution reads, 'we, the people'. We gave to ourselves this Constitution. Are you going to treat the whole of the population as illiterate and not able to think for themselves? I say no. Maybe the illiteracy today is 26 percent, but even those (people living in the villages and rural areas), they have basic wisdom and they know what is good for them. And therefore, for the court to believe that unless we interfere, the country is doomed, I say no, it can't." At the same event, Senior Advocate Indira Jaising remarked that "constitutional morality is opposed to the morality of a mob". "Governments not honouring the decisions of the court is a violation of constitutional morality. Why has the Supreme Court judgment on Sabarimala not been enforced in Kerala?" she asked. Speaking against the motion, Senior Advocate KV Vishwanathan said it is better to have a judiciary that confronts the executive than to have a judiciary that is cosy with the executive. "Thank god for a confrontational judiciary," he said. "It is to answer the concept of social morality that constitutional morality was brought in, and constitutional morality is not vague; it is grounded and founded on the principles of the Constitution, and therefore, it is here to stay." Another Senior Advocate Salman Khurshid spoke against the motion and debated that even though Indians believe that life is sacrosanct, we have a provision of death penalty in the country because according to the apex court, a person can be hanged in the rarest of rare cases. "The Constitution is a seamless wear of things that are woven together that give us our life. It consists of all things like equality, affirmative action and right to religion. All things that are fundamental to govern our lives. Constitutional morality is not by any means social or ideological morality," Khurshid said. He also pointed out that it is not the job of the judges to go by popular opinion."Taking an opinion poll and legislating is the job of the legislature. Judges must intervene but must look at what is institutional morality... India is a socialist country not in the manner in which the Soviet Union was but in the sense of a mixed economy," he said. Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta started his address on a humorous note, saying: "The Supreme Court held, in 2011, that Right to Sleep is a fundamental right. Now, the Supreme Court has held that the right to sleep with anyone is a fundamental right." However, he maintained that law is a means to achieve social good, and it is there for the betterment of society. "The problem started when constitutional morality started to be used interchangeably with social morality; what is socially moral has to be constitutional," Mehta remarked. "There are several realms where the legislature, having jurisdiction, has chosen not to enter in all its wisdom... Morality of the people cannot be divorced from constitutional morality. We, the people, have given ourselves the Constitution, and lawmaking is the domain of the legislature. Upon their failure, the judiciary can step in till the legislature either ratifies or rejects the judicial decision." Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand also spoke against the motion. She said the principles of democracy can be brought to the people of the country only through constitutional morality, and that it is not the same as social morality. Anand cited the examples of the Sabarimala case, the Section 377 judgment and the triple talaq verdict of the Supreme Court to differentiate between social and constitutional morality. With inputs from ANI and Bar&Bench 9 December 2018: BJp offers support to TRS in Telangana minus AIMIM; here are the top stories for the day, Army officer named in Bulandshahr violence arrested in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP offers support to TRS in Telangana minus AIMIM After consistently attacking K Chandrasekhar Raos (KCR) Telangana Rashtriya Samiti (TRS) as a family party and branding its government as corrupt, BJP has reportedly switched tracks post the exit polls results. BJP state president K Laxman told The Times of India on Saturday that his party was ready to tie up with TRS if Telangana ends up with a hung Assembly on 11 December. He, however, said that it was only on the condition that TRS must ditch Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM. Our party wants to support a government (in Telangana) minus Congress and AIMIM, Laxman said. India vs Australia: Rahane, Ashwin stretch India's lead past 300 Ajinkya Rahane brings up his 16th Test fifty on Day 4 of the first Test as India goes past the lead of 300 runs. Lyon accounted for the three wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara (71), Rohit Sharma (1) and Rishabh Pant (28). Follow LIVE updates of Day 4 of the first Test here. Shivraj Singh Chouhan says he is confident of BJP's win in Madhya Pradesh Even as exit polls predicted a not so favourable outcome for the BJP, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday claimed that he is confident of returning back in power with a "comfortable majority". "I am the biggest surveyor as I remain in the midst of public all day long. The BJP is set to romp home," Chouhan told reporters. Rahul Gandhi flays Narendra Modi after former Army officer says surgical strikes were "overhyped" While praising retired Lieutenant General DS Hooda who said that the "hype" around surgical strikes was unnecessary, Congress president Rahul Gandhi targeted prime minister Narendra Modi for using "military as a personal asset". "Spoken like a true soldier General. India is so proud of you. Mr 36 has absolutely no shame in using our military as a personal asset. He used the surgical strikes for political capital and the Rafale deal to increase Anil Ambani's real capital by 30,000 crore," Rahul tweeted on Saturday. Sharad Yadav to apologise to Vasundhara Raje for body shaming her A day after Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje urged the Election Commission (EC) to take action against Sharad Yadav for body shaming her during an election rally in Alwar, the senior Bihar politician on Saturday said that he will apologise to her. I saw her statement. I have very old family relations with her. If my words hurt her, I express my regret. I will also write a letter to her, Yadav was quoted as saying by ANI. On 5 December, at a rally in Alwar, Yadav chose to pick on Rajes physical appearance and body shamed her. "Vasundhra ko aaram do, bahut thak gayi hain, bahut moti ho gayi hain, pehle patli thi. Humare Madhya Pradesh ki beti hai," Yadav had said at a public meeting. John Kelly to step down by end of 2018 The chief of staff in Donald trump's administration, John Kelly would be leaving the administration at the end of 2018, Trump announced on Saturday. Kelly is the latest in a series of moves by the US President to change his inner circle of aides. Kelly's replacement might be an interim chief of staff until a permanent successor is found, the Republican leader said. Bulandshahr violence: Armyman named in FIR apprehended Army personnel Jeetendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji who was allegedly involved in the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr earlier this week was detained by his Army unit in Jammu and Kashmir and handed over to a Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday night. According to reports, he would now be presented in the court. Maliks role in Monday's mob violence surfaced after a purported video showed him allegedly opening fire. ADG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar had said that a police team was sent to Jammu and Kashmir, where Malik is posted, and that the person in the video is Malik, reported The Indian Express. According to a CNN-News18's report, Malik has apparently accepted that he was in Bulandshahr on the day of the violence but was not involved in the act of violence at the scene of the crime. Meanwhile, Malik's brother Dharmendra Malik had said on Saturday that there was a conspiracy to trap his brother. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had transferred the Senior Superintendent of Police, Krishna Bahadur Singh and replaced him with Prabhakar Chaudhary Superintendent of Police in Sitapur district. "India is not a dharamshala", says Amit Shah on Assam NRC Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Saturday said that only Indian citizens have the right to use the country's resources, and it is not a 'dharamshala' where illegal immigrants can come and settle down. Describing illegal immigration as a threat to the country, Shah said that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a way to solve the basic problems of the country and should not be connected to the BJP alone. The Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Reyaz Ahmed, a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mohammed Amin, for influencing the youth to join militancy. Kishtwar: Wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Reyaz Ahmed was arrested on Sunday, a statement issued by the Jammu and Kashmir Police said. Reyaz, a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mohammed Amin, used to influence the youth to join militancy. He was also wanted in connection with a case under the Ranbir Penal Cod, the criminal code of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as the Indian Penal Code is not applicable in the state under the Article 370 of the Constitution. Reyaz faces a number of charges, including Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against government of India) and Section 121-A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by Section 121), among others. The statement added that while two individuals had already been arrested in connection with the case, which was registered on 1 July, 2018, proceedings had been "withheld for the want of the arrest of" Reyaz and Tohseef Gundana. Reyaz was also involved in a case registered under the Arms Act in Srinagar's Parimpora. "Today, a police party headed by the Station House Officer of the Kishtwar Police Station, under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police Rajinder Gupta, arrested Reyaz Ahmed," the statement read. "There is a likelihood of one more arrest in this case and subsequent recoveries. The accused person is a hardcore motivator of youth, who encourages them to join militancy and terrorist activities and a close associate of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Mohammed Amin and Jhangir Reyaz Ahmed. The police have launched a manhunt to effect certain more arrests shortly," Gupta said. The Kannur International Airport opened on Sunday making Kerala the first state in the country to have four international airports. Pinarayi Vijayan flagged off the inaugural Air India Express flight, carrying 186 passengers to Abu Dhabi, at the airport near Mattannur town on Sunday morning. Kannur: The Kannur International Airport opened on Sunday making Kerala the first state in the country to have four international airports. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly flagged off the inaugural Air India Express flight, carrying 186 passengers to Abu Dhabi, at the airport near Mattannur town on Sunday morning. With the commissioning of the airport, the state has become the first in the country to have four international airports, with Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode being the other three. The airport depicts not only cultural traditions of Malabar and Kannur, but also of Kodagu in neighbouring Karnataka. Virajpet in Kodagu is just only 58-km away from the airport, while district headquarters Madikeri is around 90-km away. Mural paintings depicting the heritage of Malabar and Indian dance forms, including Theyyam of north Kerala, Kathakali and Yakshagana, the traditional theatre art form of Karnataka, are among the art works that catch attention at the airport. Speaking at the inaugural function, Prabhu said the commissioning of the greenfield airport was expected to pave way for the state's overall development and prosperity, especially the northern region. The Kannur airport, built on a public-private partnership (PPP) model, will become a new benchmark of how airports will be constructed in the country. The airport will help the non-resident Keralites (NRKs), especially in the Gulf region, besides boosting tourism and exports, which will result in several job opportunities, Prabhu said. "The minister also wanted the airport to use green power as it would result in economic savings. India already has about 100 airports and, in 10-15 years, another 100 would be added, he said. "The Centre is also preparing an integrated logistics plan to fast-track movement of goods and cut transactions cost of business and we are actively working with Kerala government on this," Prabhu, who is also the commerce and industries minister, added. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the support of the minister in fulfilling the state's dream project. Vijayan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response was also positive when he had met him as part of bringing foreign carriers to the airport. "The effective interventions of everyone has helped the airport become a reality now," he said, adding that Kannur was the second airport in which the state government has a stake. Vijayan also remembered various personalities, including late CPM veteran and former state chief minister, EK Nayanar, and late industrialist Krishnan Nair, who had contributed in making the Kannur airport project a reality in various phases. The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have boycotted the function. The UDF is miffed as former chief minister Oommen Chandy was not invited. Various state ministers and NRI businessman MA Yousuf Ali were among those who attended the event. Security forces were carrying out a cordon and search operation near Srinagar-Bandipora road in Mujgund area on Saturday evening when the militants in hiding fired at the search party. Security forces on Sunday killed three militants, including a Pakistani commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit, in Mujgund, on the outskirts of Srinagar, in an encounter, the Indian Army said, adding that the gunbattle went on for 18 hours. "Three terrorists were killed in the Mujgund operation," an army official said, adding that forces had recovered weapons from the site of encounter near the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital. The other two militants were identified as Kashmiri members of LeT, Mudasir Parray and Saquib Mushtaq, both from Hajin area of North Kashmir's Bandipore district. The Pakistani LeT commander was identified as Ali Bhai. Five policemen were also injured in the encounter and taken to a military hospital for treatment, ANI reported. An Indian Army soldier, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and three policemen were the security forces injured in the encounter in Mujgund late on Saturday. Security forces were carrying out a cordon and search operation near Srinagar-Bandipora road in Mujgund area on Saturday evening when the militants in hiding fired at the search party, turning the mission into an encounter. The operation was launched after the forces received a tip off about militant presence in the area. While the gunfight had stopped over the night, the security forces had continued to maintain a tight cordon in the area to prevent the militants from escaping. "The encounter resumed on Sunday morning and in the gunfight, three militants were killed," the army official said. Exchange of fire between #Terrorists & security forces on #Bandipora road Mujgund. Area under cordon. @JmuKmrPolice Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) December 8, 2018 Four homes were also damaged amid the exchange of fire. According to All India Radio, the bodies of the militants have yet to be retrieved. After the gunfight, civilians clashed with the security forces on Sunday, forcing authorities to suspend mobile internet services in Srinagar district. Meanwhile, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant's close associate was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. With inputs from agencies Katas Raj is considered one of the holiest places for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named Katas, which is regarded as sacred by the devotees. Chakwal (Punjab province): A group of Indian pilgrims, comprising 139 people, on Sunday left for Shree Katas Raj Dham in Pakistan's Chakwal district. With the echoes of 'Jai Kara', the group left for Pakistan via the Wagah Border. Shiv Pratap Bajaj, the leader of the group, said that several people were denied visas during former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif's government. Katas Raj is considered one of the holiest places for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named Katas, which is regarded as sacred by the devotees. The six-day pilgrimage will also include a religious congregation where Hindu families from across Pakistan will gather. The Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi issued visas to the pilgrims to visit the temple from 9-15 December. The Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines (1974) governs reciprocal visits by Indian and Pakistani pilgrims to designated shrines in Pakistan and India. Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood said the issuance of visas to the Indian pilgrims from India "was consistent with the Government of Pakistan's policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and was a reflection of Pakistan's commitment to faithfully implement the 1974 protocol". "Pakistan remains committed to providing all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims and strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries," he said in a press statement. Recently, the Imran Khan-led Pakistan government laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, the route will allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539. The Republican Party of India has called for a statewide bandh on Sunday after party leader and Union minister Ramadas Athawale was assaulted during an event in Ambernath city. Union minister and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale, who was slapped by youth wing worker of his own party on Saturday, has alleged that someone "furious and jealous of his growing popularity" might have conspired against him. Athawale was slapped by Pravin Gosavi during an event in the Ambarnath. Following the incident, Gosavi was thrashed by the public and later detained by the police. Athawale has said that he will meet with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday and seek an investigation into the matter. "I'm a popular leader, this might have been done at the behest of someone who is angry over something. Security arrangement there wasn't adequate. I'll meet chief minister (Fadnavis) over this incident. It should be investigated," he told the media. "I have no enmity with anyone. I am a popular leader and probably someone angry with me might have connived to get this done," Athawale said. "This incident must be enquired from every possible angle. I request my party workers to maintain peace and should not indulge in any such activity that would create law and order problem," he said. Meanwhile, members of the Athawale's party called for a statewide bandh today on Sunday to protest against the incident. Citing eyewitnesses, NDTV reported that the incident occurred after Athawale finished addressing a meeting when the accused suddenly lunged at him, pushed and slapped him on the face. ANI reported that Gosavi had approached Athawale to first get a photograph clicked and later slapped the Union Minister. Thane: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale slapped by a person at an event in Ambernath. The person identified as Pravin Gosavi was thrashed by the crowd subsequently and later detained by the police. Gosavi is being treated at a nearby hospital. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/AmKsqBLkEP ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2018 The public thrashed Gosavi at the spot after he slapped the minister. The police detained the accused on Saturday night and also registered a case against him for "obstructing a government servant". With the VHP's 'Dharma Sabha' rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, the demand for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya resonated in the national capital on Sunday. The demand for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, resonated in the national capital on Sunday, as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organised a rally at the historic Ramlila Maidan to mount pressure on the Centre. Large crowds of supporters, some wearing saffron caps and waving saffron flags, gathered at the venue. Members of the RSS the BJP's ideological fountainhead also attended the rally. Several Hindu priests and senior RSS and VHP functionaries addressed the massive gathering, all asserting that the judiciary should be mindful of people's sentiments and prioritise the Ram Temple case. This is the second major event held in recent weeks over the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid dispute to press for the construction of a temple in Ayodhya. In the past few months, right-wing groups have been becoming increasingly vocal about their impatience with the Centre's inaction over the Ram Temple dispute. They have called for an early resolution of the dispute in favour of their demand. On 24 November, Ayodhya had turned into a fortress as lakhs of people had descended on the temple town amid chants of "mandir wahin banaenge, mandir jaldi bananenge". The Shiv Sena, the BJP's ally in Maharashtra, had also joined the protests. RSS makes veiled attacks on Centre, Supreme Court At the VHP rally on Sunday, senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He demanded the Union government enact a legislation, if need be, for it. The RSS executive head said: "Those in power today had promised to construct Ram Temple. They should listen to people and fulfil the demand of temple in Ayodhya. They are aware of the sentiments." Without naming the BJP, he said, "We are not begging for it. We are expressing our emotions. The country wants 'Ram rajya'." Joshi also said, "A country that develops distrust for the judicial system cannot walk on the path of development. The Supreme Court should also delve into this factor and take public sentiments into account." The VHP has demanded that a bill for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya be tabled in the Winter Session of Parliament, which commences Tuesday. VHP international working president Alok Kumar said, "We want a law, but the central government has to decide whether it should be done through an ordinance or a bill. Since the Winter Session of Parliament is about to start, I would prefer a bill to the ordinance, where all parties have a chance to share their views. I believe that through today's gathering, a loud and clear message has been conveyed that the people of India want a Ram Temple." During the rally, preacher Sadhvi Rithambhara called upon her supporters to "awake and attack like lions and not just sit with patience". Later, while speaking to ANI, she clarified, "I want everyone to come together so that our problems are resolved. I want the Centre to bring an ordinance for early construction of Ram Temple." No more delay, assures BJP BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said: "There is a feeling among the people that a Ram Temple should be constructed at Ayodhya. So they came in large numbers to Delhi. In a democracy, we have to respect people's feelings. I believe there will be no more delay for which they have come to Delhi." Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya spoke of the possibility of a legislation being passed on the issue and was quoted as saying: "The BJP has always openly supported the construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya. We hope that the case comes up for hearing early and is decided, and this is also the wish of saints and devotees of Lord Ram. If this does not yield results, then there is the path of mediation, and if that doesn't work, a law can be passed. All options are open." 'BJP wakes up to Lord Ram only during elections' However, Opposition parties castigated the BJP as well as Hindu right-wing groups for their stand on the issue, with the RJD's Manoj Jha accusing organisations like the BJP, RSS and VHP of doing "dog-whistle politics" in the name of Lord Ram. "They are calling the gathering a 'Dharma Sabha', or a religious gathering, but there is nothing 'Dharmik' about the gathering at all. It is an 'Adharmik Sabha'," Jha said. "They wake up to the reality of Lord Ram only in the election years. We should not allow these people to go berserk and destroy everything." Security arrangements Elaborate security arrangements were in place at the Ramlila Maidan. Snipers were also deployed at high rises to deal with any situation. As large crowds tried to enter the ground, police officials were seen trying to close the gates and restore order. About 4,500 Delhi Police personnel and 2,000 traffic policemen were deployed for the rally. The construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya was one of the larger promises the BJP had made before the 2014 general elections. However, the Ayodhya case is sub judice in the Supreme Court, which is expected to decide the date to begin hearing the case in January 2019. The Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in Ayodhya in 1578, was demolished on 6 December, 1992, by Hindu activists claiming that the mosque was constructed after a Ram Temple was pulled down at the site. With inputs from PTI The lack of clarity indicates an unsure future for the BJP after 15 years of governing Chhattisgarh, where the Congress has steadily increased its vote share in the past three elections. The exit polls for the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections were divided on which party will come to power in the Naxal-affected state that went to polls in two phases in November. The lack of clarity indicates an unsure future for the BJP after 15 years of governing Chhattisgarh, where the Congress has steadily increased its vote share in the past three elections. Not only did the exit polls predict a possible favourable outcome for the Congress, it also points at the likelihood of the saffron party trying to form a last-minute, post-poll alliance in Chhattisgarh. This is not unlike the attempts of the BJP in Goa and Manipur after the Congress emerged the single largest party in the two states after the 2017 elections, the BJP forged alliances with regional parties in both states to form the government. BJP strategists have put their heads together to chalk out their plan to draw in non-Congress legislators in case the results throw up a split verdict. In the event the state throws a split verdict, the BJP will be on course to outmanoeuvre the Congress to cobble up a majority in Chhattisgarh on the lines of Goa. The BJP strategists are counting on a couple of legislators who could win from the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) to bolt to the saffron camp to beat the Congress..., The New Indian Express quoted a party source as saying. This could prove a little more difficult than the BJP is anticipating as BSP supremo Mayawati has ruled out any possibility of a post-poll tie-up with the saffron front on multiple occasions. "Where does the question of a post-poll alliance with the Congress or BJP arise when our alliance with Ajit Jogis JCC (Janata Congress Chhattisgarh) is fully confident of getting an absolute majority in the state? she had said. Since Mayawati and Jogi announced their alliance ahead of the Chhattisgarh elections, along with the Communist Party of India (CPI), there were fears that three together would eat into the already close vote share of the Congress and BJP. With Mayawatis BSP no longer an option, it would not be surprising to hear reports of sudden defections to the BJP. Jogi, the first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, himself had said that the only way the BJP could retain power in the state would be to forge an alliance with the BSP, but his JCC had beat them to the punch. This is another clear obstacle in the BJPs way. However, one still cannot rule out the possibility of the BSP-JCC-CPI threesome joining hands with the Congress to pull the rug from under the BJPs feet. Jogi once a Congress face in Chhattisgarh has made it clear that the saffron party has been his primary target in the polls as he believes that the Congress is quite marginalised in the central state. For the Congress, too, the BJP is its main rival, at both the state and national level. It would be significant to note that the Congress had nearly clinched an alliance deal with the BSP before Jogi approached Mayawati and the two formed the third front for the Chhattisgarh elections. But given the similarities in the manifestos released by Jogis JCC and the Congress, there could be news of a fresh alliance formed to hit the majority mark in the Assembly and dethrone the BJP. As a result, the saffron party would be right to fear the four parties coming together to form the government in Chhattisgarh in case the race turns out to be a close one. The role regional parties such as the Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) could play in the poll at the last minute cannot be ruled out with. Before the JCC-BSP-CPI alliance was announced, there were reports that the Congress had been trying to forge an alliance with the GGP for a tie-up, but had been unsuccessful. At the moment, all possible post-poll alliances are mere speculation. Voters will have their answer on 11 December, when the results of the elections to five states Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana will be declared. Ahead of the crucial meeting of Opposition parties in their bid to forge an anti-BJP front, DMK president MK Stalin met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday and discussed a range of issues. New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial meeting of Opposition parties in their bid to forge an anti-BJP front, DMK president MK Stalin met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday and discussed a range of issues. Informing about Stalin's visit on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said: "We had a warm and cordial meeting and discussed a range of issues. Shri Stalin & senior members of the DMK, visited Sonia Ji in Delhi today, to wish her on her birthday. We had a warm & cordial meeting & discussed a range of issues. I look forward to continuing our dialogue & to strengthening our alliance, that has stood the test of time. pic.twitter.com/Cdg0deyfQG Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 9, 2018 "I look forward to continuing our dialogue and to strengthening our alliance that has stood the test of time." Stalin met Sonia Gandhi on the day of her 72nd birthday along with former Union minister A Raja and Kanimozhi. The 10 December meeting of the Opposition in the national capital was called by Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, with the aim to brainstorm over a possible front to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A host of Opposition leaders were expected to participate in the meet that was earlier scheduled for 22 November, but was postponed because of the Assembly polls to the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram and Rajasthan. A Congress delegation on Sunday registered a complaint with Madhya Pradesh Election Commission, expressing concern over the security of strong rooms across the state where the Electronic Voting Machines are kept. Bhopal: A Congress delegation on Sunday registered a complaint with Madhya Pradesh Election Commission, expressing concern over the security of strong rooms across the state where the Electronic Voting Machines are kept. Madhya Pradesh went to polls on 28 November. Counting of votes will take place on 11 December. On 7 December, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had dismissed a plea filed by the Congress alleging EVMs malfunctioning. The court had refused to interfere in the matter, expressing satisfaction with the action by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The court reserved its decision on the plea over the counting of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips along with EVMs. On 4 December, a Congress party delegation led by senior leaders Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal visited the ECI and highlighted the issue of alleged faults in EVMs, particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The delegation demanded that EVMs be protected in a secure place and counting be done in an impartial and fair manner. The counting of votes for Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram, is scheduled to be held on 11 December. Asserting that factionalism in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress party is a 'thing of the past', senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Sunday the entire state leadership worked as a 'united front' during the Assembly polls in a bid to dislodge the BJP government New Delhi: Asserting that factionalism in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress party is a "thing of the past", senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Sunday the entire state leadership worked as a "united front" during the Assembly polls in a bid to dislodge the BJP government. Scindia, who spearheaded an energetic and spirited campaign for the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, said there is an "uprising for change" in the state. "During my campaign, I covered over 115 constituencies in Madhya Pradesh. There is an omnipotent energy it is an uprising for change," he told PTI in an interview. Some exit polls have given an edge to the Congress to form a government in the state after remaining in opposition for 15 years, while others have predicted a close finish for the grand old party and the ruling BJP. Counting of votes for the November 28 elections to 230 Assembly seats in the state will take place on 11 December. Asked if he considers himself as a front-runner for the chief minister's post in case the Congress wins the elections, Scindia said he does not want to answer hypothetical questions. The Guna MP said he has consistently maintained that the goal of the entire Congress party has been to unseat the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. "Once that is achieved, the next step is for the party leadership to decide (on the chief ministerial face)," said Scindia, one of the top Congress leaders in the state who had won the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 despite a huge wave in the favour of the BJP. Scindia and the state Congress chief Kamal Nath are being seen as main contenders for the chief minister's post if Congress emerges victorious in the state. On whether the selection of the chief minister by the Congress in case of a win could leave some senior leaders "hard done", Scindia said: "Not at all. One must understand, that we have to learn from our past. We have previously struggled with factionalism within the party. However, that time has passed." He asserted that throughout this election in Madhya Pradesh, the entire party machinery including senior leaders and every single party worker worked as a "united front". "Our strength, this time, has been in the unity of our campaign. And this will and must continue," the 47-year-old leader said. Asked if the Congress was able to counter the narrative of factionalism, Scindia answered in the affirmative and said factionalism in the party, which media keeps raking up, is a complete "non-issue". "I have admitted that one reason we were unable to give the BJP a fight in the last two Assembly elections was that we were not working cohesively, but that is a thing of the past," the former union minister said. Under Congress president Rahul Gandhi's uniting leadership, the state leadership has worked as a single INC (Indian National Congress) unit, Scindia said. Madhya Pradesh registered a record 75 percent voter turnout in 28 November polls. The BJP is looking for a fourth straight term, while a resurgent Congress is eyeing a comeback after 15 years. Scindia asserted that the state polls results will have a "great deal" of impact on the general elections next year and agreed with the notion of state elections of 2018 being seen as semi-finals for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a bid for his second term in power. "It is a reflection of the sentiment of voters and how they feel about the kind of governance they have been subjected to. As I said, people are yearning for a change," the Congress leader said. The results of 2018 will set the stage for national polls and if Congress forms the government at the state level, the "uprising" for positive change will surely to spread across the nation, Scindia said. He claimed that in Madhya Pradesh every community of voters those belonging to the small and medium enterprises, farmers, women, youth, Dalits, minorities and underprivileged sections of society have "suffered" because of ill-informed and badly-implemented policy decisions of the BJP government. Scindia also alleged there is an increasing communal polarisation and targeting of certain communities in the state under the BJP government led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. People's response to the Congress campaign reflected the distrust about the ruling dispensation and a yearning for the change that Congress can usher in, he said. The senior Congress leader said 2018 and 2019 will be time for a change that the people are asking for. Scindia said the Congress' agenda has been focussed on 4-5 main issues that it has consistently targeted the abysmal condition of farmers in Madhya Pradesh burdened with low prices for their produce and the huge loans they are burdened with, rising crime against women, widespread unemployment among the youth and rampant corruption at every level in the government ecosystem. "In addition, our manifesto has clearly placed before the people an alternative agenda, a very positive and forward-looking agenda for governance which has clearly spelled out developmental programmes for each social section and region of Madhya Pradesh, which has inspired people," he said. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday greeted former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her 72nd birthday and prayed for the senior Congress leaders long life and happiness. Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several other leaders greeted former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her 72nd birthday on Sunday and prayed for the senior Congress leaders long life and happiness. "Best wishes to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji on her birthday. I pray for her long and healthy life," Modi tweeted. Born in 1946 in Lusiana, Italy, Gandhi turned 72 on Sunday. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also wished Sonia on her birthday. She tweeted: "My best wishes on your birthday Sonia Gandhi Ji. I pray for your long life and happiness in all you do." Trinamool Congress sources said Banerjee is likely to leave for New Delhi in the afternoon and meet Sonia Gandhi later in the day. In the national capital, Banerjee is likely to meet leaders of political parties opposed to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for talks on the proposed joint front for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 'The main agenda of the meeting is to chart the future course of action for forming a non-BJP front,' a source said. New Delhi: In a major step towards forming an anti-BJP front, top Opposition leaders will huddle in Delhi on Monday to discuss forging a grand alliance to take on the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting, significantly, comes a day before the results of the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly polls are scheduled to be announced and the Winter Session of Parliament is slated to begin. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is coordinating the meeting. He has invited the leaders of all the non-BJP parties. "The main agenda of the meeting is to chart the future course of action for forming a non-BJP front," a source said. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi are likely to attend the meet, during which the Opposition is also expected to chalk out a joint strategy for the Winter Session of Parliament. "During the meeting at the Parliament House Annexe, the Opposition parties were expected to discuss their responses to government bills and issues related to the Rafale deal and farmers," sources said. Not only the heads of non-BJP parties, but also the chief ministers of Opposition parties from Kerala, Punjab and Puducherry were invited to the meeting, they added. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy are expected to attend the meeting. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) leader Sharad Yadav are also among those likely to attend the meeting. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was unlikely to be part of the meeting, the sources said, adding that he might join the anti-BJP alliance post the general election. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was also unlikely to take part in the meeting, but her close aide Satish Chandra Mishra might attend it, a source said. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav was likely to attend the Opposition meet, but in case he was unable to come, then senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav would be present, a party source said. In November, Naidu met the heads of several Opposition parties, including Rahul Gandhi, and termed the TDP's alliance with the Congress a "democratic compulsion" to protect the country. Sources said there could be pre-poll as well as post-poll alliances, taking into account the interest of each state. "Price rise, the ill-effects of demonetisation and the GST, unemployment and threats to the Constitution will also be on the agenda of the meeting," NCP leader DP Tripathi said. AAP leaders confirmed the party's participation in the Opposition meet called by Naidu. Earlier, the meeting was planned for 22 November, but had to be deferred because of the Assembly polls in five states. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court came down heavily on the West Bengal government Friday for not responding to BJP's letters, seeking permission for three rath yatra in the state. Kolkata: The West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday said it had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that it got a hearing in case the state government moved the apex court against the Calcutta High Court verdict on the party's proposed rath yatra. "We have filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that we do not go unheard if the Bengal government decides to move the apex court against the order passed by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court (on the "rath yatra")," state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said. He claimed that the West Bengal government did not want the saffron party to conduct the "rath yatra", adding, "We are apprehensive that the government may move the Supreme Court." A caveat is a notice that states that certain actions may not be taken without informing the person who has given the notice. The caveat in the apex court was filed by the BJP Saturday. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court came down heavily on the West Bengal government Friday for not responding to BJP's letters, seeking permission for three rath yatra in the state, and directed top officials to take a decision on the processions by 14 December. Justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee said the government's silence on the permission was "astonishing and astounding". The BJP wrote to the West Bengal government Saturday, stating its readiness to join discussions over its proposed "rath yatra", as directed by the high court the previous day. BJP national president Amit Shah was to kickstart the party's "Save Democracy Rally" comprising three "rath yatra" - one from Coochbehar in the northern parts of the state last Friday, one from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district Sunday and one from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on 14 December. The three "rath yatra" were scheduled to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. A single-judge bench of the high court had refused permission to the BJP Thursday for conducting a "rath yatra" in Coochbehar, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event saying it may cause communal tension. The party then moved the division bench of the court against the verdict Friday. "The chief secretary, the home secretary and the director general of police shall hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by 12 December and take a decision on the matter by 14 December," the division bench directed. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has written to Congress/alliance governments in states to have a resolution passed in their respective assemblies, seeking one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. New Delhi: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has written to Congress/alliance governments in states to have a resolution passed in their respective assemblies, seeking one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. "In order to reaffirm our support for the passage of the bill, it would be expedient for the state Assembly to pass a resolution calling for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies for women, in the next session," Rahul said in the letter written to Congress and its allied chief ministers. Pointing out that India ranks 148 out of 193 countries in terms of the percentage of women in Parliament, Rahul said the situation was "even worse in state Assemblies". "The lack of adequate representation of women in our polity undermines our democracy and perpetuates existing systemic injustices. Women in institutions of local self-governance have not only been effective leaders, but also challenged traditional gender roles that curtailed their participation in public life," Rahul said in his letter dated 6 December. The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. Besides Rahul, Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, too, on Thursday had written to all chief ministers, seeking their support to ensure 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament. Reuters China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltds chief financial officer, calling the case extremely nasty. Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on 1 December and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her companys links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on 7 December, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until 10 December. In a short statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canadas ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a strong protest. Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said 8 December there is nothing to add beyond what the Minister said yesterday. Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China is important and valued, and Canadas ambassador in Beijing has assured Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huaweis CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing. Canadas arrest of Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move ignored the law, was unreasonable and was in its very nature extremely nasty, he added. China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused. The statement did not elaborate. There will probably be a deep freeze with the Chinese in high-level visits and exchanges, David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, said on Friday. The ability to talk about free trade will be put in the ice box for a while. But were going to have to live with that. Thats the price of dealing with a country like China. Mengs arrest was on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump met in Argentina with Chinas Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the worlds two largest economies. The news of her arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have played down its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. A Huawei spokesman said on Friday the company has every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion. The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other tech2 News Staff Nokia hasn't yet released the Android 9.0 Pie updates for the Nokia 5, Nokia 6 or the Nokia 8, and it appears that the reason for this delay is that the company expects the sales of Nokia 8.1 to rise, by holding the update. According to a report by Phonearena, this is a deliberate delay in hopes for successful 8.1 sales. HMD Global has responded to the publication saying that, "There is no purposeful delay. As soon as the upgrade to Android Pie is ready and we can be sure that it delivers the best experience for our fans, we will begin the update cycle. We are committed to a pure, secure and up-to-date Android experience which involves rigorous testing to ensure no part of that commitment is compromised." Last month, Nokia 8 was spotted on Geekebench running Android 9.0 Pie and was expected to release the same month, and that hasn't happened. Nokia 8.1 was launched on 5 December at a price of 399 (about Rs 32,000) for the middle-eastern and the European markets and will go on sale there by mid-December. The smartphone will be launched in India on 10 December, and will probably go on sale in the country before the year ends as well. Nokia 8.1: Specifications and features In terms of display, the device features a 6.18-inch Full HD Plus "PureDisplay" with a 18.7:9 ratio. The screen is protected by Corning's 2.5D Gorilla Glass. Nokia 8.1 is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 710 chipset. The only device on which we have seen the Snapdragon 710 is the Oppo R17 Pro which was launched in India this week. The chipset sits right below the Snapdragon 845. In terms of storage, we see only one storage variant 4 GB of RAM coupled with 64 GB of internal storage, which as we know, has been priced at EUR 399. The phone also comes with a microSD card slot which can be used to expand the memory of the device up to 400 GB. Camera specifications include the following the device features a dual camera set up at the back with a 12 MP camera unit a 1/2.55-inch sensor and 1.4 um pixels, OIS, EIS, and interestingly 2PD or dual photodiode. Each pixel of the camera are configured as a photodiode which receives light and, if the number of these photodiodes is increased, then it widens the area to accept the light. This implies good performance in low light. The secondary sensor in the dual rear set up is 13 MP unit, and the front camera includes a single 20 MP sensor. Nokia 8.1 runs stock Android 9.0 Pie and is part of the Android One programme. Powering the device is a 3,500 mAh battery and there is a support for 18 W fast charging. Connectivity options include Network speed VoLTE, VoWiFi, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/AGPS, GLONASS. There is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a single speaker with a smart amplifier. Further, a USB Type-C 2.0 cable is present and finally, the range of sensors on the device include Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint sensor (rear) and NFC. The device has been launched in three colour combinations Blue/Silver, Steel/Copper and Iron/Steel. tech2 News Staff Xiaomi is going to join the 5G race and has already showcased its 5G variant of the Mi Mix 3 smartphone at an event in China. The Mi Mix 3 was launched in October this year, the 5G variant of which is expected to hit the markets early 2019. The variant will sport the newly launched Snapdragon 855 chipset by Qualcomm. The non-5G variant features the Snapdragon 845. At the China Mobile Partner Conference the smartphone manufacturer demonstrated web surfing as well as live video streaming on 5G network on Mi Mix 3. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3: specifications and features The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 has a massive 6.39-inch Full HD Plus AMOLED 19.5:9 aspect ratio display sporting a resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels that runs from edge to edge, unlike the previous Mi Mix devices that featured a thick bezel (chin) below the display that also included the sensors and the front-facing camera. The rear camera setup includes a 12 MP + 12 MP AI enabled camera, with one sporting a wide-angle lens with an f/1.8 aperture and the second a telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The front-facing camera gets a 24 MP + 2 MP setup with the second camera being used to click bokeh images in Portrait mode. Its non-5G varaint has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC paired with 10 GB RAM in the top-end variant. The other variants include, an 6 GB + 128 GB (3,299 CNY), 8 GB + 128 GB (3,599 CNY) and 8 GB + 256 GB (3,999 CNY). This roughly converts to Rs 34,800, Rs 37,900 and Rs 42,100 respectively. The Associated Press Thousands of people from around the world marched on 8 December through the southern Polish city thats hosting this years UN climate talks, demanding that their governments take tougher action to curb global warming. Protesters included farmers from Latin America, environmentalists from Asia, students from the United States and families from Europe, many of whom said climate change is already affecting their lives. Climate change is the thing that frightens me the most, said Michal Dabrowski from Warsaw, who brought his young daughter to the march. Im a father and its kind of crucial that she will have a decent life. Marchers gathered in one of Katowices main squares before setting off for the conference center where delegates from almost 200 countries are haggling over the fine print of the 2015 Paris accord to fight climate change. Some protesters were dressed as endangered orangutans while others wore breathing masks to highlight the air pollution in Katowice, which lies at the heart of Polands coal mining region of Silesia. A group wearing polar bear costumes was expelled from the march after suggesting that fossil fuels should be replaced by nuclear power, a technology that many environmentalists object to. Chanting Wake up! Its time to save our home! and holding banners including one reading Make the planet great again, protesters marched through Katowice accompanied by a heavy police presence that included officers on horseback. The March for Climate passed largely peacefully, though three people were detained after a small scuffle with police, a Katowice police spokeswoman said. Earlier Saturday, environmental groups had complained that some of their activists were being turned back at the Polish border or deported. One Belgian activist was allowed to enter the country after her countrys ambassador intervened with Polish authorities. Poland has introduced temporary random identity checks ahead of the UN climate conference, arguing they were needed for security. Inside the UN meeting, negotiators were concluding the first week of talks, which are focused on finalizing the Paris rulebook that determines how signatories to the 2015 deal record and report their greenhouse gas emissions. In a recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said drastic action would be needed to achieve the Paris accords most ambitious target of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Illustrating the sensitivity of this message for some governments, major oil exporting countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia objected to welcoming the IPCCs report. The issue is now one of several that will be left to government ministers, who begin arriving in Katowice on Monday to try to break remaining deadlocks. Environmental groups want countries to send a strong signal that theyre ready for more ambitious action in the years ahead, but some protesters Saturday felt that governments alone would not do enough to fight climate change. Ive had enough of just sitting and looking at politicians deciding things for us. Its time for us to tell them what we want and to start a grassroots revolution, said Anna Zalikowska. Similar marches for the environment took place in France on Saturday, but those were overshadowed by a larger yellow vest protest in Paris staged by people angry over fuel tax increases. The tax rise, now put on hold, was aimed at encouraging drivers to reduce their use of fossil fuels, a measure experts say is necessary to nudge consumers toward cleaner alternatives. Resistance to the fuel tax is a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron, who sees himself as the guarantor of the Paris accord. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has announced hes pulling the United States out of the agreement, claimed Saturday that people do not want to pay large sums of money ... in order to maybe protect the environment. Economists say the price of curbing climate change is actually far lower than the eventual cost of coping with the catastrophic famines, storms and sea level rises that will happen with a warming climate. The Climate Action Network, an umbrella group for environmental organizations, on Saturday gave its Fossil of the Day award to the United States after Washingtons diplomats objected to linking human rights to climate change. Indo-Asian News Service While sea ice in the Arctic continues to be on the decline, a new research from the US Space agency suggests that it is regrowing at faster rates during the winter than it was a few decades ago. The findings showed that since 1958, the Arctic sea ice cover has lost on average around two-thirds of its thickness and now 70 percent of the sea ice cap is made of seasonal ice, or ice that forms and melts within a single year. But at the same time, that sea ice is vanishing quicker than it has ever been observed in the satellite record, it is also thickening at a faster rate during winter. This increase in growth rate might last for decades, explained the researchers, in the paper to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. However, this does not mean that the ice cover is recovering, though. Just delaying its demise. "This increase in the amount of sea ice growing in winter doesn't overcome the large increase in melting we've observed in recent decades," said lead author Alek Petty, a sea ice scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "Overall, thickness is decreasing. Arctic sea ice is still very much in decline across all seasons and is projected to continue its decline over the coming decades," she added. To explore sea ice growth variability across the Arctic, the team used climate models and observations of sea ice thickness from the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite. They found that in the 1980s, when Arctic sea ice was on average 6.6 feet thick in October, about 3.3 extra feet of ice would form over the winter. This rate of growth may continue to increase, and in the coming decades, we could also have an ice pack that would on average be only around 3.3 feet thick in October, but could experience up to five feet of ice growth over the winter. However, by the middle of the century, the strong increases in atmospheric and oceanic temperatures will outweigh the mechanism that allows ice to regrow faster, and the Arctic sea ice cover will decline further, Petty said. The switch will happen once the sea ice is less than 1.6 feet thick at the beginning of winter, or its concentration -- the percentage of an area that is covered in sea ice -- is less than 50 per cent, she noted. By Margarita Antidze and Hasmik Mkrtchyan YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenians voted for a new parliament on Sunday as acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan sought a stronger mandate, having been elected by lawmakers to the post in May following a peaceful revolution earlier this year. Pashinyan came to power in the wake of weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism in the ex-Soviet republic. By Margarita Antidze and Hasmik Mkrtchyan YEREVAN (Reuters) - Armenians voted for a new parliament on Sunday as acting prime minister Nikol Pashinyan sought a stronger mandate, having been elected by lawmakers to the post in May following a peaceful revolution earlier this year. Pashinyan came to power in the wake of weeks of mass protests against corruption and cronyism in the ex-Soviet republic. The former newspaper editor, who was jailed for fomenting unrest in 2008, marked a dramatic break from the cadre of rulers who have run Armenia since the late 1990s. He stepped down in October so parliament could be dissolved ready for the early election. "Our general goal for future is to strengthen the Armenian democracy institutionally, Pashinyan told reporters after casting a ballot some hours before polls closed at 8 pm (1600 GMT). Former high-ranking officials were sacked and some were arrested following the power change. And a court of appeal ordered the detention of former President Robert Kocharyan again on Friday on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. He was first arrested in July but freed the following month and the case was sent to the appeals court. Kocharyan was Armenia's second president, serving in the post from 1998 to 2008, when mass protests erupted over a disputed election. The former ruling Republican Party, however, still dominates the current parliament that was elected in 2017. Pashinyan has said he expects Sunday's vote to lead to a legislature that better reflects the nation's new political landscape. Nine parties and two blocs are taking part in the election and opinion polls suggest the My Step Alliance, which includes Pashinyan's Civil Contract Party, will easily win a parliamentary majority. "I think our block may get around 80 percent of the vote," a senior official, who did not want to be named, told Reuters. Under Armenia's constitution, 30 percent of seats in parliament must go to opposition parties. After taking office, Pashinyan promised there would be no major shifts in Armenian foreign policy and has offered assurances he will not break with Moscow. Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is a member of Russia-led military and economic alliances. Pashinyan also suggested he would stick with existing policies on the long-running issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. A mountainous part of Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh, is run by ethnic Armenians who declared independence from Baku during a conflict that broke out as the Soviet Union crumbled in 1991. Though a ceasefire was agreed in 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia still regularly accuse each other of conducting attacks around Nagorno-Karabakh and along the Azeri-Armenian border. The Central Election Commission is expected to announce first preliminary results in early hours of Monday. (Writing by Margarita Antidze; Editing by Helen Popper, Simon Cameron-Moore and Raissa Kasolowsky) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Ben Blanchard and David Ljunggren BEIJING/OTTAWA (Reuters) - China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, calling the case 'extremely nasty.' Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. By Ben Blanchard and David Ljunggren BEIJING/OTTAWA (Reuters) - China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, calling the case "extremely nasty." Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. In a short statement, China's Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canada's ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a "strong protest." Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Saturday there is "nothing to add beyond what the Minister said yesterday". Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China is important and valued, and Canada's ambassador in Beijing has assured Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huawei's CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing. Canada's arrest of Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move "ignored the law, was unreasonable" and was in its very nature "extremely nasty," he added. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused." The statement did not elaborate. "There will probably be a deep freeze with the Chinese in high-level visits and exchanges," David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, said on Friday. "The ability to talk about free trade will be put in the ice box for a while. But we're going to have to live with that. That's the price of dealing with a country like China." Meng's arrest was on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump met in Argentina with China's Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies. The news of her arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have played down its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. A Huawei spokesman said on Friday the company has "every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Alexander Smith and Nick Zieminski) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. US President Donald Trump on Saturday again denied that his campaign colluded with Russian operatives, but made no comment on claims that he directly organised hush payments to ward off a possible sex scandal during his White House run Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday again denied that his campaign colluded with Russian operatives, but made no comment on claims that he directly organised hush payments to ward off a possible sex scandal during his White House run. Trump took to Twitter, his favourite means of communication, to address the multiple court filings that dropped on Friday in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller's sweeping investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. "After two years and millions of pages of documents (and a cost of over $30,000,000), No Collusion!" the president said. Later, he told reporters: "We are happy with what we are reading. There was no collusion whatsoever. There never has been. The last thing I want is help from Russia on a campaign." While the filings indeed did not appear to reveal evidence of collusion, they did offer a wealth of new information about what Mueller's team is looking into, along with other federal prosecutors in New York. Prosecutors directly implicated Trump in efforts to buy the silence of two women who claimed they had affairs with him, saying he directed his then-attorney Michael Cohen to offer them hush money. "With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election," the New York prosecutors said. "In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1," they added, referring to Trump. The payments are technically unrelated to the Russia probe, but prosecutors painted a damning picture of the "extensive, deliberate, and serious criminal conduct" of Cohen -- once a member of Trump's inner circle of trusted aides. In August, the 52-year-old Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law in connection with the payments. "Cohen deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election," prosecutors said. In a separate sentencing memo, Mueller said that Cohen was in contact with a Russian national as far back as November 2015 who offered "synergy on a government level." That was months before Trump formally won the presidential nomination and well before previously reported contacts. The Russian national claimed to have ties to the Kremlin and repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The individual said the meeting could have a "phenomenal" impact "not only in political but in a business dimension as well," but Cohen never followed up, Mueller said. That combination of political and business interests could spell trouble for Trump, whose real estate empire was seeking to build a signature tower in Moscow as late as mid-2016 in the midst of his White House bid. Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the Moscow real estate project. Recent filings in the Mueller probe have suggested the White House knew that Cohen planned to lie to lawmakers about his contacts with Russians. Due to his "relevant" and "substantial" help, Mueller declined to recommend additional jail time, but Cohen is still expected to face four to five years behind bars. Also on Friday, new twists and turns emerged in the case against Trump's onetime campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was convicted in August of financial fraud and witness tampering charges and pleaded guilty to a second set of charges a month later. Prosecutors accused Manafort of multiple "lies" to investigators: about his contacts with administration officials even after striking a plea deal; about a debt payment; and about his interaction with a suspected Russian intelligence officer. The breach of the plea deal could lead to a stiffer jail sentence than the 10 years originally envisaged for the 69-year-old veteran Republican consultant. Manafort has been convicted mostly on charges related to his work for pro-Moscow politicians in Ukraine between 2004 and 2014. But he has also been investigated for his possible role in alleged campaign collusion with Russia. Mueller has been inching ever closer to the White House, and on Friday, Trump fired off a volley of tweets against a probe he dubs a "witch hunt," accusing Mueller of "big time conflicts of interest" and alleging he coerced false testimony from witnesses. For Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, a former federal prosecutor, Trump is in legal jeopardy. "The pieces of the mosaic or the puzzle are coming into place, and the walls are closing in on Donald Trump, and his inner circle, including his family," Blumenthal said. "I believe he could be indicted and the trial could be postponed until after he finishes service." (AFP) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would nominate four-star Army General Mark Milley to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump said on Twitter that Milley, currently the Army chief of staff, would take over as the top U.S. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would nominate four-star Army General Mark Milley to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump said on Twitter that Milley, currently the Army chief of staff, would take over as the top U.S. military commander from Marine General Joseph Dunford at a date to be determined. "I am thankful to both these incredible men for their service to our country," Trump said on Twitter. Milley would have to be confirmed to the top military post by the Senate. Trump's announcement comes months earlier than expected. Dunford would normally remain as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff until a scheduled Oct. 1, 2019, handover. A spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that indications were that Dunford would complete his term, but he referred questions on the matter to the White House. "General Dunford congratulates General Milley on his selection as the nominee to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has served with General Milley in peacetime and in combat and has the highest regard for his leadership," said Colonel Patrick Ryder. A spokesman for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Lieutenant Colonel Mike Andrews, said, "We are aware of the president's nomination and share his confidence" in Milley. Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Milley "a great choice" to succeed Dunford. Milley is "a battle-tested commander and Pentagon reformer who will be a worthy successor to General Dunford," Graham said in a statement. He called Dunford "one of the most dedicated officers I've ever known." (Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Daniel Wallis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. by The current Weekly Standard has a long piece by me about the future of American orchestras. I write that orchestras can help us to heal our shredded national fabric and regain a lost sense of place a shared American identity via our history and culture. And yes, I mean high culture. I continue in part: Our colleges dont teach much history any longer. Many cultural institutions seem increasingly adrift. And yet I have stumbled upon an unlikely alliance that works: orchestras in partnership with universities. . . . If orchestras are ever to regain their role as agents of national unity, they will need to undertake a larger mission and curate the American past. . . . It must be understood that orchestras in the US have evolved very differently from museums. There are no scholarly curators on staff. The American musical past is little known or exhumed, nor is any cultural context outside of classical music. . . . The picture above, from my Weekly Standard article, shows me interacting with students in an El Paso colonia as part of an NEH-supported Music Unwound festival binding the El Paso Symphony to the University of Texas/El Paso, and to the El Paso public schools. To read the whole piece, click here. Galveston, TX (77553) Today Cloudy. Some light rain will fall throughout the day. High 62F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 56F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. After FOX decided to drop Brooklyn Nine-Nine, we were skeptical of whether we'd ever get another season... but thanks to the angels at NBC, a new season is just around the corner, a month away in fact, and the trailer has officially dropped. In the trailer, you see Jake Peralta go full Die Hard, as if his wildest dreams come true in true Nine-Nine fashion. There's scaling of buildings, jumping from high-rises and plenty of flames. The release date in USA is set for January 10th, although we're not sure of the Kiwi release. As long as it's soon, we don't care! Check out the trailer up top. Is Nokia delaying Android 9 Pie update to boost the sales of the newly launched phones? News oi-Vivek Nokia 8 is expected to receive Android 9 Pie update in the last week of December HMD Global or Nokia is one of the few Android smartphone brands, which takes software update pretty seriously and offers timely security and software updates even for the entry-level smartphones. There has been a rumor in the air that the company is wantedly delaying the Android 9 Pie software updates for the Nokia 8, Nokia 6, and Nokia 5 to improve the sale of the newly launched devices, say the Nokia 8.1 and the Nokia 7.1. HMD Global promised to offer Android 9 Pie update for the Nokia 8 and Nokia 8 Sirocco by the November of 2018, and the same was promised for the Nokia 6.1 and the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Amongst these four smartphones, Nokia 6.1 Plus is the only smartphone that has receive Android 9 Pie update. According to a report from Phonearena, Nokia's Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas suggested to withheld the software updates for the devices mentioned above in the early November 2018. With this move, consumers will look for smartphones that run on the latest Android OS, which will boost the sale of the newly launched smartphones. A new source also suggests that the Nokia 8 will receive the Android 9 Pie update by the end of December or in early 2019. If we recall, the Nokia 8 is the first flagship smartphone from HMD Global. Nokia 8 specifications The Nokia 8 was launched in late 2017 with a 5.3-inch IPS LCD screen, offering QHD+ resolution with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 is the chipset that powers the Nokia 8 with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The smartphone has a dual camera setup on the back with a 13 MP RGB sensor and a 13 MP monochrome sensor with 4K video recording capability. On the front, the device has a 13 MP front-facing selfie camera with 1080p video recording capability. The Nokia 8 has a 3090 mAh battery with a USB type C port with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge with a dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device was launched with Android 7 Nougat, and receive Android 8.1 Oreo update in early 2018. Best Mobiles in India 232 militants have been killed in Kashmir Valley so far this year. 51 militants were killed between June 25 and Sept. 14 and another 85 terrorists were gunned down between Sept. 15 and Dec. 5 (Representational | PTI) New Delhi: The security forces have killed more than 230 militants in Kashmir Valley so far this year even as there has been a drop in the number of civilians injured in stone-pelting related incidents, sources said. Another 240 militants are still active in the Valley. While 51 militants were killed between June 25 and September 14, another 85 terrorists were gunned down between September 15 and December 5, largely on account of the aggressive counter-offensive policy adopted by the security forces in the Valley. Though 232 militants have been killed so far this year, as many as 240 militants, including foreigners, are still active in the Kashmir Valley whom the security forces are tracking closely, sources added. Between June 25 and September 14 this year, eight people along with security personnel were killed, 216 were injured in different operations that also includes security personnel. In the last 80 days between September 15 and December 5, only two people were killed while 170 sustained injuries mainly in incidents of stone-pelting, security officials said. WikiLeaks founder Assange rejects UK-Ecuador deal to leave embassy Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 11:25AM WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has rejected a proposed plan by Ecuadorean president to leave the country's embassy in London with his lawyers insisting that the deal would not shield him against persecution and potential extradition to the US. Assange's legal team dismissed the agreement with British authorities, as described by President Lenin Moreno in an interview with a local radio station, emphasizing that it would not offer their client protection against "persecution" and likely handover to the US, where he is wanted for criminal charges of unveiling classified military and government information. Moreno said there was now a "path" for Assange's exit from the Ecuadorean Embassy in London -- where he has been holed up for six years following a deal with the British government, based on which "he would not be extradited to any country with the death penalty," UK-based daily Independent reported Friday. "The way has been cleared for Mr. Assange to take the decision to leave in near liberty," Moreno said as quoted by the daily, which further pointed to his eagerness to end the long residence of the whistleblower at the diplomatic compound. The Ecuadorean president, however, did not precisely explain what he meant by "near liberty, only asserting that UK authorities had guaranteed Assange would not be extradited anywhere that would put his life in danger. Firmly rejecting Moreno's plan, Assange's attorney Barry Pollack said, "the suggestion that as long as the death penalty is off the table, Mr Assange need not fear persecution is obviously wrong." "No one should have to face criminal charges for publishing truthful information," Pollack added during an interview with British daily The Telegraph. "Since such charges appear to have been brought against Mr Assange in the United States, Ecuador should continue to provide him asylum." According to the report, Moreno, however, also conceded that Assange could still face a prison term in Britain 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, which was later dropped. Moreno also underlined during his interview with a local broadcaster that the sentence for skipping bail in the UK would be "not long," noting that Britain has told Ecuador that his jail time would not exceed six months and that he would not face extradition if he left the embassy. "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," added the Ecuadorean president. Assange's lawyers have insisted that Ecuador is trying to end his asylum and turn him over to the US, where prosecutors are seeking to bring criminal charges against him. WikiLeaks said the US Justice Department had "accidentally revealed" sealed charges with unspecified offences in November. The whistleblower website has published thousands of classified US military documents, among other disclosures. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address British Intel to Ratchet Up Pressure on Russian Businessmen - Reports Sputnik News 12:37 08.12.2018 Britain-Russia relations have been in a downward spiral ever since early March, when former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal survived a purported nerve agent attack, which the UK blamed on Moscow. The accusations were followed by an announced crackdown on Russian money in Britain, which is apparently gaining momentum. UK intelligence services are looking to build up pressure on six powerful Russian businessmen with alleged close ties with the Kremlin, The Telegraph reported on Saturday, citing anonymous intelligence officials. According to a source, London seeks to "limit their maneuverability and their ability to travel and operate freely in Britain, Europe and elsewhere," with measures ranging from revoking their visas to restricting travel and even targeting their assets in the UK. The "black list" was reportedly submitted to and approved by Prime Minister Theresa May. It includes individuals "identified as having an extremely close professional and financial relationship" with President Vladimir Putin: investor and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, Russia's fifth-wealthiest man Alisher Usmanov and metals tycoon and Rusal owner Oleg Deripaska, as well as brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, who own the country's largest gas pipeline supplier. The decision to target Roman Abramovich is understood to be "the most significant." The 52-year-old billionaire businessman obtained Israeli citizenship in May after he failed to renew his UK working visa. His visa issues were largely associated with Britain-Russia souring relations in the wake of the Salisbury poisoning. The purported plan to counter the six deep-pocketed Russians will be part of Britain's countermeasures against the March 4 Salisbury incident, in which former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter were ostensibly exposed to a nerve agent. London claimed that the toxin, called "Novichok," was produced in Russia and blamed the attempted murder on Moscow's GRU officers. Theresa May threatened to freeze Russian assets in the country and suspend all high-level contacts with Moscow if there was evidence of Russia's involvement in the attack. A UK parliamentary committee urged the government to step up sanctions against those close to the Kremlin, as well as any responsible for human rights violations. Russia has repeatedly denied the claims as ungrounded and offered a joint investigation into the poisoning, which Britain backed out of. However, London moved to expel 23 Russian diplomats from the country, with Moscow responding in kind. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran has no forces in Yemen: Official IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 8, IRNA -- A Yemeni Ansarullah movement official on Saturday dismissed allegations on presence of Iran's military troops in Yemen, describing it as a rumor. Abdelmalek Ajari, also representative of the Houthi movement's leadership in Stockholm talks, said that missile used by Yemen against Saudi aggressions are Yemen-made and "we fire them to defend our dignity." There are Saudi mercenaries and foreign elements among those hled captive by the Houthis, he said, reiterating that no Iranian force is present in Yemeni soil. Fourth round of Yemen peace talks attended by Yemeni parties and the United Nations envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths started in Stockholm on Thursday and will continue for a week. The talks were initially slated to be hosted by Geneva on September 6, but it was postponed due to Saudi and UAE acts of obstructionism. First and second rounds of the negotiations were held in Geneva in 2015 as well as third round hosted by Kuwait in 2016 failed to produce any results. 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BALTOPS 2019 Planning Conference Commences in Poland Navy News Service Story Number: NNS181208-01 Release Date: 12/8/2018 5:38:00 AM From U.S. 2nd Fleet Public Affairs GDYNIA, Poland (NNS) -- Rear Adm. John B. Mustin, deputy commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet, addressed maritime planners from partner navies at the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2019 Initial Planning Conference (IPC) conducted at the Polish Naval Academy Library Building, Dec. 4-6. The three-day information exchange was attended by 14 participating nations and focused on determining structure and scenario outlines for the upcoming BALTOPS exercise, which is scheduled to be conducted in the Baltic Sea region in mid-2019. "We owe it to our partnership, and to the world, to make a statement," said Mustin. "BALTOPS allows us to promote peace and security through cooperation, collaboration, interoperability and an unambiguous display of strength in the Baltic region." Mustin elaborated on the exercise's focus to demonstrate the interoperability of NATO allies and partners and to assure nations of NATO's commitment to the security and stability of the Baltic Sea region. BALTOPS is conducted annually and 2019 will mark the 47th execution of the exercise. Scheduled by U.S. Naval Forces Europe, it will be the first major evolution planned and executed by the re-established U.S. 2nd Fleet at a time of need for increased attention in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. While in Poland, Rear Adm. Mustin also had the opportunity to meet with Polish leadership including Rear Adm. Jaroslaw Ziemianski, Navy Inspector, the head of the Polish Navy, in what was the first engagement between the newly established U.S. 2nd Fleet leadership and Poland. "Serving together, studying together, and participating in exercises together increases our combined operational readiness," said Mustin. "And that, as you know, helps secure a safer world." The BALTOPS planning conference introduced primary focus areas to include anti-air warfare, air-maritime integration, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures and amphibious and submarine operations against a near peer adversary using asymmetric tactics. Mustin stated in closing that the opportunity exists to build BALTOPS 2019 to make it fit for its purpose, and fit for its time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address After exit polls hinted losses, party chief Amit Shah meets national general secretaries. New Delhi: A day after most exit polls predicted the BJP may lose its grip over three key states in the Hindi heartland and the Congress is likely to gain extensively ahead of the 2019 electoral battle, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday asserted that the party will retain power in all three states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. At an event in the evening, Mr Shah was asked about the findings of exit polls showing a dip in BJPs performance in the three states but he disagreed with the predictions and said, The BJP will retain power in these states. Mr Shah also hit out at Opposition parties attempts to form a grand alliance as a sham and said in the next parliamentary elections people will have to decide whether they want strong or the helpless government. Politics is not physics where two plus two becomes four, it is chemistry. The grand alliance is nothing but a sham. Perhaps only in Uttar Pradesh the grand alliance between SP and BSP could pose some challenge for the party. The BJP had got more than 40 per cent vote share in the state and will fight for more than 51 per cent vote share in the next general elections, he said Mr Shah earlier held a crucial meeting with partys national general secretaries to deliberate on partys own feedback from the ground from the five states that went to polls over the last one month. Results of the Assembly polls of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Telangana will be declared on December 11. The BJP, sources said, has also called a meeting of its national office bearers on December 13 to dissect the poll results and to strategise for the Lok Sabha polls. In Telangana, the exit polls suggested that the K. Chandrasekhar Rao-led TRS may sail through while in Mizoram the predictions favoured Mizo National Front (MNF) over the Congress, which has been ruling the northeastern state for a decade. In Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the BJP has been ruling since 2003 and has been confident of forming the government for the fourth time in a row. Sources disclosed, in case the poll predictions comes true, especially in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, its impact could be drastic for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls and the saffron poll managers would be forced to restrategise its electoral tactics. In Rajasthan, the saffron partys poll managers had been strategising to negate the electoral jinx of the state preferring the BJP and the Congress alternately. BJP stalwart Vasundhara Raje is the chief minister in the outgoing assembly in the desert state but the opposition Congress is confident that the state prefers it after the misrule of the Raje government. More than 50% of Yemen's population facing 'severe acute food insecurity': Survey Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 03:45PM Some 53 percent of Yemen's population, 15.9 million people, is now facing "severe acute food insecurity" as the direct result of a Saudi-led invasion of the impoverished country and the ensuing economic collapse, a survey says. The survey, whose results were published on Saturday, was conducted by Yemeni officials and international experts during the month of October based on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), also known as IPC scale. According to the IPC's five-point scale, 3 stands for "crisis", 4 is for "emergency" and 5 is used to refer to "catastrophe" and possible famine. The survey warned that the 15.9 million people now in phases 3-5 could eventually reach 20.1 million people, 67 percent of the population, if there is not adequate food aid. The number in "catastrophe" would triple to 238,000. The results held the nearly four-year-long imposed war responsible as the main culprit of the hunger crisis, exacerbated by extremely high food prices, a liquidity crisis, disrupted livelihoods, and high levels of unemployment. The survey also said that food aid, provided by the United Nations and other aid groups, was not enough to plug the gap. "Immediate responses are required to save lives and livelihoods of millions not to slide to the next worse case which is famine," it said. The results further showed the presence of many pockets of extreme hunger across Yemen, concentrated in areas with active fighting, particularly in western and northern regions. They also warned that without humanitarian aid, 13 provinces would be in a food catastrophe. Some of the results of the survey were released by the UN on Thursday. The report was released as the UN brought Yemen's warring sides together for the first peace talks in two years in Sweden. The Houthi Ansarullah movement has strongly rejected demands by its rival group, the country's former Saudi-backed government. Mohammed Abdulsalam, the head of the Houthi delegation at the peace talks, called on the sidelines of the negotiations on Saturday for the formation of a transitional government with the participation of "all political parties." He also said Yemen's vital port city of Hudaydah, currently under a tight blockade by the invaders, should be declared a "neutral zone." As for the international airport of the capital Sana'a, Abdulsalam said that his movement was open to the possibility of giving the UN a role at the airport as part of an effort to get it reopened. The airport is currently under an imposed closure by the former government and the coalition led by Saudi Arabia. On Friday, the Houthi delegation strongly rejected its rival group's proposals of handing over the port city and inspecting flights to Sana'a airport. The Saudi-led coalition, which has so far bombed the airport several times, has tightly restricted access to the airport. It also controls the air space. The so-called government, led by Yemen's former President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh, has tightly besieged Hudaydah through its armed militia and mercenaries employed by the United Arab Emirates since June, when they launched a full-scale offensive against the western port city. Since the onset of the operation against Hudaydah, the humanitarian situation has worsened in Yemen due to a broad economic collapse. More than 70 percent of Yemen's imports used to pass through the docks of the vital port. The invaders have failed to achieve their objective of overrunning Hudaydah and defeating Houthi fighters. Leading a coalition of its allies, including the UAE and Sudan, Saudi Arabia invaded Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall Hadi, who had resigned amid popular discontent and fled to Riyadh. The imposed war initially consisted of an aerial campaign but was later coupled with a naval blockade and the deployment of ground mercenaries to Yemen. Since the onset of aggression, the Yemeni army, backed by fighters from Ansarullah, has been defending the impoverished nation against the invaders. The coalition is also resolute to crush the movement as another goal in its war on Yemen, which is teetering on the edge of famine. The aggression is estimated to have left 56,000 Yemenis dead. Riyadh had declared at the start of the invasion that the war would take no more than a couple of weeks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US prosecutors seek 'substantial' prison term for former Trump lawyer Cohen Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 07:33AM US federal prosecutors have asked a judge in New York to sentence Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, to a "substantial term of imprisonment" for evading taxes and violating election finance laws. New York City's US Attorney Robert Khuzami made the request in a court filing on Friday, rejecting Cohen's request for significant leniency based on his cooperation with US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. "Cohen, an attorney and businessman, committed four distinct federal crimes over a period of several years. He was motivated to do so by personal greed, and repeatedly used his power and influence for deceptive ends," Khuzami said in his court submission. Khuzami cited the officially recommended sentence range of 51 to 63 months for Cohen, who was a top executive at the Trump Organization. After a year under investigation, Cohen pleaded guilty on August 21 to charges of tax and financial fraud. He also pleaded guilty to violating election campaign finance laws by paying an adult film actress hush money on Trump's behalf during the president's election campaign. Then on November 29, he pleaded guilty to an additional charge of lying to Congress over matters related to Mueller's investigation over Russia's alleged collusion with Trump's 2016 election campaign to influence voters. Last week, Cohen asked the New York court for leniency -- specifically, no jail time -- in which he expressed remorse and said he had significantly cooperated with Mueller and his investigators. But Khuzami's office rejected that view, saying his cooperation was limited, not offering information beyond the specific charges facing him. In a separate filing to the same court from Mueller, Cohen was described as having "gone to significant lengths to assist" that investigation, meeting with Mueller's team seven times. Cohen conferred with Trump about Putin meeting Cohen told Mueller's team that he conferred with Trump about arranging a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the early stages of the 2016 campaign, the special counsel's office said in its filing Friday. Cohen told the prosecutors that he reached out to the Russian government to arrange a meeting when Putin visited the United Nations General Assembly in late 2015. The lawyer had initially said that the meeting was his idea alone, but he told the investigators he had actually spoken with Trump about it beforehand. The meeting ultimately did not take place. Mueller accuses Paul Manafort of lying Mueller's office also revealed in their court filing that Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Trump's election campaign, lied to them about several contacts he had with senior Trump administration officials while he was under indictment. In September, Manafort pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including making false statements about lobbying work he did for the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and filing false reports to conceal money he made from those efforts. Manafort also admitted to obstructing justice by attempting to influence witness testimony in his case. As part of his plea deal, Manafort agreed to cooperate with Mueller's probe into whether Trump's campaign cooperated with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. However, late last month, Mueller announced that Manafort had violated the terms of that deal. Friday's filing was submitted to back up prosecutors' assertion that Manafort breached the plea agreement. The revelation of contacts between Manafort and serving administration officials appears to undercut past statements by the president and his administration that sought to put distance between the White House and the prosecution of Manafort. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US should stay in Afghanistan or face another 9/11: Gen. Dunford Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 02:07AM The United States should continue its military presence in Afghanistan if it wishes to prevent future attacks similar to what happened on September 11, 2001, the top US military officer has warned. Speaking at an event organized by the Washington Post on Thursday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford said pulling American and NATO forces out of Afghanistan was not a good idea. "Leaving Afghanistan in my judgment would give the terrorist groups the space with which to conduct operations against the American homeland and its allies," Dunford said. "It is our assessment that in a period of time [the terror groups] would have in the future the capability to do what they did on 9/11," he said. Almost 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001 when 19 hijackers 15 of them Saudis -- with alleged ties to al-Qaeda terrorist group flew two passenger aircraft into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and a third plane into the Pentagon building in northern Virginia. Following the attacks, the United States under then President George W. Bush -- and its allies invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 as part of a so-called war on terror. After more than 17 years, however, the foreign troops are still in the country because the operation has failed to defeat Taliban militants. The war paved the way for the Daesh terrorist group, which is mainly active in Syria and Libya, to develop a base in Afghanistan as well. Dunford, however, said his top priority was not to ensure Afghanistan's security and stability, but to "make recommendations for the deployment of military force that protects the American people, the homeland and our allies." "The presence that we have in Afghanistan has, in fact, disrupted the enemy's ability to reconstitute and pose a threat to us," Dunford said. Last month, Dunford admitted that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan and much more needs to be done to bring peace to the war-torn country. He said back then that there was no "military solution" to peace in Afghanistan. This is while US President Donald Trump's strategy for the long-running war revolves around bringing more troops and using them to force a political resolution to militant groups. The new strategy, unveiled last year, announced an increase in US troop levels, bringing the total number of foreign foot soldiers in the country to about 14,000. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump Says Mueller Investigation Has Failed To Find Collusion Evidence By RFE/RL December 08, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump says Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation has failed to find evidence that he colluded with Russia during his 2016 election campaign. "After two years and millions of pages of documents (and a cost of over $30 million) no collusion!" Trump said in a tweet on December 8. The comments come a day after U.S. prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Trump's longtime personal lawyer to a "substantial" prison term after he admitted to paying a porn actress money to keep her from embarrassing Trump during the 2016 election. Trump did not mention that in their filings, prosecutors also detailed a previously unknown attempt by a Russian to help his 2016 presidential election campaign. Meanwhile, Mueller asked a judge for no additional prison time for Michael Cohen on a separate set of charges that said Cohen lied about potential Moscow real estate development that could have brought Trump's business "hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian sources." The charges Cohen faced from Manhattan federal prosecutors were separate from, but grew out of, Mueller's investigation into Trump associates and their interactions with Russian officials. Cohen, who has been cooperating with Mueller, pleaded guilty to charges including tax, bank, and campaign-finance fraud in August. Cohen worked for years for Trump's business organization, serving as a "fixer," to help out with business deals and other matters. Some of the charges Cohen faced stem from his efforts to prevent at least two women from going public with their stories of having affairs with Trump, something that Trump has denied repeatedly. Some of the money that was paid to the women allegedly came from shell corporations that Cohen set up, and with money that was allegedly provided by Trump. Investigators have been looking at whether the money Trump allegedly paid could constitute a contribution to his election effort, and whether it should have been disclosed under federal election law. Mueller is investigating whether there was collusion between Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Russia, which U.S. intelligence agencies charge mounted an influence operation to sway the vote to Trump over his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Russia denies interfering in the election to help Trump. With reporting by Reuters, AP and CNN Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-says- mueller-investigation-has-failed-to-find- collusion-evidence/29645160.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 U.S. Prosecutors Allege Former Top Trump Associates Lied Over Russia Contacts By RFE/RL December 08, 2018 U.S. prosecutors have laid out in court details of what they say are lies by former top associates of President Donald Trump regarding their interactions with Russian contacts, charges that will likely lead to long prison terms for the two men. The accusations against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former personal lawyer Michael Cohen were made in separate filings late on December 7 in federal court. Despite the allegations against former top associates of Trump, the White House late on December 7 issued a statement saying the filings offered nothing new or damaging about the president and blamed the media for "trying to create a story where there isn't one." Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and whether there was collusion between associates of Trump and Russia. Moscow denies it interfered, despite substantial evidence. Trump has repeatedly denied collusion between his team and Russia. Mueller's office charged in U.S. District Court in Washington that Manafort made "multiple discernible lies" regarding his contacts with Russian-Ukrainian political consultant Konstantin Kilimnik, violating the terms of a previous plea deal. The filing states Manafort lied about Kilimnik's efforts to tamper with witnesses, the circumstances around a $125,000 payment to a firm working for Manafort, and Manafort's contacts with Trump administration officials. Mueller's office also said Manafort told investigators he spoke with officials only prior to and after they had left the Trump administration. But prosecutors allege that a review of Manafort's electronic documents shows he had "additional contacts" with the officials. Manafort's lawyers deny he lied, and it will be up to a judge to rule on whether he broke his plea deal. The 69-year-old Manafort already faces years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy counts in the Washington court and being convicted of financial fraud crimes at a Virginia court, which is scheduled to sentence him in February. He pleaded guilty in September in the Washington case and had agreed to cooperate with the investigation. He is being held in jail after his bail was revoked. Manafort did political work for Moscow-friendly former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his party, and undisclosed lobbying work he admitted to performing on behalf of Ukraine in violation of U.S. law. Manafort joined Trump's presidential campaign in March 2016 and became chairman but resigned five months later. Meanwhile, prosecutors in Manhattan asked a judge to sentence Cohen to a "substantial" prison term after he admitted to paying a porn actress money to keep her from embarrassing Trump during the 2016 election. Some of the money that was paid to the women allegedly came from shell corporations that Cohen set up, and with money that was allegedly provided by Trump. Investigators have been looking at whether the money Trump allegedly paid could constitute a contribution to his election effort, and whether it should have been disclosed under federal election law. Mueller asked a judge for no additional prison time for Cohen on a separate set of charges that said the lawyer lied about potential Moscow real estate development that could have brought Trump's business "hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian sources." The filing detailed how Cohen spoke to a Russian as early as 2015 who "claimed to be a 'trusted person' in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign 'political synergy' and 'synergy on a government level,'" although the meeting never took place. Cohen, who has been cooperating with Mueller, pleaded guilty to charges including tax, bank, and campaign-finance fraud in August. Cohen worked for years for Trump's business organization, serving as a "fixer," to help out with business deals and other matters. Cohen is scheduled to be sentence on December 12 on all the federal charges he has pleaded guilty to. The moves follow the release of a sentencing memo on December 4 by the special counsel's office regarding Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn. In December 2017, 10 months after being fired by Trump, Flynn pleaded guilty to charges of lying to FBI investigations about secretive conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak. Mueller recommended no prison time for Flynn because of the assistance he has provided prosecutors, but he offered few details into the scope of that cooperation. With reporting by Mike Eckel, AP, Reuters, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russia- probe-mueller-manafort-cohen- trump/29644504.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 UN Envoy: De-Escalation in Yemen Could Be Prerequisite for Peace Talks' Success Sputnik News 23:55 08.12.2018 STOCKHOLM, (Sputnik) - UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths expressed hope on Saturday that the de-escalation on the ground would be maintained in Yemen to "give a chance" for the crisis settlement talks to succeed. The UN-mediated talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthis started in Stockholm on Thursday. The sides are discussing prisoner exchange, confidence building measures and humanitarian issues. "We are working to the background of a very fragile situation in Yemen. We hope that the de-escalation will be maintained on different front lines to give a chance for progress to be achieved on political consultations," Griffiths said. Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels for several years. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015. The conflict escalated this summer in the region of Al Hudaydah, the Yemeni largest port, disrupting humanitarian supplies to the country and putting half of its population at risk of starvation. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Houthis to Release All Detainees If Yemeni Gov't Responds in Kind - Delegate Sputnik News 20:20 08.12.2018(updated 20:26 08.12.2018) STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) - The Houthi movement is ready to release all its detainees if the Yemeni government agrees to respond in kind, Abdul Majid Hanash, a member of the Houthi delegation to the talks in Sweden, said. The UN-mediated talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthis started in Stockholm on Thursday. On the same day, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths announced that the two sides had signed an agreement on prisoner exchange. "On the issue of detainees, we have done all we can do. We are now ready to release all those we have without conditions if the other side responds. They have said let's agree to release 200 people from each side, but we would like to release all," Abdul Majid Hanash, a member of the Houthi delegation to the talks in Sweden told reporters. He stressed that the Houthis were ready to provide the lists of all those who had died or were still kept in captivity to the government's delegation. "We are even ready to present all the names of those that have died and all that we have [detained], because their parents have the right to know what has happened to them. We have said that we are ready to cooperate in this direction We want the International [Committee of the] Red Cross to be a mediator," Hanash added. Abdul Malik Ajri, a member of the Houthi-led Political Bureau, in turn, said that all those whom the Houthis were still holding in captivity were foreigners, mainly the Saudis. "All of our detainees are Saudi Arabians or foreigners. We don't have any Iranians at all on our land and this shows that there is no Iranian presence in Yemen," Ajri told reporters in Sweden. Houthis' Proposal to Check Sanaa-Bound Planes in Amman The delegate went on saying that the Houthi delegation to the UN-mediated peace talks in Sweden awaits a response from the Yemeni government regarding its proposal to conduct security checks of planes bound for the Sanaa airport in Amman. "We have given four options for the resolution of the issue regarding Sanaa airport. For example, before the plane lands in Sanaa, we are not against it being checked in the capital of Jordan, Amman. The other side has not yet responded to this," Ajri said. The comment was made after on Friday, Abdulaziz Jabari, an adviser to the Yemeni president and a member of the government delegation to the peace talks in Sweden, told Sputnik that the government was ready to reopen the airport if the Houthis withdrew from it and the authorities could inspect planes. The airport has been out of operation for two years due to the ongoing conflict. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Exit From Afghanistan May Help Terrorists Stage 9/11-Style Attacks General Sputnik News 17:44 08.12.2018(updated 17:45 08.12.2018) Earlier, Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, admitted that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, and that more efforts are needed to bring peace to the war-torn South Asian country. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan may help terrorist groups develop the capability to carry out more attacks like the ones launched against the United States on September 11, 2001. "Leaving Afghanistan in my judgment would give the terrorist groups the space with which to conduct operations against the American homeland and its allies. It is our assessment that in a period of time [the terrorist groups] would have in the future the capability to do what they did on 9/11," Dunford argued. The statement came after he admitted in mid-November that the Taliban "are not losing" in Afghanistan, where he said more efforts are needed to ensure lasting peace. "They are not losing right now, I think that is fair to say. We used the term stalemate a year ago and, relatively speaking, it has not changed much," Dunford said, stressing that there was no "military solution" to peace in Afghanistan. In August 2017, President Donald Trump announced a new US strategy on Afghanistan, in which he pledged to continue Washington's support for the Afghan government and military in their fight against the ongoing militant insurgency, aggravated by an unstable political, social and security situation. Trump also stated that the authority of US troops to target terrorists in Afghanistan would be expanded and approved, sending an additional 4,000 troops to the country, bringing the total number of foreign soldiers in the South Asian nation to about 14,000. Almost 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001 when al-Qaeda hijacked several US airliners and flew them into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon building near Washington, DC. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon Top Brass Infuriated That Google Works with China But Not US Military Sputnik News 16:09 08.12.2018(updated 16:37 08.12.2018) Earlier this week, US tech giant Microsoft vowed that it would give the Pentagon access to "all the technology" it creates. Outgoing Pentagon chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford has slammed Google Inc's "inexplicable" tendency to make compromises to do business in China, while being more reluctant to work with the US department of defence. "We are the good guys and it's inexplicable to me that we would make compromises in order to advance our business interests in China where we know that freedoms are restrained, where we know that China will take intellectual property from companies," Dunford said, according to Reuters. In June, Google pulled out of a Pentagon-funded program known as Project Maven, a project for using artificial intelligence to analyze reconnaissance photography taken by drones, after over 3,100 employees signed a petition to leave the partnership. In October, the tech giant also dropped out of the running for a $10 billion Pentagon Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) cloud services contract, saying the contract did not align with its corporate values. At the same time, the company has made compromises with Chinese authorities to create a local search engine with backdoor monitoring capabilities built in, allowing authorities to track everything from search history to user location. Dunford criticized Google's policy, insisting that the Pentagon wasn't asking the company to do "something that's unethical, illegal or immoral." "This is about ensuring that we collectively can defend the values for which we stand. That would be the argument I make to the tech companies," he said. "I'm not sure that people at Google will enjoy a world order that is informed by the norms and standards of Russia or China," the top general added. Last week, Microsoft President Brad Smith vowed that his company would provide the Pentagon "with access to the best technology, to all the technology we create full stop." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli Military Fires Warning Shots Along Border With Lebanon - Reports Sputnik News 14:11 08.12.2018(updated 00:21 09.12.2018) Tensions between Tel Aviv and Beirut have ramped up in recent months, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting Thursday that Israel could launch a military operation in Lebanon proper to detect and destroy alleged Hezbollah tunnelling activity. Israeli troops fired warning shots at a Lebanese Army vehicle near the UN-established Blue Line border demarcation area between Israel and Lebanon, Lebanese news agency NNA reported on Saturday. The shots, said to have been fired east of the Lebanese village of Meiss ej Jabal, were fired amid Israel's ongoing operation to identify Hezbollah tunnels along the border area. "The soldiers of hostile Israel opened fire into the air after being stationed near the Blue Line in the Qurum al-Sharqi area east of Meiss ej Jabal," the news agency said. The troops were said to have opened fire over a vehicle belonging to the Lebanese Army which was performing a routine patrol in the border area in conditions of heavy fog. The Israeli military confirmed Saturday that it had fired shots along the border, but said that the gunfire was directed against suspected "Hezbollah activists." "Troops fired towards the suspects in accordance with the standard operating procedures. The three [individuals involved] fled. The work in the area continues as usual," the military said in a statement cited by Reuters. The military said that the three individuals had approached Israeli forces on the Israeli side of the border. Later Saturday, the Israeli military reported that they had found a second Hezbollah tunnel dug on the border area from Lebanon into Israel. "The Israel Defence Forces found a second tunnel dug by Hezbollah activists into Israel. This is another violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701; we consider the Lebanese government responsible for what is happening on its territory," IDF public affairs spokesman Jonathan Conricus said. Lebanese forces and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon stepped up its patrols along the Blue Line after the Israeli military launched Operation 'Northern Shield', aimed at identifying Hezbollah tunnels along the border zone. Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel may launch an operation inside Lebanon itself to destroy the network of underground tunnels allegedly used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons and militants into Israel. Lebanese officials have denied the tunnels' existence, calling on Tel Aviv to provide detailed, hard proof about the location of the alleged tunnels. Tensions between Israel and Lebanon have escalated in recent months, with officials from both two countries warning about possible military clashes. Israel has accused Tehran of using Hezbollah as a "terrorist proxy" for a campaign of aggression against Tel Aviv. Iran has denied the claims. Earlier this month, Hezbollah issued a video warning Israel against launching missile strikes on Lebanon, warning the Israeli government that "if you dare attack, you will regret it." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hooda, however, maintained on Saturday that there was too much hype about the surgical strikes. The Army Chief noted that Hooda was 'one of the main persons involved in the conduct of these operations. So, I respect his words very much.' (Photo: File) New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Saturday dismissed as "individual person's perception" the remarks made by former Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General (retired) DS Hooda that there were over hype about the 2016 surgical strikes carried out in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Hooda, who had overseen the surgical strikes conducted across the Line of Control (LoC) on the night of September 28-29, 2016, has triggered a major controversy by saying that constant maintenance of hype around the military operations was unwarranted. Read: Surgical strike overhyped, politicised: ex-Army officer Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda Attending an event in Chandigarh on Friday, he said in response to a question that "in hindsight, it would have been better had we done it (surgical strikes) secretly." Asked about the remarks made by Hooda, General Rawat told ANI on Saturday: "These are individual person's perception. So let's not comment on them." The Army Chief noted that Hooda was "one of the main persons involved in the conduct of these operations. So, I respect his words very much." Hooda, however, maintained on Saturday that there was too much hype about the surgical strikes. "I do think there was too much hype over it. The military operation was important and we had to do it. Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it is right or wrong, is something that should be asked to politicians," the former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command told ANI. The surgical strikes were conducted after a terror attack on an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir on September 18, 2016, in which 19 soldiers were killed. The Indian Army said several terrorist launch pads were destroyed and many terrorists were killed in the operation. Incumbent Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, while commenting on Hooda's remarks, said, "Surgical strike is one of the options available to the Army. It had a positive effect on country, We've been able to curb terrorism to a great extent." Hooda, while participating in the discussion in Chandigarh on Friday, also said that the aim of any offensive like the surgical strikes has to be strategic besides being tactical as it substantially affects the morale of the enemy. He added that India needs to be pro-active and have an unpredictable response considering the happenings on the LoC. Yemen Needs New Transition Period to Overcome Crisis - Houthi Spokesman Sputnik News 02:34 08.12.2018 MOSCOW/STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) - The agreement on the exchange of detainees and prisoners of war between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels includes captives held in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, a member of the Houthi delegation to the peace talks in Sweden said on Friday. "[The agreement] includes captives held in prisons of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. They are part of the agreement. The only thing left to do is working out the practical part of the agreement on the prisoner swap. So, we are entering a new stage: the exchange of lists of prisoners between the sides, as well as the exchange of information about those missing. Then the last stage will come: the release of prisoners," Abdel Malek Ajari said at a press conference in Sweden. Recent report about the torture of Yemeni detainees by Houthis reflect only a minor part of the atrocities taking place in Houthi prisons, a member of the government delegation at the talks in Sweden told Sputnik on Friday. "Yes, I saw the report. The report was done by the Associated Press and has nothing to do with the team [in Sweden]. What is described in the report of what happens in Houthi prisons is a small part what really happens there is much worse. We have a goal to release all prisoners and detainees and those who are forcibly hidden because we are aware of the suffering they are suffering," the delegation member said. Earlier in the day, the Associated Press published an a report suggesting that the Houthi militias were applying extreme torture for people in the prisons. Meanwhile, Yemen needs a new transition period to heal the divide within the army and government structures created by the years of internal conflict, a representative of the Houthi movement's leadership said on Friday. "The situation has changed, we see what is called the failure of the state in Yemen a divided army, divided state structures, so we need a new transition period, like the one that was in 2011. This new transition period [should] be based on transitional structures at the executive and legislative levels, and at the level of the army and security," Abdel Malek Ajari said at a press conference. The spokesman, however, stressed that the Houthis did not reject the proposed peace initiatives, even though they disagreed with some of them. "For example, the [2011] Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] initiative has exhausted itself in many respects, as the agreement included only two [political] forces, of which the consensus government would consist. It is no longer relevant now," he stressed, referring to the 2011 events in Yemen. Ajari also noted that there was a "cocktail" of various armed groups including such as the Daesh and al-Qaeda terror groups operating in both government-controlled areas and those controlled by the rebels. On Thursday, the intra-Yemeni talks between the governmental delegation and the Houthi rebels began in Rimbo, a town north of Stockholm. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address White House Says Latest Mueller Filings Do Nothing to Damage Trump Sputnik News 03:19 08.12.2018(updated 03:49 08.12.2018) The White House said on Friday that special counsel Robert Mueller's filings earlier in the day on former longtime attorney for President Trump Michael Cohen and Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort do nothing to damage the president. "Totally clears the President. Thank you!" Trump also tweeted after the filings were released. "The government's filing in Mr. Manafort's case says absolutely nothing about the President. It says even less about collusion and is devoted almost entirely to lobbying-related issues. Once again the media is trying to create a story where there isn't one," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said. "The government filing in Mr. Cohen's case tell us nothing of value that wasn't already known," Sanders added. "Mr. Cohen has repeatedly lied and as the prosecution has pointed out to the court, Mr. Cohen is no hero." While the filing in the Manafort case, which focused on lies the former campaign manager told following his guilty plea with the special counsel's office, did not seem to make any references to Trump, separate court filings by the special counsel's office in Cohen's case, and by New York Southern District prosecutors, make several references to "Individual-1," who is the president. Mueller's filing accuses Cohen of discussing a proposal for a Trump Tower in Moscow "well into [Trump's presidential] campaign." Cohen also tried to "minimize" the links between Trump and the proposal, Mueller said. During a September 2015 radio interview, Cohen suggested that Trump meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the United Nations General Assembly meeting. Cohen claimed that the remarks were off-the-cuff but later admitted that he discussed a potential, future meeting with Russian officials with Trump. That meeting "ultimately did not take place," Mueller said. In November of the same year, a Russian citizen who said he was a "trusted person" in the Russian Federation, repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Putin, but Cohen "did not follow up on this invitation," Mueller said. That meeting was, according to the Russian national who pitched it, supposed to be both political in nature and related to business. The filing from Southern District of New York prosecutors alleges that Trump ordered Cohen to make hush money payments to two women who said they had affairs with Trump, a fact revealed some time ago. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mueller Details Manafort's Post-Plea Deal Lies in New Filing Sputnik News 02:34 08.12.2018(updated 03:22 08.12.2018) On Friday, special counsel Robert Mueller filed the government's submission in support of its determination that former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort breached his plea agreement. Manafort was convicted of a number of fraud charges in the state of Virginia and later pleaded guilty to separate charges in DC. On Monday, the special counsel's office accused Manafort in a court filing of breaching his agreement, which stipulated that he "fully, truthfully, completely, and forthrightly" cooperate with the government. In Mueller's filing on Friday, Manafort is accused of lying to prosecutors about his contacts with members of the Trump administration and his longtime business partner Konstantin Kilimnik. The breach "leaves intact all the obligations of the defendant as well as his guilty plea, but relieves the government of its promises under the agreement," the filing states. Manafort also lied about a payment to the tune of $125,000 to "a firm working for Manafort in 2017." After Manafort signed his plea agreement, he said he had "no direct or indirect communications with anyone in the Administration while they were in the Administration and that he never asked anyone to try to communicate a message to anyone in the Administration on any subject matter," the document says. However, the one-time Trump campaign chairman sent a text message on May 26 of this year authorizing a person to speak with an administration official on his behalf. According to a "Manafort colleague," Manafort said in February that he had been in communication with a senior administration official through that month. Additionally, "a review of documents recovered from a search of Manafort's electronic documents demonstrates additional contacts with Administration officials." "These were not instances of mere memory lapses," the document concludes. "If the defendant contends the government has not acted in good faith, the government is available to prove the false statements at a hearing." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address About 20 Million Yemeni Citizens Are 'Food Insecure,' Report Says By VOA News December 08, 2018 Up to 20 million Yemeni's two-thirds of the country's population are food insecure, primarily because of the war that has ravaged the impoverished country. A joint statement issued Saturday by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF and the World Food Program said the conflict has contributed to the "world's worst humanitarian crisis." The agencies cited an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a food security survey that helps determine whether to declare famine in countries. "Already 15.9 million people wake up hungry" in Yemen, the agencies said of the findings, which also said 20 million people are facing "severe acute food insecurity." WFP head David Beasley said "a massive increase in aid and sustained access to all areas of Yemen" are needed to help alleviate the crisis. He warned if those actions are not taken, "we will lose an entire generation of children to hunger." While the report cited war as the main cause of the crisis, it said the crisis also was exacerbated by skyrocketing food prices and high unemployment levels. The crisis spiraled out of control after a Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive in March 2015 to support the Yemeni government against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. The catastrophe has claimed the lives of at least 10,000 people, the World Health Organization estimates. The war also has taken a heavy toll on the country's economy, with the World Bank reporting it has contracted by about 50 percent since 2015. The report was disclosed as Yemeni government officials and rebel representatives held U.N.-brokered peace talks in Sweden. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Western Diplomats See Political Motive Behind OPEC Oil Cut By Jamie Dettmer December 08, 2018 Despite repeated calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for oil production to remain steady, the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with Russia and its allies, announced Friday they would cut their pumping of crude to reduce oil flows onto the global market by 1.2 million barrels of per day, a bigger-than-expected cut. OPEC officials say there was no political motive behind the decision, arguing an oil glut forced the move and that their decision was spurred by oversupply concerns and forecasts for lower demand next year as well as a surge of shale oil production in the U.S. Price slide Oil economists agree that a reduction is needed to stem a further slide in prices, which fell 30 percent in October, and OPEC's decision was praised by many market analysts. Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas, told Bloomberg: "Given how much expectations were downplayed around the outcome of this meeting, this result comes as a welcome surprise. OPEC has given the oil market a rudder that appeared largely absent." Oil prices surged following the announcement, with a barrel of Brent crude jumping nearly 6 percent, to $63.11. But with the U.S. Senate determined to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing in October of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and prominent critic of the Gulf kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, some Western diplomats and analysts aren't so sure that the Saudi-led cut was without a political motive. They argue Riyadh's determination to force through a larger-than-expected cut was partly a warning shot in line with thinly veiled threats by Saudi officials to jolt the global economy, if the U.S. moves to impose sanctions on the kingdom for Khashoggi's brazen killing. Pledge on sanctions A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has vowed to sanction Saudi Arabia after a briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel convinced them the Saudi crown prince ordered the killing, which took place Oct. 2 in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he wanted to "sanction the hell out of" the Saudi government. "A cut in production is one thing, but this was much larger than was forecast; and the Saudis had to go out of their way to persuade Moscow to agree," a senior British diplomat said. Initially, the Kremlin refused to scale back its own output at the meeting in Vienna, and Russian envoy Alexander Novak had to rush back to Moscow for talks. On Friday, the Saudi and Russian envoys haggled in Vienna for two hours, consulting their governments by phone during the bargaining, OPEC officials said. Some analysts see the Russian agreement for the production cut as further evidence of the warming ties between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Saudi crown prince, who enthusiastically shared a high-five a hand slap at last week's Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires. In the run-up to the meeting featuring the OPEC countries and a so-called Russia-led super cartel of 10 oil-producing countries, including Kazakhstan, analysts had forecast that a muddled middle course would be plotted, with Saudi Arabia likely to be more cautious about defying Trump while moving to bump up prices. On Wednesday, the U.S. leader tweeted he hoped OPEC would "be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted." He added: "The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" In October as sanctions talk flared in Washington, Saudi officials warned that the Gulf kingdom could exploit its oil status to disrupt the global economy, if it wanted. The Saudi government threatened to retaliate against any punishment such as economic sanctions, outside political pressure or even "repeated false accusations" about the Khashoggi killing, although it walked back the threat subsequently following signs that the Trump administration had no appetite for imposing sanctions on the long-term U.S. ally. Saudi Arabia doesn't wield the same level of power on the oil market thanks in part to U.S. shale oil production as it did in 1973, when it triggered an oil embargo against Western countries for supporting Israel. However, it still wields enormous influence, analysts say. The U.S. is the third-biggest destination for Saudi crude. OPEC accounts for about one-third of global crude production. If the U.S. Congress decides to impose sanctions, the Saudis could react by reducing oil exports further and force prices to rise to $100 a barrel, some market experts said. Exemptions for importers U.S. officials said they had expected that OPEC would decide to cut production. They said that is why U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo granted exemptions last month for eight oil-importing countries to continue to buy oil from Tehran when announcing details of the reimposition of sanctions against Iran. This week, U.S. senators are due to take aim at the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen and will hold an unprecedented vote on ending U.S. support for the war. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IDF Claims 2nd Lebanon-Israel Border Tunnel Dug by Hezbollah Sputnik News 00:10 09.12.2018(updated 00:24 09.12.2018) TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed on Saturday that they had discovered a second tunnel dug from Lebanon into Israeli territory, asserting that the dig is for the purposes of Hezbollah attacks. "Our troops just exposed a SECOND attack tunnel that Hezbollah dug from Lebanon into Israel. Hezbollah planned to use this tunnel to carry out an attack against Israeli civilians. We won't let them," the IDF tweeted. The IDF added that they had placed explosives inside the tunnel, warning that "anyone who enters the tunnel does so at their own risk." Similar to the first tunnel, discovered during the first day of the Northern Shield operation, the facility was not operational and did not pose any immediate threat to Israel, according to Tel Aviv's military. On Tuesday, Israel announced the launch of an operation codenamed Northern Shield, aimed at destroying trans-boundary tunnels allegedly dug by the Hezbollah movement to secretly transfer militants and weapons inside Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday downplayed the risk posed by the military operation to destroy Hezbollah tunnels of sliding into a broader conflict. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed the existence of a tunnel extending from Lebanese territory into Israel. Israel traditionally views Hezbollah's presence in Lebanon and Syria as a threat to its national security as the movement is backed by Iran, the Jewish state's primary regional rival. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Study: Terrorism Deaths Declining Globally By Sirwan Kajjo December 07, 2018 Deaths caused by terrorism have fallen in the past three years worldwide, a new global study found. The sixth annual Global Terrorism Index, published by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), said terrorism deaths decreased globally by 27 percent in 2017, which is the third consecutive year of declining death tolls. Terrorism, however, remains a major threat to global peace, the report said. The report also showed that most terrorist attacks affect countries where political violence is rampant. The 10 nations most affected by terrorism were Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Pakistan, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic and India. "Conflict and state terror are the principal causes of terrorism," wrote Steve Killelea, executive chairman of IEP. The terrorism hot spots "all were involved in at least one violent conflict, and eight were involved in a major war with at least 1,000 battle deaths. These 10 countries accounted for 84 percent of all deaths from terrorism in 2017," the report said. Islamic State The report said terrorist attacks by the Islamic State (IS) terror group fell by 23 percent, and deaths caused by the group fell by 53 percent compared with 2016. With help from the U.S.-led coalition, local Iraqi and Syrian forces have pushed IS out of most areas it once held, including its two major strongholds of Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria. "The reduction of the [IS] caliphate has a great deal to do with this," said Karen Greenberg, director of Center on National Security at Fordham Law. The setbacks for IS hurt the group's image and recruiting of foreign fighters, she said. Other analysts, like Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, believe that other militant groups continue to pose threats in different parts of the world. "In Syria, it's not just IS," said Gartenstein-Ross, a terrorism expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington think tank. "You also have another part of the insurgency driven by other organizations like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who are legitimately jihadists," he told VOA. Iraq Much of the 2017 global decline in terror attacks followed declining terrorism in Iraq, where U.S.-backed government forces took control of territory once held by IS. But despite this decline, a recent report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington research center, said that Islamic State might still have 20,000 to 30,000 militants in Iraq and Syria. According to the CSIS report, compared with 2017, IS attacks against Iraqi government targets increased in 2018. The terror group has been carrying out an average of 78 attacks per month. Maxwell Markusen, the author of the report, said that political differences between the central Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government in areas like Kirkuk and parts of Nineveh, Saladin and Diyala provinces in Iraq have hampered their operations against IS. "If you look at what's going on right now, there are very limited operations and the ability of the government to target IS has been significantly reduced," he told VOA. Afghanistan Afghanistan had the highest number of terrorism deaths in 2017, while Iraq saw 5,000 fewer deaths, and Syria's death toll fell by 1,000, according to the IEP report. In Afghanistan, battle-related deaths soared 151 percent. while deaths that resulted from terrorism rose just less than 70 percent. "The Taliban has been gaining a significant amount of ground in Afghanistan," said Gartenstein-Ross of FDD. "Usually, when a militant group is on the decline, you see it losing territory amidst intensified attacks. But that's not the case in Afghanistan, because when you have an offensive undertaken by a militant group, you will also see a jump in the numbers [of deaths]," he told VOA. For this decline in deaths from terrorism to continue globally, leading nations should work to reduce the conditions that lead to radicalization and terrorism, experts said. "There is a need to be vigilant as jihadists move away from the territorial model of [IS] and reinvent themselves as more diffused cell structures in Africa and Asia," said Aykan Erdemir, a Washington-based Middle East analyst. "Building competent and inclusive institutions and ensuring efficient delivery of services in territories liberated from [IS] and implementing deradicalization programs would be key to eradicating [IS] and its ideology of hate," Erdemir told VOA. VOA's Rikar Hussein and Mehdi Jedinia contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address STPSat-5 Successfully Launched from Vandenberg AFB Space and Missile Center Public Affairs / Published December 08, 2018 LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched Space Test Program Satellite 5, or STPSat-5, into orbit via Spaceflight Industries' fully dedicated smallsat rideshare mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle on Dec. 3 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 10:34 a.m. PST. "I'm elated with today's successful launch," said Col. Timothy Sejba, director of the Space and Missile Systems Center's Advanced Systems and Development Directorate. "STPSat-5 demonstrates the value of commercially-procured mission management and launch services for the Air Force. It also highlights the benefit of forging new partnerships with commercial space companies under SMC 2.0. This mission would not be possible without the combined dedication of our government and industry partners, including NASA, Spaceflight Industries and Sierra Nevada Corporation. We look forward to evaluating STPSat-5's performance on-orbit over the next year." Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at Los Angeles AFB, is the Air Force's center of acquisition excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the development of advanced space and launch capability and systems, GPS, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space-based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities. Media representatives who would like to submit questions or interview a subject matter expert about the STP satellite program should send an e-mail to smcpa.media@us.af.mil. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, China Look to Limit Impact of Tech Head's Arrest By Bill Ide, Joyce Huang December 07, 2018 With many questions still unanswered, governments in both the United States and China appear to be working to limit the fallout from the arrest of a top Chinese technology executive and its possible impact on trade negotiations. News of the detention in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, tech giant Huawei's chief financial officer, rocked markets across the globe. Many were quick to voice concern that the move could derail trade talks, and it came as both sides were hailing last weekend's meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and China's Xi Jinping as a "big success." So far, Trump and his administration have been strangely quiet on the topic, analysts said. Christopher Balding, a China scholar at Fulbright University Vietnam, said that from China's perspective, Meng's arrest was a political escalation and the Trump administration seemed to understand that. "I think it is going to be very important that they say that these are the relevant laws, that they try to remove politics from this as much as possible, whatever the exact specifics of the case are," Balding said. "Even if this was completely and entirely divorced from anybody in the Trump administration, Beijing is going to receive it as a significant political escalation," he said. Ming Xia, a professor of political science and global affairs at City University of New York, said Meng's arrest was another example of how members of Trump's trade team know how to use very sharp, pinpoint moves to teach China a lesson. "This is one of the U.S.'s many tactics and tools used in its trade war with China to maximize its gains. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, I believe, should be seen in the context of the Sino-U.S. trade war," Xia said. For now, both sides have expressed their confidence that the agreement reached last week was a good one and their hope that it will be a success. How Meng's case will play out remains to be seen. China has demanded the chief financial officer's release and labeled her detention a "gross violation of human rights." Huawei has said "the company has been provided with little information regarding the charges and it's not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng." At a hearing Friday in Vancouver, a Canadian prosecutor argued that Meng who has spent most of the past week at a women's detention facility in a suburb of Vancouver should be denied bail pending possible extradition to the United States because she was a flight risk. SkyCom A prosecutor disclosed that Meng was wanted by the United States for allegedly deceiving financial institutions about the relationship between Huawei and another tech company, SkyCom, based in Hong Kong, that is alleged to have sold U.S.-manufactured technology to Iran, in violation of U.S. trade sanctions. A judge is to rule on the bail request Monday. Reports from Reuters have previously suggested that over the past decade, Huawei has struck deals to resell embargoed technologies, owned by U.S. companies including Hewlett-Packard, to sanctioned telecom operators in Iran. Chinese state media have argued that the United States was abusing the law to hurt Huawei's international reputation. However, concerns about Huawei have been growing for quite some time. Many view Huawei as a national security and privacy threat due to its close links to the Chinese government. On Friday, there were reports that Tokyo appeared to be the latest country that plans to ban the purchase of Huawei products. Earlier this week, Britain's BT Group announced that it was removing Huawei Technologies equipment from 3G and 4G networks as well as banning it from core parts of the coming 5G network. Australia and New Zealand also have similar bans in place regarding fifth-generation networks. On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that a federally appointed monitor at HSBC Holdings flagged suspicious transactions in Huawei accounts. That information was passed on to federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York, the Journal report said. Regardless of what violations might have occurred, it makes sense to go after Meng, CUNY'S Xia said. "As the company's vice president and chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou would have been the one who signed off on all documents," Xia said. 'Moral support' for Huawei What China might do in response remains unclear. State media have suggested that society should offer Huawei some "moral support," such as buying the company's products. Some have noted that U.S. tech executives would be wise to avoid traveling to China over the next two weeks, out of concern that they might get caught up in the tug of war over Huawei. Fulbright University Vietnam's Balding said the concerns make sense but added that China has also been getting very savvy at how it responds, finding more discreet ways to get even. "Maybe they will just hack an American tech firm and take their IP [intellectual property] or something like that," Balding said. "To bring a trumped-up charge [against a U.S. tech executive], I think, would be very embarrassing for China internationally and really just reveal its true colors more." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bail hearing for Huawei CFO continues Monday People's Daily Online (China Daily) 16:38, December 08, 2018 A bail hearing for Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, was adjourned until Monday at 1:00 pm local time, after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments with no decision reached. Meng appeared in a court in Vancouver following her arrest in Canada at the request of US authorities. Meng Wanzhou, 46, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested as part of a US investigation on Dec 1 as she was changing planes in Vancouver, British Columbia. "At the request of the US side, the Canadian side arrested a Chinese citizen not violating any American or Canadian law," read a statement by the Chinese embassy in Canada hours after Canada's Department of Justice announced the arrest of Meng on Dec 5. It's reported that the 46-year-old is accused of breaking US sanctions on Iran and faces a possibility of an extradition the US. Huawei denied any wrongdoing by Meng. In a statement on Dec 6, the Chinese tech giant said the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the US, the European Union and the United Nations. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Meng as a Chinese citizen on Friday, dispelling suspicions over Meng's citizenship. "China provided Meng Wanzhou with consular assistance and demanded her immediate release. China has made its stance clear, demanding an immediate clarification of the reasons for detention," said spokesperson Geng Shuang. Huawei is one of the largest telecommunications equipment and services providers in the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bulandshahr convenor of Bajrang Dal, Yogesh Raj, the main accused in the mob violence, had gone underground and issued a video claiming innocence. Lucknow/Srinagar: Jitendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji, an Army jawan suspected of killing inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during Bulandshahr violence, has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh police from Jammu and Kashmir and is being brought to his home state for questioning, officials said on Saturday. Malik, who has claimed innocence, was taken into custody from a camp of the Armys 22 Rashtriya Rifles in Sopore, about 50 km northwest of Jammu, they said. The arrest coincided with Uttar Pradesh government transferring Bulandshahr senior superintendent of police (SSP) Krishna Bahadur Singh over delay in police action to contain the December 3 violence. The police has named 27 accused, including Mr Malik, in the FIR over Inspectors murder. Nine people, including some Bajrang Dal workers, have been arrested so for for a separate case filed on mob violence. Bulandshahr convenor of Bajrang Dal, Yogesh Raj, the main accused in the mob violence, had gone underground and issued a video claiming innocence. On December 3, Singh and a 22-year-old student, Sumit Kumar, were killed in the violence apparently after cow carcasses were found strewn in a nearby jungle. A special investigation teams (SIT) report suggested that both of them were shot dead with the same bore (.32) pistol. Sources said the UP police is investigating whether Malik fired the shot that killed the police officer. In one of the mobile videos, apparently made by rioters, the slain police officer is seen with a man resembling Malik around the time he was killed. Malik is believed to have told his unit that he along with 30 others had gone to the police station to lodge an FIR over the recovery of cow carcasses near their village but since violence broke out there he ran away, much before the inspector was shot dead. The Army jawans family members have confirmed that he was in the village on the day of the violence and went back to Kashmir the same evening. His mother Ratan Kaur, however, said she could not identify her son in videos of the mob attack. Meanwhile, chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday removed Bulandshahr SSP K.B. Singh, along with Syana Circle Officer Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingrawati chowki incharge Suresh Kumar, for dereliction of duty. Sitapur SSP Prabhakar Chaudhury took over as the new SSP of Bulandshahr. Action against the officials was taken after an internal police report indicted Bulandshahr SSP for taking three hours to reach the spot of mob violence. He also failed to send additional forces to the spot. Mr Singh also did not inform the home department in Lucknow about the presence of large number of Muslims for the three-day religious congregation in the district which concluded on the day of violence. The Congress slammed Mr Adityanath for terming the killing of the police inspector in Bulandshahr mob violence an accident. There has been no incident of mob lynching in Uttar Pradesh. The Bulandshahr incident was an accident and the law is taking its course. No guilty will be spared, Mr Adityanath said Friday at an event in the national capital. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government was trying to influence the probe. The whole objective of this is to derail an independent, impartial investigation into the case, he said. China urges Canada to release Huawei executive or face consequences Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 04:41PM China's Foreign Ministry has called on Canada to immediately release Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the global telecom giant Huawei Meng Wanzhou or face consequences. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused," read the statement released on Saturday. The statement also added that Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had summoned Canada's ambassador in Beijing to express his "strong protest" over the affair. The statement quoted Le as saying that the arrest "ignored the law, was unreasonable and extremely nasty." Le further decried Meng's detention, done on demand of the United States while changing a flight in Vancouver, as a serious breach of her rights. The Chinese reaction came after Meng appeared in court on Friday. The six-hour-long hearing was adjourned until Monday, when the judge is expected to render a decision on bail. Meng, who is also the daughter of Hauwei's founder and president Ren Zhengfei, is known to be a possible heir to her father's company. The exec was arrested on December 1 on accusations of covering up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran, which is under US sanctions. During Friday's hearing, the court was informed that if extradited to the US, Meng would be charged with conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions and could face up to 30 years in prison for each charge. A Huawei spokesman, however, said the company has "every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion," on Friday. Crackdown on Huawei Huawei, one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers, has come under growing scrutiny by Western governments based on allegations of espionage activities on behalf of the Beijing government. Earlier this year, Australia, New Zealand and Britain rejected some of the company's services over alleged security concerns. Japanese media also reported last week that Tokyo was effectively going to ban government purchases of telecommunications products from Huawei and Chinese tech firm ZTE over "fears of intelligence leaks and cyber attacks." Some observers believe the growing pressure on Huawei reveals a different aspect of the so-called "trade war" against China's emerging economy, specifically targeting its presence in the technology market. Last week, China and the US agreed to a temporary "ceasefire" in their trade war. The announcement came after high-level talks took place between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Huawei executive faces fraud charges in US over Iran sancitons: court Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 11:07AM A top executive and daughter of the founder of the Chinese telecom giant Huawei, who was arrested in Canada, has been accused of charges related to alleged sanctions-breaking business dealings with Iran, a court hearing says. Meng Wanzhou, who was nabbed during a stopover at Vancouver earlier this week, appeared in a Canadian court in on Friday. The day-long hearing was adjourned until Monday, when the judge is expected to render a decision on bail. Meng will remain in custody till Monday. A Canadian prosecutor said on Friday that Meng covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran, which is under the US sanctions. US President Donald Trump withdrew his country in May from the multilateral nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran. The prosecutor, who asked for bail to be denied, said Meng has been accused of "conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions." If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. US prosecutors also accused Meng of lying to a US bank, identified by her lawyer as "Hong Kong Bank," about the use of a covert subsidiary to sell to Iran in breach of sanctions. The Canadian lawyer also said that Meng has shown a pattern of avoiding the United States over the past year since becoming aware of the investigation into the matter. Her lawyer, David Martin, however, disputed the prosecutor's call to deny bail, saying, "The fact a person has worked hard and has extraordinary resources cannot be a factor that would exclude them from bail." China called on both Washington and Ottawa to immediately clarify the reasons for Meng's detention, and release her immediately. Huawei also said on Friday that it "will continue to follow the bail hearing" next week, expressing "every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Meng's shocking arrest came at the same day US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit in Argentina, during which they reached an agreement to temporarily suspend a trade war. The arrest is now threatening the fragile truce that was reached after months of tough negotiations over import tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of products. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Seeks Extradition Of Chinese Executive In Iran Sanctions Case December 08, 2018 U.S. authorities are seeking the extradition of a top executive of China's Huawei Technologies over charges that she misled U.S. banks over the company's business dealings with Iran. No decision was reached after a six-hour bail hearing in a court in Vancouver, Canada, meaning that Meng Wanzhou will spend the weekend in jail. The hearing will resume on December 10. Meng, 46, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1 while changing planes on a trip from Hong Kong to Mexico. Some experts say the arrest of Meng will intensify tensions between Beijing and Washington, which are embroiled in a dispute over trade practices and tariffs. Meng is deputy chairman of Huawei's board and the daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei. Huawei is the world's largest supplier of network equipment used by phone and Internet companies. U.S. intelligence officials have accused it of being a front for spying by the Chinese military and security services. Meng faces U.S. allegations that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions against Tehran. John Gibb-Carsley, a Canadian government lawyer, asked that bail for Meng be denied, claiming that she has been accused of "conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions" and faces more than 30 years in prison if convicted. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Meng had personally denied to bankers any direct connections between Huawei and the subsidiary, SkyCom. In fact, he said, "SkyCom is Huawei." In a brief statement released on December 8, Huawei said it had "every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion" over the arrest. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-seeks- extradition-of-chinese-executive-in-iran- sanctions-case/29644627.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 China Summons Canadian Envoy to Protest Huawei Executive's Arrest Sputnik News 16:30 08.12.2018(updated 17:12 08.12.2018) Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver last Saturday and reportedly charged with fraud for telling UK-based banking company HSBC that the Chinese tech giant was in full compliance with US sanctions against Iran while one of its subsidiaries was not in compliance of the restrictions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has summoned Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum to issue a "strong protest" over Meng's arrest. Calling Meng's detention "extremely nasty," the Chinese Foreign Ministry urged Ottawa to release the Huawei official immediately, warning that there would be "consequences" if Canada refused to do so. Meng was arrested in Canada at the request of US law enforcement officials. Canada's Department of Justice confirmed last week that the senior Huawei executive had been detained on December 1 and that she was currently sought for extradition to the US, where the New York Times said she has faced "unspecified charges from the Eastern District of New York" since August. Official details on the reasons for Meng's arrest have been slim, with the Star Vancouver reporting that US authorities believe that Meng knew that a company called SkyCom, which did business with Iran while the country was under international sanctions, was a subsidiary of Huawei until at least 2014. According to court documents, the US learned of Meng's plans to stop over in Vancouver on route to a third country on November 29. On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang slammed Washington over Meng's detention, calling the move a "violation of human rights," and stressing that Ottawa and Washington had failed to provide a cogent explanation about the reasons for her detention. The bail hearing for Meng's case is set to continue on Monday. Huawei is one of the largest consumer electronics and telecommunications equipment companies in the world. Washington enacted legislation banning US government agencies from using Huawei products in mid-August amid concerns that the company's mobile phones "pose an unacceptable risk to the [Pentagon's] personnel, information and mission." Last month, the US was reported to have urged its allies, including Japan, to abandon Huawei products out of "security concerns." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese president meets DPRK foreign minister People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 11:28, December 08, 2018 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Beijing on Friday, calling for more efforts to advance the long-term, healthy and steady development of bilateral relations. Xi asked Ri to convey his cordial greetings to Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of DPRK. Xi said that during Kim's three visits to China this year, the two leaders had a thorough and in-depth exchange of views over major issues including deepening China-DPRK friendly cooperation as well as promoting regional peace, stability and development. "I'm happy to witness the effective implementation of the important consensus reached by the two sides," Xi added. The year of 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between China and the DPRK. "The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government highly value China-DPRK relations, and this is a principle that China unswervingly adheres to," Xi said. "Currently, the relations between the two countries have ushered in a new chapter," he said. Talking about celebration activities for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, he called on the two sides to take the occasion to promote the long-term, healthy and steady development of bilateral relations. The Chinese side supports the DPRK people to explore a development path suited to its national conditions under the leadership of Kim, and hopes that the DPRK will have a promising future in all its endeavors, the president said. Xi pointed out that since the beginning of the year, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has taken on positive changes, as evidenced by the fact that the Korean Peninsula issue has come back to the right track of political settlement. He expressed the hope that the DPRK and the United States meet each other halfway, and accommodate legitimate concerns of the other side, so as to ensure continuous and positive progress in the peace talks over the peninsula issue. "China will, as always, support the amelioration of inter-Korean relations and facilitate reconciliation and cooperation between the two sides," Xi said. The president urged diplomatic services of China and the DPRK to strengthen communication and make concerted efforts to advance China-DPRK relations and the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue. For his part, Ri conveyed Kim's cordial greetings and best wishes to Xi. A series of important consensus reached between the two countries' leaders during Kim's visits to China this year serves as guidance for elevating the traditional friendly relations to a new level, Ri said. Ri said the DPRK is willing to work with China to hold well celebration activities marking the 70th anniversary of DPRK-China diplomatic relations next year, consolidate the traditional friendship with China and enhance bilateral cooperation. He also said the DPRK is committed to denuclearization on the Peninsula, and is ready to keep close communication and coordination with China over peace and stability on the Peninsula and in the region. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US fails to slam N Korea at UN General Assembly Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 09:18AM The US has abandoned an attempt to hold a UN Security Council session to slam North Korea's human rights record after failing to muster enough support for the bid. UN diplomats confirmed on Friday that Washington does not have the essential nine votes in the 15-member council (UNSC) to carry out its annual bid since 2014 to hold a meeting on Pyongyang's right record this year, even though US President Donald Trump is seeking a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "They don't have the numbers this year," said a UNSC diplomat as quoted in an AFP report, adding that "Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is not on board." The council meeting on North Korea was tentatively scheduled for Monday. A historic summit between Trump and Kim last June opened up dialogue on denuclearization of the Korean peninsula between the two countries after months of exchanging military threats. A second summit is expected next year amid a growing distrust of Washington by Pyongyang. The US has succeeded in the past years to secure the nine votes needed at the UNSC to hold the meeting against Pyongyang, despite opposition from China. UN diplomats, however, insisted on Friday that only eight council members backed the US request this year, with non-permanent member Ivory Coast refusing to budge to US pressure to support its political scheme at the world body. Pyongyang had written to UNSC members last month to urge them against backing Washington's request for the meeting in its bid to defame North Korea for political gains in its military and foreign policy objectives. North Korea's UN Ambassador Kim Song told council members last month that criticism of Pyongyang's human rights record would "swim against the current trend" of rapprochement and "stoke confrontation." A 2014 report by a UN Commission of Inquiry pointed to human rights abuses across North Korea, but Pyongyang firmly rejected it as a fabrication, based on testimony from dissidents living in exile. China, meanwhile, has persistently argued that the UNSC should not be the venue for discussions on human rights as a threat to international peace and security. The UNSC has imposed a series of strong economic sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests, with the US insisting that the sanctions remain in place until Pyongyang fully scraps its weapons program. Another bid championed by US Ambassador Nikki Haley to condemn the Palestinian Hamas movement at the United Nations for firing rockets also failed to secure enough votes for adoption on Thursday. The 193-member assembly voted 87-57 in favor of the resolution Thursday while 33 members chose to abstain, leaving Washington with a vote that fell short of the two-thirds requirement to adopt the resolution. The non-binding resolution sought to slam Hamas for firing rockets at Israel as a defensive measure against the regime's persistent bombardment of the blockaded Gaza Strip along with other deadly military measures against the impoverished territory. The resolution sought to condemn Hamas for carrying out rocket attacks against Israel. The resolution came weeks after Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups fired over 400 rockets into Israel during a two-day flare-up of violence following a botched Israeli attack against a Hamas commander. US Ambassador Nikki Haley said before the vote that the assembly could make history condemning Hamas. "The General Assembly has passed over 700 resolutions condemning Israel. And not one single resolution condemning Hamas. That, more than anything else, is a condemnation of the United Nations itself," Haley said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address French Arrest Hundreds in Paris 'Yellow Vest' Protests By VOA News December 08, 2018 French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Saturday that violent outbreaks in Paris were "under control" despite ongoing disorderly acts he declared "totally unacceptable." French police supported by armored vehicles fired tear gas at yellow-vested protesters on the Champs-Elysees. The demonstrators were protesting France's high cost of living. Castaner estimated 10,000 demonstrators had taken to Parisian streets and were among 125,000 protesters throughout the country. He said nearly 1,000 had been arrested in Paris and that 135 people had been injured, including 17 police officers. Bracing for a fourth week of violent protests, France closed the Eiffel Tower and other tourist landmarks and mobilized tens of thousands of security officers. Many shops in Paris were boarded up before Saturday's planned protests to avoid being smashed or looted, and police cordoned off many of the city's broad boulevards. Despite what Castaner said were "exceptional" security measures, protesters still smashed store windows and clashed with police. More than 89,000 police were being deployed nationwide, an increase from 65,000 last weekend, when protests over rising taxes turned into a riot that left more than 130 people injured. Police in central Paris removed any materials from the streets that could be used as weapons or projectiles during the demonstrations, including street furniture at outdoor cafes. President Emmanuel Macron made an unannounced visit Friday night to a group of anti-riot security officers outside Paris to thank them for their work. The protests erupted in November over a fuel tax increase, which was part of Macron's plan to combat global warming. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe called for new talks Saturday with representatives of the "yellow vest" movement. He vowed the government would address their concerns about rising living costs. "The president will speak, and will propose measures that will feed this dialogue," Philippe said in a televised statement. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday that the Paris Agreement, a global effort to reduce global warming beginning in 2020, "isn't working out so well for Paris" and that "People do not want to pay large sums of money ... in order to protect the environment." Since the unrest began in November, four people have been killed in protest-related accidents. While Macron has since abandoned the fuel tax hike, protesters have made new demands to address other economic issues hurting workers, retirees and students. Government officials are concerned that a repeat of last week's violence would weaken the economy and raise doubts about the government's survival. Officials are also concerned about far-right, anarchist and anti-capitalist groups like Black Bloc that have mimicked the "yellow vest" movement. The "yellow vest" movement was named after the safety jackets French motorists are required to keep in their vehicles, which the protesters wear at demonstrations. The weeks of protests have exposed intense resentment among non-city residents who feel that Macron, a former investment banker, is out of touch with struggling middle-class and blue-collar workers. Wayne Lee and Fern Robinson contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Naval Force equipment indigenized: Cmdr IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 8, IRNA -- Naval Force Commander of Iranian Army said the Navy has indigenized the equipment needed to defend the country's interests at sea. On the sidelines of a visit to the Naval Force exhibition on technical achievements on Saturday, Admiral Hossein Khanzadi added, 'In the show we witness part of the maturity, capacity and self-sufficiency of the Army's Navy.' He noted, 'With other parts of the country, including the Ministry of Defense and other scientific and research bodies, we reached a level of capability that we are able to fully indigenize what we need in the country to defend territorial integrity under the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the nation's interests at sea.' The Navy commander deemed the capabilities an indication of Iran's authority. 9455**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's president urges unwavering, all-out battle against terrorism Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 03:29PM Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on all neighboring and regional countries to step up an all-out fight against terrorism and extremism, saying major powers have created and supported terrorist groups. Rouhani made the remarks in a Saturday meeting with Pakistani Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser, who is in Tehran for the second Speakers' Conference on the challenge of terrorism and inter-regional connectivity. He said the conference, attended by speakers from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey, was a "good and useful initiative" to improve security in the region and cooperation among regional countries, adding, "Those who have created terrorist groups in the past decades, had in fact committed high treason against regional nations." "The US, the West and the Zionist regime (Israel) are supporters of terrorist groups' activities in Iran," Rouhani pointed out. He emphasized that Tehran and Islamabad must take serious steps to battle terrorism and stressed the importance of resisting US bullying and finding appropriate ways to expand relations among friendly countries. The Pakistani National Assembly speaker, for his part, said Islamabad was prepared to cooperate with Tehran in the fight against terrorism and the promotion of regional security. Qaiser expressed hope that Iran and Pakistan would strengthen trade and economic cooperation, saying no one would be allowed to harm mutual relations. Iran firm to improve all-out relations with Turkey: Rouhani In a meeting with Turkey's Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Binali Yildirim, the Iranian president hailed the Turkish government's positive stance vis-a-vis illegal sanctions imposed by the US against Iran and said Tehran was keen to expand all-out relations with Ankara. "Iran regards Turkey's security and stability as that of its own," Rouhani said, calling on the two countries to immediately implement their agreements in all sectors. Back in May, US President Donald Trump withdrew his country from the multilateral nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and decided to re-impose unilateral sanctions against Tehran. Under the deal, reached between Iran and six major powers - the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, Tehran agreed to put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions. Last month, the Trump administration announced the re-imposition of the "toughest" sanctions ever against Iran's banking and energy sectors with the aim of cutting off the country's oil sales and crucial exports. A first round of American sanctions took effect in August, targeting Iran's access to the US dollar, metals trading, coal, industrial software, and auto sector. During the meeting, Rouhani also commended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's constructive stance on issues facing the Muslim world and said regional countries should not yield to "wrong decisions" which would harm their interests and affect cooperation among them. The Iranian president also said Tehran and Ankara had been facing the challenge of terrorism for years but managed to maintain positive cooperation in the battle against the scourge across the region during the recent years. Yildirim, for his part, slammed ineffective US sanctions against Iran and said Turkey would keep its relations with Tehran under any circumstances. He added that regional solution were the only viable way to fight terrorism and warned that any interference by extra-regional powers would create more complications in this regard. Afghan stability, security important to Iran: Rouhani Meanwhile, in a meeting with Afghan Speaker of the House of the People Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi, the Iranian president said the defeat of terrorism and the establishment of stability, security and economic development in Afghanistan were of high importance to Iran. Rouhani said Iran was ready to boost cooperation with Afghanistan in the economic sector. He noted that the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics had harmed both the Iranian and Afghan nations and expressed Tehran's readiness to cooperate with Kabul in this regard. For his part, Ibrahimi said Iran and Afghanistan were among the main victims of terrorism in the region and across the world. He added that bilateral cooperation in the campaign against terrorism would benefit both nations and the entire region and would improve stability and development in the region as well. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Official: Next budget bill focuses on Iranians' livelihood amid US sanctions Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 08:48AM Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, head of Iran's Budget and Planning Organization, says the budget bill for the next Iranian calendar year that begins on 21 March 2019 has been submitted to the Parliament. In a press conference to unveil the budget bill to reporters, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht said the government had put a huge amount of energy into developing a "just and transparent bill." According to Nobakht, the next year's budget is 12% more than the budget for the current Iranian year (21 March 2018-2019), adding that it would envisage a total spending of around 433 quadrillion rials ($103 billion) from various sources including taxes, divesting state-run shares and selling oil. Meanwhile, the budget bill expects 27 percent dependence on oil revenues and forecasts 1.5 million barrels of oil sales per day at the price of $54 per barrel. It also requires the government to allocate $14 billion (at the exchange rate of 42,000 rials) to supply of basic goods to back Iranians' livelihood amid the US unilateral sanctions. To this end, it also mandates the allocation of 1.42 quadrillion rials for paying subsidies whether in cash or in form of basic goods to qualified Iranians. Deputy of Iran's Budget and Planning Organization Hamid Poormohammadi who accompanied Nobakht in the conference said for his part that the bill was mainly focused on Iranian's livelihood, domestic production, and supporting environment and improvement of science in the country, as well. Back on Monday, Nobakht said the developers of the bill had in mind some major points including reducing the pressure posed by US sanctions on Iranians' lives, supplying basic goods, and paying a specific attention to domestic production and job creation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In photos, Malik is right next to Yogesh Raj of the Bajrang Dal, the main accused in the case. Jitendra Malik, also known as Jettu Fauji was handed over to the police by the Army. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) Bulandhshahr:An army man, a key suspect in police inspector Subodh Kumar Singhs killing in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr, was arrested by the UP police at midnight. Jitendra Malik, also known as Jettu Fauji was handed over to the police by the Army. "We've arrested Army jawan Jitendra Malik. He was handed over by Army at 12:50 am today. Preliminary interrogation has been done. He is being sent to Bulandshahr and will be produced before court for judicial custody," said senior officer Abhishek Singh in Meerut. Malik was posted in Srinagar was with the Rashtriya Rifles. He was on 15-day leave when the mob violence took place in his hometown Bulandshahr and is seen in various videos shot that day. In photos, Malik is right next to Yogesh Raj of the Bajrang Dal, the main accused in the case. Inspector Singh and his team had gone to the village to tackle the violence when they came under mob attack last Monday. Singh was assaulted with a sharp weapon and then shot in the head. On Saturday, a top police officer in Bulandshahr, and two other officers were transferred for not being fast enough in reacting to the situation that arose after animal carcasses were found. Iran blasts US 'economic terrorism' at major conference Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 06:52AM President Hassan Rouhani hits out at US "economic terrorism" against Iran as an international conference opens in Tehran with the participation of China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Rouhani said Saturday US economic terrorism is specifically evident after its withdrawal from a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran and its decision to reimpose sanctions on the country. "America's oppressive and illegal sanctions against the honorable Iranian nation is a clear instance of terrorism," has told the second conference on "challenges of terrorism and inter-regional connectivity" attended by parliament speakers of the six countries. "Economic terrorism is designed to create panic in the economy of a country and fear in other countries in order to prevent investment in the target country," he added. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in May and later imposed the "toughest sanctions ever" against the Islamic Republic. Rouhani said, "We are facing an all-out assault which is not only threatening our independence and identity but also is bent on breaking our longstanding ties." Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iranian president drew parallels with the sanctions and other pressure faced by the countries attending the conference. "When they put pressure on China's trade, we are all harmed... By punishing Turkey, we are all punished. Any time they threaten Russia, we too consider our security to be endangered," he said. "When they impose sanctions on Iran, they deprive all of us of the benefits of international trade, energy security and sustainable development. And in fact, they impose sanctions on everyone. "We are here to say that we don't intend to tolerate such insolence." The president issued a warning to Europe which is working on a payment system, known as the "special purpose vehicle", to keep money flowing into Iran, but has struggled to find a host since many countries fear repercussions from the Trump administration. President Rouhani warned of a "deluge" of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West if reimposed sanctions by the United States weaken Iran's ability to contain these issues. "I warn those who impose sanctions that if Iran's ability to fight drugs and terrorism are affected ... you will not be safe from a deluge of drugs, asylum seekers, bombs and terrorism." Iran has long suffered from drug trafficking because of being located at the crossroad of international drug smuggling from Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, to Europe. Over the past decades, Iran's eastern and southeastern borders had seen clashes in which thousands of Iranian security forces have lost their lives in fighting heavily armed drug smugglers. The president said Iran has been the biggest victim of terrorism and suffered heavy human and financial damage, citing the Thursday bombing in Chabahar as the latest terrorist attack which left two policemen said. Such attacks, Rouhani said, will not deter the Iranian nation in its resolve to fight all forms of terrorism. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran's Rohani Slams U.S. Sanctions As 'Economic Terrorism' By RFE/RL December 08, 2018 Iranian President Hassan Rohani has denounced U.S. sanctions as "economic terrorism," and predicted if they succeed and Iran is weakened, the West will be flooded by illegal drugs. Rohani made the remark in Tehran on December 8 at a six-nation conference on fighting terrorism. It is being attended by parliament speakers from Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, China, and Russia. In remarks broadcast by state TV, Rohani said a weakened Iran would be less able to fight drug trafficking. Iran lies on a major drug route between Afghanistan and Europe and the Persian Gulf states. Iran's economy is reeling after Washington reimposed sanctions lifted under Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the international Iranian nuclear deal in May. Trump said the deal was flawed because it did not include curbs on Iran's development of ballistic missiles or its support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq. The State Department's latest annual survey on global terrorism listed Iran as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. "America's unjust and illegal sanctions against the honorable nation of Iran have targeted our nation in a clear instance of terrorism," Rohani said. Rohani attempted to draw parallels with the sanctions and other pressure faced by the countries attending the conference. "When they put pressure on China's trade, we are all harmed.... By punishing Turkey, we are all punished. Any time they threaten Russia, we too consider our security to be endangered," he said. "When they impose sanctions on Iran, they deprive all of us of the benefits of international trade, energy security, and sustainable development. And in fact, they impose sanctions on everyone. We are here to say that we don't intend to tolerate such insolence." The conference in Tehran was the second regional meeting on terrorism -- the first was held last December in Islamabad. The survey on global terrorism, released by the State Department on September 19, said Iran and its proxies were responsible for intensifying multiple conflicts and undermining U.S. interests in the region. "Designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1984, Iran continued its terrorist-related activity in 2017, including support for Lebanese Hizballah, Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza, and various groups in Syria, Iraq, and throughout the Middle East," the report said. With reporting by AP and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-rohani -slams-u-s-sanctions-as-economic- terrorism-/29644741.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 Tehran Detains 4 Suspects After Terrorist Attack in Southeastern Iran - Reports Sputnik News 20:23 08.12.2018 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Iranian authorities detained four people suspected of committing Thursday's terrorist attack in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar, the Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday citing Zahedan city prosecutor general. According to the Tasnim news agency, the suspects were detained in different cities in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, and the investigation is still underway. The reports come after a man driving a car bomb attacked the police headquarters in Chabahar (Sistan and Baluchestan province) on Thursday morning which led to an explosion. Two law enforcement officers were killed and another 42 people injured as a result of the explosion. Ansar al-Furqan group, a Sunni terrorist group operating in Sistan and Baluchestan province, claimed responsibility for the attack in Chabahar. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Air Force receives six more KAI T-50 Golden Eagle warplanes Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 12:57PM The Iraqi military has received a new batch of South Korean KAI T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainers and light combat aircraft under a deal struck between Baghdad and Seoul several years ago. The Iraqi Air Force, in a statement released on Saturday, announced that six T-50 trainer jets had arrived at the Martyr Mohammed Alaa airbase in Baghdad. The Iraqi government confirmed on October 28 that it had received a batch of six South Korean combat aircraft. Back in March 2017, Baghdad also announced that six T-50 trainer jets had arrived at a military airbase in the Arab country. The Defense Ministry said the second shipment was delivered in May this year. In December 2013, Iraq signed a contract for 24 T-50 fighter jets, plus additional equipment and pilot training over the next 20 years. The contract was initially estimated at $1.1 billion, but the manufacturer Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) later put the figure beyond $2 billion. The KAI T-50 Golden Eagle's maiden flight occurred in 2002. The aircraft entered active service with the Republic of Korea Air Force in 2005. Iraq has been seeking to upgrade its military equipment and boost its defense power, specifically after Daesh began its campaign of terror and destruction in the Arab country. In June, the Iraqi Defense Ministry stated that it had taken delivery of 39 advanced T-90 battle tanks from Russia, adding that the armored fighting vehicles had been distributed between two battalions of an army brigade. The statement said that Iraqi military personnel had already been trained by Russian experts on how to operate the battle tanks. The T-90 is a third-generation Russian battle tank built upon the time-proven Soviet T-72 design. It is among the best-selling tanks in the world, and known for its firepower, enhanced protection and mobility. The T-90 features a smoothbore 2A46M 125mm main gun, which can fire both armor-piercing shells and anti-tank missiles. The advanced tank also features sophisticated armor, ensuring all-round protection of the crew and critical systems, including explosive reactive armor and active infrared jammers to defend it from inbound rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank missiles and other projectiles. The Iraqi military plans to reinforce its fleet of M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks with T-90s. A large number of American M1A1 Abrams tanks have been damaged in the fight against Daesh Takfiri terrorists. Iraqi warplanes kill more Daesh members in Anbar Moreover, Iraqi military aircraft have launched an aerial attack against the remnants of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the country's western province of Anbar, killing a number of extremists in the process. A provincial security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iraqi Air Force fighter jets struck two motorbikes as they were traveling along a road and trying to sneak into Wadi al-Shaib desert region, which lies west of the provincial capital city of Ramadi. The source added that police forces managed to uncover a large cache of weapons in close proximity to the targeted site. Former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi declared the end of military operations against Daesh in the Arab country on December 9, 2017. On July 10 that year, he had formally declared victory over Daesh in Mosul, which served as the terrorists' main urban stronghold in Iraq. In the run-up to Mosul's liberation, Iraqi army soldiers and volunteer Hashd al-Sha'abi fighters had made sweeping gains against Daesh. Iraqi forces took control of eastern Mosul in January 2017 after 100 days of fighting, and launched the battle in the west on February 19 last year. Daesh began a terror campaign in Iraq in 2014, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel authorized sale of spyware to Saudis: Report Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 09:16PM A report in the Washington Post says the Israeli government was directly involved in the sale of sophisticated spyware to Saudi Arabia to help the kingdom purge and assassinate dissidents. The Post said in its report that Israel's ministry of military affairs had authorized the NSO Group to sell Pegasus, a patch of highly complicated software used for hacking and espionage, to the Saudi kingdom despite earlier denials that the Tel Aviv regime was directly involved in the case. The report said the sale was carried out through a subsidiary of the NSO in Luxembourg. The firm, officially known as Q Cyber Technologies, enabled Riyadh to target individuals and entities in six Middle Eastern countries. It said the transaction was carried out after the Israeli government gave its consent to the move despite reservations by some Israeli officials who believed that the technology should not be made available to Arab governments. The report come after certain Saudi dissident figures revealed to the media how their phones had been hacked as part of Saudi government's extensive use of Pegasus. Omar Abdulaziz, a Saudi activist based on Montreal, Canada, has launched a legal action against the NSO after it was revealed that it was the hacking of his phone conversations and chats with slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi that led to his assassination in Turkey in early October. "The hacking of my phone played a major role in what happened to Jamal, I am really sorry to say," said Abdulaziz in an interview with the CNN. Khashoggi's brutal assassination in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul sparked massive international outrage against Saudi Arabia. Many believe the death, which Turkey and the US officials believe came on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MbS, exposed Riyadh's massive crackdown on the dissent. Saudi Arabia has expanded its secret ties to Israel under MbS. The son of King Salman who is viewed by many as the Kingdom's de facto ruler, has made it clear that he and the Israelis stand on the same front to counter Iran and its growing influence in the Middle East. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US seeks to whitewash terrorists' gas attack in Syria: Russia The Russian and Assad Regime's False Allegations on Chemical Weapons Use in Aleppo US Dept. of State 07 Dec 2018 -- Press Statement by Robert Palladino, Deputy Spokesperson Iran Press TV Sat Dec 8, 2018 10:43AM Russia has rejected fresh US accusations regarding a chemical weapons attack in Syria's Aleppo, saying Washington is trying to whitewash terrorists' gas attacks and distract public opinion from American crimes. US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino claimed Friday that Moscow and Damascus were behind the Aleppo gas attack on November 24 and cautioned them against "tampering with the suspected attack site." He also claimed that Russia and Syria had "falsely accused the opposition and extremist groups of conducting a chlorine attack in northwestern Aleppo." The Russian Defense Ministry denounced the allegations, saying it has "irrefutable evidence of the use of munitions filled with toxic agents against the civilian population" in the incident. "The statement by the US State Department is nothing more than an attempt to whitewash the international terrorists operating in Idlib and associated with the White Helmets pseudo-rescuers, who have put their Western patrons in a bad spotlight with their provocation," the ministry said. It said the deliveries of chemicals to militants have usually been "synched" with Washington, warning that the US is ready to conduct another large-scale missile strike in Syria under the pretext of the alleged use of chemical arms by the Syrian government. The Russian Defense Ministry further said the "hysterical" US statement is meant to divert the public attention from the killings of civilians by the US military in eastern Syria and hinder an "unbiased investigation" into the Aleppo attack by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). According to Syrian media reports, more than 100 people were injured as a result of the November 24 attack, which is believed to have been launched from an area controlled by al-Nusra Front terrorists in Idlib Province. Immediately after the attack, Damascus called on the OPCW to send a fact-finding mission to Aleppo. Russian experts say they have recovered samples of soil and fragments of buildings to determine the toxic agent used in the assault. The Russian Defense Ministry said over the past six months it has been informing the public about deliveries of toxic chemicals to terrorists and the White Helmets by the security services of Western governments. Syria surrendered its entire chemical stockpile in 2013 to a mission led by the OPCW and the UN. The US has already attacked Syrian army and government positions following alleged chemical spread which Washington has blamed on Damascus. US spy plane spotted over Syrian coast On Friday, a US Navy anti-submarine patrol aircraft Poseidon P-8A was spotted conducting a surveillance flight near the coast of Syria, where Russia's Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval facility are situated. According to the IntelSky flight tracker, the plane departed from the US Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily on Friday and flew for more than three hours over the international waters of the Eastern Mediterranean along the Syrian coast. Russia has deployed advanced S-300 air defense and radar systems in the face of frequent aerial invasion by the US and Israel in Syria. S-300 should remain in Syria: Opposition figure On Friday, a Syrian opposition figure said the Russian S-300 missile defense systems should remain in Syria. "If they are good for Syria, for sure we would like them to stay there," Hadi al-Bahra, a representative from the so-called Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), told Russia's Sputnik news agency. "We need to look at the cause. If they are there to protect the Syrian territories from enemies, airstrikes, then they are positive," he added. In early October, Moscow finished delivering the S-300 systems to Damascus in a bid to bolster Syria's air defense capability The S-300 missile defense system known as one of the most advanced in the world -- is capable of striking short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles as well as tactical and strategic aircraft. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's S-300s Should Remain in Syria to Protect it From Enemy Airstrikes - SNC Sputnik News 09:50 08.12.2018 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Russia's S-300 air defense systems should remain in Syria if they protect the country from airstrikes and enemies, a representative of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) and member of the political committee of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) told Sputnik. "If they are good for Syria, for sure we would like them to stay there," Hadi al-Bahra said on Friday. "We need to look at the cause. If they are there to protect the Syrian territories from enemies, airstrikes, then they are positive, but also they have not been tested yet to see how effective they are." On October 2, Russia finished delivering S-300 systems to Syria in a bid to increase the security of Russian troops deployed there. Al-Bahra said, however, that if the Russians are in Syria to fight the Daesh*, Daesh does not have any airplanes. "If they are there to prevent Israel from carrying out airstrikes, they are not doing that, they are facilitating the Israeli air raids into Syria," he added. The delivery of the systems was announced after a Russian Il-20 military plane was downed on September 17 by a missile launched by a Syrian S-200 air defense system targeting Israeli F-16 jets that were carrying out airstrikes in Latakia. The Russian Defense Ministry blamed the crash on the Israeli Air Force, claiming that the Israeli jets used the Russian aircraft as a shield against Syrian air defense systems. Israel has voiced concerns over Russia's decision to supply Syria with S-300 systems, saying that Damascus would be able to control Israeli airspace. Russia has been involved in military operations in Syria since 2015, after receiving a request from the Syrian government. Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Syria without permission from the Syrian government, but is justifying its actions by claiming it needs to counter Iran's military presence there. Syrian Opposition Hopes Constitutional Committee to Be Formed On Time The Syrian opposition is hopeful that a formation of the constitutional committee will be created by the target year end but sees no indication that Russia is moving in that direction, Hadi al-Bahra said. "We are hoping so [the committee is created by year end]," Hadi al-Bahra said on Friday. "We are trying to do it. But until now unfortunately all the signs coming from Russia do not lead in that direction." "As a result I would like to see that Russia would play its positive role and in executing its commitment on its own initiative which we acted and we took a very positive reaction toward it and actually facilitated the establishment of the one-third of the opposition," al-Bahra said. "Russia has to live up to its commitment and it should allow also the presence of the civil society and the experts in the third group under the auspices of the United Nations as stated by the Sochi statement." The creation of the committee, which is expected to draft Syria's new constitution, was agreed upon during the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in the Russian resort city of Sochi in late January. The committee will consist of three groups representing the Syrian government, opposition, and women, experts and leaders of various tribes living in Syria. The composition of the third part of the body, the so-called middle third list, set to comprise civil society representatives, has been a stumbling rock in the negotiations. Damascus has objected to the list of 50 names that was prepared and proposed by the United Nations. After his visit to the Syrian capital on Friday, de Mistura said that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem did not accept the role of the United Nations in selecting the middle third candidates. "I don't think that the name selection is the core problem. The core problem is the regime refusal to move forward with the committee that works under the auspices of the United Nations," al-Bahra added. "They want the constitutional committee to work under the provision of the regime, under the control of the regime and they want it to work inside Syria not outside Syria." Al-Bahra also noted that the Kurds have been included in the constitutional committee both within the opposition representatives and also within the government representatives. "And for sure the third has also a few Kurds personalities, civil society and others," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 30 that Russia, together with its partners within the Astana format on the Syrian conflict settlement, aims to ensure speedy convocation of the Syrian constitutional committee. On December 14, UN Special Representative for Syria Staffan de Mistura, who is in charge of forming the body is expected to present his report to the UN Security Council. On October 27, the leaders of Russia, Turkey, Germany and France held a summit in Istanbul aimed at brokering an end to the war in Syria. In a joint communique issued after the summit, the leaders said the Syrian constitutional committee should convene in Geneva by the end of 2018. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly stressed that there is no viable alternative to the Astana format on the Syrian settlement said a functional and mutually acceptable constitutional committee is more important than an artificial deadline. The committee aims to develop recommendations and adjustments to the Syrian constitution. Syrian Refugees Return "You have to be reasonable. You have half of the population of Syria between IDPs and refugees. The majority of their homes destroyed, their cities don't have enough infrastructure to support them, so there are huge security risks for the lives of these guys if they come back to Syria," Hadi al-Bahra said on Friday. "Many of them don't want to serve in the army to kill other Syrians And it has to be a voluntary return. And they have to go back to a safe zone and in a dignified manner. So, these conditions all are not available currently in Syria." Al-Bahra said the safe return of Syrian refugees is not possible without establishing a political settlement. When asked about a reconstruction of the war-torn country, al-Bahra stated, "Syria cannot be built by resources from Syria alone." "Everybody in the international community has really to actively participate in rebuilding Syria, to enforce the peace in Syria," he said. Yet the reconstruction also cannot be achieved without a just implementation of a political settlement via the Geneva process, al-Bahra said. According to the Russian Defense Ministry's Center for the Reception, Allocation and Accommodation of Refugees, over 56,000 refugees have returned to Syria from abroad since July. The UN Refugee Agency estimates that there are some 5.6 million Syrian refugees and about 6.6 million internally displaced people as of March 2018. Syria Must Eventually Be Free of All Foreign Forces Syrian Negotiation Commission "I feel that Syria should be free of all foreign forces at the end," Hadi al-Bahra said on Friday. "I think this is possible only after we achieve a fair and just political settlement in Syria and implement the UN Security Resolution 2254." Syria has been in a state of conflict since 2011, with the government forces of President Bashar Assad fighting against numerous opposition groups and terrorist organizations. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, is a guarantor of a countrywide ceasefire in Syria, while it also provides humanitarian assistance to Syrian civilians and is actively engaged in dialogue on a settlement to the Syrian crisis. The US-led coalition of more than 70 members has been conducting military operations against the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) in Syria and Iraq since September 2014. The coalition's activities in Syria are authorized neither by the Syrian government, nor by the United Nations Security Council. Syrian Negotiation Commission Hopes Astana Guarantors Advance Political Process "Astana should be keen on stopping the violence, sustaining ceasefire, trying to reach a complete countrywide ceasefire but also not to make any obstacles for the political process and efforts of other countries," Hadi al-Bahra said on Friday. "And they should play a more active role to reinvigorate the political process in Geneva." US Syria envoy James Jeffrey earlier this week said the Astana format can be discontinued if a constitutional committee is not convened by December 14. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu rejected US allegations that the Astana process had failed. The Astana process, al-Bahra explained, was successful in creating safe areas especially the outcome of the latest Sochi agreement on Idlib. He also said the continuity of this agreement is very important, but Astana guarantors until now failed to create enough momentum to push the political process forward. Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, said, after the latest round of Astana talks last week between Syrian government and armed opposition, that the constitutional committee was being formed. The Astana-format talks have been an important part of international efforts aimed at settling the conflict in Syria. It is during the Astana talks that the memorandum on the creation of de-escalation zones in Syria was signed in 2017. *Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Vessels Threatened to Use Weapons if Approached by Russian Ships - FSB Sputnik News 11:19 08.12.2018(updated 12:02 08.12.2018) Kiev and Moscow have been embroiled in a naval standoff for the past two weeks. Three Ukrainian Navy vessels were seized on November 25 after violating Russia's maritime border. Ukrainian boats had attempted a provocation in the Sea of Azov a month before the Kerch Strait incident, according to a senior Russian naval official. Two Ukrainian armoured gunboats, the Lubna and the Kremenchug, escorted a vessel carrying a Bulgarian flag from the Ukrainian port of Mariupol through the Kerch Strait, Vice Admiral Aleksei Volsky, first deputy head of Russia's FSB coast guards, told a briefing in Moscow on Saturday. He went on to say that during the operation, the Ukrainian vessels threatened to use force against Russian coastguard ships and set their weapons on standby. Volsky underlined that there had been no reports about Russian ships threatening Ukrainian gunboats and warships. There is "no doubt" that the construction of the Kerch Bridge (between Crimea and Krasnodar region) was the target of Ukraine's main provocations, he added, citing repeated claims from Kiev officials that the bridge should be destroyed. Three Ukrainian Navy vessels two gunboats and a tugboat were seized on November 25 after violating Russian waters and sailing through the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov. The ships failed to respond to demands to stop and made dangerous manoeuvres, the FSB said. A court in Simferopol issued a decision ordering that all of the 24 Ukrainian servicemen captured in the incident, including two SBU officers, be held in custody for two months. Ukraine, in response to the seizure, introduced martial law for 30 days in the regions of the country bordering Russia, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Additionally, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced that Ukraine would ban Russian males aged 16-60 from entering the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the manoeuvres as a "provocation" that was likely intended as a pretext to introduce martial law in Ukraine and boost Poroshenko's low approval ratings ahead of the March 2019 presidential vote. Kiev claims that the operation was meant to demonstrate the capabilities of Ukrainian vessels. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The session was delayed this year due to the assembly elections in five states. The Winter Session of Parliament usually starts in November. However, it would be the second year in a row when it would begin in December. (Photo: File) New Delhi: The government has called an all-party meeting on Monday ahead of the winter session of Parliament to build a consensus for smooth functioning of the two Houses. At the customary session-eve meeting called by the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, the prime minister usually lists the government's agenda and seeks the opposition's support for smooth transaction of official business. This would be the last full-fledged Parliament session before the Lok Sabha polls. The results of the assembly elections, in which both the ruling BJP and the Congress have high stakes, are bound to cast a shadow on parliamentary proceedings. The results of polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram would be out on December 11, when the session begins. The government would push for the passage of the 'triple talaq' bill pending in the Rajya Sabha. It had promulgated an ordinance to make the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence. The government also wants the Indian Medical Council amendment ordinance and the companies amendment ordinance to be passed as bills in this session. The Winter Session of Parliament usually starts in November. However, it would be the second year in a row when it would begin in December. The session was delayed this year due to the assembly elections in five states. The raids against three persons linked to Mr Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, had started Friday. New Delhi: Even as the Congress stepped up its attack on the BJP-led government over ED raids against Robert Vadras associates, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using probe agencies for political vendetta, the BJP lashed out by dubbing Mr Vadra the fountainhead of corruption. Senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel and Randeep Surjewala held a press conference on Saturday evening, hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids against Mr Vadras associates for the second day. The raids against three persons linked to Mr Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, had started Friday. People are being harassed, held practically under arrest in their houses, raided without any notice. Is this the kind of change Modi had advocated for in (the) 2014 (Lok Sabha) election?, Mr Sibal asked at the press conference. He alleged that agencies like the ED were acting on the directions of the Prime Minister. Official sources said the action was taken on the basis of two FIRs filed by the agency. Sensing rejection in the just-concluded Assembly polls in five states, the Modi government is in a state of panic of the highest degree and thats why it is using high-handed tactics to threaten people. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at another press conference earlier in the day that the country has never witnessed such a terror raj. Responding to the Congress, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress used to call Mr Vadra a private citizen after his name cropped up in corruption cases but now the whole party stands behinad him. It implies that he is only a conduit and the final track probably leads to the family, he said, targeting the Gandhi family. This is called character assassination by innuendos and insinuations. When they do not have facts, this is what they do All these raids and searches against various people are a ploy to divert the attention of the people from the real issues and the BJPs failures, Mr Singhvi claimed. The Congress feels corruption was its birthright and it had some kind of immunity from the law of the land just because they belonged to first family...Under the Modi government, those who are corrupt are being investigated and this has sent a sense of insecurity in the Congress quarters, Mr Patra said. Three of the critically injured passengers have been airlifted to winter capital Jammu for specialised treatment, the officials said. Rescue operations underway at the accident site, where a bus rolled down into a gorge at Mandi area of Poonch. (Photo: PTI) Srinagar: Fourteen people including a mother-daughter duo and three other women were killed and sixteen others were injured when a passenger bus skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmirs frontier district of Poonch on Saturday. The police said that the ill-fated 42-seater bus was on its way to Poonch town from Loran village when it met with the accident near Plera village after driver lost control over the steering. Three of the critically injured passengers have been airlifted to winter capital Jammu for specialised treatment, the officials said. Among the dead are a 2-year-old girl Afia Parveen and her mother Parveen Akhter, 35. The other deceased were identified by the police as Aijaz Ahmad (32), Muhammad Yasirr (10), Wali Muhammad (72), Ghulam Hussain (52), Bashir Ahmad (38), Shariefa (40), Nazia Akhter (17), Gulshan Akhter (21), Muhammad Yousuf (26), Bashir Ahmad (50), Abdul Rashid (45) and Muhammad Rashid-all local residents. The police and hospital sources said that six of them were found dead on the spot and eight more succumbed to injuries while being evacuated from the scene or in hospital. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee demanded an investigation into the frequent accidents in the mountainous belts. Upendra Kushwaha said that because of the Nitish Kumar government's non-cooperative attitude, the Kendriya Vidyala project is stuck. Kushwaha, the Minister of State for HRD, alleged that request for land for setting up the school in Devkund area of the district had been sent to the state government four months ago, but there has been no headway in this regard so far. (Photo: File) Aurangabad: Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Saturday went on a day-long fast in Aurangabad to protest against the "failure" of the Nitish Kumar government in the state to provide land for setting up a Kendriya Vidyalaya. Kushwaha, the Minister of State for HRD, alleged that request for land for setting up the school in Devkund area of the district had been sent to the state government four months ago, but there has been no headway in this regard so far. "Because of the state government's non-cooperative attitude, the Kendriya Vidyala project here is stuck. Same is the case in Nawada district, where we will be observing a fast on Sunday," Kushwaha, flanked by supporters of his Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, said. The Bihar government, he said, has made a "very impractical" demand for grant of land, wanting a provision that the schools should have 75 per cent students from within the state. "If we agree for such a provision here, we would have to give our assent for similar provisions in other states as well. Now, the Bihar government does not realise that barring Patna, one hardly finds students from other states in Kendriya Vidyalayas elsewhere," he said. "On the other hand, a large number of students from Bihar study at central schools in other states. So, the condition laid down by them will end up harming our own boys and girls," the minister said. Kushwaha, a former aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, floated his own outfit in 2013 after quitting the JD(U), and has been attacking the state government in the recent past over issues like law and order, and education. He has also presented the Bihar government with a 25-point charter of demands on education. The charter includes recruitment of teachers by the state public service commission, exempting teaching staff from preparing mid-day meals and making 75 per cent attendance compulsory for allowing students to appear in examinations. An NDA ally, Kushwaha has of late been speaking against the BJP-led coalition from a number of forums, leading to speculations of his possible exit ahead of the Lok Sabha polls due next year. The surgical strikes were conducted after a terror attack on an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir on September 18, 2016, in which 19 soldiers were killed. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday latched on to the remarks of the Army officer who had overseen the 2016 surgical strikes across the LoC to train his guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using them to gain political capital. Spoken like a true soldier General. India is so proud of you. Mr 36 has absolutely no shame in using our military as a personal asset. He used the surgical strikes for political capital and the Rafale deal to increase Anil Ambanis real capital by 30,000 cr. #SurgicalStrike (sic), Mr Gandhi, who has often in the past accused the Prime Minister of using a routine military operation to boost his image as a decisive and fearless leader, tweeted. Former Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda (Retd), who monitored live video feed of the surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the border in September 2016, had said at an event in Chandigarh on Friday that constant maintenance of too much hype around military operations was unwarranted. In hindsight, it would have been better had we done it (surgical strikes) secretly, he said, triggering a major controversy. Reacting to Lt. Gen. Hoodas comments, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Saturday termed it as an individual persons perception. Lt. Gen. Hooda was one of the main persons involved in these operations I respect his words very much, Gen. Rawat said. Commenting on Gen. Hoodas remarks, incumbent Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh said in Kapurthala on Saturday, From military point of view, these were successful tactical operations, which conveyed a very clear message to Pakistan that should they not stop any kind of misadventure along the LoC, they shall be given befitting reply. Surgical strike is one of the options available to the Army. It had a positive effect on the country. Weve been able to curb terrorism to a great extent, he added. Lt. Gen. Hooda, while participating in a discussion in Chandigarhs Military Literature Festival, had said that the aim of any offensive like the surgical strikes has to be strategic besides being tactical as it substantially affects the morale of the enemy. The military operation was important and we had to do it. Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it is right or wrong, is something that should be asked to politicians, Lt. Gen. Hooda had said. He also said that it was natural to have initial euphoria about the success, but the constant maintenance of hype around the military operation was unwarranted. The surgical strikes were conducted after a terror attack on an Army camp in Uri in Kashmir on September 18, 2016, in which 19 soldiers were killed. The Army said several terrorist launch pads were destroyed and many terrorists were killed in the operation. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi, alleged at a press conference that this government is guilty of the most crass and cheap politicisation of the Army. Anonymity of the Army is its biggest strength and it was maintained by every government except this one. But we are grateful that some amount of truth is coming out, and it is coming out at the highest level, he said. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala thanked Lt. Gen. Hooda for exposing the petty politicisation by PM Modi. No one can use the valour and sacrifice of our brave soldiers to score cheap political points Modiji is squarely guilty of compromising National Security and Strategic Interests by unwarranted chest thumping! Mr Surjewala tweeted. Haiti - Politic : Jovenel Moise announces an urban renewal program in Port-de-Paix Friday in Port-de-Paix, as part of the patronal feast of the Immaculate Conception, President Jovenel Moise accompanied by several local elected officials, took part in cultural activities organized in the Place Capois Lamort. The Head of State took the opportunity to reiterate in front of a large crowd, his willingness to stand at the side of the people to improve the living conditions of every Haitian. Moise called on the people of Port-de-Paix in particular, to be patient, to cooperate and to live in peace, so that all projects planned by the state for the department can be realized quickly. He announced that the Joffre / Anse-a-Foleur stretch of road will be completed shortly. Recall that all this important road infrastructure estimated at 235 million US dollars is funded 75 million by the Treasury and 160 million by the PetroCaribe Fund (source MEF, 2017-2018 budget annex), is one of government's top priorities, as well as the proposed 10 megawatt thermal-wind-solar hybrid power plant to supply electricity to Port-de-Paix and Anse-a-Foleur. The Head of State also announced a major urban renewal program, in which several kilometers of streets in the city center will be built of concrete, to transform the image of Port-de-Paix and offer residents of pleasant life. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Agriculture : Minister wants WFP to increase purchases of local products Friday in Rome, on the sidelines of the General Assembly of the United Nations Food Fund (FAO) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26333-haiti-agriculture-in-rome-the-minister-discusses-a-50-million-agreement-with-ifad.html , Jobert C. Angrand, the Minister of Agriculture of Natural Resources and Rural Development held a working session with Amir Mahmoud Abdulla, Vice President of the World Food Program (WFP). Several important topics were discussed during this meeting, but issues related to the agricultural sector and food security were given priority. Increasing purchases of local products with WFP donations, to ensure a market for Haiti's agricultural products, was the culmination of the discussions. In addition, given the vulnerability of Haiti, Minister Angrand asked WFP to establish a strategic food stock to deal with major natural hazards. In addition, Minister Angrand took the opportunity to explore with WFP support possibilities to clean up and correct some gullies, which constitute a permanent danger for the population. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26333-haiti-agriculture-in-rome-the-minister-discusses-a-50-million-agreement-with-ifad.html HL/ S/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... CEP : 80% of funded Parties in default B> 100 of the 166 political parties that received funding in the last elections did not submit a report on their expenses to the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), reveals a survey of the Citizen Observatory for the Institutionalization of Democracy (OCID) which stresses, furthermore, that the reports of some thirty parties and political groups out of the 66 that submitted their reports to the CEP were not initialed by a chartered accountant as they were obliged to do. Gonaives : Inauguration of a new Water Network On Thursday, the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation inaugurated the new Gonaives Water Network. This project implemented with the financial support of the French Development Agency (AFD), will allow, among others, the drinking water supply of the hospital Providence, the population of Morne Blanc, as well as a part of the population of Gonaives. Action against desertification As part of the Action against Desertification Project, more than 2,400 farmers were able to learn good agricultural practices in a hundred Farmer Field Schools set up in five communes of Grand'Anse (Abricots, Bonbon, Dame-Marie, Jeremiah and Moron). Expo 2020 Dubai On Friday Chancellor Bocchit Edmond met Badr Abdullah Saeed Al Matroushi, the non-resident Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Haiti. He welcomed the UAE's initiative to organize the first Emirati-Caribbean Forum in Dubai and Ambassador Al Matroushi expressed the hope that Haiti will actively participate in Expo 2020 in Dubai. Cap-Haitien : clean city operation The operation "clean city" is an urban movement for cleanliness in Cap-Haitien that will involve young people, schoolchildren, students and students. It will also involve parents, teachers, principals, opinion leaders, organizational leaders and political leaders," informed Charles Philippe Bernoville of the Communication Unit of the Town Hall of Cap-Haitien. Mideline Phelizor "Miss Supra Top Model Caribbean" On December 2, Mideline Phelizor, a 23-year-old law student from Anse-a-Veau, first runner-up on September 8 in the Miss World final, won the title of "Miss Supra Top Model Caribeen". HL/ HaitiLibre By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2018/12/08 Based on the homonymous, and quite successful novel by Kim Seong-jong, including elements of crime thriller with a historic twist about North Korean POWs, and featuring a big budget and an impressive cast headed by Lee Jung-jae and Ahn Sung-ki, "The Last Witness" had all the elements to become a masterpiece. Let us see if it succeeded though. Advertisement A political prisoner, Hwang Seok is released after 50 years of solitary confinement. A day later, a body with stab wounds is recovered from a harbor. Cocky detective Oh investigates the death and determines the body is that of Yang, a former soldier. Discovering a diary amongst Yang's possessions, Oh follows a trail of clues to a blind antique dealer, Ji-hye. It transpires that it was Yang who was responsible for the imprisonment of Hwang Seok, a suspected communist sympathizer in the Korean War. This makes Hwang Seok the prime suspect for the murder of Yang. But not all is as it seems, and a series of flashbacks back to the dark days of the Korean War and the infamous Geoje POW Camp on Geoje Island leads Oh to Han, a former North Korean soldier living in Japan. Bae Chang-ho directs a film that unfolds in two axes, one in the present, which functions as a crime thriller with noir elements, and one in the past, which functions as a war drama. His approach, however, particularly regarding the first, is quite messy, as it includes a number of misplaced elements that seem completely disconnected from each other. For example, while the second part is significantly more interesting, the flashbacks regarding this axis are misplaced, in essence faulting the narrative even more, even detracting from the impact the various plot twists could have. The "prerequisite" melodramatic moments, particularly during the end, also move in the same direction, and in conjunction with the aforementioned elements, result in a film that is more a collage of many disconnected concepts, rather than a compact movie. A large part of this is the result of Kim Hyun-II's editing, whose approach faults the narrative to a quite significant degree. Add to all the above the equally misplaced slow-motion sequences, during a number of the action scenes, and you have the gist of the film's faults However, "The Last Witness" is not without merits. The POW camp arc is well presented, with Kim Yoon-soo's cinematography depicting a number of images combining accuracy with artistry, with his prowess extending to the scenes shot in Japan, where Oh Sang-man's work in the art direction also shines. The acting is also on a good level, with Lee Jung-jae as detective Oh highlighting his cocky nature and a radical change as he learns more about the case quite nicely, while Ahn Sung-ki as Hwang Seok is as good as ever, as a man of many secrets. Lee Mi-yeon as Ji-hye is also convincing as the "mystery woman". On the other hand, the peripheral roles are rather undeveloped, with the actors ending up playing characters that function as caricatures, in another fault of the narrative. "The Last Witness" is somewhat interesting, but in a country that is filled with masterful crime thrillers and war films, there is little room for such a movie, despite the fact that all the prerequisites for a good film, at least, were present. Review by Panos Kotzathanasis Facebook "The Last Witnes" is directed by Bae Chang-ho, and features Lee Mi-yeon, Ahn Sung-ki, Lee Jung-jae and Jung Joon-ho. The man has been identified as Pravin Gosavi and has been detained by police for further investigation. The incident occurred as the minister came down after addressing meeting when the accused suddenly lunged at him, pushed and slapped him. (Photo: File) Thane: Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale was allegedly pushed and assaulted by a man after a function in Ambernath town, late on Saturday night. The incident occurred as the minister came down after addressing meeting when the accused suddenly lunged at him, pushed and slapped him. Some of the supporters rushed to ministers aid, pushed away the attacker and roughed him up. #WATCH Maha: People thrash Pravin Gosavi, a worker of the youth wing of Republican Party of India, who slapped Union Minister & party leader Ramdas Athawale at an event in Thane y'day. Gosavi has been admitted to a hospital. FIR registered against him, investigation on. (08.12) pic.twitter.com/zvYmNaV8Wi ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 The motive behind the attack in not known. The man has been identified as Pravin Gosavi, an activist of Republican Party of India and has been detained by police for further investigation. Published on 2018/12/09 | Source Samsung employees make kimchi at a charity event in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. /Courtesy of Samsung Samsung Group will donate W50 billion to help people in need as part of its year-end campaign (US$1=W1,122). Advertisement "Our seven affiliates will join forces to donate W50 billion to the Community Chest of Korea", a spokesman at Samsung said on Sunday. The money will be used to support underprivileged youth, disabled people and other poor families. Samsung has so far donated a total of W570 billion since 1999. Samsung executives and employees have also participated in various charitable activities. They recently joined some 2,600 local people to make Korea's staple side dish kimchi, which was shared with 22,778 disadvantaged households ahead of the cold winter season. Published on 2018/12/09 | Source Korean workers down tools more often than their counterparts in any other major economy as labor relations are chronically bad. Advertisement According to a report by the Korea Labor Institute on Monday, strikes in Korea cost businesses 2.03 million lost workdays in 2016. The number was derived by multiplying the number of striking workers by the number of days they downed tools. That means an average of 5,600 workers went on strike every day. The KLI compared the figures to International Labor Organization data and found that Korea suffered the largest number of lost workdays among the world's nine major economies. In Japan, only 3,000 workdays were lost, which is just 0.14 percent of Korea's. There were 120 labor strikes in Korea in 2016 compared to 259 in Australia and 641 in Spain. But the lost number of workdays was much larger here due to the length of the strikes. In 2016, the number of lost workdays increased almost five times compared to 447,000 days in 2015, due to 20 strikes by workers at Hyundai and affiliate Kia, while unionized rail workers downed tools for 74 days. But labor-dispute negotiation rules differ from country to country posing limits to simple comparisons. For instance, downing tools for more than eight hours is considered a strike in Korea, but in Finland it is anything over an hour. In Australia, the number of lost workdays must total at least 10 in order to be considered a strike. Nevertheless, a World Economic Forum survey placed Korea at 124th among 140 countries when it comes to labor-management relations. Chung Seung-kook at Joongang Sangha University said, "Korea's labor movement has traditionally focused on a very combative stance in order to obtain higher wages". Published on 2018/12/09 | Source Jobseekers look at a bulletin board at a job fair in Seoul on Nov. 12. Human resources managers at a recent job fair hosted by subcontractors to Samsung Electronics and its five affiliates said young Koreans are reluctant to apply for jobs with them, and many new workers bolt shortly after getting hired. Advertisement The 120 Samsung subcontractors are considered the cream of the crop among small and mid-sized companies, but despite record youth unemployment they are struggling to find staff. The Korea Federation of SMEs recently conducted a survey showing that employees at small and mid-sized companies work at one company for only 6.4 years on average, and 33.7 percent quit less than three years into the job. HR managers say young jobseekers shun them because they are located outside Seoul. Many young people are only interested in working for major conglomerates or foreign companies. One HR manager at a company that makes smartphone components said, "More than 50 percent of workers we want to hire don't show up for work simply because we're outside Seoul, and half of those who do only stick around for a year". One semiconductor parts maker in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul hired 150 workers over the last three years, but 30 percent of them ended up quitting. The new hires often complained that they were unable to enjoy the same leisure activities as in the capital. Companies in the often soulless industrial clusters outside of the capital are calling on the government to improve transportation and living conditions to make jobs there more attractive. Suh Jae-yoon at the federation said, "Subway lines need to be extended, and we need more buses from Seoul to neighboring cities to get more people to apply for jobs at small and mid-sized companies". COUNTY SCHOOLS CLOSED AGAIN; COUNTY GOV'T OFFICE DELAY OPENING Utility crews restored power to thousands of homes and businesses by mid-morning Tuesday, leaving 1,683 customers without power after the winter storm walloped the county with up to 18 inches of snow over the weekend. The number of outages is down from almost 12,000 on Sunday. Duke Energy said those will in the dark would have power by 5 p.m. Friday. Henderson County schools are closed again Tuesday because of expected impassable secondary roads in some places and refreezing of snow-covered roads overnight. Henderson County and Hendersonville city offices delayed opening on Tuesday to 10 a.m. Non-emergency offices in Henderson County and the city of Hendersonville and county schools were closed all day on Monday. Because of the snow and hazardous roadways, "the Henderson County non-emergency local government offices, including Solid Waste, Animal Services and the Henderson County Public Library will be CLOSED on Monday," the county manager's office said. City offices are also closed. Delivery of emergency services will not be impacted by the closing. If you need emergency information, please call (828) 697-4728 or log onto www.hendersoncountync.gov and click view Emergency Information. If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1. Schools are closed and Monday is an annual leave day for employees, the school system said. The NCDOT is not expected to clear secondary roads before Monday, the sheriff's office said. WITH concerns about an obesity crisis among Britains children, one primary school is helping to prevent it. Shiplake Primary School has a weekly running club that is helping pupils to stay healthy and perform better in the classroom. Almost a quarter of the pupils, on average, takes part in the run on Tuesday mornings, running distances of up to four miles around farmland off Memorial Avenue, opposite the school. Organiser and year two teacher Helen Boucher said that not only had the childrens fitness improved but they were more focused in lessons and had grown in confidence. Many now also compete at the Oxfordshire schools cross-country winter series of races. The club used to be held during the pupils lunch break before being relaunched as a morning run. Miss Boucher said: It has got much bigger and grown in popularity. This year we have on average 40 each week, which for a small school is quite good. Were now getting children who dont necessarily want to compete but who enjoy running. Its very much fun and enjoyment first but quite often children who didnt necessarily think were talented find they actually are. It is entirely up to them how far they run. They are encouraged to do a lap, which is one mile, and our better runners are doing four. Theres a sense of achievement as its not easy running a mile and Ive got year two children running three or four miles and they are only six years old. Theres a real sense of camaraderie and they keep each other going. Holly Gregans daughters, Honey, nine, and Coco-Wren, six, from Binfield Heath, take part every week. She said: Its a fantastic way of getting kids out and exercising and building it into their curriculum routine. Ive seen an improvement in the girls fitness and I just love the fact the school is encouraging fitness and wellbeing for the children. Coco manages to do three miles which for a six-year-old is really good. She says things like Im really proud of myself for doing that, which is a lovely thing to hear your child say. Honey said she enjoyed running with her sister and getting fresh air. Tom Cary, from Lower Shiplake, runs with his sons Alfred, eight, and Edward, six. He said: I switch between marshalling and running. I try to keep up with them, if I can, which is increasingly difficult! We started doing the parkrun in Woodley and the boys enjoyed that so wed thought wed try the running club here. Its a lovely thing to do together and they get so much out of it. It sets them up for the day they feel more energised. Alfred said: I usually run three or four miles and it has got easier over the last year. I think I might do the Henley 10km next year. Edward added: I usually do three miles I like to keep fit. Aspen Weatherburn, from Henley, watches her seven-year-old daughter Romy Brant run every week. She said: Its absolutely brilliant. Romy started doing it six months ago and its growing. Elaine Waugh, from Henley, attends with her daughter Matilda Manley, nine. She said: I think its great to be up early and getting out and running. Ive noticed a difference in fitness and confidence. Lt Gen (Retired) DS Hooda said the constant hype around the precision operation was unwarranted. India conducted the surgical strike on September 29, 2016 across the Line of Control as a response to a terrorist attack on an Indian Army base in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir earlier that month. (Representational Image) Dehradun: Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Devraj Anbu has said the security forces would not hesitate to launch another surgical strike against terrorists if the need to do so arises. "The surgical strike on militant launchpads across the border was a show of strength by our armed forces and we won't hesitate to do it again if the enemy challenges us," Lt General Anbu said in reply to a question by reporters on the sidelines of the Indian Military Academy or IMA's Passing Out Parade in Dehradun on Saturday. India conducted the surgical strike on September 29, 2016 across the Line of Control as a response to a terrorist attack on an Indian Army base in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir earlier that month. Nineteen Indian soldiers died in the attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists. On Friday, Lt General (Retired) DS Hooda, who was the Northern Army commander when the surgical strikes were carried out, said the constant hype around the precision operation was unwarranted. He, however, said it was natural to have initial euphoria over the success of the military action. Responding to a question from the audience during a panel discussion in Chandigarh, Lt General Hooda said in hindsight, it would have been better had "we done it (surgical strikes) secretly". On the plans to give women combat roles in the armed forces, Lt General Anbu said different aspects of the proposition are being examined as conditions along the borders with Pakistan and China are different from the rest of the country. In July this year, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat role, currently an exclusive domain of men, is moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police. In November, he said the Indian army is not yet ready to have women in combat roles. He said there are several other fields where the army was thinking of inducting women and there were plans to have women as interpreters. The POP saw a total of 427 gentlemen cadets including 80 from seven friendly foreign countries graduating from the academy. Railway officials said that nine trains in total, six suburban and three long-distance ones, were affected. Mumbai: Train services were severely hit due to a rail roko agitation between Titwala and Ambivali on Sunday with hundreds of people climbing down on the tracks around 12.30 pm, as the forest department and Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) had demolished their houses. The agitation, which lasted more than one and a half hour, resulted in disturbance of the mail as well as local services. The railway authorities had already held a mega block on Central Railway (CR). The Kasara Railway Protection Force (RPF) will be registering a criminal case against the protesters under the Railway Act 1989. Railway sources said that the demolition was carried out at Baneli village between Titwala and Ambivali by the forest department and KDMC on Friday. In this demolition drive, 600 houses had been razed while 2,000 houses are to be demolished on Monday. A CR official, requesting anonymity, said, The protesters are demanding rehabilitation. The issue pertains to the state government and KDMC. We dont have any role in it. Senior Public Relation Officer (PRO) of CR, AK Jain said train number 11094 (Varanasi-Mahanagari Express) had been detained in the up direction by the protesters while train number 12869 (Mumbai CSMT - Howrah SF Express) was also stopped by protesters in the down direction. In addition to this, two suburban trains were partially cancelled at Kalyan station due to the protest. Railway officials said that nine trains in total, six suburban and three long-distance ones, were affected. The worry is that the use of diplomacy to spring a fugitive in a politically-sensitive case may not end with Michel. The extradition of Christian J. Michel, a British national, by India from Dubai early last week, on December 4, has aroused great public interest within the country. More significantly, it gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi ammunition for his electioneering on December 5, the last day before the campaigning closed in Rajasthan, where the BJP faced serious anti-incumbency according to pre-poll estimates. Mr Modi used Michel to tar his partys principal opponent, the Congress, based mostly on innuendo and presumptive guilt when the accuseds interrogation had barely begun. While seasoned politicians surmised it was too late to derive any political mileage, most voters having already made up their minds, the governments frantic attempt raised a number of questions about electoral propriety and the inadvisability of dragging in foreign nations into our domestic politics. After all, in the United States, almost ever since President Donald Trumps victory, an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller is under way into possible Russian government efforts to interfere with the American presidential election. Mr Trump had been referring to his opponent all through the campaign as crooked Hillary. Was it illegal to contact the Russians for material on her? As per US election law, part (a)(1)(A), it shall be unlawful for a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value. Seeking damaging information from Russia on Hillary Clinton is being construed as having value that could interfere with the US election. The extradition of Michel falls into a different category as it is the Indian State which is pursuing a fugitive through legitimate legal processes to unravel possible bribes in a defence contract. But the counter-argument can be that considering Michel was already under detention in Dubai, he could well have been surrendered by the Dubai authorities two days later, when voting would have ended in the crucial state elections in the Hindi heartland that will possibly cast a huge shadow on the Lok Sabha polls next year. This in no way would have affected Indias graft-bursting zeal. This again raises the question of whether India too needs laws that disallow such blatant use of law-enforcement actions for political point-scoring in the middle of actual electioneering, while a code of conduct is in place. Naturally this would not cover situations where the escape of a fugitive is anticipated. The worry is that the use of diplomacy to spring a fugitive in a politically-sensitive case may not end with Michel. What is to keep a future non-BJP government in a possible inquiry into another contentious defence deal from approaching another foreign government for information in lieu of promised future contracts or threat of cancellation of existing deals. But to return to laffaire Michel, as Indias ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in 1999-2003 I oversaw the beginning of collaboration in deporting to India of terror-related fugitives starting in 2002. Although by then the extradition treaty between India and the UAE was already in operation, the method chosen by mutual agreement was, as the fugitives were Indian nationals, to bypass the extradition proceedings altogether and simply deport them to India. The Michel case, however, needed proper legal proceedings as he was a British national and was wanted on bribery charges in a defence deal. After the Dubai court approved the extradition, the matter was in the hands of UAE federal authorities as extradition is a quasi-political act, with foreign offices normally needing to sign off before actual transfer. Thus, the timing was deliberate and by mutual choice. However, India would have needed to negotiate at two levels. Dubai, an emirate having its own ruler and judicial system, had to conduct the extradition trial, but Abu Dhabi as the federal authority took the final call on actual implementation. Past experience dictates that individual emirates tend to be transactional and weigh their own benefit in obliging a foreign interlocutor. In the present case, it appears that New Delhis prompt action paid off in apprehending Sheikha Latifa, the rebellious daughter of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, who is the Ruler of Dubai and vice-president-cum-Prime Minister of the UAE, somewhere in the Arabian Sea and returning her despite her protests to Dubai. Separately, Prime Minister Modi had made two visits to the UAE and hosted Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as chief guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations last year, although he is neither head of state nor head of government. Mr Modi also made an exception, unprecedented for an Indian Prime Minister, to receive at the airport in person a mere crown prince of an emirate. In turn, Abu Dhabi, dubbed Little Sparta by the US defence secretary, has been playing an ambitious role in tandem with Saudi Arabia in the region and beyond, which is becoming contentious even in eyes of the American Congress in the make of the Jamal Khashoggi murder. To foil Iran, which is stitching a regional alliance of Shia powers, the UAE wooed India to wean it away from Iran. Thus, on the Michel issue, the interests of Dubai and Abu Dhabi converged. They may or may not have understood the domestic implications of their move in India. It, however, again highlights the need to place the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under an independent Lok Pal, who is of such eminence, which clearly the Central Vigilance Commissioner is not, that his actions are above political interference. A similar misstep by the director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, days before voting in the US presidential election in 2016, when he let it be known that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was under investigation, may have cost her the election. The Rajasthan election results may still go in favour of the Congress, but in case they do not the stink of a foreign hand will linger over them, as it does over Mr Trumps victory. The Narendra Modi government hopes to secure a favourable judgment before the general election in 2019. An FIR lodged on December 23, 1949, by sub-inspector Ram Dube, police station, Ayodhya, reads thus: According to Mata Prasad, when I reached... Janam Bhumi around 8 oclock in the morning. I came to know that a group of 50-60 persons had entered the Babri mosque after breaking the compound gate lock of the mosque or through jumping across the walls... and established therein, an idol of Shri Ram Bhagwan and painted Sita, Ram, etc. on the outer and inner walls... Ram Das, Ram Shakti Das and 50-60 unidentified others entered the mosque surreptitiously and spoiled its sanctity. Other official reports confirmed this version. This mosque was built by Mir Baqi, a general of Babar in 1528. Three centuries later, litigation erupted but not the mosque. On January 29, 1885, Mahant Raghubar Das filed a civil suit for awarding permission to construct a temple over the Chabutra Janam Asthan, situated in Ayodhya. The chabutra was outside the Babri mosque but within the complex. The mahant made no claim whatever to the mosque. Hindus prayed at the chabutra as the birthplace of Ram. The sub-judge dismissed the suit. Nothing was heard of the matter. Devout Hindus never raised the matter. Nor did the Hindu Mahasabha. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was set up in 1925. At the initiative of its chief M.S. Golwalkar, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad was set up in 1964. Two decades later, the RSS-VHP leaders decided to wrest control of the mosque and build on its ruins a Ram temple. The mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992. Rajiv Gandhi had secured the opening of the locks at the gates of the mosque in 1986. BJP leader L.K. Advani saw a chance for the party to recover and himself to become Prime Minister. The BJP formally entered into the fray with a resolution in June 1989, on the eve of the general elections, flatly rejected the judicial process, and demanded that the mosque be handed over to the Hindus. A court of law can decide issues of title; not of faith, it said. The sentiment of the people must be respected. This was a reference to the old civil suits filed by both sides since. So demoralised were the Muslims that they filed their suit just as the period of limitation was about to end. There is in criminal law a summary remedy against forcible ouster. The court simply orders restitution leaving the civil courts to decide on title. Even in these proceedings the court made prepared instead perpetrating the ouster. After the demolition, the Supreme Court split along religious lines. All five judges rejected the Presidents reference for an advisory opinion because it ignored the issue of title and sought an opinion on whether a temple existed on the site on which the mosque was built. The majority upheld the act to acquire the site of the demolished mosque and appointed the Central government as its receiver. Finally, on September 30, 2010, the Allahabad high court ordered a tri-partition of the mosque leaving the idol in place; one portion to a Hindu party and the left over to Muslims. This order was made by Justice Sudhir Agarwal. Justice S.U. Khan agreed reluctantly for he cited Darwins theory of the survival of the fittest. The third judge rejected the Muslims case in toto. Had Justice Khan stuck to his reasoning, which differed from that of the other two judges, there would have been no operable order. All three agreed that the idol was placed during the night of December 22 and December 23, 1949. After the demolition, criminal proceedings were instituted against L.K. Advani and other senior BJP leaders. On August 27, 1994, the sub-divisional magistrate found that the chargesheet did disclose a prima facie case of conspiracy to demolish the mosque. On September 9, 1997, the additional sessions judge confirmed this finding and framed charges against Advani and others. The trial has gone nowhere 25 years after the demolition; though two judicial orders found them prima facie guilty. The present agitation arose because the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing to January. The VHP, with the governments tacit support, threatens to build the temple anyhow. The Narendra Modi government hopes to secure a favourable judgment before the general election in 2019. The VHP and RSS are playing a game of pressurising the court. They expect a favourable verdict since the Muslims lost at every stage in the proceedings since 1950. In the Shahidganj Masjid case in Lahore, there was incontrovertible proof of a 1722 waqf to build a mosque. But it came under the possession of Sikhs after 1762. In the 20th century, the district court, the high court of Lahore and the Privy Council ruled against the Muslims on the ground of adverse possession. The premier of Punjab Sikander Hayat Khan rejected pleas for legislation to overturn the verdict. It was Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who supported him fully. By arrangement with Dawn 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. The print media still continues to be quite local in its footprint notwithstanding a few print publications that have a national presence. On December 11, 2018, the Indian electorate will deliver its verdict in five states Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram. Like in 2003, 2008 and 2013 there would be fevered speculation as to what would be the impact of these results on the 2019 Lok Sabha election. If you go by past precedents its been a mixed bag. In 2003, the BJP won Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Those days Delhi also used to go to polls in this round of Assembly polls itself. The Congress retained Delhi for the second time. It had won it for the first time in 1998 from the BJP that had formed the first government in 2003 after Delhi got its first ever Assembly in November 1993. Taking the Assembly results as an affirmation of its governance at the Central level too, the NDA/BJP almost hustled a very reluctant Atal Behari Vajpayee into calling for an early general election by proponing it by a good six months. The proponents of calling for an early election believed that India was shining while it was actually wounded and simmering. As it turned out in May 2004 Prime Minister Vajpayee had to make way for his successor Dr Manmohan Singh. Again in 2008 the elections to Chhattisgarh were over but Madhya Pradesh voted on November 27, Delhi on November 29, Mizoram on December 2, Rajasthan on December 4, and Jammu & Kashmir, that has a six-year Assembly cycle between November 17 and December 24 with five out of the seven phases voting between November 30 and December 24, 2008. Why these dates are germane is because the worst terror attacks on India unfolded between November 26 and November 29, 2008 in Mumbai. 166 people were brutally butchered and many more wounded. The attack was telecast live into every home and hearth. It was perhaps the worst security moment for India in its recent history. The then UPA government was naturally on the back foot. An even more than usually belligerent BJP sensed an opening and went for the jugular. However, when the results of the Assembly elections were declared it was a mixed bag. The Congress retained Delhi and Mizoram, and wrested Rajasthan from the BJP. The National Conference and the Congress formed an alliance government in J&K. The BJP held onto both, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It was a mixed bag. However, the real surprise came in 2009 when the Congress actually increased its tally from 145 seats to 206 in the Lok Sabha elections. In 2013 the Assembly results produced a different dynamic altogether. In Delhi, a new party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), formed a government with the outside support of the Indian National Congress. The BJP retained Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and wrested Rajasthan from the Congress. The Congress was able to hold onto only Mizoram. The BJP followed it up by forming its first majority government at the Centre albeit on the narrowest electoral base possible for a majority government since 1952. The reason that I have chosen to relate this history going back 15 years in time is primarily because it is quite evident from this grandiose political sweep that Assembly elections do not seem to have a bearing on the eventual outcome of a Lok Sabha election. However, what makes these Assembly elections different is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past 54 months has made every election contest local or state about himself. Since the Gujarat Assembly elections last year he has increasingly turned to the politics of victimhood trying to paint himself as the underdog to obfuscate his non-performance. Why then is there an attempt to turn every state election into a national contest with allegedly profound implications on the future and the destiny of the country? A part of the problem is the way our television media is structured. The print media still continues to be quite local in its footprint notwithstanding a few print publications that have a national presence. It is the broadcast media that has a unique residency. There are over 400 cable and satellite news channels in India and each of them whether they curate regional content or dish out more pan national infotainment the footprint of each of them has a structured national or even a pan Indian reach. For over the past 25 years now there are two parallel discourses that seem to be playing out in every election. A discourse that is in the ether and for commercial and other imperatives is very heavily invested in converting every local, state or national election into a presidential face off rather than respecting the fundamental basis of the Westminster style of democracy. The other is the discourse on the ground that largely is unseen and even unheard in the ether for that is the interaction people still have on the common area of the village where they gather after a hard days work. It is the conversations that play out on the local WhatsApp groups mainly focusing on local concerns. It is also the dissection of local newspapers by groups of people at teashops and paan shops. Despite the proliferation of the social media this is a reality that has still not changed and still plays the most important role in electoral choices that people make. Will this change any time soon? The answer is no. The high priests of the media in the United States were unanimous that secretary Hillary Clintons victory was a foregone conclusion. Her transition teams were scouring the world, trying to understand what tweaking of the world order is required. However, they were disconnected from the ground game not plugged into either the narrative in the field that President Donald Trump very acutely was. The result of that is in front of us. A Long March 3B rocket carrying a lunar probe blasted off at 2:23 a.m. from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province. With its Change 4 mission, China hopes to be the first country to make a soft landing. China launched a ground-breaking mission Saturday to land a spacecraft on the largely unexplored far side of the moon, demonstrating its growing ambitions as a space power to rival Russia, the European Union and the US. A Long March 3B rocket carrying a lunar probe blasted off at 2:23 a.m. from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province in southwestern China, the official Xinhua News Agency said. With its Change 4 mission, China hopes to be the first country to make a soft landing, which is a landing of a spacecraft during which no serious damage is incurred. The moons far side is also known as the dark side because it faces away from Earth and remains comparatively unknown. It has a different composition than sites on the near side, where previous missions have landed. If successful, the mission would propel the Chinese space program to a leading position in one of the most important areas of lunar exploration. China landed its Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, rover on the moon five years ago and plans to send its Change 5 probe there next year and have it return to Earth with samples the first time that will have been done since 1976. A crewed lunar mission is also under consideration. Change 4 is also a lander-rover combination and will explore both above and below the lunar surface after arriving at the South Pole-Aitken basins Von Karman crater following a 27-day journey. It will also perform radio-astronomical studies that, because the far side always faces away from Earth, will be free from interference from our planets ionosphere, human-made radio frequencies and auroral radiation noise, space industry expert Leonard David wrote on the website Space.com. It may also carry plant seeds and silkworm eggs, according to Xinhua. Change is the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology. China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, making it only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so. It has put a pair of space stations into orbit, one of which is still operating as a precursor to a more than 60-ton station that is due to come online in 2022. The launch of a Mars rover is planned for the mid-2020s. To facilitate communication between controllers on Earth and the Change 4 mission, China in May launched a relay satellite named Queqiao, or Magpie Bridge, after an ancient Chinese folk tale. Chinas space program has benefited from cooperation with Russia and European nations, although it was excluded from the 420-ton International Space Station, mainly due to US legislation barring such cooperation amid concerns over its strong military connections. Its program also suffered a rare setback last year with the failed launch of its Long March 5 rocket. (Source) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to join the Congress and other opposition parties in the December 10 meeting called by Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to forge a common strategy to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Sanjay Singh are expected to attend the meeting, an AAP leader familiar with the development said. It will be the first time that AAP will attend such a formal meeting of opposition parties, although its leaders have participated in protests such as the Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike) called by Congress on September 10 against rising fuel prices. Kejriwal and Congress president Rahul Gandhi also shared the stage for the first time during a protest by farmers organizations at Delhis Jantar Mantar on November 30 to demand better prices for agricultural produce.. Along with Naidu, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is also involved in efforts to resolve differences between the Congress and its rival political parties to ensure that a broad-based alliance is firmed up to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 elections. A strong votary of state-specific tie-ups, Pawar has often talked about the difficulties in forming a grand alliance of opposition parties given the differences between the Congress and regional parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana and AAP in Delhi. All senior opposition leaders, including Pawar, Naidu and Gandhi, have so far ruled out announcing a common Prime Ministerial candidate. The Congress president had even termed the issue divisive. No confirmation is available yet about the participation of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati or any of her party colleagues in the meeting. There are apprehensions in the opposition camp that the government may use its investigating agencies to threaten and prevent some parties from joining the anti-BJP front. Congress leaders called on United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who is also expected to attend the December 10 meeting, on Saturday to wish her on the eve of her birthday. Gandhi turns 72 on Sunday. The possible outcome of the assembly elections in five states and the Congress partys performance on the ground came up for discussion at the informal talks. On Monday, the BJPs parliamentary party and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents will also meet to discuss issues before the government in the winter session of Parliament, beginning on December 11. On Sunday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader MK Stalin will meet the UPA chairperson. As was more or less expected, the trailer for Avengers: Endgame has now set the record for most watched movie trailer in 24 hours. Fans of the movie franchise loved it enough to watch it more than once and therefore, have also found things that others would have missed. One sweet detail from the trailer was spotted by a fan in the first scene itself. Tony Stark is sitting all gloomy and helpless, hungry and tired in his spaceship, lost in the vast emptiness of space. He is recording a message on his Iron Man helmet for Pepper Potts, telling how the end is also a part of the journey. He has run out of food and will soon run out of oxygen. Fans have realised how much his situation resembles the first time we met him in 2008s Iron Man. A post on Reddit illustrated the same: Tony was captured by a group of terrorists in the first Iron Man movie and held captive in a cave. He only had Dr. Ho Yinsen, a balding man who also saved his life, for company and very little chance of survival. Years later, in Avengers: Endgame, we will see Tony in similar peril. In a black vest, struggling with depleting resources and a bald person for company, Nebula. Tony and Nebula were the only two survivors of the Snappening on Titan in Avengers: Infinity War. We see a small hint of her hand in a spaceship awash with green lights, much like Tony. It should be safe to assume they are travelling together. The trailer for the fourth Avengers movie was released on Friday and has raked in 52 million views since. The film will release in April 2019. Follow @htshowbiz for more For a group of Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel camping in Delhi to handle a possible breakdown in law and order during a rally planned by the Vishva Hindu Parishad on Sunday, a tin shed for the homeless in Sarai Kale Khan served as shelter on the coldest night so far this winter. The 115-member RAF unit from Chennai had arrived in Delhi late on Friday night after handling mob violence in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr. Tasked with controlling riots and handling crowds, the RAF is a specialised wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Their stay was arranged by the local police after it received a request from the RAF at the last moment on Friday night. Police said they zeroed down on the shelter home after their urgent attempts to arrange a school or a community hall in the neighbourhood failed. The accommodation, which includes two large halls partitioned by a tin wall, is among three shelter homes constructed for the homeless in a compound near Sarai Kale Khan interstate bus terminus. Delhi police as well as the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) that manages these shelter homes clarified that the homeless residents of the shelter were not evicted to accommodate the paramilitary personnel. The two departments said this particular shed is yet to be opened for the homeless. VP Singh, a RAF inspector, said, We would have set up our own tents had we found a large open space with some basic amenities. But this is winter and the conditions are harsh. We could not find any open ground to pitch our tents and park our trucks. So, we urged the local police for help and they helped us in staying at the unoccupied shelter home. The night-time temperature was 7.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest this season. We now have a decent space to sleep, a make-shift kitchen, toilets, drinking water and parking space. We are thankful to the homeless people in the neighbouring shelter homes for sharing their amenities with us, Singh added. On Saturday evening, some RAF personnel cooked dinner next to portable toilets, a few others guarded about half-a-dozen trucks while most others rested on blankets spread over red mats inside the tin shed. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) When asked about the RAF men being put up in the homeless shelter, RR Bhatnagar, director general of CRPF, said his officers were focusing on the task at hand. It is the responsibility of the authorities of states that summon us to provide us accommodation. We do our bit by pitching in with our own men and material, said Bhatnagar. All the homeless people HT spoke to inside the compound denied allegations that they had been evicted to accommodate the officers. We are happy as long as no one takes over our shed, said Dal Chand, a homeless resident. We were not using the new shed. It would sometimes be occupied by railway passengers passing through Delhi. Until a few days ago, the new shed was being used for some training during the day, said Sooraj, another resident. On Saturday evening, some RAF personnel cooked dinner next to portable toilets, a few others guarded about half-a-dozen trucks while most others rested on blankets spread over red mats inside the tin shed. At the other two sheds, it was life as usual for the citys homeless residents. The police said they arranged the accommodation in good faith, it did not go down well with Indu Prakash Bindu, a member of a Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee for shelters for the homeless. The RAF personnel deserve care and humane accommodation but not at the cost of the homeless people. These shelter homes should be used exclusively for the homeless . It is never safe to put the police or the paramilitary personnel along with homeless people in any case, said Bindu. Nikesh Kumar, project coordinator of the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM), an NGO that manages the shelter home, said tno homeless person had to be displaced to accommodate the RAF personnel and that the shed was yet to be opened. Kumar also said the other two sheds nearby are anyway less than full. Bipin Kumar Rai, DUSIBs member-expert, said the RAF mens stay in the shelter home hadnt been at the cost of the homeless people. There was space in the shelter home and the RAF men were to stay for just a night or two, so we decided to permit them, said Rai. Manushi Chhillar surprised us when she attended the Miss World 2018 crowning ceremony in Sanya, China on Saturday wearing a black lehenga by Sabyasachi that was covered in sequins. Glam, showstopping, and glittering, Manushis lehenga was the perfect choice for the fashion-forward former Miss World to make a statement and turn heads as she crowned Vanessa Ponce de Leon as the new Miss World. All eyes were on Vanessa as she made history by becoming the first woman from Mexico to win the crown, but that didnt mean Manushi didnt deserve to shine a little too, right? Manushi Chhillars shimmering lehenga by fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee was nothing short of swoonworthy, giving her a regal sparkle that rivals that of any queen, complete with ballgown silhouettes. Embellished with hand-cut sequins the lehenga came with a long train and was paired with a matching blouse and a sheer dupatta. It is the kind of lehenga thats perfect for a wedding. If youre a woman with a flair for the bold and dramatic, Manushis all-black lehenga set is everything youre looking for. Emphasising Sabyasachis signature sophisticated meets sexy look, this Manushis lehenga blends modern and vintage for a gleaming contemporary feel juxtaposed with classic silhouettes. Trust us, it would do all the talking. Theres no need to dramatize your hair or make-up; keeping them simple will let your stunning lehenga shine brighter. Even Manushi simply accessorized her look with elegant chandelier earrings from Sabyasachi, and glowed thanks to her flawless skin, perfectly groomed brows, a nude, creamy pout and super-long eyelashes. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter For decades, Bhima Koregaon was a sleepy cluster of shops and brick houses off the Pune-Ahmednagar highway, a blip on the map that would light up every New Years Eve as millions of Dalits gathered to celebrate a British-era war. A war memorial at the spot had engraved on it the names of 22 Mahar (a Dalit sub-caste) soldiers who died fighting for the British army, which defeated the forces of the Peshwa, erstwhile Brahmin rulers who were notorious for having instituted oppressive caste practices. To the community, Bhima Koregaon was a symbol of Dalit assertion, history and pride. But over the course of the past year, the village of 5,000 people has burst onto the national stage and its name has become synonymous with Maoism. First, violence rocked the Dalit celebrations and left one person dead. The next day, Dalit groups clashed with police and security forces across Maharashtra, angry that their commemoration had been targeted. Over the next few months, the Pune Police conducted raids across at least seven Indian cities and arrested prominent activists on charges of Maoist activities. And as the year ended, police produced a 5,000-page charge sheet that blamed the activists and alleged Maoist sympathizers of orchestrating the violence in Bhima Koregaon on January 1, charging them with sedition and waging war against the state. To be sure, there are two police probes. One is conducted by the Pune (Rural) Police and looks into the violence on January 1 in Bhima Koregaon. The other is by the Pune (Urban) Police and is investigating an event held in Pune on December 31, called the Elgaar Parishad, that was organised by Dalit and Left groups. The day after the clashes, Pune (Rural) Police filed an FIR against Samastha Hindutva Aghadi president Milind Ekbote and Shiv Chhatrapati Pratishan founder Sambhaji Bhide, both prominent Hindutva leaders, on charges of orchestrating violence at Bhima Koregaon on a complaint by Dalit activist Anita Ravindra Savale. Both Bhide and Ekbote were booked for attempt to murder, unlawful assembly and rioting, among others, and under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act. By the end of the month, Ekbote was arrested. But since then, nothing has moved. Ekbote soon made bail and the police made no attempt to arrest Bhide. In March, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said investigation had cleared Bhide. No charge sheet has been filed in the case. In its report before the Bhima Koregaon inquiry commission, the rural police did not name any individual or outfit and said the violence was a sudden clash between two groups, one carring blue flags and another with saffron flags. Investigation in case related to Ekbote and Bhide is still on. We will file chargesheet in the case at an appropriate time, said Pune (rural) superintendent of police Sandip Patil. Bhide and Ekbote have both denied the charges. But while one probe flagged, the other one gained traction. In April, the Pune (Urban) Police introduced the Maoist violence angle by conducting multi-city arrests in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. On June 6, five activists were arrested: Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale, lawyer Surendra Gadling, activist Rona Wilson, activist Mahesh Raut and former professor Shoma Sen. In a second wave of arrests in September, poet P Varavara Rao, activists Vernon Gonsalves, Arun Ferreira, and trade unionist and rights lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj and Gautam Navlakha, were picked up. In its affidavit submitted before the inquiry commission, the urban police claimed provocative speeches made at the Elgaar Parishad along with related objectionable programmes triggered tension. Police have told the court that the Elgaar Parishad put the unity and integrity of the country in danger. All activists have denied all charges and blamed the police of muzzling free speech. But activists say the focus on Elgaar Parishad is an attempt to steer attention away from the violence at Bhima Koregaon, which had angered Dalit groups across India because the memorial is seen as a part of the communitys history one that was made popular by BR Ambedkar, often called the architect of Indias Constitution, in 1927. By solely focusing on the so-called Maoist angle, the police wants to distract peoples attention from involvement of Bhide and Ekbote in the riots, said PB Sawant, a retired Supreme Court judge who was one of the organisers of Elgaar Parishad. Others dont see a contradiction. I dont see any contradictions in two probes. The city police investigation is being monitored by Bombay high court and Supreme Court and if they have solid evidence, their case will stand to the scrutiny of judiciary. As far as the rural police probe is concerned, its ambit is limited to the January 1 incident, said former DGP Jayant Umranikar. The winter brings bad memories for Janabai Phatangale. It was around this time last year when she was trying to convince her son Rahul to get married. A mechanic at Sanaswadi village in Maharashtras Pune district, Rahul was not too averse to the idea, knowing that his mother wanted to have a family to take care of her as she grew old. But that was not to be. On New Years Day, Rahul stepped out of his home in the morning to buy vegetables from the local market and was hit on the head with a large piece of rock on his way back. He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to deep head wounds by the end of day, becoming the first casualty to riots and stone pelting that broke out in Bhima Koregaon, 15 km away. Janabai, who is in her 60s, says her family was never interested in politics, or in the caste tensions that roiled the region last year, but cannot forget how her 28-year-old son was taken away from her. She spends most of her time indoors nowadays, praying for closure as the police are yet to file a charge sheet in the case. They have arrested four people but for months, there has been no progress and the investigation appears stalled. I will settle for nothing less than the death penalty for those responsible for the death of my son, she said . Located off the Pune-Ahmednagar highway roughly 40 km from Pune, Bhima Koregaon was pushed under the national spotlight after violent clashes rocked the bicentennial celebration of a war that had been passing off peacefully for decades. What was a mark of Dalit pride and assertion, now resembles a crime scene. Police have thrown a protective cordon around the memorial, restricted access to visitors and there is talk of tight security and heavy checks at the annual celebration this year to ward off any tension. But locals in the village with a population of 5,000 say there was no tension in the region to begin with and that the violence was orchestrated by outsiders who came in large numbers. For years, we have been living here peacefully. Last year, a large numbers of outsiders came and created violence for which we are now paying the price, said an angry Ramdas Gavhane, whose son Kiran was booked for rioting. He is a Maratha, as are most others in the village that has a small Dalit population but a chief from the scheduled caste community. As the date for this years celebration draws near, locals brace for a repeat of the violence and say they are wary of a backlash. All of us here want to live in harmony, said Sangeeta Govind Kamble, the village chief of Bhima Koregaon. The administration is confident . We are confident that the January 1 programme will take place without any disturbances, said collector Naval Kishore Ram The Uttar Pradesh government transferred another police officer over allegations of negligence on Sunday, even as an Indian Army soldier was questioned over the killing of a police inspector and a 21-year-old man in mob violence following allegations of cow slaughter in Bulandshahr. Additional superintendent of police (rural) of Bulandshahr, Raaes Akhtar, was the fourth officer to be removed after the violence that erupted on December 3 after the recovery of cow carcasses in the districts Mahwa village. Special Task Force deputy superintendent Brajesh Kumar said the soldier, who was handed over by the army to the UP Police on Saturday and arrested shortly after midnight, denied any role in the violence during interrogation by a special investigation team set up to probe the matter. Jitendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji was later sent to 14-day judicial custody. An SIT member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Malik told investigators he had no motive to kill the police inspector. The jawan denied he was carrying a firearm during the violence, the SIT member said. He added that the police will apply for the jawans custody on Monday to question him further. Maliks lawyer Sanjay Sharma said he will move his clients bail application on Monday. Jitendra Malik told the court that he had no involvement in the inspectors murder, he said. A team of the army brought Malik from Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir late on Saturday and handed him over to officials of the STF in Meerut. He was shifted to Bulandshahar late at night, according to the police. On December 3, a mob of about 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr after reports of cow carcasses being found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 21-year-old man named Sumit Kumar died of gunshot wounds. Watch: How local youth was shot, UP cop attacked by Bulandshahr mob Principal secretary (home) Arvind Kumar said on Sunday Akhtar was transferred to the post of ASP, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra (a Provincial Police Service officer), who was serving as in-charge of a modern control room in Ghaziabad, will replace Akhtar, an IPS officer of the 2014 batch, he said. The three other police officers are senior superintendent of police Krishna Bahadur Singh, Syana circle officer Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingrwathi police outpost in-charge Suresh Kumar. Top UP officials swung into action soon after chief minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting with the principal secretary and director general of police OP Singh on Friday night. The meeting was held after the submission of a report on the violence and killings. The UP government has been criticised by opposition leaders over law and order and for its handling of the situation after the violence. The CM said on Friday the violence was an accident, adding that those responsible for the violence would not be spared. Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. Raj claimed innocence in a video that surfaced online on Wednesday. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has started an audit of Jammu, Srinagar and Leh airports to ascertain the number of personnel to be deployed and loopholes to be filled at these hubs before taking over its security as suggested by the Union home ministry.The report is expected to be submitted to the home ministry by the end of this month. We have started the audit but will not change the existing security infrastructure at these airports, said a CISF official on condition of anonymity. We want to ensure that there are no dark zones in and around these airport and if required, more CCTV cameras will be installed, said the official. A report (on the audit) will be submitted to the home ministry listing the requirement of personnel and equipment. We are ready for deployment by January next year, the official added. Security on the approach road will be one of the major focus areas of the audit, considering terrorist activities in the region, according to CISF official. The CISF is also likely to continue with the practice of baggage stamping at these sensitive airports. A joint team of CISF, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) was formed last week to decide the number of personnel to be deployed and loopholes to be filled at these airports. According to a civil aviation ministry official, to bring uniformity in the countrys aviation security, the CISF has been asked by home ministry to conduct an audit of these three airports. There are 100 operational airports in the country of which 61 is secured by CISF. A preliminary survey of the Jammu airport conducted in 2012 showed we will need 300 personnel for round the clock security of the airport. But as per the latest estimate we will need 400 personnel for Jammu alone, said the official quoted above. The numbers for Srinagar and Leh will be fixed later as these are also busy airports, said the CISF offcial. Jammu airport handled 14.43 lakh passengers in 2017-18, up from 11.59 lakh in 2016-17 while Leh handled 6.92 lakh in 2017-18 compared to 5.63 lakh, the previous year. Srinagar is the busiest among the three airports in Jammu and Kashmir with 24.40 lakh passengers using it in 2017-18 . Jammu airports capacity is 6.5 lakh though it handled 14.43 lakh passengers while Leh airports capacity is 2.5 lakh and it handled 6.92 lakh passengers. While Srinagar airport which can handle 30 lakh passengers is expected to reach its capacity by next year. We will deploy extra personnel during peak hour to clear the rush, said the CISF officer. Cybersecurity experts say the law, the first of its kind globally, will instead be a boon to the criminal underworld. The law is also technically vague and seems contradictory because it doesnt require systematic weaknesses. (Photo: Pixabay) A newly enacted law rushed through Australias parliament will compel technology companies such as Apple, Facebook and Google to disable encryption protections so police can better pursue terrorists and other criminals. Cybersecurity experts say the law, the first of its kind globally, will instead be a boon to the criminal underworld by undermining the technical integrity of the internet, hurting digital security and user privacy. I think its detrimental to Australian and world security, said Bruce Schneier, a tech security expert affiliated with Harvard University and IBM. The law is also technically vague and seems contradictory because it doesnt require systematic weaknesses so-called backdoors to be built in by tech providers. Such backdoors are unlikely to remain secret, meaning that hackers and criminals could easily exploit them. Backdoors were central to a 1990s US effort to require manufacturers to install a so-called Clipper chip into communications equipment so the government could listen in on voice and data transmissions. US law enforcement officials, including Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, are again pushing for legislation that would somehow give authorities access to secure communications. The Australian bill is seen by many as a beachhead for those efforts because the nation belongs to the Five Eyes security alliance with the US, Britain, Canada and New Zealand. There is a lot here that doesnt make any sense, Schneier said of the Australian bill. This is a technological law written by non-technologists and its not just bad policy. In many ways, I think its unworkable. A leading figure in cryptography, Martin Hellman of Stanford University, said it appears the bill would facilitate crime by weakening the security of the affected devices. The law won final legislative approval late Thursday, parliaments final session of the year. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was urgently needed. This was very important legislation to give police and security agencies the ability to get into encrypted communications, he told Nine Network television. Things like WhatsApp, things like that which are used by terrorists and organised criminals and indeed paedophile rings to do their evil work. He noted that the opposition Labor Party had to be dragged to the table and backed the legislation as an emergency measure out of concern extremists could target Christmas-New Year crowds. Labour lawmakers they want amendments passed when parliament resumes in February. Opposition leader Bill Shorten said he supported the current bill only because he could not expose Australians to increased (national security) risk. Duncan Lewis, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, noted during hearings that extremists share encrypted messages that Australias main secret service cannot intercept or read. President Morry Bailles of the Law Council of Australia, a leading lawyers group, criticised the bills swift parliamentary journey though lawmakers knew serious problems exist with giving law enforcement unprecedented powers to access encrypted communications. Australian law enforcement officials have complained that the growth of end-to-end encryption in applications such as Signal, Facebooks WhatsApp and Messenger and Apples iMessage could be the worst blow to intelligence and law enforcement capability in decades. Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said it hampers criminal investigations at all levels. But Apple, in comments filed with parliament in October, argued that it would be wrong to weaken security for millions of law-abiding customers in order to investigate the very few who pose a threat. The companys iPhones, because of their strong encryption, are bulwarks of national security around the globe and help protect journalists, human rights workers and people living under repressive regimes. The iPhone is national security infrastructure right now, said Schneier. Every Australian legislator uses the systems and devices that that law will target and making them insecure seems like a really bad idea. Apple also complained in October that the bill was dangerously ambiguous. One apparent contradiction confounds technologists. The legislation says the government must not require providers to implement or build systemic weaknesses in forms of electronic protection (backdoors) but also says it can require the selective deployment of weaknesses or vulnerability in a particular service, device or item of software on a case-by-case basis. Technologists say that the mathematics underlying encryption and the manner in which it is encoded into software makes it impossible to decrypt a single users communications without affecting all users. Eric Wenger, director of cybersecurity and privacy policy for the US technology giant Cisco Systems, warned during debate on the bill that Australia could be at a competitive disadvantage if its data was not regarded as secure. Australia was a major driver of a statement agreed to at the Group of 20 leaders summit in Germany last year that called on the technology industry to provide lawful and non-arbitrary access to available information needed to protect against terrorist threats. (Source) A nondescript hoarding put up near the shrine of a prominent Maratha king in a small village near Bhima Koregaon last year triggered the violence that rocked Maharashtra and sent shockwaves across Indias Dalit community. The hoarding, put up by some Dalit groups in Vadhu Budruk, claimed that a member of the community, Govind Gopal Gaikwad Mahar, performed the last rites of 17th century Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in 1689 in defiance of orders passed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. For Dalits, the hoarding was a symbol of assertion and courage of one of their ancestors but it angered other communities, especially right-wing groups that claim Sambhaji as part of a narrative of Hindu resistance against Muslim aggression. On December 29, 2017 in the middle of the night, an unknown group of people damaged the board. By sunrise, tension had gripped the area as forward castes gathered in a show of strength and Dalits filed a case under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. By morning the next day, violence had broken out that quickly spread to nearby Bhima Koregaon, where Dalits had gathered to celebrate the anniversary of an 1818 victory of the British army over the Peshwa rulers. Today, the hoarding, which used to stand under a blue canopy (blue is a colour used by Dalits in celebration of Indias first law minister, BR Ambedkar) , has disappeared. Dalit leaders allege the vandalism was instigated by right-wing leaders. The shrine is ringfenced by armed state reserve police personnel. Visitors are prevented from taking pictures of the structure and the access of even journalists is restricted. Round-theclock CCTV surveillance is in place, in addition to the presence of plainclothesmen and Special Branch (SB) investigation. But the heavy security has failed to quell resentment within the Dalit community, many of whom demand that the hoarding be restored. Last year, this board, chronicling my ancestors commitment and loyalty to Chhtrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was damaged with the ulterior motive of erasing his name from history, said Rajendra Gaikwad, a descendant of Govind Gopal. Some others in the village say that the violence was triggered by political motivations. The case is more of politics. relations between the two communities is good, said Sachin Bhandare, a gram panchayat member. Delhi University scientist Deepak Pental, the inventor of genetically modified (GM) mustard, has said the Union government appeared interested in his product and was vetting transgenic farm technologies in general, but a lot of noise from the right and the left was stalling progress. Pental, a plant-genetics professor and his team, developed Indias first public-sector driven GM crop, currently under regulatory evaluation. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), Indias biotech regulator, has asked Pental to conduct two more sets of tests to assess seed-production efficiency and impact on honey bees. The GEAC may then choose to approve or reject the product. Asked why he thought the government appeared interested, Pental said, The very fact that the committees are meeting means that government is interested... But the left and the right are opposed .... , referring to subcommittee meetings. Pental claims his product has up to 25 times higher output. India has many grassroots organisations opposed to GM crops. These include the prominent rightwing outfit, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, affiliated to the Rashtriya Samyamsevak Sangh. On the other hand, the Coalition for a GM-free India is an umbrella body that includes many left-leaning outfits. Pentals product was nearly approved in 2017. Fresh tests were ordered after the environment ministry intervened following objections based on scientific evidence, said Kavitha Kuruganti, a key anti-GM campaigner. These tests were asked to be done in Punjab and Delhi, but these states must individually grant permissions. Pental said he would instead request the regulator to obtain these clearances. If they (states) have any queries, who would they believe?... Of course the GEAC, he said. Anti-GM experts say Pentals product uses glufosinate, a weedkiller (herbicide) similar to glyphosate, which is linked to cancer. In a major verdict in August, a US jury ruled that glyphosatebased weedkillers were linked to cancer. Pental said all agro-chemicals must be used in recommended quantities. That Indian farmers desperately use their own concoctions of pesticides is well known. Speaking something theoretically does not apply in field conditions..., Kuruganti said. Pental said his product uses the herbicide in limited quantity only for seed production and farmers wont need it at all. Glyphosate isnt banned anywhere, he added. Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav will join the Congress and other opposition parties in the December 10 meeting called by Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to forge a common strategy to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. I will attend the all-party meet in Delhi, its important that I should go and attend it, he said at the rally organised by SP rebel and younger brother Shivpal Yadav in Lucknow. Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal is also likely to attend the meeting in Delhi. It will be the first time that AAP will attend such a formal meeting of opposition parties, although its leaders have participated in protests such as the Bharat Bandh (nationwide strike) called by Congress on September 10 against rising fuel prices. Initially scheduled to be held in November, the Opposition meeting was delayed due to the Assembly polls in five states that are seen as a semifinal for the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Naidu has been spearheading an effort to bring together major regional parties to put up a common front against the BJP in 2019. No confirmation is available yet about the participation of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati or any of her party colleagues in the meeting. Earlier, Naidu had said he would speak to Mayawati, who has indicated that she will not be a part of their alliance. Those opposing the BJP, those who want to save this nation, will work together. The Congresss failure to tie up with the BSP in the poll-bound states, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, is seen as a setback to the efforts for forging the anti-BJP alliance. Along with Naidu, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is also involved in efforts to resolve differences between the Congress and its rival political parties to ensure that a broad-based alliance is firmed up to take on the BJP in the 2019 elections. A strong votary of state-specific tie-ups, Pawar has often talked about the difficulties in forming a grand alliance of opposition parties given the differences between the Congress and regional parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana and AAP in Delhi. In yet another ticket hike at Taj Mahal this year, visitors from Monday will have to pay another Rs 200 to enter the main mausoleum, which houses replicas of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahals graves. Early this year, the entry charge for domestic tourists was increased from Rs 40 to Rs 50. The move will hit domestic tourists the hardest, increasing their overall ticket price by five times (Rs 250), if they wish to see the grave replicas. Meanwhile, foreign tourists and visitors from SAARC nations, who were already paying higher entry charges of Rs 1,100 and Rs 540, will also have to shell out Rs 200 more if they want to enter the main mausoleum, taking their overall ticket prices to Rs 1,300 and Rs 740 respectively. Officials said the move is an initiative by the ministry of culture to implement step ticketing at Taj. Any tourist, Indian or foreigner, will be required to pay Rs 200 extra if they intend to go inside the main mausoleum to view the graves of the Mughal emperor and his wife. The arrangement will come in force from Monday, informed Vasant Kumar Swarnkar, superintending archaeologist, Agra circle, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A notification to be effective from December 10 has been issued after directions from the headquarters in Delhi, and a copy has been circulated to all those concerned, he said. The primary notification in this regard was published by the ASI on September 14, 2018. The ASI had invited objections to the extra charge within 45 days. The original graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are located in the basement of the main mausoleum. However, these are inaccessible to visitors throughout the year, barring the three days of Shah Jahans Urs when the way to the basement is unlocked for devotees to pay obeisance to the Mughal emperor. What the visitors get to see while visiting the Taj are the artistic replicas of these graves, located above the original resting place of the emperor and his wife. Agrarian distress and allegations of corruption against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre are likely to be the key planks for leaders from different opposition parties to come together at a crucial meeting on Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. At the meeting, meant to chalk out a framework for Opposition unity ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the parties will also chalk out a strategy to counter the BJP during the Winter session of Parliament starting on Tuesday. The meeting will focus on identifying issues that will be important for the people and can form the bedrock of the Oppositions campaign against the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in the coming months, said a senior Opposition leader who asked not to be named. Top leaders from various parties have already started trickling into the Capital for the meeting. On Sunday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin called on United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Read: Its important, I should attend, Mulayam Yadav on Opposition meet tomorrow We had a warm and cordial meeting and discussed a range of issues, Rahul Gandhi said on twitter. I look forward to continuing our dialogue and to strengthening our alliance that has stood the test of time, he added. Stalin was accompanied by former Union ministers TR Baalu, A Raja and Kanimozhi as they wished Sonia Gandhi on her birthday. Those who have been invited for the meeting, arranged by Telugu Desam Party (chief) N Chandrababu Naidu, are Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Stalin, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi president Akhilesh Yadav and his party colleague Ram Gopal Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and his sister Misa Bharti, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Farooq Abdullah of the National Conference, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, former Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, D Raja of the Communist Party of India, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the Janata Dal (Secular). There is no confirmation yet about the BSPs participation in the meeting. Also Read: Stalin meets Sonia, Rahul Gandhi ahead of crucial Opposition meet A second opposition leader pointed out that there will not be any effort to stitch a national, pre-poll, UPA-like alliance. Parties such as the Trinamool Congress and the Left have already expressed their reservations about a national pre-poll alliance. But doors will be kept open for state-wise pacts to minimise a split in Opposition votes. Apart from the allegations of corruption and the farm crisis, the opposition parties are likely to bring up the economic situation and the after-effects of demonetisation, the feud in the CBI, and incidents of cow vigilantism. A joint resolution is also expected after the meeting, said the first leader cited above. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya mocked the scheduled meeting of opposition parties , and said they should first declare a prime ministerial candidate before thinking of ousting the Narendra Modi government. Its really good to see opposition parties trying to forge an alliance to fight against us. But, first let them declare their prime ministerial candidate, then they should dream of fighting against us and ousting us, he said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has written to states where his party is in power alone or in alliance, to pass a resolution in the next session of the assembly to reserve one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. In a letter to Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, he pointed out that during his interactions, women had shown remarkable resilience and commitment to public service and had besides being effective leaders, had challenged traditional gender roles. India ranks 148th out of 193 countries in terms of the percentage of women in Parliament, he said, adding that the situation was worse in assemblies and noted that inadequate representation of women in our polity undermines the democracy and perpetuates existing systemic injustices. The womens reservation bill, which envisions to reserve 33% of all seats in Parliament and assemblies for women, was introduced in Parliament in 2008 and passed in Rajya Sabha in 2010. However, the Lok Sabha never voted for the bill and it lapsed after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 2014. So far, only Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have passed bills for womens reservation in assemblies. Asking the state to pass the womens reservation bill, he said Congress and other parties had urged the Narendra Modi government to ensure passage of the bill, and pledged support to it. Apart from Punjab, Congress is in power in Mizoram and Puducherry, and in Karnataka in alliance with the JD(S). The new rulers of Mizoram will be declared on December 11 following the November 28 elections there. Gandhis letter comes a day ahead of the meeting of opposition parties called by Congress on December 10, where it is planning to boost the anti-BJP front. Republic Party Of India (RPI) president Ramdas Athawale was slapped by an unidentified person during an event at Netaji ground in Ambernath on Friday. The man, Pravin Gosavi, who was stopped from further attacking Athawale is injured as more than 20 to 30 people beat him. He has been admitted to a nearby hospital and is out of danger, said the police. He will be arrested later and will be produced in court. A case was being registered at the time of going to press. Reacting to the incident, party spokesperson and national general secretary Avinash Mahatekar blamed local police for not making enough security arrangements for the party leaders visit. The incident occurred while Athawale was leaving the venue. There was not enough security arrangements made by the local police despite him having Z plus security cover as a Union minister, Mahatekar said. #WATCH Maha: People thrash Pravin Gosavi, a worker of the youth wing of Republican Party of India, who slapped Union Minister & party leader Ramdas Athawale at an event in Thane y'day. Gosavi has been admitted to a hospital. FIR registered against him, investigation on. (08.12) pic.twitter.com/zvYmNaV8Wi ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 Bhagwan Bhalerao, president, RPI party, Ulhasnagar, said, a bandh will be called on Sunday to protest against the incident. The bandh will be imposed in Ambernath, Ulhasnagar and Kalyan. We have demanded the police take strict action against the person. An army soldier who is accused of killing a police inspector in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr was arrested past midnight after his unit handed him over to the UP police for investigation. Weve arrested Army jawan Jeetendra Malik, he was handed over by Army at 12:50 am today (Sunday). Preliminary interrogation has been done, senior superintendent of police, Special Task Force, Abhishek Singh said, reported ANI news agency. Jeetendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji was brought to Meerut by his unit based in Kashmirs Sopore and handed over to the STF after completion of necessary formalities with local army officials. He was taken to Bulandshahr subsequently and handed over to the special investigation team investigating the killing of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in the violence that broke out in Bulandshahr on Monday over alleged illegal cow slaughter. A local youth named Sumit Kumar was also killed. He (Malik) accepted he was there when the crowd started gathering. Prima facie, it has been found true. Its not yet ascertained if he is the one who shot the inspector or Sumit. He said he went there with villagers, but denied pelting stones on police. Forensic (examination) of his mobile will be done, Singh added, as per ANI. After scanning video recordings, the state police began searching for the soldier, who is reportedly seen firing during the Bulandshahr violence that led to the death of the police inspector and the youth. A senior police officer privy to the investigations confirmed that one of the videos shows the army man, a resident of Bulandshahr, firing, but his involvement in the killings is yet to be ascertained. The UP police team investigating the case had contacted the army and sought custody of the soldier who had left his home soon after the violence. Sources said that after getting nod from top officials of the army, it was decided to hand over Malik to the police. On Friday, an army spokesman had said that police had contacted the Armys northern command and fullest cooperation was being extended to them. Maliks wife Priyanka, who had spoken to her husband on Friday, had told media that an army team will bring her husband to Meerut on Saturday. She, however, claimed that he is being falsely implicated in the case as they were in the Syana market when the violence erupted. His brother Dharmendra Malik, who is also in the army, has alleged that his brother had became victim of a conspiracy and demanded help from UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath for a fair probe. Maliks mother has said that she would kill him herself if it was proved that he had shot dead police inspector Subodh Kumar during the violence in Bulandshahr, as was claimed through some videos of the incident. Thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for Vishwa Hindu Parishads rally to press for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, days before Parliaments winter session commences. The VHP has said the rally, to be addressed by RSSs executive head Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi, will be an attempt to give a clarion call to the Union government to enact a legislation, if need be, for the construction of the temple. Besides Joshi, VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and its international working president Alok Kumar are also expected to address the rally. The traffic police has issued an advisory detailing diversions in view of the rally. It said no traffic will be allowed on Ranjeet Singh Flyover (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Barakhambha Road), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Chaman Lal Marg near VIP gate. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Ramlila Maidan and snipers have been deployed on high-rises. The VHP has carried out a door-to-door campaign to make the rally a success. It will be a massive gathering which will change the hearts of all those who are not in favour of bringing the bill for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, VHPs spokesperson Vinod Bansal said. The right-wing group had approached President Ram Nath Kovind and state governors during previous phases of its temple campaign. In the forthcoming stage, it will hold religious rituals and prayers at temples and matths. The campaign will culminate at Prayag with a Dharam Sansad of priests and saints. The final Dharam Sansad will be held on January 31 and February 1. The winter session is set to begin on Tuesday. The Westminster magistrates court in United Kingdom is set to give its verdict on Vijay Mallyas extradition to India on Monday, but the businessman accused of fleeing the country after defaulting on loans is unlikely to return to India anytime soon. Since India and the United Kingdom signed an extradition treaty in 1993, several key individuals have been sought by India, such as Nadeem Saifi (Gulshan Kumar murder case), Ravi Sankaran (navy war room leak), Tiger Hanif (1993 Gujarat blasts), but none were followed so closely as the flamboyant Mallyas case. Mondays judgement may or may not be on the lines expected in New Delhi, but even if judge Emma Arbuthnot rules that there are no legal bars to his extradition and recommends it to the home secretary, Mallya (and India) will have opportunities to appeal in higher courts. Besides, depending on the timing and how the Brexit imbroglio unfolds, he could also approach the European Court of Justice, which is known to be lenient on grounds of human rights. The final decision to extradite rests with the home secretary. As Tiger Hanifs case shows, even if an individual loses all legal challenges, extradition cannot happen until the home secretary signs it off (having lost in courts, he made a final representation in 2013 to the home secretary, who is yet to take a decision on his extradition). Sought by India in connection with defaulting of bank loans running into thousands of crores, Mallyas case essentially revolves around whether there is a prima facie case against him, and whether it amounts to a crime according to the laws of both countries (as stipulated in the extradition treaty). The amount outstanding against Mallya has been mentioned as over Rs 9,000 crore, but the case documents mention the alleged dishonest obtaining of loans in the amounts of Rs 1,500 million, Rs 2,000 million and Rs 7,500 million during October and November 2009. Vijay Mallya leaves Westminster Magistrates Court in London. (REUTERS) While Mallyas team insists there is no prima facie case and that the inability to return loans to his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines was due to a genuine business failure, India has alleged three chapters of dishonesty on his part. The three chapters, according to lawyer Mark Summers representing India, are alleged misrepresentations made to banks to secure loans, what was done with the loans secured, and what Mallya and his companies did when banks recalled the loans. Some of the words and phrases used by Summers in court were: squirreling away of funds, playing round robin by moving funds across banks, and malafide intentions on the part of Mallya and his companies. Besides the ground of risk to human rights in Indian prisons, Mallyas team has stated in the court that he has offered to settle with the banks, but also claimed that he is sought for political considerations in India, where he would also be subjected to media trials. Four expert witnesses presented by Mallyas team raised questions and doubts about the state of banking, prisons, politics and the judicial system in India. The conditions, they alleged, would not only pose a risk to his human rights but also amount to extraneous considerations and abuse of process. India submitted thousands of pages of documents that needed to be carted in trolleys; Mallyas team produced a similar number of documents. Judge Arbuthnot, who called the case a jigsaw puzzle, said it was blindingly obvious from the documents that banks had not followed their own rules while lending to Mallyas companies. A highlight of the hearings in the Westminster magistrate court has been the ways in which the Indian news media figured inside and outside the court. Mallya used the opportunity provided by live television to present his version of the narrative. At every hearing, a media scrum would gather outside the court when Mallya arrived, again during lunch break when he would step out for a break, and then again as he left the court premises. On some occasions he appeared pensive and tense, but mostly seemed to enjoy the attention. Inside the court also, the Indian news media came under sharp focus. News reports were often mentioned to make points while concerns were raised over media trials allegedly influencing the judiciary in India. Martin Lau, a law expert and Mallyas witness, said: There is increasing concern in India about media trials. There has been a proliferation of television channels, panel discussions with powerful TV commentators. They are liable to influence all aspects of trial. There is intense media interest in India in this case. Academic Lawrence Saez, also Mallyas witness, admitted that a substantial part of his criticism of the CBI was based on press reports: India has an established democracy and a free press. Many newspapers are prestigious. They follow the British model of fairness; some are replicas of The Times of London. They can be trusted, unlike the press in countries such as China. There is a competitive news market. Inaccuracies would be pointed out by rival newspapers. Communication between the government is accessed by journalists in India as in other countries, through informal networks of individuals or leaks, he said. In one of the first hearings, Mallyas lawyer asked the judge for a direction that media personnel be barricaded outside the court to prevent him being accosted every time he entered or left the court. However, she said she was not sure if she had the power to do so. The Mallya case is also significant in the context of the 1993 extradition treaty. Only one individual has been extradited so far: Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel, wanted in a case related to the 2002 Gujarat riots, extradited in October 2016. The Mallya case has been argued by two highly respected lawyers with QC (Queens Counsel) status: Summers for India and Claire Montgomery for the defence. The defence team also includes Anand Doobay. The three Summers, Montgomery and Doobay have co-authored a book on extradition law. Jeetendra Malik aka Jeetu Fauji, the army jawan who was arrested in connection with the killing of a police inspector during violence in Bulandshahr last Monday, denied his involvement in the killing, saying he was just an onlooker and had no firearm. The development came on a day on which additional superintendent of police, rural, Bulandshahr, Raees Akhtar became the fourth police officer to be transferred as fallout of the December 3 incident. Malik was arrested late on Saturday after a Special Task Force got his custody from the army in Jammu and Kashmir. A local court in Bulandshahr sent him into 14-day judicial custody. An SIT officer interrogating him said Malik denied killing the inspector and asked why he would kill the cop whom he did not know. Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Special Task Force, Abhishek Singh said Malik confirmed during preliminary interrogation that he was on leave and present in the village when the violence erupted after recovery of cow carcasses but denied any involvement in the violence. The SSP said Malik, who was purportedly seen in a video opening fire during the violence that resulted in the killing of inspector Subodh Kumar, claimed he was just an onlooker and returned home after some time. He said he learnt about the firing through a villager over phone. Thereafter, he left the village and returned to duty. The SIT officer said he did not have any firearm as was being claimed, and also denied knowing Sumit Kumar, the second person killed in the violence. Maliks lawyer Sanjay Sharma told HT he would move his clients bail application on Monday. The SIT will apply for his custody on Monday so that he can be questioned further, the officer said. Principal secretary, home, (UP), Arvind Kumar said Raees Akhtar was transferred to the post of ASP, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) headquarters, in Lucknow. Manish Mishra (a Provincial Police Service officer), who was serving as in-charge of the modern control room at Ghaziabad, replaces Akhtar, an IPS officer of the 2014 batch, he said. The three other police officers shunted on Friday and Saturday were SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh, Syana circle officer Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingrwathi police outpost incharge Suresh Kumar. Maliks mother has said that she would kill him herself if it was proved that he had shot dead police inspector Subodh Kumar during the violence in Bulandshahr, as was claimed through some videos of the incident. Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh surprised all by arriving for the rally organised by party rebel and younger brother Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated the Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM). Sporting a red cap, the colour associated with SP, and a red-yellow-green scarf of the SSM, Mulayam drove in minutes after his younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav arrived. The SSM had been silent about Mulayams participation with sources saying no invitation had been sent to him. Last month Mulayam had skipped the birthday event organised by Shivpal for Mulayam in Saifai. Workers from all 75 districts have converged at Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan to attend the Janakrosh rally. The rally aims to target both the SP and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Hoardings and banners with slogans Taiyaar Hai Hum (We are ready) and Shivpal Hain Bemisal (unparallel Shivpal) dot the roads in Lucknow. Former minister and Jaswantnagar MLA, Shivpal had floated the SSM in August this year after a protracted family feud between him and founder president Mulayams son and then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for the control of the party. After the year-long feud, Akhilesh took reins of the party and Shivpal was sidelined. Shivpal first floated the SSM and then registered a political party with the name of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) with the Election Commission (EC). It was at the same venue that independent MLA and a minister in the previous Akhilesh government, Raghuraj Pratap Singh, too, held a show of strength as he too announced the formation of his own party, though his party is awaiting registration with EC. Chief minister Vasundhara Raje on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power in the state. Meanwhile, the BJP has already started preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Raje chaired a meeting of the BJP core committee at the party headquarters in Jaipur. Talking to the media after the meetings, she said the BJP would get majority in the assembly elections. State BJP president Madanlal Saini said on the basis of feedback from its workers, the party was confident that it would form government with full majority. On the exit polls predicting victory for the Congress in the state, Saini said, Our workers have fought it out at the booth level. We trust their feedback He said workers have been asked to go fully prepared to ensure there is no problem during the counting of votes on December 11. Polling on 199 assembly seats took place on December 7. BJP election management committee convenor Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the party was in touch with its rebel candidates, though, he added, that there would be no need for them. Shekhawat said, during the meetings, members shared their experiences of the election management, planning, campaign and polling. For full coverage of assembly elections, click here He said the major part of the discussion was regarding preparations for the 2019 polls. As soon as one election is over, we begin preparing for the next one. We discussed how to effectively overcome shortcomings and apply good practices for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he said. Rajasthan has 25 parliamentary seats and the BJP had won all in the 2014 election. Regarding the counting of votes, he said leaders have been allotted responsibility of different areas. Regarding the Congress allegations of tampering of EVMs, Shekhawat said, The Congress is frustrated and so they have held the administration to ransom. The Congress is staring at defeat and is thus questioning the EVMs. The Congress has already accepted its defeat, he said. In Bharatpur, the Congress has alleged tampering with EVMs and lax security outside the strong room where the EVMs are kept. Congress workers clashed with police and also staged a sit-in on Saturday night and demanded that SP Kesar Singh Shekhawat be removed. The SP was asked to proceed on leave on Sunday. Apart from Raje, Saini, Shekhawat, the meeting was attended by party national vice president Om Mathur, state joint general secretary (organisation) V Satish, ministers Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajendra Rathore, etc. For full coverage on Rajasthan elections, click here John Kelly, chief of staff to the US president, will be leaving by the end of this month in a continuing churn of White House personnel that has already reached levels unparalleled by any previous administration at this stage of the presidency. President Trump announced Kellys departure to reporters at an interaction before leaving town, confirming speculation that raged and waned for months but had approached a sense of finality in the last some days. John Kelly will be leaving I dont know if I can say retiring, Trump said he will will be leaving at the end of the year. Well be announcing who will be taking Johns place Nicky Ayers, currently chief of staff to Vice-President Mike Pence, leads the speculation race, with the reported backing of Trumps daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who are said to have been chiefly responsible for Kellys ouster. The outgoing chief of staff had sought to regulate their access to the president as he had sought to bring discipline to a chaotic White House. Kelly is Trumps second chief of staff, hauled over from the department of homeland security to replace Reince Priebus, a top Republican party official who had never quite gained the presidents trust and respect and found himself outmaneuvered in the court intrigues and bitter fights between top aides that marked the first months of Trumps tenure. Departures from the White house started within weeks of the presidents inauguration in January 2017, and have shown no sings of a let up. Recent high-profile exits include ambassador to UN Nikki Haley, attorney general Jeff Sessions and now Kelly, from a position that is said to be the gatekeeper to the Oval Office and president. President Trump is breaking records, said an October analysis by Brookings, a top US think tank, of departures from top positions in the Trump administration. Ten (or 83 percent) of the most senior-ranking White House advisers have departed, sparking a cascade of turnover in the junior ranks as well. As this stage of the presidency, two years under the belt, President Ronald Reagan (who was in office from 1981 to 1989) had 59% turnover; George H W Bush (commonly known now as Buch I) had an incredibly low 17% turnover his loyalty to his staff and theirs to him was on display amply past week during his state funeral. Bill Clinton, a Democrat who was president from 1993 to 2001, had exited over half his staff by then, 58%. Bush Junior, George W Bush, who was president from 2001 to 2009, was as circumspect about his hires as his father and was just a loyal to them 17% turnover. And, President Barack Obama, who held the White House from 2008 to 2016, scored 41%attrition rate not clear if it was the average at the end of his two years in office or at the ned of the four-year mark. After rolling through with selects like a Lil Durk-assisted "Follow Me," and the Gunna collab "Need U," FXXXXY has returned to lace us up with his latest "Savage" track. Savage is just a representation of how one relationship can send you in a whole nother direction, FXXXXY tells HYPEBEAST. It can make you lack the trust needed for any relationship you get into after. After working as a producer behind-the-scenes, the Dallas artist is getting ready to unleash his debut effort next year via Rule #1 and Interscope. The project will follow-up on his Cartel Shawty and Flawed Up Shawty EPs. Until then, take a listen or two to "Savage." Quotable Lyrics Just wanna trust again Just wanna love again But I done turned into a savage So, all I do is fuck these hoes As we've spoken about in the past, Lil Wayne and Kanye West's careers have run adjacent, and although both men experienced their "bildungs" differently, they've always taken heed to each other in a respectful manner. So, it comes as no surprise to see them enjoying each other's company like they did last night at Story Nightclub in Miami. For Lil Wayne, Miami is his home base, it's been for years. Any time you see him under strobe lights, it's in a Miami club. But on this occasion, he and Kanye West were drawn together because of this year's Art Basel showcase event(s), somehow related to XXXTentacion's SKINS release party the other night. In the video above, Kanye West can be seen whispering sweet somethings to his buddy, right before he took the stage. Lil Wayne was the scheduled performer on the night. As you can see in the video below, Weezy did his dang on stage with the all OG Bobby Johnsons in attendance, including Kanye West. If you recall, Kanye West took the stage on Thursday at the aforementioned SKINS release party hosted by XXXTentacion's mother Cleo Bernard, doubly explained by an appearance on the final draft. The Art World followed suit with posthumous vernissages of their own, to round out the Basel experience in 2018. For one weekend only, Miami Beach was the center of the Universe. People have been pondering it for weeks now. The question of when Lil Uzi Vert's upcoming album would drop, weighed heavily on our minds. And although we still don't have a date encircled, Uzi is giving us every indication that it will drop imminently, this after teasing Instagrammers with another postponement: "If you waited this long, why not wait a little longer," he wrote last week. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrGgCzWHmrI During his concert last night in Philadelphia, Lil Uzi Vert told the crowd, "I'm finally done with that joint," in reference to the Eternal Wake project he's been hyping since the Summer. The concert was a memorable one; he debuted a new song that could very well feature on the project. He was also joined by Young Thug, A$AP Ferg, Nav, Meek Mill, Chief Keef, G Herbo, Lil Durk at different moments throughout his set. https://www.instagram.com/p/BrKF0yagkp7 Just last week, Lil Uzi was ordered to pay $30,000 after skipping consecutive court summons, brought about by a concert promoter claiming he "no-showed" a booking in South Padre Island, Texas last March. Uzi Vert has an integral part of the current wave, through thick and thin, and plenty of inactivity, some might say. Keep it locked for Eternal Atake, for it could drop at any moment. Patti LaBelle is outrageous. The diva is known for her surprising antics onstage and her tendency for being extra at all times. The public loves her for that. Some of her fans were left disappointed by her appearance at Billboard's Women In Music ceremony, however. When presenting Ariana Grade, the Labelle used an interesting term to describe the pop star. She started with the type of praise for Grande's voice, unsurprising compliments. Im thrilled to be among so many wonderful friends to present this years ultimate honor to Billboards Woman of the Year. A young woman who has it all. Shes soulful, strong, and shes just sensational. Shes all that and a bag of chips. Shes a giant talent who sings from the heart, as I learned when we sang together at the White House for President Obama and Mrs. Obama. She tore it down. Honestly, she can sing her face off. Then things turned awkward. She asked me some questions one time. Remember when we did the Presidents stuff? And you said, Patti, what should I do? I said sing like that little white/Black girl that you are. She got soul like a mug! she said to Arianna, My son told me not to say that, but its true. Your son was probably right, Grande replied Twitter reactions follow. https://twitter.com/_/status/1071186308758933504 https://twitter.com/_/status/1070870899669286912 https://twitter.com/_/status/1070909974661001216 [via] In Nebraska, an elementary school principal has been placed on leave after instructing teachers to avoid Christmas-themes decorations to avoid offending students who do not celebrate the holiday. Jennifer Sinclair, principal of Manchester Elementary School sent out a memo to teachers earlier in the week, mapping out a list of rules to consider when selecting classroom decorations and assignments. According to a report by a local Fox affiliate, the list of acceptable themes included sledding, scarves, and the Frozen character Olaf. Jack Taylor/Getty Images Other decorations like Santa, Christmas trees, reindeer, green and red colors and candy canes were prohibited. Sinclair reasoned that "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." She reportedly added, This would also include different colored candy canes. While Sinclair's reasoning is a popular tale, explaining the historical context of candy canes, it is also a highly refuted claim that has never been concretely proven. The Elkhorn School District released a statement, asserting that the memo does not reflect the policy of Elkhorn Public Schools regarding holiday symbols in the school. The policy indicates that Christmas trees, Santa Claus and Easter eggs and bunnies" may be used as teaching aids as long as they do not disrupt students. Earlier this week, a high school French teacher by the name of Peter Vlaming was fired after refusing to refer to a transgender student by their preferred pronoun. The ninth-grade student and his parents reportedly brought the issue to the attention of the West Point Public Schools board in West Point, Virginia after Vlaming neglected to acknowledge the student using the correct pronoun on numerous occasions. The school's Assistant Principal Suzanne Aunspach informed the board that she was made aware of the student's transition during an August meeting with the students parents where they revealed that the child had changed their name and wished to be referred to with male pronouns. Aunspach went on to reveal that she met with teachers individually to explain the change to further accommodate the student. Jonathan Hochman, the school's Principal, told the board that Vlaming told him he was not comfortable using male pronouns to address the student citing religious reasons, purportedly adding, I like the student and miss the female version of the student. After a number of complaints, in a unanimous vote, the school board voted to terminate Vlaming. Mr. Vlaming repeatedly refused to comply with nondiscrimination, nonharassing policies adopted by this board, they declared in a statement. In response to the termination, Vladmir shared a statement of his own in which he stated that he loves and respects the rights of all his students, but was simply unwilling to waiver from his religious beliefs. We are here today because a specific worldview is being imposed on me," he said. "Even higher than my family ranks my faith... I could not in good conscience go as far as using male pronouns. [via] (Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said hes interviewing candidates to replace outgoing chief of staff John Kelly, and declared it fake news that top vice presidential aide Nick Ayers had been certain to get the job before withdrawing. The White House now faces a potentially chaotic transition in a vital leadership role with Ayers out of the running, despite months of advance conversations with the president. The focus now turns to other candidates to fill Kellys shoes. Among the people Trump is actively weighing, or has mentioned as possibilities, are Republican Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus; U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer; budget director Mick Mulvaney and Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, according to several people familiar with the matter. @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause. #Georgia Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin isnt being considered at the moment despite reports he is among the contenders, the people said. Two others mentioned by advisers close to the president are former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and David Bossie, Trumps former deputy campaign manager. Trump didnt name anyone hes considering to replace Kelly in a Sunday evening tweet. Ayers and Trump werent able to agree on a plan for Ayers to stay in the job for two years as the president wanted, a White House official said Sunday. Ayers had said he could stay in the job for no more than three or four months because he promised his family he would return to Georgia, two White House officials said earlier. Kelly brought a sense of order to the White House and tamped down the infighting that broke out almost from the day Trump took office. Any vacuum in the top management post would risk feeding internal strife in an administration with independent-minded senior officials and an improvisational president comfortable with turning to outsiders for counsel. The president will decide on a chief of staff by end of the year, said another person familiar with the matter. Trump announced Saturday as he left the White House for the Army-Navy football game that Kelly 68, a retired Marine general and Trumps first Homeland Security secretary, would depart toward the end of the year. Whitaker was among people who watched the game with Trump from a private box, and he also accompanied the president to a speech at a law enforcement conference on Friday. Ayers, who is chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, will help oversee political operations for the presidents 2020 campaign, and his duties may include running a pro-Trump super-PAC. Hell work from his home state, the official said. "I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause," Ayers wrote on Twitter. Pence said on Twitter that Ayers "has done an outstanding job as my Chief of Staff and I will always be grateful for his friendship, dedication to the @VP team and his efforts to advance the @POTUS agenda." Ayers had emerged as a frontrunner to replace Kelly and was reported to have had months of discussions with the president, including recent travel on Air Force One. Kelly replaced Reince Priebus in July 2017 with the mission of imposing order in the White House. Kelly had some early successes and was often labeled one of the "grown-ups" whose job was to keep the increasingly frenetic president in check. But his relationship with the president, Trumps family and some advisers soured as they came to view him as too rigid. Trump increasingly bypassed Kelly to talk to old friends and outside advisers, tweet or make tactical moves against Kellys advice. Trump earlier this year asked Kelly to remain as his chief of staff through the remainder of his first term, but the signs of tension between the two men had grown in recent months. Kellys departure will come as the Democrats takeover of the House of Representatives and the new revelations from Robert Muellers Russia probe are emboldening Trumps political opposition. The White House is simultaneously gearing up for Trumps re-election campaign. --With assistance from Polina Noskova, Shannon Pettypiece and Shawn Donnan. To contact the reporters on this story: Margaret Talev in Washington at mtalev@bloomberg.net;Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chakradhar Adusumilli at cadusumilli@bloomberg.net, Mike Dorning, Alex Wayne 2018 Bloomberg L.P. Sugar Lands uneasy history as home to one of the most brutal prison-labor operations in Texas history flared back into the headlines this past March, when the remains of nearly 100 bodies were found on property the Fort Bend Independent School District had purchased from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in 2011. More than a century ago, this land was known as the Imperial State Prison Farm. But its problematic past is not under the microscope in Tammy Lynne Stoners Sugar Land. In the Midland natives debut novel, the prison merely serves as an ideal location, or so it seems, for its heroine to escape a potent secret: her inconvenient attraction to members of the same sex. In February 1923, when Dara comes to work at the prison, she is 19 years old, and the concept of lesbianism was as foreign to most Texans as Aramaic. However, her budding attraction to her college-bound friend Rhodie is sufficiently abhorrent to earn the scornful gazes of the women at her familys church back in Midland not to mention a sharp cuff on the ear by Rhodies mother when she catches the two girls in flagrante one rainy afternoon. In the appendix, Stoner acknowledges the unlikelihood that a woman would have found work in the Texas prison system of the 1920s, though millions already had in the states farms and factories by then. But Sugar Land is not so much fixated on factual accuracy as emotional resonance anyhow. The story Stoner wants to tell is about improbable kindnesses stubbornly taking root in harsh environments; the resourcefulness of people who feel theyve been cursed not just by society but their own desires; and how the toughest prisons are often the ones we create for ourselves. At first, Dara embraces the freedom of her enclosed surroundings. Its high walls represent somewhere she can escape from the unpleasant memories of Midland and for a while anyway hide out from the uncomfortable truth lurking beneath her skin. It proves easy enough to throw herself into her work when the warden, a no-nonsense ex-military man, tells her, never serve meat (to the prisoners) thats still bleeding because it turns them into animals. She finds a measure of gallantry in Beauregard, head of the kitchen staff and a fellow music lover; and learns to steer clear of the lecherous head cook, who makes an unsavory noise whenever he speaks that sums up his rancid character. Dara continues writing to Rhodie, but cant bring herself to send the letters. Instead, she burns them inside a coffee can. Rhodie doesnt burn hers, however, and when the head cook gets ahold of them, it sparks a confrontation that could have been fatal if not for the advice of a towering, wet-eyed African-American convict who transcends his prison time by humming and, when permitted, singing. Sugar Land By Tammy Lynne Stoner Red Hen Press 318 pages; $16.95 See More Collapse Known to history as Leadbelly, king of the 12-string guitar and a crucial bridge between folk music and R&B, hes simply known as Huddie to Dara. The two hit it off right away; he gave me a look that said he hadnt seen a woman in a while, and he liked women, she notices. It wasnt threatening. He was just a hungry man examining a rack of ribs. Soon Dara is slipping Huddie an extra pat of margarine in the mess line and marveling as he makes up words to the ragtime instrumentals coming out of Beauregards radio. They start arranging clandestine meetings at the remnants of an old outbuilding known as the Wood, where Huddie helps her work up the grit to confront the head cook. His friendship also helps her, slowly, begin to get over Rhodie. Due in no small part to Daras efforts, Huddies musical talents also come to the wardens attention. He arranges for him to get a guitar he first uses to serenade the other prisoners Dara and Beauregard sometimes listen from the kitchen, like we were at church and to perform for the prison staff, their families and the occasional visiting dignitary. One of them is for the governor of Texas and, as they say, the rest is history. If anything, Huddie exits Sugar Land a little too soon; none of Daras relationships in the rest of the book are quite as profound. Not that her life after that is at all uneventful. She winds up marrying the warden, successfully concealing her true sexuality, but is widowed just a few years later. After Dara moves into a double-wide trailer she dubs The Bland Old Opry, she takes in an agreeable vagabond known as The Fiddler and spends much of her time marking the comings and goings of her two stepdaughters: Miss Debbie, the self-righteous older sister; and Eddie, whose nickname hints where her true proclivities lie. After years of traveling, Eddies sudden appearance with a baby which she insists Miss Debbie raise while passing herself off as her aunt at last prompts Dara to begin second-guessing certain preconceptions about her own identity. Meanwhile, Daras sweet tooth almost proves her undoing. Luckily, because she needs bigger clothes, it also leads her to the door of one Mrs. Tanya May Rogerton, a fellow widow and one of Sugar Lands top dressmakers (the other has just passed away). Just in the nick of time, Mrs. Tanya May Rogerton whose name is never, ever abbreviated shows Dara a world of new possibilities. Stoner can turn a clever phrase My nerves jumped more than a grasshopper on a griddle; I was retaining enough water to grow rice in Arizona and her characters have unforeseen depths even theyre not always aware of. Daras may not be the kind of courage that wins medals in battle, but over the course of the novel, she develops the kind of quiet strength necessary for outsiders to turn going against the grain into both a daily routine and essential survival skill. Her life like Sugar Land itself turns on a bit of old sailor wisdom that occurs to Dara as she watches Huddie walk out of prison after hes sung his way to a commuted sentence. Given how strong the winds were pushing back, she reflects, even moving a few feet is a miracle. Chris Gray is a writer in Houston. Missouri City voters Saturday elected Yolanda Ford as their next mayor, the first woman and African American ever selected for the city's highest office. Ford narrowly defeated incumbent Allen Owen, who has been Missouri City's mayor for nearly a quarter of a century. Ford captured about 52 percent of the vote to Owen's 48 percent in Saturday's run-off election. "I am so proud that the residents of Missouri City have elected me as their mayor," Ford said in a statement. "After having served on the city council for the past five years, and as a lifelong resident, I am deeply invested in the well-being and growth of Missouri City, and I look forward to working with citizens, the city council and others toward its betterment." Ford, an urban planning manager, will take the oath of office Dec. 17. CANDIDATES: How Missouri City's contenders stack up Also Saturday, Missouri City voters re-elected Chris Preston as at-large position 2 council member. He beat challenger Susan Soto by a 64 percent to 36 percent margin in a runoff election. Ford has served as a Missouri City District A council member since 2013. A Missouri City native with a master's degree in architecture, she has 20 years of professional land and community development experience. During the campaign, Ford said, "there's a need for a new vision and direction for our city." She said Missouri City's immediate needs are to increase revenue, repair infrastructure, address public safety and redevelop major corridors and added that "I want to implement a comprehensive plan that addresses our challenges, start to assume our utilities and improve the aesthetics of the major corridors." Ford and Owen qualified for the runoff after a similarly tight Nov. 6 election. Ford received 35.6 percent of that vote and Owen, mayor since 1994, received 34.96 percent. Fred Taylor, the third candidate, received 29.39 percent. Owen, who has lived in Missouri City for nearly four decades, served as a planning and zoning commissioner for five years and as a council member for eight years prior to becoming mayor. He is a retired bank executive. Today is the deadline for nominations to fill the District A council member slot vacated by Ford. The appointee will serve until the next regular city election in November 2019. For the most part, Democrats who serve in the Texas Legislature are willing to work across the aisle to get something done. Even the more progressive members of the caucus are prone to fraternizing with the enemy. Those who have a blanket objection to doing so should be fired. I would say the same about their Republican colleagues. Thats just common sense, even in the Trump era. I spent some time last week pondering the question of what it means to collaborate with a corrupt regime, which has emerged as an issue in the special election that will be held Tuesday in Harris County for a seat in the Texas Senate. The seat in question was vacated by Democrat Sylvia Garcia last month, after she was elected to represent Texass 29th congressional district. The leading contenders are Democrats Carol Alvarado and Ana Hernandez, both of whom serve in the Texas House. In terms of their policy views, Alvarado and Hernandez are effectively indistinguishable. I cannot decide which of the two seems better equipped to accomplish anything in the Texas Senate next session. My colleagues on the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle endorsed Alvarado, but they think the Texas Senate is dominated by Republicans. I think the Texas Senate is dominated by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who doesnt even pay lip service to bipartisanship and is quick to trample all senators, even Republicans. Alvarado serves as chair of the Urban Affairs Committee, for example, and has forged working relationships with Republican state senators like Joan Huffman. Hernandez, by contrast, has said she would be reluctant to compromise her values by doing such things. Theres underlying context that comes way of the sweeping crackdown on sanctuary policies, SB4, that the Texas Legislature passed in 2017 after a debate that attracted relatively little attention, compared to the saga over the bathroom bill. Speaker Joe Straus has been rightly commended for the courage he showed in opposing the right wing on the bathroom bill. Its not clear that he could have thwarted the passage of SB4, but he didnt even try. I can understand why the passage of SB4 would have had a radicalizing effect on House Democrats because, frankly, it had a radicalizing effect on me. The version of bipartisanship that would expect Democrats to compromise their values for Republican convenience is deeply pathological. House Republicans didnt realize how much harm the passage of SB4 would cause in Texas months after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Some of them wouldnt have cared, of course. But others might have. All things considered, then, I dont think Democrats like Alvarado are compromising their values by working with Republicans. But the passage of SB4 illustrated that Democrats like Hernandez can help Republicans avoid doing so. And Republicans would be well-advised to consider the possibility that Texas Democrats like Alvarado arent actually more docile than Democrats like Hernandez. This is Texas, after all. Theyve had to think strategically. Democrats who could retake the Texas House in 2020 have proven that theyre willing to work with Republicans, but also to stand up to them; thats ultimately the version of bipartisanship that Texans want. erica.grieder@chron.com The heaviest rains in Harris County tapered off by Saturday morning, but predicted flooding of the San Jacinto River persuaded the Kingwood Future Farmers of America leaders to move their animals to high ground. The student groups low-lying barns sit on the north bank of the San Jacinto River and were submerged by about 12 feet of water during Hurricane Harvey. Chapter president Caroline Hearn, a junior at Kingwood High School, helped organize the evacuation Saturday of dozens of goats, sheep, pigs, turkey and steer to the Humble Civic Center arena 8 miles south. It has been raining, and we dont want to risk the water coming into our barns and having our animals here, Hearn said. We want to get high and dry, and out of harms way. Forecasters with the Harris County Flood Control District predicted the river would crest at 53.9 feet by Saturday evening; any flooding above 52.3 feet is considered major. Even if the river reaches that level, it would still be 15 feet below the level it reached during Hurricane Harvey, which swamped entire neighborhoods and damaged the waterways sandy banks. Forecast High pressure will produce dry weather for the area today. Mostly cloudy skies and cool conditions are expected. See more on page A40. See More Collapse The west fork of the San Jacinto is at moderate flood stage and has the potential to go to major flood stage Monday evening, said Francisco Sanchez, deputy emergency management coordinator for Harris County. Our forecast partners still expect that impact will still be limited to roads and access to neighborhoods. More than 100 volunteers began moving animals early Saturday morning, and most of the menagerie had been moved by mid-afternoon, Hearn said. Kingwood High School senior Jacob Oates helped Hearn move a stubborn steer into a trailer. He said during Harvey, when the San Jacinto rose to its highest level on record, there were fortunately only a few cattle on site. This time of year, weve got a full barn, so its a little bit more hectic, he said. At the semi-enclosed livestock arena in Humble, students and their parents set up pens for the animals. If the flooding at the Kingwood facility is minimal, the animals will be able to return within days. Marley Morris, director of career technical education at Humble ISD, said because of heavy damage to the site by Harvey, Kingwood students had to board their animals at the New Caney FFA barn for months. He said while unfortunate, the episodes provide valuable lessons for FFA students. Youve got to deal with what comes your way, and thats neat about the experience, Morris said. Animals cant fend for themselves, so were going to take care of it. Kingwood students have now evacuated their animals for three flood events, but are building a new barn on high ground thanks to a bond approved by Humble ISD voters. Kingwood residents are grappling with being more vulnerable to flooding since Harvey, because that storm eroded the sandy banks of the San Jacinto and made the channel shallower. Still, they are making do as they wait for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a dredging project to improve the rivers flow. The San Jacinto crept into River Grove Park, just south of the Kingwood FFA barn, but residents were determined to enjoy the Saturday as if it were any other. Four men fished from a half-submerged pedestrian bridge and a dog chased an egret by the boat launch. On the south bank of the river, near U.S. 59, water cut off access to several neighborhoods. The flood control district on Friday evening warned residents of these riverside communities, which are often connected to arterial roads by a single outlet, that their neighborhoods could be isolated for days by floodwaters. In the Belleau Wood subdivision, dotted with the carcasses of homes owners abandoned after Harvey, water crept to within a foot of the only road leading to FM 1960 by midday. The swollen river lapped the River View Townhomes on the north bank, but posed no threat to residents. All left after the roaring San Jacinto gutted the complex during Harvey, and the entire neighborhood sits vacant. The site is a prime target for the Harris County Flood Control District buyout program, which was created for homes that are so flood-prone that tearing them down is the cheapest option for taxpayers. Some former residents of the complex have already sold, and dozens of others are in the buyout process. zach.despart@chron.com A Pentagon inspector general's report released Friday described Sutherland Springs gunman Devin Patrick Kelley as an extremely abusive, suicidal airman who once played Russian roulette in front of his wife. In an incident at their home in mid-March 2012, the report stated, Tessa Kelley watched her husband slide a single bullet into a .38 caliber revolver and put the gun to his head, pulling the trigger three times. He then pointed the weapon at her. Five weeks later, in a car, Kelley placed the muzzle of a gun against his wifes temple during a dispute over his driving. Do you want to die? the report said he asked Tessa Kelley, before putting the gun in his mouth. The report added a long list of new details about Devin Kelleys self-destructive nature and cruelty to his first wife and her infant son. It included her saying he would push her head under a shower faucet and turn on the water, calling it waterboarding. It also revealed the Air Force failed on at least four and as many as six occasions to notify federal authorities of felony charges and, ultimately, a conviction information that, as widely reported last year, should have prevented Kelley from legally buying firearms after his release from a military prison. Because his fingerprints were not submitted to the FBI (Criminal Justice Information Services) Division, Kelley was able to purchase firearms, which he used to kill 26 people at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs on November 5, 2017, the report stated. Reaction from relatives of the victims was swift. Human error? I can excuse it, thats fine. But when its four times, and it was not addressed over the years, thats disheartening, said Julie Workman, 55, one of a handful of Sutherland Springs families that have sued the Air Force over the lapse. She survived unscathed and her son Kyle Workman, 27, suffered minor injuries. But her other son, Kris Workman, 35, was paralyzed. Hes in a wheelchair now. Another plaintiff, Lisa McNulty, whose 33-year-old daughter, Tara, was killed in the shooting, expressed frustration. Im not happy about it, but what else can I do? said McNulty, who is now now raising her grandchildren, James and Haley McNulty, on her own, since their mother was killed. We need to make changes. So this doesnt happen to somebody else. In early November, the government filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuits against it, citing the Brady Act. The lawsuits had all been consolidated in federal court in San Antonio. The IG report said that Pentagon policy required the Air Force to submit Kelleys fingerprints to the FBI at several points. The first time came after an Air Force Office of Special Investigations detachment opened an investigation on June 9, 2011 into claims he had assaulted an infant, reported by New Mexico child protection officials. Kelleys fingerprints were collected after the interview and should have been submitted to the FBIs CJIS Division, but were not. At another point the following February, when the 49th Security Forces Squadron launched an investigation into allegations of spousal abuse, investigators should have taken Kelleys fingerprints, but it is not clear if they did. Nothing was submitted to the FBI. The third missed occasion came about five months later, when Kelley was placed in pretrial confinement as agents reinterviewed his wife about allegations that he had attacked her and the child. The agents also wanted to question him about going AWOL from a private mental health facility. After Kelley declined, they took his fingerprints, but the IG couldnt find them in the case file and reported that they were never submitted to the FBI. We concluded that the AFOSI Special Agents did not know or follow DoD and AFOSI policy, the report said. Another missed chance to submit Kelleys fingerprints occurred on Nov. 7, 2012, when he was convicted of assaulting his wife and stepson. Defense Department and Air Force policies, the IG said, required that all posttrial inmates be fingerprinted and their DNA collected as part of prison intake procedures. Security Forces should have submitted one of the fingerprint cards to the CJIS Division. The Air Force also should have submitted a final disposition report to the FBI, with fingerprints, the IG report stated. If it had, he would have been on the federal database and identified when he tried to buy guns. Guns, self-loathing and cruelty were hallmarks of Kelleys personal history, the IG report makes clear. He was suspended six times from New Braunfels High School from 2004 to 2009 for drugs, profane language and insubordination. The IGs report said Kelley claimed to have not used marijuana or other drugs prior to entering the Air Force, even though New Braunfels police arrested him in 2006 for marijuana possession, a Class B misdemeanor. He completed six months probation and performed 60 hours community service to get the case dismissed. In basic training Kelley was under investigation, apparently by civilian authorities. The nature of the offense was redacted in the IG report. The case was dropped days before his graduation on March 5, 2010 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Kelley entered technical school at Goodfellow AFB and later reported to Holloman AFBs 49th Logistics Readiness Squadron. At Holloman, a base in southern New Mexico north of El Paso, he unraveled. The Air Force began investigating him for assaulting a child in June 2011. Weeks later, investigators were called to look into claims that he had choked his wife and thrown her against a wall. Kelley went to a mental health clinic in September saying he couldnt cope with stress at work and the child abuse investigation. He was treated 17 times at the clinic and seemed to improve, but more abuse allegations followed in 2012, with Tessa Kelley telling the 49th Security Forces Squadron he choked her, kicked her in the stomach and dragged her by her hair into the bathroom. She said that Kelley told her Im going to water-board you and stuck her head directly under the showerhead, the IG stated, citing an Air Force report. Days later, Kelley returned to the base mental health clinic as a walk-in patient and told a staff psychologist that he was upset because his wife left him and he believed she had reported he assaulted her, the IG reported. Moved to a private mental health facility, he told staff of feeling suicidal with a plan to shoot himself. A staffer at the facility saw him looking at an Internet site related to guns. [T]he patient has been confronted about his behavior of looking at websites related to guns when he is under legal and occupational scrutiny related to his comments and his involvement, a nurse specialist wrote, but again his insight and judgment are so impaired that he does not make the connection about how that does not look good on him. Out of the facility and back home in March, 2012, Kelley engaged in the Russian roulette behavior and terrorized his wife in the car, ending up putting the gun in his mouth and asking her why she wanted to be with him, and admitting that he beat her son on multiple occasions. In a video Kelley recorded before a June 2012 Air Force court martial for beating his wife and infant son, Kelley predicted he would make more mistakes, a chilling insight. He described abusing his infant stepson in detail, saying he clocked him across the face, in addition to cracking his skull and breaking his collarbone. He also urged authorities to let Tessa Kelley, who divorced him after the court-martial, keep the child. She has since remarried. The Sutherland Springs survivors, for their part, have stuck together. Life hasnt been easy for the Workmans in the 13 months since the shooting. The family has had to refit her son Kriss home to accommodate his wheelchair. Until recently, he couldnt drive a car. Theyve had to pay for medical expenses for his rehabilitation. And Workman said she worries about future, unforeseen expenses. Its not that we want money or we want to be rich because weve been hurt, she said. Its that we want to afford things in the future to make our lives at least comfortable. sigc@express-news.net When I am asked what kind of president was George H. W. Bush, my mind immediately diverges into twinned rivers. Down one, the banks are filled with Bushs wartime heroism, his successful diplomacy during the Soviet Unions collapse and his aversion to the kind of scorched-Earth politics too much a part of todays world. George Bush was an admirable man and a capable president, one who on balance left the world better than how he had found it. Down the other river, gloomier thoughts assert themselves. I ask myself what kind of country was America under Bushs leadership? Where lay its rough patches? And was Bush a force for smoothing those jagged edges during his time, or was he an obstacle to those who were? The Bush years were difficult ones for America in more ways than I fully grasped at the time. I turned 18 not two months after Bush was sworn in, and finished high school that fall. I wouldnt be old enough to vote until 1992, and when I cast my vote against George Bush, I did so with a tremendous sense that I was taking part in something new. I felt then that Bush was out of touch with whole swaths of the countryin ways far beyond the silly and overblown episode at the cash register. Bush, in referring to his Democratic opponent Bill Clinton, told his diaries that America would never elect a draft-dodger, but he missed so much of what was really happening. Americans werent tiring of Bushs old values of service and sacrifice, as too many pundits have put it this past week. They were acknowledging that latter generations had faced their own moral tests different, but no less real than those a young George Bush had confronted so admirably. Vietnam was not World War II. It was a disastrously conceived and executed war, prosecuted under a blizzard of false assumptions, mistaken judgments and outright lies. Afterward, the debts America owed werent just to its veterans but also to the insolent protesters who had helped end it. Bushs opponent had been shaped by his opposition to his generations war, by the Civil Rights movement, even by his opposition to Richard Nixon. Bush, by contrast, began his political career in Texas on the wrong side of civil rights. When he ran for Senate in 1964, he opposed the Civil Rights Act, the war on poverty and Medicare, just like Barry Goldwater. He was a loyal supporter of Nixon until almost the very end, and had served President Ronald Reagan loyally and mutely as the administration responded to the burgeoning AIDS crisis with a blatantly homophobic shrug. AIDS is worth a special note. U.S. deaths from AIDS had reached 16,000 annually by the time Bush won office in 1988, and by the time he lost in 1992, they had more than doubled to 33,000. Yet when Pat Buchanan delivered a gay-bashing address to the Republican National Convention in Houston and declared that George Bush is on our side in a culture war being waged for the soul of America, Bush kept his reservations to himself, and his diary. Gay people in America during that time were living through a nightmare of disease and death made exponentially harder by attacks by figures like Buchanan and by indifference of leaders like Bush. What made the Clinton campaign so different was the subtext of inclusion that buoyed nearly every speech. Bush was either deaf or indifferent to the kind of hope and aid mere words of compassion were providing to those who felt forgotten. Even Bushs much admired call to private charity to be, in his words, one of a thousand points of light was telling. Churches and neighbors had been helping fellow Americans for as long as we had been on this continent. By themselves, theyve never been enough. Thats why Franklin Roosevelt championed the New Deal and why Lyndon Johnson waged war on poverty beginning in 1964. Nearly 1 in 4 Americans in the South, 1 in 3 had lived in poverty in 1960. By 1974, those figures had been halved, to 11 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Yes, by 1992 centrist Democrats like Clinton had concluded those government programs needed trimming. But it was also clear that Clinton still believed government could and should help ease the burdens of the poor. Bush lost because Clinton understood that America had changed, and had been part of that change. It wasnt that voters rejected Bushs wartime heroism, or the ethos of public service. They wanted a leader who understood that whole groups of people across race, class and other divides had been left out. They wanted to be welcomed in. What followed was a bumpy path, and Clinton had his own failures. But the decision to limit the elder President Bush to a single term felt absolutely right. It still does. Even as we praise Bush for his many virtues we should remember that. Michael A. Lindenberger is deputy opinion editor for enterprise at The Houston Chronicle and a member of the editorial board. Imperial Valley News Center Former Head of Organization Backed by Chinese Energy Conglomerate Convicted of International Bribery New York - A federal jury in New York City Wednesday convicted the head of a nongovernmental organization (NGO) based in Hong Kong and Virginia on seven counts for his participation in a multi-year, multimillion-dollar scheme to bribe top officials of Chad and Uganda in exchange for business advantages for a Chinese oil and gas company, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York. Chi Ping Patrick Ho, aka Patrick C.P. Ho, aka He Zhiping, 69, of Hong Kong, China, was found guilty today after a one-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska in the Southern District of New York of 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. Ho is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Preska on March 14, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. Patrick Ho paid millions of dollars in bribes to the leaders of two African countries to secure contracts for a Chinese conglomerate, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. Todays trial conviction demonstrates the Criminal Divisions commitment to prosecuting those who seek to utilize our financial system to secure unfair competition advantages through corruption and bribery. Patrick Ho now stands convicted of scheming to pay millions in bribes to foreign leaders in Chad and Uganda, all as part of his efforts to corruptly secure unfair business advantages for a multibillion-dollar Chinese energy company, said U.S. Attorney Berman. As the jurys verdict makes clear, Hos repeated attempts to corrupt foreign leaders were not business as usual, but criminal efforts to undermine the fairness of international markets and erode the publics faith in its leaders. 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. 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. According to the evidence presented at trial, in the first scheme (the Chad Scheme), Ho, on behalf of CEFC China, offered a $2 million cash bribe, hidden within gift boxes, to Idriss Deby, the President of Chad, in an effort to obtain valuable oil rights from the Chadian government. In the second scheme (the Uganda Scheme), Ho caused a $500,000 bribe to be paid, via wires transmitted through New York, New York, to an account designated by Sam Kutesa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda, who had recently completed his term as the President of the UN General Assembly. Ho also schemed to pay a $500,000 cash bribe to Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, and offered to provide both Kutesa and Museveni with additional corrupt benefits by partnering with them in future joint ventures in Uganda. The Chad Scheme According to the evidence presented at trial, the Chad Scheme began in or about September 2014 when Ho flew into New York, New York to attend the annual UN General Assembly. At that time, CEFC China was working to expand its operations to Chad and wanted to meet with President Deby as quickly as possible. Through a connection, Ho was introduced to Cheikh Gadio, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal, who had a personal relationship with President Deby. Ho and Gadio met in midtown Manhattan, New York where Ho enlisted Gadio to assist CEFC China in obtaining access to President Deby. Gadio connected Ho and CEFC China to President Deby. In an initial meeting in Chad in November 2014, President Deby described to Ho and CEFC China executives certain lucrative oil rights that were available for CEFC China to acquire. Following that meeting, Gadio advised Ho and CEFC China to send a technical team to Chad to investigate the oil rights and make an offer to President Deby. Instead, Ho insisted on a prompt second meeting with the President. The second meeting took place a few weeks later, in December 2014. Ho led a CEFC China delegation, which flew into Chad on a corporate jet with $2 million cash concealed within several gift boxes. At the conclusion of a business meeting with President Deby, Ho and the CEFC China executives presented President Deby with the gift boxes. To the surprise of Ho and the CEFC China executives, President Deby rejected the $2 million bribe offer. Ho subsequently drafted a letter to President Deby claiming that the cash had been intended as a donation to Chad. Ultimately, Ho and CEFC China did not obtain the unfair advantage that they had sought through the bribe offer, and by mid-2015, Ho had turned his attention to a different gateway to Africa: Uganda. The Uganda Scheme According to the evidence presented at trial, the Uganda Scheme began around the same time as the Chad Scheme, when Ho was in New York, New York for the annual UN General Assembly. Ho met with Sam Kutesa, who had recently begun his term as the 69th President of the UN General Assembly (PGA). Ho, purporting to act on behalf of CEFC NGO, met with Kutesa and began to cultivate a relationship with him. During the year that Kutesa served as PGA, Ho and Kutesa discussed a strategic partnership between Uganda and CEFC China for various business ventures, to be formed once Kutesa completed his term as PGA and returned to Uganda. In or about February 2016 after Kutesa had returned to Uganda and resumed his role as Foreign Minister, and Yoweri Museveni (Kutesas relative) had been reelected as the President of Uganda Kutesa solicited a payment from Ho, purportedly for a charitable foundation that Kutesa wished to launch. Ho agreed to provide the requested payment, but simultaneously requested, on behalf of CEFC China, an invitation to Musevenis inauguration, business meetings with President Museveni and other high-level Ugandan officials, and a list of specific business projects in Uganda that CEFC China could participate in. In May 2016, Ho and CEFC China executives traveled to Uganda. Prior to departing, Ho caused the CEFC NGO to wire $500,000 to the account provided by Kutesa in the name of the so-called foundation, which wire was transmitted through banks in New York, New York. Ho also advised his boss, the Chairman of CEFC China, to provide $500,000 in cash to President Museveni, ostensibly as a campaign donation, even though Museveni had already been reelected. Ho intended these payments as bribes to influence Kutesa and Museveni to use their official power to steer business advantages to CEFC China. Ho and CEFC China executives attended President Musevenis inauguration and obtained business meetings in Uganda with President Museveni and top Ugandan officials, including at the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources. After the trip, Ho requested that Kutesa and Museveni assist CEFC China in acquiring a Ugandan bank, as an initial step before pursuing additional ventures in Uganda. Ho also explicitly offered to partner with Kutesa and Museveni and/or their family businesses, making clear that both officials would share in CEFC Chinas future profits. In exchange for the bribes offered and paid by Ho, Kutesa thereafter steered a bank acquisition opportunity to CEFC China. This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS-CI. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice, Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs provided assistance. Trial Attorney Paul A. Hayden of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section, FCPA Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas S. Zolkind, Daniel C. Richenthal and Catherine E. Ghosh of the U.S. Attorneys Office for Southern District of New Yorks Public Corruption Unit and the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Imperial Valley News Center Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Mrs. Fields Original Cookies Salt Lake City, Utah - The Justice Department Thursday announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Mrs. Fields Original Cookies Inc. (Mrs. Fields), headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado. Mrs. Fields brands produce, distribute, and sell specialty items, including cookies, brownies, and chocolates. The settlement resolves a claim that Mrs. Fields production and distribution center located in Salt Lake City, violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against work-authorized non-U.S. citizens when verifying their work authorization. The Departments independent investigation concluded that, from at least March 21, 2016, to March 20, 2017, Mrs. Fields required lawful permanent residents to provide specific documentation issued by the Department of Homeland Security to prove their work authorization, while not imposing this requirement on U.S. citizens. All work-authorized individuals, regardless of citizenship status, have the right to choose which document to present, from a range of valid documents, to demonstrate their authority to work in the United States. The anti-discrimination provision of the INA prohibits employers from subjecting employees to unnecessary documentary demands based on employees citizenship status or national origin. Workers should not have to face discrimination because of citizenship status or national origin in the employment eligibility verification process, said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. We are pleased that Mrs. Fields has agreed to work with the Division and ensure that its staff is trained on the anti-discrimination provision of the INA, and we look forward to working with the company to reach this shared goal. Under the settlement, Mrs. Fields will pay $26,400 in civil penalties to the United States and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. In addition, certain employees will be required to attend training on the requirements of the INAs anti-discrimination provision. The Divisions Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation. Soledad Gang Member Who Faked His Own Kidnapping Arrested In Fresno San Francisco, California - Jorge Jasso, 26, a Norteno street gang member, was arrested in Fresno, California on November 29, 2018 following his disappearance on October 22, 2018, announced United States Attorney Alex G. Tse and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge John F. Bennett. A federal grand jury indicted Jasso on September 27, 2018 along with fourteen other gang members for a broad range of racketeering crimes, including racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder and assault in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering. Jasso was scheduled to appear in magistrate court in San Jose for a bail review hearing on October 22, 2018, the day he disappeared. His girlfriend, Kimberly Herrera Villacorte, called 911 that morning to report that unknown individuals had burst into Jassos residence, dragged her into a closet by the hair, and kidnapped him. The ankle monitor that had been placed on Jasso was found on the ground next to the residence. U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi issued a bench warrant against Jasso for failing to appear before the Court on that date, as required. Suspecting that this might be a hoax given a number of inconsistencies in Herreras account of the events, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies surveilled Herrera for almost six weeks, which eventually led them to Jasso. On November 29, 2018, Jasso and Herrera were in a Motel 6 in Fresno, California, and were seen entering a white GMC truck. When police tried to pull it over, the truck tried to escape and crashed into another vehicle. After the collision, Jasso jumped out of the truck and attempted to run from the police. After a short chase, Jasso was taken into custody and was found to be in possession of a concealed firearm. Jasso was arrested along with the other occupants of the vehicle, including Villacorte. This morning, the United States Attorneys Office filed a criminal complaint against Herrera, 22, charging her with making false statements to government agents, in violation of Title 18, United States Code 1001(a) and aiding and abetting failure to appear, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 3146(a)(1) and 2. If convicted, Herrera faces up to five years in prison for lying to the FBI and up to ten years in prison for assisting Jasso in jumping bail, however, the Complaint filed today merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In addition, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. 3553. Last weeks arrest and efforts to locate Jasso are the product of a coordinated effort by the FBI, the California Highway Patrol, the Soledad Police Department, the Salinas Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium, and the Fresno Police Department. Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Cyberstalking Campaign Seattle, Washington - A former Information Technology professional was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years supervised release for conducting cyberstalking and threat campaigns against multiple Washington residents, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes of the Western District of Washington. The victims names are being withheld to protect their privacy. Joel Kurzynski, 39, of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik. According to admissions made in connection with his plea, Kurzynski engaged in an extensive and rapidly escalating cyberstalking campaign that targeted two individuals known to him. The online campaign involved -- among other things -- death threats, body shaming, and hate speech. Beginning in March 2017, Kurzynski orchestrated numerous spam phone calls to Victim 1. The conduct soon escalated to fake dating profiles wherein Kurzynski portrayed Victim 1 as seeking sadomasochistic or underage relationships. These profiles contained photographs of Victim 1 and his contact information, resulting in solicitations and harassing messages directed toward Victim 1 from multiple strangers. Kurzynski then sent several anonymous death threats to Victim 1, including the threat, faggot. Time to die. At one point, Kurzynski impersonated a journalist and contacted Victim 1, claiming that an upcoming article would levy sexual misconduct allegations against Victim 1 related to Victim 1s work with a non-profit youth organization. Kurzysnki also admitted that in November 2017, he began registering Victim 2 for numerous weight loss and suicide prevention programs, resulting in a wave of calls and emails from entities such as Overeaters Anonymous, Weight Watchers, Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention, and others. Within weeks, Kurzynski started sending anonymous death threats to Victim 2, many of which referenced Victim 2s work address. One threat claimed that he was waiting for her in the lobby, and another that said, Looking forward to seeing you today and how much you bleed. Dont go to the bathroom alone. The U.S. Secret Services Seattle Field Office investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Seattle Police Department and King County Prosecutors Office. Senior Counsel Frank Lin of the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Franze-Nakamura of the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case. Victims of cyberstalking campaigns such as this often may be hesitant to come forward. The Justice Department encourages individuals who may be the victims of similar schemes to contact their local law enforcement agencies to report this conduct. Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Sex Trafficking Women by Exploiting Their Opioid Addictions Boston, Massachusetts - Rashad Sabree, 37, of Boston, Massachusetts, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in the District of Maine to 17 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution after previously pleading guilty to two count of sex trafficking. In sentencing the defendant, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Levy highlighted the degree of cruelty that the defendants crimes involved and its impact on the victims. The sentence was announced by Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank of the District of Maine, Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Boston, and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. According to court documents, the defendant coerced two young women to engage in commercial sex acts in Maine between December 2015 and Jan. 5, 2016, by exploiting their heroin addictions, verbally abusing them, and threatening them with violence. The defendant controlled the victims by supplying them with just enough heroin to avoid opiate withdrawal, which involves severe pain and physical sickness, and then threatening to cut off their supply and cause them to suffer withdrawal if they refused to engage in commercial sex. On Jan. 5, 2016, a motorist called 911 after observing the defendant striking one of the victims while driving on I-95 towards Massachusetts, resulting in the defendants arrest. "Sex trafficking is a horrific crime against the human dignity of the victims, and a strong sentence like this one is deserved," Acting Attorney General Whitaker said. "This case is particularly cruel because in addition to the defendants use of violence and threats, he exploited the victims opioid addictions to compel them to perform commercial sex acts for his profit. I want to thank U.S. Attorney Halsey Frank and the District of Maines Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team, HSI Boston, FBI Boston, our Maine state and local partner police agencies, and especially AUSA Julia Lipez and Special Litigation Counsel William Nolan of the Departments Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit for their hard work on this case. I also want to thank the Good Samaritan who reported seeing the defendant strike one of the victims on I-95. Together we have achieved a measure justice for the victims and sent a message to traffickers that this Department of Justice will bring the full force of the law against them." This case demonstrates the important role that the public can play in helping to protect those who are vulnerable, said U.S. Attorney Frank. We encourage the public to say something if they see something. Here, thankfully, a good citizen did just that. Homeland Security Investigations is proud to have assisted in this investigation, a case which clearly exposes the false claim that commercial sex trafficking is a so-called victimless crime, said Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcements HSI Boston. Close law enforcement coordination in this case has allowed justice to be done to the perpetrators of these vicious crimes and to, hopefully, provide some measure of compensation for the victims. This defendant preyed on the addictions of his victims and brutally exploited them in a scheme driven by cruelty and greed, said Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Boston Division. With today's sentencing, Sabree will pay the price for his crimes, while his victims continue to recover from the abuse suffered at his hands. This case demonstrates the FBI's unwavering commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to hold sex traffickers like him accountable. The District of Maine is one of six districts designated through a competitive, nationwide selection process as a Phase II Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam). ACTeams focus on developing high-impact human trafficking investigations and prosecutions involving forced labor, international sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion through interagency collaboration among federal prosecutors and federal investigative agencies. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements HSI, the FBI, and the Biddeford Police Department, with assistance from the Maine State Police and the Sanford, Kittery, and Portland Police Departments. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Lipez and Special Litigation Counsel William E. Nolan of the Civil Rights Divisions Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. Star Wars exploded onto our cinema screens in 1977, and the world has not been the same since. After watching depressing and cynical movies throughout the early 1970s, audiences enthusiastically embraced the positive energy of the Star Wars universe as they followed moisture farmer Luke Skywalker on his journey through a galaxy far, far away. Skywalker met extraordinary characters like mysterious hermit Obi-Wan Kenobi, space pirates Han Solo and Chewbacca, loyal droids C-3PO and R2-D2, bold Princess Leia and servants of the dark side Darth Vader and the Emperor. Writer, director, and producer George Lucas created the modern monomyth of our time, one that resonates with the child in us all. He formed Industrial Light & Magic to develop cutting-edge special effects technology, which he combined with innovative editing techniques and a heightened sense of sound to give audiences a unique sensory cinematic experience. The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Show all 11 1 /11 The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Star Wars (1977) Sand made the C3PO costume a challenge for many hands and for actor Anthony Daniels Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Star Wars (1977) The first drawing of the roll-up that opens the film, drawn by Alex Tavoularis. This was inspired by the roll-ups that open the old Flash Gordon movie serials of the 1930s Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Star Wars (1977) Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in a promotional image by David Steen Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Star Wars (1977) Richard Edlund prepares the finished Millennium Falcon model on the ILM stage to be shot by the Dykstraflex camera. Model builder Lorne Peterson: At one time the cockpit was to be motorized, so that it could rotate 90 degrees. Lucas had the idea that the ship could fly like a sunfish, landing flat, but at takeoff the body would rotate and the cockpit would remain at the same configuration. Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Star Wars (1977) Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) confronts Darth Vader in the fateful duel. George Lucas (right) is thoughtful. Alec Guinness resisted the idea of Kenobis self-sacrifice, but Lucas persuaded him it was good for the character and the film Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Hamill, George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford. George Lucas: My films have a tendency to promote a personal self esteem, a you-can-do-it attitude. Their message is: Dont listen to everyone else. Discover your own feelings and follow them. Then you can overcome anything. Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Vaders choke hold David Prowse: I dont have to get into the part at all. As soon as they start enclosing me in the mask, I begin to feel more evil with every plate they put on. Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Animators Phil Tippett and Jon Berg create the Battle of Hoth on tabletops Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Peter Mayhew, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher having fun between takes. Harrison Ford: George cast the four of us Mark Hamill, Alec Guinness, Carrie, and me as an ensemble. If he hadnt used me, say, he probably wouldnt have used the other two or three. I think that that feeling of being at ease with one another shows up on the screen. Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy Return of the Jedi (1983) The Death Star surface being filmed by the Dykstraflex camera, monitored by Richard Edlund (crouching), with effects cameraman Bill Neil behind him Taschen/TM & LFL The Star Wars archives: behind the scenes of the original trilogy The Star Wars Archives: 19771983 Paul Duncan Hardcover, quarter-bound, 41.1 x 30 cm, 604 pages 150 Taschen/TM & LFL In Taschens first volume, made with Lucasfilm, Lucas narrates his own story, taking people through the making of the original trilogy Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and bringing fresh insights into the creation of a unique universe. Complete with script pages, production documents, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, stills, and posters, the XXL-sized tome is an authoritative exploration of the original saga as told by its creator. You can purchase The Star Wars Archives: 1977-1983, here The Jungle, the play about a French refugee camp which finished its run at Londons National Theatre last month, was an obvious candidate to transfer to New York: critically lauded, commercially successful, timely and talked about. But it had one big problem: three of the 17 people in the London cast were citizens of predominantly Muslim countries whose residents have been barred by President Donald Trump from travelling to the United States. The shows creative team and producers were reluctant to move the play without all the cast members, saying their life experiences several had lived in the Calais refugee camp being depicted gave the show its authenticity. But trying to get two Iranians and a Syrian into Trump-era America to perform a drama that is inherently sympathetic to refugees was, to put it mildly, daunting. The odds were against us, says Stephen Daldry, who is directing the play alongside Justin Martin. We knew it was going to be a challenge. Over several months, a coalition of celebrities (including Sting and Benedict Cumberbatch), religious leaders (the former archbishop of Canterbury) and politicians (the mayors of New York and London) joined forces in an effort to persuade the administration to grant the actors a waiver from the ban. Of course, there was contingency planning: an Iranian-American actor, Arian Moayed, was quietly flown to London and intensively rehearsed for a key part (he even went on one night in the ensemble) so he could replace one of the refugees in New York if need be. And then there was a zany-seeming gamble. After one of the Iranians was initially rejected by the State Department, the producers decided that, rather than try to persuade the United States to admit the Syrian actor, they would endeavour to win him British citizenship, thinking that would be an easier path to New York. It worked. All three performers Ammar Haj Ahmad, the Syrian refugee who successfully became a British citizen, and two Iranian refugees, Moein Ghobsheh and Yasin Moradi were ultimately granted employment visas by the State Department, made it through airport security (Moradi was held for hours of questioning because he had once been fingerprinted while fleeing across Serbia) and are now happily rehearsing in Dumbo, Brooklyn. I still cant believe Im in America, says Ahmad, 36, who was trained as an actor in Syria before seeking asylum in Britain, where all three men live now. Its bizarre that we live at a time when you need all this work to get one person to another country, and amazing that it happened. But I also feel very privileged, because every day Im here, I think about the millions of people who cant go from one place to another. The Jungle, cast intact, has opened at St Anns Warehouse, a prestigious and globally minded non-profit theatre close to the Brooklyn waterfront. The show has an immersive set audience members sit in a replica of an Afghan cafe at the camp, and post-show performances and talks will be held in the same geodesic dome that was used by the shows writers, Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, when they established the Good Chance Theatre at the camp in 2015. The play is scheduled to run for eight weeks, which will make it the longest-running show in the theatres history. Ben Turner and Jonathan Nyati in The Jungle (Marc Brenner) Ghobsheh, a 23-year-old songwriter and musician who is now using the first name Milan, and Moradi, a 26-year-old kung fu practitioner who competed on the Iranian national team, were both discovered by the theatre in the Calais camp, known as the Jungle. Moradi, who is Kurdish and says he fled Iran because it had become increasingly difficult for his people, started teaching kung fu to other refugees in the Jungle, and then began performing as an actor. He says he believes in the power of the play. I think it is going to be helpful to show our story, he says. Matthew Covey, a Brooklyn lawyer whose firm specialises in helping international artists overcome visa problems, assembled a 160-page package of legal arguments and letters of support for St Anns and the refugees. Covey says performing artists have faced challenges getting visas to enter this country for years, but the travel ban is a new, and largely untested, hurdle. In addition to Syria and Iran, it restricts travel from Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and North Korea, and was just upheld by the Supreme Court in June, after two previous versions were overturned. The issue of refugees is on everyones mind right now, Covey says, so a powerful artistic piece coming out of that context is very compelling, and when this first came in, we said: We have to do this, and we have to make it work. The case was given a push by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, whose office urged the State Department and the US Embassy in London to take a look. Welcoming refugees is what the Statue of Liberty stands for and what our nation stands for, and this play is so important because it gives refugees a chance to bring their powerful experiences to the United States, she said in a statement. A State Department official, who declined to be quoted by name, says he could not discuss the specifics of the Jungle cases, citing visa confidentiality. He adds, though, that the government is granting waivers for people whose entry would be in the national interest and would not pose a threat to national security or public safety and whose prohibited entry would cause undue hardship. Those are the arguments the shows promoters sought to make saying support from the government (St Anns gets money from the New York State Council on the Arts) and testimonials from important cultural figures showed that the project was in the national interest. We said: We have a story that we think people should hear, and only these people can tell it, says David Lan, former artistic director of Londons Young Vic Theatre, where The Jungle was presented before moving to the West End. Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, sent a letter to the US Embassy in London, arguing that the play discusses and confronts issues and stories that are largely unreachable outside the world of art, while the former archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, called the British production a genuine national event and said: I believe that the planned production in New York will likewise be a profoundly significant event for the US cultural world. The Jungle is not the first production to win waivers from the travel ban, but they are rare. Rami Farah, a Syrian dancer, was issued one to perform at Cincinnatis Contemporary Arts Centre. The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra says it had received waivers for musicians from Syria and Iran to join a five-city US tour. And Nassim Soleimanpour, an Iranian playwright, just got one that should allow him to come to the United States to appear in his play, Nassim. The challenges are common enough that Moayed, a founder of the New York theatre company Waterwell, says he has been called upon before to fill in for actors who might be prevented from entering the country; he also faced an issue last year when an Iranian actor was barred from travelling to New York for a Waterwell production of Hamlet set in Persia, in which Moayed was starring. I knew exactly what I was walking into, because this was not the first time, he says. Ive been dealing with immigration since I was a kid, so I know its complicated, even when its not complicated. But those involved with the push to bring The Jungle actors to New York say their success both illuminates the new obstacles for artists from restricted countries, as well as the possibility that those obstacles can be surmounted. Part of what makes the ending of this story really exciting is that it shows there are channels through this, Covey says. The US immigration system is obviously very connected to the current administration, but there remain ways that the value of a piece like this can be recognised and can be supported, even though it does appear to run contrary to what we hear from the top of that administration. The New York Times Doctor Who fans could be forgiven for sitting down to the series finale with their sonic screwdrivers in a twist. Game of Thrones actor Mark Addy had already been confirmed to guest-star in the Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) final outing before the new year. Would this be a heavenly marriage of Whittaker and Westeros? As it transpires, Addy aka GoT competitive eating champion Robert Baratheon is playing a stolid space captain who doesn't add much and whose interactions with the Doctor are deafeningly ho-hum. Yet, any anti-climax is offset by the return of another familiar face: the teeth-encrusted alien hunter Tzim-Sha (Tim Shaw to the Doctor). He was the first antagonist with whom the new Time Lord tangled and was last seen dangling from a crane in Sheffield and about to be zapped to a far-flung dimension. Said dimension turns out to exist 3407 years in the past, where he arrives just in time to be anointed a god by a pair of needy aliens looking for someone anyone, really to worship. Doctor Whos incoming show-runner, Chris Chibnall, had insisted his debut season would feature only all-new monsters. And while Tzim-Sha (Samuel Oatley) is a long way off the iconic status of Daleks, Cybermen etc, he is by far the years most interesting baddy and it was clever to recycle him for the final episode (not counting the New Years Day special). His return contributes to a solid curtain closer to Whittakers inaugural tilt at the Tardis. There are some thrilling space battles (Tzim-Sha having brought with him the Stenza killer-bots from The Ghost Monument episode). Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Show all 15 1 /15 Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Alan Cumming BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Mandip Gill as Yaz, Bradley Walsh as Graham and Tosin Cole as Ryan BBC / BBC Studios Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Chris Noth BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Julie Hesmondhalgh BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Phyllis Logan BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Mark Addy BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Sharon D Clarke as Grace with Bradley Walsh BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Doc Brown (Ben Bailey-Smith) BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Guest Star Shane Zaza BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Amit Shah as Rahul BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole BBC Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars BBC / BBC Studios Doctor Who: Series 11 scenes, cast and guest stars BBC Studios And visually The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos is sumptuous. Testy Tzim looks like something from HR Giger (or Warhammer 40K) as he broods in a tangle of pipes and intravenous attachments at the heart of the living starship hes had the Ux his extraterrestrial minions rig up. The traditional Doctor Who high concepts are top rank too. Tza had been busy capturing and miniaturising planets, storing them in crystal shards. Next on this shopping list is Earth his revenge against his humiliation in Sheffield (an upset that frustrated his dreams to rule the Stenza). Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Ryan (Tosin Cole) see their arcs some to a satisfying close. Having told the Doctor he would kill Sha and thus avenge the death of his wife, Grace, Graham cannot bring himself to murder in cold blood (though he very much can zap an alien in the foot in cold blood). Ryan, for his part, accepts Graham as his grandfather and hearts melt across the cosmos What a pity third sidekick Yaz (Mandip Gill) is relegated to running around in the dark looking mildly concerned. Amidst the shoot-outs and space-cuddles is it churlish to also point out the story felt every so slightly rushed? Or that Addy, so great in Game of Thrones, is wasted as unshaven space trucker archetype Paltraki? Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Well, yes, it is a bit. Doctor Who season 11 has retreated mercifully from the clever-clever over-thinking that had become an unfortunate hallmark of Steven Moffats tenure as show-runner. Whitaker, meanwhile, convinced from the start as the first ahem Lady Doctor. Plus, a preview of the Christm sorry, New Year special suggests it will feature axe-wielding Vikings and a motorway chase. In short, all boxes ticked and the boo-boys who found the mere idea of a female Doctor incomprehensible given one more reason to clutch their throats and gag on their prejudices. High-fives all around, then, and a bonus fist-bump to Chibnall for furnishing us with the chatty, natty, occasionally wacky Doctor we hadnt realised we needed. Rising carbon dioxide emissions could cause a decline in the brainpower of workers around the world, according to new research. A new study by academics at University College London (UCL) found that higher amounts of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere could affect our memory, concentration and decision-making abilities. Raised CO2 in workplaces lacking proper ventilation is known to make employees more sluggish and less able to successfully complete tasks. And climate change is likely to make intellectual impairment a far more widespread problem in the decades ahead, according to the researchers. The UCL team said evidence indicated that human cognitive performance declines with increasing CO2 levels. They added: Given the likelihood of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration by the end of the 21st century, direct impacts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions on human cognitive performance may be unavoidable. Publishing their findings in Building Service Engineering, the researchers at UCLs Energy Institute said attempts to minimise the impact was likely to change the way ventilation systems were engineered in buildings and transport systems. The team made clear that research on raised CO2 and human cognitive performance was still in its infancy, but said the global nature of the potential problem meant more studies were needed. Earlier this year, a study by Yale School of Public Health found that air pollution caused a drop in intelligence levels. 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 Although the conclusions were based on nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide tests in China, researchers made clear the connection between air pollution and cognitive capabilities had global implications. Polluted air can cause everyone to reduce their level of education by one year, which is huge, said Yale scientist Xi Chen. In May 2018, the average monthly level of CO2 in the atmosphere reached its highest level in recorded history, exceeding 410 parts per million (ppm) for the first time. As day broke on negotiations at a momentous climate change conference in the Polish city of Katowice, politicians, diplomats and scientists were given a rude awakening. At 6am, a coal miners brass band struck up and marched through the streets to celebrate the day of Saint Barbara, their patron saint. The previous day, beloved nature broadcaster Sir David Attenborough had given an impassioned speech warning of civilisation collapse if the world did not break its fossil fuel addiction. Evidently, the band had not received the memo. These musicians, in their ceremonial uniforms and feathered hats, were part of a proud history that stretches back centuries, and despite hosting one of the most important climate change events in recent years, this heritage is very much alive and well in Polands Silesia region. Inside the conference centre where the UNs COP24 event is taking place, attendees could visit the Katowice city stall, which stood as a proud testament to this fact. Manned by locals steeped in mining history, it sold soap, earrings and other jewellery, all made from coal. There was even a shrine to coal, displaying lumps of the black mineral in all their glory behind sheets of glass and metal mesh. Among the sponsors of COP24 which has been lauded as the most important climate event since the Paris climate agreement was agreed three years ago are three Polish state-owned coal companies. Stepping outside the centre, and taking a lungful of the citys smog-filled air, a visitor could spot coal power plants in the distance, and just a stones throw away is a museum built on the site of a former mine shaft. A cynical observer might suggest Poland was mocking the earnest environmental campaigners and scientists who had come hoping to achieve a fossil-free world. After leading climate researchers made it clear in October that coal must be virtually eliminated as a fuel source by the middle of the century, its presence in such abundance seems like some kind of unpleasant joke. The Polish pavilion decorated with coal at the COP24 summit on climate change in Katowice, Poland (Janek Skarzynski / AFP) But its clear that with 80 per cent of Polands electricity generated by coal-fired plants, and plans to build more, the government is quite serious about its commitment to the dirtiest of dirty fuels. After informing those assembled at COP24 he had no plan today to fully give up on coal, Polish president Andrzej Duda reiterated his case to assembled miners in the southern town of Brzeszcze on Tuesday. He assured those gathered that on his watch, he would not allow anyone to murder Polish mining. The president said that with coal supplies set to last another 200 years, it would be hard not to use them. Good news for the miners, perhaps, but bad news for the planet not to mention the health of Polish people. Poland is Europes smog capital, home to 33 of Europes 50 most polluted cities. As delegates gathered in Katowice last week, data collected by the European Environment Agency revealed it was the second most polluted city on the continent. Its levels of particulate matter were twice as high as those deemed safe by the World Health Organisation. Considering the toxic air, the mounting pressure to drop coal altogether and the dire climate warnings, it seems remarkable that Polish politicians are gripping on to fossil fuel with such tenacity. For years, we have had this dogma particularly among politicians that coal is the future of Polish energy policy, the basis of the Polish economy and even the basis of Polish identity, says Piotr Trzaskowski, an energy expert and activist with 350.org. Chief safety engineer Piotr Grabon stands next to a painting of St Barbara, the patron saint of coal miners, underground at the KWK Pniowek coal mine (Sean Gallup/Getty) (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) This dogma is not unique to Poland. On the other side of the Atlantic, Donald Trump has professed his love for beautiful, clean coal in a bid to appease beleaguered American miners. Germany too, has shown an unwillingness to ditch coal, but other EU nations have seen more success. In fact by cutting coal power from 42 per cent to 7 per cent of electricity generation in just five years, the UK has set a remarkable example of how transition can be achieved. At the same time, considering the massive social upheaval that came with the dismantling of Britains coal industry which will end for good when coal is phased out totally in 2025 it also reveals why Polish politicians might be unwilling to follow suit. Mining trade unions are powerful in Poland, and are clearly unwilling to go the way of their UK counterparts. But there is also a growing movement among conservative communities sick of air pollution and coal mine expansion. Polling suggests nearly a third of Polish people consider climate change one of the gravest threats to our civilisation, and most would support a switch away from coal. In the last few years, there has been a revolution, says Marek Jozefiak, a climate campaigner with Greenpeace, explaining that people have made the link between smog and coal. People are like you dont want to quit coal, so you want us to basically die for it? he says. Because that is a fact, people are dying prematurely, thousands of them. 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 Despite this opposition, breaking Polands coal addiction will not be easy. The recent gilets jaunes protests in France, a response to a ham-fisted attempt to cut emissions by raising fuel tax, caused ripples of unease to spread around many of those gathered at COP24. Clearly, forcing people to be greener requires a subtler approach, and one that leaves no one behind. That is why most attendees at the Katowice summit are in favour of a so-called just transition trading dirty industries for renewable ones, and ensuring that people hold onto lucrative and fulfilling jobs. Mr Jozefiak says that like many Poles, he is from a coal mining family, and with an industry relying increasingly on government subsidies and imported coal from Russia, such a transition is long overdue. But based on the rhetoric from leaders at COP24 so far, this message has not yet penetrated the upper echelons of Polish government. On Saturday, Poles intend to show their displeasure in a climate march through Katowice. Patryk Bialas, a city councillor, is one of a group of local politicians calling for the establishment to get on board with the grassroots movements that have sprung up around the country. In Silesia there is still a lot of respect for coal miners and tradition that comes with it. But people know that the future will look different, says Mr Bialas. I believe in transformation in Silesia and that we may turn from coal to renewables with benefits for everyone. If we will make it here, we will make it in all Polish regions struggling with coal. There is a time to keep quiet, and a time to speak Ecclesiastes 3:7 While silence is regarded as an authentic medium of prayer, it isnt common religious practice, even though the ability to listen to God in quiet is a common biblical theme. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, as the Psalmist says. Being quiet is not something that is easily found where we are distracted by bright lights and pulled at by worldly matters, rarely hearing the music above the noise. This may be why Quietism, the name given in Roman Catholic theology to contemplation and intellectual stillness over vocal prayer, never became popular, and was even deemed a heresy by Pope Innocent XI in 1687. The movement appealed primarily to monks, religious hermits, and other ascetics. Its aim was to quiet the soul so that it could become one with God and eventually achieve a sinless state. Space flight does not have a detrimental effect on a major part of the human immune system, according to new research which may alter how astronauts approach future missions. Scientists tested blood samples taken from 23 crew members who spent six months at the International Space Station (ISS), taken before, during and after their trips. Researchers examining the samples discovered that time in space caused no changes to levels of B-cell immunity the white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight off infections. It had previously been thought that spending time in space negatively affected this. The new data could decide whether astronauts making longer trips into space, including those one day travelling to Mars,should receive vaccines while in flight. Recommended Astronauts who crash landed will get back into same rocket This is the first study to comprehensively show that long-duration space flight in human astronauts has a limited effect on B-cell frequency and antibody production, said Dr John Campbell, a lecturer at the University of Bath. Our results are good news for current astronauts aboard the ISS ... and for all future astronauts who will attempt long-duration space missions. Astronauts must maintain optimal B-cell immunity to protect themselves against diseases brought on by bacteria and viruses. Scientists say that immunity is also important for ensuring that any vaccines administered in space are effective. Long-duration orbital space flights are associated with increased levels of psychological stress, acute and chronic exposure to space radiation and microgravity-induced changes, all of which are known to detrimentally impact the immune system, said Dr Guillaume Spielmann, from Louisiana State University. NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble Show all 6 1 /6 NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble 240585.bin Getty Images NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble 240586.bin Getty Images NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble 240587.bin Getty Images NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble 240582.bin Getty Images NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble 240584.bin Getty Images NASA unveils deep space photos taken by a repaired Hubble 240583.bin Getty Images The blood samples used for the study were sent down, from space to Earth, in Russian Soyuz descent capsules. They landed in Kazakhstan before being taken to Moscow and were then flown to a lab in Houston, in a journey that lasted between 32 to 48 hours. Crew members involved in the study were aged between 37 to 57 years old, with data collected over 18 separate ISS missions. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Researchers also took blood samples from six people who were ground-based, for a control group. Their study has been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Additional reporting by agencies Revolutions, it has been said, do not generally begin on Sundays. People have to be up for work the next morning. Perhaps something similar applies to right-wing political rallies. It could explain why Sundays so-called Brexit betrayal march a joint Ukip and Tommy Robinson demonstration, which claimed to speak for the 17.4 million people who voted leave in 2016 attracted a crowd of little more than 2,000 people to Whitehall in central London. Robinson the English Defence League founder who was considered such a star turn he spoke twice at the event called the gathering a beautiful sight. But even he may have cringed at the lack of numbers because nearby, separated by a thick police presence, a 10,000-strong anti-Fascist rally dwarfed his own. It may have been better on a Saturday, mused one demonstrator, driver Steven Woods, outside the nearby St Stephens Tavern pub. People like to have a pint when they come to something like this. They like to make a day or a weekend of it. Recommended Robinson hints at desire to become MP at Brexit march The rally was ostensibly organised to demand that Theresa May abandon her proposed EU withdrawal deal and, instead, walk away from Europe without any agreement. Brexit means exit, was the chant of choice for the day. WTO Rules! demanded one sign. But, more than that, it seems, it was an apparent attempt to unite the whole of the extreme right behind Ukip under leader Gerard Batten and Robinson, his newly appointed adviser. Alongside Union Jacks, flags for Generation Identity a pan-European white nationalist group Britain First and For Britain were everywhere. The British National Party tweeted from the event. Several signs and banners openly advocated violence. The power of the ballot box is mightier than the sword? said one, ominously. How wrong was I? Another demonstrator, giving his name as Laukan Creasey, carried a gallows and noose. Asked why, he said it was what the traitor May deserves. Some of the speakers, who included the peer Lord Pearson and Welsh Assembly member Neil Hamilton, employed forceful rhetoric in their addresses. If parliament does not take Britain out of the European Union, it will be the biggest constitutional crisis since the English Civil War, declared Mr Batten, before noting how that conflict only ended when the king lost his head. For good measure, he also called the EU a cancer and finished up by joking that the media had said only bald tattooed thugs would turn up to the rally. Well, he added, Im not bald. The sense was that, after a series of high-profile members including Nigel Farage and Paul Nuttall walked out on his party this week because of its lurch to the right, Mr Batten was abandoning any remaining allusions to moderation. "Brexit betrayal" march in London Show all 43 1 /43 "Brexit betrayal" march in London "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a sign in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carrying a noose at the "Brexit betrayal" march. The man carrying it told a reporter: "That's what the traitor May deserves." AP "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit supporters hold a sign opposed to Nigel Farage Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters carry a defaced British flag on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson addresses a rally after taking part in a Brexit 'betrayal' march in central London PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London Police officers attempts to keep rival protesters from clashing at the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London Victoria Jones/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-Theresa May sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator and his dog Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator at the protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit demonstrators endorse UKIP Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A Brexit 'betrayal' march protester wearing a Make Britain Great Again hat in London on 9 December 2018 Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The "Brexit Betrayal" march passes through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson tells protesters to join Ukip via their mobile phones on stage next to leader Gerard Batten (right) at the Brexit 'betrayal' march Gareth Fuller/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester speaks thorugh a megaphone on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator walks in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carries a Union Jack on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator wrapped in the Union Jack Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro brexit demonstrators move through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator marches with sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a rude sign in the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march passes down Victoria Street near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A festive protester marches near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a mock noose as the march passes down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester wrapped in the Union Jack marches down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester makes some noise on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester dressed as a dinosaur holds a sign rallying against "Davocracy" - in reference to the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a pro-brexit sign on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march approaches parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester distributes pro-brexit lapel badges Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A demonstrator wears an anti-EU poster and holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A smoke bomb is deployed in Parliament Square as the march comes across the counter-demonstration Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A flag bearing the Arms of Plantagenet flies in theprot Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent Paul Oakley, the partys immigration spokesman, appeared comfortable enough with the decision as he adapted a quote from Sarah Connor, Linda Hamiltons character in the Terminator films. We cant be bargained with, we cant be reasoned with, we dont feel pity, or remorse, or fear, he shouted. And we absolutely will not stop, ever, until we get hard Brexit. It received a muted response and another speaker was quickly ushered on. In fact, of all those who took to the makeshift stage it was Robinson who appeared the most considered. He declared that he had spent his well-documented time in prison thinking he was locked up for contempt of court in May and come to the conclusion he could best influence politics by being in a political party. A new populist movement needed to be created in Britain, he said. We need a party, we need a political voice, we need to electrify the working class communities of this country, he declared. For too long weve got excited about elections in Europe, in Sweden, Austria, Italy Well, its our turn and its our time and this country is ready. The message seemed to be that Ukip was that party. Yet, as the crowd left, signs of new fissures were already emerging. A man selling badges with Robinsons face on it was doing a reasonable enough trade. Dozens of middle-aged men were chanting his name. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Yet several others appeared disconcerted. Today was supposed to be about Brexit and about showing Theresa May the people must be heard, one, who asked not to be identified, said. Im here because I believe in what I voted for and I understood it, and I believe in democracy. But this turned into the Tommy Robinson show. Its not what I signed up for. Close Tommy Robinson and Ukip lead Brexit 'betrayal' London protest amid huge police operation Thousands of people took to the streets in central London in a Brexit betrayal protest led by Tommy Robinson and Ukip. Counter-demonstrators and anti-fascists held a separate protest they claimed had drawn some 15,000 people, although there has been no official crowd size estimates. The Metropolitan Police mounted a significant public order operation to prevent potential disorder but only three arrests had been made - all of counter-protesters - by the time both rallies ended. Recommended Tommy Robinson hints he could run as Ukip MP at Brexit march Robinson, the English Defence League (EDL) founder who has been welcomed into the Ukip fold as an adviser to leader Gerard Batten, hinted he could run as a Ukip MP. Speaking at the Brexit "betrayal" rally, he said that after watching MPs criticise him in parliament he "thought one day I'll be sitting in there amongst you". Ukips official event page for the Brexit march said it would be a democratic and peaceful demonstration expressing the strength of feeling amongst Leavers. The party is looking to gain fresh momentum following a wave of resignations from MEPs and high-profile figures, including Nigel Farage, over Robinsons appointment and Mr Battens focus on Islam. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, gave a speech at the march alongside controversial YouTubers who have been welcomed into Ukip in recent months. The EDL founder noted that he did not want to be seen to "jumping on the Brexit bandwagon" but that his supporters "need a political voice". "Brexit betrayal" march in London Show all 43 1 /43 "Brexit betrayal" march in London "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a sign in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carrying a noose at the "Brexit betrayal" march. The man carrying it told a reporter: "That's what the traitor May deserves." AP "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit supporters hold a sign opposed to Nigel Farage Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters carry a defaced British flag on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson addresses a rally after taking part in a Brexit 'betrayal' march in central London PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London Police officers attempts to keep rival protesters from clashing at the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London Victoria Jones/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-Theresa May sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator and his dog Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator at the protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit demonstrators endorse UKIP Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A Brexit 'betrayal' march protester wearing a Make Britain Great Again hat in London on 9 December 2018 Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The "Brexit Betrayal" march passes through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson tells protesters to join Ukip via their mobile phones on stage next to leader Gerard Batten (right) at the Brexit 'betrayal' march Gareth Fuller/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester speaks thorugh a megaphone on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator walks in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carries a Union Jack on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator wrapped in the Union Jack Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro brexit demonstrators move through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator marches with sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a rude sign in the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march passes down Victoria Street near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A festive protester marches near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a mock noose as the march passes down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester wrapped in the Union Jack marches down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester makes some noise on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester dressed as a dinosaur holds a sign rallying against "Davocracy" - in reference to the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a pro-brexit sign on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march approaches parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester distributes pro-brexit lapel badges Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A demonstrator wears an anti-EU poster and holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A smoke bomb is deployed in Parliament Square as the march comes across the counter-demonstration Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A flag bearing the Arms of Plantagenet flies in theprot Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent He also called for a mass Ukip membership drive asking his supporters to join the party. Mr Batten described getting Robinson talking about Brexit as being a "huge success". Ive persuaded Tommy Robinson to talk about Brexit, thats what he will be talking about. Brexit and the EU will be the only subjects on the agenda at that rally," he said last week. We want as many there as possible to show youre opposed to this withdrawal agreement, we want to dump the deal. Around 1,300 people have pledged to attend on Facebook and the number of marchers are not expected to approach the hundreds of thousands who demonstrated for a Final Say referendum on Brexit in October. The Metropolitan Police imposed strict conditions on the Brexit betrayal march and counter-protests in efforts to keep opposing demonstrators apart. Police warned that anyone breaking restrictions under the Public Order Act, which require protesters to stay within designated areas and leave by a stated time, would be committing a criminal offence and would be arrested. Scotland Yard said the move was proportionate based on current tensions and concerns, intelligence and the violence seen at Free Tommy protests in the summer. The right to protest is a fundamental right in our democratic society, but this right must be balanced against the right of people to go about their day without fear of violence, disorder or disruption, said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor. Experience has shown us that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder, not just on the day itself but in the longer term." See below how we covered this story live Please allow a moment for the live blog to load Boris Johnson has said he would be willing to take personal responsibility for jobs lost if Britain pursued his Brexit plan instead of Theresa Mays. Mr Johnson did not categorically rule out standing against the prime minister in a potential contest something he is expected to do but said people do not want to hear about leadership elections and personalities right now. The ex-cabinet minister said Ms Mays deal as it stands is an absurdity and that she would have to return to Brussels and renegotiate the controversial section on the Irish backstop. Recommended Downing Street denies reports Theresa May will delay Brexit vote It comes as Tory Brexiteer Esther McVey said she would run for the leadership if asked by colleagues, while ex-cabinet minister Dominic Raab also said he would not rule it out. Pressure on Ms May and her administration will approach its peak this week, with leadership rivals jostling for position and some MPs suggesting she should resign if she heavily loses the vote on her Brexit deal on Tuesday. But speaking to BBC 1s Andrew Marr show, Mr Johnson was asked if he would take personal responsibility for lost jobs if his preferred course of action were perused. He said: Yes, of course I will. Do not underestimate the deep sense of personal responsibility I feel for Brexit, for everything that has happened. Do not underestimate how much I care about this. This is fundamental to our country and it absolutely breaks my heart to think that after all that we fought for, all that we campaigned foreverybody campaigned for, everybody believes in, that we should consign ourselves to a future in which the EU effectively rules us in many, many respects and yet we have no say around the table in Brussels. That is an absurdity. Ex-cabinet minister Esther McVey says she would run for Conservative leader if asked Sporting a tidier haircut than his trademark ruffled look, Mr Johnson said that at this point people wanted to hear about a plan to get out of this mess, rather than a leadership contest. He also said reports that he already had offered ministerial jobs to MP colleagues in return for support for a leadership bid were nonsense. But asked if he would rule out standing against Ms May for the leadership, he responded: I will give you an absolute categorical promise that I will continue to advocate what I think is the most sensible plan. Im going to offer you the most sensible plan to get out of this mess. A plan which by the way I think the British people want to hear about. Mr Johnson argued that the decision on what to do about the Irish border should be solved at the same time as talks on a future free trade deal, and that a substantial chunk of the 39bn the UK is set to pay to the EU should also be withheld until then. Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex On the risks that his plan could push the UK towards a no-deal Brexit, he said: I dont want no deal. Weve got to be very clear about this. I dont want no deal, I think what [Brexit secretary Steve Barclay] said just now about the challenges is correct. They are probably exaggerated, but there would be challenges. Its only if you prepare to come out on world trade terms, only if the EU believes that we are serious and willing to negotiate with them as sovereign and equal partners, that they will do the great deal that I think we can do. There are said to be a large number of Conservative MPs who believe they have a shot at the Tory crown if Ms May quits or is pushed out in the coming days. Speaking to Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Ms McVey said she is looking for a person who can unite the party behind a Brexit deal. Dominic Raab says he would not rule out running for Conservative leader She said: I have seen the array of people who have come forward at the moment and I think if we can all get behind one...for me the most important thing is not the personalities it is the deal. Asked if she would rule out running herself, she went on: If people asked me then of course I should say, of course should give it serious concern and do it if people asked me. But at the moment Im looking at who is in the papers, who can we get behind, but it shouldnt be about the personality it should be about the country. Ms McVey said she would support the prime minister if she were to go back to Brussels and try and renegotiate the deal, in particular around the Irish backstop and the 39bn divorce bill that the withdrawal agreement accounts for. Mr Raab was interviewed on the same show, and asked if he would rule out a run, he said: Ive always said I wouldnt rule it out, but Im just not going to get sucked in to that debate. The public and people watching this show would think it would be very self-indulgent to be engaging in that speculation. He would not comment when asked if he would stand aside for fellow Brexiteer Mr Johnson to run for the leadership. Downing Street has denied claims that Theresa May will delay holding the vote on her Brexit deal in a last-ditch effort to avoid defeat. The prime minister is reportedly considering returning to the EU to ask for a better deal before seeking the approval of MPs. That would mean postponing the vote scheduled to take place on Tuesday, according to The Sunday Times. Downing Street rejected the suggestion and a spokesman said: The vote is going ahead on Tuesday. However the newspaper claimed that this denial would remain the official line until Monday and that the prime minister had been persuaded to make a final plea to Brussels. It follows reports that the EU will renegotiate with Theresa May if she loses the crunch vote originally planned for 11 December. Recommended Majority of country now think Britain should remain in the EU Former European Commission president Romano Prodi said it was crucial that the European Union took steps to avoid the negative consequences of the UK crashing out without a deal in March. However current president Jean-Claude Juncker has repeatedly said that Ms Mays deal is the only one on offer. Ms May has also warned that the UK would truly be in uncharted waters if her Brexit deal is voted down by MPs. It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit, she said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events In a message to her MPs, she said: If you want Brexit, make sure you get it, and thats about this deal. Politicians from both sides of the political spectrum have publicly said Ms May should consider her position if she does not win the vote. On Friday a poll, reported exclusively by The Independent, suggested a majority of Britons now favoured remaining in the EU. Data from polling firm BMG Research revealed that support for staying in the bloc has grown month by month since the summer, breaking past 50 per cent in December as the complex realities of Brexit were brought home to the nation. Theresa May is set for the bleakest week of her time in power after leadership rivals publicly positioned themselves to grab the Tory crown if her Brexit plans collapse. Ex-cabinet ministers Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Esther McVey all signalled a willingness to bid for the leadership amid speculation that Ms May faces a heavy defeat in the crunch Commons vote on her proposed Brexit deal. More resignations were expected from the front bench in the run-up to the vote, with government insiders indicating it could still be delayed. If she survives the first half of the week, Ms May is expected to head to Brussels where she will implore the EU to offer a concession on the hated Irish backstop so that she can try to sell the deal to Tory rebels one last time. The prime minister spoke to president of the European Council Donald Tusk on Sunday, who said afterwards that it would be an important week for the fate of Brexit. Recommended Downing Street denies reports Theresa May will delay Brexit vote In London thousands of protestors waving union jacks joined a Brexit betrayal march sponsored by Ukip and addressed by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, while even more were said to have turned up to an anti-fascist counter-march. The febrile atmosphere as the week starts is only set to intensify as MPs return to Westminster on Monday, with talk of Conservative plots and leadership challenges filling the air. One Tory backbencher told The Independent: No one knows if the prime minister is still going to be in Downing Street at the end of the week. Tommy Robinson and Ukip lead Brexit 'betrayal' London protest amid huge police operation If she delays the vote, they might try and bring her down. If she loses heavily, they might try and bring her down. She is almost out of options. Former cabinet ministers from the Brexiteer wing of the party did little to dampen speculation of a potential contest as one by one they indicated a willingness to be party leader. Boris Johnson, who has long coveted the top job, failed to exclude the possibility of standing against the prime minister in a potential contest during an interview on Sunday. He said people do not want to hear about leadership elections and personalities right now, but said he would take personal responsibility for jobs lost if Britain pursued his Brexit plan instead of Ms Mays. Sporting a well-groomed haircut that contrasted with his trademark ruffled look, he dismissed as nonsense reports that he had already offered ministerial jobs to MP colleagues in return for support. Asked if he would rule out standing against Ms May, he responded: I will give you an absolute categorical promise that I will continue to advocate what I think is the most sensible plan. Im going to offer you the most sensible plan to get out of this mess. Earlier in the day ex-pensions secretary Ms McVey said she would support the PM if she went back to Brussels and renegotiated the deal, in particular the Irish backstop and the 39bn divorce bill that comprise part of the current withdrawal agreement. Ex-cabinet minister Esther McVey says she would run for Conservative leader if asked Asked if she would rule out running herself, she went on: If people asked me then of course I should say, of course I should give it serious concern and do it if people asked me. But at the moment Im looking at who is in the papers, who can we get behind, but it shouldnt be about the personality, it should be about the country. In an interview broadcast shortly after Ms McVeys, Mr Raab was also asked if he would rule himself out for a run at the top job. The former Brexit secretary said: Ive always said I wouldnt rule it out, but Im just not going to get sucked into that debate. The public and people watching this show would think it would be very self-indulgent to be engaging in that speculation. He would not comment when asked if he would stand aside for fellow Brexiteer Mr Johnson to run for the leadership. Dominic Raab says he would not rule out running for Conservative leader Earlier in the weekend, May ally Amber Rudd appeared to pre-empt the result of Tuesdays vote on the PMs plans by saying she would back a Norway-style settlement for the UK. The pensions secretary, from the more liberal wing of the party, drew attention to her own leadership credentials by launching a searing attack on the Brexiteer wing of the party, whose champions she said flounce out a lot. The intense strain that Brexit is putting on the wider Conservative party also began to show with one minister accepting some MPs may quit in the days ahead. I think one or two people might leave, I dont know who they will be, Brexit minister Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC Radio 5 Lives Pienaars Politics. They might decide to retire or they might decide to abandon the party whip, that has happened before. Former attorney general Dominic Grieve also suggested that his party could split over Brexit. Brexit casualties Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit casualties Brexit casualties Andrea Jenkyns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary at the ministry for housing, communities and local government role May 2018 - The Morley and Outwood MP said: We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out. And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union. Ms Jenkyns also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliaments influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of unbalanced reports produced by MPs PA Brexit casualties David Davis - Resigned from Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - quit following a major row with May over her plans for post-Brexit relations with the EU. Davis resignation letter said: As you know there have been a significant number of occasions in the last year or so on which I have disagreed with the Number 10 policy line, ranging from accepting the [European] Commissions sequencing of negotiations, through to the language on Northern Ireland in the December Joint Report. At each stage I have accepted collective responsibility because it is part of my task to find workable compromises, and because I considered it was still possible to deliver on the mandate of the referendum, and on our manifesto commitment to leave the Customs Union and the Single Market. I am afraid that I think the current trend of policy and tactics is making that look less and less likely. He went on to argue that the general direction of Ms Mays policies would leave the UK in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one. AFP/Getty Brexit casualties Steve Baker - Resigned from Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union role July 2018 - Mr Baker, a key Tory figure in the Leave campaign, was David Daviss main lieutenant at Dexeu, and was hailed as courageous and principled by other Brexiteer Tories as he also left. Reuters Brexit casualties Boris Johnson - Resigned from Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward. "As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. "The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat." Reuters Brexit casualties Conor Burns - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary to Foreign Secretary role July 2018 - A Brexit supporter who worked alongside Boris Johnson stated in his resignation letter: I've decided it's time to have greater freedom. I want to see the referendum result respected. And there are other areas of policy I want to speak more openly on. Rex Brexit casualties Chris Green - Resigned from Department for Transport role July 2018 - The Bolton West MP said: "Parliament overwhelmingly decided to give the decision of whether to leave or remain in the European Union to the British people and they made an unambiguous decision that we ought to leave. "I have always understood the idea in 'Brexit means Brexit' is that the final deal should be clear to me and my constituents - that we have, in no uncertain terms, left the European Union. Twitter Ads info and privacy "The direction the negotiations had been taking have suggested that we would not really leave the EU and the conclusion and statements following the Chequers summit confirmed my fears. "I recognise that delivering Brexit is challenging, however I had hoped at tonight's meeting that there would be some certainty that my fears were unfounded but, instead, they have been confirmed. "I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary and it is with regret that I offer my resignation with immediate effect." PA Brexit casualties Maria Caulfield - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for women role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. Lewes MP warned that the direction of travel did not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide. Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party. The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn. PA Brexit casualties Ben Bradley - Resigned from Conservative Party vice-chair for young people role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. The Mansfield MP said: I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again. I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10. PA Brexit casualties Robert Courts - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. MP Mr Courts said: I have taken a very difficult decision to resign my position as [parliamentary private secretary] to express discontent with the Chequers [plans] in votes tomorrow. I had to think who I wanted to see in the mirror for the rest of my life. I cannot tell the people of Woxon that I support the proposals in their current form. Getty Brexit casualties Scott Mann - Resigned from Parliamentary Private Secretary role July 2018 - resigned over May's Chequers plan. "I fear elements of the Brexit white paper will inevitably put me in direct conflict with the views expressed by a large section of my constituents. I am not prepared to compromise their wishes to deliver a watered-down Brexit. "The residents of North Cornwall made it very clear that they wish to have control over our fishery, our agricultural policy, our money, our laws and our borders. I will evaluate those principles against the Brexit white paper and ensure that I vote in line with their wishes." Rex Tory MP Will Quince quit as a ministerial aide to defence secretary Gavin Williamson, while the Sunday Telegraph reported another aide was on the verge and cabinet Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt was also considering her position. Responding to speculation that Ms May could delay Tuesdays vote to secure fresh concessions from Brussels or win over wavering MPs, Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay insisted it would go ahead as planned. But another cabinet source told The Independent the picture was less clear, and that the silence from Downing Street on the issue was deafening. Ms Mays call with Mr Tusk only became public when the European politician tweeted about it, saying: I had a phone call with PM [Theresa May]. It will be an important week for the fate of Brexit. Labour is considering its options if Ms May is defeated and would hold talks with other opposition parties about how to proceed. The party wants a general election, but shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said Jeremy Corbyn would be prepared to lead a minority government this week. Ex-cabinet minister Esther McVey has said she would run to be Conservative leader if she was asked to by colleagues. The former pensions secretary said that there should be someone leading the country who has passion to deliver Brexit. Ms McVey said she would back Theresa May if she tried to renegotiate her deal, but otherwise argued that the prime minister would find herself in a difficult situation. Recommended Downing Street denies reports Theresa May will delay Brexit vote In a separate interview ex-Brexit secretary Dominic Raab also would not rule out a bid for the Tory crown, but said a contest now would be indulgent. They were talking as pressure on Ms May and her administration appeared to be approaching its peak, with leadership rivals jostling for position and talk of the collapse of the government in the media. Ministers were still adamant on Sunday morning that the crunch vote on the PMs preferred Brexit deal on Tuesday would take place, despite claims that it might be delayed. Speaking to Sky Newss Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Ms McVey said she is looking for a person who can unite the party behind a Brexit deal. She said: I have seen the array of people who have come forward at the moment and I think if we can all get behind one...for me the most important thing is not the personalities it is the deal. Dominic Raab says he would not rule out running for Conservative leader Asked if she would rule out running herself, she went on: If people asked me then of course I should say, of course should give it serious concern and do it if people asked me. But at the moment Im looking at who is in the papers, who can we get behind, but it shouldnt be about the personality it should be about the country. Ms McVey said she would support the prime minister if she were to go back to Brussels and try and renegotiate the deal, in particular around the Irish backstop and the 39bn divorce bill that Ms Mays withdrawal agreement accounts for. Mr Raab was interviewed on the same show, and asked if he would rule out a run, he said: Ive always said I wouldnt rule it out, but Im just not going to get sucked in to that debate. The public and people watching this show would think it would be very self-indulgent to be engaging in that speculation. He would not comment when asked if he would stand aside for fellow Brexiteer Boris Johnson to run for the leadership. Work and Pensions secretary Amber Rudd backs Theresa May's Brexit deal because 'it works in the National interest' It came as comments the government was hit by another resignation over the Brexit plan Will Quince, a ministerial aide to defence secretary Gavin Williamson. He hit out at the backstop plan to avoid a hard border with Ireland, saying it could result in the UK being tied to the negotiating table for years, until we agree to anything in desperation to get out of the situation. For her part, Ms May warned Tory MPs they risk handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10 unless they back her Brexit deal in an interview with Mail on Sunday, . It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal, she told the Mail on Sunday. We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country. As someone who cares passionately about my country and my party, I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take. Reports suggested Ms May could make an emergency trip to Brussels ahead of a planned summit on Thursday in an effort to secure further concessions in an effort to win over critics of her plan. Tommy Robinson has hinted that he will attempt to enter mainstream politics as a Ukip parliamentary candidate following a wave of high profile resignations over his deepening relationship with the party. Speaking at a Brexit betrayal rally in London on Sunday, the English Defence League (EDL) founder admitted he had never voted but said his supporters need a political voice. Let this be the start of a political mass movement in this country, he added. When I went to the House of Lords with Lord Pearson [for lunch after a court hearing] and I saw the reaction, I saw MPs under parliamentary privilege saying disgraceful lies about me, I sat for the first time and thought one day Ill be sitting in there amongst you. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was referring to outrage from MPs in October when the Ukip peer invited him to dine at the House of Lords after a hearing over alleged contempt of court. An Old Bailey judge referred the matter to the attorney general, who is yet to decide whether to continue the case that saw Robinson jailed in May. The Commons speaker, John Bercow, condemned Robinson as a loathsome, obnoxious, repellent individual after an MP asked how the violent, racist thug and fraudster was allowed on the parliamentary estate. Robinsons ties to Ukip have since increased, seeing him appointed as an adviser to leader Gerard Batten, while the partys national executive committee will consider whether to waive laws barring former British National Party and EDL members to let him in. The anti-Islam activists welcome has sparked a wave of resignations by MEPs and high-profile Ukip members, including Nigel Farage, who have condemned the direction taken by Mr Batten. "Brexit betrayal" march in London Show all 43 1 /43 "Brexit betrayal" march in London "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a sign in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carrying a noose at the "Brexit betrayal" march. The man carrying it told a reporter: "That's what the traitor May deserves." AP "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit supporters hold a sign opposed to Nigel Farage Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters carry a defaced British flag on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson addresses a rally after taking part in a Brexit 'betrayal' march in central London PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London Police officers attempts to keep rival protesters from clashing at the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London Victoria Jones/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds an anti-Theresa May sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator and his dog Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator at the protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro-brexit demonstrators endorse UKIP Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A Brexit 'betrayal' march protester wearing a Make Britain Great Again hat in London on 9 December 2018 Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The "Brexit Betrayal" march passes through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Tommy Robinson tells protesters to join Ukip via their mobile phones on stage next to leader Gerard Batten (right) at the Brexit 'betrayal' march Gareth Fuller/PA "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester speaks thorugh a megaphone on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator walks in the picket line Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester carries a Union Jack on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator wrapped in the Union Jack Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit anti-May sign at the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Pro brexit demonstrators move through Central London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator marches with sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A pro-brexit demonstrator holds a rude sign in the rally Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march passes down Victoria Street near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A festive protester marches near Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a mock noose as the march passes down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester wrapped in the Union Jack marches down Victoria Street towards Parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester makes some noise on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester dressed as a dinosaur holds a sign rallying against "Davocracy" - in reference to the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester holds a pro-brexit sign on the march Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London The march approaches parliament Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A protester distributes pro-brexit lapel badges Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A demonstrator wears an anti-EU poster and holds an anti-BBC sign Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A smoke bomb is deployed in Parliament Square as the march comes across the counter-demonstration Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London A flag bearing the Arms of Plantagenet flies in theprot Angela Christofilou/The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Protesters on the Brexit 'betrayal' march in London on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Brexit 'betrayal' marchers gathering on Park Lane ahead of a protest on 9 December 2018 Angela Christofilou/ The Independent "Brexit betrayal" march in London Angela Christofilou/The Independent The London MEP, who has repeatedly called Islam a death cult, looked on as Robinson urged thousands of protesters to join the party on Sunday. Speaking from a stage at Whitehall, he told people to sign up on Ukips website while appearing to go through the process on his mobile phone. The only way for there to be a political option is for the public to support it, back it and join it, Robinson said. To all the people in Ukip who are worried dont worry because the cavalry have arrived. Ukip has won millions of votes in parliamentary elections but failed to convert the support into significant seats. Former leader Nigel Farage failed seven attempts to enter the House of Commons and Ukips two short-lived MPs were former Conservative members. Defectors have told The Independent that long-standing Ukip members have left the party or let their accounts expire over Robinsons rise, but party officials say more than 8,000 new members have joined since Mr Battens leadership started in February. The membership has changed dramatically in its character and style, as has the direction of the party, said Bill Etheridge, an MEP who quit Ukip in October. He voiced fears that Mr Batten was preparing Robinson for a leadership position. Tommy Robinson tells protesters to join Ukip via their mobile phones on stage next to leader Gerard Batten (right) at the Brexit betrayal march on 9 December 2018 (Gareth Fuller/PA) The fact Robinson has been taken on as an adviser without even being a member would suggest he is going to have a senior role, Mr Etheridge said. He will be involved in the clique around Gerard and certainly I would have thought in time he would have ambitions to taking on the leadership I think Mr Batten might be keeping the seat warm. Mr Batten has not confirmed any plans for Robinsons future in Ukip, but claimed last week that the anti-Islam activist had voiced political ambitions. Prior to [the October court hearing] Tommy told me he really only wanted to be involved in the media, he was promoting his own career as a kind of journalist, he said in a Ukip video. And then when he came out and we chatted he said what he realised is the only way to change anything is actually through the ballot box, through democratic politics and that means being aligned with a party. But protesters massed at the end of the Brexit betrayal march seemed uninterested in the Ukip policy positions outlined by MEPs who took the stage, saving their biggest cheers for Robinson and mentions of treason. One man was carrying a noose and told a reporter it was what the traitor May deserves, while other signs called the prime minister Treason May and one demonstrator said the government should be thrown in the Thames with weights on them. While many directed their ire at the government and EU, other signs linked to new world order conspiracy theories and one man had a board claiming a white supremacists murder of Labour MP Jo Cox was a false flag. Stand Up To Racism protest against Brexit 'betrayal' march in central London Marchers also held signs calling the media fake news and Lugenpresse, and several were wearing bright yellow vests in an apparent reference to the gilets jaunes movement in France. Among the several thousand protesters on the march were members of the Generation Identity white nationalist group, anti-Islam For Britain, British National Party and Make Britain Great Again group. Police mounted a major operation to keep the Brexit betrayal demonstration apart from a separate march held by counter-demonstrators. Organisers of the Oppose Tommy Robinson event claimed it far outnumbered his march and was attended by 15,000 people, but police did not provide official crowd estimates. Weyman Bennett, of Stand Up to Racism, said Robinson had been outnumbered and humiliated. Robinson and Batten are attempting to normalise and legitimise fascism and we cannot let it happen, he added. We face dangerous times. By the time both rallies officially ended, three people had been arrested one for assaulting a police officer, one for possession of an offensive weapon and one for public order offences A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the suspects were all from a counter-protest group. Egyptian authorities have launched an investigation after a couple was filmed scaling the Great Pyramid to pose for a nude photograph. Andreas Hvid, a Danish photographer, uploaded the video on Youtube and claimed that the pair had spent "several hours sneaking around at the Giza plateau" before making the climb last month. He also posted a picture of a man embracing a naked female friend at the top of the 140m monument, which was built more than 4,500 years ago. The stunt sparked outrage on Egyptian social media although officials initially claimed that the footage was fake because of the heavy security at the site. It has also been suggested that the area around the pyramids appeared too brightly lit in the video, which was first posted on 5 December. Recommended Great Pyramid can focus electromagnetic energy through hidden chambers On Sunday the countrys minister of antiquities, Khaled El-Anany, told MPs that he had filed a memo with the prosecutor-general to investigate the film, according to the Al-Ahram newspaper. He said prosecutors would investigate how a Danish photographer and his girlfriend were able to scale the Pyramid of Khufu, and whether they really filmed an explicit pornographic video atop the Pyramid. The film, which appears to have been edited and reposted on 8 December, shows the couple climbing to the top of the pyramid before the woman takes off her top. It also included a photograph of them posing at the summit. In late November 2018, a friend and I climbed the Great Pyramid of Giza (aka Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Cheops), the caption reads. Fearing to be spotted by the many guards, I did not film the several hours of sneaking around at the Giza Plateau, which lead up to the climb. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Mr El-Anany said that scaling the pyramids was strictly forbidden and described the incident as a violation of public morality. I demanded that experts be tasked with checking the video and determine whether they are real or fake, the minister added. The prosecution authorities will tell Egyptians how the two tourists were able to scale the Great Pyramid of Khufu, whether the video is real or fake, and negligent officials will be brought to justice. Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid Show all 11 1 /11 Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid5.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid11.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid8.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid7.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid9.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid1.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid2.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid6.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid3.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid10.jpg Picture gallery: stunning images from the top of Egypt's Great Pyramid pyramid4.jpg The explicit video has sparked fury and outrage among Egyptians in general, and the officials affiliated with the Ministry of Antiquities in particular. Mr Hvid describes himself as an urban explorer and his website features several photographs of nude men and women posing on top of buildings around the world. "For many years I had dreamed of climbing the great pyramid," he told Danish tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet. "The idea of making a 'nude shoot' up there had also existed for some time. "I'm sad that so many people have become so angry. But I have also received a positive response from a lot of Egyptians - something I think is worth remembering." An 18-hour gun battle between Indian troops and a group of suspected militants in the disputed region of Kashmir left three people dead. Two police officials and a soldier were also wounded during the skirmish on the outskirts of the city of Srinagar, said Sanjay Sharma, a spokesperson for India's paramilitary forces The three dead were suspected rebels who supported demands for the territory to either be united entirely under Pakistani rule or as an independent country, he added. Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but both countries claim the territory in its entirety. They were shot after Indian troops laid siege to the neighbourhood in one of Kashmir's major cities. Recommended India and Pakistan engage in war of words at UN over Kashmir Mr Sharma said that they had received a tip that militants were hiding in the area. Local residents attempted to march to the site of the fighting in solidarity with the rebels, in a show of anti-India sentiment. Government forces fired warning shots, shotgun pellets and tear gas at the stone-throwing protesters. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Local residents said that Indian forces blasted at least five houses with explosives during the fighting, a common tactic used by the paramilitary troops in Kashmir. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Rebels in the country have been fighting against Indian control since 1989. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in subsequent clashes and during the ensuing crackdown by the Indian military. India accuses Pakistan of arming the rebels, a charge which Pakistan denies. Additional reporting by agencies Palm-oil forests certified as sustainable are being destroyed faster than non-certified land, experts have found, in a study they say blows the lid on any claims that the oil can be destruction-free. Plantations with eco-friendly endorsements have lost 38 per cent of their forest cover since 2007, while non-certified areas have lost 34 per cent, according to researchers from Purdue University in the US state of Indiana. The use of sustainability labels had allowed for even greater expansions of plantations that are driving orangutans towards extinction in southeast Asia and destroying natural carbon-absorbing rainforests, they said. They drew their conclusions after 15 years of fact-finding missions, using data from these missions as well as from satellite, governmental, charities and palm oil companies own reports, analysing 2,210 concessions licensed palm-growing areas. From 2001 to 2016, total tree loss in Indonesian palm oil concessions was equivalent to 34.2 per cent of the area covered by the plantations but the loss in certified sustainable plantations was higher 38.3 per cent. The studys lead author, Roberto Gatti, told The Independent: The implication is that there is no reason for companies to claim sustainable palm oil and to use labels for certified products because, in terms of deforestation, there is no significant difference between a certified and a non-certified palm oil plantation. Both need (or needed in the recent past) the complete removal of the original tropical forest. Based on forest loss trends, if governments do not act immediately and end acceptance of certification schemes, the world will almost completely lose southeast Asian forests in a few decades, he warned. Our research shows quite unequivocally that, unfortunately, there is no way to produce sustainable palm oil that did not come from deforestation, and that the claims by corporations, certification schemes and non government organisations are simply greenwashing, useful to continue business as usual, he added. No shortcuts: if you use palm oil, certified or not, you are definitely destroying tropical forests. Claims by corporations, certification schemes and NGOs are simply greenwashing, useful to continue business as usual Roberto Gatti Forest loss was continuous everywhere where there was a palm oil plantation, even if certified as sustainable. Every tropical tree, which is part of a complex tropical forest, harbours thousands of other species insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, birds, monkeys, primates such as orangutans, ferns, mosses and every time a tropical tree is cut to make room for a plantation a whole community, often including very rare species, may disappear. He accused those who say certified plantations are sustainable of hiding the evidence. According to the study, which was published in the Science of the Total Environment journal, there is a trick to certification: first, an old-growth tropical forest is cut (or slashed-and-burned) for paper and pulp or valuable tropical timber trades; then a traditional, non-certified palm oil plantation is started; after a certain time the traditional plantation is transformed into a certified one and wins a sustainability label. We do not have any means to stop southeast Asian deforestation due to palm oil with labels and certification schemes Roberto Gatti The trick is that they make leverage on the absence of historical records on land use change, hiding the reality that even a certified concession was, in the recent past, a highly biodiverse tropical forest, Prof Gatti said. His team said they also found a pattern in which deforestation slows when organisations such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil form, but a few years later, the forest loss speeds back up. This can be also due to the more recent establishment of new sustainable plantations and the need to cut new forests to fuel the increasing global market, according to the researchers. The report says areas in which forest loss was detected and those of both traditional and certified plantations almost exactly overlap, so any land that is certified today was a valuable and biodiverse forest in the recent past. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke filled with the carbon that is driving climate change drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan Prof Gatti, research associate at the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and coordinator of the Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative Hub at Purdue, said: During the last two decades, multinational companies tried to find a way to continue with their business as usual in the use of palm oil in their products accommodating, at the same time, the emerging pressures from environmental groups and the public opinion on Southeast Asian deforestation. However, the often-criticised certification schemes (the results of a comfortable agreement between corporations, governments and NGOS) still exerted a green-washed leverage on the media and public opinion, and some scientists, as well. Not one of the concessions studied by Prof Gatti and colleagues from Purdue and Russias Tomsk State University both certified and non-certified had zero tree removal. We do not have any means to stop southeast Asian deforestation due to palm oil with labels and certification schemes, Prof Gatti said. The only solution seems the complete ban of the export of this tropical oil in developed and developing countries, combined with a more selected use of local oils by food, cosmetics and bioenergy corporations. Some critics of the full ban on palm oil argued that palm oil is more productive and requires less land than other oils. If this is true, my question is why palm oil has to be considered an essential livelihood for humanity. Orangutans are being killed by palm oil production (AFP/Getty) The problem escalated in the last 15 years and there is no need for a globalised production of this cheap oil in unnecessary products. If the conservation of tropical forest is a priority of our society, then there is no way to produce palm oil for the world market as we show in our research. Tropical forests have an inner value, independently of the economy of their production. He urged a combination of a more localised use of oils, cutting fatty and unhealthy snack foods such as those containing palm oil, bans on importing palm oil by the EU, US, China and India and the use of more sustainable oils. The professor said he believed that claims that the industry provides swathes of jobs were weak because the multinationals contracts with mills in southeast Asia were temporary, short-term ones. Quite often whole families (including children) work in the plantations, without any respect of human and childrens rights, in very unhealthy conditions (covered by sprayed pesticides, for instance). But the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil questioned the researchers methodology and rigour, saying: The study dismisses the efficacy of certification because according to the authors, the lands were sanitised (deforested already) prior to the creation of the RSPO and other organisations certification schemes, and therefore certification provided no added positive impact. The group said the tree cover loss data referred to in the study did not differentiate between planted (including clearing of old oil palm for replanting) and natural forest cover. Two other scientific studies, published last year, found lower deforestation rates in RSPO-certified concessions after certification than in non-certified areas, a spokesman said. Under the logic of the Purdue research, any improvements stemming from the COP21 Paris Agreement on Climate Change are invalid, because our current climate situation was created by those who signed on to the agreement. This line of thinking diminishes the incentive to change and shift from the status quo, even in dire circumstances, he added. Far-right extremists across Europe are successfully integrating themselves into the political mainstream by shunning street violence and adopting the same recruitment techniques used by jihadis, according to a new report. The research, carried out by the Counter Extremism Project, was revealed exclusively to The Independent ahead of a major march in London organised by Ukip and English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson. Ukip, which has won millions of votes in previous British elections, has been hit by a string of high-profile resignations in protest at the direction taken by leader Gerard Batten, who recently appointed Robinson as an adviser. Campaigners warn that although Robinson and other anti-Islam figures publicly eschew violence, their ability to shift into the political mainstream and hijack topical issues broadens their public appeal. David Ibsen, executive director of the Counter Extremism Project, said: Portraying themselves in this way is definitely a tactic to increase the reach of their message and, as such, increase the potential of radicalisation. He said anti-Islam figures and white nationalists were using online channels to build communities around specific issues, in a way that has previously been seen with jihadis who capitalise on topics like the Iraq War and airstrikes. The real worrying issue is that, with the power of social media, these claims create an ecosystem where people looking for legitimate mainstream movements access extremist culture, Mr Ibsen added. What we cannot ignore is how these groups will affect pluralism, peace and tolerance. Defectors from Ukip have told The Independent they fear the party is morphing into a successor to the racist British National Party and condemned Mr Battens obsession with Robinson and Islam. Robinson called the exodus brilliant and claimed Ukip would become a populist, revolutionist political party. Mr Batten, a Ukip MEP for London, has repeatedly branded Islam a death cult and the partys latest manifesto included proposals to create Muslim-only prisons and repeal hate crime laws. Nigel Farage quits UKIP over links to Tommy Robinson Ukip claims it has gained 8,000 new members since Mr Batten took charge in February, and the leader said Robinsons appointment has given the party access to a million Facebook followers. While the EDL founder has denied inciting violence, his posts formed part of the inspiration for the Finsbury Park terror attack, which saw a man plough a van into Muslims during Ramadan. British security services have been increasing their focus on the far-right since the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by a white supremacist in 2016. The number of right-wing extremists arrested and jailed for terror offences has been increasing, and MI5 has recently taken the lead on intelligence operations from counterterror police. The Independent understands that discussions are ongoing over where to set the bar for far-right terror investigations, with much of the material inspiring extremists online falling short of a criminal threshold. The Counter Extremism Projects report said that while some groups openly espouse violent white supremacy, others are propagating radical stances under the guise of populism. Researchers said far-right political parties and groups across Europe were hijacking legitimate concerns over Islamist terrorism, while scapegoating Muslim immigrants for economic hardship faced by young Europeans. More than 70 years after the defeat of Nazi Germany, ethno-nationalist and white supremacist movements in Europe continue to thrive, the report said. Populist groups claim that they are striving to protect average hardworking Europeans by preserving their livelihoods and heritages from economic and cultural threats posed by immigrants and ethnic minorities. Though not all of these groups directly link their ideologies to Nazism, their propaganda portrays immigrants and ethnic minorities in a similar manner to how Nazi propaganda portrayed Jews, blaming them for national economic troubles and depicting them as a serious threat to the broader national identity. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell Researchers noted the success of parties like Germanys Alternative fur Deutschland and Italys Lega Nord, who have been able to generate substantial popular support by promising to defend their respective countries against the cultural attacks of immigrants and foreign influence. While Britains electoral system limits the ability of fringe groups to gain parliamentary seats, organisations using the same tactics appear to be attracting growing memberships. The pan-European white nationalist group Generation Identity, which originated in France, declared its presence in Britain last year and has since launched waves of protests, publicity stunts and stickering drives to attract more members. The group has openly discussed how it looks to engage with the student demographic and targets 18 to 30-year-olds with a slick social media presence in multiple languages. Generation Identitys central ideology claims that white people are being replaced by ethnic minorities in Europe and calls for non-whites to be relocated from the continent. Austrian leader Martin Sellner has been prevented from entering the UK and the group has been marred by infighting, but recruitment continues. The Counter Extremism Project said Generation Identity has renounced violence in favour of utilising social media and public demonstrations to portray themselves as a legitimate, mainstream movement protecting European culture. Researchers warned that similar groups have been able to gain support by attacking minorities, rather than openly promoting white supremacy. Meanwhile, neo-Nazi groups such as Combat 18 and the Nordic Resistance Movement are still able to recruit for overtly violent aims. The British government banned the neo-Nazi organisation National Action in 2016 but its members split into rebranded regional factions, including some that are still in operation. National Action supporters include a British soldier who was recruiting fellow troops for a race war, a man who plotted to murder a Labour MP and another who tried to behead a Sikh man. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The group has characterised its ideology as white jihad and police investigations have exposed the existence of gory propaganda material. Not only do these violent white supremacist groups employ similar strategies to some of the most prominent Islamist terror groups, but they are also motivated to pursue the radical end goal of an ethnically or culturally homogenous state due to similar concerns that their identity and way of life are under threat, the Counter Extremism Project said. Anyone who wants to take French nationality, including Britons seeking refuge from Brexit, should be forced to take a French first name from the Christian saints or the great figures of the countrys history before they get their passport, a leading opposition politician has said. That is just one of the 18 radical proposals that Julien Aubert, deputy secretary general of the right-wing Les Republicains party founded by Nicolas Sarkozy, outlines in a new pamphlet he has published with the stated aim of better integrating Muslims into Frances staunchly secular society. Making foreigners take a French name is an idea which has gained traction in France since the reactionary and bestselling author Eric Zemmour launched a blistering attack on a black TV commentator. In September, Zemmour, who also writes a weekly column for the conservative newspaper Le Figaro, told Hapsatou Sy, another guest on the television programme on which he was appearing, that it was a pity her parents had not given her a proper French name. Your name is an insult to France, said the author of French Suicide and French Destiny, in which he mixes unabashed Islamophobia with historical revisionism. The remarks sparked yet another round of soul-searching about French national identity and rekindled the often bitter debate on whether the countrys Muslims, numbering between 5 and 7 million both French and foreign, can be fully integrated. Mr Auberts approach is slightly less antagonistic than Zemmours, even if it does fit largely with what the writer preaches on the issue of names. Any foreigner who becomes French, or any child born here to foreign parents, should at the moment of acquiring nationality take on a second name that is French, he told The Independent. That goes not just for Muslims, he said, but for any foreigner, be they Chinese or American or British, who have applied in their thousands for French nationality since the Brexit referendum. The best thing a foreigner can do when he arrives in a country if he wants to integrate is to fit in, said Mr Aubert, and in his view taking a solid French name such as Jean or Michel is a good place to start. The name would however not become the persons main first name unless he or she so wished. Emmanuel Macron makes error in speech implying British visitors will need visas to enter France Mr Aubert noted approvingly that until 1993, French parents were legally obliged to pick a name for their offspring from a long list of acceptable prenoms drawn up by authorities. His 50-page pamphlet titled the Tricolour Booklet on the Islam(s) of France, also calls for Muslim women to be banned from wearing headscarves in public institutions such as publicly owned companies or universities, and even in the street in certain circumstances. France banned the wearing of hijabs by pupils in state schools and employees in state buildings in 2004 on the grounds of secularism. And in 2010 it banned the burqa, which fully covers a womans face and body, in any public space. Mr Aubert said that his proposal to make foreigners take on a French name was not inspired by Zemmours televised outburst. He also dismissed the claim by the far-right leader Marine Le Pen that she had the same idea years ago. Recommended The countries around the world that enforce bans on niqabs and burqas I dont recall Marine Le Pen ever saying this, Mr Aubert said. Jean-Yves Camus, a political scientist and an expert on the far right, said Mr Auberts idea about names was absurd. He notes that the rules for getting French nationality in the 1930s, when among other waves of immigration there was an influx of Jews from eastern Europe, were far more stringent than they are today, yet then there was no requirement to take on a French first name. Mr Aubert said Les Republicains party leader Laurent Wauquiez had not yet expressed an opinion on his proposition, and he could not yet say whether the idea would become official party policy. Les Republicains, under various names, had been in and out of power In France for decades until the centrist Emmanuel Macron came along and upended French politics when he won the presidential election last year. The party, now reduced to a rump in parliament and bitterly divided, has lurched to the right under Mr Wauquiez in a bid to win over Le Pen voters, and has hardened its anti-immigration stance. Mr Auberts desire to force foreigners to take on French names when they become French would not appear out of keeping with current party policy. Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, has said called the so-called yellow vest protests are a "catastrophe" for France's economy. Mr Le Maire made the comments while speaking to a number of reporters as he toured an upmarket area in central Paris on Sunday. The neighbourhood had been heavily looted during unrest on Saturday night. "It is a catastrophe for trade, it is a catastrophe for our economy," Mr Le Maire said. The protests have disrupted the traditional Christmas shopping season, dealing a heavy blow to France's retail sector. 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 "We must expect a new slowdown of economic growth at year-end due to the yellow vest protests," Mr Le Maire said, adding that the marches would have a "severe impact" on the economy. On Saturday the anti-government protesters caused havoc in Paris where, as well as marching, some threw stones, torched cars and vandalised shops and restaurants. Police officers turned tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets on some of the demonstrators. Officials said that 135 people were injured on Saturday. Popular tourist sights such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum did not open due to the protests. Top Parisian department stores were also closed on what should have been a prime shopping weekend. In mid-November experts said that the country's economy would need to grow at 0.8 per cent in the final three months of the year, to hit the government's 1.7 per cent annual growth forecast. Protesters set fire to overturned cars in central Paris after police pushed them away from the Arc de Triomphe in violent clashes The "gilets jaunes" protests began as a show of anger against a raise in fuel taxes but have grown to encompass general frustration about the rising cost of living in France. Much of the rage is aimed at President Emmanuel Macron and his style of governing. The French leader is seen by many as out of touch with ordinary people. Mr Macron will address the country in a speech early next week, a government spokesperson said on Sunday. Across Paris bank branch offices, toy shops, opticians and other retail outlets were covered with graffiti, much of which attacked the French president. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events "This chaos has to end," said Andre Juillard, a doctor, as he stood in line with other Parisians at a bakery near the Eiffel Tower. "I don't know if Macron's resignation is necessary, but he must completely change course and increase wages and lower taxes," said Bertrand Cruzatier, a local who stood watching cleaners scrub out graffiti at the Place de la Republique. Protesters had left a banner in the centre of the famous square. Dangling from the bronze statue of Marianne, symbol of the French republic, it read: "Give back the money". Additional reporting by agencies She played the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy on the piano to drown out the deadening crunch of air strikes as they smashed up the neighbourhood around her. It was November and Gaza, Yara Thabits home, was on the perilous brink of another war with Israel. The terrified 18-year-old, who has lived through three wars already, stuttered over the same Tchaikovsky phrase, as if clinging to the crochets could defend her. The battered upright piano, her pride and joy, had taken years and thousands of dollars to get through the heavily-guarded border with Israel that has imposed an 11-year blockade on the militant-run enclave. My biggest fear is that it will be destroyed in an air strike that will kill us. It took three years just to come here because of the borders, she says, sitting at her piano in Gaza City. The sounds make me relaxed, it helps with my fears and daily stresses. So even in the fighting, I play. It is an essential part of my life. Getting access to musical instruments is one of the main hurdles that face would-be Palestinian musicians, corralled for a lifetime into a 25-mile long strip. Before Egypt tightened security along its borders, performers told The Independent they would commission smugglers to bring in ouds and violins into Gaza via secret underground passages to the Sinai. If I dont play the piano, who am I? Yara Now that nearly all of these tunnels have been destroyed by the Egyptian military, they exclusively come in through the border crossing with Israel. The Israeli army fears many items, no matter how innocent they may seem, could have a dual use or be repurposed by the many militant factions that run the strip. Pianos, being so bulky, are among the hardest to get in. Gaza, which has a population of 2.2 million people, only has a single concert grand. And in fact, Yara is one of a select few music students who had the privilege to play the slick black Yamaha in its first international concert since being rehabilitated. The grand, which was donated to Gaza by the Japanese government 20 years ago, was one of the few objects left intact when a missile blasted through its theatre home in the last war in 2014. A year later, Brussels-based charity Music Fund twice sent foreign experts to the enclave to work on it. Their mission finished in October, in time for its first international concert. For Yara, who played alongside Japanese musicians, it was one of the most important moments of her life. It was, she says pausing. Amazing. Yara Thabit one of the young Palestinians who got to play Gazas only concert grand (Photo: Bel Trew) She continues: There are not many people who play musical instruments here in Gaza, especially as a girl when I tell people I play, it is considered unnatural. But if I dont play the piano, who am I? There is little respite in Gaza for its embattled civilian population held hostage by the endless cycle of violence and cross-border fire. Music appears to be increasingly becoming a way for young Gazans to channel stress, despite the societal and physical barriers. According to a Save the Children report this summer, a staggering 95 per cent of children in Gaza display depressive symptoms, including aggression, while nearly two-thirds have trouble sleeping. Thabit plays the piano during a concert to mark the debut of Gazas only grand piano after it was rescued from conflict (Photo: AP/Adel Hana) This year in particular, as the economic and humanitarian crisis has hit a crescendo, has seen an uptick in suicides. For many interviewed by The Independent, music has become an essential way to combat anxiety and depression. But even pursuing music is near impossible. Right now, Yara has no piano teacher as the last professional instructor, a foreigner, left Gaza a few weeks ago. Yara plays her piano which took three years to get into Gaza and cost thousands of dollars (Photo: Bel Trew) There are also no cello or trumpet teachers, adds Khamis Abushaban, of the Edward Said Conservatory of Music in Gaza, which organised the piano concert, and has branches across the Palestinian territories. We had a cello teacher who was living here since 1997 but this year she had to go back to Romania for personal reasons. So, we had to find solutions, he tells The Independent, as a drum circle sounds in the background. We had a Russian colleague who taught guitar and trumpet, unfortunately, she left in October too. Of course, here we have no replacement. So those lessons are gone as well. A Palestinian musical student takes lessons on Skype in Gaza (Photo: Bel Trew) Housed in a Red Crescent building and flanked by waiting ambulances, the Edward Said Conservatory is one of the only places that offers music lessons in Gaza. They also have scholarships and funding programmes for the poor. In the room where Gazas sole grand piano was being temporarily housed, we walk in on a young student in the middle of a cello lesson on Skype. With her headphones in, it is strangely disorientating to hear her sporadically play notes, while talking to her teacher on the cracked screen. We connect the students with teachers in our other centres outside of Gaza. Its the best we can do in here, where you cant have everything you want, Abushaban explains. The musical institution is no stranger to adversity, he continues. They nearly lost all their instruments shortly after they first began, as the 2008 Gaza war with Israel erupted just two months after they first opened their doors. The building was completely destroyed, we lost pianos, ouds, guitars, he continues. We have a chassis of a piano that was lost in the first war [in 2008] the only thing left of it is the metal frame, he adds. A military escalation is something we worry about, it takes just a small rock to destroy a violin Khamis Abushaban, Edward Said Conservatory for Music, Gaza Across town, another Gaza resident agrees that music is slowly gaining popularity in the enclave. Raji Jaru, just 21, has with his father just opened Gazas first proper musical instrument shop. Raji Jaru, the owner of Gazas first music shop, plays the guitar (Photo: Bel Trew) Jaru, which first started as a shop selling sound systems, now has a second floor whose plywood walls are decorated with everything from tubas to Arabic zithers. The young proprietor taught himself to play the guitar by watching YouTube videos and became increasingly frustrated there were no shops selling both Arabic and western instruments. So, he built one. It is a major headache. He has spent 11 months waiting for approval on five different documents to import a semi-acoustic guitar that is still languishing at the border. But he hopes by giving Gaza access to other instruments, he will help change opinion. Many of the instruments are unaffordable for much of Gazas population, over half of which live under the poverty line. He hopes, however, to hold musical evenings and seminars open to all, so they can try the instruments, the likes of which they might never have seen otherwise. Music is the only thing to build up something for the youth, they can communicate Rami Jaru, owner of Gazas first comprehensive music store Most of the activities people can do in Gaza involve going to the beach as there is nothing to do, nowhere to go. But that doesnt build anything, he says. Music is the only thing to build up something for the youth, they can communicate they can illustrate a bigger message. Here you can channel your energy into your instrument and tell your story, make the instrument your international tongue. Young Palestinians play instruments in Gazas first music shop (Photo: Bel Trew) Akram Hasan, who sells Arabic instruments, expresses similar sentiments. He plays a hauntingly beautiful song on his violin that came to Gaza years ago through a tunnel to Egypt. That is no longer possible and so he often relies on good luck to secure new wares. A clutch of violas that crouch in the corner were brought into Gaza by accident. They ended up in the wrong container as they were originally bound for the West Bank. So I paid the man and brought the instruments here, he explains. Music in Gaza is a difficult idea because of the conservative society, but its opening up. Mohamed plays a Tabla in Gazas first music shop (Photo: Bel Trew) Back in Jaru, a few young men browsing the shop demonstrate that shift. They say they are seeing some of the instruments for the first time. Until then, they had only existed in online videos. This place has broken the siege. We are finally able to get the instruments we want, says Ahmed, a 21-year-old poet holding a beautifully carved Syrian oud. Mohamed, 22, his friend who holds a drum, agrees. Music gives us a voice that is translated abroad. Music is a freedom that breaks every border. The UK and Norway have one thing in common. In 1994, the Norwegian people rebuffed their political class and rejected EU membership by 52 to 48 per cent in a referendum. Sound familiar? Instead, Norway joined the European Economic Area (EEA) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) along with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Norway enjoys membership of the EU single market, but is not in the customs union. In the Norway plus plan, proposed by the Tory backbencher Nick Boles, the plus is the UK being in a temporary but indefinite customs union with the EU. His plan has cross-party backing and could become the cabinets plan B if Theresa Mays deal is sunk. But some ministers would resign and critics claim it would split the Conservative Party. Supporters insist that Norway plus is the only option capable of winning a Commons majority. But the Labour leadership is not convinced by it. Although 75 Labour MPs backed EEA membership in June, some of them now prefer a referendum. EU can 'certainly not' accept Theresa May's single market plan, Juncker warns For Remainers, Norway plus would keep the UK close to the EU (and easier to rejoin in the future). With parliament deadlocked, it might win the backing of some Leavers, including Michael Gove, as a port in a storm to get Brexit over the line in March, and temporary staging post to a looser EU trade agreement in the medium term. Crucially, it would preserve a 21-month transitional period from March and take effect in January 2021. Backers say Norway plus would represent a return to the common market the UK joined in 1973. It would be free from the EU's common agricultural and fisheries policies. The EFTA Court is seen as less intrusive than the European Court of Justice. Financial contributions would be much smaller than under EU membership. However, there are downsides. The UK would have to obey EU single market rules without having a say over them. Critics claim this would not honour the result of the 2016 referendum and would allow the EU to weaken UK industries including financial services. (Norways two biggest industries, oil and fishing, are outside the EUs orbit). Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The UKs ability to strike trade deals with non-EU countries would be very limited. Norway plus would not end free movement, so opponents say it would not address a key driver of the 2016 referendum decision. It would probably win the DUPs backing and make it less likely the Northern Ireland backstop would be needed. But the controversial backstop would remain in the withdrawal agreement. Supporters say Norway plus would win EU approval. But the UK might not fit easily into EFTA, or be welcomed with open arms. With a much bigger economy and 66 million people, the UK would dwarf four nations with a combined population of 14 million, and so fundamentally change the club. There are fears that the UK, with its liking for opt-outs and cherry-picking, would disrupt EFTAs one for all, all for one system under which the association opposes EU legislation if one member is against it. Norway plus is not the first choice of many MPs but might become their second. With some MPs wary of another referendum, it might yet become the compromise around which the Commons coalesces. Two members of the British government are resigning and a cabinet minster is mulling whether to quit over Brexit this weekend, as Theresa May's administration appears to be disintegrating ahead of the most important vote of a generation. Conservative Party whips have given Conservative MPs until lunchtime today to set out how they will vote on May's Brexit deal, in a desperate bid to judge the scale of a rebellion that threatens to bring down her government. Yesterday Will Quince, an MP and a member of the UK defence secretary's ministerial team, announced he was quitting his government role, saying he wants to "implore the prime minister to go back to the European Union and find another way". Sources say a second parliamentary private secretary has told whips they will quit tomorrow, while a number of senior party figures were "wrestling with decisions". More resignations are possible, with leading Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt said to be deciding over the next 48 hours whether to back the deal or quit in what one minister described as "the week of unknowns". In a clear indication that Britain could be on the verge of a re-alignment of politics along Remain/Leave lines, as many as 100 MPs - including 35 Tory MPs - are prepared to publish a motion calling for a vote on the terms of the UK's exit immediately after May's deal is voted down on Tuesday. The amendment will be attached to any attempt by May to bring back her deal for a second vote in the House of Commons. May's leadership rivals are preparing to move quickly if she resigns next week, with Boris Johnson leading the pack, and Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt plotting to run on a joint ticket. Boris Johnson, David Davis and Priti Patel yesterday spoke to Tory activists at the party's National Conservative Convention - effectively a "beauty parade" of future leaders. One supporter of Johnson said: "I have never seen him so focused." Another MP said Johnson has lost weight in recent weeks and was like Aslan in CS Lewis's Narnia books, saying: "The era of the ice queen is over. The thaw is coming." May spent yesterday in her Maidenhead constituency followed by what was described as a "private event" at Chequers. No early meeting of her cabinet has been scheduled for tomorrow. Officially, Downing Street continued to insist yesterday that the meaningful vote on Britain's exit from the EU would go ahead on Tuesday, with one official saying they were "100 per cent" certain that the vote will be held. Pressure was mounting on May, who has been unkindly referred to as "Theresa the Freezer", after she failed to tell cabinet at a meeting last Thursday what her plans were if - as expected - MPs vote down her deal. One Tory MP said May had to rediscover the passion she showed after being snubbed by EU leaders at the Salzburg summit, saying: "She needs to get out her Maggie Thatcher handbag and start using it." But a final ruling from the European Court of Justice is expected tomorrow to say the UK will be allowed to delay Brexit from March 29 without asking permission from the other member states. Andrew Mitchell, a former Tory chief whip, became the 105th Conservative MP to oppose the deal, saying that May's strategy of going ahead with the vote "appears to have as its inspiration the Charge of the Light Brigade". However friends of both UK defence secretary Gavin Williamson and Penny Mordaunt are, behind the scenes, urging May to delay the vote to stave off a crushing defeat and the prospect of more resignations. Government officials are concerned that Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party or the SNP will use Tuesday's likely defeat to table a vote of no confidence. A headcount of MPs who are allowed to vote has the Tories losing by a single MP if the DUP deserts them. This means the Tories will have 14 days to win a confidence vote, probably under a new leader, or face a general election early in the New Year. Telegraph Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire Pro-European protestors outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, as a vote is held against Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal with MSPs calling instead for a 'better alternative' to the PM's plans to be taken forward. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire Karen Bradley, who has penned an open letter seeking to assure citizens that the draft Brexit deal is not a threat to rights or the Union. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Saturday December 8, 2018. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland published the letter on Saturday, stating that Theresa May's deal protects the Belfast agreement, and that any backstop arrangement would be temporary. See PA story POLITICS Brexit Bradley. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has voiced support for a Norway-style model as an alternative to the Prime Minister's Brexit deal if the Withdrawal Agreement is thrown out by MPs. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire The Government is willing to listen to new "proposals and suggestions" on Brexit from British prime minister Theresa May if the current deal is voted down by the UK parliament this week. However, senior Government figures continue to insist that the Brexit withdrawal agreement, which was signed off on by Mrs May and EU leaders last month, is not up for renegotiation. "The withdrawal agreement won't be up for renegotiation but we will listen to what the UK government has to say," the senior Government source said. Meanwhile, former European Commission president Romano Prodi said he believes the EU will come back to the negotiating table if the Brexit deal does not pass through the British parliament. Mr Prodi's comments come ahead of a crucial vote in the UK parliament on Tuesday which will be followed by an EU leaders' summit in Brussels on Thursday. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is due to speak to president of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker tomorrow ahead of the summit. Last night, the senior source insisted there is "no panic" within the Government despite the uncertainly surrounding the Brexit vote in the House of Commons. Asked if there was any leeway on the backstop agreement which ensures there is no hard border with Northern Ireland, the source said: "We'll always listen to suggestions or proposals but a unilateral exit can't be conceded." Expand Close Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire "Listen means listen - it doesn't mean any more than that," the source added. Hardline Brexit-backing Conservative Party MPs believe the current deal will leave the UK indefinitely tied to the European Union through the fall-back arrangement which ensures there will be no hard border. They are seeking to rip up the current agreement including the Northern Ireland backstop to ensure Britain can leave the fall-back arrangement at their own discretion. On Tuesday, the House of Commons will vote on the current withdrawal agreement and it is being widely speculated that Mrs May does not have the votes needed to pass the bill. Expand Close Pro-European protestors outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, as a vote is held against Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal with MSPs calling instead for a 'better alternative' to the PM's plans to be taken forward. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pro-European protestors outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, as a vote is held against Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal with MSPs calling instead for a 'better alternative' to the PM's plans to be taken forward. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire Mr Prodi said both Britain and the EU will work to ensure there is continued free trade after Brexit because it is in the interests of both jurisdictions. "The UK has no alternative - the EU is a large part of its trade. Always the problem of Northern Ireland, but it is possible. Common sense helps," he told the Observer newspaper. Asked by the newspaper about the EU's refusal to entertain the possibility of further negotiations, Mr Prodi said: "Look, when the British parliament has still to vote, you are obliged to be in this position. But then of course the day after, you start dealing. This is politics." However, speaking in the Dail last Wednesday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted there was no possibility of reopening Brexit negotiations even if Mrs May does not secure the support of her parliament for the withdrawal agreement. "The suggestion that somehow if it is defeated, we would somehow find ourselves negotiating with a parliament really is quite unworkable," the Taoiseach said. "To see a parliamentary delegation entering the tunnel to reopen the talks is just not something that is feasible," he added. Meanwhile, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan said the Sinn Fein and dissident republican strategy of using Brexit to push for a border poll on a united Ireland is causing political instability within "loyalist enclaves" in Belfast which could lead to serious violence. Speaking to the Sunday Independent, he said "conflating" Brexit with the possibility of a united Ireland referendum was "particularly dangerous". "I have seen since Brexit some political instability within loyalism as a direct response to those on the republican side calling for a border poll as a precursor to a united Ireland," he said. "I have to say to the dissidents, who are, along with Sinn Fein, speaking in terms of border polls, my response to them is we must abide fully with the terms and conditions of the Good Friday Agreement and in particular, the principle of consent, and I don't believe that the time is now ripe for a border poll," Mr Flanagan added. He also said hundreds of dissident republican terrorists with links to Dublin-based drug gangs pose a major threat to the country's security if a hard border is erected in Northern Ireland as a result of a no-deal Brexit. British Prime Minister Theresa May may return for a second vote after Christmas if her Brexit plan suffers a modest to moderate loss. Photo: Getty Scriptwriters for British Prime Minister Theresa May must be very busy these days. In political situations of uncertain outcome it is simple professionalism and good planning to prepare different statements for political leaders based on different outcomes. So what statements are being prepared in 10 Downing Street? Whichever writer gets the job of preparing the statement welcoming the passing of the Brexit deal in the House of Commons on Tuesday won't have to spend too long on it. It is extremely unlikely it will see the light of day. For the Prime Minster herself she cannot intimate what her intentions are when her Brexit deal is rejected by the British parliament. She is pushing hard on the line that it is her deal, no deal or no Brexit. But if, or presumably when, her deal is rejected, she has to have something to say. It isn't just about having a Plan B, as having a something to say in Westminster when the time comes. She could announce that she is stepping down. She could opt for a holding statement that says she will take stock of the outcome and decide in the coming days on the next course of action. But to be realistic, "let me get back to you on that", simply won't cut it. British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and her own Conservative hard Brexiteers will want to push the agenda forward, but using what mechanisms? The scale of the defeat will be a significant factor in deciding what she does next. A modest to moderate loss and she may have another go at changing minds over Christmas and returning for a second House of Commons vote on roughly the same deal. A massive loss by 60, 80 or even 100 votes and she faces resignation or the biggest U-turn in British political history. Here are the options. 1 No deal: She could let things drift and unless there is a new intervention in the process, Britain will leave the EU with no deal in March. This would be disastrous for the British economy, very detrimental to the Irish economy and throw the Border question into dangerously uncertain territory. The British parliament is unlikely to let this happen. 2 A second referendum: Theresa May has been so strongly set against a second referendum, she is unlikely to be the Prime Minister to call for one. It would only arise if her Brexit deal is dead and buried, in which case she is likely to be gone from office. A second referendum could be called under a Labour-led government but there are no guarantees that Corbyn would as prime minister opt for it. He may faff around for a while with Brussels trying to get a different deal. A Tory leadership contest and a new Conservative Prime Minister could yield a second referendum but it is hard to see without a general election. 3 A Norway-plus deal: This is now being talked about as a tidier, speedier, less complex off-the-shelf solution. It would see the UK stay in the customs union and pay money for access to the single market. It would not deliver control of borders because the UK would be open to immigration from the EU. Control of immigration from EU countries was a major reason why many people voted leave in the referendum. It would not deliver a totally open border on the island of Ireland. And there are no guarantees the British would even be granted a Norway-style deal by Brussels. Norway is a small country with a population of five million people. The UK is the fifth-largest economy in the world with 65 million people. 4 May's Brexit deal: Somehow, a version of May's deal makes it through parliament on the second or even third time of asking. We have a pretty good idea of what this means for Irish business - a lengthy transition period; and orderly withdrawal; a guarantee of an open border. However, what is lost in all of the bickering over the backstop is the extensive negotiations required in the coming years to reach a suitable trade agreement between the EU and the UK under the May deal. In all likelihood those talks will not deliver a comprehensive trade deal by the end of 2022. That is just three years from now. Those with experience of trade deals suggest the UK will then face another cliff-edge Brexit conundrum all over again in three years' time. The Border backstop might be secured in this eventuality, but little else. A deadline, a new ticking Brexit time bomb. If we thought on this side of the Irish Sea that the British political establishment has been in a state of polite chaos, it is only getting started. Greencore has to live with being a UK market play One company in the front line of all of this uncertainty is Greencore. It announced a solid set of results during the week racking up reasonable growth in its Food-to-Go platform. But as it brought, what one broker described as, "closure to its US journey", the group is primarily focused on, and now reliant on, the performance of the UK economy. Greencore shares dipped after the results as CEO Patrick Coveney said its UK concerns are 100pc Brexit-related and near-term. The challenges for Greencore are threefold: economic uncertainty, disposable income and staffing. Uncertainty will impact on its share price as we are unlikely to see any let-up in the Brexit rollercoaster any time soon. Brexiteers called it Project Fear 2.0, but economic assessments from the likes of the Bank of England on the implications of a no-deal Brexit suggest people won't be buying as many sandwiches in future in such a scenario or growth potential will be weakened at the very least. On the staff front, Coveney said the company was well on top of the workforce issues and that any labour concerns arising from the UK's exit from the EU, would be a medium-term issue. Half of its employees come from the UK, with 35pc non-British EU nationals and 15pc coming from outside the EU. All businesses in these low-pay sectors have a level of staff churn and if fewer workers enter the country from these countries, it will put pressure on wages. Pub business JD Wetherspoon issued a profit warning on the back of wage rises. Rising staff costs caused by a tighter labour market have begun to affect other British businesses too. There are fewer EU workers in the UK than two years ago. But rising wage costs at this stage are more about a tight labour market than Brexit exoduses from the country. Unemployment is in the UK is at its lowest level since the mid-1970s. This may not be Brexit-related - yet. In the short term Greencore has put in place plans to ensure it has access to ingredients etc in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Longer term, a no-deal Brexit would see the cost of ingredients rise in an economy with lower growth prospects. Based on Greencore's actual trading performance in the last year, the Brexit-factor may be overstated. But it won't lift until there is some clarity. Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire Pro-European protestors outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, as a vote is held against Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal with MSPs calling instead for a 'better alternative' to the PM's plans to be taken forward. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire Karen Bradley, who has penned an open letter seeking to assure citizens that the draft Brexit deal is not a threat to rights or the Union. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Saturday December 8, 2018. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland published the letter on Saturday, stating that Theresa May's deal protects the Belfast agreement, and that any backstop arrangement would be temporary. See PA story POLITICS Brexit Bradley. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd who has voiced support for a Norway-style model as an alternative to the Prime Minister's Brexit deal if the Withdrawal Agreement is thrown out by MPs. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire Theresa May has warned Tory MPs they risk handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10 unless they back her Brexit deal. With a looming Commons vote, the British Prime Minister is fighting to save both her Brexit plan and her premiership in the face of a mounting Tory revolt. Downing Street insisted that the vote would still go ahead on Tuesday amid speculation she might be forced to delay the showdown. Mrs May warned Tory would-be rebels the country would be in "uncharted waters" if the deal is rejected. "It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal," she told the Mail on Sunday. "We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country. "As someone who cares passionately about my country and my party, I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take." Reports suggested Mrs May could make an emergency trip to Brussels ahead of a planned summit on Thursday in an effort to secure further concessions in an effort to win over critics of her plan. Expand Close Pro-European protestors outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, as a vote is held against Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal with MSPs calling instead for a 'better alternative' to the PM's plans to be taken forward. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pro-European protestors outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, as a vote is held against Theresa May's proposed Brexit deal with MSPs calling instead for a 'better alternative' to the PM's plans to be taken forward. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire The UK Prime Minister's comments came as her government was hit by another resignation over the Brexit plan. Will Quince, a ministerial aide to UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, hit out at the backstop plan to avoid a hard border with Ireland, saying it could result in the UK being "tied to the negotiating table for years, until we agree to anything in desperation" to get out of the situation. The same newspaper reported that another parliamentary private secretary was on the verge of quitting, and said Cabinet Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt was considering whether to back the deal or resign. But Mrs May insisted her deal was the best way for Brexiteers to get the UK out of the European Union. With the vote expected to result in a government defeat, some Cabinet ministers have urged her to delay while others have already begun promoting the idea of alternatives. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd suggested a Norway-plus model, remaining in both the single market and customs union, as a "plausible" option that could get through the House of Commons. Expand Close Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Photo: PA Wire But Brexiteers would loathe an arrangement that keeps the UK aligned to EU rules without a seat at the table in Brussels and does little, if anything, to tackle free movement. A rejection for Mrs May's deal could also boost the cause of campaigners calling for a second referendum. The Prime Minister insisted she still believed she was the best leader for the Tory party and spoke of her hope that the Brexit deal would be secured by Christmas. But her position appears precarious, with potential rivals on manoeuvres in case she is ousted or quits. Brexiteers Mr Johnson, David Davis and Priti Patel all addressed grassroots Conservative activists on Saturday at the National Conservative Convention, fuelling speculation about their ambitions. Writing in the Sun on Sunday, Mr Johnson called for MPs to vote down Mrs May's deal and said preparations for no deal should be ramped up, accusing the Prime Minister of "failure and lack of resolve". The former foreign secretary also proposed using the 39 billion so-called divorce payment as leverage to get the EU back to the negotiating table. Mr Johnson suggested the transition period could be re-purposed for talks to find a solution to the backstop and strike a trade deal, with at least half of the divorce payment withheld until the deal was done. Fellow leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested Mr Johnson and Ms Rudd, a Remain supporter, could work side-by-side in a unity leadership team. In an article for the Mail on Sunday, Mr Mogg said: "If, for example, leading figures from either side were prepared to come together, such as Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd, they could potentially deliver the Brexit people voted for with a global, outward-looking UK that could succeed." Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt have also been touted as a potential joint ticket. Former Brexit secretary Mr Davis warned the Tory leadership not to attempt to "bully" MPs into supporting a "failed strategy". His successor, Dominic Raab, wrote in the Sunday Telegraph that he will vote against Mrs May's agreement and called for the Government to make a final attempt to renegotiate the deal. He said the risks of crashing out of the EU are "dwarfed by the long-term damage that accepting this deal would inflict on our economy, and on the very foundations of our democracy". Also writing for the Telegraph, current Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said the government is "preparing for all scenarios". "We are serious about no deal," he said, but warned: "The choice is this deal, no deal, or no Brexit at all - with this deal by far the best outcome." Ahead of the Commons showdown, controversial activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will lead a pro-Brexit march in London on Sunday - with a rival counter-demonstration set to oppose it. Elsewhere in the capital, a rally will be held by the pro-EU Best for Britain and the second referendum campaign the People's Vote, featuring politicians including Lord Heseltine and celebrities such as actors Charles Dance and Jason Isaacs. Lord Heseltine will warn politicians that Britain's youth will "never forgive us" unless they are given the chance to reverse Brexit. A row over post-Brexit import quotas has reared its head again, with the EU fighting battles both internally and internationally. Sinn Fein's Matt Carthy (pictured), the agriculture committee's lead MEP on the subject, says the Commission has too often thrown farmers under the bus in trade talks, and fears the same will happen when the EU and UK divvy up their agriculture quotas at the World Trade Organisation. "I'm very critical of the overall EU trade agenda, it's very dangerous," Mr Carthy told Farming Independent. "Agriculture, in many ways, is considered to be something the EU can sacrifice to gain market access." He also fears that a glut of UK exports post-Brexit - and extra market access for beef and lamb resulting from ongoing trade talks with the Mercosur bloc, Australia and New Zealand - will push down prices for Irish producers. MEPs are set to vote next week in favour of a 2017 proposal to carve out a UK share of the EU's existing WTO quotas, leaving other countries with the same level of market access to the EU and UK combined, as they do now (with the UK as a member). Agriculture MEPs are pushing for a final say on the carve-up, which they say hands the Commission too much power at farmers' expense. But Mr Carthy says a "bizarre alliance" of conservative MEPs - including Fine Gael, UK Tories and Ulster Unionists - is likely to defeat his draft changes and give the Commission the ultimate say. Quotas The deal, based on an average of UK imports over the last three years, has also proven unpopular at the WTO, with a group of countries, including New Zealand, Brazil and the US, pushing for more market access post-Brexit. The EU has 87 agriculture-related quotas on its WTO list (or 'schedule'), which is still pending official certification since Croatia joined the EU in 2014. At an October WTO meeting, "several" countries expressed "concern" over how the EU is calculating the quota carve-up, with some even questioning whether a renegotiation is possible given the schedule is pending certification. They are also keen to see what kind of market access the EU and UK offer each other in any post-Brexit trade deal to be announced. "Brexit should not result in a loss of market access that was established through previously negotiated outcomes," they said in a statement. The hum of milking parlours will gradually cease for the next six to eight weeks on over 80pc of dairy farms in the south of the country. This is due to the increasing decline in winter milk production which is primarily seen as a high cost system with low returns. There has been an ongoing exodus from winter milk production over the past 20 years due to factors both within and outside the farm gate. Within the farm gate, skilled labour is a scarce resource. Farmers psychologically want a break from the demands of milking cows 24/7. Shorter days create an innate need to take a break and recharge the batteries. Winter milk production today is a specialist task. Housing facilities for dry cow, milking cows, calves and maiden heifers have to be of sufficient standard not only for cost-efficient milk production, but also to meet modern animal welfare requirements. The preparation and feeding of winter milk diets is more costly than those centred around grass-based systems. There is a greater investment required in machinery and labour for feeding regimes for the various groups of stock in winter milk. Beyond the farm gate, there are the demands of milk processors and supermarkets. Milk processors want specialist winter milk producers where the pool of milk supplied has minimal dilution with milk from late lactation or carry over cows from grass-based spring milk production. There is a focus on specialist dairy units with large milk pools, thus reducing the transport costs of collecting milk from many 'non-specialist' winter milk producers. Milk processors have also the opportunity of purchasing milk from the North where there is an inherent winter milk production strategy driven on the back of shorter grass growing seasons, limited grazing platforms and reduced labour requirements due to the installation of robotic milking systems. Robotic milking parlour installations are currently in high demand in the North because these systems suit their year-round milk production systems. Farmers with robotic systems focus on optimising the litres of milk harvested per robot thereby requiring a constant input of freshly calved cows on a monthly basis. Milk processors are able to purchase milk with a premium of 3-4p/litre over base price from Northern dairy producers. Dairy farmers in the South are not willing to invest time and money in a low returns strategy for their business. The supermarkets continue to see an opportunity of using 'own brand' low price milk as an incentive to increase footfall. It has been suggested that a British-style system of cow kennels and self feeding of silage with targeted costs of 100 per cow - including veterinary costs, AI and breeding, electricity , water and diesel - be used here. But this smacks of drudgery and cannot be considered as an acceptable environment for either man or beast. There is a need for forward thinking on the part of producers to focus on adding value to fresh milk. This requires a marketing initiative which will persuade milk consumers to pay a premium for milk produced to the high animal health and environmental standards. Carbon footprint This requires farmers to implement science-based principles which reduce the carbon footprint in milk production. Farm management practices which lend themselves to optimisation of herd health will drive the key targets for reproductive performance. This in turn is central to maximising the profitability of milk production. As farmers and service providers to the dairy industry, we have a responsibility to ensure optimal health of our eco system. A small co-op called Lee Strand based in Tralee is an example of the potential way forward on winter milk production. Here, farmers have focused on a premium brand of milk, which has traditionally been processed daily on a fresh basis. Lee Strand Co-op members are committed to avoiding factory farming milk production and maintaining the viability of the smaller dairy farm entity. A proper price structure which will reward these farmers for their hard work 365 days a year is absolutely necessary to maintain this liquid milk industry. Dr Dan Ryan is a bovine reproductive physiologist and can be contacted on www.reprodoc.ie The teleporter used as a weapon in the death of a farmer in Co Kerry during a row over a crow banger is to be returned to the killer's family. The vehicle with forklift-type prongs was a crucial piece of evidence in the trial of farmer Michael Ferris (63). He was jailed last week for five years for manslaughter. A jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of farmer Anthony OMahony (73). Expand Close Michael Ferris. Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Ferris. Photo: Mark Condren Sources told the Sunday Independent they expect the machinery to be returned to Ferriss family now the trial has concluded. A Garda spokesman said returning evidence is par for the course typically, when all court cases have fully concluded. This process may take some time, he added. Gardai said they could not discuss the return of evidence in relation to specific cases for operational reasons. It has not been confirmed when the teleporter will be returned to the Ferris farm. However, sources with knowledge of the case confirmed it is likely to be returned in the near future. Frank Buttimer, solicitor for Ferris, said he was aware of the intention the teleporter was to be returned. My understanding is that the teleporter is still in a garda yard in Kerry and I believe it is intended to be returned to the Ferris family. Ferris admitted unlawfully killing Mr OMahony on the morning of April 4, 2017. Mr OMahonys car was penetrated by the prongs of the teleporter. He was left with catastrophic injuries. He offered a plea of manslaughter prior to the trial and expressed remorse and sorrow for his actions. Mr OMahonys brother Seamus told the Sunday Independent: We would like Anthony to be remembered as a man who worked hard and enjoyed what he did. He didnt deserve what happened to him. Read Wayne OConnors full inside story of the death of Anthony OMahony in todays Sunday Independent. When Aer Lingus reveals its new livery in the New Year, staff at the airline might not be too surprised if the famous shamrock is replaced by a carrot and a very big stick. In recent weeks and months the airline's management team has used both approaches to drive the type of productivity changes it wants to match to the strong growth the former national airline is currently experiencing. That growth will not have been a surprise to IAG. It always knew that buying Aer Lingus for 1.5bn was a bargain that could help it mitigate against the inability of the British government to build a new runway at London Heathrow. The biggest loser from that interminable runway delay has been IAG's biggest beast, British Airways, but buying Aer Lingus and using it increasingly as a way to ferry passengers from the UK regions to north America is becoming a very effective Plan B. So that is the carrot: a whole host of new transatlantic routes, a new fleet of planes, connectivity and the promise of hundreds of new jobs. And, to be fair, this is exactly what management at the airline, with the enthusiastic backing of IAG boss Willie Walsh in London, have delivered, along with a 270m record profit in 2017. But there is also a very big stick, one which has been, in particular, regularly wielded by Aer Lingus chief operating officer Mike Rutter, a man whose tough reputation at other companies preceded him when he was appointed by Walsh. Since IAG took over the airline in 2015, it has set about restructuring the operation to make it less like the State-owned, unionised, Ireland-embedded airline that it once was and more akin to rivals such as Ryanair and Norwegian that it is competing with in Europe and on the Atlantic. Those airlines - and many others - operate business models that rely heavily on outsourcing, agency staff, low-wage operations and the inability of trade unions to have any delaying influence on the types of operational decisions they want to be able to make so as to drive the lower price operations that allows them to compete in an aviation environment that looks increasingly like turning to recession rather than boom. The one big hurdle for IAG in achieving the type of operation it wants at Aer Lingus is the guarantees that it made to the government at the time of the sale about maintaining employment standards at the airline. Fulfilling the promise of growing jobs - the political carrot - has not been a problem in the current booming environment. But sticking to the legacy wages and employment practices that have carried over from the old Aer Lingus - as well as its promise not to outsource - puts the airline at a disadvantage to its rivals. Management's attempt to work around those constraints - the stick - have badly soured the atmosphere in the airline over the past year or more. For example, last November, staff at the then Dublin-based guest-relations team were invited to what they believed was a standard update meeting with Rutter. By the end of the meeting they had realised that the entire department was moving to the US and that their choice was either to relocate or to spend time in the infamous "resource pool", effectively a holding tank for those whose roles were being changed or written off by the airline. But the really difficult battle only truly began this autumn. For many years Aer Lingus barely hid its desire to outsource its loading department. Aer Lingus loaders can expect total remuneration of over 60,000 compared to as little as 24,000 at other Dublin-based ground handlers. IAG's assurances to the Government at the time of the sale have meant that an outsourcing agenda on the ramp would be currently politically difficult to achieve. That has not stopped the environment on the ramp between management and staff becoming increasingly difficult, and talks between Aer Lingus and Siptu are bogged down following an accusation in September by Aer Lingus of "interference" by staff with new hand-held technology devices designed to streamline its Dublin ramp operations. It was into this already volatile environment that Rutter fired his detailed memo about the "theft of guest property, damage to company property and interference with colleagues' property." The airline has since coughed up a 25,000 charitable donation to atone for the upset that this memo has caused staff. But staff at the airport are left to legitimately wonder exactly why Rutter would issue such a memo in the first place. They know that the commitments made to government around employment matters are not as firm as the more formal written agreements on connectivity and Heathrow slots. In the words of the original IAG offer document, these commitments are forward- looking statements that "involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements." A deteriorating industrial relations environment would perhaps fall under the banner of such "risks and uncertainties". The rumour around the airport is that when the airline's new paint job is revealed next year that the shamrock will in fact be retained but that the famous green will be replaced by a much whiter theme. As Aer Lingus models itself ever more on its international rivals - and as guarantees to Government slip into the Celtic mists of time - expect any and all changes to be very much up for grabs. In recent weeks retailer Iceland has seen its cute advert about an orangutan become a social media sensation. It depicts a sad ape that is about to lose his home to evil palm oil farmers. A little girl takes in the ape, audience hearts melt and the retailer presses home the message that it is removing palm oil from its products. But what really sent the reaction to the ad through the roof was when the industry body for clearing television adverts in the UK banned it from airing because, it said, it was too political. The ad has since been viewed 65 million times online. Ron Metcalfe, head of the British retailer's Irish operation, says the huge online reaction to the advert was a surprise and that the ad itself was not political, but was very much in keeping with a store that has previously moved against plastic packaging and GM ingredients. "We are taking palm oil out of our own label range because we disagree with the deforestation and unnecessary harm it is doing to orangutans. So it's not a political thing, we just believe that it's right to support this campaign. You know we were the first company who said we were going to remove plastic out of our own-label products. We have strong beliefs." Of course, taking on the palm oil growers in south-east Asia is, in reality, probably well down Metcalfe's long to-do list, which is topped by a substantial expansion of Iceland's store network in Ireland. He started his career with Iceland in his native Liverpool more than 40 years ago and came to Ireland 22 years ago to run the retailer's then new operation here. "We originally opened 10 stores but in 2005 there was a lot of focus going on what was happening with the operation in the UK and the company did not want the distraction of a much smaller Irish operation at the time. At that stage we weren't going to invest any more so I was asked to close the business down, which I did in October 2005. It was not an easy thing because I'd built that team up. It was real personal for me, it was my baby." Metcalfe stayed on in Ireland, working for the Moriarty Group and then B&Q. The Iceland brand had lived on here in the guise of six franchised stores. But then, in 2013, Iceland made a strategic decision to take the Irish business back and to grow it. Metcalfe was delighted to get the call to come back and develop an expansion plan. Since then it has grown to 26 stores, having just opened stores in Nenagh and Wexford. But, says Metcalfe, that is only for starters. "Our goal is to get to between 50 and 70 stores in the Republic of Ireland," he says. "What slows us down is getting sites or property in the right location to put in the right size store for an area. We've got five guaranteed for next year and I would say by 2023 we will certainly have around 50." Metcalfe says he has a wide remit as to where to look for suitable sites and while it does depend on what he describes as "the number of chimney pots", he is happy to look wherever there may be an opportunity. "We look everywhere," he says. "We want a store in every town. The areas where we are actively looking more than most are where we haven't actually got any coverage and around Meath, up the east coast from south Dublin right up to Dundalk, and then, after that, probably the west coast around Sligo. Those are the areas we are actively looking at, but ultimately the plan is to have national coverage." While Lidl and Aldi both have 140 stores apiece, and Metcalfe admits that will be a hard gap to bridge, he still believes there is now a massive opportunity for Iceland, not least because of its focus on expanding beyond the frozen food that originally gave the store its name. That name has tended to give shoppers in the past a fairly one dimensional view of what an Iceland store has to offer: cheap frozen food. But Metcalfe - munching on what is an admittedly delicious mince pie from Iceland's Christmas selection - is adamant that the new stores it is now rolling out in Ireland have far more to offer. "Our mince pies are award-winning," he says. "Selfridges are actually selling our mince pies this year. From a quality and a value point of view, no one does it better than us. Yes, we are the experts in frozen food. That's our 'go to'. But we also have over 1,500 grocery lines and over a thousand chilled and fresh lines. Quality and value is what we are about." Nevertheless, Metcalfe says frozen food remains at the heart of the retailer's offering and it is something, he says, that will always be the case. "Think about the quality of frozen food, or what we like to call 'nature's pause button'. The journey that fish take, for example, shows why it can be the best approach. Our fish is frozen at sea right after being caught. What is called fresh fish is not frozen. It sits on the boat, goes to the market, is bought and then sits on loose ice in a supermarket with the heat of lights and the store coming down on top of it." Iceland has built up a network of about 40 Irish suppliers and about 25pc of goods sold are sourced in Ireland. That is something in which Metcalfe takes genuine pride, not least because he has made Trim, Co Meath, home for himself and his family for 22 years. Setting up Iceland in Ireland as a separate entity from the UK mothership was important and has given him the degree of freedom he needs to ensure that the offering appeals to the local market. "The way we describe it is that our parents live in the UK and we live in Ireland. We financially report back to them but it is a separate business. If you walk into an Iceland in the UK and an Iceland in Ireland, there are lots and lots of subtle differences." Inevitably, as with any other Irish-based food business, Brexit is a concern but, says Metcalfe, not too much of a concern. Iceland has already planned for what he describes as the worst-case scenario. "We'd be foolish not to, but its difficult to put all your ducks in a row because ultimately no one knows what's going to happen at this stage. The benefit for us is that a lot of our suppliers are based around Europe as well, so they can come directly in," he says. "I think it is just a case of wait and see and make sure that you're nimble enough to react. If it does turn into the worst-case scenario then there could be a delay with getting stock in but we've got plans in place to make sure that the customer doesn't see that delay." For Metcalfe, it's just one more item on his busy to-do list. 'Ireland has an excellent trading relationship with all three countries, with Belgium ranking as Ireland's second largest EU partner in terms of exports.' (Stock image) It is the kind of market access that companies dream of: 200 million potential customers within just 800km. That is the potential offered by the Benelux region. As a gateway to continental Europe, it is home to some of the world's biggest and most efficient ports and offers Irish companies access to opportunities across the eurozone. Two events in November, organised by Enterprise Ireland, aimed to encourage companies to take advantage of these opportunities. Significant partnerships between Irish and Dutch companies were also announced during a trade mission held on November 23. Costo, a Dutch leader in warehousing and distribution, announced the adoption of technology developed by Irish company Eiratech Robotics to optimise its logistics processes. It will use Eiratech's Eirabot to multiply the number of orders picked per hour, essential when consumers expect online orders to be delivered within 24 hours. With one in 12 of the Benelux population working in logistics, the partnership demonstrates the strong cultural fit between Dutch and Irish companies. In the life sciences sector, CapX Netherlands, Avics and Corning are partnering with Irish mobile network specialists Druid Software to deliver scalable, safe, and future-proofed wireless technology. Enterprise Ireland's Ambition Benelux event focused on supporting Irish exporters to identify challenges and develop strategies to succeed in the region. It was the latest in a series of workshops highlighting key eurozone markets. The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg offer lucrative individual markets, but as a hub the region is attractive to Irish companies in search of a post-Brexit springboard to new markets. Eiratech Robotics's Dutch partnership will enhance its ability to target opportunities in Germany, for example. Ireland has an excellent trading relationship with all three countries, with Belgium ranking as Ireland's second largest EU partner in terms of exports. Irish exports to Belgium have grown year-on-year, with a value of 12.04bn for 2017. Belgium offers far more than market access. Like Ireland, it punches above its weight in life sciences, pharma and medtech with the potential for partnerships between companies in the two countries. Representing only 3pc of the EU economy, Belgium is home to 16pc of Europe's biotech industry and 14pc of its pharmaceutical exports. The Netherlands too offers a developed market driven by a highly-skilled workforce. In both, integrating your business, be it through a branch, agent or distributor partner, is simplified by ease of company registration and the population's high fluency in English. The economy in the Netherlands remains dynamic, with growth expected to reach 3pc in 2019 and unemployment standing at just under 4pc. Attendees at Ambition Benelux heard that growth is creating demand for skills in IT contracting, data centre construction and cleantech builds, a good fit for the strengths of Irish exporters. Irish construction firms have earned a reputation with the Dutch for expertise in these areas. With growth in data centre demand rising 18pc year-on-year, there are attractive opportunities for Irish companies, including project management. While Luxembourg is the smallest Benelux country, its location and reputation as a financial services sector means it ranks as the world's third most globalised economy, not only the European leader in managed assets, but also the second globally. With the highest GDP per capita in Europe, and third globally, it is uniquely placed for high-end retailers looking to enter the market. Entering new markets requires support. Enterprise Ireland's Benelux office offers access to a network of contacts, market research and advice. Exporters taking the plunge will soon realise the value of the Dutch expression for making a deal: 'Let's make land together!' Patrick Torrekens is head of Enterprise Ireland Benelux Irish bakers Seerys is set to serve up more than 800,000 Christmas puddings over the Christmas season. The Co Carlow-based company will send more than half of the desserts abroad. Seerys plans to break the one million pudding mark next year. Pictured are Brian Seery and Lorraine Seery of Seerys Bakery. Photo: Dylan Vaughan. AN Irish baker, Seerys, will produce more than 800,000 Christmas puddings for the festive season, with more than half of them going overseas. The Co Carlow baker, which employs 70 people, will export hundreds of thousands of the desserts to the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. The business imported 400 tonnes of sultanas from Turkey for this year's pudding run. "That's a 40ft container arriving into our bakery in Tinryland every 15 days," Seerys sales director Brian Seery said. "The international export market is going to be very important to us going forward for our future development, despite what's been going on in the UK. Next year, we're planning to sell more than a million puddings." Seery said growth in pudding sales has taken off over the last 10 years. He said the company was selling fewer than 100,000 puddings in 2007 and that significant distribution deals in the UK added an extra half-amillion puddings to their sales. He also said traditional puddings were steamed for five to six hours and that the same process had been employed in the bakery but on a "far bigger scale". Seerys has agreed distribution deals with Musgrave's SuperValu and Centra shops, as well as separate agreements with Dunnes Stores and Tesco. The puddings are also stocked in Asda in the UK as well as Albert Heijn's 800 supermarkets across the Netherlands. "Our success story shows you can set up a business anywhere, once you have the right team," Seery said of the company's headquarters. Choosing west Co Cork as the base for a startup which makes cosmetics entirely from natural, organic ingredients looks like an inspired decision for its founders John Murray and Simon Jackson, as they hope to utilise the area's natural resources to create a local movement as well as continuing to build a highly sustainable enterprise. The couple were previously based in Bristol and worked together on Jackson's previous company, Dr Jackson's Natural Products before deciding to get married and move to the west Cork town of Schull, where they set up a new firm, Modern Botany. They've already made a name for themselves with Modern Botany Oil, a versatile and keenly priced oil that can be used as a moisturiser for face, body hair and nails. Launched in 2016, it quickly became a word-of-mouth success story, and picked up several awards. As sectors go, the global skincare market, projected to be worth some $135bn (118bn) in North America and Europe by 2021, looks like an unfeasibly large nut to crack for a small start-up based in a small town in West Cork, but Jackson and Murray are very much responding to a clear trend towards natural products. "We would like to say the success is down to people 'getting it'," says Jackson. "I think we have all lived through the chemical generation, from the 1970s until now, and we are now moving into a post-chemical generation, where people are questioning what they put on their skin, what they consume and what's in their products." The big firms are beginning to cotton on to this trend. "They're seeing all of these smaller companies that are making products and are seeing that people are moving away and their sales are dropping." However, small firms can be a lot more agile, he adds. "We can make products and have a new product range out within one to two years. The big players, they can't move that quickly." Modern Botany is well placed to take advantage of the return of what Jackson calls "the golden age of natural products". For a start, Jackson has a PhD in pharmacognosy - the study of medicinal drugs obtained from natural sources such as plants - from King's College in London, as well as a background in the study of skin disease. But he also has more than 20 years' experience in cosmetics, including stints working on African indigenous ingredients in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, prompting him to set up his first firm. "I think it goes in cycles. If you look back in my field in pharmacognosy, it was very popular in the '60s and '70s and that's because a lot of people were looking at plants for cancer treatments. But then in the '80s '90s it moved very much the other way and more towards synthetic biology and molecular biology. But I think what's happening again, and maybe its driven by market forces, people want to move to natural products and natural medicine." Murray, who hails from Donoughmore in north Cork, had worked in various fields before joining Jackson's first firm in 2012 as business development manager, and for which he secured major distribution and commercial contracts with such retailing stalwarts as Net-a-Porter, Harvey Nichols and Le Bon Marche. "That took the brand global, which is great, but we had always wanted to do something which was more for the masses, and that's really why Modern Botany was born. We wanted to do something that was a lot more inclusive." Besides wanting to be closer to John's parents, the choice of west Cork was ideal for Jackson in that the area is home to many other expatriates. "It's quite international in some areas, so it's easier for me to kind of fit in." But when it came to setting up an Irish natural skincare company, Schull may not have been the obvious choice from a logistical perspective, being a two-hour drive from Cork city and five hours from Dublin, but thanks to a local supplier, Digital Forge, they "have better broadband than they did in the UK", said Jackson, which makes all the difference. It runs all its distribution internally from its offices in Schull and its products are now in more than 200 stores, pharmacies and lifestyle shops at the moment. The firm was always committed to employing local people and to date their current team of seven, which they plan to expand to 12 over the next year, are all from the area. "There's a wealth of talent in west Cork," says Jackson. While it may be a small and agile company, the firm took its time in developing its formulations, particularly because they had several export markets in its crosshairs from the start, not least because consumers in Ireland and the UK are somewhat behind the curve when it comes to natural skincare products. "I think the natural product movement is growing here in Ireland, but Germany is where the biggest consumers of natural products live, so we have always kept this in mind. That meant spending time on the formulations - it took us four versions of the finished product before we were happy." It has also invested money and time in various certifications, including Cosmos, a unified, harmonised standard for organic and natural cosmetics that was established in 2010. As well as Germany, target markets include mainland Europe, the USA. It is currently embarking on a 1.5m funding round through private equity and match funding, and is a participant on the Enterprise Ireland high potential startup programme. "We also work closely with CorkBic and have a mentor who has been invaluable." While its products use Irish ingredients where possible, such as flax oil, Jackson says it is difficult to source any natural products or herbs in Ireland. Using their own two-acre farm as a test-bed, they have already managed to grow camomile, marigold and flax - crops that thrive in west Cork's traditionally rocky and marginal soil - and, as part of a five-10 year plan, they want to encourage local farmers to grow these crops for them. "So I think slowly, slowly, we're starting to get this movement happening in Ireland which doesn't really exist at the moment. We're talking potentially about large-scale extraction, having some kind of co-operative maybe or a centre where people can drop off their crops and then we can extract oil that we need the plants. So really I think our biggest challenge - getting the ingredients for our products in Ireland - it will happen. It's just going to take a while for us to do that. What Jackson enjoys the most about his current role is in educating people about natural ingredients. "For me that's the exciting thing, it's not even about money and how much money can you make. It's really about how can you put something back into a community, or how can you empower people to do things or to learn about things." modernbotany.com 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. Meng Wanzhou has been arrested in Canada for extradition to the US. Photo: AP Does the arrest of senior Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou mean we should start worrying about using that company's networks? This is what the US wants us to believe. But we might be cautious about following its guidance. For a few years, American intelligence and political figures have been waging a war against the Chinese company, banning its equipment and telling operators they'd better not offer the smartphones for sale. The reason, they say, is that Huawei has close links to Chinese authorities. And as the US seems to be in some degree of constant cyber-war with China these days, it has decreed that some Chinese companies can't be used. Huawei comes in for particular intention because it's such a big player in communications network infrastructure. It now has 28pc of the world's networking market, overtaking Ericsson and Nokia to become the biggest player. This means it is to the fore in the new generations of 5G mobile networks and core broadband infrastructure. For example, Eir is currently planning to invest 150m in a 5G mobile network upgrade that's based on Huawei kit. Vodafone and the ESB, through their nationwide Siro fibre broadband venture, build their key infrastructure using Huawei. BT Ireland uses it too. What US authorities claim is that using infrastructure on this scale opens up the possibility of manipulation, even if unintentional, by the Chinese government. And they're really starting to put the boot in. Last year, Huawei was humiliated when the main US mobile operators pulled out of arrangements to sell Huawei phones after US authorities advised them to do so. This destroyed any chance of Huawei making an impact on the US market, the most important after China and the EU. It was a big deal because Huawei is now the world's second biggest smartphone seller, recently creeping ahead of Apple to trail only Samsung. Despite the American snub, Huawei has still managed to get into the global top three when it comes to phone sales. This is partially down to the handsets themselves: Huawei has thrown the kitchen sink at design and research. Its most recently announced smartphone, the Mate 20 Pro, has three cameras on its back side. Technically, few other phones can match it. And Huawei can also do relatively nicely without the US, which only has 5pc of the world's population. But if you're a Huawei executive, you've got to be nervous. There are signs that the reticence of US operators is now slowly spreading beyond American shores. Last week, Britain's biggest telecoms operator was reported to be scaling back its use of Huawei equipment for security reasons. British Telecom will now move Huawei kit away from "core" network functions in rolling out 5G infrastructure, the Financial Times reported. Is this a strategic decision from a big British company that is only limited to mobile networks? Or is it a general sea-change in policy? Here, BT Ireland uses Huawei as its "core" high-speed network between Dublin and Belfast. It recently bragged about increasing the speed and power of its underlying telecoms infrastructure between London and Dublin using Huawei's technology. But those investment decisions were taken a few years ago, before tension around Huawei's ascent rose. Last week, matters escalated further when Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested and detained by police in Canada. The Canadians were acting on a US extradition warrant. The apparent grounds for detention relate to contravening trade sanctions against Iran, which the Trump administration is pursuing almost single-handedly. The Chinese government is outraged by the detention, interpreting it as a direct assault on Chinese interests. Huawei itself is just as incensed. But beyond the current drama, is there anything to fears that Huawei may be some sort of listening post for the Chinese government? There hasn't much by way of overt evidence that Chinese companies such as Huawei are doing this. Sure, US security agencies warn against using Chinese infrastructure firms. But it's equally plausible to speculate that these objections are part of an overall US strategy to hurt Chinese industrial expansion in a general way. There's also more than a dose of irony in the American accusations. Does anyone really believe that US agencies don't penetrate our communications on a daily basis, picking up information about us at will? "But they're the good guys, they're just doing that to protect us," I can hear people saying. Maybe. But perhaps it's because American agencies monitor us so completely that they, more than others, are acutely aware of the potential for rivals to do likewise. So will Ireland follow the example of the US, which has already persuaded Australia and New Zealand to ban Huawei? Not in the short term. Ireland has a deepening involvement with Huawei. The Chinese company has set up research and development centres here with almost 200 people. Senior Chinese executives from the company have been entertained by government ministers, the head of the IDA, the provost of Trinity College and several other influential figures in Ireland's establishment. (To be fair, this is hardly unique - hundreds, maybe thousands, of other company executives could boast the same level of access.) Ireland generally has a loyal attitude to companies that invest in the country. So it would be surprising if we suddenly get anxious about a company just because some other country has its suspicions. One in four Irish people who suffer strokes are under the age of 65, new research has found. Strokes affect between 8,000 and 10,000 Irish people every year and most are caused by a blockage in the blood vessel, usually a blood clot. A new documentary, A Tiny Spark, shines a light on the bravery shown by young survivors of strokes as they try to get their lives back on track. Limerick mother Rebecca Slattery revealed she had recently given birth to her son, Ronan, when she was rushed to hospital with a stroke - at the age of 30. She had gone to A&E in Dublin a few days earlier with what she later learned was her first stroke. "I was just getting used to being a new mam. I was out on maternity leave when I had the stroke. It was the Monday about lunchtime. I just kind of felt just a sudden headache coming on. "It was like a switch or a tap being turned on, this instant pressure building up in my head. I just felt like my head was going to explode. It was filling with pain." Rebecca's partner rushed her to St Vincent's Hospital but was told there was nothing they could do for her and to go home and have a paracetamol. Her moving account is captured in A Tiny Spark, a documentary from the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices based at NUI Galway and Galway Film Centre. Rebecca's father came up from Limerick that weekend and brought her to her family home where she experienced her second terrifying symptoms. She said: "I walked into the sitting room and I remember Eileen Dunne was on the one o'clock news. "She kind of looked like the elephant man, her forehead was all kind of up on one side, her eye was gone up into her forehead. "When I looked at my dad and my little boy, their faces were all distorted as well." After rushing to Limerick Regional Hospital where she had a lumbar puncture and MRI scan, she was given the devastating prognosis by two doctors. She said: "She said, 'in layman's terms you've had a stroke'. "I was going 'Oh right, OK'. About a minute later, I started crying." The documentary film, directed by Niamh Heery, shines a light on the effects cerebrovascular illness and strokes can have on people's lives. Irish neuroscientist Dr Karen Doyle said between 8,000 to 10,000 people in Ireland suffered a stroke every year. She said: "The vast majority of those are people over the age of 65. But actually about a quarter of all strokes happen in the younger age group of 65 and under." Trevor Neville, a father of two from Limerick, had a stroke aged 31. His mother reveals the harrowing phone call she received from his doctors in England after he was rushed to hospital with a stroke. "My phone rang at about 10 o'clock and it was a Dr Kennedy. "He said, 'You've two options, you let him die or we operate and he's a vegetable for the rest of his life'," she said moved to tears at the memory. She said the decision was made to give her son a chance by operating and now Trevor, who is back living with her in Limerick, has made a remarkable recovery. "He makes his lunch ready every morning before going to Headway in (Limerick)", she said, referring to the organisation which helps people with acquired brain injury. Rebecca said she was worried about getting another stroke for a long time after her recovery. "The fear didn't go for a long time." Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CURAM at NUI Galway, said the stories of stroke survivors show the real challenges that people face. Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major will travel to Co Longford on Monday to deliver a keynote speech on former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds' contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process. Mr Major's visit coincides in the same week 25 years ago that he, together with his former Irish counterpart, signed the Downing Street Declaration. The accord, signed on December 15 1993 has long been heralded as one of the key catalysts in bringing about multi-party talks which would later lay the foundations for the brokering of the Good Friday Agreement. The former Conservative party leader, who enjoyed a close personal relationship with the late Mr Reynolds, will take centre stage at what has been dubbed the 'Inaugural Albert Reynolds Memorial Lecture' at Longford's Backstage Theatre tomorrow afternoon. In the lead-up to those events, Mr Major is also scheduled to meet members of the Reynolds family before a reception is held in the aftermath of Mr Major's speech at the Longford Arms Hotel. Fianna Fail Cllr Mick Cahill, who initiated calls for a special event to mark Mr Reynolds' contribution to the Peace Process during his time as Longford County Council Cathaoirleach in 2017, said the occasion had been a long time coming. "When I was in the chair,I just felt it was very important that we, as a county, recognised the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Downing Street Declaration and the major role Albert Reynolds had not just in that, but in the wider Peace Process," he said. The fact (Sir) John Major is coming to talk on that very subject presents a fantastic opportunity for people to experience it live and it is no more relevant than it is at this moment in time. When you think that he (Mr Major) accepted the invitation shows just how highly he thought of Albert and the significant role he played in the (Peace) Process. Fianna Fail party leader Micheal Martin is also expected to address those in attendance prior to Mr Major's speech while more than ten of Mr Reynolds' former cabinet members who served with him at the time of the Downing Street Declaration in 1993, will also be present. In anticipation of the former British premier's arrival, a number of road closures have been announced. They include L 1127 from its junction with the R397 at Ballymacormack to its junction with the L 3013 at Lisduff Cross which will be inaccessible from 2pm until 6pm. Local diversions will apply and proof of residency is likely to be required to access the road. RTE, meanwhile, have confirmed live coverage of the event will be carried on its News Now digital channel and the RTE Player on www.rte.ie from 4:30pm. Garda HQ has instructed senior officers to conduct a trawl of current investigations that could be impacted by the landmark ruling on mobile phone evidence that was used to convict Graham Dwyer. A directive was circulated across Garda divisions last Friday to compile a list of cases that might be affected following the High Court ruling that the law relied on to access his mobile data was incompatible with EU regulations. The architect from Foxrock, Dublin, was found guilty in 2015 of the murder of Elaine O'Hara, a childcare worker. He wants to use the ruling as part of his appeal of conviction which is to be heard next year but there is no guarantee victory in the Court of Appeal will follow. The more pressing impact may be on other criminal cases that are relying on mobile phone evidence gathered since the EU directive at the heart of Dwyer's appeal was challenged. The level of concern this has caused within An Garda Siochana is reflected in last Friday's decision. The force's management wants to assemble urgently a list of live cases that rely significantly on mobile phone evidence, and which are either before the courts or the subject of files to the DPP. "It is a trawl through the cases requested by the legal section of An Garda Siochana," said a senior source. "The concern is over cases where the phones are the primary evidence." The selected cases will be assessed by the DPP, but it remains to be seen what action could follow. If mobile phone evidence is deemed to be unsafe, cases that have not progressed to the prosecution stage could be sent back to the drawing board, while cases already before the courts could now be challenged. Regardless of the impact on his appeal, the ruling is an undoubted victory for Dwyer. Although not in court last week, one source at the Midlands Prison revealed that Dwyer was "restrained but clearly thrilled" when he learned he had won the High Court challenge. Dwyer has devoted most of his waking hours behind bars to building up his privacy case and his appeal of his conviction, according to a prison source. A vegetarian, Dwyer follows a strict fitness regime in prison - and is one of the most avid clients of the prison library. "You could see he was absolutely delighted with the result - but he wasn't over the top about it," the source said. "Over recent months he has been totally focused on his High Court privacy challenge and his appeal. It is fair to say he has been a model inmate over recent times." Dwyer started legal proceedings challenging the use of mobile phone evidence in January 2015, the same month that his trial opened at the Central Criminal Court. The basis for his action was a European Court of Justice ruling in April 2014, which struck down an EU directive that required mobile phone companies and internet providers to store data for two years. Experts such as TJ McIntyre, assistant law professor at UCD, warned three years ago that unless the Government addressed the problem with new legislation, more prosecutions and convictions would be put at risk. But new legislation aimed at filling the vacuum is still being drafted. Dwyer's case centred on the data taken from his work phone in 2013, when he was identified as a suspect for Ms O'Hara's murder. The data was used to link him to another phone, which gardai said he acquired to contact Ms O'Hara. But Dwyer argued that the data should never have been taken from his work phone, claiming that it was unconstitutional and breached his human rights. He had always denied that this other phone was his. The mobile phones were not the only evidence against Dwyer. The case against him pulled together various strands of evidence, including forensic evidence from Ms O'Hara's apartment. But the phones were key in helping to identify him as a suspect five weeks after Ms O'Hara's body was found in the Dublin mountains in September 2013. She had been reported missing by her family a year earlier. By coincidence, around the time that her body was found, a bag, various items of clothing and a Dunnes Stores loyalty tag that was later identified as Ms O'Hara's were recovered from a reservoir in Wicklow. Further searches yielded two Nokia phones. One of the Nokias - which detectives believe was used by Ms O'Hara - was in contact with a third phone, an 083 number. The text messages yielded by these phones, and Ms O'Hara's laptop and iPhone, became central to the investigation. They revealed Ms O'Hara, a vulnerable woman, was involved in a world of bondage and S&M, that the person she was in contact with fantasised about stabbing during sex and stabbing a sheep and of "doing a woman next". Gardai knew that Ms O'Hara used one of the two Nokias recovered from the reservoir. The key question was who owned the second Nokia and the 083 number. Detectives identified Dwyer from Ms O'Hara's phone and her laptop. The 083 number was saved onto her iPhone as David, and on her laptop as Graham. Text messages from the 083 number to Elaine referred to a pay cut at work, and coming fifth in a flying competition. Trawls of model aircraft clubs threw up a Graham Dwyer who came fifth in a flying competition, was an architect and had recently had a pay cut. CCTV footage showed Dwyer entering Ms O'Hara's apartment block on eight occasions. His semen was found on the mattress. In one of the CCTV images, he had a backpack similar to the one found at the reservoir at Vartry. Dwyer's arrest led to further evidence. Computers revealed videos on his laptop of him cutting Ms O'Hara during sex. There were also text messages from her own phone. Dwyer is now focused on his appeal. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor ruled that the legislation allowing authorities to retain and access the data did not meet the requirements of the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. He said Dwyer was entitled to certain limited declarations concerning provisions of Ireland's data retention laws in his appeal of conviction. But it is not a given that Dwyer's appeal will succeed. The judgment also said he had not established that the actual operation of the 2011 Act in retaining telephone data from the phone was "inappropriate, unnecessary or disproportionate". There is legal precedent that, in certain circumstances, evidence that may later be found to be unlawful could be admissible if it was gathered in good faith, under the law that operated at that time. Dwyer's appeal will centre on a number of forensic, evidential and technical issues These include how gardai obtained evidence from a bin outside his home; the admission of critical telecommunications data; allowing a key witness to give evidence via video-link; the admissibility of key material obtained from Ms O'Hara's IT device; the impact of allowing video recordings to be viewed by the jury; and post-trial comments by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy. The appeal is unlikely to be heard and ruled on before mid-2019. The case could be further stalled if the State appeals against last week's landmark High Court ruling. Customers are being warned to read over the full details of their insurance cover Irish people returning home for Christmas are being warned to take photographs of car rental vehicles and to read the terms and conditions of insurance cover. Expats and tourists have spoken out about "frustrating" experiences when renting cars from airports here as thousands of people are expected to travel to Ireland over the festive period. Some have told how they were charged for damage they claim was not caused by them and said they were left with no option but to pay as they had a flight to catch within hours. Others took out 'full cover' insurance only to learn that full cover doesn't include damage to wheel rims. Michael McBurney, a retired Aer Lingus pilot who now lives in Asia, rented an Opel from Avis at Dublin Airport last September. On returning the vehicle a week later he was charged for damage to one of the wheels, despite providing photos showing the damage was pre-existing. "When I went outside I found the car was covered in dents and scuffs and scratches," Mr McBurney told Independent.ie. "I took plenty of photos of all the panels, because I knew I could be blamed for any scratch, and there were dozens. I drove the car safely for a week and returned it two hours before my flight to Hong Kong. At the inspection a staff member walked around the car and told me I had damaged a tyre." A supervisor who was working on the returns desk then came along and told Mr McBurney he would have to pay 130 for the scuff mark on the sidewall of the left front tyre. Expand Close Avis argued he had caused the scuff marks on the wheel / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Avis argued he had caused the scuff marks on the wheel "There was no explanation as to where that number came from, he hadnt referred to any manual," he said. "I then told him I had taken photos of all the wheels. He didn't seem interested. He told me to pay up and send the photos to their 'claims department' afterwards. "Being in a hurry for my flight I had to just pay and leave - but not before I took more photos." He examined his before and after photos when he returned to Hong Kong, which confirmed the damage was already there. Mr McBurney sent the photographs to the Avis claims department and they agreed the damage "may not" have been done by him and granted a refund. "From the photos you have provided, we are satisfied that this damage was not caused during the course of your rental," an Avis staff member said. "Therefore we will be processing a credit in the amount of 130.01 to your MasterCard Account." In a statement to Independent.ie, a spokesperson for the company said "we do not discuss individual cases with third parties. We have dealt with the complaint and have no further comment to make." The retired pilot also warned customers to be wary about taking insurance with car rental companies as sometimes it is not as transparent as you are led to believe. "Another thing car rental companies do is they lead you to believe your 'full insurance' bought on their websites means 'full'. It does not, and they'll try to get more money out of you when you arrive to pick up the car and they inform you that 'full' cover is actually another 20+ per day," he said. Customers are regularly caught out by their insurance cover, research by company CarHireExcess.ie found. A recent survey showed that 40pc of holidaymakers experienced excess charges at the car hire desk. Along with being charged for damages they claimed they werent responsible for, they were being charged excessive and expensive rates to cover this excess. John McDonagh, who lives in New York, returns home to Galway to visit his family at least three times a year and rents a vehicle each time. In May, he was charged 969.41 by Hertz for scuff marks on tyres of an Audi he rented at Dublin Airport. Expand Close The incident report form from Hertz said "chunks had been taken out of the wheels" / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The incident report form from Hertz said "chunks had been taken out of the wheels" Mr McDonagh wasn't informed of this when returning the vehicle and only noticed the charge on his account when he returned to the United States. He had also taken out "super cover" insurance with Hertz but was later informed that this insurance didn't cover fuel contamination, keys and/or damage to the rims of the wheels. He said there was a significant lack of transparency as the invoice he received when returning the car at the airport was for 846.95. However, there was also a section that said ".01 damage to vehicle". He assumed this meant one cent, but it ended up costing him nearly 1,000. "When you return your car to Dublin after youve just driven from the west of Ireland, youre tired, you look at your invoice and I didn't see anything unusual. But I also didn't understand that .01 is code for damages to be assessed," Mr McDonagh told Independent.ie. "I had full insurance on the car when I rented at Dublin Airport but apparently the insurance on the tyres and rims is separate. I find it strange that if you have the car insured and you crash the car your fine as long as you dont scratch the rims." The damage report from Hertz said "chunks taken out of tyres". Mr McDonagh argued his case with Hertz and was later issued a full refund. He said he's normally "very satisfied" when renting a vehicle with Hertz and this was the first issue he had. "Following a review of the case file, taking your comments into careful consideration and in an effort to seek an amicable resolution we have decided to no longer pursue the material damage claim in the sum of 969.41 as a gesture of goodwill," Hertz said in an email. "We should point out this is in no way an acknowledgement of responsibility and solely in the interest of good customer service." Independent.ie has contacted Hertz for comment. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission said that since January it has received 177 contacts relating to car rental issues and 108 of these were from consumers who were looking for information about charges, payments and deposits. "More specifically, we received 14 contacts in which individuals had encountered difficulties with what appeared to be pre-existing issues with their rental cars," a CCPC spokesperson said. The Car Rental Council of Ireland, the representative trade organisation for the car rental industry in Ireland, urges tourists to inspect the vehicle carefully on collection by walking all the way round it looking for any signs of damage. "Check the spare wheel and the tools. Make sure that any damage or missing accessories are notified to the rental company before you leave the rental compound. Allow plenty of time, particularly at busy rental sites, when checking the vehicle on return. Make sure that the vehicle is inspected by the rental company and that you both agree, note and sign for any damage on all copies of the damage report. "The rental company expects you to take good care of their vehicle. You will be liable for damage to the vehicle arising from misuse, off road driving or other acts of negligence which are regarded as breach of contract. These charges will include loss of income arising from a vehicle not being available for renting. This also applies to the theft of or from the vehicle." The rental companies emphasised that the customer has a responsibility to ensure the vehicles are returned in the same manner they were rented. Prisoners to be released for a few days this Christmas will be freed mainly from the State's two open prisons. Any prisoner serving a life sentence will have already served most of their sentence before being transferred to join other inmates in an open prison. "The vast majority of prisoners who would get Christmas temporary release would come from the two open centres, Loughan House in Co Cavan and Shelton Abbey in Co Wicklow," said an Irish Prison Service spokesman. "They are the most suitable for temporary release. "There are no big high walls. Nothing to stop a prisoner from walking out the front gate. It's wide open. They are there on trust and they know if they breach that trust, they will be back in a closed prison. "Some people would get a couple of hours out on Christmas Day while others might get a full week," he said. Last Christmas, 142 prisoners were granted varying periods of temporary release, which represents around 4pc of the prison population. Each temporary release comes with very stringent conditions. All prisoners returned to custody in line with their conditions of release. The overriding concern when considering the applications is "the safety of the public". The spokesman told the Sunday Independent: "All prisoners are eligible to apply for temporary release for Christmas or for compassionate release. "There are a whole lot of factors we would look at: the length of their sentence, the length of time they have served, the length of time left to serve, their behaviour, have they engaged with the services, have they been involved in any negative issues like drugs or mobile phones or fighting. A whole host of factors are considered." Each temporary release comes with very stringent conditions. He said there would be cases of people serving life sentences getting temporary release for Christmas but it would come "close to the end of their sentences", he said. The average length of a life sentence is currently around 18 years. Minister for Justice Charles Flanagan signs an order which grants a person temporary release. The Prison Service does not disclose the identities of prisoners receiving temporary release. There are currently 4,000 inmates in the Irish prison system, which has a capacity for 4,269 prisoners. The Victim Liaison Service notifies the victims of the crimes committed by individuals if those prisoners receive temporary release at any time during the year and they are also informed of their final release dates. But this information is only given to victims who specifically request to be kept informed of a prisoner's status within the prison system, he said. Of the 368 prisoners who are flagged as victim liaison cases, 172 of them are life sentence prisoners. Releases are much more structured than in the past and they now involve participation in various courses after inmates receive their freedom. A 45-year-old man who was last seen at his wedding reception on Saturday night has been located 'safe and well' by gardai. Stephen Warren, who is originally from Rathfarnham, Dublin, had been last seen at the Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co Kildare at around 12.30am on Sunday. Family members had been concerned for his welfare. "Stephen Warren has been located safe and well today, Monday 10th December 2018," a garda press officer said. "No further action is required. We would like to thank everyone who assisted in this appeal." Two of Ireland's most deserving charities have received a welcome pre-Christmas boost after Aer Lingus donated money to make up for its accusations that some of its staff were stealing from passengers, colleagues and the airline. But despite being forced into an apology of sorts after a stormy meeting with trade unions - at which management's actions were heavily criticised - the carrier was still attempting this weekend to pass the blame for its own PR disaster. In an unprecedented move, Aer Lingus is to pay 25,000 to Pieta House and Focus Ireland to placate staff outraged about an internal memo penned by chief operating officer Mike Rutter in which he wrote that law enforcement had been brought into the airline "as guest property and company stock losses remain at levels significantly above the industry norms". In a 'shoot the messenger'- style press release last Friday worthy of Donald Trump's White House, management claimed that reporting of the memo by the Sunday Independent had been "misleading", despite the fact that last Sunday's article and headline were entirely based on the content of Rutter's memo and that the airline had not subsequently raised any direct concerns with this newspaper. But within hours of releasing a grovelling and disingenuous statement to the wider media, the carrier had already backtracked even further. In a second statement that went only to this newspaper, Aer Lingus outlined that its only cause for concern with the reporting of Rutter's memo was the headline, not the content of the article. The headline last Sunday read "Aer Lingus chief says staff stealing 'many millions'", accurately summing up what Rutter had claimed in his memo, with full context provided in the article itself. Not surprisingly, many Aer Lingus staff were outraged by the contents of Rutter's memo. Neither Rutter nor Aer Lingus has yet publicly backed up his series of claims about theft at the airline with any evidence or data. Despite last Friday's apology by the airline, staff have yet to receive an explanation as to why he wrote and distributed the incendiary memo about which the airline's chief executive has now been forced to apologise. At a sometimes hostile meeting with trade union leaders last Thursday evening, management had claimed that it had had no contact from the Sunday Independent prior to publication of the details of Rutter's memo. But this newspaper had in fact spoken to the Aer Lingus press office two days before the story appeared, to confirm the content of the memo. The press office had followed up that initial phone call with an email on the matter a short time later confirming that Rutter had written the memo. Sources told this newspaper that, in last Thursday's "heated" meeting, the divisional organiser of Siptu's aviation section, Greg Ennis, told chief executive Stephen Kavanagh that "you and your minions caused this debacle" by putting out "a generic notice that could be read into in 10 different ways". Staff representatives were told that the only member of Aer Lingus management who did not speak during the meeting with unions was Rutter. Ennis told representatives that Rutter had sat at the meeting with his head down. "I believe he'd got the kicking he deserved," Ennis told the meeting, according to sources. But the Siptu leadership also faced intense criticism itself from shop stewards and airport workers as to why it had responded so meekly when Rutter first issued the controversial memo in November, which had followed earlier accusations by management that some staff were interfering with company equipment at Dublin Airport. When the Rutter memo was first released to staff, Siptu privately voiced concern to Aer Lingus over the CCTV and random search threat it contained. But shop stewards and staff told the union they were angry Siptu had not defended them publicly by challenging Rutter's theft claims when he first issued them. Only after the Sunday Independent reported the contents of the memo issued by Rutter did Siptu put out a statement describing the claims as "outrageous" and a "blanket character assassination". Despite since failing to outline any evidence for Rutter's original claims or its inability to point out any inaccurate details in the subsequent newspaper report, an airline spokesperson said it was unable to retract its claim that the article was "misleading" because it had agreed the wording of that company statement with its trade unions. Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load Councillors say local community members are devastated by the closure of penny banks Photo: Stock image The Central Bank has been accused of "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut" as penny banks are being forced to close over money laundering fears. Concerns were raised over "some kids who had a lot of money" saved up over the space of a year, a senior source said. This Christmas will see the end of many penny banks which helped rural community members save hundreds of thousands of euros from January until mid-November every year. A voluntary-run organisation, local people gave their time to collect savings from people on a weekly basis and an annual cheque was then issued to all members before Christmas. However, the penny bank has now become a victim of its own success as it drew the attention of the financial watchdog. Councillors have described the closures as "devastating", particularly for elderly people who used the savings club as a means of putting money away for grandkids. Paddy Kavanagh, a Fine Gael councillor in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, said a whole institution shouldnt be forced to close because a small number of people were believed to be abusing the system. "Its another blow to community effort. Certain organisations use it to fundraise and it also provides a service for people who want to save without the complication of the banks," he said. "Its over-regulation gone wrong if you ask me. We saw this week how the EU is investigating a number of money laundering cases at banks in different countries but you don't see them closing down the banks," he added. "The majority of people volunteering at the penny banks know most of the people in their community and would know if something is right or wrong. The Central Bank are ruining it for ordinary people trying to save a few quid." Independent councillor for Wexford David Hynes tabled a motion calling on the Government to prevent the Central Bank from closing penny banks and it was unanimously supported. "I'm in my 70s and since I was a boy, people have saved their money this way. They were there long before the Credit Unions even came into existence," Cllr Hynes said. "The spurious idea that the Central Bank came out with to increase regulation is ridiculous as it's a bank that fell asleep at the wheel during the worst economic collapse and now they're going after small community projects. We're talking about kids saving pennies and a few euros here. "Rural communities have already been hit hard with the closure of post offices, garda stations and pubs and now this is another thing that is being taken away." A newsletter from the penny bank committee in New Ross, Co Wexford described the closures as a huge loss to communities across Ireland. "The committee regrets to announce that due to Central Bank regulations St Mary's Penny Bank will not be open in January 2019. "A 'bank business' is defined in law as 'accepting sums of money from the public in the form of deposits or other repayable funds. The penny bank comes under that definition and therefore requires a licence to operate. "Such licences are not used by penny banks therefore the committee has no option but to close this facility at the end of 2018," the letter reads. Insurance companies advised various penny banks that the Central Bank required detailed information about people using the service because it is now regarded as a financial institution. Among the requirements made from the Central Bank were requests for photo ID and proof of address of all people saving in the penny bank. As a result, insurance almost doubled and it was no longer feasible to run the operation on a voluntary basis. A spokesperson for the Central Bank said: "Financial institutions, including credit unions, must ensure that they are compliant with the customer due diligence requirements of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 (the 2010 Act). "Section 33 of the 2010 Act requires that appropriate customer due diligence is undertaken to ensure that an entity has a means to identify and verify the identity of its customers. "The 2010 Act would therefore require that the identity of all savers in a savings club is known, with appropriate customer due diligence undertaken by the financial institution (such as a credit union)." An Irish chef who became the youngest chef in London to retain a Michelin star when he was just 25, has said diners need to enjoy the experience of dining out more. Last January, Andy McFadden (33) from Tallaght opened Glovers Alley in the Fitzwilliam Hotel after a 1.3m revamp He left the bright lights of London where hed been head chef at LAutre Pied and retained its Michelin star to strike out on his own back home. McFadden, who regularly eats out in Dublin often choosing casual dining spots - says he loves to meet his customers at the end of a nights service. But diners everywhere, the convivial chef tells Independent.ie, are often quick to critique a dining experience rather than simply remembering why they came out to have a good time. Most of the reviews weve had are positive. I think sometimes people - not necessarily here - in restaurants, are just going [there] to judge, theyre not going to enjoy the great meal, the service, theyre going to critique the experience. Youre going to enjoy, not to critique Just go to enjoy it a bit more. Its supposed to be fun, its supposed to be a fun experience. Dont sit there trying to write a review for yourself. McFadden, who is upbeat and describes cheffing as a great career that renders you employable anywhere in the world, says the job stereotype of long hours, stress and tough working environments doesnt cut it. Food is all about bringing people together in a moment, he believes. I know a chef in Cost Rica, and hes had Michelin stars, and hes living a different life now - his wife runs an antique store while he has a small restaurant at the back where he cooks for 12 people four nights a week. He talks about savoir vivre, the art of being around the table and [knowing how to] enjoy the food and wine and service. To enjoy life, but around the table. I think people have lost that a bit more. Ill be honest, I like eating out. I like the whole thing of going out with my girlfriend, my friends and my family. It doesnt have to be a fancy restaurant, I just like the whole experience of going out and being looked after. I try to eat out as much as I can. I dont cook at home. I hardly do it at all these days. I live on my own so when Im off I just want to go out. The Irish food scene is more diverse than ever, McFadden says. When he left Ireland 12 years ago after studying at IT Tallaght and working part-time under Neven Maguire, Irelands culinary offering was very different. I think now the standard is a lot higher, I think its really interesting. Ive had so many interesting meals, I go out first and foremost to have a great time, I dont sit there at the time, staring at the plates, and checking out the decor looking for cracks in the walls. I just go out to have a good time. I say this to my customers as well. I dont get to see every customer but at the end of the night I go out and say thanks for coming. More often than not a lot of them like to have a little chat, and I say to them what I notice in the last while, a lot of people come out with an idea already that they want to critique the restaurant. But then I think youre not going to enjoy it. Like, we were in a little Italian restaurant this week with my aunt and uncle who I hadnt seen in ages and I had a great time. At Glovers Alley, McFadden says he and his staff from service to kitchen staff are committed to creating the right atmosphere that allows customers to enjoy their food. He takes a rounded approach to the type of restaurant hes trying to create. His goal is to keep getting better and develop Glovers Alley from this, its first year. We get a lot of good compliments on our service, I always tell the service staff, bring your personality to the table. Irish diners love the interaction and they love to be recognised, and they appreciate that. Our service is professional but its also a bit more informal, and you have to treat each diner differently, one diner might be going through a bad time in their life. Then if someone orders a tasting experience, you know theyre here for a good time and they want to see what you can do. For a lunch, they might be a couple on business or something. Every diner is different. I was in a restaurant recently - were all people watching when we go to restaurants there was a couple and they were clearly in love and they were leaning across the table and sharing a really special moment and then the waiter came over like a robot with the coffee and he came in the middle of them and broke up the moment. I always use that example to my staff, just stand back, you can always go and make a fresh coffee and bring it back again instead. Travel writing is plagued by cliches. The 'hidden gem'; the 'city of contrasts'; the 'bustling market'. Used so often, terms like these suck the life out of places, boring readers rather than inspiring them. How to avoid these traps? I encourage writers to speak to the senses. Not just to look at a scene, but to ask: 'What am I seeing? What can I hear, taste, feel and smell?' Instead of that lazy 'bustling market' line, zero in on the grumpy man selling green sprigs of mint, or the slap-thunk sounds of fish being gutted and chopped. Reach past that 'charming' country house or 'azure' ocean for personal descriptions that put us right there with you - 'the room feels like a hug', or 'I taste salt on my lips'. Spark a human connection. Make us care. This notion of inhabiting a moment came to mind when I read that Bali's Ayana Resort and Spa (below) has banned the use of phones around one of its pools. Yes, it has the whiff of a PR gimmick (here I am, writing about it). But it also speaks to very un-gimmicky concerns: our anxiety about 24/7 connectivity, our constant state of distractedness, our penchant for travelling based on 'Instagramability', rather than what's going on inside and outside the frame. Clearly, our devices have enormous benefits, and technology isn't going back in the bottle. But it's healthy to question how we use it. When I wake up, take a break, sit down or see something new or unusual, my first reaction is often the same - I reach for my phone. I've been thinking a lot about this lately. So much of my screentime feels flittery and distracted, snacky and bitty rather than focused and purposeful. But when I heard about the Bali phone ban, it gave me an idea. Why not take that old travel writing trick, and apply it to life? So I ate a lunch without scrolling through news feeds. I took a walk without listening to a podcast. I watched what was going on around me; I let my thoughts have a play. In a cafe with my eight-year-old son, we played a game - closing our eyes and listing things we noticed, from chats around us to the smell of toasties. Forget FOMO. This was a giggle-inducing hit of JOMO (Joy of Missing Out). We don't need phone bans. We just need, every now and then, to slow down. To actively look and listen. To notice the small stuff hiding in plain sight, to travel in the moments around us. We don't require techniques, or to worry about being mindful or daydreaming. There's no need to take notes (unless you're writing for Independent.ie Travel, of course). Just re-connect with the real world, using a filter Instagram could never invent: yourself. Read more: Premium Declan Lynch Opinion United fall for oldest error in showbiz: the ropey remake At times I have felt the condemnation of Manchester United after their 5-0 annihilation by Liverpool a week ago has been harsh. Indeed, the battering they have been receiving for some years about their inexorable decline has tended to lose sight of one mitigating factor they are only doing what almost everyone else across the industry of human happiness tends to do in these situations: following an old playbook that might broadly be called trying to find the next U2. Tempting as it may be to discuss recent Brexit developments, the wisdom of the backstop and what will happen next March 29, these matters may be better left until next week. On Tuesday, Westminster votes on Theresa May's withdrawal deal. No analyst of British politics expects it to be passed. She may not be prime minister by the end of the day. A decision by the EU's supreme court, scheduled for 8am Irish time tomorrow, on whether the UK can stop Brexit without consultation with other countries, will be the first big moment of the week. If the judges decide that a country leaving the EU is free to reverse the decision unilaterally, the dynamic in the Brexit debate will change, and the prospect of the whole enterprise being postponed or cancelled will rise. But the most likely outcome is that Britain is heading out of the EU. Much of the focus of Brexit has been on the immediate impact. Here today, the focus is on how Europe is changing - both because of Britain's exit and for other reasons - and what this means for Ireland. Nobody who knows the European system thinks that it will not change considerably with the departure of one of its biggest and most influential members. Most observers of that system across the continent believe that Britain, although an awkward partner, has contributed positively: from the big geopolitical dimension, including its special relationship with the US; down to the technocratic humdrumery - Britain's large and effective civil service has done a lot of heavy-lifting in Brussels over the decades. Ireland has often been one of the beneficiaries of this heavy lifting. Although it would be wrong to over-emphasise the frequency with which Irish and British interests aligned, they did so on most economic issues. Moreover, the British instinct when dealing with problems is much more similar to the solutions-focused Irish one, and very different from that of the statist reflex of romance-language countries. As such, Irish officials have been less inherently suspicious of British proposals than, for instance, French ones. So how will Europe change after Brexit and how will Irish interests be affected? To some extent, we know quite a lot about how the EU will work without Britain. The euro, now two decades in existence, never had the UK on board. One euro area country (Germany) wields even more influence than it does in the wider EU and there is a case to be made that Britain would have brought greater balance to the management of the single currency, and its existential crisis in 2010-12, had it been a member. The British could not block the creation of the single currency, but they have been more successful in thwarting a greater role for the EU in military matters. Britain has traditionally been the most influential voice against the idea, largely because it feared giving the EU a bigger role in defence would weaken Nato and, as a result, weaken the role of the US in European security (Nato was created, a Briton once famously quipped, "to keep the Americans in, the Russians out and the Germans down"). France has always been the member country most in favour of a stronger independent European military capability, arguing that it is strategically unwise to depend on others, whose interests may differ or diverge, for something as fundamental as security. With the election of Donald Trump, the French can claim that their long-standing position has been vindicated. Both Brexit and the concerns about the US commitment to European security come as Russia is ever more assertive and aggressive, as the recent escalation of its war in Ukraine and other actions attest. Just last week Russia said it would develop new nuclear missiles targeting Europe if the US went ahead and pulled out of a 1980s arms-limitation agreement. Europe is squeezed between these militarily more powerful actors. Although there has never been a stronger case for the EU to become a more serious actor in security and defence matters, Ireland is ill-prepared for such a move. Few politicians have shown any sort of leadership on security. Discussion of defence matters remains infantilised. Someday Ireland's history of security free-riding - by not joining Nato and spending almost nothing on defence - will come to an end. Brexit has brought that day closer. Another big, on-going change in Europe relates to the euro. Efforts to address its structural weaknesses grind on. Just last week Paschal Donohoe and his fellow finance ministers put in an all-night session to agree changes to the single currency architecture. The result was thin gruel. The main reason the changes agreed were minimalist was because Ireland and other northern European countries to which it has allied itself, opposed deeper reform. It is not clear that this position is in Ireland's interests. The context is as follows. After his election last year, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, sought the sort of profound reforms that would address the euro's biggest weakness - a means of stimulating countries within the bloc which suffer downturns but can't devalue their currencies (as they did in the past) to rebalance their economies. This would entail - de facto - a euro area finance ministry and the centralised collection of more taxes. Such a fiscal union makes a lot of sense if monetary union is not to be a source of crisis and instability in the future. That is emphatically in Ireland's interests. A fiscal stabilisation capacity is also arguably of greater potential benefit for Ireland than other countries. As a small, open and highly specialised economy, Ireland is more at risk than others of being hit by shocks not suffered by others. Even if the public finances were being prudently managed (and they are not) Ireland would be more structurally vulnerable to "asymmetric shocks" than most others in the euro area. Ireland could, therefore, have the most to gain from a bigger Euro area budget which would automatically channel cash to recession-hit regions. Those in favour of a minimalist approach to reforming the euro have that most potent force - inertia - on their side. Last March, this column set out seven factors working against the sort of big leap towards deeper integration in Europe of the kind advocated by Macron. To those seven factors, Macron's own loss of authority can be added as an eighth. Yellow-vest demonstrations take place across France again this weekend. The inchoate anger among such a large section of the French people, which has caused voters to turn against recent presidents that they have elected within months, leaves his presidency looking like a busted flush, less than a year and half after he stormed to power. Like his two immediate predecessors, and despite having much better tailwinds at his back, Macron's opinion poll rating plummeted soon after taking office. They continue to fall. It is too early to say if he is a lame duck, but his chances of re-election in 2022 are waning. If he finds he cannot govern France, he might well turn his attention to foreign affairs, as leaders heading out of office sometimes do. That brings us back to European defence. With the British out, the Americans half-in and Russia looming ominously, Ireland could be faced with a choice between remaining part of the EU core or marginalising itself. The Most Extensive and Reliable Source of Information Related to the Mexican Drugs Cartels. You will not find this level of coverage anywhere else, join us! Send information, pictures or videos, you remain 100% anonymous. Envia fotos, videos, notas, enlaces o informacion todo 100% Anonimo. Want to be a contributor or citizen reporter for Borderland Beat? We love to have you in our team, send Sol Prendido or HEARST an email! WARNING: Posts may contain strong violent material, discretion is advised. COMMENTS: We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. Meghan Markles father Thomas has given another newspaper interview in which he pleads with his daughter and Prince Harry to speak to him. The 74-year-old retired lighting director, who has not spoken to his daughter since before her royal wedding, told the Daily Mail on Sunday that he has sent several texts to his daughter but has received no response. The rift developed between the pair after Mr Markle was photographed staging paparazzi photos ahead of the May royal wedding. The photos showed him being fitted for a suit and Googling the couple in an Internet cafe He was caught selling photos of himself to the paparazzi before his daughter's May wedding, which he then missed due to a heart attack. Britain's Duchess of Sussex (37) has remained resolutely silent about her frayed relationship with her father. Today, Mr Markle told the Daily Mail on Sunday: Ive pleaded with her to pick up the phone. I wrote her a two-page letter and sent it by certified mail via her representative in Los Angeles. I asked her why she was believing the lies. Expand Close Thomas Markle has spoken about his daughter Meghan marrying Prince Harry Picture: Getty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Thomas Markle has spoken about his daughter Meghan marrying Prince Harry Picture: Getty I also pointed out the Royals havent always been perfectly behaved. I wrote that Ive never played pool naked, nor have I dressed up as a Nazi [a reference to Harrys infamous pictures in Las Vegas in 2012 and the time that he wore a crude imitation of a Nazi uniform, including a swastika armband, in 2005]. I even hand-delivered a letter to Doria [Meghans mother and Mr Markles ex-wife] asking her why our daughter wont speak to me. Mr Markle insisted that he has not given numerous tabloid interviews, though paparazzi regularly camp outside his house, and he believes he is being punished unfairly by his daughter. Im not selling stories. People make things up and my daughter and her husband believe the lies, the one thing they told me never to do. They think Im giving hundreds of interviews. Thats rubbish. I am not perfect, I made mistakes but my punishment does not fit the crime. Even murderers get visits from their daughters in jail. Expand Close Meghans dad Thomas reading a book about Britain in what turned out to be a photo staged for photographers / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meghans dad Thomas reading a book about Britain in what turned out to be a photo staged for photographers Video of the Day Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested on an extradition warrant, appears at her B.C. Supreme Court bail hearing along with a translator, in a drawing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Jane Wolsak Meng Wanzhou has been arrested in Canada for extradition to the US. Photo: AP China has summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. A report by the official Xinhua News Agency carried on the Foreign Ministry's website said that vice foreign minister Le Yucheng called in Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over the holding of chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade US trade curbs on Iran. Expand Close Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested on an extradition warrant, appears at her B.C. Supreme Court bail hearing along with a translator, in a drawing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Jane Wolsak / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested on an extradition warrant, appears at her B.C. Supreme Court bail hearing along with a translator, in a drawing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Jane Wolsak Mr Le told Mr McCallum that Meng's detention at the request of the United States while transferring flights in Vancouver was a "severe violation" of her "legitimate rights and interests". "Such a move ignores the law and is unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature," Mr Le said in the statement. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained Huawei executive ... or face grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for," Mr Le said. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng, whose case is shaking up US-China relations and worrying global financial markets. Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained at the request of the US during a layover at the Vancouver airport on December 1 - the same day that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China agreed over dinner to a 90-day ceasefire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce. The US alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of US sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing on Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York on August 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled US banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei". Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: she is facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing will resume on Monday after Meng spends the weekend in jail. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said that "we have every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion". The standoff marks an extraordinary battle of wills between the Vatican hierarchy and the group of 39 nuns, most in their 60s and 70s, who run homes for the aged in rural western and southern France. Stock photo: Deposit Photos The Vatican is facing a revolt after nearly all the nuns in a tiny French religious order threatened to renounce their vows rather than accept the Holy See's decision to remove their mother superior. The sisters argue that the Vatican commissioners sent to replace their superior general, who is also the niece of the order's founder, have no understanding of their way of life or spirituality. The church's conclusion is that the Little Sisters of Marie, Mother of the Redeemer are living "under the tight grip" of an "authoritarian" superior and feel a "serious conflict of loyalty" toward her. The standoff marks an extraordinary battle of wills between the Vatican hierarchy and the group of 39 nuns, most in their 60s and 70s, who run homes for the aged in rural western and southern France. Their threat to leave comes at a time when the Vatican can hardly spare them, with the number of sisters plummeting in Europe and the Americas. The unlikely revolt had been brewing for years but erupted in 2017, when the Vatican suspended the Little Sisters' government and ordered the removal of the superior, Mother Marie de Saint Michel. The Vatican says it took action after local church investigations in 2010 and 2016 found an excessive authoritarianism in her rule and serious problems of governance. Details of her alleged abuses of authority haven't been revealed. But within two years of her election as superior in 2000, six sisters had left. "The grave acts posed by Mother Marie de Saint Michel are denounced and the sisters are called to religious and responsible behaviour," the prefect of the Vatican's congregation for religious, Cardinal Joao Braz di Aviz, wrote in July. By then, Braz had already appointed a commissioner to run the order. But the Little Sisters refused to accept them and kept Saint Michel in place in the mother house. As the standoff escalated, 34 of the 39 nuns issued an public declaration last month saying they had no other choice but to ask to be relieved of their religious vows. "We are not making this sacrifice lightly," they wrote. "We wish to remain in total communion with the church but we cannot signify more clearly, or more painfully either, our incapacity in conscience to obey what we are commanded to do." Their plight has garnered sympathy. A French support group claims an online petition demanding the removal of the commissioners now has 3,900 signatures for an online petition demanding the immediate restoration of the central government of the order and removal of the commissioners. The sisters downplay problems with their superior and say the real dispute is over their local bishop's decision to split up management of their elder-care homes that had been merged in recent years. They say the bishop used his authority to impose an unjust decision without taking their views into account. "This is about power," said Marcel Mignot, president of the support association, referring to the bishop's authority over diocesan orders. The sisters have appealed his decision to the Vatican's high court "so that the truth can be re-established, but Roman justice takes its time", the sisters wrote their supporters earlier this year. Their community was founded in 1954 in Toulouse by Marie Nault, a woman who, according to legend, stopped her formal education at age 11 to work on the family farm but then developed stigmata - the bleeding wounds that imitate those of Christ on the cross. Nault took the name Mere Marie de la Croix - Mother Mary of the Cross - and opened four communities in western and southern France which, in 1989, won approval from the bishop. Born in 1901, Mother Marie died in 1999 and her niece, the ousted superior, took over a year later. She remains at the mother house in Saint-Aignan sur Roc, in western France. She had been due to step down after her term was up and a new superior was elected, but plans for the election are now in limbo, Mignot said. The standoff comes amid a continuing free-fall in the number of nuns around the world, as elderly sisters die and fewer young ones take their place. Vatican statistics from 2016 show the number of sisters was down 10,885 from the previous year to 659,445 globally. Ten years prior, there were 753,400 nuns around the world, meaning the Catholic Church shed nearly 100,000 sisters in the span of a decade. European nuns regularly fare the worst, seeing a decline of 8,370 sisters in 2016 on top of the previous year's decline of 8,394. Associated Press The mounted officers advanced behind ranks of police on foot holding up their shields like Roman legionaries. In front of them, on the fashionable Rue de Bretagne in central Paris, were the "yellow-vest" protesters and masked, black-clad youths, sending shoppers and patrons of pavement cafes scurrying indoors for cover. "No one was expecting trouble in this area," said Francoise Perrin (43). Ms Perrin, one of dozens of terrified Parisians and tourists in the Marais district caught between a mob of protesters and riot police on horseback, added: "We were just about to order a drink, then we looked up and saw what looked like a military formation heading towards us. Then we looked the other way, and saw the protesters. We got the fright of our lives." The police managed to prevent the mob from looting shops, smashing windows or attacking parked cars, pursuing them through the narrow medieval streets of one of Paris's oldest and most picturesque quarters. But other parts of Paris were severely battered by clashes. An estimated 8,000 demonstrators marched through the streets on a "day of rage" as the authority of President Macron was challenged on a fourth consecutive weekend of protests across France. There were an estimated 125,000 protesters across France, with 1,385 arrests - a record for a single day in postwar France. More than 700 were detained in Paris alone. At least 135 people were injured, including three police officers. The iconic Champs-Elysees, was shrouded in tear gas and echoed to the sound of stun grenades as police battled a crowd of 1,000-plus, who sang La Marseillaise and chanted "Macron resign". Police demolished burning barricades with armoured vehicles, deployed for the first time in the heart of Paris. Officers fired repeated salvoes of tear gas and water cannon to drive back and disperse protesters. But they regrouped and moved on, sometimes returning to confront police again. Some protesters torched parked cars and ripped up chunks of concrete from the street and hurled them at police, but the majority remained relatively peaceful. As night fell, increasing numbers of masked youths appeared on the streets - without the high-visibility jackets that have become the symbol of the grassroots rebellion.Many hurled stones which they brought with them in backpacks. Some tried to loot the Fendi jewellery shop near the Champs-Elysees, while others ripped open the shutters of cafes and tobacconists and grabbed bottles of liquor and cartons of cigarettes. Benjamin Cauchy, a founder of a group known as the 'Free Yellow Vests', said: "We call on French people not to demonstrate in Paris, it's a trap. The government is trying to make us look like hooligans... We don't want to have deaths and injuries on our conscience." "It feels like order is being better maintained this week," Jean-Francois Barnaba, one of the yellow vests' unofficial spokesmen, told reporters. "Last week the police were tear-gassing us indiscriminately. This time their actions are more targeted," he added. Donald Trump added his tuppence, blaming the Paris climate change agreement for ongoing violence in the French capital. He tweeted yesterday: "The Paris Agreement isn't working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting 'We Want Trump!' Love France." However reporters, placed across the city, heard no such chants. There were also protests in Brussels, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. There were 400 arrests in Brussels but the Dutch protests were largely peaceful. Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] She said yesterday that the movement had now been hijacked by an increasingly violent fringe of "extremists and anarchists". Photo: Reuters The founder of France's "gilets jaunes" revolt says it has become a dangerous "dog without a leash" and is prey to being hijacked by extremists and anarchists. Jacline Mouraud (51) is urging protesters to open a dialogue with the French government. Mouraud, a composer and hypnotherapist from Brittany, is credited with sparking the movement after six million people viewed her Facebook video diatribe against environmental duties on petrol and diesel last month. "What are you doing with the money apart from buying new dishes at the Elysee Palace and building yourself swimming pools?" she asked President Macron. But she said yesterday that the movement had now been hijacked by an increasingly violent fringe of "extremists and anarchists". "This movement has broken free of everyone. You can't reason with people any more. Some don't even remember what demands we made at the start. It's as if we had kept the dog on a leash and today the leash has snapped." Before the violence of the past two weeks, she said, the revolt was a "spontaneous movement of the people". Now, however, it was, she said, not just "beyond the reach of the government, political parties, unions" but "the people from the movement themselves". She added: "We're witnessing a tsunami. The wave is still in the air and we'll just have to wait for it to crash down again." Facebook, she said, had initially "helped bring people together and get organised". But it also now had a "very negative side", she added. Social media experts say Facebook's decentralised nature is ideal for movements such as the "gilets jaunes", particularly as it changed its algorithms earlier this year to lower the visibility of content published on pages run by large media outlets. "It prioritised content being shared by groups, individual profiles, and local information. This change in the algorithm boosted the emergence of this movement," said one expert. Hundreds of social media accounts linked to Russia have sought to amplify the street protests that have rocked France, according to analysis by New Knowledge, a cybersecurity company. Facebook's new algorithm for ordering the posts that users see has also raised the profile of extremists, conspiracy theorists and proponents of fake news. Mouraud and other "spokespeople" for the "gilets jaunes" have received death threats. Those behind the threats "don't want a resolution of the conflict", she said. She was among a delegation that met French prime minister Edouard Philippe, last Friday. They listed demands including tax justice, proportional representative in legislative elections and raising low pensions. The prime minister has called for three months of talks between protesters and local and national officials. Mouraud added: "Today, I have no idea how this will pan out. What's for sure is if we don't get organised, it will have no future. We'll have done all that for nothing." Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Demonstrators walk through tear gas during clashes Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 in Paris. Crowds of yellow-vested protesters angry at President Emmanuel Macron and Frances high taxes tried to converge on the presidential palace Saturday, some scuffling with police firing tear gas, amid exceptional security measures aimed at preventing a repeat of last weeks rioting. (AP Photo/Rafael Yaghobzadeh) Pressure is mounting on French President Emmanuel Macron to announce measures to calm violent protests when he addresses the nation on Monday, and breaks a silence seen as aggravating a crisis that has shaken the government and the whole country. The president will consult an array of national and local officials as he tries to control the ballooning and radicalising protest movement triggered by anger at his policies, and a growing sense that they favour the rich. Mr Macron will speak from the presidential Elysee Palace at 8pm (1900 GMT), an Elysee official said. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said earlier on LCI TV station he was sure (Macron) will know how to find the path to the hearts of the French, speak to their hearts. But, he added, a magic wand would not solve all the problems of the protesters, known as gilets jaunes for the fluorescent safety vests they often wear. Last week Mr Macron withdrew a fuel tax hike, the issue that kicked off protests in mid-November, in an effort to appease the protesters, but the move was seen as too little too late. For many protesters, Mr Macron himself, widely seen as arrogant and disconnected from rank-and-file French, has become the problem. Calls for him to resign were rampant on Saturday, the fourth weekend of large-scale protests. Expand Close Demonstrators stand behind a burning car in Marseille (Claude Paris/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Demonstrators stand behind a burning car in Marseille (Claude Paris/AP) Macron is there for the rich, not for all the French, 68-year-old Jean-Pierre Meunuer said on Saturday. Labour minister Muriel Penicaud dampened any notion that the minimum wage would be raised, telling LCI that there will be no boost for the Smic (minimum wage), because it destroys jobs. Paris tourist sites reopened on Sunday, while workers cleaned up debris from protests that left widespread damage in the capital and elsewhere. At least 71 people were injured in Paris on Saturday. The economy minister, meanwhile, lamented the economic damage. This is a catastrophe for commerce, its a catastrophe for our economy, Bruno Le Maire said on Sunday while visiting merchants around the Saint Lazare train station, among areas hit by vandalism as the pre-Christmas shopping season got under way. Expand Close A demonstrator plays a drum in Paris (Rafael Yaghobzadeh/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A demonstrator plays a drum in Paris (Rafael Yaghobzadeh/AP) After the fourth Saturday of nationwide protests by the grassroots movement with broadening demands, officials said they understood the depth of the crisis. Mr Le Maire said it was a social and democratic crisis as well as a crisis of the nation with territorial fractures. However, the president must also speak to protesters pocketbooks. Among myriad demands was increased buying power. The number of injured in Paris and nationwide was down Saturday from rioting a week ago. Even so, TV footage broadcast around the world of the violence in Paris neighbourhoods popular with tourists has tarnished the countrys image. Expand Close Police officers clash with demonstrators in Lyon (Laurent Cipriani/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police officers clash with demonstrators in Lyon (Laurent Cipriani/AP) A number of tourists at the Eiffel Tower, which reopened Sunday after closing Saturday, said they were avoiding the Champs-Elysees, Paris main avenue that is lined with shops and cafes and normally a magnet for foreign visitors. Nearly 1,000 people, almost 100 of them minors and most without police records, were being held in custody after the Saturday protests in the French capital, Paris chief prosecutor Remy Heitz said. He added that most of those in custody were men under 40 from various regions who went to Paris to protest. France deployed around 89,000 police but still failed to deter the determined protesters. China yesterday warned Canada that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei's chief financial officer, calling the case "extremely nasty". Meng Wanzhou, the tech giant's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on December 1 and faces extradition to the US, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite US sanctions. Meng is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the US, she would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of argument and counter-argument, and the hearing was adjourned until tomorrow. In a short statement, China's foreign ministry said vice foreign minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canada's ambassador in Beijing, after summoning him to lodge a "strong protest". Canada's arrest of Meng at the request of the US while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move "ignored the law, was unreasonable" and was in its very nature "extremely nasty", he added. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused." Meng's arrest came on the same day that Donald Trump met with China's Xi Jinping in Argentina to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies. The news of her arrest caused chaos on stock markets over trade fears. A Huawei spokesman said the company had "every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion". The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. US President Donald Trump yesterday renewed his call to end a probe into Russian election meddling, describing the investigation as a "witch hunt" a day after US prosecutors detailed a previously unknown attempt by a Russian to help his 2016 presidential election campaign. "Time for the Witch Hunt to END!" Trump said in a message on Twitter. His tweet also quoted TV host Geraldo Rivera, a Trump friend, dismissing any claim of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia as "collusion illusion". It was the president's second tweet of the day about Special Counsel Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia. Russia denies meddling allegations. "After two years and millions of pages of documents (and a cost of over $30m) no collusion!" Trump tweeted earlier yesterday. He repeated that contention later as he left the White House for the annual Army-Navy game in Philadelphia, saying, "We're very happy with what we are reading, because there was no collusion whatsoever." US prosecutors, however, did not address in several federal court filings on Friday the question of whether they have found collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Moreover, Mueller said in one filing that Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, had provided his office with "useful information concerning certain discrete Russia-related matters core to its investigation that he obtained by virtue of his regular contact" with Trump's property company during the 2016 campaign. Democrats and other Trump critics fear that newly appointed acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker, a Trump loyalist, could fire Mueller or undermine the investigation by cutting off its funding. Prominent Republicans in Congress insist that there is no danger of interference. Trump said on Friday that he would nominate former US attorney general William Barr to America's top law enforcement job. But with the current session of Congress set to end soon, Barr may have to wait until well into 2019 to be confirmed by the Senate. In his court filing on Friday, Mueller said Cohen told them he was approached in November 2015 by an unnamed Russian claiming to be a "trusted person in the Russian Federation". The filing said the contact occurred during discussions about a possible hotel bearing Trump's name in Moscow. Cohen is to be sentenced next week for campaign finance violations, financial crimes and lying to Congress about Trump's business dealings in Russia. Prosecutors are seeking a substantial prison sentence. Trump's current lawyer, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, also took aim at Cohen in a tweet yesterday, saying that federal prosecutors in New York are seeking a jail sentence for Cohen "because as we have said he's still lying." Mueller said the Russian national who approached Cohen offered "synergy on a government level" with the Trump campaign in pushing for a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that Cohen said he did not follow up. Mueller said that the discussions about a potential Trump hotel in Moscow were relevant to his investigation, because they occurred "at a time of sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the US presidential election." Cohen was a workaday attorney specialising in negligence and malpractice with a $75,000 salary in 2007 who caught Trump's eye when he successfully fought the board of directors at a building where he lived when they sought to remove Trump's name from it, prosecutors said. Soon afterward, he was hired at the Trump Organisation as a special counsel to Trump, earning $500,000 annually. Reporters came to know him as an arm-twisting advocate for Trump. "If somebody does something Mr Trump doesn't like, I do everything in my power to resolve it to Mr Trump's benefit," Cohen once told ABC News. "If you do something wrong, I'm going to come at you, grab you by the neck and I'm not going to let you go until I'm finished." Prosecutors, in their sentencing papers, cited one snarling exchange with a Daily Beast reporter. "I will make sure that you and I meet one day while we're in the courthouse. And I will take you for every penny you still don't have. And I will come after your boss and everybody else that you know," Cohen said. On the side, Cohen invested in New York City's taxi industry and in real estate and made high-interest loans to people in the cab business. He has pleaded guilty to failing to report $4m in income to the IRS from those businesses. During the presidential campaign, Cohen worked with executives at the company that owns the National Enquirer to pay the former Playboy model, Karen McDougal, and the adult film actress Stormy Daniels not to talk to reporters about alleged sexual encounters with Trump, who says the affairs never happened. Cohen told prosecutors Trump directed him to make the payments. After Trump's election, Cohen left the Trump Organisation and tried to cash in on his connections. Big companies hired him to offer "insight and access" to the administration. Those companies included AT&T, which paid Cohen $50,000 a month and the pharma giant Novartis, which paid Cohen $1.2m. Prosecutors didn't charge Cohen with doing anything criminal in connection with those deals, but they singled out the work as "hollow", saying he did minimal work. After federal authorities raided his office earlier this year, Cohen's loyalty to Trump faded. He told ABC News that his family and country came first. Associated Press Colonel-General Igor Korobov, who has died aged 62, was the head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, better known as the GRU intelligence agency; it was his operatives who were identified as having carried out the poisoning of the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Even Russian sources knew little of Korobov when he emerged fleetingly from the shadows to receive his pennant of office at the defence ministry in February 2016. Described only as "a serious man", he had been previously one of four deputy directors of the GRU, running its strategic intelligence directorate. This section controls its bases overseas, meaning that Korobov would have been involved in operations carried out in recent years by the GRU's special forces soldiers, Spetsnaz. These are thought to have included operations in Crimea at the time of its annexation by Russia in 2014; in the ensuing unrest in Ukraine; in Chechnya; and perhaps activities as part of an attempted coup in Montenegro in 2016. Under Korobov's predecessor, Igor Segun, the agency had also been tasked with furthering Russia's aims in the war in Syria. Its symbol is a black bat spreading its wings over the globe. The agency was thought, however, to have lost ground latterly to its rivals in domestic security and foreign intelligence - while the army aspired to wrest control of Spetsnaz. Segun, however, had Putin's ear, and despite a nominal name change, it had recovered much of its prestige before his sudden death at the start of 2016. Aged 58, Segun was said to have suffered heart failure. Kremlin-watchers speculated that the month's delay it took to announce his successor meant Korobov was not first choice. Some thought the role might have gone to one of the increasingly prominent circle of former bodyguards of President Putin. Korobov accordingly assumed his post under some pressure to justify his appointment. At the end of 2016, in one of the last acts of the Obama administration, he was among those to whom sanctions were to be applied for having conducted "malicious cyber-related activities" during the US elections. It therefore came as a surprise when in January this year he was included among those invited by the Trump administration to Washington to discuss intelligence matters, including the threat posed by returning members of Isis. Then in March came the attack on the Skripals. In 2010, Sergei Skripal, a former GRU officer convicted four years earlier of being an agent for MI6, was among those swapped at Vienna airport for 10 Russian spies, including Anna Chapman. He settled in Salisbury, where he and his daughter were poisoned with what was revealed to be the nerve agent Novichok. A police officer, Nick Bailey, who was investigating the incident, was also affected. With Russia held responsible by Britain, international outrage led to 150 of its diplomats being expelled from countries worldwide. In June, Dawn Sturgess and her partner Charlie Rowley came across a bogus perfume bottle thought to have contained the poison. She died after spraying some on herself, while the damage to his immune system has led him to contract meningitis requiring further treatment in hospital. Two Russian nationals were identified as the suspects, and when in September they gave a peculiar television interview claiming to have been in Salisbury as tourists, this was widely ridiculed. The investigative website Bellingcat stated that they were two officers in the GRU. These revelations were undoubtedly of concern to Korobov, not least because of how they reflected on President Putin. Then in October, it became known that in April four other GRU agents had been caught in The Hague trying to hack into the wi-fi system of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Warfare (OPCW), an international watchdog. The quartet had neglected to carry out even the most elementary precautions to cover their traces or disguise their mission, which included targeting an OPCW laboratory in Switzerland. This series of bungles is said to have led to Korobov to being reprimanded in person by Putin, after which he suffered a collapse in his health. There were claims that Korobov, who died on November 21, had been unwell for some time and had offered his resignation earlier this year but had been asked to carry on. On the announcement of his death, he was said to have been suffering from a "long and serious illness". Igor Valentinovich Korobov was born on August 3, 1956 in Vyazma, some 100 miles south-west of Moscow in the region around Smolensk. On leaving school, he began training in 1977 at the Stavropol military aviation academy in the Caucasus and served with a fighter regiment in Archangel on the shores of the White Sea. He is thought to have joined the GRU in the early 1980s. His talents included the ability to speak several foreign languages. Among his many awards was the Hero of Russia medal. He and his wife had two daughters. Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021] Anconas head of Police Oreste Capocasa speaks to reporters in front of the disco Lanterna Azzurra (Andrew Medichini/AP) Italian police are questioning more witnesses to find who sprayed an irritant, triggering a deadly stampede in an overcrowded disco in a town near the Adriatic port of Ancona. Police Colonel Cristian Carrozza of the Ancona Carabinieri on Sunday declined to confirm Italian media reports that investigators had identified a juvenile as the alleged sprayer. He told RaiNews24 that police had questioned more than 80 witnesses to Saturdays pre-dawn stampede at the Blue Lagoon disco in Corinaldo and would speak to dozens more. Expand Close Rescuers assist injured people outside the nightclub (Stefano Pagliarini/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rescuers assist injured people outside the nightclub (Stefano Pagliarini/AP) Five teenagers, all minors, and a mother who accompanied her child to the rap concert at the disco were killed in the stampede. More than 50 concertgoers were injured, with seven still in very serious condition on Sunday. Investigators say hundreds more tickets were sold than the disco could handle. Even if you are not on Twitter, you would know what a motormouth Kamaal R Khan AKA KRK is in the Twittersphere. His offensive, vulgar and controversial statements directly attacking celebrities are the reason for his stardom. Yeah, thats precisely what the self-proclaimed critic does for a living. Twitter Finding himself in the midst of a controversy yet again, this time KRK has bee booked by the police for allegedly passing vulgar remarks against LGBTQ community in a video that was uploaded on Sep 7, a day after Supreme Court passed its verdict decriminalising consensual same-sex relations, which was earlier a punishable crime under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Twitter In a video that has been viewed over 2.83 lakh times, KRK has used offensive language against transgenders as well as men and women who identify themselves as homosexuals. Twitter 19-year-old Ujjawal Krishnam, who is a student from Vadodara had reportedly written to the local police requesting them to take a criminal action against KRK on Oct 2. Kamaal Rashid Khan, a self-proclaimed Bollywood critic, in a recent video, can be seen delivering a hate speech against a specific community. Despite this (SCs) remarkable judgment, this fellow didnt stop to deliver a speech which cant be called less than obscene, vulgar, derogatory and offensive, he wrote in his complaint, according to Indian Express. He was thereafter advised to file a complaint in Mumbai. Following which, an FIR against KRK was filed at Bandra police station on Friday. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The representatives of the American Sikh Council Oct. 20 assisted detainees, many of whom are from Punjab, held at the Calexico Detention Center in El Centro, Calif. (photo provided) Michael Keenan and Steven Marshall shake hands after signing an agreement on myGovID. South Australia has become the first state to agree to collaborate with the Federal Government on the digital identity initiative known as myGovID, a trial of which is being run by the Digital Transformation Agency. The agreement was made on the sidelines of the second Australian Digital Council meeting held in Adelaide on Friday. The meeting was chaired by Human Services and Digital Transformation Minister Michael Keenan and attended by Steven Marshall, premier of South Australia, and ministers Victor Dominello of NSW, Gavin Jennings of Victoria, Mick de Brenni of Queensland, Chris Tallentire of Western Australia, and Mick Gentleman of the ACT. Said Keenan: "The Commonwealth is already well advanced with the development of its own digital identity solution, known as myGovID, which is the equivalent of 100-point online ID check that will make it easier for Australians to prove who they are when accessing our digital services. The agreement reached with Premier Marshall will enable us to share our technology and our research with South Australia to help it accelerate its own program and ensure we develop nationally consistent systems. A number of key data collaboration projects were identified by the ministers who agreed to publish a report on the "state of the data and digital nation" early next year. The early findings of a pilot to simplify the registration of births was examined; this looks at using hospital records to create a birth certificate, Medicare registration and, potentially, a Centrelink record. A second pilot was agreed on in order to streamline the process to add death notifications. Another project discussed was to streamline engagement with the government associated with gaining employment. The ministers also agreed that business processes could be simplified by leveraging the work already done in other jurisdictions. Agreement was reached to explore a pilot project between the Federal Government and WA to share data on children with birth defects and medicines prescribed to pregnant women. The ministers also agreed to go forward with a pilot to build a data asset to improve services for the disabled. This will initially use data from South Australia, NSW and the Federal Government. The council agreed to meet again early next year. 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. Nobel peace laureates Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege said Sunday they hoped their award would help them push the international community to act to end rape in conflict and deliver justice for victims. Yazidi activist Murad and Congolese doctor Mukwege will be jointly presented with the prize in Oslo on Monday for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. Murad, 25, who was taken hostage in Iraq by the Islamic State group (IS) in 2014 but escaped, said the prize was an honour for all of her Yazidi community, and a sign for the thousands of women still held by jihadists. This prize, one prize cannot remove all the violence and all the attacks on pregnant women, on children, on women and give them justice, she told a press conference in Oslo. But she said she hoped it would open doors so that we can approach more governments, to bring the perpetrators to court and so that we can find a solution and actually stop what is happening. Fellow laureate Mukwege, who has spent two decades treating rape victims at his hospital in conflict-torn eastern DR Congo, said the Nobel spotlight made it harder for the world to ignore sexual violence. We cannot say that we didnt act because we didnt know. Now everyone knows. And I think now the international community has a responsibility to act, he said. He said the prize was not a victory, but could be seen as the start of a new struggle, a new struggle against this type of evil. Murad has spent the years since her escape campaigning for the Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking community that follows an ancient religion and was targeted by IS as it swept through her homeland. More than 6,800 Yazidis were kidnapped, of whom 4,300 either escaped or were bought as slaves, while 2,500 remain missing, according to a recent report from the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). The United Nations is due to send a team into Iraq next year to investigate atrocities, following a Security Council resolution in September 2017 to bring those responsible for IS war crimes to justice. The UN has described the massacre of the Yazidis by IS jihadists as possible genocide. Murad, now a UN ambassador for victims of human trafficking living in Germany, said the steps towards justice had given her hope. But she stressed that not a single ISIS terrorist has appeared in court, adding this injustice will continue in this world if it is not dealt with now. Photo: Castanet file photo There could be travel disruptions on Flair Air next week. The union representing the 139 flight attendants at Flair Airlines has served a 72-hour strike notice, citing pay concerns. The workers are negotiating their first contract with wages, pensions and scheduling all on the table. If negotiations aren't settled, the strike could begin early next week. Flights are not grounded at this time. There is no impact on passenger safety, said Gary Yee, Canadian Union of Public Employees local 4060 representative. There will likely be a slowdown and a reduction of service on board. Your ability to buy beverages and things like that will be limited. The union cites a two-tiered wage structure for existing workers and new hires as being a major stumbling block. Flair is transparently engaging in a divide and conquer strategy aimed at driving a wedge between workers in order to compete with other ultra-low-cost carriers. It is completely unfair to pay one group of flight attendants 30 per cent less for doing the same work as other flight attendants," said Yee. In a statement, Flair says they have been forced to reduce their starting wages to that of their competitors. "We have historically paid our team of flight attendants 30 per cent higher starting wages than our competitors," said Iris Dias, a Flair spokesperson. "We cannot continue to pay this kind of premium, and have requested all new flight attendants start at the same wages as our competitors." Flair says since the 72-hour strike notice was called, "many" flight attendants told management they would continue to work in spite of any labour action called by the union. "The support we have received suggests all flights will operate normally on Monday, but we recommend passengers check the status of their flight on our website," Dias said. Flair offers service to several Canadian and international destinations from Kelowna International Airport. The union will be in a legal strike position midnight on Dec. 10. Catching PSG seems highly unlikely so Lille's focus is holding off Montpellier, Lyon, Marseille and Saint-Etienne in what is shaping up as an intense scrap for second place, automatic qualification for the Champions League, and the cash bonanza that comes with it. There was still time for both teams to have a player sent off with Sassuolo substitute Filip Djuricic picking up two yellow cards in his 11 minutes on the pitch. You know Black Friday and Cyber Monday , but have you ever heard of Green Monday? This up-and-coming online shopping event typically falls on the second Monday of December. Its typically your last chance to order gifts at low prices from your favorite online retailers directly to your home and loved ones in time for the holidays. If family obligations or work took precedence over Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping this year, Green Monday is your savior. For newcomers to Green Monday, heres everything you need to know to make the most of it. How did Green Monday start? eBay coined the term Green Monday in 2009, referring to their most profitable sales day of that December. Green does not refer to anything environmental or eco-friendly related, but rather, to the financial savings customers receive and the returns online retailers enjoy during this busy holiday shopping period. Green Monday is quickly becoming one of most popular online shopping events of the year. Why the second Monday of December? The second Monday of December is generally about 10 days before Christmas. As regular delivery times average up to 7-10 days, this second Monday serves as a natural cut-off before its too late to have gifts delivered to your home or loved ones before the big day. Thats why the first recognized Green Monday was so profitable and why the concept has stuck around with both consumers and stores. So, whats the difference between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Green Monday? Black Friday is the longest standing of the three holiday shopping celebrations, with its origins dating back to the 1950s. The unofficial beginning of holiday shopping season, Black Friday spawns long lines and eager crowds outside store entrances in the early morning hours after Thanksgiving. These days, however, Black Friday is celebrated just as much online as well as in stores. Cyber Monday, always the Monday following Black Friday, meanwhile, was coined by the head of shop.org in 2005 as a way to encourage customers to take advantage of online sales in addition to the popular in-store Black Friday deals. It is routinely one of the busiest days of the year for Amazon and other exclusively online retailers. In terms of the discounts, you probably wont find a whole lot of difference in prices between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Green Monday. However, on Green Monday or, the lazy mans Cyber Monday, as it is sometimes called, there is a chance you might see products marked down even more than they first were on Black Friday as stores clear out their inventory before the end of the year. Who participates in Green Monday? An increasing number of online retailers are offering discounts and specials on Green Monday every year. You can count on the major websites, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Jet.com, to offer significant discounts. However, dont miss deals on Target.com, BestBuy.com, and HomeDepot.com, and other retail websites, as well. If you have a favorite brand or item in mind, do some searching ahead of time to see if and where it will be offered at a discount on Green Monday. How can I get the best Green Monday deals? Now that youre familiar with the history and meaning behind Green Monday, youre ready to go shopping. Take note of these five essential tips to make sure youre getting the best bang for your buck when the time comes. Do your research. Check your favorite online stores ahead of time to see if they have a Green Monday deals guide published. For example, Amazon and Walmart have their Green Monday deals up right now. Trust us, it will save you time in the long-run. Make a list. The holidays are a busy time for many reasons. Write down a list every gift you have bought and every gift you still need to get, so that when Green Monday arrives, you have an easy list of last-minute presents to add to your cart. Add to cart in advance. To cut down on time and stress on Green Monday, add gifts and products to your cart beforehand. That way, by the time Green Monday rolls around, youll have left to do is press order. Download a coupon extension. Discount and coupon add-ons to your internet browser, such as Honey, notify you whenever you can take advantage of a discount or promo. Download one now to make sure your Green Monday is extra green in savings. Shop early. Most online websites start their Green Monday sales at midnight. To make sure you score the last-minute gifts and deals youve been waiting for, get online early, as this ecommerce holiday could mean products sell out quickly. Isabel Miller-Bottome is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money. BestReviews never accepts free products from manufacturers and purchases every product it reviews with its own funds. BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Supper clubs are a distinct genre of dining out. Usually family-run and usually located near vacation spots in the Midwest, these restaurants are famed for good, homey food, hearty portions and surroundings that transport diners back to the mid-20th century. That's a good thing. Supper clubs are so retro they seem balanced on the knife's edge of hip these days. And that's why you should conjure one up at home. Advertisement "Turn the air conditioning up really high. Pull the shades on the windows," says Michael Stern, co-author of "Road Food" and other books chronicling America's dining traditions. "You want it cool and tomblike." Let the food be the star of the party: Meat (or fish) and potatoes, with plenty of cocktails to wash them down. Advertisement "So often, so many people are telling us what we ought to be eating, and saying it not in a spirit of fun but in the spirit of 'you're bad.' Food is one area we don't want to be told what to do," says Stern, a resident of Bethel, Conn. "That's part of the pleasure of a supper club meal. It's a way of thumbing your nose at the nutrition police." And being bad can be delicious. "At least at some of the newer places, like Red Stag Supperclub in Minneapolis, people come in for the nostalgia and are surprised by the quality of the food," says Dave Hoekstra, author of "The Supper Club Book: A Celebration of a Midwest Tradition" (Chicago Review Press, $29.95). Here's what you need to transform your home into a supper club, at least for one night. Starters A relish tray is traditional, with an assortment of raw and pickled vegetables. "The vegetables are something healthy to nibble on while thinking how big a piece of prime rib you'll have," says Ron Faiola, a Milwaukee-based video producer, director and author of "Wisconsin Supper Clubs: An Old-Fashioned Experience" (Midway, $35). Some supper clubs also serve a cheese spread and crackers. So popular has it proven to be with customers of the Moracco Supper Club in Dubuque, Iowa, that the cheese dish is offered in place of the relish tray. "You can serve it with crackers, broccoli, carrots, any chips," says co-owner Jeanne Heiar, who notes some customers save a bit of the spread to put on their baked potatoes instead of paying extra for shredded cheese. "That's the world nowadays," she says, chuckling. Advertisement Cocktails Have a well-stocked bar; supper club customers arrive thirsty for classic cocktails. "In Wisconsin, where the old-fashioned is the unofficial state drink, the overwhelming preference is to serve it with brandy instead of whiskey," Faiola writes in his book. Here's his version: Combine 1 maraschino cherry and 1/2 slice orange with 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 to 3 dashes bitters in a 10- or 12-ounce tumbler; muddle, or mash, together. Add ice, then 1 1/2 to 2 ounces brandy. Top off with 7UP. Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry. Main courses "Prime rib is about as supper club as it gets," says Bill Kozlak Jr., proprietor of Jax Cafe in Minneapolis. Maybe. Many supper clubs do offer prime rib, often on Saturday nights, but they also offer fish fries on Fridays. Advertisement Fish is a huge draw at Midwest supper clubs, many of which are located near lakes or rivers. Jax Cafe patrons can net their fish dinner in the supper club's own trout stream. If meat is what you want and prime rib is too pricey, consider a steak. Kim Bartmann, who is giving an updated twist to the genre at Red Stag Supperclub, goes with a rib-eye with grilled mushrooms, grilled onions and crumbled blue cheese. Remember, as Hoekstra points out, many supper club faves began in the home and can be transported back quite easily. Sides Have your choice of potato. "There's french fries, potato pancakes, baked potatoes," Faiola says. "I'm a big fan of the potato pancake." Baked is Stern's choice, served with sour cream, butter, bacon or Bac-Os and chives. Salad? Iceberg wedges rule, often crowned with creamy dressing. Interestingly, the Jax's Kozlak will share any recipe with a customer, except for the family's secret creamy garlic Parmesan dressing. Advertisement Desserts Every supper club has a roster of desserts to cap the meal. Many customers choose instead to order a creamy, sweet after-dinner drink. "In Wisconsin, they're made with ice cream," says Jane Wimmer of The Del-Bar, a landmark supper club in Lake Delton, Wis. One of the more popular requests is a brandy Alexander. Here's how Wimmer makes it: Blend 3 scoops vanilla ice cream with 1 1/4 ounces brandy and 3/4 ounce creme de cacao. Pour into a giant snifter, top with grated nutmeg and a squirt of whipped cream. Moracco cheese spread Dave Hoekstra, author of "The Supper Club Book," loves this cheese spread so much he posted the recipe from Iowa's Moracco Supper Club on his book's website thesupperclubbook.com. Advertisement Blend 1 container (14 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese spread, 8 ounces sour cream and 4 ounces cream cheese in a stand mixer or food processor until smooth and fluffy. Chill until ready to serve. wdaley@tribune.com Entries range from items familiar to most Americans, like Toll House chocolate chip cookies and bacon, to what most people in the United States might find obscure or exotic. Mastiha (wild pistachio tree sap) or hirn mit ei (scrambled eggs with brains), anyone? Whatever the food, Sheraton then tells you what it is, what to do with it and how to get it. JOURNALIST: George Katrougalos, thank you for being with us today on our programme. Its a pleasure. Welcome to Moscow. G. KATROUGALOS: The pleasure is mine. JOURNALIST: Lots to talk about. Prime Minister Tsipras and President Putin are set to discuss the TurkStream natural gas pipeline project, which has a possible extension to Greece. I understand, Moscow is yet to decide whether this will go through Bulgaria or Greece. How do you think your Prime Minister will convince Putin that its more profitable for Russia to tilt towards Greece rather than Bulgaria? G. KATROUGALOS: Well, it will not be the only issue, or maybe not even the most important issue that the leaders are going to discuss. This is not the first time that they meet. Look, we have in mind an economic model, in which Greece is becoming a hub, not just for logistics and transport, but also for energy. So, we are quite open to the possibility of having a lot of pipelines going through our soil. And I think, its also to the interest of the Russian Federation. We have common interests. There are some legal objections from Brussels, regarding the feasibility of that JOURNALIST: Well get to Brussels, but why, do you think, Russia should go for Greece rather than Bulgaria? G. KATROUGALOS: There are many technical reasons regarding the feasibility aspects of the project. We have better infrastructure than our neighbours. But ok, this is up to the Russian Federation to decide. JOURNALIST: Ok, lets talk about Brussels. Your prime minister has also been talking to Brussels about Greece getting a TurkStream pipeline. Do you think he can push it through? Do you think, Brussels will agree and support this? G. KATROUGALOS: There are many similarities between the legal conditions regarding North Stream and TurkStream. So, and as we always say, whatever happens with the first should apply to the other. So its not a difficult situation for us. What we say to the European Commission is that we must have the same standards. JOURNALIST: Then theres Hungary, which is also hoping to benefit from the project and is demanding from Brussels to stop putting spokes in its wheel. Do you think this is what Brussels is doing - putting spokes in the wheel? G. KATROUGALOS: You should ask the Hungarians about that. JOURNALIST: Yes, but youre an observer. G. KATROUGALOS: Were not an observer. The European Union is our home. But what were also trying to do is to build bridges between European Union and Russia, which has traditional ties of friendship with us. What were trying to do is mutually beneficial not just for us and the Russian Federation, but for the European Union as well. JOURNALIST: I wouldnt expect any other answer from a foreign minister. For us its interesting to observe how different members of the European Union, within this big EU family, are maneuvering or reacting to this or that project, especially the gas pipelines when it comes to Russia. Because you know that historically the gas pipelines that go from Russia to Europe have met opposition and resistance, like, for instance, the South Stream pipeline, another gas project, went down due to the EU Commission opposition G. KATROUGALOS: Look, we have some fundamentals in our foreign policy: to respect international law, European law and law in general. But besides that, we believe that the only way to settle disputes is through political dialogue and also by building economic ties. Therefore, we regard economic diplomacy as a natural complement of 'normal', political diplomacy. We do not believe that the 'Russophobia' that exists in some minds today, is the right way to treat the differences between the European Union and Russia. JOURNALIST: Then, theres the German approach, for instance. When Brussels and Washington were scolding Germany for building the North Stream 2, the Germans argued you know what, well take care of this on our own, thank you, they were very firm about it. Do you think Greece can have a same sort of position if it is pressured from Brussels? G. KATROUGALOS: Brussels is not pressing - Brussels has legal opinions. And you know that if you have two lawyers sometimes you have three opinions. But this case its not so much about the judicial aspect, its more about interests. The European Union, like Russia has interests. Were very much aligned with Germany on this. And were very much aligned with the position that, whatever happens with the North Stream theres no reason for it not to happen with the TurkStream and any other pipeline in the same legal position. JOURNALIST: TurkStream right now is a hot topic for Russia, thats why Im talking about it so much. Ok, youre saying that theres no pressure from Brussels. Just legal points of view. But there are certainly a lot of opinions coming from America. For instance, America is saying that the TurkStream is threatening Europes energy security. But the pipeline will be able to supply 31.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe. When America tells Europe not to have that, does it have an understanding of Europes energy needs? G. KATROUGALOS: Well, the United States have their own opinion. But if you compare the amount of gas that's going through North Stream and the amount of gas that is going to pass through TurkStream, youll realise that a very small percentage corresponds to the latter. So, if we are to take into account the American concerns, what is important is the North Stream, not the TurkStream. If there are political concerns of others, the decision's up to us Europeans to see to our interests and through our own legal framework. JOURNALIST: But you started this interview saying that you think Greece should be like a hub, that there should be multiple pipelines going through Greece. And the U.S. is saying that the TurkStream project wont increase energy diversification. Meanwhile, the United States is offering natural gas, which is more expensive than what Greece is currently getting. Do you think Greece is willing to pay the price gap for diversification? G. KATROUGALOS: This is exactly my point. I said that our home is the European Union, but we are trying to follow a multidimensional economic and political diplomacy. When Im saying is that we want to be a energy hub of many pipelines. I have in mind pipelines coming from the Caspian, pipelines coming from the Middle East JOURNALIST: East Med? G. KATROUGALOS: EastMed. I also have in mind the possibilities of receiving energy from the United States. This is the position we have. We want to be a kind of a natural bridge between Asia, Africa, Europe, and this is to the benefit of everybody and not against the interests of anybody else. JOURNALIST: I want to talk a little bit about East Med, and I want to understand the logic a little more. This East Med is also supposed to run through Greece from Israel, but the TurkStream 2 will deliver gas sooner and cheaper. Does it make sense to build another pipeline just for diversification, when the needs of gas supply are met? G. KATROUGALOS: Were speaking about economic diplomacy and not just about gains and losses, exactly because in issues like the energy security -what the national economies are going to win, strategic interests, legal framework, European law- all that is intertwined and cannot be dealt with in as isolated. And one of the reasons we want to have this multidimensional economic diplomacy is exactly because we want to have, at the political level, a multidimensional diplomacy, in order also to to protect our national interests. I think were quite serious and not in contradiction with ourselves when were following these goals. JOURNALIST: In May The European Commission and Gazprom reached an agreement, which obliges Gazprom to provide as much gas as needed, at competitive prices to Europe. With this agreement reached, with the European supply now cheap and secure, is the diversification still an issue? G. KATROUGALOS: Yes, diversification is always an issue. Its like if youre an investor -you do not want to put all your money in one project, even if it is a blue chip. You must have the possibility to enjoy a diversity of energy resources, so that any political turmoil wont potentially have a serious impact on your national interests. JOURNALIST: You know, sanctions are sour point for us, Russians. The European countries are united on the question of anti-Russian sanctions, whether they be friendly towards Russia or not, they all are for anti-Russia sanctions. But when it comes to gas, they dont mind having a piece of the Gazprom pie. Does it make a little bit harder to argue for sanctions when youre at the same time getting? G. KATROUGALOS: I will not agree with, first of all, saying that all European countries have, lets say, the same standing on this issue. Once the decision is taken, all of us must respect it because, as I said, the European Union is our common home, and the rule-based diplomacy must apply for everybody. Respecting decisions is part of the rules. But every time Greece discusses, in the organs of the European Union, the issue of sanctions, we always argue that sanctions are not productive and that the only productive way to re-incorporate Russia in the European system of security- which is our common ultimate goal- is through political dialogue. Were, therefore, trying to be very constructive with this, be the real bridge between the European Union and Russia. But, I repeat, once a decision is taken, it should be respected. JOURNALIST: I want to talk about Cyprus a little bit, because it also could become another gas producer in the region and has already announced drilling plans. But Turkey obviously has a problem with that. It says, actually, to stay away from Cypriot gas until a political solution is found for the divided island. But, do you think, maybe, the economic benefits from drilling can help find a political solution quicker? G. KATROUGALOS: There is only one thing that takes precedence over the national interests of states, and this is International Law. Because its only through respect of international law that we can have an organized international community. Hence, what the Cypriot Republic is exactly doing is exercising its rights, its sovereign rights, which are in conformity with International Law and especially the Law of the Sea. And the reaction of Turkey's is not something understandable. Explained by reasons of different conflicting interests, its something that everybody should reject, exactly because its in violation of International Law. So, on issues like these, it's not if something is profitable or not, it is about if it is legal or not. JOURNALIST: So you have said, I am quoting your right now, that Ankaras reaction to this issue is erratic, and its a demonstration of weakness. Does Athens have a stronger position on this issue, and can it push Ankara? G. KATROUGALOS: I am really flattered that I am quoted by you, but JOURNALIST: I prepared well for the interview, did you not see that? G. KATROUGALOS: Its obvious. What I said is that when youre provocative, when it is clear that you are trying to, lets say, project power, this is really an implicit proof that you are not strong, that youre weak. And the weakness is exactly in this activity that goes against International Law. And it is not just us that say that. In March this year, the European Council, the Council of the leaders of the European Union, characterized as illegal, as contrary to International Law, such practices of Turkey. And when I am talking about a weakness on the part of our neighbours -with whom we want to have a peaceful relation- is exactly a weakness stemming from the fact that theyre acting against International Law. And theyre isolated because of this practice. JOURNALIST: So another issue in the relations between Athens and Ankara is Greek territorial waters. Greece wants to expand their maritime borders, according to the UN convention that would, actually, give it the right to do so - but Ankara is saying: Well, we havent signed this Convention, so theyre not having any of that. How far is Greece willing to push with this? I mean, this could create a pretty nervous situation, no? G. KATROUGALOS: You said that this stems from the international treaty, that is has been signed now by practically all countries of the world, besides Turkey JOURNALIST: But Turkey! G. KATROUGALOS: But Turkey, exactly. And, you know that International Law, as it is said, is the sum of a general acceptance of rules that becomes law not just by treaty, but also by custom, customary law. So we consider that Turkey has a duty to respect our sovereign right to expand our territorial waters. But there is something more than that, and this is a demonstration of my claim that Turkey is not acting within international law. Turkey, not recently, to be exact, by decision of its National Assembly that dates back some decades, said that they regard as casus belli the exercise of our inalienable right to extend our territorial waters. This threat of use of violence is against something even more fundamental than the Law of the Sea: the Charter of the United Nations. If we want to have a peaceful cooperation, then the absolute necessity, the condition, is not to consider war as a possibility of advancing politics by other means. And every nation that threatens a neighbor with war, with use of violence, by this act, its putting itself out of the international legal order. JOURNALIST: So, according to some recent reports, Greece is also seeking to invoke the mutual assistance clause of the Lisbon Treaty, to stress that its maritime borders are also those of the EU. How willing do you think Brussels will be to back you on that? G. KATROUGALOS: This is an idea of President Macron that we are backing. Hes speaking about European sovereignty, that has as basis the Article of the EU Treaty -Article 42 paragraph 7- which similar to the Article 5 of NATO, that says practically that every European country which comes under attack, has the right to ask the assistance of its allies, of the members of the European Union. We consider it a self-evident obligation of the European Union to protect its borders, because the borders of the European Union are the borders of all country-members. And this is one of the reasons that we are supporting European defence capacity. Recently, President Macron and Chancellor Merkel spoke about a European army. Maybe its early to speak about that, but this vision of a Europe which protects its member states and its citizens, is a vision of Europe that we share with France. JOURNALIST: But from whom? You have NATO. What do you need your army for? G. KATROUGALOS: NATO did not protect us up untill now from threats like these, exactly because Turkey is also a member of NATO. JOURNALIST: So do you think a European army would be an alternative to NATO? G. KATROUGALOS: No. European defence is going to be complementary to NATO. We remain members of NATO and one of the few members that comply with the obligation to pay 2% of their budget for defence. But as I said, we do not want to have an alliance against Turkey, this is not our rationale. What we want is to be friends with Turkey. But that presupposes respect, mutual respect of law. We cannot be friends if we do not have agreement on the rules that were going to follow. JOURNALIST: You know what I always wondered, I mean, you, Greece and Turkey, are both members of NATO. Do you think thats what, essentially, keeps you away from a military confrontation with each other? G. KATROUGALOS: I dont think that Turkey has in mind a military confrontation, that would be suicidal. And in any case, what we want is to engage them in a dialogue which has, as final goal, to resolve our issues exactly by peaceful means through political dialogue. And we hope that we can achieve such a goal. JOURNALIST: I want to talk a bit about the migrant crisis, and Greece has been hit very hard by the influx of migrants into Europe. But then the EU-Turkey refugee deal, sort of, eased the burden for Greece. Could antagonising Turkey actually lead to the failure of this agreement, return of the crisis, maybe? G. KATROUGALOS: No, no. This agreement between the European Union and Turkey is, exactly, a useful example of how cooperation between European Union and Turkey, between us and Turkey, can be mutually beneficial. Of course, migration cannot be treated as a national issue, it is a global issue. And especially within the confines of the European Union, it should be treated as a European one. This aspect of our way of thinking -a collective way of engaging everybody- is something that we think will finally be beneficial, again, for everybody. JOURNALIST: Looking westwards now, the Greek economy is yet to fully recover from all the bailout trauma it went through, and a lot of banks are still in heavy debts. Are you confident in the country, do you think it is steering through and staying afloat? G. KATROUGALOS: Yes. Now we have fully recovered, we have 6 consecutive quarters of growth, last quarter we had a growth of 2.2%. Projections for next year are for a growth of 2.5%. Of course, we still have in the Greek society the accumulation of 8 years of misery, but were starting to leave all that behind us. And not just economically. Getting out of the programs of readjustment is also a return to full democratic control of the fate of our nation. So, both at the levels of democracy and economy, we have really turned a page after August. JOURNALIST: SYRIZA has been brought to power in Greece by disillusioned voters fed up with regular faces in politics. Do you think all of this... is part of a common pan-European trend of shaking up the conventional establishment? G. KATROUGALOS: It is not just the Greek voters, the Greek citizens, that are feeling disenchanted by whats happening in Europe. Even the European Commission JOURNALIST: Thats what Im saying, its a huge pan-European movement. G. KATROUGALOS: I am re-confirming that, and I am saying that even the European Commission in its recent White Book on the future of Europe, argues that we are the first generation of Europeans who fear that our children are going to have a worse life than we do. And we see this feeling in the recent situation in France, in the -lets say- reversal of the political system in countries that we considered to be very politically-stable. So, what is for sure is that this dismantlement of the welfare state, this explosion of inequalities cannot continue like that. The real question is whether these challenges will be met by a progressive response -as the one that we are trying to build in European alliance with other powers, of Ecology, of Social Democracy- or whether these dark forces that aspire to return Europe in a golden nationalistic past that never existed, are going to prevail again. Therefore, we are speaking about two Europes that are going to face each other in the next European elections. And we believe that the Europe of progress, of openness, of human rights and freedoms is going to prevail. JOURNALIST: So Why do you think that in Greece, the popular discontent movement actually resulted in a left government, and then everywhere else in Europe in the right, Trump-style? G. KATROUGALOS: Well, it is not universal, what we are saying Look at whats happening in the UK, or even at the United States. This feeling of the working class that their demands are not met, it -as I said- can be faced either by the left of by the right. I was reading in the Wall Street Journal a poll saying that for the first time socialism is not a bad word for the Americans. This is something new. If you look at the program of Corbyn, or Sanders, youre going to see their political positions some years ago would have been considered suicidal for those who state them. So, I trust that we can have in all counties, especially in those Meccas of international capitalism, real responses for the big majority, for the working class and the middle class. JOURNALIST: George Katrougalos, thank you for this interview, and good luck with everything. G. KATROUGALOS: Thank you. AL. TSIPRAS: I would like to thank President Putin for his warm welcome and the hospitality extended to us, and of course for our extremely interesting talks on practically all matters relating to Greek-Russian relations, but also to broader regional and international security issues. As noted by President Putin, my visit coincides with the 190-year anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. These relations are based on very strong and historic ties; on religious, cultural and spiritual ties between our people. I believe that this solid background allows us to develop a lasting, stable, yet dynamic relationship. It is the second time I am visiting the Kremlin and the third time I am visiting the Russian Federation in my capacity as Prime Minister. I had also visited the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum during a very difficult time for Greece. At that time, the political will of my government with the Russian government and Russian President agreeing was to steadfastly rebuild constructive foundations for cooperation between the two countries, after a five-year period of inactivity in our relations. Ever since, what has become clear through the proactive, multidimensional foreign policy of Greece, but also from the solid relations of cooperation built with the Russian Federation, is that Greece may be a member state of the European Union and NATO, but at the same time, it is able to put forward a proactive, multidimensional foreign policy paradigm and capitalise on historical relations and partnerships. Today, 3.5 years later, I find myself here on a completely different occasion. Greece has at last left behind the bankruptcy scenarios and has returned to positive growth rates. The Greek people have pulled through, the Greek economy has pulled through and now we are able to look into the future with greater optimism. Therefore, a more favourable landscape is emerging, which will make our partnership even more productive. Certainly, the challenges we are facing have not become fewer. On the contrary, I would say that Greece is a country that constitutes a pillar of security and stability in a largely destabilised region. It is directly affected by the developments in this region, by the flow of refugees and migrants and by the security crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean. I think that during this time Russia has been even more dynamically present, on a diplomatic and economic level, in this interesting yet fragile region. So, as agreed with President Putin, under these conditions a Greek-Russian dialogue is becoming even more important. Of course, it is clear that such a dialogue is not always easy, as evidenced this past summer. However, our desire to keep the relations we have been painstakingly building since 2015 on a stable track has always helped us to overcome any difficulties and reinstate the necessary mutual trust and understanding. In this context, we discussed at length developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, the new energy map taking shape in the region, the role of Russia, and relations between our two countries and Turkey. I certainly voiced our concerns to President Putin regarding Turkeys new armaments programme, to the extent that it continues to maintain the "casus belli" threat against Greece. We also talked about the new energy map taking shape in the Eastern Mediterranean in light of the construction of the new Nord Stream pipeline; we also discussed the possibility of extending the Turkish Stream pipeline from Turkey through to Greece and from there on to Italy and the rest of Europe. This is a project that -in combination with other pipelines under way- will upgrade the role of Greece to a regional energy hub. I voiced to President Putin my appreciation towards Russia for its unwavering stance with regard to the Cyprus issue; specifically, for its support for the Republic of Cyprus and the prospect of resolving the Cyprus issue based on UN resolutions. I also highlighted the crucial role that the UN Security Council will play in reaching a permanent solution for the Cyprus issue. We also discussed the prospects of peace and stability in Syria and in Libya, as well as the need to establish in the latter a National Unity Government and a united military that would include the powerful and significant military forces in the East of the country. Because what should be our primary concern is stability in Libya and also in the wider region. Naturally, we also talked about developments in the Western Balkans; a region whose stability and growth is of crucial importance for us. I availed myself of the opportunity to explain to President Putin the positions of Greece, especially on the sensitive issue of our northern neighbours name; and also explain why it is of utmost importance for Greece and the Greek people that the neighbouring country does not carry "Republic of Macedonia" as its constitutional name. Because for us, both the name and the history it transpires and carries, form a very significant part of our historical and cultural heritage. So thats why I believe that the Prespa Agreement places this issue which has remained unresolved for years on a just basis. And I certainly also believe that we are confronted with an emergence of nationalist trends and potential future conflicts that could destabilise the region. Needless to say, we also talked at length about EU and NATO relations with Russia. Yet again, I had the opportunity to stress the importance of dialogue, especially when we disagree and even more so at this time, in relation with the invaluable framework in place for conventional and nuclear arms control. As was the case during the tough times of the Cold War, dialogue has always been a valuable tool to resolve differences and prevent dangerous escalation in the future. I stressed to the President that Greece is a member state of the EU and NATO and it steadily honours it commitments, yet it believes that any security architecture or initiative for resolving significant global challenges can but include Russia and, certainly, be based on honest dialogue with it. And this is a position I have been firmly voicing over these 3.5 years at all the international and European fora I have attended in my capacity as Prime Minister of Greece. In this context, we naturally also talked about developments in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. As you may know, we have an interest in this, as there are over 130,000 civilians of Greek origin in Mariupol. And of course I would like to thank President Putin for the detailed update he gave me. Let me also inform you that apart from the Agreements we signed, the 11th Joint Interministerial Committee met yesterday. We talked about a series of partnerships in various sectors, but also about Russian investments in the areas of infrastructure and energy. We further agreed on ways to promote Greek exports to Russia, especially in the agri-food sector. I also informed President Putin on the re-establishment of the honorary Russian consulate in Alexandroupoli, as well as the establishment of an honorary Russian consulate in Nafplion that, we believe, will contribute towards strengthening our relations. Lastly, as President Putin just noted, we agreed for 2019 to be the Year of Cultural Cooperation between Greece and Russia, the Year of Language and Literature, aiming to reinforce initiatives such as reciprocal translations of books, teaching of language and literature in our universities and other significant exchanges. Because I believe that this long-term friendship, mutual respect and mutual understanding between our peoples are primarily based on the appreciation for each others cultures. So, once more, let me extend my gratitude to President Putin and voice the conviction that this visit was extremely constructive and, I feel, comes at the right time. I believe it will greatly contribute towards continuing this valuable cooperation and substantive dialogue in the coming months, with even greater momentum. JOURNALIST: Good evening. Your previous official contacts on Russian soil had taken place when Greece was under the memorandum, often cast out in the corner, with all of Europes and the worlds eyes on it. Do you believe, now that the third programme has been concluded, that the role of Greece in the eastern Mediterranean is being upgraded further? The question is addressed to both of you, Mr President of the Russian Federation. AL. TSIPRAS: Yes, I think I have already given some clear indications of my views on this in my introductory statement. I believe that this negative conjuncture for Greece in these last eight years has been a dark and bleak parenthesis in its history. But it is something we believe we have overcome today. We are looking towards the future with greater optimism, and we have already regained a large part of the economic sovereignty we had surrendered to our creditors in the past. However, allow me to say that Greece is a country that due to its geographical position could never lose its geopolitical value and importance. More so in the last 3.5 years, by implementing a proactive multidimensional foreign policy, we have proven that we can be a member of the European Union and NATO, but at the same time maintain and strengthen historical relationships of cooperation and friendship. In this sense, we play a significant stabilising role in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans. Therefore, I believe that Greece is now at a positive juncture, because it is exiting the economic crisis, so these historical relationships of cooperation and friendship may be developed even further, but also because in these times of volatility and destabilisation in the area, we can play a decisive role, based on the principles and values of cooperation, mutual growth and dialogue. We can become a country acting as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between the European Union, Russia and also the Arab world. At the same time, we can play a significant and stabilising role in addressing the major security challenges in the area, but also the challenges relating to energy security and safe transportation of energy resources towards the European continent. JOURNALIST: After the incidents, that dark page, the well-known story with the diplomats, are the two sides prepared to develop their cooperation, engage in common projects? AL. TSIPRAS: I believe the question was also addressed to me. I will agree with President Putins take on this, that we have to look forward. One rainy day during the summer season doesnt mean it's not summer, just because the weather is bad at that specific moment. Nevertheless, what I need to stress publicly is that, for as long as I have been serving as Prime Minister, I am speaking of the post-2015 period, Greece, when it comes to crucial matters regarding Greek-Russian relations, has never acted surrendering under the pressure or the views of third countries. This is also proven by the fact that Greece was the only EU country at the European Council that did not identify with the then desire for a coordinated deportations policy on the Skripal case. On the other hand, when faced with some isolated incidents, because I believe these were isolated incidents, that concern us and bother us, we must send a message, but also look forward. I believe we are looking forward and this story is water under the bridge. What is important today is to develop the great potential we have to expand our partnership in a series of fields. Significant steps have been taken in the last three years, but theres room for many more. JOURNALIST: A question for the Greek Prime Minister. Prime Minister, I would like you to comment on the message sent by Russia regarding the potential militarisation of Cyprus by third countries. And also tell me whether the strengthening of Greek-US relations would affect Greek-Russian relations. AL. TSIPRAS: As to the matter of Cyprus, the necessary contacts with the Republic of Cyprus have been made. If Im not mistaken, the two Foreign Ministers talked on the phone yesterday and I think clarifications were offered. You know, given its crucial geostrategic location, Cyprus has always offered and must always offer facilities for humanitarian operations. It is clear that never was such an idea put on the table, that I know. And I should also tell you that I contacted President Anastasiades today. So, it is not just about what I do know, it is also the position of the Republic of Cyprus, there are no thoughts whatsoever concerning the prospect of the islands militarisation, nor are we fighting to resolve the Cyprus issue with troops and third-party guarantees. It would be unthinkable to adopt a militarisation approach while fighting for a solution without troops and without third-party guarantees. This is beyond our logic and I have to make this absolutely clear. Otherwise this is also reflected in the fact that the Republic of Cyprus extends an extremely balanced port access policy to all its friendly partners, including Russia. Further to that, you asked about Greek-US relations and whether they are to the detriment of Greek-Russian relations. I think that in these 3.5 years, our actions have demonstrated that Greece can be a reliable ally in NATO and the EU while at the same time being a reliable partner of countries with which it maintains and strengthens historical relationships of cooperation and friendship. And I believe these relations have their own momentum, their own deep roots, and are not contradictory. Conversely, I believe that both sides -meaning our allies in NATO, mainly the US, but also the EU countries, and Russia- should capitalise on the value and the role of Greece. Greece would not have the same value and significance for Russia were it not able to be both a reliable ally in the EU and NATO and also a solid and honest partner of Russia at the same time. It would be like every other country of the EU. So, Greece can play a bridging role and aspires to play a bridging role. Certainly, to achieve this, its foreign policy must be based on a proactive and multidimensional foundation, and also on the lasting values we serve. And these lasting values are the respect of international law and striving for cooperation, growth for all, peace, security and stability. This is the path we have followed and this is the way we will keep walking. This is why I believe we are reliable partners and significant allies for Russia as well. JOURNALIST: Good morning... You stated that during talks you discussed energy cooperation and energy security. Is it possible for a branch of the Turkish pipeline to pass through the country? We are witnessing pressure from the US side. How would you deal with such pressure? And a personal question for the Prime Minister. You said that the Greek economy is growing, but I see you are not wearing a tie. When will you wear your tie? AL. TSIPRAS: Yes, Greece has been steadfastly supporting the principle of diversification of Europe's energy sources and energy routes to Europe. Indeed, the principle of diversification means increasing the number of potential sources and routes; definitely not excluding certain sources and routes. In this respect we are of the view that double standards apply within the EU when, in particular, we see North 2 being actively promoted, while Turkish Stream is constantly met with various impediments when it comes to extending it towards the European Union through Greece and Italy. On this, Greece and Italy are sharing a common solid position in the EU; we trust that in the future the European Commission will also be more open as there can be no double standards. In the meantime we have completed about 80% of TAP, a pipeline transporting Azeri gas towards Europe. In this respect, I also believe that an optimal solution in terms of technology and quality would be for TAP to include Russian natural gas. I believe this would benefit the European economy, but also cooperation and growth for all in the area. This is the position we have been steadfastly supporting during the last 3.5 years and will continue to defend at European fora, along with the support of other EU partners as I said earlier. JOURNALIST: And how about the tie? AL. TSIPRAS: You may have missed the news, I won the bet and I put on a tie. But the tie came off quickly, because the noose came off the neck of the Greek people. Therefore, I believe that this symbolism has a value of its own. Now, if President Putin offers me a gift, I may use it in the future, in a future meeting. Instead, Catherine Steiner-Adair, an expert in girls' development and author of "The Big Disconnect," recommends being open to your daughter's anger, and don't take it personally. Between fourth and 11th grades anger can be very physical and overwhelming for kids, says Steiner-Adair. "They say bad things, like 'I hate you.' 'You're the worst mother in the world.' You have to get over that and help them get to a place of self-regulation," she says. "Let your daughter know you see her anger and you want to hear why she is angry." (Later, when both of you are calm, you can let her know your feelings about what was said or done.) "There's probably a lot of older, old-school cops who think you arrest everybody, but the truth is we just cannot arrest everybody; it doesn't work," he said. "They're stealing because they have an addiction. Dealing with the stealing is not going to help them deal with the addiction." What weve learned is that working in a charter school poses some particular problems. Our employers have business interests, and sometimes those are in conflict with our students interests, said Chris Baehrend, the CTU charter division chair. We are going to push back and change the charter school industry so they stop exploiting our students, and we are going to defend public education, and our students are going to have better lives. China's Sub Force Is Growing More Powerful. This Is What the US Navy Needs to Do to Stay Ahead After nearly eight decades, the lost victims of the infamous Pearl Harbor attack during World War II are finally being laid to rest, thanks to DNA testing. Nearly 2,400 members of the U.S. military were killed in the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, out of those 429 Navy sailors and Marines were killed on the USS Oklahoma, which capsized after it was struck by several torpedoes during the attack on December 7th, 1941. Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after the attack. The rest of the remains were exhumed when the ship was raised in 1942 and found to be unidentifiable. They were then buried in graves marked as unknown at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency started exhuming nearly 400 sets of the remains after determining advances in forensic science and genealogical help from families could make identifications possible. 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, Ontonagon, Michigan, Omaha, Nebraska and Arlington National Cemetery. Many were buried on Friday during the anniversary of the attack, with others to be laid to rest throughout the weekend. Among those being buried include: WILLIAM BRUESEWITZ Bruesewitz, of Appleton, Wisconsin, is being buried in Arlington National Cemetery with nearly 50 family members from Wisconsin, Florida, Arkansas and Maryland will attend. "It's a real blessing to have him returning and we've chosen Arlington because we feel he's a hero and belongs there," Bruesewitz's niece Renate Starck said to the AP. "We were too young to know him but we're old enough that we felt his loss," she added. "We know some stories. There's this stoicness about things from that time that kept people from talking about things that hurt." BERT MCKEEMAN The former Navy Fireman 1st class, whose remains were exhumed nearly six years ago for DNA testing, was laid to rest in his hometown of Council Bluffs, Iowa on Saturday. "[J]ust a young man waiting to start a life," she said. "He was a very handsome man. To us, he's our hero," McKeeman's niece, Kathy Rollin, 71, said to Omaha World-Herald. "This finally puts things to rest," her brother, Bill McKeeman, 56, said to the newspaper. 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 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." CARL DAVID DORR Dorr's remains were finally brought back to the mainland on Wednesday in Atlanta, where family members and Veterans gave plane-side honors. Members of his family told a local news station from their native South Carolina that they had waited decades for Dorr's return. "He was missing in action," nephew Charles Dorr Howard said to WCSC-TV. "That's all they knew for years. My grandfather spent a good half of his life trying to find out what happened to his son. It's up to us as the last Dorr family to receive Carl back and have him buried as close to his parents as we possibly could." The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story. BURTON, MI One man was shot and one taken into custody following an incident early Sunday morning in the parking lot outside of a Burton bar. Officers with the Burton Police Department responded around 12:15 a.m. Dec. 9 to Captains Quarters Lounge, 6011 E. Atherton Road, for a report of a shooting. Burton police Chief Mike Odette confirmed a 21-year-old man was shot in the parking lot of the business located at the northeast corner of Atherton and Belsay roads. The victim was transported to a local hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment of his injuries. The suspect was also admitted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He will be lodged at the Genesee County Jail after hes released from the hospital, Odette said. The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the shooting may contact the Burton Police Department at 810-742-2542. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - One non-profit cookie business is attempting to help the homeless community in Grand Rapids one cookie at a time. In addition to making yummy cookies, the unique business is finding success in employing and assisting homeless women secure housing. Seven formerly homeless women spent time working for Pauls' Moms' Cookies, founded in 2015. All seven, including two current employees, have found housing. Pauls' Moms' Cookies is a social enterprise designed to benefit Degage Ministries Open Door Women's Center. The center provides a safe haven during the overnight hours to adult women in crisis. All the proceeds from Pauls' Moms' Cookies go to Degage Ministries and its programs. Some of the nonprofits employees are homeless women who stay in Degage's Open Door Women's Center. Pauls' Moms' Cookies has six signature cookies. They are currently sold out. When available, they can be purchased for $2 each at degagecookies.myshopify.com. The six cookies to choose from are Lemon Cherry Dream, Mint Meltaways, Molasses Ginger, Oatmeal Berry, Salted Caramel Chocolate Chunk and a gluten free Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache cookie. The cookie business is sold in three major Grand Rapids retailers: Kingma's Market, Forest Hills Foods and Bridge Street Market. The nonprofit started with two best friends, Cindy Knape and Chris Mason, who both love to bake and each have a son named Paul. "It just warms our hearts, it's exactly what we sought out to do from the beginning," Knape said. "We wanted to make a difference somehow doing something charitable." Homeless women are able to learn job skills, earn income, build self-confidence and grow in a community where they are supported. Susan Schur, a volunteer for Pauls' Moms' Cookies, lived on the streets of Grand Rapids for eight months after she broke her foot, lost her job and ended up homeless. Schur said she remembers sleeping on the sidewalks and in tunnels while searching for safety and warmth. Last November when winds reached 50 mph and the cold became difficult to bear, she sought shelter at Degage Ministries. Schur was involved in a program at Degage Ministries for five months, where she met with counselors and did volunteer work. Shortly after being in Degage's program, a Pauls' Moms' Cookies employee asked if Schur would like to work for the nonprofit. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. "I'm happy now. ... I think about the past but I think about the future, too," Schur said. "Pauls' Moms' Cookies changed my life absolutely. Where would I have been if I didn't go to Degage Ministries?" Schur now has her own apartment and helps bake for Pauls' Moms' Cookies every Tuesday at Trinity United Methodist Church, where the employees handle all of the baking. "One of the things we really want to do is work with community groups that serve the neighborhoods," said Matt Witkowski, the community director of Trinity United Methodist Church. "When we have strategic partners like Pauls' Moms' Cookies that serves with Degage, it's just a great win-win for both of us." Walking through the church's front doors, the smell of fresh baked cookies hits guests. As church activities are taking place on the first floor, there are 1,400 cookies being made in the kitchen downstairs. Annual sales have more than doubled in the three years since the cookie business started in 2015, according to Degage. WYOMING, MI - A West Michigan woman was found dead in a frigid pond at a park in Wyoming, near Grand Rapids, according to police. A woman missing since Saturday night was found dead at a park in a West Michigan city near Grand Rapids, according to police. Tracy Cashman, 38, of Wyoming, was found in the early hours of Sunday, Dec. 9, at Battjes Park, according to a news release issued by the Wyoming Department of Public Safety. The Kent County Medical Examiner has concluded that Cashman, an employee at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, had accidentally fallen through the ice trying to rescue her dog after it had fallen into the pond during their nightly walk, the release reads. An autopsy is scheduled for the morning of Monday, Dec. 10. Officers and fire personnel responded at around 12:25 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, to Battjes Park, 1601 Blandford Ave. SW, in reference to a missing person report. Cashman had apparently gone missing and was last seen leaving her house to walk her dog on Saturday evening. At around 9 p.m. Saturday, Cashman's dog returned home without her, prompting her family to search the park. But their attempt to find Cashman was unsuccessful, and the family called Wyoming police for assistance. Upon arrival, Wyoming police and fire personnel observed Cashman's body in the pond. Firefighters performed a cold water rescue, however, Cashman was already deceased, the release reads. Godfrey-Lee Public Schools posted a notice of Cashman's death on social media along with a note of condolences to her family, students and co-workers in the district. The post also said that the district will have a half-day scheduled tomorrow in her honor. Funeral arrangements are expected to be posted on the district's Facebook page as more information becomes available. Greg and Jean McArthur haven't lived in West Michigan very long, but they have already found a good connection for their volunteer outreach. "We moved here three years ago," Jean said. The Rockford couple is retired, and when they read about Santa Claus Girls in The Grand Rapids Press, it looked like an opportunity to contribute to the community. They signed up as drivers the first year. Last year, Jean drew on sewing talents and donated about 25 sets of receiving blankets, burp cloths and bibs, all lined with terry cloth. This year, she and Greg are working together at the operations center at Knoll Industries wrapping gifts. "Santa Claus Girls is very organized, very good," said Jean. She said there are options available for anyone who has a desire to help. "One really fun thing to do is to deliver the presents to the families in December. They need a lot of drivers because they reach thousands of families. There are lots of things to do -- wrapping, answer phones. It's a wonderful organization." The Santa Claus Girls raised $202,198.84 and brought gifts to 12,502 children in 5,149 Kent County families in 2017. More information about the all-volunteer organization is on their Facebook page. For information about volunteering, call 616-957-7335. Donations can be made online, by credit card at 616-254-2099, or by mailing a check to Santa Claus Girls, c/o The Grand Rapids Press, 3102 Walker Ridge Drive NW, Walker, MI, 49544. Have a story to tell behind your donation? Send the details and your contact information to comments@mlive.com and we may feature you and your family in a future story. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A former wrestling meet worker is going to prison on child pornography charges. Wayne Thomas Fuller, 46, of Fruitport pleaded guilty to six counts: three counts of child sexually abusive activity, a four-year felony, and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime, which is a seven-year felony. Fuller downloaded child pornography and then copied it onto devices where it could be viewed and transferred, according to the Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 18. Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley sentenced Fuller on Nov. 29 to three years to 20 years in prison on each count. The sentences are to be served concurrently and Smedley gave Fuller credit for 170 days he served in the county jail. Fuller previously did contract work at wrestling meets at Fruitport schools as well as other area school districts, the Fruitport Community Schools superintendent said previously. The investigation into Fuller was based on an investigation of the images that had been initiated by the Internet crimes against children division of the Michigan State Police. In one tweet, the Chicago Fire Department said water was on the fire, both from a sprinkler system inside the building that activated and from firefighters trying to combat the flames. In another, officials said they were working to ventilate the building. "What we're seeing is jailhouse informants are being used in trials involving very serious crimes carrying life sentences or other serious penalties and there's not a lot of scrutiny around them. That's what this law is meant to do," said Michelle Feldman, legislative strategist for the Innocence Project, which hopes to use Illinois' momentum to pursue similar laws in other states next spring. Actually, we get a shipment of animals like this every other week, Swift said. But we also wanted to help some of the people there in the Kentucky counties that are not well off. Our volunteers have adopted kids or families that are in need of food this holiday season and were packing boxes to be brought back down to them. Arvind Subramanian, chief economic adviser at India's Finance Ministry, speaks during an interview with Reuters in New Delhi, India, September 23, 2015. India does not need further fiscal stimulus to revive the economy, despite GDP growth seen at the lower end of an 8.1 percent to 8.5 percent target in the current financial year, Subramanian said on Wednesday. To match Interview INDIA-ECONOMY/ REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RTX1RZFR Former Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Arvind Subramanian warned moderation in the Indian economys growth for some time and also said that the design of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) could have been better and simpler. Subramanian, who earlier this year said that he will return back to the US for personal reasonsto a life of researching, writing, teaching and reflecting, was here in New Delhi for the launch of his book The Counsel: Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy. Tight financial conditions, global growth slowdown, stress in agriculture are some of the reasons why Subramanian thinks India will witness a brief period of slowdown. First of all, the financial system is under stress, financial conditions are very tight. So, this is not conducive to rapid growth because you need financing and that continues to remain tight. Agriculture remains under stress, Subramanian said. The international environment is getting much softer. There is a global growth slowdown. Europe is slowing down, Japan is slowing down. The yield curve has inverted. So, may be there could be a broader slowdown. The vulnerability on oil will remain in check. Growth on exports will be soft, he said. In addition, when election is less than six months away, implementation of huge reforms to perk up the economy isnt as simple. GST was partly burdened by demonetisationthe massive exercise of scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from November 8, 2016having preceded it he said, adding that both disrupted the informal sector, which is yet to recover. Talking about the four tier rate structure5, 12, 18, 28 percentin the new indirect tax system, Subramanian said that there can never be a single tax rate. According to the former CEA, the 28 percent or the highest tax slab could have been avoided because states were already promised compensation on account of loss on revenue owing to the transition to GST. Eventually, in last one and half year, there were several rounds of rate cuts, where several goods and services were brought down to lower tax brackets. In fact, currently, there are only 35 items in the 28 percent slab, weighed mainly by certain white goods, demerit and luxury goods. There should be no more than three (GST) rates. One core rate, one for essentials and one for luxury, Subramanian said. On revenue collection from GST, he said the right benchmark needs to be applied as judging tax mop-up from budget estimates is unreasonable. What you should ask is if the economy is growing at 11-12 percent, are GST revenue giving you 12-13 percent or not, he explained, adding that one needs to take into account massive rates cuts that happened in July. Discussions regarding the possibility of revenue shortfall from GST has been going on for some time. The government has set a target of over Rs 12 lakh crore for the financial year 2018-19, which can be achieved if the average monthly mop up is around Rs 1 lakh crore, as compared with Rs 89,885 crore in 2017-18. Till now (April-November), the government has collected Rs 7.76 lakh crore revenue from GST. The statutory auditors of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) Ltd the parent company of debt-laden IL&FS Group - and two of its subsidiaries, IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL) and IL&FS Financial Services Ltd (IFIN), have been held prima facie guilty of professional misconduct by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), The Hindu Business Line has reported. The names listed by the ICAI include three top-notch audit firms - Deloitte Haskins & Sells, BSR & Associates LLP and SR Batliboi. The decision has cleared the way for full-fledged investigations against the partners of these audit firms. The ICAI, in a written reply to the publication, confirmed that the statutory auditors of IL&FS Ltd, ITNL and IFIN have been held prima facie guilty of professional misconduct for the financial years 2016-17 and 2017-18. SR Batliboi was the statutory auditor of IL&FS Ltd for 2017-18, whereas Deloitte Haskins & Sells was the firm's auditor in 2016-17. For ITNL, the statutory auditor for 2017-18 was SR Batliboi. A joint audit was conducted by SR Batliboi and Deloitte Haskins & Sells for 2016-17. In IFINs case, there was a joint audit by Deloitte Haskins & Sells and BSR & Co for 2017-18. In 2017-18, Deloitte Haskins & Sells was the statutory auditor of IFIN. The ICAI has already sent a formal communication to the partners of the three audit firms, the report said. Faced with difficulties in recovery of penalties and other dues from some defaulters, capital markets regulator Sebi is planning to create a separate category of 'difficult to recover' cases for optimal utilisation of its resources. However, Sebi can initiate or continue its prosecution proceedings against the defaulters even after such a segregation and recovery procedure can be reopened in case there is any change in prevailing parameters regarding the defaulter, officials said. A proposal in this regard is expected to be discussed by Sebi's board at its meeting this week, they said. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has got powers to recover money from various entities by way of passing orders for refund of money to investors, disgorgement of funds to be distributed to investors, and also collect fees and penalties levied by it. Since getting the recovery powers in 2013, Sebi has initiated recovery proceedings against more than 1,600 defaulters, but it has experienced difficulties during the execution of these proceedings in certain cases. According to officials, the reasons typically include the defaulter being insolvent or financially unsound without having any attachable assets, or being a company whose assets or directors/promoters are not traceable, as also individual defaulters being untraceable. In some cases, the dues remain unrecovered even after executing all modes of recovery. Currently, the Sebi norms do not provide for declaring any unrecovered dues as 'difficult to recover' and therefore all the proceedings continue to remain in force along with other recoverable cases, thus hindering optimal utilisation of resources, officials said. Therefore, Sebi is of the view that treating outstanding dues that cannot be recovered even after exhausting all modes of recovery as 'difficult to recover' will help allocate resources towards dues that have better chances of recovery. Sebi, which had also sought views of the Finance Ministry, Reserve Bank and the Corporate Affairs Ministry, has also clarified that it is not considering any "scaling down or writing off" of the dues. While the RBI did not offer any comment on Sebi's proposal, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has said it had no objection to the proposed policy. The Department of Economic Affairs has stated that Sebi may formulate such a policy, but it needs to be comprehensive on the lines of the one for the income tax department. The Department of Revenue, on the other hand, has drawn Sebi's attention to certain CAG audit reports on the working of write-off procedure of the income tax department so as to avoid problem areas before formulating a policy. It has also suggested a robust system of checks and balances to ensure that only those dues which are completely irrecoverable are segregated and a strong review system is put in place. As per the Sebi proposal, it has taken cues from the procedure followed by the income tax department to identify and segregate dues as 'difficult to recover'. In case of individuals, this would broadly apply to a person who has died leaving behind no assets, who is alive but has no attachable assets or has become insolvent. In case of companies, it would apply to those having gone into liquidation or insolvency proceedings or are defunct, as also entities whose directors, promoters, partners or representatives have no attachable assets. Answer: Vijay Mallya Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, is scheduled to return to the Westminster Magistrates' Court here on December 10 when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is "politically motivated" and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. "I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Kingfisher Airlines. Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud," he said in his recent Twitter post on the issue. "I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it," the flamboyant businessman tweeted earlier. While dismissing that his intervention has anything to do with the extradition case, it came just days before Judge Emma Arbuthnot is expected to present her ruling in the case. The trial, which opened at the Magistrates' Court on December 4 last year, has gone through a series of hearings beyond the initial seven days earmarked for it. It opened with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) team, led by Mark Summers, laying out the Indian government's prima facie case of fraud and money laundering against Mallya. Summers sought to establish a "blueprint of dishonesty" against the businessman and that there are no bars to his extradition on human rights grounds. Mallya's defence team, led by Clare Montgomery, deposed a series of experts in an attempt to prove that the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. The court was also told that a consortium of Indian banks, led by the State Bank of India (SBI), rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principal loan amount owed to them. While the CPS argued that Mallya never intended to repay the loans he sought in the first place because his airline's demise was inevitable, the defence tried to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the company's control. "There are clear signs that the banks seem to have gone against their own guidelines [in sanctioning some of the loans]," Judge Arbuthnot had noted during the course of the trial. In relation to the defence's attempts to dispute Indian prison conditions as a bar to Mallya's extradition on human rights grounds, the judge had indicated to the CPS that she did not require any further information in reference to the prison conditions awaiting Mallya at Barrack 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after seeking a video of the cell. "If the judge is satisfied that all of the procedural requirements are met, and that none of the statutory bars to extradition apply, he or she must send the case to the Secretary of State for a decision to be taken on whether to order extradition," explains Pavani Reddy, a UK-based legal expert and Managing Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. The judge's decision on whether to send Mallya's case to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid can be appealed with the UK High Court's permission, with the person to be extradited entitled to make an application for permission to appeal to the High Court within 14 days of the date of the Chief Magistrate's ruling. On the other hand, the Indian government would also have 14 days to file leave to appeal to the High Court, seeking permission to appeal against a decision not to extradite. "In case the concerned individual does not file an appeal, and Secretary of State agrees with the magistrate's decision, then the individual must be extradited from the UK within 28 days of the Home Secretary's extradition order. "This will also apply if an appeal lodged by either party in the High Court is unsuccessful, but the 28 days will commence from the date when the appeal hearing was concluded," said Reddy. Norrell also came to realize less was more and that trying to do everything that needed to be done in the district would be impossible. I love curriculum, she said. but when I read through the school boards curriculum committee minutes, I was exhausted. I cant imagine what it would be like for teachers who also have to deal with classrooms of children day in and day out. India Pakistan The Pakistan High Commission on December 9 said it has issued visas to 139 Indian pilgrims to visit Katas Raj Dham, the famous Shiva temple, in the country's Punjab province. Under the framework of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. "Another group of Indian pilgrims, comprising 139 people, have been issued visas by the Pakistan High Commission to visit Shree Katas Raj Dham in Chakwal district from December 9-15," the Pakistan High Commission said. Last month, Pakistan had granted visas to more than 3,800 Sikh pilgrims to visit the country. Some of the pilgrims had attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor on November 28 in Narowal. The corridor will link the Darbar Sahib shrine in Kartarpur in Pakistan's Punjab province to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district in India. Earlier this month, over 220 Indian pilgrims were granted visas to visit the famous Hindu temple, Shadani Darbar, in Sukkur. Katas Raj is one of the holiest places for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named Katas -- which is regarded as sacred by the devotees. Pakistan's High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood stated that the issuance of visas for yet another group of pilgrims from India was consistent with Government's of Pakistan's policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and was a reflection of its commitment to faithfully implement the 1974 Protocol, the High Commission said in a release. He said that Pakistan remained committed to providing all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims and strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. New Delhi: Noted lawyer and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal during a press conference on Rafale deal at AICC headquarters, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Nov 14, 2018. (PTI Photo/Subhav Shukla) (PTI11_14_2018_000105B) Stepping up its attack on the BJP-led government over ED raids against Robert Vadra's associates, the Congress on December 8 accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using probe agencies for "political vendetta" and to "besmirch" the names of people living with dignity. After the Congress's attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back, dubbing Vadra the "fountainhead of corruption". Party spokesperson Sambit Patra lashed out at the Congress, saying it showed that Vadra was only a conduit and the "final track probably leads to the family". Senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal, Ahmed Patel and Randeep Surjewala held a press conference in the evening at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here, hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids against Vadra's associates for the second day. The raids against three persons linked to Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, had started Friday. Official sources said the action was taken on the basis of two FIRs filed by the agency. "People are being harassed, held practically under arrest in their houses, raided without any notice. Is this the kind of change Modi had advocated for in (the) 2014 (Lok Sabha) election?", Sibal asked at the press conference. He alleged that agencies like the ED were "acting on the directions of the prime minister". Asked if he was suggesting that there was a constitutional failure in the country as agencies that were supposed to uphold the rule of law were being used by the government for its own purposes, Sibal said, "Not only suggesting, but this is my charge that the PM and the PMO are using these agencies for political vendetta and besmirching the names of people who are living with dignity in this country." The Congress leader, however, did not present any evidence in support of his charge. There was no reaction of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to the opposition party's allegation. "When law enforcement agencies start doing hooliganism, then who will probe them? And if they get the support of the prime minister, then who will investigate it? "No Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) of the FIR has been shared, no search warrant issued, people were forced to sign on blank papers. Is this democracy? Is this the rule of law?," Sibal asked. He also claimed that the BJP and Modi were "frustrated" with the exit poll projections on the just-concluded Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana Assembly elections. "If this is the situation at exit polls, what will happen when they (BJP) exit (lose the polls)?," Sibal asked. "Wherever there are people of opposition parties, they are being targeted and the I-T (Income Tax department) or the ED is being sent after them, or they are being arrested or getting picked up at night," he alleged. Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged at a press conference that the Modi dispensation was using "high-handed tactics" to threaten people as it was in a "state of panic of the highest degree", sensing poll defeats. He also alleged that there was never such a "terror raj" in the "constitutional rule" of India. "We fought the British Raj and the BJP would do well to know that the day of judgement will come for it," he said. The Congress leader claimed that the BJP was in a "state of panic of the highest degree", sensing rejection by the people in the just-concluded Assembly polls. Singhvi claimed that the searches against Vadra's associates were carried out in violation of laws, adding, "We have nothing against any particular person, but we are talking about principles.... No Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) of the FIR has been shared, no search warrant issued, no access to lawyers and detained persons were also physically roughed up. Thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on December 9 for Vishwa Hindu Parishad's rally to press for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, days before Parliament's winter session commences. The VHP has said the rally, to be addressed by RSS's executive head Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi, will be an attempt to give a clarion call to the Union government to enact a legislation, if need be, for the construction of the temple. Besides Joshi, VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and its international working president Alok Kumar are also expected to address the rally. The traffic police has issued an advisory detailing diversions in view of the rally. It said no traffic will be allowed on Ranjeet Singh Flyover (from Guru Nanak Chowk to Barakhambha Road), JLN Marg (from Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Chaman Lal Marg near VIP gate. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at Ramlila Maidan and snipers have been deployed on high-rises. The VHP has carried out a door-to-door campaign to make the rally a success. "It will be a massive gathering which will change the hearts of all those who are not in favour of bringing the bill for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya," VHP's spokesperson Vinod Bansal said. The right-wing group had approached President Ram Nath Kovind and state governors during previous phases of its temple campaign. In the forthcoming stage, it will hold religious rituals and prayers at temples and matths. The campaign will culminate at Prayag with a 'Dharam Sansad' of priests and saints. The final Dharam Sansad' will be held on January 31 and February 1. The winter session is set to begin on December 11. Ramdas Athawale Union minister Ramdas Athawale on December 9 blamed the police for an incident in which a man tried to slap him at a public event in Maharashtra's Thane district claiming it had failed to provide him adequate security. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief was in Ambernath town to address a rally late Saturday when Pravin Gosavi (30) tried to slap him. In a statement issued Sunday morning, Athawale said, "Police did not provide sufficient protection, that helped the assailant to target me. My popularity is growing and it may have resulted in a jealous person charging against me. I am going to meet chief minister of Maharashtra regarding the same." Athawale had just got off the dais after delivering a speech on the Constitution when the incident happened at around 10.15 pm Saturday. The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavi's attempt to assault him, an officer said. Athawale Sunday morning asked his party workers to maintain peace in the wake of the incident. The local RPI (A) unit has called for a shutdown in Ambernath on Sunday as a mark of protest. An officer said the situation in the town was calm and under control, with a large posse of police personnel out on the streets to keep vigil. No untoward incident has been reported since morning, the officer added. Answer: Donald Trump. The French government on December 9 urged Donald Trump not to interfere in French politics after the US president posted tweets about the protests rocking the country and attacked the Paris climate agreement. "We do not take domestic American politics into account and we want that to be reciprocated," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told LCI television. "I say this to Donald Trump and the French president says it too: leave our nation be." Trump had on December 8 posted two tweets referring to the "yellow vest" anti-government protests that have swept France since mid-November and sparked rioting in Paris. "Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?" he suggested. Trump had earlier posted: "The Paris Agreement isn't working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. "People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting 'We Want Trump!' Love France." Earlier this week Trump retweeted one of several posts falsely claiming that French protesters were chanting his name. The videos that have been used to support this claim were in fact filmed at a far-right protest in London earlier this year. The protests in France are not directly linked to the Paris climate agreement which was signed in 2015 and has since been abandoned by Trump, to the dismay of French President Emmanuel Macron and other Western leaders. Spurred by rising fuel prices -- in part due to tax hikes aimed at helping France shift to a lower-carbon economy -- the "yellow vest" protests have grown into a broad movement against Macron's policies and governing style. Other French politicians have also responded angrily to Trump's latest tweets, including a lawmaker from Macron's party who dubbed the US leader "Donald the Senile". "DON'T INSULT MY COUNTRY DOTARD," Joachim Son-Forget posted, employing an antiquated insult previously used against Trump by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump had weighed in on the protests in previous tweets, deploring the "large and violent French protests". Despite their differences -- Macron is a 40-year-old centrist and Trump a 72-year-old rightwinger -- the French and US leaders initially enjoyed warm ties. But relations have soured in recent months, not least over Trump's rejection of the climate agreement and hard-fought Iran nuclear deal. Last month a fresh row blew up after Macron gave an interview calling for a "European army" and arguing that Europe needed to be more independent from the US in its defence policy. Macron is further thought to have riled the US president during commemorations marking the end of World War I when the French leader took aim at Trump-style nationalism in his speech. Le Drian, like other members of the government, stressed that Macron wanted a dialogue with the protesters and would offer solutions when he addresses the nation early next week. "I think his remarks will be strong enough for the movement to halt, or at least for the hooligans to be put off," the foreign minister said. He expressed concern over remarks among some protesters calling for an "insurrection" in France. "As foreign minister I travel around the world and I know -- you can witness it in certain countries -- how fragile democracy is," Le Drian said. The wrath of anti-government protesters known as "gilet jaunes" or yellow jackets has spiralled into France's worst civil riots in over half a century. Over the weekend, more than 1,700 people have been arrested, while 135 have been injured. The showdown between authorities and protesters has left the City of Love in shambles with torched cars, stores looted being a common sight in the beleaguered metropolis. Here is all you need to know about the worst civil riots in France since 1968. (Image: Reuters) What sparked the civil agitation? The first seeds of dissension were sown after President Emmanuel Macron, who is seen as a wealthy figure, hiked taxes on fuel. The price of diesel, the most commonly used fuel in France, increased by 23 percent in 12 months, its highest point since early 2000s. (Image: Reuters) The commotion escalated as more people challenged Macron's economic policies stating that it catered to the rich. (Image: Reuters) When did the unrest set in motion? The latest wave of agitation erupted on November 17. Since then, protests continued on social media, before people started taking to the streets on December 1. (Image: Reuters) Protesters sporting yellow vests rallied across streets including Narbonne, Nantes and Marseille. Local authorities retaliated with tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons as violence and gore shrouded the city. (Image: Reuters) The major hotspots of agitation? While Paris has taken the brunt of violence with more than 133 people injured, unrest has erupted in other metro cities in the country. (Image: Reuters) From Charleville Mezieres in the northeast to Marseille in the south, protesters rallied in unison disrupting property and daily life. In Riviera city of Nice, access to the airport was blocked by trucks, while the police headquarters was set on fire in the central town of Puy-en-Velay. (Image: Reuters) Have the protests been organised? According to reports, the unruly demonstrations were spontaneous. (Image: Reuters) However, the government has cautioned the yellow vests to disassociate themselves from radical groups that allegedly instigated the violence. Protesters have been urged to come to the negotiating table. (Image: Reuters) What is Emmanuel Macron's take? "I will never accept violence," Macron told a news conference while attending the G20 summit in Buenos Aires on December 1. (Image: Reuters) Japonia are atat de multe locuinte parasite incat le ofera gratuit celor care sunt interesati, dar nu mai putin de 900 de sate si orase din arhipelag sunt in pericol sa dispara in urmatoarele decenii, arata un reportaj publicat de CNN, citat de Mediafax. Japonia se confrunta cu o problema presanta atunci cand este vorba despre numarul de proprietati parasite. Numarul caselor nelocuite este mult mai mare decat cel al persoanelor care ar putea sa le ocupe. In 2013, existau 61 de milioane de case intr-o tara care numara 52 de milioane de familii, aratau datele publicate de Japan Policy Forum. Numarul locuitorilor din insule se preconizeaza ca va scadea, de la 127 de milioane la aproximativ 88 de milioane pana in anul 2065, sustin prognozele Institutului National pentru Populatie si Securitate Sociala. Pe masura ce tinerii parasesc satele pentru a lucra la oras, peisajul rural din Japonia este populat de tot mai multe "case fantoma", cunoscute sub numele de "akiya". Pana in anul 2040, aproape 900 de orase si sate din Japonia vor disparea, spun predictiile oficiale. In acest context, autoritatile au decis sa ofere locuintele neocupate gratuit familiilor care se angajeaza sa le repare si sa se mute in zonele afectate de exodul locuitorilor. In Okutama, la o distanta de doua ore cu trenul la vest de Tokyo, din cei 13.000 de locuitori, cat numara orasul in anii '60, in prezent nu mai sunt decat 5.200. Din 2014, autoritatile locale au hotarat sa isi asume cheltuielile pentru repararea caselor in care se muta noi locatari si ofera pana la 8.220 de dolari pentru 100 de metri patrati de proprietate parasita. Conditia pentru a primi casele gratuit este ca solicitantii sa nu fi implinit 40 de ani sau sa aiba cel putin un copil care nu a atins inca varsta majoratului. Nici in aceste conditii, insa, lucrurile nu merg prea usor, pentru ca majoritatea japonezilor prefera cladirile nou construite. Vechimea caselor este o problema, din cele 3.000 de locuinte din Okutama, nu mai putin de 400 fiind goale. Totusi, numai jumatate dintre acestea pot fi folosite, pentru ca multe sunt distruse sau se afla in zone in care riscul alunecarilor de teren este mare. Acesta este un motiv pentru care 85% din japonezi prefera sa cumpere locuinte noi. In 2015, Guvernul japonez a adoptat o lege care prevede amenzi pentru cei care parasesc locuintele. December 09, 2018 The MoA Week In Review - OT 2018-66 Last week's posts on Moon of Alabama: Official numbers show a downtrend of participants in the recent demonstrations and an uptrend of arrests. These numbers may be true or may not be true: As of Friday support for the yellow vest protests still stood at 66%. On Tuesday Macron will hold a speech to the nation. What concessions, if any, is he willing to make? Will they be sufficient? --- On December 2 the Israeli police recommended to the general attorney to indict prime minister, foreign minister, health minister, defense minister, etcetera minister Benjamin Netanyahoo for corruption. Two days later the Israeli Army made a big show of digging up some disused tunnels at the Lebanese borders. Netanyahoo personally announced the operation in a Monday night TV speech. It was a classic 'wag the dog' move. It is now turning into an embarrassment. First Hezbullah media made jokes about the whole endeavor. Hizbullah itself did not even raise its readiness status. It knows that Netanyahoo is deterred and does not dare to attack Lebanon. Yesterday Hizbullah's military media unit published pictures of Israeli soldiers operating at the border. The shots were taken from behind the Israeli lines! The same day Israeli media report that the IDF soldiers at the border are missing two machine guns: The guns were stolen after being found, as it appears, unattended. The missing FN MAG machine guns were attached to vehicles and weight 12 kilogram each. Hizbollah's secretary general Hassan Nasrallah is likely to show them during his next public speech. Use as open thread ... Posted by b on December 9, 2018 at 14:15 UTC | Permalink Comments next page Nora Flisk recalled that on her second date with Michael he announced to her his plans to be a Chicago police officer. He asked whether that was okay with her, but, she suggested to those in attendance Sunday, it was asked in a way that had she had a problem with his career path, they might not get past the second date. A 44-year-old Midland man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for attempting to entice a minor into engaging in sexual activity, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas. U.S. District Judge David Counts also ordered that Jose Alonso Zubia pay a $10,000 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund. Ive got two more terms, said Presta, who was first elected mayor in 2013 and was re-elected in 2017. That means if he wanted to run again in 2021 and 2025 and won, he could serve until 2029. His first term wouldnt count toward Crestwoods three-term limit because the village had no term-limit restrictions at the time. The holiday season, from Thanksgiving up through the new year, is a notoriously expensive time to plan a vacation. Its a case of supply versus demand, said Rummy Pandit, executive director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University in New Jersey. Many people have time off during the holidays and want to get away, and, in turn, hotels charge premium prices. In fact, rates in high-demand destinations can be four times than what they usually are. But there is a flip side: You can go on a fun-filled getaway for a good value if you do the research to find one, Pandit said. There are deals to be had if you look in the right places, and more destinations than ever want to lure budget-minded travelers for a late-year getaway. Here are some of them. An affordable winter wonderland in Rhode Island Summer is peak tourist season in Newport, Rhode Island, but prices go down in winter, and theres still a lot to see and do. Newports Gilded Age mansions are open daily in the winter season, and you can see them decked out for the holidays through Jan. 1 with thousands of poinsettias, fresh flowers, evergreens and wreaths. Hotels in town significantly discount their prices in winter. For example, Firehouse Inn, originally the 1888 Newport fire department building, has rooms starting at $139 a night, compared with $450 in the summer. Rose Island Lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has bookings at an average rate of $139 a night, compared with peak season rates of $249. Take in the winter sun and fun in Florida St. Petersburg, Florida, has an average of 361 days of sunshine a year and is a solid choice for a warm-weather getaway. But in addition to hitting the beach, you also can get a dose of art while you visit the city, which is home to the Dali Museum, dedicated to the works of that artist. The Magritte and Dali exhibition, which will display pieces from the two famous surrealists, opens Saturday. If surrealism isnt your style, consider a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts, which has a number of upcoming events through the holiday season, including a midcentury themed New Years Eve party, which while pricey, is inspired by the museums many winter exhibitions. Hotels prices in St. Petersburg can be significantly lower than those of other beach destinations in Florida. According to research company STR, the citys average nightly hotel rate was $117 in December 2017. Miamis, by comparison, was $247. Fly abroad for a holiday in Europes capital cities Hotel prices in London, Paris and Rome drop in November and generally stay low through January, with the week between Christmas and New Years being the exception. Nicola Butler, founder of NoteWorthy, a travel company that sells trips to London, said that the citys nightly rates for hotels are lower during these months than they are in the summer and fall. Rates soften, and its a very atmospheric time to be in town because there are lots of holiday fairs and concerts, and the city is beautifully decorated, she said. Going to Claridges in London to see the hotels Christmas tree is a popular pastime for locals, partially because the tree always has a famous designer behind it. The 2017 tree was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, for example. Diane von Furstenberg is designing the tree this year, and anyone can visit the hotel to see her work of art. Some hotels in town also have attractively priced packages. One example is the Cultural Break package from the Baglioni Hotel London that includes two nights accommodations, breakfast, two tickets to the Victoria & Albert Museum and an aperitif at the hotel. Bookings for the package start at $893. Paris and Rome also have elaborate holiday decorations, and hotels in both cities have affordable holiday-themed packages. Popular booking sites like Expedia and Skylark offer several air-inclusive holiday packages to both destinations as well as to London. Experience the holidays in the Canadian outdoors With the strong U.S. dollar, traveling to Canada is an affordable proposition for many Americans, and prices are low during the cold, winter months. In some cases, hotel rates are 50 percent less than they are in summer. Alberta is one region to consider exploring. Its a world-class ski destination, but you also can go ice climbing, snowshoeing, sleigh riding and stargazing. In Jasper, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge has a full schedule of winter activities including Stargazing with Smores. Bookings start at $281 a night. In Banff, Buffalo Mountain Lodge has bookings starting at $230 a night, and in Lake Louise, Deer Lodge has bookings starting at $165 a night. Photo provided Salem Lutheran School students recently collected food and money for the Salem Food Bank. Students collected more than 100 food items and more than $200 as part of their weekly chapel offering. Police business was front and center at the recent Bluffs village board meeting, during which two part-time police officers were hired. The two people hired were Matthew Watson of Beardstown, who also works for the Mount Sterling police department, and Nathan White, who also works for an ambulance service. Both men attended the board meeting. Police Chief Dorman Deeder introduced the officers to the board and told board members that the officers will do a good job for Bluffs. The board also discussed $5,000 grant the village received from Ameren to help buy a new squad car. Grants from Walmart and the USDA are pending. Money from those grants, if awarded, also will be used toward the purchase of the vehicle. The board passed a resolution for an agreement between Bluffs and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System. The ILEAS was formed in 2002 in response to 9-11. It is a joint venture between the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois Sheriffs Association and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. The group meets the need of local law enforcement by providing mutual aid and emergency response and combing resources for public safety and terrorism prevention and response. Holidays-related business also was on the meeting agenda. A village Christmas party at Pokers in Bluffs was planned for 6 p.m. Jan. 9, and village employees will receive a $500 Christmas bonus. The village also put up new animated Christmas decorations in Lewis Park. A Christmas lights contest will be judged the week before Christmas. Mayor Linda Sapp is putting pictures of the Christmas light displays on the village website. In other business, water and sewer bills were increased by 3 percent. The minimum water bill now will be $25 and the minimum sewer bill $24. Ordinances 465 and 466 were passed, authorizing the village to join the Jacksonville Regional Enterprise Zone and establishing Bluffs as an enterprise zone. The JREZ stimulates economic growth at local levels by offering businesses tax incentives such as property tax abatement for business owners who establish their business within the zone. Sapp said the enterprise zone designation encourages people and businesses to come to the community. She said the Jacksonville zone is interested in Bluffs joining the group because of the new ethanol plant that soon will be built near the community. The Bluffs TIF district will come before any tax abatement, Sapp said. During the Christmas season, the Journal-Courier is partnering with HELPS Ministry Outreach in Jacksonville to provide families with basic needs. Since its inception four years ago, dozens of families have received assistance through the feature. Donations may be made to HELPS Ministry Outreach at 238 W. State St., which is open daily from 1 to 5 p.m. The ministry can be reached by calling 217-245-7559 or 217-291-0911. Everything of value stolen: A single mother with a 14-year-old daughter is searching for a way to get a better handle on her budgeting skills and food planning, organization and a new household plan for her family. Several weeks before starting life-skills classes, though, burglars took all of the familys televisions, game systems and other items of value, such as stereos, CDs, laptops, a vacuum and even a window air-conditioning unit. The teens Bath and Body Works care sets, which were given to her as gifts, also were stolen. The mother would like to replace items if she can and also needs pajamas, top and bottoms. (Case 108) Work not enough to stay afloat: A single mother of three lives in a low-income housing unit. She works 30-32 hours a week at minimum wage and receives public assistance. The family cannot afford a car and walks everywhere. There are two girls and one boy. The 9-year-old girl wears size 10 tops and bottoms and needs a coat, hat and gloves. The 7-year-old girl wears size 7-8 tops and bottoms and needs a coat, hat and gloves. The boy, 15, wears extra-large tops and bottoms, requested a Carhartt coat and needs gloves and a hat. For the house, the family would like a fish tank and the girls have a rabbit for which they need rabbit bedding (non-paper). They also could use twin-size linens and bedding for the girls beds, two lamps and a flat-screen TV for the boy. The mother left a note saying, Thank you so much to anyone that helps make our Christmas brighter. I appreciate you. God bless. (Case 109) In danger of losing home: The mother of three sons finds herself in a financial fix, compounded by a diagnosis of fibroid tumors and related problems to the point she is unable to stay at her current job much. Her illness has taken such a bad turn because of previous hernia mesh surgery that prevents her getting a much-needed procedure to clear up the fibroids. The mothers condition causes quality-of-life issues and is life-threatening. The mother is $1,600 behind on rent and, for the first time in her adult life, is asking for a helping hand from others. The mother stresses that she is the one who usually helps others and she feels ashamed. She is requesting help with rent, paid directly to her landlord, so her family will not be homeless for Christmas. Her oldest son, who is 20, along with the mother is working hard to catch up on rent. The youngest son wants two snow shovels so he can shovel snow this winter to make money to help his family as well. (Case 110) Overcoming homelessness: A low-income mother recently moved and is struggling after separation from her husband, who was laid off from his job. The mother was homeless for 2 months and lost her job because she was unable to pay for insurance to travel to and from work. She is unable to provide anything for her children because of the hardships and she receives little child support, if she gets any at all. The mother needs bunk beds for her children, comforters, twin sheets, two dressers, a toddler bed, a kitchen table/chairs, personal effects such as shampoo, conditioner, soaps, diapers (size 5), a microwave, pots and pans, a washer and dryer, and basic hygiene items. (Case 111) The desire to find work: A single mother with two sons and a daughter is having a hard time securing day care for her children. She is receiving public assistance but is on the waiting list for a day care. She is a young mother and volunteers at HELPS Ministry Outreach and The Salvation Army. She wants to work but has transportation issues. She is looking for a day care that will pick her children up at home to enable her to walk to work. The children are a boy, 7, size 8 tops/bottoms, shoe size 2; a boy, 1, size 2T bottoms/tops, shoes size 5; and a girl, 6, size 8 bottoms, size 7 tops, size 2 shoes. The mother wears size 7 bottoms/tops and medium size 8 shoes. She would love to have two lamps for her living room, curtains and pot/pans. (Case 112) Starting all over again: A single mother of two sons relocated here with no help from family. The family living out of state, places hardship on the young mother even more at this time of year. The father is not supportive or involved. I have had to live in the shelter for over two months when we (were) abandoned by my childrens father, who brought me here, she said. Its been so hard on my children being around strange people, not feeling safe, and alone. She is thankful she has her children and wants the best for them, and is hoping for a brighter Christmas by asking for help starting life all over again. The family really doesnt have anything and, in particular, needs clothes for the children. The mother said she would love a small flat-screen television. The boys wear size 3T and 4T clothing. (Case 113) Determined to achieve goals: A mother and her 3-year-old son just moved into a new apartment and had to pay two months rent up front plus a $100 water service deposit. The amount of money she had to save just to move into the new apartment took the mother six months, but she said she was determined to achieve the goal. She needs a queen-size bed, blankets, towels, household and kitchen items and a sofa/loveseat. Her son needs boots, size 11-11 (youth) and clothes size 4T. (Case 114) Even with thousands of cities to visit across the globe and millions of good little boys and girls to listen to, Santa Claus makes his way to central Illinois each year to say hello. On Saturday his trip began at the American Legion in Chapin where the Chapin Volunteer Fire Department was hosting its fifth annual Breakfast With Santa. Claus visited with boys and girls from all over Morgan County, making sure to get some warm pancakes and sausage before departing. Chapin is a good community, Claus said. I come here every year and try to make all the stops that I can. All of the little places are just as important as the bigger places. Eight-year-old Ethan Price of Murrayville approached Santa eager to tell him his Christmas wishes for the year which included an iPhone 6 and a dirt bike. Price said that he has been good this year which, of course, Santa could confirm without even checking his list. Not so eager was little Harper Prather, 2, who was there with her mother Kayla Godair, of Jacksonville. Prather at first shied away from Kris Kringle, but after a few moments she got up the courage to sit with him and say hello, making good friends with old St. Nick. This was the first year Godair had attended the breakfast but she said she was quite pleased with everything. I like it so far, Santa is nice, she said. Chapin Fire Chief Pahl Mann said that the breakfast was started as a way to raise funds for the department while also providing something fun for the community to do. Everyone in attendance got to eat a hot meal served up by students volunteering from Westfair Christian Academy for only a freewill donation. This year the funds were used to buy flashlights, hand tools, webbing carabiners and other pocketable items that every firefighter needs. We went ahead and tried it that first year and its grown since, Mann said. I think this year is our best turnout yet any leftover food we have we take it up to New Directions in Jacksonville. Mere hours later, Santa and his wife Mrs. Claus were making their way across the Jacksonville downtown square to their house, supplied by the Heart of Jacksonville, which had a line of parents and kids waiting to meet with the big man in red. What are we waiting in line for, Santa asked, taking his spot in line. After realizing that all the attention was for him, he took his place inside of his house and awaited his first visitors, Piper Henson, 6, and Jersey Henson, 10, who were there with their mom Amber Henson, all of Jacksonville. So, what are you guys wanting for Christmas, Santa asked. Baby dolls and slime, Piper said sheepishly with a smile. That sounds like a mess, Santa exclaimed with a hearty laugh. What happened to my baby dolls? Theyre covered in slime! Jersey said she wanted an iPhone 6 and a FitBit for Christmas, a request that came with a bit of a warning from Santa. When it comes to a phone, I just drop it off and somebody else is getting a bill every month, Santa said. Ill have to have a sit-down and talk to mom and dad and see whats going on before we drop off an iPhone. Amber said that they make their way out to see Santa at least once every year on the square. With Santas jolly demeanor and conveniently located house on the square, it easily becomes a winter tradition. Santas hours on the square run from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Other days, typically Thursday through Sunday will vary leading up to Christmas. Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper. PITTSFIELD Meredosias police chief is on leave after his arrest Saturday on assault charges. According to a Pike County Sheriffs Department report, Curtis W. Williams of rural Chambersburg was arrested on charges of domestic battery and aggravated assault. The arrest was the result on an incident that was reported during the early morning hours following a 911 call received by Pike County dispatchers, according to the report. Other details were not being released. Williams is chief of police for the village of Meredosia and is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Assisting sheriffs department authorities during the investigation and the arrest were the Illinois State Police Tactical Response Team and Illinois State Police Zone 4. Williams was taken into custody without incident, according to the report. Iveth Contreras, a single mom from Carpentersville who moved from Honduras, didnt know what to expect when she received the call from Shop with Cop organizers it will be Contreras first Christmas in America with her 8-year-old daughter, Keiry. Her daughter made a list of what she wants, but Contreras thought she would only be able to buy one thing off the list. NPP will not shy away from ... Good news for LG V40 fans in HongKong and Taiwan, The Dual SIM version LG V40 could be available for purchase in HongKong and Taiwan in early 2019. Several days ago, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has formally approved the Dual Sim Version LG V40 for launch. According to the SAR test report submitted to FCC, LM-V405EBW and LM-V405EAW Support DUAL SIM. LG V40 ThinQ Dual (V405EBW) is coming to HongKong and Taiwan, Said our tipster, LG is testing the firmware for V405EBW LMV405EBW-ABC-HKG-XX-2018+0. The HKG String in firmware name suggests that there is a HONGKONG version of Dual SIM LG V40 ThinQ. Our sources also mentioned the beta firmware for Taiwan LG V40 Dual LMV405EB-ABC-TWN-XX-2018+0. So far, we have found several LG V40 thinQ coming to the following Region or countries. -TWN Taiwan -SEA Singpore -HKG HongKong -EUR European Countries So, Apart from the U.S. market, LG will soon launch the LG V40 thinQ (Both SIngle Sim and DUAL Sim Version) in East Asian and European Countries. This is the blog of China defense, where professional analysts and serious defense enthusiasts share findings on a rising military power. After finding him, she, her husband and their neighbors spent two hours making calls, she said, before eventually contacting a veterinarian at Chicago Exotics in Skokie. Chicago Exotics referred them to us, and they drove about one hour each way ... to get him into our care after our normal hours, Keller said. Juan David Ortiz, the Border Patrol agent accused of killing four sex workers in September, said he "wanted to clean up the streets" of Laredo, Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said Wednesday. Ortiz, 35, believed police were not doing enough to curb prostitution in the Gateway City, and he thought he was "doing a service" by killing them, Alaniz said. He said Ortiz was a predator who used San Bernardo Avenue as his hunting ground. He preyed on the weak, the sick and the vulnerable, Alaniz said. READ ALSO: Border Patrol agent deemed 'serial killer' is married and has two children "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 while announcing that a grand jury had indicted him on a capital murder charge. Alaniz said his office will seek the death penalty for Ortiz, who has been behind bars since his arrest Sept. 15, held on a $2.5 million bond. 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. While discussing Ortiz's case, Alaniz said suspects can be charged with capital murder if they are suspected of killing more than one person in the same scheme with an overarching motive. READ ALSO: 'I'm dumbfounded:' Border Patrol agent's alleged killings stun city leaders, officials Ortiz is accused of killing Melissa Ramirez, 29, on Sept. 3; Claudine Ann Luera, 42, on Sept. 13; and Guiselda Alicia Hernandez, 35, and Nikki Enriquez, 28, on Sept. 14 or Sept. 15. According to arrest affidavits, Ortiz would pick them up on San Bernardo Avenue, drive them outside city limits and shoot them. All four were killed in roughly the same area near North U.S. 83 and Interstate 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 twice in the neck but died of blunt force trauma after being struck in the head with an unknown object. By day, Ortiz was a family man, Alaniz said. He was an intel supervisor who appeared normal by all accounts, Alaniz said. "At nighttime, he was somebody else," he said. "Hunting the streets of San Bernardo and arbitrarily deciding who he was going to kill next. "All of these people, the evidence has shown when they were picked up, with the exception of Melissa, the very first one, they knew when they got in (Ortiz's) truck, based on his words, actions and confessions, they knew where they were going. They were going to their death." READ ALSO: Family of woman who escaped alleged serial killer speaks out Alaniz said he considered several factors when deciding if the case merited the death penalty. "The factors I considered in pursuing the death penalty against Ortiz are the following: the horrific nature of the murders, his complete disregard of human life, his vigilante mentality and he violated his oath to his country and to his agency to protect and defend the constitution and thereby the community," Alaniz said. Ortiz was initially charged with four counts of murder. But a murder charge can be upgraded to a capital offense when a homicide occurs under specific circumstances. State law says that among the ways a capital murder charge can be filed is if a person commits multiple murders during different criminal episodes, but they are committed in the same style or pattern. Alaniz said the evidence presented to the grand jury Wednesday morning showed that Ortiz killed " those four innocent individuals in a cold, callous and calculating way." The first victim, Ramirez, was taken to Jefferies Road and shot in the head, according to court documents. Luera was taken to U.S. 83 and Spur Road 255 on Sept. 13 and fatally shot, records state. She was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to a hospital. READ ALSO: Candlelight vigil held for victims of suspected serial killer Initially, it was thought that the third victim, Hernandez, also died of gunshot wounds, Alaniz said. She was shot but died of blunt force trauma on Sept. 15, according to an autopsy report, Alaniz said. The fourth victim, Enriquez, was shot in the head on Sept. 15, according to court records. "All the murders were committed during different criminal transactions but the murders were committed pursuant to the same scheme or cause or course of conduct," Alaniz said. "That is the mechanism by which it is one count (of capital murder)," The District Attorney's Office will have to prove that there was a common scheme, Alaniz said. Ortiz was off-duty when he killed the women, authorities said, but he may have used his service weapon in the homicides. "By his confession, we think that maybe it was his service weapon, but at this time, the results of the (ballistic) analysis are still pending," Alaniz said. READ ALSO: Family mourns victim allegedly killed by Border Patrol agent Some of the evidence shows that at least two of the women knew Ortiz by his middle name, David, Alaniz said. He wouldn't comment on the extent of the relationships. But he said evidence showed there was a relationship between Ortiz and his victims. Alaniz and Chief Assistant District Attorney Marisela Jacaman presented the case to the grand jury for two hours. After about 20 minutes, the jury returned the indictment. Alaniz anticipates the court will now look to appoint a specialized counsel that is certified in handling capital murder cases, he said. "(The court will) assemble a team for Ortiz so that they can consider whatever mitigating evidence that needs to be looked into," Alaniz said. "He needs to obviously prepare his defense." Joey Tellez, Ortiz's attorney, declined to comment Wednesday on whether he will remain as counsel. Also Wednesday, Alaniz said he is thankful to Erika Pena, the fifth victim who managed to escape, because she provided information that led to Ortiz's arrest. "I believe that if Erika Pena would not have escaped that day, there would be more victims right now in this case," Alaniz said. "That's how important she was." Ortiz picked up Pena on Sept. 14, authorities said. She told investigators that Ortiz acted oddly when she brought up Ramirez's slaying and later pointed a gun at her in a gas station, according to court documents. Pena said Ortiz grabbed her shirt as she tried to get out of his 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 Hernandez and Enriquez. With Pena's help, authorities were able to track Ortiz to a hotel parking garage where he was arrested. Ortiz also was indicted Wednesday 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. Victims' families react to indictment Families of the victims were present at Wednesday's news conference. Karina Ramos, Luera's niece, said she was anxious to learn about the outcome of the grand jury's decision. "We are pretty positive that (prosecutors) are going to get justice and the District Attorney's Office is doing a good job," Ramos said. She said she and her family have differing views on capital punishment. "I know that he tried to do suicide by cop and he wanted to die," she said. "I don't want to give him what he wanted. I don't know why he wanted to die. ... For whatever reason he wanted to die, so why am I going to give him that choice? I just prefer he lives a long life. "He wanted to die, so I'd be more happy to know that he's rotting in a jail cell not comfortable." Ramos said her family plans on attending every hearing Ortiz has in court. "As long as justice is served," Ramos said. "As long as he never gets out and as long as he never hurts anyone else, we are OK with that." Ortiz's arraignment hearing in the 406th District Court has not yet been scheduled. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A man who claimed to be part of Cartel Del Noreste threatened to harm the officers who arrested him in a shoplifting case, according to Laredo police. Luis Antu, 24, was charged with theft and terroristic threat against a peace officer. Ramsey Bearse has long been accustomed to appearing before an audience. She was entranced by the sound of the fiddle as a teenager and soon jumped in with older musicians at bluegrass joints in Kentucky, crafting a stage persona with a trademark instrument. "I have been known as the 'Girl with the Green Fiddle' a lot longer than I've been known as Miss Kentucky," Bearse said in 2014 during the preliminary competitions for Miss America. But on Friday, Bearse, now a middle school science teacher outside Charleston, West Virginia, appeared before an audience of one - a magistrate judge who read four felony counts accusing her of sending nude photos of herself to a 15-year-old former student over Snapchat. Bearse admitted to sending the photos to the male student after his parents alerted authorities, The Associated Press reported, citing court documents. She had been the student's teacher for part of his time at Andrew Jackson Middle School, the AP reported. A Kanawha County Magistrate Court judge told Bearse the charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. She declined to provide comment to reporters at the county court, and her attorney, A.L. Emch, did not return a request for comment. Bearse was suspended from her position at the school, the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office said Friday on Facebook, and was released on a $10,000 property bond following her arraignment. A spokesman for Kanawha County Schools did not return a request for comment. Bearse was listed as an employee on the school's website as of Saturday morning. It is not clear whether authorities believe other students received explicit photos from Bearse. The sheriff's office urged anyone with information on the case or similar instances to contact investigators. The Miss America pageant did not return a request for comment about their former contestant, who competed under her maiden name of Carpenter. Bearse, who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, made raising awareness and research funds for the illness part of her Miss American platform four years ago. She had already lined up to speak before neurologists at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society following the pageant, according to a story from the Lexington Herald-Leader. "I just want to help people understand the disease," she told the newspaper at the time. David Kopp, of ERA Roberts & Wilkins Real Estate, was named the 2018 Pinnacle Award recipient. The Pinnacle Award is the highest honor a realtor can get from the Plainview Association of Realtors (PAR). It's awarded to individuals who have been a member of PAR for at least 10 years, has served at least one term as an officer, supports community and civic organization, maintains a professional reputation and follows the Code of Ethics, according to description provided by PAR. Kopp has been a realtor for more than 25 years and has received numerous accolades. He is a member of the Plainview Rotary Club and served the organization in many capacities, including as its president. The New York-native has lived in Houston and in New Orleans, Louisiana. He moved his family to Plainview in 2005 following Hurricane Katrina. Kopp was recently honored during a PAR celebration. Bear is very disarming with its happy-looking disposition and puppy-dog eyes, Lee said. As such students already are accustomed to having the dog around. In fact, Lee said each high school gave Bear a school-specific ID when the dog is working in the school with its handler. Travel operator TUI UK has apologized to and refunded a British couple after hotel staff at a resort in Jamaica attempted to create an effigy of their now-deceased son. Karen Baker, a friend of the couple, told the BBC that her friends, Andrew and Faye Stephens, have made a tradition of celebrating their deceased son's birthday every year since he died in 2014. The Evening Standard reported that Alex Stephens died after falling from a balcony while on vacation in Spain. Baker, who traveled to Jamaica with the Stephens family, asked the hotel staff at the Royalton Jamaica Resort to put balloons and cake in the room to honor Alex. Instead, Baker found a dummy of Alex that left her "horrified." "When I walked into the bedroom, all I can describe is a dummy body on the bed," she said. "Staff had gone through my friend's wardrobe and stuffed the clothes with towels to make it look like a body on the bed. They even put tears down the face and a can of lager in his hand." Baker removed the dummy before Faye and Andrew Stephens could see it. "I was absolutely horrified, as you can imagine I was sweating and shaking," she said. "We just didn't want our friends to see it." TUI UK refunded the group 1,300 per person (approximately $1,479 in US dollars) and apologized for the incident. "We offer our sincere apologies to the Baker party for their holiday experience in Jamaica," a company spokesperson said. "We're following up with the hotel and believe it was a misunderstanding with no intention to cause upset." TUI UK also told The Guardian they are in touch with the resort, and the "group" responsible for the dummy will apologize and "offer a gesture of goodwill." Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email him at eting@sfchronicle.com and follow him on Twitter Start receiving breaking news emails on wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news. Dont be satisfied with a float trip, he said. Certainly do not sit on the bank and let the current flow past you. When you hit an obstacle and you absolutely will hit obstacles pick up your gear and carry it around to the other side until you find a clear spot. Use your skills and experience to grow each time you do. American Legion members in Katy will pay tribute to the men and women who served their country in the military as part of National Wreaths Across America. The local event will be observed at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at Katy Magnolia Cemetery, 6801 Franz Road, Katy. The program is presented by the Katy American Legion No. 164. Philip Malsbary is the local chair of the Wreaths Across America committee for American Legion Jonathan D. Rozier Post 164 Katy. At an Oct. 8 appearance before Katy City Council, Malsbary said: The goal is to place a wreath on each and every veterans grave at the cemetery. We just want to make sure our veterans graves have a wreath for Christmas. Malsbary returned to the Nov. 26 Katy City Council meeting to thank everyone for their support and to say that donations had enabled them to meet their goal of 450 wreaths. As of Friday, Dec. 7, 560 wreaths have been sponsored. Thank you all. Were not only pleased to accomplish our goal but next year we hope to have even more, Malsbary said at the meeting. Coins left on tombstones While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave. These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America's military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin. A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier's family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited. A nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the soldier when he was killed. According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans. In the US, this practice became common during the Vietnam war, due to the political divide in the country over the war; leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier's family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war. Some Vietnam veterans would leave coins as a "down payment" to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited. The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men and women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire. Source: www.texvet.org See More Collapse In October, he said officials counted 441 veterans graves at Magnolia Cemetery but aimed for 450 wreaths. The cemetery is at the corner of Bartlett and Franz Road. Visit https://tinyurl.com/yd56nlda for more information. Returning from last year to join the American Legion is Sharon Wu Nitsche and her daughter, Katelyn, who belongs to Way Out West Community Girl Scouts and is working on the project for her Gold Award, the highest achievement in the scouting program. At age 15, Katelyn organized last years Wreaths Across America observance at Magnolia Cemetery, drawing more than 100 people. Volunteers first organized a wreath placement program in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery. The nonprofit Wreaths Across American formed in 2007. Santa Around Town The Katy Fire Department 2018 Santa Tours are scheduled for the master-planned community of Firethorne on Monday, Dec. 10. Santa leaves the North Pole at 6:30 p.m. Santa and his elves along the route will accept donations of canned goods for local food pantries as well as unwrapped toys for the departments Toys for Tots campaign. City Council Katy City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 10, at City Hall, 910 Ave. C. Its the only scheduled council meeting for the month. The agenda includes a 6:30 p.m. public hearing to amend the zoning map by changing the zoning classification from R-1 (Single-Family District) to M (Industrial District) for 150.003 acres between Highway 90 and Interstate 10. Katy ISD meeting Katy Independent School District trustees will meet Monday, Dec. 10, for a work study meeting. Work study meetings are held in the Katy ISD Education Support Complex, 6301 S. Stadium Lane. A closed meeting begins at 6 p.m. followed by an open meeting about 30 minutes later. Katy Area Chamber The Katy Area Chamber of Commerce will meet for a Business After Hours Holiday 2018, sponsored by The Hive Katy, on Dec. 11, from 5:30-7 p.m. The Hive Katy is located at 25807 Westheimer Parkway. Admission is free for chamber members and $20 for nonmembers. Email hpeterson@aristagroups.com or call Heather Peterson at 281-849-4130 for information. rkent@hcnonline.com John Dean, a White House counsel under President Richard Nixon who received jail time for his role in the Watergate scandal, said Friday that allegations against President Donald Trump detailed in new court filings give Congress "little choice" other than to begin impeachment proceedings. Dean's comments, made during CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" segment, follow the release of a legal memo from federal prosecutors in New York regarding Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. Prosecutors wrote that Cohen had implicated Trump in the arrangement of hush-money payments to women during the 2016 election. "I don't know that this will forever disappear into some dark hole of unprosecutable presidents," Dean said. "I think it will resurface in the Congress. I think what this totality of today's filings show that the House is going to have little choice, the way this is going, other than to start impeachment proceedings." Dean, who served as Nixon's counsel from 1970 to 1973, was chosen by the president to lead a special investigation into the Watergate scandal. He would go on to accuse Nixon of having direct involvement in the coverup, even implicating himself while detailing the ways various White House officials attempted to block investigations into the incident. He was charged with obstruction of justice, eventually serving four months in prison. The Cohen memo prosecutors released Friday lists three people at an August 2014 meeting: Cohen, "Individual-1" and "Chairman-1." Based on statements in the memo, it can be determined that Individual-1 is Trump, and people familiar with the case told The Washington Post's Matt Devin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky that Chairman-1 is David Pecker of the National Enquirer. "In August 2014, Chairman-1 had met with Cohen and Individual-1, and had offered to help deal with negative stories about Individual-1's relationships with women by identifying such stories so that they could be purchased and 'killed,' " the prosecutors' memorandum says. Payments were made to two women who alleged they had sexual relationships with Trump before he ran for president: Playboy model Karen McDougal - who reached an agreement with the publishers of the National Enquirer that she wouldn't share her story of the relationship - and adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who received $130,000 to remain silent about a liaison involving Trump. In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance law in making the arranged payments. He also pleaded guilty to other crimes including making a false statement to a bank and later to lying to Congress about a Trump-branded real estate project in Moscow. Cohen, citing the fact he has cooperated with investigators, had requested a sentence of no prison time. However, in the nearly 40-page memo, New York prosecutors recommended Cohen receive a "substantial" sentence, possibly 3 1/2 years. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Friday that the Cohen filings "tell us nothing of value that wasn't already known." Dean, who was a star witness of the 1973 congressional hearings on the Watergate scandal, has been critical of Trump in the past. In a November tweet, he compared Trump and Nixon, stating simply, "Trump=evil." San Antonio Water System crews are responding to a sewer spill caused by recent rains on the Northwest Side Saturday evening. The spill occurred about 7:20 p.m., Friday, on the 6600 block of Swiss Oaks Road near Pinn Road and Leon Creek, according to a news release. An estimated 50,000 gallons of domestic wastewater has since spilled out. A spokeswoman for the utility reported no adverse impacts are expected as the spills have been heavily diluted by stormwater. SAWS crews will initiate cleanup as stormwaters recede, the release stated. A total of 1.57 inches of rain was recorded at San Antonio International Airport on Friday, breaking a daily rainfall record of 1.45 inches set on Dec. 7, 1960. According to local news reports, a 19-year-old is facing a murder charge after leading Leon Valley police on a car chase that resulted in the death of his girlfriend's grandmother. KSAT news is reporting that Yolanda Mesa, 68, was killed when Ray Reyes Soto crashed his car in an H-E-B parking lot close to Bandera Road and Loop 410, according to Leon Valley police. Zanu PF top official and former Zimbabwe government minister Obert Mpofus building located at the corner of Herbert Chitepo Street and 8th Avenue in Bulawayo caught fire at its 4th floor on Saturday afternoon. Fire fighters from the Bulawayo Fire Brigade were called in to put out the fire and had to use bolt cutters to access the building. The side of the building facing Tredgold Magistrates Courts was damaged by the inferno. Police refused to speak when asked to comment on the cause of the fire. ZW Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News THE body of a suspected South African armed robber, who was shot and killed after he tried to rob a Nkulumane man who had sold his house last month has been repatriated to that country. Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Chief Inspector Precious Simango confirmed the issue, saying the body was repatriated a few days after the incident, after his relatives claimed it. The man, who has since been identified as Victor Mkhudi, is reported to have been part of a three-man gang that tried to rob Mr Takawira Nhomboka of Nkulumane who had sold his house to a Zimbabwean woman based in South Africa. According to Mr Nhomboka the woman might have been followed when she travelled to Zimbabwe to finalise the deal. I suspect that she may have been followed from South Africa. She may have told someone about the transaction. It so happened that after it was done I left the money somewhere for safe keeping and went home. On that evening I had on me US$400 and about 150 bond notes, Mr Nhomboka. He said when he got to his house around 10pm he noticed three suspicious men loitering not very far from his house. Our road is very quiet and there are no people that walk around at that time of the night. So I was hesitant to drive to the house. I then phoned my wife and asked her to open the gate. As I drove to the house the robbers began walking fast towards the gate. That is when I became suspicious and pulled out my gun and fired a warning shot into the air. They then ran towards the gate and I carried on firing towards them, he said. He, however, ran out of ammunition and that is when they returned and hijacked his car. By that time I too had sought cover, as I didnt know whether they were armed or not. The police had already been notified when the gunshots were being fired, when they arrived and when we did our investigations we discovered that I had shot one of them in the back of the neck and he had died on the spot, said Mr Nhomboka. He said they traced his car and discovered it dumped in Rangemore and stripped of the upholstery. They had stripped the vehicle in search of the money but they didnt find it. All they took was the US$400 in the car and left my phones and everything else, he said. SundayTimes Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News A Zanu PF activist has been released from prison after serving a 14 year jail sentence for the murder of an MDC official in Zaka district. There were wild celebrations by members of his party while welcoming him from prison. Eddie Munjanja was released from prison last week and the family, with the assistance of Zanu PF structures in Zaka, organised a lavish welcome party for him at Munjanja homestead. Munjanja was sentenced to prison after being convicted of the cold blooded murder of Atinos Mapingure in 2002 through torture. His accomplice, identified as Makeme, is still serving his 45 years imprisonment for the murder. When the murder was committed, Munjanja was a Zanu PF base commander in the area. MDC Councillor for Ward 19 Peter Imbayarwo, where the welcome party was held, said opposition supporters were now living in fear following Munjanjas release. He said holding a party for a convicted political violence perpetrator was disturbing as it showed the ruling party still required the services of people like Munjanja in the area. Imbayarwo said this evoked sad memories about Zanu PFs reign of terror in Zaka during the past few years. The district witnessed some of the worst political violence cases at the turn of the millennium with some opposition supporters now permanently disabled when they were petrol bombed by alleged Zanu PF attackers with others tortured. However Munjanjas brother, Philip did not show remorse and was not moved for hosting the party adding that his younger brother was wrongly convicted for the murder. We had a big party at the weekend to celebrate the release of my brother Eddie, Zanu PF supported us with various goodies and they even pledged to assist my brother move on with his life. The murder was unfortunate, we are neighbours with the deceaseds family but we are not going to pay anything to them. We know that our brother is innocent. He was only taken in because he was a leader at the base, the brother said. NwZimbabwe Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Investigations into a bomb blast that missed President Emmerson Mnangagwa by a whisker nearly six months ago do not seem to be heading anywhere, with the probe team still to apprehend suspects linked to the heinous act. Insiders close to the investigations say there were no useful leads as yet on the person or persons who planted the explosives that detonated at a Zanu PF rally addressed by Mnangagwa in June. Initially, police had zeroed in on two suspects Douglas Musekiwa and John Zulu whose ages were not given but were later released following an order from the High Court. As the incident which has already created friction in Mnangagwas administration develops into another cold case, speculation is that it was an inside job. Divisions and factionalism have intensified in the ruling Zanu PF party ever since former president Robert Mugabes ouster in November last year. While questions on what exactly transpired in the second city on that otherwise fine afternoon still ramble in many peoples minds, government insists it will nab the suspects and ensure they have their day in court. Mnangagwas spokesperson George Charamba told the Daily News on Sunday that investigations are still underway, claiming they were at a very delicate stage. He said: I have just been in touch with the military intelligence, police and Central Intelligence Organisation. Investigations are now at a delicate stage, so we cannot reveal any information, but you will be exclusively informed as information comes in. Mnangagwas allies have called the incident an assassination attempt on the 76-year-old former guerrilla leader. The politician was getting off the stage at White City Stadium in Bulawayo escorted by secret service agents when shots were fired and there was a blast near him, adjacent to the front of the stage. The blast went off moments after he had stepped off the stage accompanied by his deputies, Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, along with other party officials. As Mnangagwa, Chiwenga, Mohadi and other officials made their way off to waiting vehicles, the blast blew off the steps, sending fragments that injured several aides, Zanu PF officials and supporters. Two security aides have since died from the injuries sustained from the attack, which Mnangagwa initially blamed on the vanquished Generation 40 faction that was involved in a war of attrition with him in the ruling partys deadly succession and tribal wars. Mnangagwa has told his Zanu PF parliamentary caucus that the people behind the Bulawayo bombing which killed two people were now known and will be dealt with. We want to thank God (for intervening) on what happened in Bulawayo, Mnangagwa said. We now have the knowledge on who did it. But there is still no publicly available information on the whodunit. Former War Veterans minister and ex-army colonel Tshinga Dube has previously opined that those behind the June 24 attack may have used a landmine to carry out their heinous act, instead of a grenade, as is being widely speculated. Dube a weapons expert who once worked for the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI) as its principal officer was left nursing a slight knee injury following the shock bomb explosion. ZDI used to manufacture mortar rounds, land mines, and light armoured fighting vehicles. Dewa Mavhinga, a human rights activist and analyst, said the blast may have been a direct consequence of bringing the military into close proximity to civilian authority in November last year. He said Zimbabwe generally has a crude law on weaponry possession which makes it difficult for civilians to acquire explosives, suggesting it could have been an inside job. The military coup of November 2017 directly brought in the military into partisan national politics together with a high risk of destabilisation of the government and the ruling party Zanu PF, Mavhinga said. The Bulawayo bombing may very well have been a direct consequence of bringing the military into close proximity to civilian authority, and as such, any investigations into how the bombing was organized and carried out, is bound to be highly sensitive. It is also highly likely that the bombing was carried out by a person or people with close proximity to the Zanu PF leadership, and with access to explosives, who could also gain access to the VIP tents. All these factors point to an inside job, or close collaboration with insiders, Mavhinga said. Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said the incident looked intramural than external. People know who has access to the type of ordnance used in the unfortunate bombing incident. By the way, our intelligence and spy agency is one of the best in the region. I am sure they know exactly who was behind this. Keeping it on wraps can only be affirmation that this was an internal job and letting the cat out of the bag is poor political strategy. Expect nothing unguarded to come out of this. At best, you might have some unfortunate paid bloke being paraded as the bomber. But the truth will unlikely surface in such delicate cases, said Saungweme. Zanu PF has a history of unresolved deaths *In 1962 former Zapu vice president Tichafa Parirenyatwa died when his car was rammed by a train. His driver survived the accident and they are different accounts of what really happened. *In March 1975 Zanu PF chairperson Hebert Chitepo was killed by a car bomb in Lusaka Zambia. Although former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda launched an inquiry and arrested several Zanla officials including Josiah Magama Tongogara no conclusion was made and Chitepos death remains a mystery unto this day. *In 1979 on the eve of the countrys independence Josiah Tongogara himself died in a car accident that remains a puzzle to this day due to conflicting reports. Tongogara wanted Zapu and Zanu to contest the 1980 as one party something that was opposed by former president Robert Mugabe and his allies. *Former minister of Industry and Commerce Chris Ushewokunze also died in mysterious circumstances at Suri Suri in 1994. Apparently he had clashed with Mugabe on economic policies. *In the 1990s, long before Zanu PF factionalism became explosive, a rising star in the form of Zororo Duri, a technocrat in government died in an accident along Harare-Mutare road in 1996. Duri had against advice from Zanu PF heavyweights contested and won against the now late Kumbirai Kangai. *In 2001 after attending a Zanu PF provincial meeting in Manicaland former Defence minister Moven Mahachi also died in an unresolved road accident. Insiders in the ruling party said back then that the former minister was killed because of his opposition to the looting of diamonds in the Democratic Republic of Congo *Also in 2001 another Zanu PF rising star and political commissar Border Gezi was killed when his car veered off the road after a tyre problem along the Harare-Masvingo road. The combative Gezi had raffled a few feathers among the party honchos. *In 2007 when the country was going through perhaps its worst economic patch Paul Armstrong Gunda, a brigadier general and hero of the liberation war met his fate after his car allegedly rammed into a train along the Harare-Mutare road. An inquiry into his death said they was no foul play even as his wife raised suspicion. *A year later in 2008 another former political commissar Eliot Manyika was killed in a road accident along the Zvishavane-Mbalabala road. He was on a mission to restructure Zanu PF structures when he died. An inquest into his death ruled out any foul play. *Fast forward to 2011, Solomon Mujuru, whose nome de guerre was Rex Nhongo perished in an inferno that reduced his body to ashes. His wife and former vice president Joice Mujuru has said that he was murdered even as a government sponsored inquest ruled out any foul play. *Edward Chindori-Chininga the Outspoken Guruve South MP was in June 2013 involved in a road accident that claimed his life. Chindori-Chininga was the vocal chairperson of a parliamentary committee that had just released a highly critical report on Zimbabwes diamond industry. News reports pointed out that his car, which veered off the road into a tree, had left no skid marks. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Being struck by Debowskis vehicle pushed the stopped vehicle into the center lane of eastbound Ogden Avenue, where it struck the left side drivers door of a third vehicle traveling east on Ogden. That resulted in the struck vehicle rolling over at the intersection of Ogden and Hampton, police said. The magical moment a photographer spotted a rare white reindeer in the snow National Post Can we still let the cat out of the bag?: PETAs anti-animal phrases post gets social medias goat Scroll.in Honda, CalTech and NASAs JPL might have a real alternative to Li-ion batteries Road Show (David L) How Alaska fixed its earthquake-shattered roads in just days The Verge (JT McPhee) Researchers Found a Way to Shrink a Supercomputer to the Size of a Laptop Futurism (David L) Its a sad reality: a troubling trend sees a 97% decline in monarch butterflies The Guardian. ChiGal: I knew the numbers were dropping but 97% is shocking and so sad. Preparations Begin for the Climate Change Deluge Der Spiegel Airlines ignoring efficient planes in blow to carbon targets study Guardian Waste Watch How GM invented planned obsolescence TreeHugger As Noam Chomsky turns 90, a look at how he made the world seem a little less inhuman, and a lot more comprehensible FirstPost Syraqistan New Cold War Class Warfare Gilets Jaunes Brexit Huawei Hullabaloo Big Brother IS Watching You Watch Facebook Fracas Democrats in Disarray Federal judge orders additional discovery plan in Hilary Clinton email lawsuit Jurist Health Care India Realignment and Legitimacy Disputed North Carolina race raises prospect of congressional probe The Hill Trump Transition Antidote du jour: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Nature has manufactured the perfect machines. Only the fastest, toughest, and most cunning creatures have endured. We examine how animals have evolved and how we can benefit from their evolution. Sundays from 8:30pm AEDT. (Natural News) For those who still dont believe there is such a thing as a Deep State running the country despite POTUS Donald Trumps ongoing efforts to drain the swamp, an incident that happened earlier this week involving a Chinese telecom executive ought to prove otherwise. On Wednesday, news broke that Canadian authorities had arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of mega-Chinese telecom Huawei, the largest in the world, as she was changing planes in Vancouver. As Fox Business reported, authorities picked her up as part of a U.S. investigation into an alleged scheme by Huawei to use the global banking system to avoid American sanctions against Iran. Meng, other reports noted, is the chief financial officer for the company, so on the surface at least, it makes sense that she would be targeted by authorities. But if the United States was interested in her, why was she arrested by Canadian authorities? Because they were acting on behalf of a request by the Justice Department, Fox Business reported. And now she is facing extradition to the U.S. on unspecified charges. Whether or not Huawei has been violating U.S. sanctions against Iran has yet to be determined, though a federally appointed official at HSBC Bank, which is based in London, spotted suspicious transactions involving the telecom and alerted the U.S. government. So far, so good. But the timing of the arrest could not have been worse or more insulting to the Chinese government. On or about the time Canadian officials were moving to arrest Meng, 46, at the behest of the DoJ, POTUS Trump was sitting at a dinner table with Chinas president, Xi Jinping, discussing the massive trade imbalance between our countries and how best to resolve it in a way that favors both. By early accounts the meeting was successful, The National Sentinel reported: Following the dinner, both sides announced some progress. The U.S. and Chinese governments would suspend tariff regimes for 90 days while trade negotiators from both countries attempted to work out a more permanent compromise. Making trade fairer between the U.S. and China is a central tenet of POTUS Trumps economic agenda and a major part of his MAGA plan. Without question, there needs to be a better balance: On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced that the U.S. trade deficit has grown to a near-monthly record of about $55.5 billion in October, the highest since 2008. And most of that was with China. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce, through state media sources, described talks as very successful, adding we have confidence in the implementation of what both leaders agreed upon. But the news of the arrest has angered the Chinese government and likely scrapped any hope of building on the progress POTUS Trump and Xi had made. Beijing, through state-run media, has likened the arrest to a declaration of war. It gets worse. Not only does it defy belief that the DoJ was not aware of Mengs travel, no one from the department bothered to notify POTUS Trump prior to her arrest. On Thursday, Peter Navarro, the assistant to the president on trade and manufacturing policy, said as much in an interview with Fox Business newest host, Trish Regan. It defies belief to think that the Justice Department was not aware of the gravity of the situation or the timing of the arrest, though Navarro played his part in the interview with Regan and blew it off as things that happen in a democracy. The point is, Regan is correct: In a normal situation, this is a case the president most definitely should have known about and would have, if his name wasnt Trump. The Deep State remains alive and well, and nothing POTUS has managed to do thus far has slowed it down. Read more about Deep State corruption at Corruption.news. Sources include: TheNationalSentinel.com FoxBusiness.com Breitbart.com (Natural News) Monsanto, the manufacturer of the popular glyphosate herbicide Roundup, does such a good job of trying to downplay the health dangers of glyphosate that you might almost be tempted to believe them. When detractors try to claim that Monsanto themselves were behind studies that supposedly show the pesticides are safe, its easy for the firm to dismiss the idea as a conspiracy theory. However, the truth has finally prevailed, at least in one case, and the academic journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology has issued corrections to articles that it published reviewing glyphosates safety. According to the corrections, Monsanto failed to fully disclose its involvement with five articles printed in the journal entitled, An Independent Review of the Carcinogenic Potential of Glyphosate. Not surprisingly, the articles concluded that the chemical was not likely to cause cancer in humans. It turns out that the review was written by experts overseen by a consulting firm that Monsanto hired. In a rare expression of concern, the journals publisher, Taylor & Francis, admitted that the authors of the review didnt explain why they were not transparent when the article was submitted and went on to outline some of the wrongdoings. This confirms what Natural News and other independent news outlets not to mention many Roundup Cancer attorneys have been saying for many years: Monsanto ghostwrites science and deceives the public to make it appear as though its top-earning herbicide does not actually cause cancers like non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, while national law firm Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman said the corrections were a positive step, they pointed out that they failed to address all of the violations that have been found to date. For example, one correction says that Dr. John Acquavella was paid by Monsanto directly to participate on one of the panels of experts, receiving $20,000. However, other review authors also received money from Monsanto, with Larry Kier getting more than $27,000 from the firm for another of the reviews; this was not corrected by the journal. Monsanto emails confirm that Dr. Kier worked in the same role as Dr. Acquavella. Other emails point to the possibility that review author Dr. Tom Sorahan also received payment from Monsanto. In addition, another correction by the journal says that Monsanto scientist William Haydens had pointed out some typographical errors. The law firm has documents that show his involvement went much deeper, drafting, organizing and editing the reviews, including writing the draft introduction chapter. It is also worth noting that the previous reviews that were cited in the papers were also ghostwritten by Monsanto. Moreover, Haydens admitted in an email planning the review papers that they could keep costs down by doing the writing themselves and having scientists sign their names to it. The truth about Monsanto is coming to light Although its good to see the publisher making some corrections, its unfortunate that the move only came about in response to pressure after a series of incriminating documents were released during litigation. Center for Biological Diversity Senior Scientist Nathan Donley is one of several scientists who would like to see the study retracted altogether. He also takes issue with the journal continuing to allow the phrase independent review to remain in the title when the evidence shows that it was anything but independent. Once again, Monsanto has shown its true colors. Its not a stretch to imagine that this is far from the first time theyve had a hand in misleading people about the dangers of glyphosate; its just one of the few times theyve been caught. How many other times has this happened? One can only hope that as further evidence of their transgressions comes to light, they will one day be held accountable for their deceptive ways. See more coverage of widespread science fraud at ScienceFraud.news. Sources for this article include: BaumHedlundLaw.com BaumHedlundLaw.com A man suspected of illegally crossing into the United States on Wednesday drowned in a canal near the U.S.-Mexico border in Calexico, U.S. Customs Border Patrol said Friday. CBP said Border Patrol agents saw the man and two others illegally entered the U.S. about two miles west of the Gran Plaza Outlet around 9 p.m. Wednesday. The two men were quickly caught after swimming across the All-American Canal, which runs parallel to the Mexico-California border. The victim, however, was struggling to stay afloat in the canal. Agents were not able to reach the man before he drowned, according to the CBP. Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) were called and quickly arrived on the scene to recover the man's body but had to call the operation off because of heavy rain and low visibility. The man's body, which was found submerged about 150 yards from where he crossed, was recovered 10 a.m. Thursday, the CBP said. This incident tragically illustrates how human smuggling organizations place migrants in perilous situations, Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez said. This man put his trust in human smugglers and it cost him his life. All-American Canal is federally owned but is managed by the Imperial Irrigation District. The water in the canal can move a quickly as 30 mph, which can be a challenge for migrants who aren't strong swimmers. The district installed buoy lines along the 23-mile concrete-line portioned of the canal in 2011, according to the Associated Press. More than 500 migrants have died trying to cross into the U.S. through the canal. Neither the identity of the man nor his national origin has been released. The two men traveling with the victim were El Salvadorans, the CBP said. For the past three years, San Diego County has had the highest occurrence of whooping cough, or pertussis, than any other county in the state, according to data from the California Department of Public Health. In a snapshot report published Oct. 21, 2018, San Diego had 526 confirmed cases of pertussis so far this year. Los Angeles County, which has three times of the population of San Diego, had 251 and Orange County, which has a comparable population to San Diego, had 138. The higher number doesnt necessarily mean San Diego is more susceptible to the disease than the rest of the state, the county's public health officer, Dr. Wilma Wooten, said. San Diego has great collaboration with and reporting from local providers, so I feel that has contributed to our higher numbers, she said. Last year, San Diego had 1,163 confirmed whooping cough cases, while Los Angeles had 558 and Orange County had 198. In 2016, San Diego also led the state with 395 cases, ahead of L.A.'s 309 and Orange County's 69. One of the possible reasons that San Diego has a higher occurrence is because the county has a higher number of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children or children who are behind on their vaccination schedule. For the last two school years, the percentage of students entering kindergarten in San Diego County with all the required vaccines lag below the state average. Around 93.2 percent of children entering kindergarten in the 2017-18 school year in San Diego are fully vaccinated, according to the CDPHs Kindergarten Immunization Assessment report. The state average is 95 percent. San Diego was also below the states average in the 2016-17 school year at 94.7. Both L.A. and Orange County were at or above the state average for the last two school years. If you're trying to look at what's driving the outbreak and then if you look at what parts of the county have higher rates, you'll see that it's the parts of the county that historically have higher exemption rates for school for vaccines, said Eric McDonald, San Diego deputy public health officer. That's also true of other counties in California [outbreaks are] higher in places with higher [exemption] rates. In California, all children are required to have pertussis, tetanus and diphtheria vaccines before entering kindergarten, though some children are conditionally allowed to attend school if they are behind on their vaccines. Children are also required to receive a booster vaccine before entering the seventh grade. Over the past two decades, there has been an anti-vaccine movement based on the faulty and discredited research of Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who linked vaccine to autism. His claim has been debunked by numerous studies and recent studies suggest that there is a genetic component to autism. That, however, did not stop parents from requesting personal belief exceptions to not vaccinate their children. In 2016, the state of California banned such exemptions for children entering school. The effect of the law was almost immediate. In San Diego, the number of personal belief exemptions dropped to nearly zero for the 2017-18 school year after there were 655 the year before. The same pattern arose in Orange County. In the 2017-18 school year, Los Angeles, however, had two personal belief exemptions. The number of permanent medical exemptions, however, rose. Between the 2016-17 school year and the 2017-18 school year, San Diego saw a 0.3 percent increase, Los Angeles a 0.4 percent increase and Orange County a 0.1 percent increase. It was unclear if the increase was because parents whose children cant get vaccinated because of medical reasons are now requesting permanent medical exemptions because the personal belief exemption was easier to get. The concern for McDonald though is the number of pre-teens and teenagers with pertussis. While whooping cough is a bad cough for older children, it is deadly for infants. So far this year, there have been 233 cases in children ages 10-17, according to the San Diego County Pertussis Case Reports published Nov. 29, 2018. At the same time, 120 children between 6 months old and 3 years old were diagnosed with whooping cough. What's driving the numbers of cases are actually middle school and high school students who have persistent cough, McDonald said. Because pertussis is highly infectious, its passed on to younger siblings, he said. A San Bernardino infant in July became the first baby to die from whooping cough in California since 2016. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinating children at two months of age. Pregnant women in their third trimester are also encouraged to get vaccinated against pertussis. What's contributing to the numbers of cases under the age of six months is that it's been challenging for us to get all pregnant women to be immunized in every pregnancy in the third trimester, McDonald said. Every pregnant woman in every pregnancy [should] get a vaccination in a third trimester in order to prevent bad outcomes, for infant pertussis in particular. From 1965 to 2002, the number of whooping cough cases in the U.S. dropped below 10,000, but since 2003, that number has risen, according to the CDC. There were nearly 18,000 cases of the disease reported in 2016, the most recent year of the data available from the CDC. The number was actually a decrease from the preceding years. Bilateral economic cooperation between the United States and China was emphasized by political and business leaders at a gathering Friday evening in Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. More than 300 officials and business executives of Chinese and American companies attended the third annual gala and award ceremony of the China General Chamber of Commerce-Houston (CGCC-Houston). Delivering a speech, Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin said China and the United States are going to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. "Facts have proven that cooperation is the best option for both sides, and win-win can lead to a better future," he said. He also encouraged the Chinese business community in the United States to expand their business and fulfill their social responsibilities. David J. Firestein, president and CEO of George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations and inaugural executive director of China Public Policy Center in the University of Texas at Austin, said his organizations want to "advance a constructive vision for the relationship that is focused on action solving real problems." "Despite real differences, the United States and China actually do have much in common and much to work on together," he said, adding the business community in the United States and China are going to lead the way to get U.S -China relationship "back to where it needs to be for both countries to proper and benefit from it." At the gala, PetroChina International (America) Inc. won the Outstanding Member Award. Ernst & Yong and Sanhua international Inc. shared the Outstanding Community Champion Award, while China Communications Construction (USA) Inc. and Satellite Petrochemical USA Corp. were named the Most Influential Company of the Year. Before the gala, "Better Angels", a documentary produced by American and Chinese filmmakers, was screened. Directed by Oscar-winning director Malcolm Clarke, "Better Angels" features stories of several Chinese and American individuals who it called "accidental diplomats." Founded in 2005, CGCC has been recognized as the largest and most influential non-profit organization representing Chinese enterprises in the United States. An investigation into a 13-year-old student's death at a Northern California private school has found the school violated state rules when its staff put him in a face-down restraint position for nearly an hour. State education regulators found evidence that staffers at Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills used an unreasonable amount of force and put Max Benson in restraint for longer than necessary, the Sacramento Bee reported. The staff's actions were harmful to the health, welfare or safety of the student, the state inspection stated. Scott Rose, a spokesman for Guiding Hands School, said in a statement Saturday that school officials were concerned that details in the newspaper's story were inaccurate but did not give specifics. "We are reviewing our files and information in order to present accurate information as soon as we are able," Rose said. In a statement earlier this week, the school had said it was cooperating with authorities but that staff had used a "nationally recognized behavior management protocol." The state suspended the school's certification as a result of Benson's death, meaning it cannot accept new students. But it remains open. "Whenever a disciplinary matter or an action is taken to correct behavior, it has to be reasonable under the circumstances," said Seth Goldstein, an attorney for Benson's mother. "If it's unreasonable or unwarranted, it's an offense." Benson, who had autism, became unresponsive while being held in a "prone restraint" at the school on Nov. 28 and died a day later at a hospital. A parent who said her son witnessed the physical restraint told the newspaper Benson was disciplined by a teacher and teacher's aide for kicking a wall. Cherilyn Caler said her son told her after Benson stopped moving, the staff told Benson to stop pretending he was sleeping. After about 30 minutes, the classmate said staff realized Benson was unresponsive and called for medical assistance. Caler said her son has been put in a restraint before at Guiding Hands, and the boy has told her students sometimes pretend to be asleep so staff would release them. Prone restraints are banned for use in schools in several states and are controversial. Authorities are searching for a driver who caught another ride after his SUV veered off State Highway 101 and landed in San Francisco Bay near Candlestick Park Saturday morning. The black Mazda SUV was headed northbound on the freeway when it went off the road and into the water about 9:30 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Vu Williams said. The driver then got out of the SUV, flagged down a car and jumped in, authorities said. There were no passengers in the SUV, which was left half-submerged in the water, Williams said. A detailed description of the driver was not available. The son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett says he'll remain committed to his central Illinois community after his unlikely term as the local sheriff. The (Decatur) Herald and Review reports that Howard Buffett was a longtime volunteer with the Macon County Sheriff's Office before the wealthy philanthropist, author, photographer and farmer was appointed in late 2017 to fill the vacant post. Buffett's term ended Nov. 30, but he says he has no plans to leave Decatur and will continue advancing his Decatur-based foundation, which has donated about $100 million to local projects since he moved to the city in 1992. Warren Buffett tells the newspaper that his son cares about Decatur, has a strong work ethic and a desire to give back. Thirty-one hours after a real estate salesman was killed inside a model home in a new community in Hanover, Maryland, Anne Arundel County police announced a teenager had been taken into custody for the murder. Police say Dillon Nicholas Augustyniak, 18, of Jessup, Maryland, went into a model home on the 7500 block of Newmanstown Drive Wednesday and shot Steven Bernard Wilson. Police believe Augustyniak planned the attack and came to the home to rob Wilson. In charging documents, police allege the teen stole Wilson's phone and laptop and investigators believe he tried to sell the gun he used in the killing. A woman who did not want to be identified said her boyfriend bought a cellphone Wednesday from Augustyniak. "I just had got a feeling because there was a picture of a woman and two kids on the phone as the home screen," the woman said. "When I read up on the story online, I looked up Steve Wilson, I looked up his Facebook and I saw his family and I compared the pictures on my Android to the ... iPhone and it was his phone." It wasn't immediately clear if Augustyniak had an attorney. Friday calls to the suspect's possible relatives went unanswered and no one answered the door at their home. "I know the parents. They're very nice people. They're actually a little leery with their kids," neighbor Bruce Klebe said. Police had no indication that other model homes or real estate offices were being targeted. Police Chief Timothy Altomare portrayed the robbery and slaying as impulse meeting opportunity on the part of a violent criminal. "While I won't say that real estate agents shouldn't be vigilant and concerned, as I think everyone should for their safety, we have no indication that there's a particular threat to the industry at this time,'' the county police chief told reporters Friday. The 33-year-old married father of two young children was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say Wilson was a sales and marketing representative who was working out of the model home. Wilson's family described him as a "loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend." A spokesman for the parent company of Ryan Homes, Virginia-based NVR Inc., has declined comment. Augustyniak has been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery. During a news conference Friday morning, investigators thanked the community for their tips, crediting those tips for helping them close the case so quickly. "What brought this case home in 31 hours was the involvement from the community," Altomare said. A firefighter died after battling a five-alarm fire in Worcester Sunday morning, officials confirm. Christopher Roy, 36, died following the fire that broke out on Lowell Street around 4 a.m., according to Worcester fire officials. "Fire crews were heroic in their efforts to rescue their colleagues under extreme conditions," said Chief Michael Lavoie of the Worcester Fire Department. "Every person on the fire ground gave 110 percent to try and rescue the firefighters who were in danger." Roy was assigned to the Webster Square Fire Station and served with the department for two and a half years, according to the department. Roy, who lived in Shrewsbury, leaves behind a 9-year-old daughter, his parents and a brother, according to Worcester fire officials. An eyewitness told NBC10 Boston that he remembered seeing two firefighters who appeared to be trapped inside. He said that they broke a window and got out of the building and were using oxygen masks. "Conditions deteriorated rapidly, with heavy fire forcing several firefighters on the second floor to evacuate," Lavoie said. "With the assistance of other crews and the rapid intervention team, five firefighters escaped over ladders." Roy and another firefighter were transported to a local hospital where Roy succumbed to his injuries. The other firefighter is in stable condition. "Firefighter Roy paid the ultimate sacrifice last night doing what he always wanted to do, helping people and saving lives," said Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty. Residents of the building told NBC10 Boston that there was a party in the residence last night, though the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The owner of the burned home, Richard Rawson, said there are six units in the building and about 20 residents. Many of the residents, he said, are now without a home. "I'll take care of these people the best I can," Rawson said. "They're all very nice people. All my tenants are so nice." December has proven to be an especially tragic time for Worcester firefighters. Roy's death comes a day after the seven-year anniversary of the death of firefighter Jon Davies, who was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 8, 2011. On Dec. 3, 1999, six firefighters were killed battling the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse fire. This is a difficult day for the Worcester Fire Department and particularly painful as this is the week we remember and mourn the passing of Worcester firefighter Jon Davies and the six who perished in the Cold Storage Warehouse fire, Lavoie said Sunday. The Greg Will Foundation will hold an on air fundraiser for Roy on Monday. The foundation says it will match all donations up to $10,000. Officials say Roy will be transported to the medical examiner's office on Monday. The Air Force failed six times to report information that could have prevented the ex-airman who killed more than two dozen people in a Texas church from purchasing a gun, according to a government report released Friday. The Department of Defense inspector general's report details Devin Patrick Kelley's decade-long history of violence, interest in guns and menacing of women. That history culminated in Kelley's November 2017 attack on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, the church his wife and mother-in-law attended. The dead included several children, a pregnant woman and a 77-year-old grandfather. Kelley served almost five years in the Air Force, during which he was court-martialed and sentenced to one year's confinement for assaulting his wife and stepson. He was able to purchase four firearms after being discharged in 2014, three of which he carried into the church. The Air Force was blamed immediately after the shooting for not reporting the assault to the FBI. The conviction would have been a red flag in the mandatory background check when Kelley tried to purchase a gun. Friday's report says Air Force investigators who spoke to Kelley failed four separate times to fingerprint him and turn those prints over to the FBI. The report also says the Air Force failed twice to submit its final report of the case to the FBI. Air Force investigators were not trained to submit fingerprints or the final report to the FBI, the inspector general found. The Air Force squadron that investigated the assault "used on-the-job training as its primary method of instruction for fingerprint collection and submission," the report says. "However, this training was insufficient and was not based on any established curriculum or policy requirements." The Air Force said in a statement Friday that "corrective action has already been taken." It has reviewed all case files since 1998, and "all criminal history reporting requirements that would preclude someone from purchasing a firearm have been updated." Gunmen in many American mass shootings have repeatedly been able to exploit loopholes or lapses in background checks. Friday's report also details some of the many warning signs against Kelley. His first wife, Tessa Kelley, accused him of choking her multiple times and once holding her head under a showerhead and saying, "I'm going to waterboard you." Waterboarding is an interrogation technique that the United Nations says is considered torture. After Air Force authorities opened an assault investigation against him, Kelley was ordered to be detained before trial because his commander believed he was "dangerous and likely to harm someone if released." Kelley had searched online for body armor and weapons, according to the report. Kelley was later charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after someone saw him punch a dog several times. He was also investigated for sexual assault in his hometown of New Braunfels, Texas, but authorities didn't pursue the investigation in what the local sheriff has since called "an error." The report also says Kelley was reprimanded in 2012 for using a "disparaging word" against a female supervisor and then denying it. Four years later, his former supervisor received a Facebook message from Kelley in which he used expletives and said: "You should have been put in the ground a long time ago. Better hope I don't ever see you." Near the peaceful banks of the Middle Bosque River, Daniel Kieninger recently put radar to use to hunt for graves in a cemetery that dates back to just after the Civil War. The Waco Tribune-Herald reports over two days, Kieninger and fellow cartographer Tosh Murchison walked more than 4 miles inside the 1.5-acre Evergreen Cemetery, 6 miles west of Lake Waco. Pushing a three-wheeled contraption that looked like a jogging stroller, they employed ground-penetrating radar in a foot-by-foot search for at least 48 unmarked graves believed to lie underfoot. The pair, employees of Dallas-based Texas Cemetery Restoration, were summoned as a precautionary measure to prevent new graves from disturbing old ones in the still-active cemetery. Such a disturbance occurred during an attempt to bury a woman in 2005, said John Kamenec, an area history buff and member of the Evergreen Cemetery Association. Kamenec's great-great grandfather, J.B. Farmer, is buried at the well-kept cemetery, which is shaded by sprawling, 150-year-old oak trees and lies secluded on land marked by an "Oliver Farms" entryway on New Windsor Parkway, just off Speegleville Road. Kamenec, 64, is in no hurry to join Farmer, but he wants to be buried next to his ancestor. However, he doesn't want to be buried there if someone in an unmarked grave is already there. If that turns out to be the case, Kamenec said he will settle for the spot at his great-great grandfather's feet. That's why Kamenec and other members of the cemetery association hired Texas Cemetery Restoration -- to help locate other unmarked graves so Kamenec will be able to tell where land is available for new graves. "Ground penetrating radar is looking for anomalies in the soil, where the soil has been disturbed, to locate possible unmarked burials," Kieninger said. "When you dig up the soil and put the soil back in, it changes the magnetic field of the soil. It detects different things in the soil. It won't show bones. But when we put our data into the computer software, it makes analyses of where we believe there are possible unmarked burials." Ground penetrating radar is the most accurate and least invasive way to locate unmarked graves, Kieninger said, adding that they typically scan between 3 to 6 feet down, depending on soil type. Kamenec, a retired survey crew foreman, said the process cost the association $5,000. Kamenec made a map with grids where he marked the known graves with the names of those buried there. But through researching old newspaper clippings, obituaries and death certificates, he learned that there are at least 48 others buried there for which they have no names, locations or markers. One of those lost graves is of a soldier who died on a ship to Scotland, where he was headed to serve in World War I. His body was shipped back to McLennan County, but officials, unfamiliar with the area, thought they were burying him at the old Greenwood Cemetery near Lake Waco. "Somebody was out here at the time and said, `This is not Greenwood, but we will take him. It's OK. We don't mind,' " Kamenec said. "So they buried him here instead, but they didn't get his name, and we don't know where he is buried." In another instance, three members of a family were killed in a wagon after it was struck by lightning, Kamenec said. He knows they were buried at Evergreen but he doesn't know what their names were or where they were buried. The first person buried in the cemetery was Tommie Edwards, a child who died in 1869. Most of the 209 who are known to be buried there are descendants of pioneer settlers William and Margaret Oliver, who donated the land for the cemetery, a church and a school in 1860 and called the area Evergreen. In 1860, Oliver and his neighbors built a schoolhouse, which was one of the first schools in McLennan County outside of Waco, according to the Handbook of Texas Online by the Texas Historical Commission. The Waco-Gatesville stage route had its first relay stable a mile west of Oliver's blacksmith shop. The community later was named Mount Olivet. Evergreen Cemetery was incorporated as a private cemetery in 1957. Major Fred N. Oliver, the Olivers' grandson, started a trust fund for perpetual care of the cemetery, which also includes the bodies of a number of veterans from World War I and World War II and members of the Edwards, Fulp, Winkler and Clark families. The last person buried there was in October, Kamenec said. The results from the ground scan won't be back for several weeks or months, Kieninger said. Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp are in a tense standoff as the fate of the Georgia governor's race remains unresolved, leaving the potential of litigation and a December runoff. Kemp's campaign declared victory in the race late Wednesday, with a spokesperson saying that the numbers show Abrams can't win and a runoff won't happen. But Abrams has yet to concede, maintaining that there are still enough votes yet to be counted to force the race into a runoff. Abrams' team is renewing its concerns that Kemp, the current secretary of state, remains the chief elections officer supervising his own election, a race already marked by disputes over the voting process. With reported votes approaching 3.8 million almost 95 percent of Georgia's 2016 presidential turnout Kemp has just more than 50 percent, but Abrams and her campaign insist there are enough uncounted ballots particularly absentee and mail-in ballots in heavily Democratic metro Atlanta counties where constituents had trouble voting to bring the Republican below the majority threshold required for victory. NBC News said the race remained too close to call Wednesday morning. "We are leaving all of our options on the table," including litigation, Abrams' campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo told reporters Wednesday. "We feel we owe a fight ... to every Georgia voter," she said, adding that the Abrams campaign and Georgia Democratic Party are engaged "in all 159 counties" as counting continues. Groh-Wargo estimated Wednesday morning that about 15,000 votes separate Kemp from a runoff. She says at least that many outstanding absentee and mail-in ballots remained to be counted. Kemp's spokeswoman in the secretary of state's office, Candice Broce, said that by Wednesday afternoon the number of uncounted absentee and mail-in ballots was less than 2,000 with her boss still above the 50 percent threshold. Broce said about 22,000 provisional ballots have yet to be processed, according to a canvass of county officials across the state. If a runoff is necessary, the second round would take place Dec. 4, extending one of the marquee races of the November midterms as Abrams tries to become the first black woman elected governor in American history while Kemp looks to maintain the GOP's domination in a state evolving into a genuine two-party battleground. Either way, Georgians are sure to see a new round of bitter recriminations over ballot access and voting rights that could leave some voters questioning the outcome of a contest both nominees have described as a "battle for the soul of our state." "This is why we had a steady drumbeat for him to resign," Groh-Wargo said Wednesday, noting Abrams' and others' warnings about the potential for chaos in a tight election. "Here we are," she said. Kemp told his supporters early Wednesday that "there are votes left to count, but we have a very strong lead. ... The math is on our side to win this election." His cushion for an outright majority later shrank after more ballots had been counted. So far, turnout exceeds the 2014 governor's race by about 1.3 million votes. Kemp's office, meanwhile, deflected the criticisms. Broce noted local elections authorities manage the voting process and ballot tabulation. "Counties have not completed certification and we are still waiting for counties to provide their tabulations leading up to that certification," she said. A nonprofit group, Protect Democracy, filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to keep Kemp from being involved in counting votes, certifying results or any runoff or recount. Broce called it a "twelfth-hour stunt." State law gives counties until next Tuesday to complete vote counts and certify results to state elections officials. The statewide certification must follow by Nov. 20. The indefinite extension in Georgia focuses a white-hot spotlight on a race that already has drawn massive investments of time, money and star power from President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama to media icon Oprah Winfrey. The tight returns and potential runoff come after weeks of wrangling over Georgia's election system and Kemp's performance as its chief executive. Kemp has steadfastly defended his job performance and refused calls to step aside. Abrams has called Kemp "an architect of suppression," and voting rights activists expressed concerns throughout Tuesday amid reports of technical malfunctions and long lines at polling stations across the state. The elections chief wasn't immune to the difficulties: When Kemp went to cast his own ballot, he had an issue with his voter card, but it was fixed quickly. Abrams, a 44-year-old Atlanta attorney, former state minority leader and moonlighting romance novelist, already has made history as the first black woman to be nominated for governor by either major party. She'd also be the first woman or nonwhite governor in Georgia history. Kemp, a 54-year-old businessman and two-term secretary of state, is vying to maintain the GOP's hold in a state where Republicans have won every governor's race since 2002, though by shrinking margins amid a growing and diversifying electorate. In the closing days, Kemp basked in Trump's glow, pulling out of a debate to attend a Sunday rally that drew thousands of boisterous Republicans to central Georgia to see Trump deplane from Air Force One. Abrams answered with Obama and Winfrey. Even if Abrams ultimately falls short, she has outperformed her fellow Democratic nominees from recent election cycles. That validates her strategy of reaching out to nonwhite and younger voters who don't usually cast midterm ballots instead of Democrats' previous focus on trying to convert older white voters who'd long drifted toward Republicans. Her success came at a cost, however, as unofficial returns showed Kemp expanding the GOP's advantage across rural and small-town Georgia. An estimated $70 million worth of cocaine seized by the United States Coast Guard in international waters was offloaded at the U.S. Navy pier in San Diego Friday. The 5,100 pounds of drugs were seized during a 49-day counterdrug mission in eastern Pacific waters in partnership with the Royal Canadian Navy aboard Her Majestys Canadian Ship (HMCS). Crew members with both agencies patrolled international waters off the coast of central and South America for a month-and-a-half into intercept drug smuggling operations. During their patrols, the crews stopped two go-fast boats, with 3,500 pounds of cocaine seized in one and 1,600 pounds were seized in the other. U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Linda Fagan praised the international effort and said their Canadian partners have been "critical" to the operation. "It takes a network to defeat a network," she said. The drugs will be turned over the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who will investigate the product and destroy it. A woman and her teenage daughter found dead in a Monrovia apartment were strangled, the coroner's office said Saturday. While 41-year-old Cecilia Meza and 17-year-old Kelsey Meza were both strangled, the coroner's investigation found Kelsey Meza also suffered "blunt head trauma," according to the coroner's website. The victims, were found dead about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 800 block of West Colorado Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The victims were found after someone asked police to conduct a welfare check, the sheriff's department said. The school is across the street from the apartment where the bodies were found. The man wanted in connection with the deaths was identified as Nimrod Perez Guerrero, 33, who investigators said had an on-again, off-again relationship with the woman. Guerrero, who is Hispanic, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, should be considered armed and dangerous. He was possibly driving a gray 2014 Toyota Rav4 with California license plate 7FPB132, according to the sheriff's department. Anyone with information about the killings or the whereabouts of Guerrero was asked to call sheriff's Homicide Bureau Detectives Eddie Aguirre or Tony Guillen at (323) 890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS or at lacrimestoppers.org. You are here: Business China's securities regulator punished three companies for price manipulation and insider trading in an effort to protect the interests of retail investors. The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has imposed fines totaling 1.11 million yuan (160,000 U.S. dollars) on three companies in its latest crackdown on illegal market operations. CSRC spokesperson Gao Li has told the press that the commission has always maintained a tough stance against financial market violations with iron fist measures. Thanks to the enhanced crackdown, cases of rat trading, known as front-running in U.S. and European markets, slumped 50 percent year on year in the first half of 2018, CSRC data showed. The Chinese authority has vowed continued efforts to prevent various financial risks and foster a healthy investment environment. The country's two major stock exchanges have released rules to force companies to exit the equity market for serious law violations. What to Know Trump announced his presidential candidacy in June 2015, and by that November, the Russians were reaching out about "political synergy" The campaign finance violations Cohen committed came "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump, according to the new filings After Manafort pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, prosecutors say he continued to lie Key pieces of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation appear to be falling into place. In three court filings Friday, prosecutors for the first time connected President Donald Trump to a crime involving hush money payments to a porn actress. They revealed new details about outreach from Russia early in Trump's presidential campaign. They detailed how they say two central figures, lawyer Michael Cohen and onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort, were continually tripped up by lies. Some takeaways from the latest round of court documents from Mueller's investigation: EARLY RUSSIAN OUTREACH Trump announced his presidential candidacy in June 2015. By that November, the Russians were reaching out about "political synergy." The court papers provide new details about one of the earliest known contacts between Russia and a Trump campaign associate. In fall 2015, Cohen was months into his work on a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow when an unidentified Russian national proposed a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This person, prosecutors say, claimed to be a "trusted person" in Russia who could offer the Trump campaign "political synergy" and "synergy on a government level." This person sought to connect the Trump business project with the campaign, saying the meeting could have a "phenomenal" impact on the proposed tower in Moscow. There is "no bigger warranty in any project than the consent of" Putin, the person told Cohen. Prosecutors say Cohen didn't follow up and that the meeting never occurred. The outreach is more evidence that Russia was eager to build relationships with the campaign and tried to use Trump's business as an opening. TRUMP DIRECTED COHEN'S CRIME Prosecutors didn't mince words: The campaign finance violations Cohen committed came "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump, according to the new filings. Those violations stemmed from payments Cohen made to buy the silence of porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both women alleged they had affairs with Trump, which the White House denies. Daniels was paid $130,000 as part of a nondisclosure agreement signed days before the 2016 election. Trump has denied knowing anything about the Daniels payment. But the filing directly contradicts that claim. It also, for the first time, directly ties Trump to a federal crime. Campaign finance law requires candidates to report any payments made to influence the election. The Trump campaign failed to report the payment at the time. Prosecutors don't say Trump broke the law and the Justice Department has maintained that a sitting president cannot be indicted. PUBLIC STATEMENTS MATTER TO MUELLER At least such statements did matter to Mueller when Cohen lied to Congress, and that could have implications for other episodes under investigation in the Russia investigation. Cohen has admitted lying to Congress about how long he worked on the Trump Tower Moscow project and repeating the falsehoods to the media. But Mueller's team doesn't just consider this self-protection. It was a "deliberate effort" to publicly present a "false narrative" in the hopes of limiting the scope of the various Russia investigations, prosecutors say in the court papers. Mueller's focus on public assertions and their impact on witnesses, lawmakers and ongoing investigations could serve as a warning to Trump. The president also has spread falsehoods about his campaign's ties to Russia. The special counsel has questioned witnesses about a statement Trump dictated on Air Force One last year that omitted several details about a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian attorney. The filing suggests Mueller intends to hold witnesses accountable for the statements made privately and publicly. If the lies are meant to influence the investigation, they may factor into Mueller's investigation into whether Trump has tried to obstruct the probe. Federal prosecutors filed papers in court alleging former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort violated his previous plea deal. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTACTS Despite their criminal cases, the Trump administration just can't leave Manafort or Cohen behind, according to prosecutors. In Cohen's case, Mueller's team said he has provided "relevant and useful" information about his contacts with people connected to the Trump White House in 2017 and 2018. With Manafort, prosecutors say he also had several recent administration contacts and lied about them. After Manafort pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, prosecutors say he told them he had "no direct or indirect" contact with people in the administration. But that was a lie, they say. Instead, they found evidence, including electronic documents, showing contacts with multiple administration officials. That included communication with a "senior administration official" through February 2018. Manafort also directed a person to speak with an administration official on his "behalf" on May 26. Neither Cohen's nor Manafort's filings detail the content of the conversations or identify the officials. Manafort has contended he was truthful with Mueller's team. DV.load("https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5453507-MANAFORT-SUBMISSION.js", { width: 620, height: 500, sidebar: false, text: false, pdf: false, container: "#DV-viewer-5453507-MANAFORT-SUBMISSION" }); NOT JUST COHEN'S WORD Since his guilty plea, Trump has attacked Cohen as a liar who is telling "stories" to get a reduced prison sentence. But prosecutors revealed Friday that they're not just taking Cohen's word for it. The information Cohen told prosecutors in seven separate interviews "has been credible and consistent with other evidence obtained" in Mueller's investigation, they note in the sentencing recommendation. Some of that information from Cohen, prosecutors say, concerns "certain discrete Russia-related matters" at the "core" of Mueller's investigation, particularly those involving his contact with Trump Organization executives. 'LUCRATIVE' MOSCOW DEAL Trump and his lawyers have played down the Trump Tower Moscow proposal. The president has said he never put any money into it and ultimately decided not to do it. But Mueller's team reveals that if he did, they believe they know the windfall. According to Cohen's filing, the deal could have yielded "hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian sources in licensing fees and other revenues." They also note that the project's success likely hinged on Russian government approval, which Cohen sought. ___ Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report. China summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing on Sunday to protest Canada's detention of a senior executive of Chinese electronics giant Huawei at Washington's behest and demand the U.S. cancel an order for her arrest. The official Xinhua News Agency said Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng "lodged solemn representations and strong protests" with Ambassador Terry Branstad against the detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Meng, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran, was detained on Dec. 1 while changing planes in Vancouver, Canada. The Xinhua report quoted Le as calling Meng's detention "extremely egregious" and demanded the U.S. vacate an order for her arrest. It quoted Le as calling for the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrong actions" and said it would take further steps based on Washington's response. The move followed the summoning of Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over Meng's detention and a similar warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. The Canadian province of British Columbia said in a statement Sunday it canceled a trade mission to China because of Meng's detention. The announcement came amid fears China could detain Canadians in retaliation. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Meng's arrest has threatened to increase U.S.-China trade tensions and shook stock markets globally last week. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," downplayed the impact of the arrest on trade talks between the two countries aimed at defusing the tensions. "This is a criminal justice matter," he said. "It is totally separate from anything that I work on or anything that the trade policy people in the administration work on. ... We have a lot of very big, very important issues. We've got serious people working on them, and I don't think they'll be affected by this." Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained on the same day that President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed over dinner to a 90-day cease-fire in the trade dispute. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. The U.S. alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that Chinese pressure on Canada's government won't work. "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide," Paris tweeted in response to the comments from Beijing. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York on Aug. 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled U.S. banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei." Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: She's facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing is to resume Monday. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said "we have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Canadian officials have declined to comment on Chinese threats of retaliation over the case, instead emphasizing the independence of Canada's judiciary along with the importance of Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said Canada "has assured China that due process is absolutely being followed in Canada, that consular access for China to Ms. Meng will absolutely be provided." "We are a rule-of-law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do," Freeland said Friday. While protesting what it calls Canada's violation of Meng's human rights, China's ruling Communist Party stands accused of mass incarcerations of its Muslim minority without due process, locking up people exercising their right to free speech and refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country in order to bring pressure on their relatives accused of financial crimes. The party also takes the lead in prosecutions of those accused of corruption or other crimes in a highly opaque process, without supervision from the court system or independent bodies. Associated Press writer Rob Gillies contributed to this report. What to Know New York City and New York State put up $2.8 billion in tax breaks and grants to land a new Amazon headquarters In return, they get an economic engine expected to generate $27 billion in new tax money over a quarter-century Officials tout their deal as can't-miss math, but experts say the economic equation isn't that simple New York officials tout their deal to land a new Amazon headquarters as can't-miss math. The city and state put up $2.8 billion in tax breaks and grants. In return, they get an economic engine expected to generate $27 billion in new tax money over a quarter-century. "This is a big moneymaker for us. Costs us nothing," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said when the agreement was announced. Experts say the economic equation isn't that simple. The state's predicted 9-to-1 return on its investment was based on a widely used economic model that compares the costs of tax incentives with expected tax gains, but it didn't factor in the substantial costs of accommodating Amazon's growth in the city, economic development researchers said after reviewing the documents. The city and state will have to spend money to educate the children of Amazon workers, improve public transportation to get them to work, collect their garbage, adjust police and fire coverage, and provide all sorts of other services for a growing number of people. "Claiming 9-to-1 isn't just implausible. It is a dishonest way to present the return on these incentives," says Nathan Jensen, a University of Texas professor of government who has been critical of the way economic development incentives are used. The reports also don't measure the Amazon "HQ2" project against any other possible development of its intended site in the booming Long Island City neighborhood. Four academic and think tank researchers who weren't involved in the state's cost-benefit analyses said that while its methods were standard, its scope was limited. "It's a standard cost-benefit approach, but it tends to talk a lot about the benefits and not a lot about the costs," said Megan Randall, a research analyst at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. "That's not to say that the costs will automatically override all the benefits ... (but) cities should be armed with that knowledge." New York state's evaluation of the Amazon deal is based on an assumption that the company will ultimately create 40,000 relatively high-paying jobs in the city by 2034. That's the maximum number foreseen in a deal that starts with a promise of 25,000 jobs by 2028. The state-commissioned analysis by Regional Economic Models Inc. also predicts Amazon's presence in the city will eventually create 67,000 other jobs outside the company, in industries from tech to real estate to restaurants that might serve Amazon workers. Over 25 years, all those new jobs will generate about $14 billion in state income and sales taxes and about $13.5 billion in city taxes, according to that analysis and a city report also involving a REMI model. Cuomo lauded that as "the highest rate of return for an economic incentive program that the state has ever offered." REMI's analysis is deep and thorough, the state's economic development agency said. "Their model is widely considered to be the gold standard for economic and fiscal impact analysis and has been recognized for its analytical depth, sophistication and flexibility," Adam Kilduff, a spokesman for Empire State Development, said in an emailed statement. A representative of the city's economic development agency did not respond to questions about the analysis. The analysis may be right about tax revenue, but "it's incomplete," said Timothy Bartik, a senior economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research and a leading expert on incentives. "You need to look at the spending side." Opponents of the project have raised alarms about adding to the strain on subways, sewers and schools already struggling to keep up in the fastest-developing neighborhood in New York City. Some improvements are already in the works. The Amazon agreement promises a new school and infrastructure upgrades. Critics, including some local politicians, are skeptical it will do enough. They've held a series of rallies and protests and are exploring possible options to try to stop the project. While voters in New York City support bringing Amazon's campus to the city, they are divided when it comes to the incentives from the city and state, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. The survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, found that 57 percent of city voters support Amazon's decision, while 26 oppose it. Forty-six percent of respondents support the incentives, however, compared with 44 percent who said they are opposed. Beyond the costs of growth, the New York analyses also don't address some other questions, experts said. David Merriman, a University of Illinois at Chicago public administration professor who specializes in tax issues, said it didn't consider the possibility of economic growth in Queens even if Amazon never came. There were prior plans for big commercial and residential development on part of the potential Amazon site that have now been scuttled in favor of accommodating the company. The state analysis also didn't examine whether New York could have bagged the same prize while offering less, as Virginia did to score an additional Amazon headquarters there. "A proper analysis would take seriously that we are uncertain how much, exactly, was needed to attract HQ2 to New York," said UT's Jensen. Amazon officials have said "the driving factor" in choosing New York and Virginia was the availability of enough tech talent, not the tax incentives. Despite the unanswered questions, Bartik argues the financial bottom line isn't necessarily the point. "I honestly don't think that the main thing that people should be looking at is whether or not it makes money for the state government. That's not the purpose of state government," he said. "The bigger impact is if you create jobs that otherwise wouldn't be there." The more that special counsel Robert Mueller and federal prosecutors reveal, the darker grow the legal clouds over President Donald Trump. Trump's own Justice Department has now implicated him in a crime, accusing him of directing illegal hush-money payments to women during his 2016 presidential campaign. Mueller keeps finding new instances of Trump associates lying about their contacts with Russia during an election the Kremlin worked to sway in the Republican's favor. The president hasn't been charged with any crimes. He may never be. Whether a president can be prosecuted while in office remains a matter of legal dispute. But Trump also hasn't been cleared of wrongdoing. Each new legal filing underscores that the president is a central figure in investigations that already have brought down several people who worked closely with him and remain a threat to others in Trump's orbit. Even if the president is never charged with illegal activity, the months of investigations and legal wrangling have cast a pall over his administration and exposed the culture of lying that has surrounded Trump, both in and out of office. Trump's moniker in some of the filings: "Individual-1". Trump allies argue that if Mueller had information that Trump broke the law, the special counsel would have made his case against him by now. To the president and his supporters, the fact that the special counsel has been working for well over a year without making a direct accusation against Trump means the investigation is simply an effort to damage the president politically. "AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!" Trump tweeted early Saturday morning. Despite Trump's declarations, Mueller hasn't ruled out that the prospect of election season coordination between Moscow and the Trump campaign, and only recently received written answers from the president about possible Russian interference. Mueller also is still pursuing whether Trump obstructed justice while in office. Yet the most precarious legal situation for Trump appears to be separate from Mueller's inquiry: an assertion by federal prosecutors in New York that Trump directed his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make illegal payments during the campaign to silence women alleging extramarital affairs. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who will oversee the House intelligence committee next year, said that a new court filing on Friday "implicates the president very directly" in a crime. "It puts the issue squarely before the Justice Department whether a sitting president should be indicted or whether the Justice Department has to wait until he's out of office," Schiff said in an interview. Federal law requires that any payments made "for the purposes of influencing" an election must be reported in campaign finance disclosures. The court filing Friday makes clear that the payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal were made to benefit Trump politically. Trump's only defense? Cohen, he says, is a liar. The simultaneous investigations have infuriated Trump. Democrats, and some Republicans, fear Trump may ultimately try to silence Mueller or halt his investigation, though proposed legislation protecting the special counsel has stalled in Congress. After going publicly silent in the run-up to the midterm elections, Mueller has roared back with a series of legal moves that suggest he is actively pursuing the central question of whether Trump's campaign illegally coordinated with Russia during the election. In a filing released on Friday, Mueller revealed that a Russian national claiming close ties to the Kremlin reached out to Cohen to propose government-level "political synergy" during the election. The November 2015 outreach which Mueller says Cohen did not pursue appears to be the earliest known effort by Russia to build ties with the Trump campaign. Cohen has admitted to lying to Congress about efforts by Trump's real estate company to build a project in Moscow as late as the summer of 2016, after Trump became the Republican nominee for president. Mueller has not alleged that the president knew about these interactions with Russia. Even so, some Trump supporters now believe the president is unlikely to emerge from the investigations unscathed. Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor and frequent defender of Trump, said Mueller appears poised to issue a report that will be highly critical of the president, though Dershowitz believes it will deal "more with political sin than a federal crime." "It will be a very serious accusation of the president, but it will be more political," Dershowitz said. Of course, political sin could still put Trump in a dangerous position, particularly now that Democrats are within weeks of taking over the House. The new Democratic majority will have broad subpoena power. Party leaders will be under pressure from some members to pursue impeachment, particularly if Mueller's report makes direct accusations of the president. Schiff, who will oversee some of the congressional probes into Trump, said the swirl of investigations "tests the proposition that no one is above the law." He survived the flames of Southern California's Woolsey Fire that ripped through his habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains, but a mountain lion known as P-64 has now been found dead of unknown causes, National Park Service officials said Friday. P-64, who was dubbed the "Culvert Cat" for repeatedly using a culvert to cross the Ventura (101) Freeway in the Liberty Canyon area, was found dead Monday by a biologist tracking his movements using information from the lion's GPS collar. NPS officials said a cause of death was unknown, but P-64's paws were "visibly burned." The NPS had been tracking 13 mountain lions that live in the Santa Monica Mountains as part of a study of the cat's activities and survivability in the development- and freeway-locked environment. Of those 13 cats, 12 were known to have survived the Woolsey Fire. A year-old cat dubbed P-74 is believed to have died in the fire, although his remains haven't been found. Nearly 90 percent of the National Park Service land in the Santa Monica Mountains was consumed by the Woolsey Fire, according to the park service. According to the NPS, P-64 was in the Simi Hills just above Oak Park when the Woolsey Fire erupted on Nov. 8. He covered a course of several miles through the hills over the next few days, eventually settling down in a remote area. On Nov. 26, his GPS collar showed P-64 was in a part of the Simi Hills that escaped the blaze. His collar last transmitted a location on Nov. 28, and a biologist hiked to the area on Monday in hopes of tracking the cat, but his remains were found instead. Park Service officials said the cat appeared to have been dead "for a few days." "Its very unfortunate that he was seemingly so successful surviving in this fragmented landscape and then died in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire," said Jeff Sikich, a biologist for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. "It's of particular interest that he chose to travel back through a fresh burn area rather than retreat through urbanized areas to escape the fire." The roughly 4-year-old lion had been tracked for the past nine months, since he was captured in February at the Santa Susana Field Lab. During the first two weeks he was being monitored, P-64 crossed the 101 Freeway three times and the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway twice, researchers said. During the full nine month of tracking, the cat crossed the 101 and 118 freeways more than 40 times, generally using the culvert beneath the 101. "P-64 was a fascinating cat to study because he crossed our notoriously deadly freeways dozens of times," Sikich said. In addition to the Simi Hills, P-64 was known to roam the Santa Monica Mountains and the southern Santa Susana Mountains. He is believed to have fathered four kittens born in May, although the paternity hasn't yet been confirmed with DNA testing. The Kremlin said Wednesday it still expects a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump to go ahead as planned despite a suggestion from Trump that it could be canceled. Trump, in an interview with The Washington Post on Tuesday, said he may cancel the sit-down with Putin at the G-20 summit in Argentina this weekend following Russia's seizure of three Ukrainian naval ships last weekend. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday that the meeting is on and that Russia has not received "any other information from our U.S. counterparts." Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, noted that the meeting, which is set for Saturday, has been prepared through official channels and Moscow expects Washington to notify it of any changes in the same way. "This meeting is necessary for both sides," Ushakov said. "It's important in view of the developing situation in the world." The long-simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine burst into the open on Sunday, when Russian border guards fired on three Ukrainian vessels and seized the ships and the crew. Trump said he would be receiving a "full report" from his national security team on Russia's recent actions in eastern Ukraine and the Black Sea. He said he would decide on a course afterward. "Maybe I won't have the meeting," he said. "Maybe I won't even have the meeting." Trump added: "I don't like that aggression. I don't want that aggression at all." The comments were Trump's strongest to date in condemnation of Russia's recent actions in Ukraine, where tensions are flaring. But White House aides were still planning for the Putin meeting after Trump's comments. Ushakov, Putin's aide, said that the naval encounter between Russia and Ukraine likely will be on the agenda of the planned meeting, which will start with the two presidents meeting privately before being joined by senior officials. He said that the Kremlin expects that the talks will touch on nuclear arms control, noting that it's particularly important to discuss them in view of the U.S. intention to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. "It's extremely important to prevent an uncontrollable and senseless arms race," he said. Ushakov said that the two presidents also are to discuss regional crises, including the situation in Syria, the Iranian nuclear deal and North Korea. The meeting between Trump and Putin is set to be just one of several high-profile foreign-policy engagements for the U.S. leader on the whirlwind two-day visit to Argentina. Trump also is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping over dinner this weekend, in what may be a pivotal session to determining if and how the ongoing trade dispute between their countries could be resolved. The White House on Tuesday warned Xi against trying to wait out Trump in the ongoing talks, suggesting the Chinese economy was not as resilient to a trade war as would be the U.S. economy. The warning from Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, came ahead of the two leaders' high-stakes sit-down on Saturday evening. Over the last year, the two countries have levied a series of tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of imports from one another, with the latest round of U.S. duties set to go into force in the new year. Xi said on Wednesday the international community needs to build consensus to solve the conflict between free trade and protectionism. In a speech to lawmakers in Spain, where he is conducting a state visit before attending the Group of 20 leaders' summit in Argentina, he said the world is facing "instability, uncertainty and hot topics without precedents in our history." "I think we are at a crossroads," Xi said. "In economic terms we need to decide if we are going to follow the economic globalization and free market or if we are going to choose unilateralism and protectionism." National Security adviser John Bolton said Trump will also be meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Argentine President Mauricio Macri, South Korea's Moon Jae-in, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the trip an opportunity for the president to cement relations with other world leaders and advance a global economic system based on "free, fair and reciprocal trade." The Trump-Xi meeting would be the first since the two countries began hitting each other with import taxes earlier this year. The United States targeted $250 billion in Chinese products, and Beijing lashed back by slapping tariffs on $110 billion worth of U.S. goods. The two sides have been in negotiations for months, but Kudlow described them as being stalemated until just a few weeks ago. Kudlow said the administration has been "extremely disappointed" by China's engagement in trade talks but the meeting between Trump and Xi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit could be a game-changer. "Perhaps we can break through in Buenos Aires or not," he said. Kudlow added that if the U.S. doesn't get "satisfactory" responses to its trade positions more tariffs will be imposed. He said Trump is "not going away." "I hope they understand that," he said. China's foreign ministry has said a recent phone conversation between Xi and Trump about trade and other issues was "extremely positive." Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov, Nataliya Vasilyeva and Aritz Parra contributed to this story. You are here: China Five people were killed and 18 others injured in a series of road accidents in central China's Hunan Province on Saturday evening, local authorities said. Traffic police in Hunan said the accidents that involved 22 vehicles happened around 7:10 p.m. on the Erenhot-Guangzhou Highway in the city of Yiyang. Among the injured, one was in serious but not life-threatening condition, police said. The cause of the accidents is under investigation. News about sexual assault in fall 2016 left then-12-year-old Maeve Sanford-Kelly disheartened. She was appalled by the crimes of Bill Cosby and Brock Turner, and how their victims were treated. But, even at age 12, she wasn't surprised. "My whole world and my whole life has been: This is what happens. This is how power dynamics play out," said Sanford-Kelly, a Bethesda, Maryland, resident who's now 14. The middle-schooler considered what she could do to prevent sexual assault and landed on the concept of sexual consent education. She started locally, with help from her friends and her mother, Del. Ariana Kelly, who represents a portion of Montgomery County. Eventually, their efforts had a greater impact. Maryland is now one of the 10 states, plus D.C., that requires public schools to include information on sexual consent in their sex ed curriculum. This is the story of how a teen girl and her middle school friends changed sex ed lessons for students statewide. [NATL-DC] How Lessons on Sexual Consent Are Being Taught to Students of All Ages As of fall 2018, Maryland students in seventh grade and 10th grade are taught what consent is, how to respect others' boundaries and how to respect one's own. Sanford-Kelly testified that this is crucial. Before we are taught about pregnancy prevention and STDs, we have to be taught about consent, she said before the Montgomery County Delegation. Maryland law defines consent as "the unambiguous and voluntary agreement between all participants in each physical act within the course of interpersonal relationships." Sanford-Kelly said her teachers at North Bethesda Middle School used an analogy about offering someone tea to teach about consent. Someone might want tea on Monday but not on Tuesday. They might want tea with honey but not sugar. Just as you wouldn't force someone to drink a cup of tea if they didn't want to, you wouldn't force them to have sex, the teen said she was taught. The lessons were "really accessible" and "stick in your mind," Sanford-Kelly said. She, her mother and her friends first wrote a bill about consent education and took it to the Montgomery County Delegation in December 2016. Sanford-Kelly and her friends testified for the passage of the bill. After the teens presented the idea at the local level, they decided to think bigger. "I really felt empowered by the process," Sanford-Kelly said. The group rewrote and expanded the bill and introduced it before the Maryland House of Delegates. The bill later died in the State Senate because of a lack of support by Republicans and conservative Democrats. "I was crushed," Kelly said. "But Maeve said, 'We are coming back next year.'" Despite the failed statewide attempt, Montgomery County and Baltimore City schools voluntarily implemented the bill in 2017. When the #MeToo movement took hold in fall 2017, Kelly and the teens gained a second wave of support at the state level. In early 2018, their bill was approved in the House of Delegates and State Senate. Then, Gov. Larry Hogan signed consent education into law in May 2018. Kelly said she hopes Maryland will set a precedent for other states to follow. Maryland students learn about consent as middle schoolers and high schoolers. Some educators say the concepts should be introduced even earlier. Irene van der Zande is the executive director and founder of Kidpower, a nonprofit that works with educators to teach personal safety to students of all ages. The group has collaborated with schools in several states and designed curricula to teach and reinforce skills for students to carry with them long after they leave the classroom. Van der Zande urged schools to teach students about consent repeatedly. Raising awareness does not create competence, she said. Practice is key. Sanford-Kelly said she thinks her efforts have already had an impact. Her classmates seemed to understand the allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his nomination hearing. "They were really able to take it in and register it," she said. Sanford-Kelly said she and her friends saw that they could create change, despite their youth. "It made me look forward to the future. I'm excited for what it means for students and what it means for society," she said. Sorry! This content is not available in your region New Delhi: Days after controversy broken out in Madhya Pradesh over incidents of impropriety in handling of EVMs, a Congress delegation on Sunday reached state Election Commission and registered a complain about the security of strong rooms across the state. Earlier, the commission on December 2 admitted that a strongroom in Bhopal faced a blackout on Friday (November 30), following concerns raised by the Congress party over EVM-malfunctioning in Madhya Pradesh. "Bhopal: Congress delegation reached state Election Commission & registered a complain about the security of strong rooms across Madhya Pradesh where EVMs are kept," the news agency ANI reported. Bhopal: Congress delegation reached state Election Commission & registered a complain about the security of strong rooms across Madhya Pradesh where EVMs are kept. pic.twitter.com/ribW8LoNHy a ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 The 2018 Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh has been marred with incidents of "EVM tampering" after some unidentified persons with laptops and mobiles were seen around the strong room which is strictly prohibited during elections. Another controversy broke out in the state when some voting machines were reached the strong room 48 hours after voting ended in the state.A In a separate incident, two polling officers were "found drunk" along with EVMs inside a hotel owned by a BJP functionary. The Congress also demanded a probe alleging that the ruling BJP was "in collusion with the local administration" in a bid to tamper with EVMs during the November 28 Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh. Congress leaders @DrAMSinghvi @plpunia @VTankha & @ManishTewari presented a memorandum to the EC demanding a thorough investigation into the matter of EVM tampering in recent state elections. #aaaa_aa_EVM_aasaa pic.twitter.com/q7kafQWG44 a Congress (@INCIndia) December 1, 2018 Taking a dig at the ruling BJP over "EVM tampering", Rahul Gandhi said,A "Congress party workers, itas time to be vigilant. In MP, EVMs behaved strangely after polling: Some stole a school bus and vanished for 2 days. Others slipped away and were found drinking in a hotel". "In Modias India, the EVMs have mysterious powers. Stay alert!" the Congress chief added. Congress party workers, itas time to be vigilant. In MP, EVMs behaved strangely after polling: Some stole a school bus and vanished for 2 days. Others slipped away & were found drinking in a hotel. In Modias India, the EVMs have mysterious powers. Stay alert! pic.twitter.com/dhNeraAfxa a Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 7, 2018 The counting of votes in Madhya Pradesh along with Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh will be taken up on December 11, 2018. New Delhi : Kedarnath director Abhishek Kapoor has requested the Uttarakhand government to lift the ban on the film. Starring debutante Sara Ali Khan and Kaipo Che star Sushant Singh Rajput, Kedarnath was released on Friday. The movie did moderately well on the box-office, but the film was banned in seven districts of Uttarakhand, owing to the protests by Hindu outfits. Also Read | 'Sultan' pair Anushka Sharma and Salman Khan to re-unite in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's next project? The decision has been taken by District Magistrates concerned in view of the situation prevailing in their areas, ADG (law and order) Ashok Kumar told PTI on Friday. There will be no screening of the film in seven districts of the state where Hindu outfits have protested against the film burning effigies of film-makers, Ashok added. The filmmaker took to his social media to request Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to allow the film screening in the state. I plead with the Uttarakhand govt to pls lift the ban on my film #kedarnath. Its an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Pls dont deprive us of this opportunity. @tsrawatbjp @RonnieScrewvala tweeted Abhishek. 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 is imposed on the movie stating that it hurts the Hindu religious sentiments and promotes Love Jihad. Also Read | Janhvi Kapoor to romance Dulquer Salman in Karan Johar's next? Find out here In an interview with PTI, Sara said, The dream was that I could pass on this story to some people. We shot the film in Uttarakhand, we stayed there for 40 days, I have best memories of my career there. It is very disheartening to not give back to them because they have given me so much. And that is the only real regret. I dont consider ethnicity, religion, caste as markers and consider them as divisive. I dont think the film does either. The film is not about dividing you, it rather calls for coming together. I dont know how people are feeling hurt. I dont think they have seen the film, added the actor. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to join the Congress and other opposition parties in a meet called by his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu. This meet will mark Kejriwals first-ever get-together of opposition parties. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo has called for the meeting to decide on a common strategy to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. According to a report published in Hindustan Times, Kejriwal is expected to attend this meeting along with senior leader Sanjay Singh. The main agenda behind the meeting will be to bring the opposition parties together to set aside their difference and fight as a team to defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections. Naidu, however, believes that it will not be easy to bring everybody on the same page, but it isnt impossible. Also Read | Telangana Elections: KCR's TRS rules out alliance with BJP, Congress drops coalition hints with AIMIM Kejriwal and the opposition parties have joined hands earlier for protests such as Bharat Bandh, which was called by Congress on September 10 against fuel price hike. Delhi CM has also shared the stage with Congress president Rahul Gandhi during a protest by farmers organisation at Delhis Jantar Mantar on November 30. The protest was held to demand better prices for agricultural products. As quoted in NDTV, Chandrababu said, We are all together in bringing parties on one platform. One or two may have differences of opinion. We (TDP) had differences with Congress for 40 years but now we are working how to bring together all. Democracy is important. It is for people to sink their differences. People are prepared now. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati or any of her party colleagues have not yet given any confirmation about joining the meeting. Mr Naidu has already met a string of opposition leaders including Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal over the last few weeks. Also Read | Telangana Exit Poll 2018: Hung Assembly projected, KCR-led TRS in close fight with Congress-TDP alliance Besides Mamata Banerjee, Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, DMK's Stalin, Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Tejashwi Yadav, HD Kumaraswamy and others are likely to be there for the meeting, which will be held on the eve of the winter session of parliament. BJP, on the other hand, has said that the TDP chief is making futile attempts to bring the opposition together. BJP national president Amit Shah named the proposed grand alliance, as a band of thieves. "This Mahagathbandhan is a unity of those who loot wealth of the public through corrupt means," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. "Corruption begets more corruption, and fosters a corrosive culture of impunity. The United Nations Convention against Corruption is among our primary tools for advancing the fight. Sustainable Development Goal 16 and its targets also offer a template for action." UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres. [Photo:VCG] Today, December 9, marks the 15th anniversary of International Anti-corruption Day. On December 9, 2003, the United Nations Convention against Corruption was officially adopted. The International Anti-corruption Day was established to raise people's awareness of corruption issues across the globe. Since 2005, the convention has been serving as a legal basis for fighting corruption. As one of the earliest signatory members to the convention, China has always been focused on the efforts of fighting corruption. There are many "first-time" achievements China has made since its plan on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery was initiated in 2014. 1. Voicing anti-corruption opinions at international platforms In December 2014, the Beijing Declaration on Fighting Corruption, which aims to solve tough problems on overseas recovery of ill-gotten gains, was adopted on the APEC Summit. It was one of the early promotions by China to reinforce substantial counter-measures on fighting corruption globally. It also marks China making its own voice heard in this effort at an international platform for the first time. The declaration later became the starting point for China to engage in the spade work for worldwide anti-corruption moves. The Beijing Declaration on Fighting Corruption is adopted on the APEC Summit in December 2014.[Photo: ccdi.gov.cn] Two years later, the G20 Hangzhou Summit in 2016 produced a more detailed strategy on anti-corruption and fugitive repatriation which includes "zero tolerance", "zero loopholes" and "zero obstacles." In May 2017, President Xi Jinping stated at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that the Chinese government would keep honest and clean along the road of development. The symposium of China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) on Anti-corruption, Yunnan Province, November 2, 2016.[Photo: ccdi.gov.cn] Most recently, China reiterated its resolution on fighting corruption at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September, where China and African countries jointly published the Beijing Declaration on Building a Closer Community of Shared Destiny between China and Africa. China's effort in anti-corruption has been increasingly recognized by international organizations, which in turn, has boosted bilateral cooperation in this field. 2. Fugitives return to surrender In 2014, Wang Guoqiang, former Municipal Party Committee Secretary of Fengchen, Liaoning Province, returned to China out of his own will to turn himself in after living as a fugitive for 10 years in the United States. That set a precedent for more fugitives to follow. Wang Guoqiang, former Municipal Party Committee Secretary of Fengchen City, Liaoning Province, is arrested at an airport in December 2014. [Photo: ccdi.gov.cn] Coordinated by the department on fugitive repatriation and asset recovery under China's central anti-corruption authority, Yao Jinqi, a former deputy head of Xinchang County in Zhejiang Province who fled abroad in 2005, was extradited to China from Bulgaria,marking the first time that China has extradited a former official suspected of duty crimes from the European Union. Yang Jinjun, who is accused of bribery and embezzlement, in handcuffs arriving in China. [Photo: ccdi.gov.cn] Thanks to the improved legal system of overseas recovery and joint efforts by Chinese and American Interpol, the number of fugitives returning to their home country is on the upswing. 3. "Sky Net" operation So far, it's been three years since China launched the "Sky Net" operation, which targets on corruption fugitives and illegal assets recovery overseas. The operation has resulted in the arrest of a batch of corrupt officials, clean up a number of illegal licenses and uproot of illegal banks. Today, "Sky Net" has been upgraded to become a more specialized and precise operation. Screenshot of announcement of "Sky Net" achievements.[Photo: ccdi.gov.cn] Official data shows 4,833 suspects from 120 countries have returned to China and more than 10 billion yuan (approximately 1.5 billion US dollars) worth of illegal assets have been recovered. 4. Joint-announcement made by top administrations for overseas fugitives In August, an announcement on expediting the fugitives' surrender was made for the first time by the country's five top-level administrations, including China's Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Supreme People's Court, Public Security Bureau, Foreign Ministry, and the State Committee of Supervisory. Screenshot of the surrender deadline announcement for fugitives. [Photo: ccdi.gov.cn] The move has generated a chain effect for overseas fugitives to turn themselves in after posting the deadline to them. This demonstrated China's resolution to fight corruption. New Delhi : Attorney General KK Venugopal on Saturday criticised the Supreme Court for using constitutional morality, which he thinks is a very dangerous weapon, to test validity of laws made by the Legislature and said that the top court was exercising unlimited powers by treating the Article 142 of the Constitution as Kamadhenu - a miraculous cow who provides her owner whatever he desires. Article 142 merely permitted the Court to pass such decree or make such order as to do complete justice in any cause or matter pending before the courtBut the Article was treated as a Kamadhenu from which unlimited powers flowed to the apex court of the country, Venugopal said while addressing a keynote address at the Second JB Dadachanji Memorial Debate in the national capital. The Attorney General said that if this doesnt stop, first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehrus fear of the Supreme Court becoming the third chamber of Parliament will come true. Also Read | Former CJI Dipak Misra was remote-controlled by 'external source': Justice Kurian Joseph "Use of constitutional morality can be very-very dangerous and we can't be sure where it will lead us to. I hope constitutional morality dies soon. Otherwise, our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's fear that the Supreme Court will become the third chamber (of Parliament) might come true," he said. Referring to the five-judge constitution bench verdict allowing entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala Temple, the Attorney General said that the Supreme Court should be very careful while interfering in religious beliefs, he said. Earlier, Supreme Court judge Madan B Lokur, one of the four judges who held the unprecedented press conference against former CJI Dipak Misra, who spoke before Venugopals criticism, said that the people of the country were bound to move the top court if Parliament failed to enact laws the needed. Also Read | No, I don't regret: Justice Kurian Joseph on January 12 press conference "Judicial review is being used only in case of the inaction of legislature and executive, Lokur said. The Attorney General, however, said that it was not correct for the top court to believe that the country is doomed if it doesnt intervene. For the court to believe that unless it interferes, the country is doomed is not correct," the Attorney General added. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : After four and a half years of hibernation, the right-wing outfit Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in association with the ruling partys ideological patriarch, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), held a massive rally at Delhis historic Ramlila Maidan to push for the early construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. At the rally, which was also attended and addressed by RSS executive head Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi, the VHP demanded a bill on the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament starting Tuesday. It will be a massive gathering which will change the hearts of all those who are not in favour of bringing the bill for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya, VHPs spokesperson Vinod Bansal was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Addressing the rally, RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi invoked the 1992 Babri Mosque demolition and said that the work was left incomplete. He said that those in power should listen to people and fulfil their demand of a grand Lord Ram Temple at the disputed land in Ayodhya. Also Read | Babri Masjid demolition anniversary: Security beefed up in Ayodhya as VHP to observe 'Shaurya Diwas' Joshi said that the ruling party at the Centre had promised construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. And now, there is no other option available than enacting a law on Ram Mandir. The BJP should fulfil its commitment, he said. The construction of Ram Temple has been one of the big promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014. However, the title suit of Ayodhya case is pending in the Supreme Court, which is expected to name a date for the beginning of the hearing in January 2019. But, with 2019 general elections approaching and the construction of the temple on hold for over two decades, the VHP and other right-wing organisations are demanding the government to bypass the legal procedure and bring an ordinance for temple building. Earlier last month, the VHP had organised a massive Dharma Sabha in Ayodhya and warned the government of another movement if the construction of Ram Temple doesnt start at the earliest. A religious leader, Swami Rambhadracharya, who had attended the Dharma Sabha had claimed that a Union minister has told him that a decision on Ram Temple will be taken by the Narendra Modi government after December 11. Read More | Bulandshahr violence: Yogi Adityanath orders strict action against cow slaughter On Friday, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy had said that he will topple the Narendra Modi government at Centre and Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh if they tried to oppose him in the Supreme Court when the hearing on Ayodhya title suit begins. "If our matter (Ram temple) is listed in January, we will win it in two weeks. Because my two opposing parties are the central government and Uttar Pradesh government. Do they have the guts to oppose me? If they do, I will topple the government. Though I know that they won't do it," ANI had quote Swamy as saying. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kolkata: BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya Sunday mocked the scheduled meeting of opposition parties in New Delhi, and said they should first declare a prime ministerial candidate before thinking of ousting the Narendra Modi government. In a major step towards forming an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front, top opposition leaders will huddle in the national capital on Monday, to discuss forging a grand alliance to take on the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "It's really good to see opposition parties trying to forge an alliance to fight against us. But, first let them declare their prime ministerial candidate, then they should dream of fighting against us and ousting us," he said. "We have Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is their PM candidate?" he added. Read | Opposition meet tomorrow to strategies 2019 Lok Sabha election, Kejriwal likely to join in Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and NCP chief Sharad Pawar arrived in New Delhi earlier in the day to take part in the meeting. Taking a dig at the TMC chief, senior BJP leader Mukul Roy said she should clarify whether the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress, also part of the opposition meeting, were friends or opponents of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal. "When the TMC was born in 1998, Mamata Banerjee and her party used to say both the Congress and the CPI(M) are political opponents," Roy said. Read | Rahul Gandhi writes to Congress chief ministers, seeks resolution in support of Women's Reservation Bill "The TMC throughout its 20-year history has termed the CPI(M) as its number one political opponent. So, now it should clarify whether the two have become friends," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Army jawan Jeetendra Malik aka Jeetu Fauji, who is accused of killing Shyana police station SHO Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr earlier this week, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court on Sunday, according to reports. On Saturday night, Jeetu was handed over to Uttar Pradesh police by the Army and produced before the court for judicial custody this morning. "Bulandshahr Violence: Accused Jitu Fauji has been sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court," the news agency ANI reported. #BulandshahrViolence: Accused Jitu Fauji has been sent to 14 day judicial custody by a local court. (Earlier pic) pic.twitter.com/pPIHrS3sPJ ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 9, 2018 Read | Bulandshahr violence: SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh removed after cop Subodh Kumar Singh's murder Crying foul, Fauji said, "I am not an absconder. I haven't done anything wrong. I am being framed". His family also alleged that there is no eye witness who saw Jeetu instigating the violence in Bulandshahr earlier this week and Jeetu was detained only beacuse he was present during the incident. They will also move a bail appliaction in the lower court on Monday, opposing Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), mentioned by police during the court proceedings. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr district apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, police inspector Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Singh went for a search operation following specific inputs about stone pelting in the region and fell unconscious after a stone hit his head. While being rushed to the hospital an angry mob again attacked his vehicle. While other policemen in the jeep fled the spot, Singh was allegedly shot dead by Fauji. Read | Bulandshahr violence: Yogi Adityanath orders strict action against cow slaughter Nine people have been arrested in connection with the violence but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Jeetendra Malik alias Jeetu Fauji, key accused of Shyana police station SHO Subodh Kumar Singh's murder during Bulandshahr violence, has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Jeetu was handed over to the police by the Army late on Saturday night, news agency ANI reported. SSP STF Abhishek Singh said that Jeetu is being sent to Bulandshahr and will be produced before the court for judicial custody. He accepted that he was there when the crowd started gathering. Prima facie, it has been found true. It is not yet ascertained if he is the one who shot Inspector or Sumit. He said he went there with the villagers, but denied pelting stones on police. Forensic of his mobile will be done, he said. 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 Jeetu Fauji during a violent protest against the alleged cow slaughter in the area. Singh had received inputs of stone pelting in the area. When he reached there, a stone hit him on the head and he fell unconscious. When he was being taken to the hospital on a police jeep, the mob again attacked the vehicle. While the policemen who accompanied Singh fled the scene, he was shot dead allegedly by Fauji. ALSO READ | Bulandshahr violence: SSP Krishna Bahadur removed after cop's murder The family of the deceased cop alleged a pre-planned conspiracy and claimed that Singh 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. On Saturday, Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh was removed from his post and transferred to the DGP Headquarters in Lucknow. He was replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary, who took over as the new district police chief. Earlier, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said that the Army will fully cooperate with the police if Jeetu was found guilty. "If there are any evidence and police feel that they suspect him, then we will produce him before them. We will fully cooperate with police," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A massive fire broke out at a slum in northern Mumbai's Malad on Sunday afternoon, according to reports. Altogether four fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames before it engulfed the adjacent congested area, where rooms are mostly made of flammable material like wood and plastics. A thick plume of smoke could be seen billowing out of the slum as it is feared to be completely gutted in fire. "Fire breaks out in a slum in Mumbai's Malad. Four fire tenders present at the spot," the news agency ANI reported. Fire breaks out in a slum in Mumbai's Malad. Four fire tenders present at the spot pic.twitter.com/41CC7IJUbX ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 Read | Delhi Pollution: Air quality poor, EPCA likely to consider closure of industries on severe days Though panic gripped in the area following the tragic incident, no casualty has been reported into the incident so far. Causes of the fire or the extent of damages are yet to be ascertained. Malad is a suburb located in North Mumbai, mostly occupied with slums, reflecting the ghettoization of the urban poor, who comprise nearly 65 per cent of the population, well above the average of 54 per cent for the whole of Mumbai. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Three terrorists have been killed and five security personnel have been injured in an encounter that broke out between militants and security forces on Saturday in Mujgund area on the outskirts of Srinagar, according to news agency ANI. Weapons and warlike stores have been recovered from the terrorists. #JammuAndKashmir: Three terrorists have been neutralised in Mujgund encounter in Srinagar which broke out yesterday. 5 security personnel have been injured. Weapons and other warlike stores have been recovered. pic.twitter.com/KsKTmDdtVx ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 ALSO READ | Army's Northern Command chief backs surgical strikes amid debates There is a possibility of one more militant being present in the area, according to sources. The joint team of SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police, Army and CRPF launched the operation following some specific inputs. Authorities have snapped Internet services in Srinagar. "After zeroing in on the suspected house where the militants were hiding, forces fired a few warning shots. The hiding militants, however, fired indiscriminately at the forces triggering an encounter, Greater Kashmir quoted a police officer as saying. Inspector general of CRPF Ravideep Singh Sahi said that intermittent firing was going on between the forces and the militants. This was an intelligence input-based operation. Going for the search of militant bodies wasnt feasible due to complete dark. Youth placed logs and rocks on road to disturb the forces movement. Youth from Lawaypora, HMT, Narbal and other areas marched towards the encounter site amid clashes with the forces." For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote letters to the chief ministers of the states, governed by the grand-old party, asking for a resolution calling on the Centre to pass the Women's Reservation Bill. The proposed resolution seeks one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies. Earlier Gandhi dashed a letter to PM Narendra Modi asking him to "demonstrate his commitment to the cause of women", and ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. "In order to affirm our support to the passage of the Bill, it would be expedient for the state assembly to pass a resolution calling for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative assembly for women, in the next session," Gandhi wrote in his letter to the chief ministers of Congress-governed states. Congress President @RahulGandhi writes to Punjab Chief Minister @capt_amarinder urging him to pass a resolution in the Punjab Legislative Assembly calling on the Central Government to enact the Women's Reservation Bill. pic.twitter.com/2ELUngqR4J Congress (@INCIndia) December 9, 2018 Read | At massive Delhi rally, VHP demands bill on Ram Temple in winter session of Parliament The Gandhi scion further said that the Congress and several other parties have called on the prime minister to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, adding that the leadership role taken by women after the 73rd and 73th constitutional amendments have cleared the doubts on the ability of women to affect change. The Congress chief also referred to India's ranks in terms of the percentage of women in parliament, saying that the situation is "even worse in state assemblies". India ranks 148 out of 193 countries in terms of the percentage of women in parliament. The legislative assemblies of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have already taken a lead and passed a resolution calling on the central government to enact the women's reservation bill. In 2010, the Rajya Sabha passed the 108th constitutional amendment bill, but it lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. Read | Parliament's winter session to begin from December 11; government to push for triple talaq bill Gandhi's letter comes just days before the commencement of the Winter Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin on December 11, 2018. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi : Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, Monday arrived in Westminster Magistrates' Court which is expected to deliver its verdict on his extradition after a year-long trial. Mallya, the 62-year-old business tycoon is wanted in India in loan default and money-laundering cases. He fled the country in March 2016 after banks initiated legal proceedings to recover the outstanding loan amount of over Rs 9,000 crore. For the last two and half years, he has been residing in the UK and fighting an extradition case filed by India in February last year. Also Read | India seeks fugitive offender tag for Mallya; ED moves court to confiscate Rs 12,500-cr assets On December 5, Mallya had made a humble request to the Indian officials to accept his offer to pay back the "100 per cent" of the principal amount of loans he owed to various banks. In a series of tweets, Mallya said that he contributed thousands of crores to the State exchequers through his alcoholic beverage group and now defunct Kingfisher Airlines and requested banks to accept his offer. For three decades running Indias 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, Mallya tweeted. Explaining why he could not pay back banks the money he borrowed, Mallya said that his Kingfisher Airlines was "fabulous" and faced the highest ever crude prices of USD 140/barrel. Due to which, he added, "losses mounted and thats where banks' money went." Suggested Read | Watch: Fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya having high old time in UK The request from Mallya, which came just five days before the expected verdict in his extradition case, was linked to the December 10 verdict. However, he said that it was wrong to link his payback offer with the extradition verdict as the case was under court's consideration and will take its own legal course. "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," he had said. Vijay Mallya in UK court highlights: 05.47 pm: The CBI welcomes the court decision. 05.45 pm: The matter of extradition of Vijay Mallya to India has been referred to the Secretary of State. 05.40 pm: London's Westminster Magistrates Court orders the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India. 03.16 pm: Vijay Mallya in London when asked 'how genuine is his offer of settlement': There is nothing genuine or ingenuine. Please understand that the offer has been made in a court of law. Nobody disrespects a court of law. Vijay Mallya in London when asked 'how genuine is his offer of settlement': There is nothing genuine or ingenuine. Please understand that the offer has been made in a court of law. Nobody disrespects a court of law. pic.twitter.com/jRs7DNtlSB ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2018 03.15 pm: "I have filed a comprehensive settlement application before the Karnataka High Court, which is also being heard today," Vijay Mallya said. 03.12 pm: Vijay Mallya in London, UK: "Whatever the judgement, my legal team will reveal the judgment and take proper steps thereafter. Yes I have tweeted saying that I want to repay, that has nothing to do with this extradition issue. It's a compltely separate matter," he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The 28th of November marks World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED). As high-tech machinery, AI, big data analytics, computers and software applications continue to take the place of many traditional jobs, the role of education in the 21st century is more important than ever. Education plays a vital role in enabling citizens to participate fully in society. Article 13 of the UN General Assembly's 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) proclaims education as a right that enables citizens to "participate effectively in a free society." A recent report, "All Around the World Higher education equity policies across the globe," released at the WAHED conference held at Aston University in the United Kingdom, involved a survey of over 71 countries and eight international organizations, including the World Bank and European Union. The report was produced by Jamil Salmi and the Lumina Foundation and surveyed policies related to access and equality in higher education. The report follows earlier research by UNESCO which revealed that in comparison to the top 20 percent, the poorest 25-29 year-olds have dramatically lower participation and completion rates for higher education. Salmi concluded that while almost every country advocates for equity and access to higher education, the gains have been modest. The report found that only 11 percent of the countries surveyed have elaborated a comprehensive equity policy document. The report commended Australia, Cuba, England, Ireland, New Zealand and Scotland for their commitment to providing equal opportunities of access and success in higher education. Reasons for inequality of access to education are varied and multi-faceted. They may involve economic disadvantage, geographic isolation, violence, sexual abuse, gender, inability to speak the national language, cultural differences and more. Some strategies to enhance equitable access to higher education include: Providing support for students from impoverished backgrounds. Developing specific strategies for particular groups, such as gender equality programs in Afghanistan. and programs which target students disadvantaged by their geography and lack of infrastructure. Creating an overarching policy goal and structures to both monitor and promote progress cooperation among countries and international organizations. This would involve sharing knowledge on how best to collect and monitor data so that progress can measured. Of course, equitable access to higher education is only one part of a larger issue of access to education generally. Meaningful improvements in access to higher education will not happen unless countries also improve access to quality primary and secondary education. This requires, among other things, that countries and international organizations work to: Build social capital. Improving access requires community support and the creation of high expectations for learning that are conveyed to all members of the community. Support local government and local autonomy in schools. Education at all levels is best supported when significant autonomy and resources are provided at the local level and not just imposed top-down. Partner with parents. It is important that governments and other organizations support, partner with and empower parents in their role as vital stakeholders in educating the next generation. In this regard, much more should be done to advance early childhood education. This point was made by economist James Heckman: "Early investment in the lives of disadvantaged children will help reduce inequality, in both the short and the long run." See education as a lifelong activity. Due to automation and rapid technological change, the job market of the 21st century will be ever changing and thus require continuous learning. Focus on infrastructure. One of the major barriers to equitable access is geography. Countries must continue to enhance infrastructure that make education more accessible for those in remote areas. Encourage social entrepreneurship activities such as the Barefoot College in India and the Khan Academy, which both provide free access to education to millions of children every day. As stated by well-known social entrepreneur, Muhammad Yunus, "The developing world is full of entrepreneurs and visionaries, who with access to education, equity and credit would play a key role in developing the economic situations in their countries." Develop valid measures of progress, shared research and data from around the world so that we may see continuous improvement in achieving equitable access to education. I conclude with the words of the late Nelson Mandela who noted that, "It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to a good education." Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. WASHINGTON After nearly six years of disappointment following the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, Connecticut Democrats in Congress say there is a momentum shift on guns growing out of the 2018 election, and that new laws may pass not only the newly Democratic-controlled House, but the GOP Senate as well. And when they get to Donald Trumps desk, the NRA-backed president might actually sign them, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal. The kindest thing that can be said about Trump is he has no real convictions on this topic, said Blumenthal on Thursday. If enough Republicans join us, hell find a way to sign. Senate Republicans, who almost uniformly have opposed new gun proposals, may now reverse course, he said. I think this latest election has sent a clear message to my Republican colleagues: They cannot simply adhere to the NRA (National Rifle Association) line, Blumenthal said. Speaking at a meeting in Washington sponsored by Newtown Action Alliance, Blumenthal plus Connecticuts Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Elizabeth Esty, all acknowledged that their new optimism is a marked contrast to the recent past, when Republicans dominated Capitol Hill. Since the Newtown shooting on Dec. 14, 2012, took the lives of 20 children and six adult staff members, congressional Republicans and some red-state Democrats have effectively blocked the path on measures such as expanded background checks and barring terrorism suspects on the no-fly list from purchasing guns. But those days are over, members of the Connecticut delegation confidently predicted to a crowd of gun-issue activists, many wearing Newtown Action Alliances signature green shirt. The American people voted and they voted strongly for gun sense, said Esty, who did not seek re-election and will not be in office when the new Democratic-controlled 116th Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. Murphy noted that Democrats supporting new gun laws won House seats not only in the Northeast and the West Coast, but in unlikely places such as Texas, Florida and Georgia. He pointed to Lucy McBath, who won in a suburban Atlanta district once occupied by conservative stalwarts Newt Gingrich and Tom Price. McBath lost her son in 2012 when a gunman shot him and friends as they sat in a gas station over the supposedly loud music they were playing. The case became a test of stand your ground laws in Georgia and other mainly Southern and Western states. This is a winning issue everywhere, said Murphy. What we know is we are winning more and more and more. The high spirits on the gun-control side are in marked contrast to the blues on the gun-rights side. The NRA is going through an uncustomary decline in income and membership. The nations premier gun-rights group even went so far as to take away free coffee from employees at their suburban Washington headquarters. Gun sales, particularly of rifles and shot guns, have plummeted since Trump replaced President Barack Obama. Analysts attributed the drop to easing of tensions over Obama efforts to expand background checks and enact other gun-safety measures. The Thursday morning gathering followed the sixth annual vigil at a church Wednesday night here, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The events have become something of a ritual in the six years since the Newtown shooting. Family members of gun-violence victims and also a few survivors of gun-shot wounds hold up pictures of lost loved ones, briefly tell their stories, and promise to honor with action. If Congress does indeed pass new gun laws, I would like to say next year, we honored with action, Blumenthal said. He promised to reintroduce a measure that would create a red flag process by which federal judges could issue orders to seize guns temporarily if evidence is presented that gun owners are a danger to themselves or others. The bill is modeled on Connecticuts 19-year-old risk warrant statute, passed by the legislature after a disgruntled accountant, Matthew Beck, killed four co-workers with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation in Newington before shooting himself in the head. dan@hearstdc.com A banner is going up soon in downtown Bethel, on P.T. Barnum Square, where townspeople gather for all sorts of ceremonies and celebrations. Against a blue background decorated with white snowflakes, the banner bears the message To our Bethel community Happy Holiday Season! (whatever you celebrate) Cordial, right? Its the signature, though, that has stirred the emotions of some in the community From your friendly atheist neighbors. That word atheist bothers some people who consider it an effrontery to the beautiful Nativity scene, also on the square. A manger and figures have been a part of the Christmas celebration for as long as most people can remember and this year a $5,000 replacement was possible, thanks to the collaboration of local churches and volunteers. Literally and figuratively, there is room for both on the public square, where a Spirit of the American Doughboy statue also stands in tribute to those who fought in World War I. After a bumpy start, marked by misunderstanding and lack of a clear policy on public displays, town officials took the right and only legal course and approved the banner for this season. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech and expression, as well as freedom to practice whatever religion, or none. Resident James Naddeo wanted to erect the banner for the sake of inclusion and diversity. It was not a statement against the Nativity scene, he said, nor sparked by any one event. What it comes down to is inclusion, Naddeo said to me in a conversation Friday. I wanted to make sure all viewpoints were heard, show diversity and be proud of what we celebrate, even if its ideas and not holidays. Hes right. Initially, he contacted organizations and houses of worship to see whether any had multi-denominational displays that could be used. That brought him to the American Atheists, a 55-year-old national organization, which did have a banner they would send. That banner included the organizations symbol, which rankled some residents who spoke out at a public meeting. Meanwhile, Naddeos application was put on hold because it lacked insurance information and a photo, requirements he was unaware of at the time. Thats when the American Atheists Legal Center stepped in and sent a letter asking the town to rescind its approval for the manger scene because the nonreligious display was not approved. At first I thought it was a needless and incendiary action. Naddeos plan had not been rejected on the basis of the message. But the combustion brought the First Amendment rights to the forefront and stimulated debate at town meetings and on the Bethel CT Forum Facebook page. It was a very lively discussion this past month, Naddeo said in an understatement. He listened to concerns: He declined the free banner with the American Atheists symbol. Instead, he decided to pay for one himself and Bethel graphic artist Keith Snyder contributed the festive snowflake design. Last Wednesday, the day after the selectmen approved his application, Naddeo ordered the custom printed 4-foot by 8-foot vinyl mesh banner. As soon as it arrives and enough people are available to help, it will be installed low to the ground on the La Zingara side of P.T. Barnum Square, visible to traffic heading west on Greenwood Avenue. In the coming years, Naddeo hopes, a menorah and possibly a scene for Kwanzaa can join the public square, as well as representation of Hindu, Muslim and other beliefs. I think a recognition of the winter solstice would be meaningful. How far could this go? In the Illinois state Capitol, along with a Christmas tree and a menorah, the Chicago chapter of the Satanic Temple placed a tribute. Its a womans hand offering an apple with a serpent coiled around her wrist. A pentagram and the words knowledge is the greatest gift are written on the pedestal below, The New York Times reported Friday. You can imagine the criticism of the homage to Satan on display with symbols of the Christian celebration of Christmas. But the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the use of temporary holiday displays on public property. Remember, the First Amendment is for all. Bethel is forming a committee after the New Year that will draft a permanent and clearly defined policy on public displays. To their credit, about a dozen residents already have volunteered to serve. Contact Editorial Page Editor Jacqueline Smith at jsmith@hearstmediact.com Shocking death of a homeless man A homeless man apparently accidentally fell into a river and drowned. He was David Mullen. The News Times did right by putting his story above the report of the final journey of a former President of the United States. The newspaper has a heart and it is in the right place. I never met David Mullen. I did not even know that he existed. Yet, his death has affected me to the core. By all accounts he was a good man. He liked to take care of people. He was always looking out for others, said Debbie Veles. He was a great guy, Brian Ashley. To be homeless and yet to take care of people! What can be greater than this? He deserved better when he was alive. Let us make sure he gets a decent burial. How wonderful it would be if residents of Danbury turned out in force for his burial. I call upon Mayor Boughton, Lynn Taborsak (the tireless friend and advocate of the homeless), and the Rev. Phyllis Leopold of the Association of Religious Communities to get together and see that David Mullen gets a decent burial. Mullens life and death should make all of us realize how blessed all of us are who have a home, a family and friends. Let us all understand this and be grateful for the priceless gifts we are blessed with. Gulamhusein A. Abba Danbury The IPCC (UN Climate Change committee of scientists) and other climate groups have put out reports with dire warning about the climate crisis. They are demanding that the world shift from fossil fuels to clean energy and for ALL industry to shift. Well some people believe that is perfectly reasonable and a good plan. How can the world refuse such a reasonable demand with such solid science? These reports had very similar conclusions to the previous IPCC report that came out a few years ago. Shockingly things have only gotten worse. How is the world refusing? You Can Ask or Demand the Other to Sacrifice But the Other Guy Will Refuse The IPCC and related plans ask and demand a LOT of sacrifices. Most of plans are practically all sacrifice from some groups. France President Macron tried to implement such a plan of sacrifice. He was going to raise fuel taxes. This was okay with the people in France who have a fantastic subway system. However, the people in the rural area of France donned yellow jackets and had major riots. The French plan was going to make it far more costly for them to use their trucks and machines to harvest and process wine or to move their cheese to market. It would impact all of those other businesses. It was going to impact their traditional lifestyle. Some might say, well that is okay they should be willing to understand the global need and do their part to fix the environment. Uh huh. Nodding. Sure. Have you been to France? Have you been to rural France? Have you met and talked to people in France? You just asked people who lives are all about doing what their grandparents and parents have done. The stereotypes are broadly true in that the lives of French people are all about their lifestyle. The Call for the Shift off of Coal, Oil and Gas Who are the big winners and powers that profit from oil and gas. It is Putin and the oil barons in Russia. It is Saudi Shieks. It is Texas oilmen. They will do everything they can to not allow the shift from oil and gas. Russia also benefits from warming. They get a longer growing season. Canada also benefits from warming. Land prices have doubled in Saskatchewan because two more weeks of growing season means they can grow corn instead of wheat. Canada has a lot of the population in the cities who support green causes. They will vote for green plans. Will the farmers in Canada follow the French riots? Will they just politely take it. Russias decisions are of course mostly made by Putin. Will Putin put his interests ahead of the World? Will Putin put Russian farmers and agricultural and energy and strategic strength ahead of the interests of others? Would Putin collude and use criminal and devious methods to keep things going his way? Are these questions too easy and obvious? Do scientists have a model of political and social dynamics? Apparently, their model of world politics and business power involves Putin agreeing to go against his own interests and his countries interests for the rest of Putins life because it would be the nice thing to do. Putin is 66. His life expectancy is about 20-25 more years. I am assuming that Putin is exercising and living to maximize his life and will use all of his money to live longer and healthier. Russia is a very cold country. Their agricultural productivity will improve for the next several decades. Why do people ignore the obvious? Who is using the oil and gas? It is Xi Jinping and China and India and other countries. China is building everything for the rest of the planet. There are also a lot of people driving big F150s and F250s and SUVs. There are also very believers in very green causes, who are flying in private jets or using yachts who are asking other people to sacrifice. How many houses does Al Gore have? How does Al get to his next meeting? But hey he buys offsetting credits. But dont worry Putin, Saudi Sheiks and Texas Oilmen and Xi Jinping will listen to Al Gore when Al Gore flies into Davos on his personal jet to tell them to stop and repent. Why? Because they are all nice guys and it is the nice thing to do. This is just how the world works. Editors note: This is one of two stories about the death of Ethan Song. Today: A profile of Ethan. Monday: How his parents have turned their grief into action. GUILFORD In January, it looked like Ethan Song was hitting his stride as a Guilford High School freshman. In the past few months he had gone through major chest surgery for a condition that would have seriously limited his breathing ability. He had played in a youth league all-star game in lacrosse. His brother, Evan, would be leaving for Boston College in the fall and his sister, Emily, was studying nursing at the University of Connecticut, so Ethan would have his parents, Kristin and Mike Song, all to himself. We really thought we were on our way, said Kristin Song. And he was doing so well in school and just got his braces off. That day I was like, We are all that and a bag of chips. This kid is going to do great things. That day was Jan. 31. Ethan, who unknown to his parents had been playing with guns at a friends house, pulled the trigger on what he thought was an unloaded .357 Magnum and shot himself to death. Since then, Waterbury States Attorney Maureen Platt has ruled that Ethans death was accidental and stated that the guns owner, Daniel Markle, would not be charged because, under Connecticut law, he would have had to know the gun was loaded and that a minor could gain access to it without permission. The Songs have launched a campaign, called Ethans Law, to increase gun owners responsibility for storing their weapons safely. Since then, Guilford police have charged Markles son, who is 14, with second-degree manslaughter in connection with Ethans death, and with first-degree reckless endangerment from an earlier incident. Please ask And since then, the Songs have dealt with their grief, leaned on their family and close friends and taken action to honor Ethans life. But among the hardest things theyve had to cope with has been how people avoid talking about him, how others freeze when they mention his name. That is one of the saddest things about losing a child is people stop talking about that child, Kristin Song said. And so for me its kind of like mist in the air that kind of like evaporates. And people partly dont want to ask because they dont want to upset you. But the most upsetting thing is when people dont ask you. And so when I meet moms whove lost children, I always try to ask them, What was one really amazing thing about your child? Just so they feel theres still a connection to that kid. While she understands it can be awkward, Song said, Its hurtful, because I have three kids and everyones [asking], Oh, hows Emily and Evan? The Songs need and want to talk about Ethan. As painful as the memory of his death is, its important that he remain a part of their lives. I will say that my greatest joy I loved every minute of raising my children. I know that sounds like cliche, but I loved hearing their first words, seeing their first steps. It really just filled my cup of joy. So that really was my job, Kristin Song said. And youre great at it to this day, Mike Song said. The Songs have many amazing things to say about Ethan, the Songs said. He had an especially caring, empathetic nature that he expressed in a way that warmed the heart. It showed in how Ethan cared for 95 of the 107 foster dogs the family has taken in from the Little Pink Shelter. He and his mother had set a goal of 100. These dogs come off these 18-wheelers and theyre freaked out because they were either strays, sitting in a shelter, Kristin Song said. They would be frantic, and Ethan would just sit down and just have this amazing gift where he could just calm them down. Literally they would just curl up in his lap, and it happened almost every single time. It was really such a unique trait. It showed in his love for his ethnic heritage, which included grandparents from Mexico, South Korea and a Jewish grandmother who left Nazi Germany for the Netherlands and gave Ethan the gold Star of David she had been forced to wear because he was just so caring about it, Mike Song said. On a tour of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, Ethan wore an Israeli flag over his shoulders. We didnt know he had an Israeli flag, Kristin Song said. He draped it around his shoulders and he walked the entire house and he said, This is in honor of Grammy. I mean, this is what a 14-year-old kids thinking about. He could really melt your heart with his compassion for other people, Mike Song said. It showed in how he reached out to others who might be left alone. One thing I loved about Ethan was he was the kid who went into the cafeteria, and if a special-needs kid was sitting by himself he would go gather him up, Kristin Song said. And I have texts from some of those moms who told me that. I didnt know that he did this, and it just meant so much to them as a mom, and of course to their child. He just had a sweet way about him. He had that loving, empathetic heart, she said. After her mother died, I would always play her music because my mother played music all the time in her house, and he would hear it up in his room and he would come down and just give me a hug cause I would be crying and thinking of her. He just got it intuitively. I think it defined him, and it made him feel different from the other two kids, so he really embraced it, Mike Song said. Id always tell him, Youre going to make such a great husband, because he just naturally was a loving kid, Kristin Song added. It just came natural to him. And he was funny, really, really funny. He would crack up laughing about stuff and he would always be teasing us about one thing or another, in a fun way, Mike Song said. It would have been his time The loss of Ethan means a future with no children living full time at home. Once Evan Song, 19, went to college and with Emily Song, 21, at UConn, it was going to be just Mike, Kristin and Ethan and the dogs in the house on Norton Avenue. (The Songs moved in August to a house away from Guilford center, in a quieter area with a view of the water.) The saddest part to me is that we were both looking forward to having three years with Ethan alone, said Mike Song. They had plans to give Ethan his time, as his mother put it. He was just looking forward to just being the only kid, she said. The whole family is close, but Evan and Emily are more typical siblings. They fought over whos going to sleep in which room, all that normal sibling stuff they did, Mike Song said. So he was going to have the house to himself. Ethan loved to travel, his father said. I was dying to take him to these fun places that I sometimes get to go to. He has written three books about time management and owns Get Control!, which offers webinars and training on the subject. Besides the trip to Holland, they went to South Korea to visit Mike Songs father, a Korean War hero, and they also indulged their love of sushi. He definitely would say, But were going to stop off in Japan and do a sushi thing, Mike Song said. He was just ready to travel the world. The other food focus was lobster rolls. We had a quest to find the best lobster roll in the world and the best sushi in the world, so we were reading and evaluating these lobster rolls all up and down the Shoreline and Connecticut, Mike Song said. Used to have these arguments about cold vs. hot lobster rolls. The funny thing was he would bite into a lobster roll and hed say, These are the five things about this roll that I like and these are five things that I dont like. I kind of thought he was just listening to what I said and just parroting it back, but I started to realize he could taste the difference in food. Used to drive me crazy because I dont eat lobster, Kristin Song added. Ethan also was very intellectual, his mother said. He was reading Camus and so was my daughter at college and he understood it, Mike Song said. He wanted to go into the military and, that day he died, at breakfast we kind of made an agreement that he would go into college first. He also was interested in his family ancestry. He had collected flags and was obsessed with having flags of different countries that he was from, Mike Song said. He had one relative from Mexico [Kristin Songs mother], so he had a Mexican flag in his room. He wanted to celebrate everybodys culture. And he was proud of his culture. Sometimes we would say, Ethan, its beautiful that youre so proud of your culture but dont forget to learn about other peoples cultures, and he would take that on as well. The Songs saw Ethan really coming into his own during the last year. He was an all-star lacrosse player for one year Im really glad that he did that, and that was really nice to see him doing sports, Mike Song said. His grades were up too. He was a member of the United Nations Club and Unified Sports, which pairs Special Olympics athletes with those without intellectual disabilities. The Songs plan to make a donation to the organization. About six months before the accident, Ethan had to go through a fairly major surgery and he did it with so much courage, Mike Song said. His chest was growing inwards. It is not an uncommon thing but its a major surgery. If it kept going he would have had trouble breathing. So Ethan said, Im getting that surgery. And I said, Are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean a lot of people try to live with it. He was like, Absolutely not. So, sadly he went through a very arduous surgery, quickly weaned himself off the opioids he really didnt want to have anything to do with that, because he really wanted to live, he wanted to survive, Mike Song said. And he recovered really fast and his chest looked great and we just thought, Wow, this kids out of the woods. His father continued: It was as if and this doesnt happen for a lot of people the one thing that he was self-conscious about suddenly disappeared and so we were very up, and then obviously we crashed Keeping Ethans memory alive As they move forward in their forever-altered lives, the Songs want people to remember Ethan, and not to freeze up when he comes up in conversation. For people who really know us well, our family and good, good friends, I would just like people to be more relaxed when I bring up his name, Mike Song said. Referring to Kristin, himself and their other two children, he said, Youve got four people on different grieving pathways. At this point, I like it when people say, How are you doing? not how sad they are. I may bring up Ethan and if I do, dont feel awkward. Its just a natural thing for a parent to want to talk about your child. Song wants people to respond to where he is today working to make firearms laws safer and planning other activities in honor of Ethan not where he was 10 months ago. I think for the most part, people have been amazing, he said. And if something irritated me it was more because of the rawness of the experience; they were always trying to say something nice. I think early on we decided, everybody means well. ... I think what we realized was before this happened to us that we would have acted the same way. You dont know what to say. A lot of people said no words. There were 1,500 people at Ethans wake so we heard 1,500 different people attempt to try to say Im so sorry and it was beautiful. And now I feel like its been 10 months and now I feel like I want to ask them how theyre doing, Mike Song said. Because its awkward for them. They dont know at what point to stop being this incredibly sympathetic friend. But I like to ask them how theyre doing, pretty quickly. But I always talk about Ethan for a little bit of that conversation. ... So many people can express that this has been a tragedy but it starts to wear on you. What helps is people supporting their efforts to pass Ethans Law and their charitable fundraisers, he said. I think those are where a lot of my energys going into right now, to turn this negative not into a positive, but ... it helps get you back to some semblance of your former self, to be doing positive things out there. And it seems for me to be a positive feedback loop. I feel better and better the more I bump into these folks who want to collaborate and work on this statute and try to do something that could really change the world. This story has been corrected to say that Ethan Song was a freshman when he died, not a sophomore, and that his brother was a high school senior, not a college student. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 Flash A total of 135 people were injured and 1,385 had been detained on Saturday after violence broke out between police and gangs of masked youth in several French cities during protests against high living costs, said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. In a joint press briefing with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Saturday evening, the minister added that 974 individuals remained in police custody, and that the figure could rise. Some 10,000 demonstrators participated in Paris march, while 125,000 protesters turned out across the country. Among the injured were 17 police officers who were hurt in the scruffles mainly in the French capital and southwestern city of Bordeaux. "The situation is under control," Castaner said, adding... but totally unacceptable." "Time for dialogue. This dialogue has begun, it must continue. The French nation must find itself. No tax can threaten national unity," said Prime Minister Philippe, noting that President Emmanuel Macron would propose further measures to abate the social anger. After a calm start, tension flared in Les Grands Boulevards and streets near the Champs Elysees and the Republic Square where a group of hooded men joined the protest and hassled police by setting barricades and torching rubbish bins and trees. Scores of vehicles had been torched and shops were smashed and looted, forcing police to fire tear gas and use water cannon to push back the rioters. Armored vehicles were also deployed for the first time in the capital since Paris suburbs riot in 2005 amid intensified security measures that the government implemented to avoid the chaos two weeks ahead of the peak of Christmas holidays. Violence was less severe than a week ago when a group of troublemakers looted and tarnished L'Arc de Triomphe, an emblematic monument and reminder of French soldiers' sacrifice as well as the countries's different victories since it was first inaugurated in 1836. As part of an "exceptional" security plan, the government has poured 89,000 officers into French cities. In Paris alone, 8,000 officers have been put in place to ensure security of people and properties to avoid last Saturday's rioting that plunged the French capital into chaos, its worst unrest in decades. They would be mobilized overnight and on Sunday "if necessary," said Castaner. Created on social media, the "yellow vest" movement which got its name from the high visibility vests drivers keep in their cars, has lured people of all ages and backgrounds. With no leader, it had turned into a bigger movement denouncing a squeeze on household spending, high living costs caused by Macron's fiscal and economic policy which they say favors the rich. Some even demanded Macron to step down. Earlier this week, French government dropped a plan to increase fuel tax next year, bowing to the force of the streets. However, the protest movement shows no sign of abating. Protesters still demand concrete moves, notably a rise in minimum wage and lower taxes. South Jersey Gas, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries, has awarded $20,300 to eight area first responder departments representing police, fire and emergency medical services. The recipients include: Absecon City Fire Company No. 1 - to purchase carbon monoxide detectors and rapid rescue exposure suits. Atlantic City Fire Department - to purchase gas monitoring meters. Cape May Point Volunteer Fire Department No. 1 - to purchase gas monitoring meters and a calibration kit. Cumberland Volunteer Fire Company - to purchase SCBA masks and firefighting hoods. Daretown Fire Company - to purchase fire service pagers and carbon fiber air tanks. Glassboro Fire Department - to purchase combustible gas detectors and gas monitoring meters. Hamilton Township Police Department - to purchase K-9 equipment, veterinary care and training. Winslow Township Fire Department - to purchase combustible gas detectors and gas South Jersey Gas is proud to provide financial assistance to each of these hardworking, dedicated departments, said Craig Jennings, president of South Jersey Gas. We are proud to partner with this years winners and support their continued efforts to make our communities a better, safer place to live and work." First Responders Grants will be awarded again in the fall. For information on the program, visit southjerseygas.com/community. You are here: World Flash Cyprus considers that the issue of Russian warnings about alleged plans to militarize the eastern Mediterranean island is over, government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said on Saturday. "We consider the matter closed," Prodromou told the state radio. A spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that information was coming from several sources that the Untied States was making moves to establish military bases on Cyprus. Prodromou said discussions should end after Cyprus gave replies to the Russian Federation. He did not say when and to whom the replies were given, but Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said he had spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the issue. Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported on Friday that a delegation led by Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko will arrive in Cyprus on Dec. 14 for "political consultations". Joanna Parker watched as the meal delivery craze took off in New Jersey -- vegetarian meals, healthy meals, clean meals, vegan meals, meals that meant you didn't have to shop, cook, or even think about what you wanted for dinner. But Parker, 36, wanted to do the same for parents looking for an easy way to feed their children. A mother of three -- two daughters, 4 and 6, and a son, 8 -- Parker knew she could always pull something out of the freezer, but it wasn't ideal. "There's still an element of guilt," says Parker, who lives in Englewood with her husband David, 36. At left, chicken pops, one popular Yumble meal. At right, pizza pockets with broccoli and mashed potatoes. (Yumble) So two years ago, she set off with the goal of starting a fresh meal delivery service for kids. Now, her company, Yumble, sells children's meal plans to parents in 26 states east of the Mississippi. "Our mission is to make parents' lives easier," she says, no cooking required (beyond a simple reheat for some meals). On Sunday, Joanna and David Parker will pitch their business to "Shark Tank" in the hopes that the shark investors will bite on their plans to expand to the West Coast. The meal service first launched in Hoboken in the summer of 2017. "Jersey is definitely one of our highest volume states," Joanna says. Yumble's lunches and dinners are billed as healthy and wholesome, made using vegetables, natural sweeteners and antibiotic and hormone-free chicken and beef. The Parkers work with a nutritionist to make sure each meal is balanced. The food is prepared at a kitchen in New York state. Customers choose between three plans: either six, 12 or 24 meals a week, with each meal ranging from $5.99 to $7.99. (The 24-meal plan goes for $167.76.) Joanna worked in product development for Macy's before becoming a teacher for five years and opting to stay at home after she had her second child. David was a consultant for a venture capital firm who started and sold a tech company. Picky Eater Pro Tip: Kids love eating with their hands. Try introducing easy to eat, handheld items like our Smac n' Cheese, Empanadas or Chicken Pops! #TheYumbleLife pic.twitter.com/5O1ObjxK28 -- Yumble! (@yumblekids) September 25, 2018 When coming up with meal ideas for Yumble -- originally called Panda Plates -- Joanna used her children as a guide. The service's five-ingredient chicken pops (chicken nuggets that are dippable hands-free) are especially popular at her house. "They were definitely picky eaters, but it was just more about the stress and time," she says. "The emotional burden that mealtime itself was creating." Other meals are abridged versions of kids' classics, like pizza pockets with broccoli on the side or mac 'n cheese with veggie tots. "We really try to strike a balance," she says. The Parkers also wanted to incorporate a Happy Meal approach to eating -- something fun with something nourishing. To that end, Yumble includes activity sheets, games, trivia cards and sticker charts with meals. Yumble meals are nut-free, meaning kids can bring them to school, and labeled by allergen, with options for dairy-free, gluten-free and vegetarian eaters. "Shark Tank" airs at 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 on ABC. Mark and Joi Smith had no idea what they were doing 15 years ago. The married couple figured their second home -- four bedrooms and four bathrooms on South Arlington Avenue in East Orange -- was big enough to help the homeless get back on their feet. Their hearts were, one might say, too big when they started Jois Angels, a faith based non-profit organization that stumbled out of the gate providing shelter, food and emergency services. The first generous mistake of kindness was to let several people men, women and children - stay for free. Some of them took advantage by not letting the couple know they were on assistance from other social agencies, they said. We opened this up with absolutely no idea of what homelessness meant at all," Joi said. We had no concept. We just had faith and a vision." They needed more than that. Jois Angels, out of naivete, didnt know it was supposed to have a license to operate a homeless shelter. They were almost shut down, but East Orange granted them a variance. Lloyd Abdul-Raheem, a former East Orange construction official, remembers the position they were in at the time. Volunteers for Joi's Angels, a non profit organization, wrap gift baskets for its annual Christmas party to help families in need. They were thinking they were helping people and they didnt know how to navigate the approvals," Abdul-Raheem said. As they sought compliance, senior citizens spoke up on their behalf during a zoning board meeting. In addition to helping the homeless, the Smiths had also started their own food pantry that was popular among the citys seniors. I told them (city officials) that if I were homeless I would be glad to live there," said Lena Slaughter, 89. They dont treat people like they are clients. They treat people like theyre family." This is what drives Mark. Hes knows what its like to be homeless -- a predicament caused by the 10-year drug addiction he once had. I felt like when I was out there, people werent too concerned about you when you were down." Once he got himself together, Mark said he wanted to give back to others. With 27 years of clean living under his belt, Mark has taken that feeling of rejection from the streets to house the homeless and serve families with basic needs when funds are low. They thought he was nuts," Joi said of her familys reaction to Marks idea. They thought I was crazy for following. him." She saw his purpose, and together, Mark and Joi, who reside in Union, made it happen the right way. Students from East Orange Campus High School volunteer to help the Joi's Angels organization prepare for its annual Christmas party give away at Essex County College Jois Angels has a pantry for blind veterans at the VA New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange and at Essex County College in Newark for students. The food pantry that started out just for seniors, now serves 2,000 people twice a month. Theres a thrift store with clothes and furniture for families. Mothers receive diapers and baby food. If theyre expecting, theres a community baby shower that Lorraine Ebron, an administrative assistant, cant stop talking about. The women, she said, received so many gifts that Mark and Joi ordered Uber cars for some of the mothers to get their items home. These people are phenomenal," she said Jois Angels distributes toiletries to whoever needs them. Each month, adolescent boys and girls receive hygiene products and they talk about social issues that affect them. Much of what the organization receives is from donations, some grant money, with the rest from Marks income as a contractor. None of the altruism, though, happens without volunteers. Jois Angels has a dedicated core of 50 people, who get on board once they see Mark and Jois commitment. Lewis Fishburne, who was once homeless, has pitched in for the last 13 years after they helped him get settled in Elizabeth. He said hes been around a lot of organizations, but many of them are not serious about the homeless. A lot of those people are about a paycheck," Fisburne said. Its not about a job with Mark and Joi. You can feel that from them." Tondra Taylor said she had to be an Angel volunteer once she saw the impact the organization had on people during a Newark event last June to help people struggling to get their lives on track. They forgot about homelessness for a minute," said Taylor, speaking about the people. They had joy in their hearts." Last weekend, East Orange students from Stem Academy High School and Campus High School got a chance to be part of Jois Angels' dedication. They wrapped gift baskets for an annual Christmas party that 3,000 people are expected to attend Dec. 15 at Essex County College. There will be games and prizes for kids, a luncheon and bingo for seniors. Several stations with supplies will be set up to help families. The house where it all began, however, is not a shelter for everyone like it started out. It provides long and short-term housing to 16 men with mental disabilities, along with many programs that benefit the community. They care," said Mark Scheider, who moved in a month ago. Theyre incredible." The home, he says, stays busy with people stopping by to volunteer or to receive emergency bags of food. It was the second time last week for Hadiyah Douz, 32, who said being at Jois Angels is like going to a relatives home for food when youre in need. They make you feel welcome," she said. Mark and Joi said they never thought about quitting when some of the people were less than honest or when the organization was almost closed for not having a license. He and his wife dont look for attention. They dont want anything, except to be a guiding hand leading folks to better days. Read More Barry Carter may be reached at bcarter@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BarryCarterSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Police have arrested a Franklinville man in connection with a Thursday afternoon bank robbery in Washington Township. A man entered the PNC Bank branch on Fries Mill Road around 4:45 p.m. and handed a teller a note demanding money, township police reported. While the note indicated that he was armed, the bandit displayed no weapon, police said. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, he left the bank and drove off in a car parked in Fries Mill Plaza. The investigation led police to a convenience store in Pennsauken on Friday, where they arrested 23-year-old Anthony Demarco. He was charged with robbery and placed in Salem County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing. JERSEY CITY -- A family of five has been displaced from their home following a fire on Summit Avenue early this morning. The Red Cross of New Jersey has provided the family with emergency assistance for temporary lodging, food and clothing needs, according to a tweet. Disaster Action Team responded to a #fire on Summit Ave in #JerseyCity, helping a family of 5 with Red Cross emergency assistance for temporary lodging, food and clothing needs. Red Cross New Jersey (@NJRedCross) December 9, 2018 The fire appears to have originated at 1180 Summit Ave. Additional information on the fire was not immediately available. A spokesperson for the city did not respond to a request for comment. Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook. Three people and a dog were rescued after a commercial fishing boat struck a jetty at Manasquan Inlet early Saturday morning and began taking on water, according to the Coast Guard. The captain of the 44-foot Miss Kathleen intentionally grounded the vessel on Dog Beach, about 60 feet outside the channel, after the 2 a.m. crash. The Coast Guard is monitoring the salvage of the partially submerged boat and reported that the craft is loaded with 800 gallons of fuel. Booms have been placed around it in case of a leak, but no signs of a leak have been detected, the Coast Guard noted. Initially, the Coast Guard sent out a crew from Station Manasquan Inlet to rescue the three men and a dog onboard the fishing boat, but the crew could not reach them because of shallow water. A Manasquan Fire Department boat crew was able to reach the Miss Kathleen and transferred the passengers to the Coast Guard crew. No injuries were reported. A salvage crew arrived around 7 a.m. and placed containment booms around the boat as a precaution. The Coast Guard is working with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to mitigate the environmental threat posed by the sunken vessel, said Coast Guard Capt. Scott Anderson, commander, Sector Delaware Bay. A Berkeley Township woman arrested last year for running a brothel out of a Toms River massage parlor has been spared jail time, according to the Asbury Park Press. A Superior Court judge placed Nina X. Meng, 58, who an Ocean County grand jury indicted earlier this year for promoting prostitution, on probation for one year and fined her $155, the newspaper reported. Meng pleaded guilty to the charge on Oct. 1, and at the request of the prosecutor, charges against Mengs co-defendant, James M. OBrien, 61, were dropped, according to the APP. The newspaper reported that a joint investigation between the Toms River police, the Ocean County Prosecutors Special Operations Group and the federal Department of Homeland Security found that Redwoods Wellness Center was soliciting prostitution. A grand jury later concluded that the wellness center was promoting prostitution by owning, controlling, managing, supervising or otherwise keeping a house of prostitution or a prostitution business," according to the APP. By Brigid Callahan Harrison In the post-election credit claiming and blame game that parses kudos and raspberries to all of the relevant political actors, there has been a dearth of credit given to the one individual who is quite possibly responsible for New Jerseys blue wave, the person who single-handedly did more to send two additional Democrats to the House of Representatives (and perhaps two others), and for helping U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez retain his seat: South Jersey Democratic political leader George Norcross. The turnout in 2018s midterm elections was higher than its been in midterm elections in decades. About 53 percent of New Jerseys registered voters voted thats almost 20 percentage points higher than 2014. The lions share of the increase came in the form of Votes by Mail VBMs. And it was Norcross operation that both changed the state law mandating that everyone who had voted by mail in the 2016 presidential election automatically be sent a mail-in ballot every year, and that honed and perfected the process of getting out those votes. In the 2018 midterm elections, just over 400,000 New Jerseyans voted by mail. Compare that to the 127,000 who voted early in the last midterm election in 2014, and you see a 215 percent increase. Importantly, what we know about these voters is that they are not the traditional absentee voter of a bygone era: in 2014, over half of those who cast absentee ballots were over age 65 (53 percent). In 2018, the largest percentage increase in VBMs was among young voters: 60,000 people between the ages of 18-29 voted by mail, a 653 percent increase from 2014. Among 30-39-year-olds, there was a 451 percent increase. This trend is an important one, because overall, younger voters tend to lean Democratic, and socializing them to vote by mail even in off-year elections creates a new core constituency for Democrats in New Jersey. I spoke with George Norcross about his organizations vote by mail efforts, and he notes that the efforts to increase voter participation have been successful in Camden County. Weve been keen on vote by mail for seven or eight years, Norcross said. This year, Norcross said he focused his VBM energies primarily in the seven southern counties. In those areas, Democrats managed to pick up two House seats, electing Democrat Jeff Van Drew to succeed the retiring Republican Frank LoBiondo in the Republican-leaning 2nd Congressional District, and Andy Kim, who ousted incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur from the 3rd District. VBMs were particularly instrumental in Kims close upset victory. There were tens of thousands of New Jerseyans who voted in the 2016 election who would not have voted in 2018 but not for Vote by Mail, Norcross said. Norcross is right: of those who voted by mail this year, the largest increases were among infrequent voters those who may have only voted once before and new voters. Overall, the statewide return rate of ballots was 70 percent, with registered Republicans and Democrats more likely to return their ballots than unaffiliated or independent voters, reflecting the polarizing effect of President Donald Trump on the electorate. But in the seven southern counties where Norcross focused his efforts, the return rate among Democrats vastly exceeded the statewide average, ranging from 75 percent in Atlantic County to 82 percent in Cumberland. Compare that to other solidly Democratic counties: the return rate in Essex and Middlesex was 70 percent; in Union it was 67 percent; in Hudson it was 65; in Passaic 62 percent. The variation in return rates indicates the effectiveness of Norcross strategy, and also provides other political leaders with a playbook on how to organize elections in their parts of the state. The author of that playbook is Steve Ayscue, a political strategist who works for Norcross, and he describes their effort to drive out VBMs as a form of grassroots activism that is elegant in its simplicity: Ayscue invites party loyalists to house parties; Freeholders speak, food and drink is served, and then the Democratic loyalists cull through voter lists, identifying voters they know. These workers then become responsible for contacting their voters and ensuring that their ballots are returned. Starting in September and continuing through to Election Day, voters are texted, called and visited by a party worker they know and reminded to return their ballot. Unlike campaigns that rely on random canvassers or volunteers, Ayscue says that relationships still matter in politics, and relationships are what deliver results. The results this year have sweeping implications for future elections in New Jersey. Democrats hold a large and increasing edge in party registrations in New Jersey, but often have struggled to turnout the vote in off-year elections, creating openings for Republicans in those years. Norcross identification of this weakness, and his creation and implementation of a solution will prove to be a watershed for future elections in the state. Brigid Callahan Harrison, a resident of Longport, is professor of political science and law at Montclair State University. A frequent commentator on state and national politics, she is the author of five books on American politics. Follow her on Twitter @BriCalHar. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. As we approach the end of 2018, I have chosen to reflect upon many things. Since leaving employment with the County of Gloucester earlier this year, I've been looking back over a work career that began in 1981 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati. I've also had time to reflect on how the Gloucester County Times (later, the South Jersey Times and nj.com) provided me with my first opportunity to write a column. I was well into my 40s before I had the opportunity to be published, so I just started writing in personal journals and to newspaper editors all over the nation. My first column published in this space was dated Aug. 26, 2001, under the headline "Institutional racism prevails in state." Earlier that month, the Times editorial page published a piece with the tittle "Racism is not why they're behind bars," defending the high number of blacks and Latinos incarcerated in New Jersey's prison system. Perhaps the article to which I responded made an easy point, since 17 years ago was still a period where many believed in harsh, lengthy "lock 'em up and throw away the key" sentences for many offenses. So, my request to show that racism played an integral part in the high proportion of minorities in the prison system seemed reasonable to me. What many were not aware of at the time is that the federal and state governments keep statistics on crimes and jail terms, and the that the data demonstrated unequivocally the role race plays in how drug offenders are sentenced. It's significant almost two decades later how this fact is being recognized in some major New Jersey legislation. On Nov. 26, the Senate and Assembly appropriations committees concluded a joint hearing and released legislation to make recreational marijuana use by adults legal in New Jersey. I am not going to focus on moral and religious issues about marijuana use, although this is a legitimate discussion. My focus is on a system that has, over several decades, incarcerated tens of thousands of men and women for marijuana sale and possession. The legislative committees recognized some of these well-known disparities. Black people are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, even though both races use marijuana at the same rate. Once someone is arrested on a marijuana charge, meaningful employment is often unobtainable. Some student loans and educational grants become unavailable, and a record of incarceration becomes a lifetime weight. Now, this all demands further consideration and analysis. If whites and blacks smoke marijuana at the same rate, why would three times as many black people be in jail? Let's start at how marijuana was being distributed in this country and who it was getting to. When I attended college, marijuana smoke was rolling out from underneath the doors in the dormitories every Friday and Saturday night. Back then, a "joint" was not easy to get unless you knew the right people. Most of the "right people" on my campus were white males, many from wealthy families, who came from private high schools. Today, these collegiate suppliers are doctors, lawyers, judges and other respected professionals. I'm intentionally leaving the professors on my campus out of this mix, although I have a few stories regarding them, too. In the years that I attended, I can recall no drug arrests in any of the university's dormitories or off-campus housing complexes. Yet, even at that time, jails and prisons were filled with people of color, often poor and undereducated, who had been accused or convicted of drug offenses. With few exceptions, they were caught in a justice system from which it was too expensive to escape. So, here we are decades later, and many states have concluded that the marijuana business is a good business to be in. A lot of money can be made by governments and entrepreneurs involved in the legalized trade. The folks who were locked up for possessing or selling marijuana are now witnessing a scenario where others who are intent on doing the same things are poised to become the next generation of millionaires. There are provisions in the New Jersey marijuana legalization bill -- now awaiting action by the full Legislature -- that attempt to make the business a more level playing field, but it will still cost a lot of money to get a seat at the table. There's also an expedited expungement process for prior convictions. It is almost surreal that this change is taking place. It seems James Baldwin was correct when he wrote, "Not everything that is faced is changed, but nothing can be changed without being faced." I hope New Jersey's marijuana legislation will correct some life-changing errors of the past. Milton W. Hinton Jr. recently retired as director of equal opportunity for the Gloucester County government, and is past president of the Gloucester County Branch NAACP. Email: miltonw@imap.cc Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. A lot of people are saying that Gov. Phil Murphy must have known about the accusation that one of his top campaign aides sexually assaulted a woman who was also working on the campaign. Murphy says he didn't know. And maybe he didn't. But in that case he qualifies as the single most incompetent politician in recent New Jersey history. That was my conclusion after discussing the matter with Loretta Weinberg. She's the Democratic state senator from Bergen County who is leading the charge to find out just why Katie Brennan was stonewalled at every turn after she first reported that alleged assault last year. Murphy's campaign for governor was in full swing at the time. After work one day, Brennan went out with a number of people from the campaign including Al Alvarez, a longtime Murphy ally who was serving as the Latino/Islamic outreach director. According to Brennan, Alvarez offered to drop her off at her Jersey City residence. When they got there, he asked if he could come in to use the bathroom. Once he was inside, she said, he began a sexual assault that ended only when she escaped long enough to lock herself in the bathroom. Brennan reported the incident to the Jersey City Police the next day. The subsequent investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office dragged on for months - through Murphy's November victory and into the transition. Both Brennan and Alvarez were seeking posts with the new administration. The timing of what happened next raises a lot of questions, said Weinberg, who was herself a sexual assault victim in her youth. Brennan testified last week that after the election she told a member of the transition team that a highly placed campaign aide was the subject of a criminal complaint. "Within an hour or so, she got a call from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office to say, 'We're dropping the case,'" said Weinberg. "That's one of the unanswered questions: What are the parameters for dropping a case?" Perhaps Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has an explanation for why her staff declined to let Brennan tell her story to a grand jury. But the case Brennan presented to the Legislature over five hours last week sure sounded like it needed to be heard. Her candor and sincerity bring up a question that goes to the heart of Murphy's leadership abilities: Why did no one in the transition team bother to inform the governor about an accusation concerning the most explosive issue of the time? From a pure political perspective, the conduct of Alvarez revealed him to be someone unsuited for employment in the administration of a liberal Democrat in the era of the "me-too" movement. Yet he was given a plum $140,000-a-year job with the Schools Development Authority. Brennan testified that in her new job as chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, she dreaded the thought of running into Alvarez at state functions. That led her to keep pressing the case with state officials, she said. When she got no answers, Brennan said, she emailed the governor himself to tell him about a "sensitive matter" she needed to discuss with him. What Murphy did next raises the most difficult questions the governor faces, said Weinberg. After sending her back an email saying he was "on it," Murphy turned the email over to his lawyers. One was the governor's chief counsel, Matt Platkin, as might be expected. But the other was Jonathan Berkon. "He's the campaign attorney from Washington, D.C.," said Weinberg of Berkon. "I'm not quite sure why he was involved in a personnel decision for state government." According to Brennan's testimony, Berkon called her and assured her that Alvarez would be leaving government employment. But Brennan hadn't mentioned Alvarez by name in the email. "How did the attorney for the campaign know that it was Al Alvarez?" asked Weinberg. More important, how did Murphy not know? At a press conference last week, Murphy maintained that he didn't learn about the alleged sexual assault until three months later, when Brennan went to the Wall Street Journal after finding out that Alvarez was still on the payroll - despite Berkon's assurances he would leave. If Murphy is telling the truth, his campaign attorney was just one of many top aides who failed to tell him of a matter that could be deadly to his administration. As of Friday, there were news reports that Murphy's chief of staff, Pete Cammarano, will soon be leaving the administration. The reports didn't say whether the governor is aware of this. Perhaps he didn't get his Wall Street Journal yet. ADD - SEE-NO-EVIL GREWAL STRIKES AGAIN: Murphy's attorney general, Gurbir S. Grewal, has a habit of turning a blind eye to questionable behavior by public officials. Back when he was the Bergen County prosecutor, Grewal had a chance to follow up on a complaint of misconduct in office filed against then-Gov. Chris Christie by Bill Brennan, a former fireman turned attorney. Brennan alleged that Christie failed to stop the fake "traffic study" at the heart of the Bridgegate scandal. Municipal Court Judge Roy McGeady ruled there was enough evidence to go forward. McGeady said Christie had direct authority over Bridget Kelly and "at the very least could have influenced her to reach out to Fort Lee and stop that traffic study and the resultant traffic jams. He chose not to do that." Instead of pursing the politically sensitive case, Grewal dropped it without explanation. Now in the Katie Brennan case he cleared his fellow Democrat, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, of any wrongdoing - again without giving us an explanation of just why the Alvarez prosecution was dropped. In his letter on the matter, Grewal states that Suarez did not interfere with the investigation. But he doesn't address the issue of whether other officials in the office were in any way pressured because the defendant had a high rank in the Murphy staff. Why didn't his people interview Brennan? If they had, they would have found her account entirely believable. As for the defense put up by Alvarez - that any contact was consensual - if that had been the case she certainly would not have immediately called her husband to tell him about it. Murphy's fellow Democrats didn't do him any favors. And his "I was just following orders" defense is the lamest excuse I've ever heard. Follow Paul Mulshine on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. The showdown vote on recreational marijuana could come as early as Dec. 17, and it remains too close to call. That's rare in Trenton, where final votes on big issues are usually choreographed in advance by party bosses. Legislators get nervous about making big changes like this, because they know a lot of people will hate them either way. It's safer to leave things as they are, better for the digestion. And for the faint of heart, it's easy to find a place to hide when so many sloppy arguments are flying around in defense of the status quo. More car crashes, if you twist the data so hard it screams. Children lured into the abyss, as if they don't have access to weed today. Edibles that dangerously turbo-charge the high, as if it's impossible to mark the dosage. At a climactic hearing on Nov. 26, Sen. Ron Rice, D-Essex, called legalization a "slap in the face" to people of color, based on his own special logic that I can't begin to understand, given the army of young men of color who wake up every morning inside metal cages, courtesy of the current laws. Sen. Gerry Cardinale, R-Bergen, cited rock hard proof that even moderate use of marijuana leaves permanent brain damage. "Is the tax trade-off going to be sufficient to have a lot of people walking around with major portions of their brains knocked out?" he asked. "I don't think so." Do I need to comment on that one? Is it possible Cardinale sipped on a nice safe martini before delivering this unhinged rant? The hearing, though, produced two epic confrontations that clarified this debate for me, both of them delivering knock-out blows to the defenders of the status quo. The first concerned race, and it came when Assemblyman Jamel Holley, D-Essex, who is African-American, confronted a panel of white police officers who opposed legalization. Holley's father spent years in prison on drug charges, and he was fired up about the mountain of evidence showing that blacks are about three times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, even though they use weed at about the same rate. "Why is it that African-American males in particular are being arrested and convicted more than their white counterparts?" he asked. "I don't think we know the underlying reasons," answered Sayreville Police Chief John Zebrowski. "I do!" Holley snapped back. "It's their skin color." Holley asked, over and over, if the police on the panel could suggest a better way to end this racial injustice than by legalizing recreational use. He never got an answer. * * * The other moment of clarity at the hearing came when Sen. Nick Scutari, D-Union, the sponsor of the legalization bill, confronted Patrick Kennedy, a former Congressman and the son of former Sen. Ted Kennedy. Kennedy has gone full circle, from addict to crusader against legalization. He started by insulting supporters of legalization by questioning their motives, saying they didn't care so much about justice or race, just about raising tax money. Presumably, he was able to peer into their hearts at a glance. "What you're really after today is a quick financial fix," he said. "As a former addict myself, I can tell you that quick fixes don't work." Scutari has been working on this for a good decade, talking to experts on both sides, travelling all over the country, doing just what you'd want a serious legislator to do. He's a criminal defense lawyer and has seen up close the damage done by the roughly 32,000 marijuana possession arrests each year in New Jersey, over 600 a week. He's seen white kids with money get away with a slap, while black kids often land in jail. Now, a big-shot Kennedy from out of town was judging him as a money scamp. Scutari sat still, but you could almost feel the heat rising. "Would you suggest we prohibit the sale of alcohol in New Jersey?" Scutari asked. "That's such a red herring," Kennedy said. "You can do that for the media. You and I both know that will never happen because of the power of the lobbyists for the liquor industry." Right, but would Kennedy want that, if he could overcome the liquor lobby, Scutari asked? "Two wrongs don't make a right," Kennedy answered. Think about that. That answer confirmed that Kennedy does indeed believe legal sale of alcohol is a "wrong." Scutari pressed him harder, for good reason. Alcohol prohibition failed miserably because people wanted to drink, so they bought booze on the black market. That led to an explosion of crime and violence, and a new disrespect for the rule of law among decent people. It packed the prisons with the foot soldiers who did the selling, but it did not stop people from drinking. Does that sound familiar to anyone? Kennedy, perhaps aware that he was getting murdered on the merits, became grouchy, condescending and loud. "I'm not going there," he barked at Scutari, in a scolding tone I last heard from my first-grade teacher, a nun at St. Elizabeth's. "How many times do I have to tell you?" You can reasonably argue that no one on earth should smoke weed. Let's face it, it doesn't sharpen your game in life. It leads to binge-watching Sopranos on HBO, and snarfing Doritos. And we really should be eating more salad and reading great literature. But what about other sub-optimal behaviors, like drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and eating crispy bacon - all of them with a much higher body count than smoking weed? We have reduced cigarette smoking by about one-quarter since 2005 with education and taxes, while use of marijuana is growing, even where it remains illegal. So, if you want a more sober society, especially for kids, it doesn't follow that throwing thousands of people in jail every year is the best way to achieve it. The Dec. 17 vote may be delayed, thanks to quibbles between legislators and Gov. Phil Murphy over taxes (Murphy wants a higher rate) and oversight of the industry (legislators want an independent commission). My guess is they will come around, if not in December then soon after. But it's beyond disheartening to know that each week they delay, 600 more lives get derailed, the bulk of them black and Latino. Let's hope the Legislature doesn't dawdle for too long. More: Tom Moran columns Tom Moran may be reached at tmoran@starledger.com or call (973) 836-4909. Follow him on Twitter @tomamoran. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Flash The Ukrainian sailors detained during the Kerch incident cannot be seen as prisoners of war as they were actually faced with criminal charges and the two countries are not in a state of war, the Russian Security Service (FSB) said Saturday. "Ukraine has recently claimed that its servicemen were held as prisoners of war. However, the Ukrainian citizens are accused of a criminal offense," Mikhail Shishov, director of the FSB's investigative department, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying at a briefing. Under the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war signed on Aug. 12, 1949, they cannot be considered as prisoners of war, as Russia and Ukraine are not "in a state of a military conflict or at war," he added. On Nov. 25, Russian forces seized three Ukrainian naval ships as well as 24 sailors on board attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, for they allegedly violated the Russian border. Kiev has since then constantly urged Moscow to release the captured sailors. According to the FSB, the investigation of the criminal case against the Ukrainian sailors has been forwarded to its central office. An inspection of the Ukrainian ships revealed that there were more weapons and ammunition than allowed, it added. Consular access has been granted to all the Ukrainian sailors, who were also provided with lawyers, translators and the right to make phone calls, the FSB said. By Michael Reagan Earlier this week I was at an event that honored Malala Yousafzai. Malala, in case you don't recall, is the brave young school girl from a village in Pakistan who was nearly killed in 2012 by the Taliban. She was just 15 when she was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for publicly speaking out for the right of all girls to receive a free, safe and quality education. Malala, who became world famous while she lay in a coma for 10 days in a British hospital, was lucky to be given asylum in Britain with her family. She went on to create the Malala Fund, which she says is dedicated to giving every girl in the world "an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses." In 2014 she became the youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize and now, at the ripe old age of 21, she's studying philosophy, politics and economics at the University of Oxford. When I texted my son Cameron to tell him I was at the event honoring Malala, he pointed out that she was a perfect example of why the United States and countries like Britain offer asylum to refugees. Unlike the 6,000 migrants from Honduras that are now in Tijuana trying to crash their way into the United States, Malala and her family were in serious danger. They met the international definition of a refugee perfectly - "a person with well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence." Those 6,000 Central American refugees, as my son also pointed out, are not just trying to take advantage of our generous immigration system and hours of sympathetic liberal media coverage. By cutting in line, and by clogging up an already backed up application process, they are making it so that the people that truly deserve asylum - worthy refugees like Malala and her family - might not be able to get it. Realistically, despite Rachel Maddow's tears, most of the migrants from Honduras or Guatemala rushing our southern border are never going to meet the qualifications for asylum, a bureaucratic legal process that takes a long, long time. Only about 40 percent of applicants from around the world in any given year qualify for asylum, according to the National Immigration Forum's web site. As of July there were more than 700,000 pending asylum cases in our overwhelmed immigration courts and the average wait time for a hearing was 721 days. During 2017, when there was a big jump in asylum applications from Central America and the total cases filed hit 200,000, only about 30,000 individuals were approved. As Tucker Carlson pointed out last week, to argue, as the left and liberal media do, that those Honduran migrants in Tijuana automatically deserve to be let into the U.S. because of the poverty and violent crime in their native land is patently absurd. If poor living conditions and rampant violence are the basis for asylum in America, Carlson said, then the whole country of Honduras should get it. I don't know if most people know it, but more than half of the individuals who were granted asylum in the United States in 2016 - 20,500 souls - came from two places: China (22 percent) and the Central American countries of El Salvador (10.5 percent), Guatemala (9.5 percent), Honduras (7.4 percent) and Mexico (4.5 percent). Most of them - 44 percent - ended up living in California, which helps to explain why one of the richest states in the Union is now the home for about 7.4 million people who live in poverty, more than any other state. Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "Lessons My Father Taught Me: The Strength, Integrity, and Faith of Ronald Reagan." Send comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com. Samsung is yet to officially jump on the notch bandwagon, but the 5G prototype suggests that the company may be toying with the idea. The display has an asymmetrical, or dog-eared, notch in its upper right-hand corner that contains what looks like a small front-facing camera. We doubt that this is an early look at the Galaxy S10, although its rear-facing cameras are reminiscent of the Note 9. We should stress that this is a prototype that may well never be officially released. However, Engadget states that Samsung initially refused to show off the device's display until someone persuaded a company representative to do so, which suggests that the company would have preferred to keep media attention to a minimum. It would make sense if the prototype is powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC since it is being demonstrated at a Qualcomm event. It also appears to be running a modified version of Samsung One UI. Nothing else is known about the device currently though. The company recently released the beta for the Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and the Note 9 in certain countries, on which we reported yesterday. For five weeks, the world has had no idea where Lu Guang is. Lu Guang is an internationally acclaimed photographer from China, and he has been my friend for more than 15 years. Im proud that the agency I co-founded represents and distributes his work. We first met in Beijing in 2002. He was already a well-known and widely awarded documentary photographer in his country, and he would soon win a slew of international awards, including some of the worlds most prestigious. The episode recalled a criminal case brought against former Senator John Edwards, Democrat of North Carolina, who while running for president in 2008 sought to cover up an extramarital affair that resulted in pregnancy. He was charged with violating campaign finance laws stemming from money used to hide his pregnant lover, but a trial ended in 2012 with an acquittal on one charge and a mistrial on five others. Mr. Giuliani pointed to that outcome on Saturday to argue that the president should not be similarly charged. The President is not implicated in campaign finance violations because based on Edwards case and others the payments are not campaign contributions, Mr. Giuliani wrote on Twitter. No responsible prosecutor would premise a criminal case on a questionable interpretation of the law. But Mr. Cohen has pleaded guilty under that interpretation of the law, and even if Mr. Trump cannot be charged while in office, the House could still investigate or even seek to impeach him. The framers of the Constitution specifically envisioned impeachment as a remedy for removing a president who obtained office through corrupt means, and legal scholars have long concluded that the threshold of high crimes and misdemeanors does not necessarily require a statutory crime. If the campaign finance case as laid out by prosecutors is true, Mr. Nadler said, Mr. Trump would be likely to meet the criteria for an impeachable offense, and he said he would instruct his committee to investigate when he takes over in January. But he added that did not necessarily mean that the committee should vote to impeach Mr. Trump. Is it serious enough to justify impeachment? he asked. That is another question. The strategy of Mr. Trumps lawyers has been predicated on the assurance by senior Justice Department officials that if Mr. Mueller found evidence that the president broke the law, he would not be indicted while in office. But the hush money investigation is being led by a separate office of prosecutors in New York, and far less time has been spent publicly or privately trying to protect Mr. Trump from that inquiry. Mr. Johnsons case has drawn attention to a pattern of homophobia-driven crimes in the 1980s and 90s in which gay men were targeted by gangs of young people, who sometimes forced them off cliffs to their deaths. Former officials have acknowledged that the deaths were not adequately investigated at the time by police officers, many of whom had a reputation for hostility toward gay men. The new reward, the equivalent of about $720,000, is a tenfold increase from the previous one. The police say they hope it will motivate people to share information. Scotts death is possibly one of the most challenging investigations Ive seen and its believed one of the greatest hindrances has been an unwillingness for witnesses to come forward, said Mick Fuller, the police commissioner for the state of New South Wales, which includes Sydney. Mr. Johnsons brother, Steve Johnson, who flew into Sydney for the announcement, said the reward was an incredible step toward answers. Im very encouraged, he said in a phone interview on Sunday. The million-dollar reward is speaking to the community that the police are taking this seriously and they need peoples help. The van Gogh and the Monet are safely in storage in Switzerland. The Oscar that once belonged to Marlon Brando is in a federal warehouse in Texas. Those were easy enough to corral. But when the $250 million yacht was finally captured in Bali, the United States government couldnt let it bob in the water unattended, so it had to pay for a crew. The $35 million Bombardier jet has been grounded, but it needed an engine test costing up to $25,000. And no one is quite sure what to do with the see-through grand piano now sitting in a supermodels Malibu home. It wont fit through the door. All of the items, and many more, had been bought by a flamboyant Malaysian financier named Jho Low, who prosecutors say helped siphon billions of dollars from a Malaysian government investment fund, then went on a colossal spending spree. It is one of the largest international kleptocracy cases the United States has ever pursued. Counterpart returns for a second season. And Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald play mother and daughter in Dumplin. Whats on TV COUNTERPART 9 p.m. on Starz. When this multidimensional thriller debuted about a year ago, the Times critic Mike Hale called it the most entertaining new series of the winter. J.K. Simmons stars as two versions of the same character. One is a low-level worker with the United Nations in Berlin. The other, living in a parallel dimension spun off from the real world 30 years earlier, is a coldblooded spy. The first season ended with the two versions of the characters each getting stuck in the others dimension. The second season, debuting Sunday night, picks up the story from there, allowing Simmons more time to delve into the nuances of this challenging double role. I considered all kinds of subtle things in terms of appearance that ultimately seemed unnecessary, the actor told The Times earlier this year. Because the more interesting thing was how has a person really changed at his core in the second 30 years of his life due to his environment, his experiences. Whats Streaming 1. A damning turn for President Trump and his associates: Federal prosecutors say he directed illegal payments during the presidential campaign to help prevent a possible sex scandal. The presidents former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has said Mr. Trump, above, directed payments to women who claimed they had affairs with Mr. Trump. But in a memo arguing for a prison term for Mr. Cohen, prosecutors in Manhattan said Mr. Cohen acted in coordination and at the direction of an unnamed individual a clear reference to Mr. Trump. Separately, the special counsels office said that Paul Manafort, Mr. Trumps former campaign chairman, had told multiple discernible lies about his contacts with Trump administration officials and his interactions with a Russian linked to Moscows intelligence services. LONDON When Lucy Ashton quit The Sheffield Star in 2009 to have children and work in public relations, she had already seen other reporters steadily leaving the paper as circulation and advertising fell, and figured shed never see jobs being added again. Now she has returned, as part of a new initiative with a simple goal: to help news organizations cover local government. One of her first stories back showed the value of the initiative. At a Sheffield City Council meeting, female members of the board discussed how they had been the target of online harassment. Some of the abuse wasnt just online one described how her home had been broken into by a harasser. That wasnt on the agenda, Ms. Ashton said. Without a reporter at that meeting, we wouldnt have got that. Needles also was the first place train crews swapped out on freight trains headed east out of Los Angeles. That created hundreds of jobs. But like many other small towns on the way to Los Angeles, Needles used to be a lot more important. The railroad cut the size of its train crews, and the elegant depot building in Needles is mostly empty. Needles lost its last grocery store in 2014. More than a quarter of the citys residents live below the poverty line. Bit by bit, the jobs and the people were leaving. In Mr. Williamss first go-round as mayor from 2006 to 2010 (he was also a member of the City Council for four years), he tried to attract the solar industry. When that failed, he was drawn to the opportunity in marijuana by a friend who wanted to open a dispensary. California residents had voted to allow medical marijuana years earlier, in 1996. Mr. Williams spoke with doctors about the potential benefits and slowly got over some of the antipathy toward the drug that his parents and his years as a police officer had instilled. It was like turning a battleship. It was a long process, he said in a recent interview. Mr. Williams, who said he still had not smoked marijuana himself, worked with the city manager and a lawyer to put together a ballot measure in 2012 that imposed a 10 percent tax on cannabis businesses. It passed with 81 percent of the vote. This is a very politically conservative town but its got a streak of libertarianism, Mr. Daniels, the city manager, said. The first dispensaries in town still faced opposition, especially from local evangelical churches. But they have failed to attract the bad elements some expected. Crime has been stable over the last few years. Vincente Gomez always eagerly awaited his granddaughters arrival on Fridays. Every other weekend, the girls, Payton Gomez, 7, and Haley Harris, 9, would stay with him in his three-bedroom apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Neighbors said they heard the girls watching TV this weekend and laughing alongside their Papa. But the visit that Mr. Gomez, 53, so cherished ended in tragedy. The two girls were killed in a fire that broke out in the apartment Saturday at about 11 p.m., after they had all gone to sleep. Firefighters were able to rescue the girls from a bedroom at the rear of the second-floor apartment, the deputy fire chief, James Smithwick, said. Once outside, rescuers tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate the girls, who were pronounced dead at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, the police said. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] Considering Albanys rotten reputation, the idea of giving New Yorks 213 elected lawmakers a raise is a tough sell. On Thursday, they took a giant step toward that goal when a four-person commission recommended that lawmakers get a hefty raise: a $30,500 rise next year, bringing their base pay to $110,000. Two more raises of $10,000 per year will follow in 2020 and 2021. Albanys elected officials currently make $79,500 a year, before various perks and stipends, a salary that hasnt budged in nearly 20 years, when Gov. George E. Pataki approved a salary increase in exchange for the creation of charter schools in the state. That was in 1998. If adopted the commission is set to issue a final report by Monday the states lawmakers would be on pace to receive the largest base salaries of any states elected officials, surpassing California. In exchange, the lawmakers will see restrictions on legislative stipends and outside income. Albanys legislators have been agitating for a raise for years, including in 2016 when an earlier commission (Albany loves a good commission) effectively shot down a pay increase after representatives of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo balked at backing one. We the People of the United States, she said, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Well, little lady, one of the men conceded. You did it. She registered and cast her ballot that year, 1942, becoming one of the states first black voters since Reconstruction. She voted in nearly every election thereafter. For more than 40 years, she was a county poll worker on election days, and a special registrar commissioner, helping some 4,000 people to register to vote. In 1950, she joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and for more than 60 years participated in protests against racial discrimination, including the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. During the civil rights turmoil of the 1960s, she and her family were threatened repeatedly by night riders, according to federal court papers. She awoke several times to the crackle of burning crosses outside her home. Farm equipment was damaged one night, and bullets were fired into a shed and into the farmhouse. One struck just below her bedroom window. North Carolinas effort, a half-century later, to impose restrictive changes on voting laws prompted Ms. Eaton to join a peaceful protest outside the Legislature in Raleigh in 2013. As she moved slowly with a walker, her friend, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, then president of the North Carolina N.A.A.C.P., told her: Rosanell, you dont have to do this. I know what I have to do, she said. The Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman, who succeeded Dr. Barber last year as president of the North Carolina N.A.A.C.P., said on Sunday that Ms. Eaton had been an inspiration to generations of African-Americans in North Carolina. Mother Rosanell Eaton was a warrior for justice who gave the most for her people in an utterly selfless way, Dr. Spearman told The Times. She was wise to a fault, and extremely sensitive to the vitriolic climate of our times. She rose up to champion voting rights and her people. To the Editor: Movement to Restore Birthright Citizenship Gains Ground in Ireland (news article, Nov. 25) relates the effort to undo the restriction on Irish citizenship created by approval of the 27th Amendment to the Irish Constitution ; to be properly rescinded, a further amendment will be needed. Ireland throughout its history has been the beneficiary, and sometimes victim, of arrivals from other lands. One would be hard pressed to find a true original Irish person. As with societies across the world, Ireland cannot stand in splendid isolation. Individuals with an array of talents are needed in a time of constant advancement in all fields of endeavor. Restoring birthright citizenship to those born in Ireland would provide the nation with opportunities to benefit from the talents of the children whose parents sought Ireland as the prime location for their families. Irelands future is not limited to the children of the Four Green Fields but to the children of the four corners of the world. To the Editor: Re Unfulfilled Promises on Looted Art (Arts pages, Nov. 27): Reminding us that five countries are foot dragging in returning World War II looted art, Stuart E. Eizenstat, an expert adviser t o the State Department, correctly singles out Hungary as refusing to carry out the 2002 Washington Principles conference request that governments, in his words, take their historic responsibility for the systematic looting of art from their Jewish citizens. In 1997, I negotiated an agreement with the Hungarian government concerning the return of works of art from Baron Herzogs great 20th-century collection of Old Masters paintings to his American descendants. Hungarys minister of culture and I agreed that some dozen works would be returned. The descendants, in turn, would return several to Hungary, a generous proposal. Regrettably, all Hungarian governments since then have reneged. The works in question hang on the walls of Budapest museums with the provenance From the Herzog Collection. Donald Blinken New York The writer was United States ambassador to Hungary, 1994-97. A free and unfettered news media has long been anathema to authoritarian rulers, but even George Orwell might not have anticipated that some of the most unscrupulous assaults on press freedoms would one day be perpetrated by democratically elected governments. Witness these recent events: Earlier this week Maria Ressa, founder of an online news site critical of the Philippine government of President Rodrigo Duterte, turned herself in to face charges of tax evasion on her return from receiving an International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. Mr. Duterte has long harassed Ms. Ressa and her start-up, Rappler, and other independent media critical of his murderous campaign against drug dealers and drug users. At one news conference, Mr. Duterte warned a Rappler reporter not to come to his hometown, Davao City, because something bad will happen to you. Davao is thought to be home to the most vicious of Philippine vigilante bands, the Davao Death Squad . The week before, more than 400 news outlets in Hungary, including the leading online newspaper and all remaining regional newspapers, were donated by their owners many of them oligarchs loyal to Prime Minister Viktor Orban who had been systematically buying up outlets to a foundation run by Mr. Orbans cronies. Poland under the nationalist Law and Justice Party has been stymied by civil society in its more brazen attempts to emulate Hungary, but the public broadcaster has become something of an ideological mouthpiece. The infamous state-ordered murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi crown prince, is in a class of its own, and Saudi Arabia is emphatically not a democracy, illiberal or otherwise. But President Trump, the leader of the worlds premier democracy, has added to his other trespasses against the press by refusing to criticize the kingdom and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, despite evidence that the powerful heir must have been behind the grisly execution. President Trumps own assault on the press includes his trademark dismissal of any reporting that riles him as fake news and his inflammatory depiction of the news media as the enemy of the people. His attempt to strip White House press credentials from CNNs Jim Acosta on the phony pretext that he had laid hands on a White House intern may not be in the same league as the exploits of other autocratic press bashers the credentials were restored by a judge in a heartening affirmation of Americas legal institutions and the First Amendment but the presidents disdain for fact, immunity to shame and inability to stomach criticism have offered solace to illiberal comrades. Mr. Trump agreed in Buenos Aires to defer plans to raise tariffs on $200 billion a year in Chinese goods on Jan. 1. In the United States on Sunday, Robert Lighthizer, the trade representative who is leading the American talks with China, made clear that he considered March 1 a hard deadline for the negotiations. When I talk to the president of the United States, he is not talking about going beyond March, Mr. Lighthizer said on the CBS program Face the Nation, adding, If there is a deal to be gotten, we want to get it in the next 90 days. Mr. Lighthizer also said that the trade talks should not be affected by the arrest of Ms. Meng. This is a criminal justice matter. It is totally separate from anything that I work on or anything that the trade policy people in the administration work on. Chinas leaders are coincidentally preparing to observe this month the 40th anniversary of the countrys post-Mao economic overhaul by calling for a series of moves to open up the economy to more trade and foreign investment, people familiar with Chinese policymaking said. The anniversary, heavily promoted in official propaganda and the subject of Sundays conference at Tsinghua University, offers Mr. Xi a chance to take market-opening measures sought by the United States without seeming to give in to American pressure. The final list of moves is still the subject of considerable discussion within the Chinese bureaucracy. But some options under serious consideration include further reducing tariffs on imports from all over the world and encouraging broader foreign investment in the slowing Chinese economy. China made some moves in these directions this year, however, and it is unclear how much further the Beijing leadership is willing to go. By Beijings calculation, Chinas average tariffs have already fallen to 7.5 percent from 9.8 percent at the start of this year. By comparison, average tariffs in the United States are 3.5 percent, while the European Unions are 5 percent. He defended the integrity of the F.B.I. despite claims of bias. He spoke about four Americans the F.B.I. investigated for connections to Russian interference in the 2016 election. And he defended his decision not to prosecute Mrs. Clinton in July 2016 over her handling of classified information while she was secretary of state. In two angry tweets, Mr. Trump on Sunday lashed out at Mr. Comey, calling him a liar. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! Mr. Trump said in one. This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. What else did Mr. Comey have to say on Friday? The transcript offered some interesting morsels. Heres a look. Comey and Mueller: Are they best friends? In an interview with The Daily Caller in September, Mr. Trump declared that Mr. Mueller was Mr. Comeys best friend. And I could give you 100 pictures of him and Comey hugging and kissing each other, Mr. Trump said. Within the paperwork she found her mothers signature. Ms. Purinton said that she recalled having signed papers at the hospital, but that she assumed they were meant to provide a directive in the event that she died or could no longer care for her daughter. I had no idea what I signed, she said. Before being reunited with her daughter, Ms. Purinton thought she was the last surviving member of her immediate family. Her parents and all eight of her siblings had died, and she did not have any children or so she thought. Ms. Moultroups adoptive parents told her that she had been born to a friend of a friend. When she was younger, they gave her a different explanation, saying they had walked up and down the aisles of the hospital until they found me and they just had to take me home, Ms. Moultroup recalled. Image Ms. Moultroups adoptive father. Credit... via Connie Moultroup Seeing her birth mother in person was almost like looking in a mirror, she said. It was so weird to go my whole life with only three blood relatives: my daughter and two grandkids, Ms. Moultroup said, adding that none of them bore a strong resemblance to her. But the two women had more in common than just appearance: They both love to cook and crochet. Ms. Moultroup was a nurse for 34 years. Ms. Purinton once dreamed of being a nurse but never attended college. Ms. Purinton eventually learned that the man who fathered her child was married. She left high school as soon as her pregnancy became visible, she said, and received her high school diploma in the mail the same day her daughter was born. As President Trump heads into the fight of his political life, the man he had hoped would help guide him through it has now turned him down, and he finds himself in the unaccustomed position of having no obvious second option. Nick Ayers, the main focus of President Trumps search to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff in recent weeks, said on Sunday that he was leaving the administration at the end of the year. Mr. Ayers, 36, the chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, is returning to Georgia with his wife and three young children, according to people familiar with his plans. The decision leaves Mr. Trump to contend with fresh uncertainty as he enters the 2020 campaign amid growing danger from the Russia investigation and from Democrats who have vowed tougher oversight, and could even pursue impeachment, after they take over the House next month. As the president hastily restarted the search process, speculation focused on a group that was led by Representative Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican who is the hard-edge chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, but also included the Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin; Mr. Trumps budget director, Mick Mulvaney; and the United States trade representative, Robert Lighthizer. WASHINGTON After the United States delivered an ultimatum to Russia last week that it was preparing to abandon a landmark weapons treaty, drawing a combative response from President Vladimir V. Putin, the specter of a rekindled nuclear arms race was widely seen as a rewind of the Cold War. But that encompasses only one slice of the problem and perhaps the easiest part to manage. The United States and Russia no longer have a monopoly on the missiles that Ronald Reagan and Mikhail S. Gorbachev agreed in 1987 to ban with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, or I.N.F., agreement. Today, China relies on similar missiles for 95 percent of its ground-based fleet, and Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Taiwan are among the 10 states with similar, fast-growing arsenals. In a reflection of the Trump administrations view of how to navigate a new, more threatening global order, Washington seems uninterested in trying to renegotiate the treaty to embrace all the countries that now possess the weapons, which can carry conventional or atomic warheads. Instead, it is moving to abandon the accord and, with an eye on China, deploy in Asia the sorts of arms it pulled from Europe in the perilous days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The administration blames Russian violations denied by Moscow for the demise of what until now has been considered one of the most successful of the Cold War arms control agreements. But the bigger issue is that President Trump wants to throw off what he sees as constraints from countering other rising powers, principally China. In addition to implicating Mr. Trump in the payments to the two women, Mr. Cohen has told prosecutors that the companys chief financial officer was involved in discussions about them, a claim that is now a focus of the inquiry, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. Mr. Cohen has told prosecutors that he believes Mr. Trump personally approved the companys decision to reimburse him for one of the payments, one of the people said. Neither the chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, nor any other executives at the Trump Organization have been accused of wrongdoing, and there is no indication that anyone at the company will face charges in connection with the inquiry. But in recent weeks, the prosecutors contacted the company to renew a request they had made this year for documents and other materials, according to the people. The precise nature of the materials sought was unclear, but the renewed request is further indication that prosecutors continue to focus on the presidents company even as the case against Mr. Cohen comes to a close, the people said. At the time of the payments to the two women, Mr. Trump was the head of the company, and although he turned over its management to his elder sons, he still owns it through a trust. While the prevailing view at the Justice Department is that a sitting president cannot be indicted, the prosecutors in Manhattan could consider charging him after leaving office. It is also possible the prosecutors could seek his testimony before he leaves office if they continue the investigation into anyone else who might have had a role in the crimes, a person briefed on the matter said. Over the years, that first wall, now splashed with murals, has metastasized. A second fence stretches behind most of it, and between the two lies a no mans land of cameras, sensors and floodlights. This year the border agency began to replace the old metal wall. The new sections, between 18 and 30 feet high, are built of closely spaced steel posts topped with a steel plate designed to deter climbers. Despite these changes, ask almost anyone in Tijuana about the wall, or la linea, and you are likely to be met with a shrug: The wall is always present, but not a preoccupation. We live very comfortably here, said Elizabeth Quintana, 73, who runs a small restaurant from her house on a dead-end street that runs into the wall. When she moved to Tijuanas Libertad neighborhood in 1972, the border was just a few shin-high cement markers. Her only complaint about the giant steel bars that mark the line these days: To install them, she said, they pulled up all the trees. Daily life in Tijuana is defined less by the wall as an impenetrable obstacle than by the ebb and flow of movement across it or, for many, the distant hope for such a journey. WELLINGTON, New Zealand The police in New Zealand found a body Sunday in their search for Grace Millane, a British backpacker who vanished a week ago on the night before her 22nd birthday. The announcement came a day after the police said that they were questioning a 26-year-old man in connection with Ms. Millanes disappearance, and that they believed she was dead. The man, who has not been named, was charged with murder Saturday night and will appear in the Auckland District Court on Monday. On Sunday, officers cordoned off part of a road that runs through a forested area of the Waitakere Ranges on the western outskirts of Auckland, New Zealands largest city. Detective Inspector Scott Beard said a body had been found about 10 meters off the road. A formal identification will take place Monday, but he said he believed the body was Ms. Millanes. YEREVAN, Armenia Armenians began voting on Sunday in an early parliamentary election as Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sought a stronger mandate, having been elected by lawmakers in May after a peaceful revolution this year. Mr. Pashinyan came to power after weeks of mass protests in April against corruption and cronyism in the former Soviet republic. A former newspaper editor who was jailed for fomenting unrest in 2008, Mr. Pashinyan represents a drastic break from the cadre of rulers who have run Armenia since the late 1990s. He stepped down in October so that Parliament could be dissolved in readiness for the early election. Former high-ranking officials were dismissed, and some were arrested following the power change. On Friday, a court of appeal ordered the detention of former President Robert Kocharyan on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. He was first arrested in July but freed the following month, and the case was sent to the appeals court. Mr. Kocharyan was Armenias second president, serving from 1998 to 2008. BRUSSELS The Belgian government has lost its majority in Parliament after its biggest coalition partner, the right-wing Flemish party, left in opposition to the planned signing this month of an international agreement on migration. Prime Minister Charles Michel, in announcing the end of his majority government during a news conference on Saturday, said, One party, the N-VA, calls into question our common decision to join the U.N. migration pact, taken earlier this year in July. Mr. Michel said he would try to lead the remaining minority government to ensure stability. On Sunday, he formalized the resignation of the five N-VA ministers from his government, appointing ministers from the remaining coalition partners in their place. The political moves came amid demonstrations by about 1,000 people in Brussels, inspired by the Yellow Vests protests in neighboring France. While the worlds eyes are on France, similarly violent demonstrations have occurred in Brussels in the past two weekends, led by people who, analysts say, are angry with recent increases in fuel taxes and say that everyday life has become unaffordable. At least six people were killed and 100 others injured in a stampede overnight at a nightclub in central Italy, local media and authorities said Saturday. This handout picture taken and released by Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian fire and rescue service, on December 8, 2018 shows emergency personnel treating victims after a stampede at a nightclub in Cornaldo. [Photo: Handout/AFP/Vigili del Fuoco] The victims were five minors -- three girls and two boys -- and a 40-year-old woman who had accompanied her daughter to the disco "Lanterna Azzurra" in the town of Corinaldo near Ancona, about 200 km northeast of Rome, Ansa news agency said. The nightclub was due to host a rapper's concert last night, which local report said around 1,000 people were attending. Firefighters and Red Cross teams were immediately sent to the scene, and the investigation was carried out by Italy's military police Carabinieri. The incident occurred between 12 p.m. and 1 a.m. local time. The victims lost their lives after a stampede of panicked teenagers brought about the partial collapse of a rampart outside the facility, according to the authorities. Among the about 100 injured people, 12 were in serious condition while seven teenagers were under intensive care. The cause of the panic would have been the use of a stinging pepper spray among the concertgoers, the Fire Corp explained on Twitter. "The cause may have been the dispersal of a stinging substance, young people fled and stepped on each other. Unfortunately, six people died, (and) dozens injured," the firefighters wrote. A video circulating on social media showed a large throng of young people crowding a narrow passageway outside the exit of the nightclub. Suddenly, one portion of the passageway appeared to cave in, and those standing there could be seen falling. After a preliminary investigation, the authorities were inclined to confirm such dynamic. "The parapets outside the exit gate have collapsed, the people there fell and were crushed by the crowd," Ancona police chief Oreste Capocasa told state TV channel Rai News 24 TV channel. Firefighters said it was too early to say whether any safety rules had been violated and told local media that all the emergency exits were open when the firemen first arrived, thus dismissing some witnesses' accounts that at least one door was blocked. One crucial factor now to ascertain would be whether the number of people attending the concert exceeded the legal capacity of the nightclub, according to investigators. "We are listening to witnesses to reconstruct the event, since many young people actually saw the incident," Carabinieri provincial chief Cristian Carrozza told Sky Tg24 news channel. Ancona police chief Capocasa also told Sky Tg24 there were "ongoing investigations, along with firefighters, in order to verify the number of those present." He added the official capacity of the disco was 870 people. Those reports raised the prospect that the prime minister would delay the vote to avoid an embarrassing defeat in Parliament. And support for a second referendum on Britains departure appeared to be gathering steam among both Labour and Conservative lawmakers. The grievances that fueled the Brexit vote are simmering once more. Disappointment may well inject new energy into the far right, said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. The prospect that Brexit would fix everything was enough for all but the most rabid xenophobe, Mr. Bale said. When people realize that it wont stop the economy sucking in people to do the jobs that Brits cant or wont do, that it wont stop people coming in via family reunification or asylum provisions, and that it wont do anything to send home the millions of people here already, then there will be trouble. He added, though, that any embrace of violence or racism would consign the U.K. Independence Party, which played a major role in building support for leaving the bloc before the 2016 referendum, to marginal irrelevance. Already, the party has begun a drift toward the political edges, appointing Mr. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, as an official adviser. That has spurred resignations from the party and prompted fears that the far right, already emboldened by the referendum result, would capitalize on frustrations with Mrs. Mays deal. Many of those taking part in the Brexit Betrayal march said that job loss was their central grievance. Im in construction, and in seven years on building sites Ive worked with four English builders, said Lee Windsor, 51. The rest of them are from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, wherever. The wage difference is: I pay tax, and they get paid in cash. What separated the Soviet Union and Russia from the West, she said, were not enlightened leaders but systems of checks and balances. With the Helsinki Group, for example, she tried to monitor the authorities in the Soviet Union by holding them to their own stated commitments to human rights. Her views were also a critique of the vilification of Mr. Putin as personally responsible for rolling back Russian democracy and the idea, sometimes heard among his opponents, that if he were to step down Russia might be ruled differently. Only by building civil society could Russians achieve better results from their leaders, she maintained. She kept pushing that point, Ms. Lokshina of Human Rights Watch said. There could be different leaders, but if there is a healthy system of checks and balances, it is much more difficult to do serious damage. Unfortunately, in Russia, that is not the case. She is survived by two sons, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Born in Crimea on July 20, 1927, Ms. Alexeyeva became a dissident as a member of what she called the thaw generation under the Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev, who introduced a period of relaxed censorship. When the screws tightened again in Leonid Brezhnevs Soviet Union, she and other Moscow intellectuals risked their lives to keep pressing for freedom and human rights. Ms. Alexeyeva typed a samizdat journal, called the Chronicle of Current Events. She and other dissidents saw an opening when the Soviet Union signed a treaty in Helsinki that required it to uphold certain rights at home, though apparently it had little intention of doing so. In 1976, she co-founded the Helsinki Group to monitor compliance. We often see the reason for someone to commit crime is down to their own personal greed and to make money, said Detective Inspector Dave Shore-Nye. We are keen to put a stop to anyone who is living a lavish lifestyle which has been funded through crime, Detective Shore-Nye added. Mr. Hanson-Frost has been in jail since April, when he admitted being in possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and violent disorder, the police said. He was given a six-year prison term for firing at the Jaguar in November 2017. Along with his brother and two friends, who received shorter sentences for violent disorder, Mr. Hanson-Frost was thought to be embroiled in a gang feud over drugs, the BBC reported. The opposing gang members who were shot at withheld information about their assailants, the police said, but Mr. Hanson-Frosts DNA was found on the gun. During a hearing last month, he agreed to give up his pricey sneakers to the police force. Auctions of items seized from criminals are not uncommon in Britain, but there are companies for such sales. According to the London mayors office, Wilson Auctions and John Pye & Sons hold public auctions of items from criminal investigations, along with surplus government equipment. BAGHDAD The Islamic State has been stripped of nearly all the territory it ruled in Iraq and Syria and has been pummeled by nearly 30,000 airstrikes. But the extremist group has still managed to retain a small pocket of land on the Syria-Iraq border for more than a year. The militants have even on occasion struck back with some of their former vigor from their toehold, around the Syrian town of Hajin in Deir al-Zour Province. In the last week of November, they staged a breakout from the Hajin pocket, attacking the American-allied Syrian Democratic Forces in the Syrian town of Gharanij, which those forces had captured a year earlier. The breakout on Nov. 24 was a propaganda bonanza for the extremists, even though officials of the American-led coalition battling the Islamic State said they were quickly beaten back. Maj. Gen. Patrick Roberson, the American military commander, said the Islamic State took advantage of bad weather and sandstorms, when airstrikes were not possible. As we degrade their capabilities and push them into an ever smaller box, ISIS continues to employ more and more desperate measures, General Roberson said. These tactics wont succeed. 2 money laundering FIRs led to raids on Vadras associates India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 9: The searches by Enforcement Directorate (ED) against three persons linked to Robert Vadra continued on Saturday with official sources saying the action is being undertaken by the agency on the basis of two criminal FIRs filed by it. They said the central probe agency is questioning at least four persons on the second day of the raids. The sources said the agency is recording the statements of these people, who have not been identified till now, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Kapil Sibal backs Robert Vadra, says 'government is falsely accusing him' The raids are being conducted as part of ED's money laundering FIRs, called ECIRs in the agency's parlance, in the Bikaner land scam case and one against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, they said. ECIR stands for Enforcement Case Information Report. While Vadra linked firm Skylight Hospitality and its officials have been grilled by the ED in the Bikaner land scam case, the agency has twice issued summons to Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, to appear in this case. ED conducts raid at Congress leader Jagdish Sharma's residence Controversial arms dealer Bhandari was booked by the ED in 2016 based on an Income Tax Department and Delhi police complaint of his alleged indulgence in dubious defence deals. Bhandari's case first came to light after the I-T department conducted searches against him in April, 2016 and recovered certain "sensitive" official defence documents from his premises. As part of these raids, certain emails are also said to have been recovered that talk about renovation of a costly apartment in London in 2010 which was allegedly owned by Vadra. Vadra's legal firm has denied that he owned the London property directly or indirectly. It has also denied Vadra has any business ties with an arms consultant or his aides. The tax department had shared a "seizure memo record" with the defence ministry to apprise it about the contents of these "sensitive" documents. Why is the ED catching up to Robert Vadra ED sources had said on Friday that "the searches are being carried out at the premises of two employees of firms linked to Vadra and another person". These people are suspected to have received commissions out of a defence deal and they subsequently invested these funds to acquire illegal assets abroad. They, however, had not disclosed the names of the people whose premises were searched or the defence deal under their scanner stating that the "action was ongoing". Vadra's lawyer Suman Khaitan said ED officers "are inside his client's premises since 8/9 AM". Khaitan had alleged that the ED teams entered the premises of associates of his client without showing "search warrants". He had claimed that the premises were locked from inside and questioned the government's motive behind it. Khaitan went on to claim that probably evidence was being fabricated. The Congress reacted sharply to the ED action and said an "unnerved" Modi government was unleashing "vendetta" against Vadra to divert the narrative. (With agency inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 9:06 [IST] Sense of desperation: Why are terrorists choosing soft targets in Jammu and Kashmir Security review in J&K is message to Pak not to use Taliban win in Kashmir 225 terrorists killed in J&K and the locals played a big role in it India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 9: More than 225 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir so far this year, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh has said. He said initiatives taken by the government and security forces had resulted in a drop in the number of local youths being radicalised and taking to militancy over the last few months. "We have been able to neutralise a large number of terrorists. As on date, we have been neutralised more than 225 terrorists. However, couple of days of this year are still balanced (left)," Singh told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Sainik School, his alma mater. 37, in November, 227 this year: Here is how many terrorists Indian Army killed in J&K He said locals were sharing information about terrorists' movements with the Army, which is a positive sign. "That is a very positive sign, which shows a decline of militancy. It shows frustration on the part of Pakistan to push more and more terrorists into J&K. But our resolve is clear that as long as terrorists are moving around they shall not be provided space to carry out activities at their will. They will be acted against and neutralised," he said. "We will ensure that peace and stability are maintained in J&K," he added. Singh said the Army would not allow radicalisation of local youth in the state. Super Sunday: 6 terrorists killed, toll reaches 233 and the year hasn't ended "All the initiatives by the government and security forces in J&K are paying rich dividends. There is reduction in the number of local youths joining militancy, which was taking place in last couple of months. There is a relative decline. There is also a decline in radicalisation," he said. "That is the reason that situation is stable in J&K. But (if) any untoward thing happens, the Army acts swiftly and ensures peace, stability and security," he added. Speaking about Pakistan, Singh said the neighbouring country was trying to spread terrorism beyond Kashmir in India. The Army is taking all measures to arrest the spread of terrorism, he said. He lauded the Kartarpur corridor, which will connect Dera Baba Nanak in India's Gurdaspur district with Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib Narowal in Pakistan. It is a good thing as it will encourage people to people contact, he said. Analysing the bio-terror threat: Why routes in Kashmir, Assam are most vulnerable Warning infiltrators, Singh said those who dare to cross the Line of Control (LoC) will have to face death. He also said the Army was giving befitting response to Pakistan's snipers and the force had kept up the pressure on the adversary along the Line of Control. (With agency inputs) For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 9:29 [IST] AAI employees to go on hunger strike against govt move to privatise 6 airports India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Dec 9: Hundreds of employees of state-owned AAI are likely to go on a hunger strike across the country from Monday against the government's decision to privatise six profit-making airports. The protests were organised by the Airports Authority Employees Union. Last month, the government cleared a proposal to manage six AAI airports under public private partnership. They are Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru. The Union's General Secretary Balraj Singh Ahlawat told PTI that protests were held across the country against the planned privatisation of the six airports. The employees are planning to go on hunger strike starting from December 10 and later they might also go on mass casual leave, he said. There are around 15,000-16,000 employees at the AAI, he added. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) operates more than 100 aerodromes. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 20:53 [IST] As Kannur International airport opens, this father and son scripts history India oi-Madhuri Adnal Kannur, Dec 9: The Kannur International Airport (KIAL), the fourth in Kerala, was thrown open to public by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu on Sunday morning. Creating a record, two years ago, when a 228-Dornier aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed as the first trial flight at the Kannur International Airport, it was Raghunath Nambiar, a native of Kannur, who was in the cockpit that day. Today, his son Aswin Nambiar, 29, will pilot the first commercial flight of 'Go Air' to Kannur on Sunday. The flight took off from Delhi at 8.30 a.m. and landed at KIAL at 11.30 a.m, scripting the dawning of a new era in the history of Kannur. Ashwin, who has been with GoAir for the past one-and-a-half years and has a total of 1,100 hours of flying time, has mostly operated from New Delhi and Kolkata airports. The only airport that he has flown to in Kerala was to Kochi. Ashwin's family, consisting of his grandmother, uncle and cousins, stay in Kadachira, 23 kms from the airport in Mattanur. Now, IndiGo and SpiceJet passengers will have to pay extra for web check-in services Meanwhile, an Air India Express flight with 180 passengers to Abu Dhabi became the first flight to be flagged off from the airport at 10 am. All passengers received a gift each from the airport authorities on the occasion. Built on 2,000 acres of land near the town of Mattanur, the airport will be the fourth international airport in Kerala after Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. It can serve one million passengers annually and the number is likely to rise five-fold by 2025. The airport will be of huge benefit for the large emigrant Malayali population, native to the Kannur and Kasaragod districts, and working in the Gulf countries. A video of the song was posted on YouTube by Kannur International Airport For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 15:26 [IST] Rape victim dies in Delhi hospital after being 'set afire' by kin of accused in UP's Bulandshahr Bulandshahr violence: Armyman accused of cop's murder handed over to UP police, denies involvement India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: Army jawan Jitendra Malika alias Jeetu Fauji, who is accused of killing a policeman during Bulandshahr violence, has been handed over to Uttar Pradesh Police last night by the Army. [Armyman, suspect in Bulandshahr cop's killing, detained in J&K: Report] Making the announcement SSP STF Abhishek Singh said preliminary interrogation has been done and Malik will now be sent to Bulandshahr where he will be produced before the court for judicial custody. "He accepted he was there when the crowd started gathering. Prima facie, it has been found true. It's not yet ascertained if he is the one who shot Inspector or Sumit. He said he went there with villagers, but denied pelting stones on police. Forensic of his mobile will be done," Singh told ANI. In the preliminary interrogation, he admitted that he was at the spot when the crowd started gathering but has denied shooting inspector. [Uttar Pradesh: Bulandshahr police chief transferred over cop's killing] Jitendra Malik, alias Jeetu Fauji, was detained by 22 Rashtriya Rifles Army in Sopore of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday and was handed over to UP Police in Meerut. He will be will be produced before the court for judicial custody Bulandshahr. Meanwhile, Dharmendra Malik, the brother of Army man has alleged that his brother has been framed in Bulandshahr cop lynching case as a part of the alleged conspiracy. He also claims that he has the proof to prove his brothers innocence. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the violence. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has come under severe attack after the Bulandshahr incident, has sparked a controversy by terming the deaths in the violence an accident. "There is no incident of mob-lynching in Uttar Pradesh. The Bulandshahr incident is an accident and the law is taking its course. No guilty will be spared," the chief minister had said on Friday. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 9:18 [IST] Those in power today had promised Ram temple: RSS leader makes veiled attack on Centre India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: Senior RSS leader Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi on Sunday made a veiled attack on the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya and demanded that the Union government enact a legislation, if need be, for it. Speaking at a VHP rally at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, the RSS executive head said, "Those in power today had promised to construct a Ram temple. They should listen to people and fulfil the demand of temple in Ayodhya. They are aware of the sentiments." Without naming the BJP, Joshi added, "We are not begging for it. We are expressing our emotions. The country wants 'Ram rajya'." Thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally, which comes ahead of Parliament's winter session commencing Tuesday. The title suit of the Ayodhya land dispute case is pending before the Supreme Court. In January, the court is expected to announce a date for the beginning of the hearing. The VHP has been saying that it was confident that the bill will be tabled in the upcoming winter session of Parliament for paving the way for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Dilli Gupshup: Even sadhus don't want any more built up for Ram Temple after this! Apart from Joshi, VHP president Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje and its international working president Alok Kumar will also address the rally. The event will be addressed the numerous saints who will gather to attend the rally. On December 2, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) held a motorcycle rally in the national capital to send out a message about a "Dharam Sabha" being organised by them on December 9 to put pressure on the Narendra Modi government to facilitate early construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Hundreds of VHP supporters went through various residential areas on motorcycles raising slogans "Ramlala hum aaenge, mandir wahi banaaenge", and organised meetings. Pakistan funded Rs 80 crore to Hizbul to further terror activities in J&K Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar India oi-PTI Srinagar, Dec 9: A wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who was luring youths into terrorism, was arrested on Sunday in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said. Reyaz Ahmad, a resident of Sounder Dachhan village and a close associate of hardcore terrorist Mohammad Amin alias 'Jhangir', was arrested by a police party based on specific information from the town, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Rajinder Gupta told PTI. He said several pictures of Ahmad holding an AK assault rifle had gone viral on social media in the recent past and his name also surfaced during interrogation of two of his associates who were arrested in the town on July 1. J&K: Three terrorists killed, 5 jawans injured in Mujgund encounter Following the arrest of his two associates, a case was registered at the Kishtwar police station. The officer said Ahmad was also involved in another case related to terrorism in the Parimpora locality of Srinagar. "Some more arrests and recoveries are expected at his disclosure," the officer said, adding he was a "hardcore motivator encouraging local youth to join terrorism". Jehangir is the longest surviving terrorist active in the Kishtwar belt, he said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 23:26 [IST] Delimitation will happen, J&K statehood to be restored: Amit Shah in Srinagar India requests Pakistan government to allow Srinagar-Sharjah flight to use its airspace J&K: Three terrorists killed, 5 jawans injured in Mujgund encounter India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jammu, Dec 9: Three terrorists neutralied and five jawans have been injured in an encounter that broke out on Saturday between terrorists and security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar, Mujgund-- the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Weapons and other warlike stores have been recovered. The encounter broke out on Saturday, 8 December, on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the evening near the Srinagar-Bandipora road in Mujgund area on the city's outskirts, a police official said. As the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired upon them, he said. The forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter, the official said. Meanwhile, Mobile internet services have been suspended in Srinagar following the Mujgund encounter which is underway there since yesterday. Jaipur princess Diya Kumari files for divorce ending 21 years of marriage India oi-Madhuri Adnal Jaipur, Dec 9: The daughter of erstwhile Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Bhawani Singh, Diya Kumari has filed for divorce from Narendra Singh ending 21 years of their marriage. According to reports, the divorce application was filed at Gandhi Nagar's family court under Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act. The couple had been living separately for a few months, following which both of them decided to approach the court for a mutual separation. Singh, who belongs to a modest family, had married the the Sawai Madhopur MLA in August 1997 after dating her for nine years. The community had opposed their plans for marriage as both were from same gotra. Despite the opposition and the image of the royal family at stack, the couple held their ground and tied the knot. Tej Pratap says won't return home till family backs his divorce decision Kumari had earlier decided not to contest Rajasthan elections this year citing "personal reasons" and was replaced by a new face, Asha Meena. According to sources, BJP is now considering the member of the royal family for Lok Sabha elections in 2019. The couple has two sons and a daughter. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 11:49 [IST] Winter Session 2021: BJP issues whip for its Rajya Sabha MPs to be present in House on day 1 Be present in Lok Sabha, RS says BJP in 3 line whip to its MPs Kerala: BJP workers march to CM Pinaryi Vijayan's house over Sabarimala issue India oi-Madhuri Adnal Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 9: BJP workers conduct protest march towards Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan's residence over Sabarimala issue. Police use water canon and tear gas shells to disperse protesters. The state had put in place the curbs, including prohibitory orders in the shrine and its immediate vicinity. This was challenged before the Kerala high court. The court on November 27 set up a three-member body comprising two of its former judges and a sitting DGP-rank officer for "overall supervision" in Sabarimala. Meanwhile, BJP state general secretary K Surendran was arrested last month for his alleged involvement in violent protests at Sabarimala. The BJP MPs, however, alleged he had been falsely implicated in various cases as he raised his voice against the chief minister. Sabarimala protests: BJP Gen Secretary Surendran released from jail The state has been witnessing a series of protests since the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict allowing women of all ages to worship at Sabarimala. With the shrine opening for the annual pilgrimage on November 17, the state government imposed several restrictions at the hilltop and base camps to tackle protestors and deployed more than 10,000 policemen. The state has already witnessed two bandhs over the issue. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 13:19 [IST] Bike's fuel tank explodes in Punjab; rider injured, reason of the explosion yet to be ascertained Maharashtra: 11 dead after truck collides into van in Chandrapur India oi-Madhuri Adnal Chandrapur, Dec 9: At least 11 people, including seven women and two minors, were killed when a truck collided with a van in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra late on Saturday. The accident took place around 9:30 PM when the van, with 14 occupants, was travelling on the Korpana-Wani road. A police officer, who was present at the spot, said seven women, the van driver, a three-year-old and another minor were killed in the incident. 7 school children, bus driver killed in accident in MP's Satna The injured have been admitted to a local hospital, he said, adding that the truck driver fled the scene. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 11:55 [IST] Ramdas Athawale condemns violence at US Capitol, says he will talk to Trump over phone One by one they will resign: Athawale on Maharashtra ministers Maharashtra: Ambedkarite activist thrashed after he tried to slap Ramdas Athawale at public event India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: Ramdas Athawale, Union minister for social justice and RPI party chief, was assaulted at a public program in Maharashtra's Ambarnath, triggering protests by members of Republican Party of India (Athawale), who have called for a statewide bandh on Sunday. The accused, identified as Praveen Gosavi, tried to slap the minister while he was walking down the stage during the Constitution Day function on Saturday. The incident took place Saturday night as the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment was coming down from the stage, a police official said. The accused has been identified as Pravin Gosavi. He was later beaten up by Athwale's supporters. The motive behind the attack was not known and police are investigating the matter. This is not the first time that Athawale was publicly assaulted. He was assaulted by residents of Ghatkopar east after the Ramabai Colony firing incident in 1997. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 9:52 [IST] MP elections 2018: Congress posters congratulate winners days before results come out India oi-Shubham Ghosh Bhopal, Dec 8: The Congress had last ruled the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in 2003. In the past one and half decade, the Grand Old Party has lost three consecutive elections in the state. However, the party has contested this year's election in the state with more confidence since the anti-incumbency against the ruling BJP has become stronger. The Congress is so confident that its local leaders have started putting up posters congratulating 'winners' of the election and they are from the 'Hand' party. While one leader has put up posters at the state Congress office showing the exit of the BJP the very next day after election, another has put up posters welcoming top state leaders as the next ministers and MLAs. And all this is happening even before the results have come out officially. MP went to the elections on November 28 and the results are due on December 11. The Congress leaders do not have any worries over putting up such posters and say they are reflections of their partymen's over enthusiasm, Jagran reported. Some overexcited workers have already put up posters congratulating would be Congress MLAs and ministers in Madhya Pradesh! pic.twitter.com/5IyLw8egoe Tohid Qureshi (@tohidivity) December 7, 2018 What is also visible in the Congress camp is that top state leaders of the party including state chief Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh and others are assured that their party will return to power this time, toppling the popular chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Though there were reports of factionalism and disagreement over ticket distribution in the Congress ahead of the election this time, everything looks settled and peaceful now. 'Special 16' in Madhya Pradesh to indicate which party to form the government Photos of the Congress's posters congratulating its leaders in the election have gone viral on the social media. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 10:11 [IST] Never before has there been such a terror raj says Congress India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: The Congress hit out at the government Saturday over ED raids against Robert Vadra's associates, alleging that the Modi dispensation was using "high-handed tactics" to threaten people as it was in a "state of panic of the highest degree" sensing poll defeats. At a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here, party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also alleged that there was never such a "terror raj" in the "constitutional rule" of India. "We fought the British Raj and the BJP would do well to know that the day of judgement will come for it," he said. 2 money laundering FIRs led to raids on Vadra's associates The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches against three persons linked to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra Friday. "They are afraid of the Congress and its values, so they are threatening people and using high-handed tactics against those who are relatives of our leaders or are associated with them," Singhvi said. "This is called character assassination by innuendos and insinuations. When they do not have facts, this is what they will do," he added. The Congress leader claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was in a "state of panic of the highest degree", sensing rejection from the people in the just-concluded Assembly polls in five states. "The word 'panic' would be an understatement and all these raids and searches against various people are nothing but a ploy to divert the attention of the people from the real issues and the BJP's failures," he said. Kapil Sibal backs Robert Vadra, says 'government is falsely accusing him' The ED had carried out searches against the three persons in connection with its probe into alleged "commissions received by some suspects in defence deals" and illegal assets stashed abroad, officials had said Friday. Singhvi claimed that the searches were carried out in violation of laws, adding, "We have nothing against any particular person, but we are talking about principles.... No Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) of the FIR has been shared, no search warrant issued, no access to lawyers, and detained persons were also physically roughed up." "All of this is happening because the BJP feels the certainty of the rejection by the people and is desperate to divert people's attention from the real issues," he said. Addressing the press conference, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that the current dispensation had "compromised the integrity" of agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ED and the Income Tax (IT) department. ED conducts raid at Congress leader Jagdish Sharma's residence On the exit poll predictions on the election results in the five states, Singhvi said, "We (Congress) do not believe in these (exit polls) fully, but these are indicative of the results to come." He claimed that the opposition party had its "internal polls before the exit polls were shown on TV and the Congress will register a bigger victory than projected in the media". Singhvi also claimed that the BJP was facing a "complete rout" in the five states. "The (Narendra) Modi government's mask of corruption crusader lies in shambles with successive scams getting uncovered over the last four-and-a-half years and zero action against fraudsters. Instead, the only tool which is being employed by it to hide its massive failures is mudslinging by the 'dirty tricks department' like the CBI or the ED to smear opposition leaders," the Congress leader alleged. The "illegal raids" against Vadra's associates were "another episode of these concerted conspiracies to target the Congress", he claimed, adding, "The Congress will not be cowed down by such shallow threats." Singhvi also attacked the government on other issues and said surgical strikes were "neither invented when Modi became the prime minister nor when the BJP became the ruling party". "They (BJP) are guilty of the most crass and cheap politicisation of the Army," the Congress leader alleged, adding that the "anonymity of the Army is its biggest strength and it was maintained by every government except this one". Why is the ED catching up to Robert Vadra "But, we are grateful that some amount of truth is coming out and it is coming out at the highest level," he said. The results of the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly polls will be announced on December 11. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 9:38 [IST] Report on oxygen utilisation: What APP and BJP are sparring over Arvind Kejriwal makes 4 promises to people of Goa; All related to electricity, check details Mission Punjab: Kejriwal to begin 2-day visit to state from today, will make big announcements in Moga Opposition meet on 10 December: AAP likely to join while Mamata Banerjee to give it a miss India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is likely to join the Congress and other opposition parties in the December 10 meeting called by Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N Chandrababu Naidu to forge a common strategy to fight in the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Sanjay Singh are expected to attend the meeting, an AAP leader familiar with the development said. Meanwhile, chances of Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attending the meeting in Delhi on December 10 are bleak. Opposition showing coalition possibilities: Will 2019 see a repetition of 1977? However, no confirmation is available yet about the participation of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati or any of her party colleagues in the meeting. The possible outcome of the assembly elections in five states and the Congress party's performance on the ground came up for discussion at the informal talks. On Monday, the BJP's parliamentary party and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents will also meet to discuss issues before the government in the winter session of Parliament, beginning on December 11. On Sunday, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader MK Stalin will meet the UPA chairperson. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 11:27 [IST] Police complaint against BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya, 3 others India pti-PTI Kolkata, Dec 9: The West Bengal Police has filed a suo motu complaint against state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and three other party leaders for conducting a public meeting in Coochbehar district on Friday without requisite permission, police said. Besides Ghosh, BJP state-in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, national secretary Rahul Sinha and general secretary Raju Banerjee have been named in the complaint registered on Saturday, a senior officer of the district police said on Sunday. "We have registered a suo motu case against four BJP leaders for holding the rally without proper permission from the administration. We have started taking necessary action against them," he said. The BJP leaders have been booked under different sections of the IPC and the Police Act, he said. Ghosh, along with other party leaders, addressed the rally on a private land in Jhinaidanga in Coochbehar district after BJP's rath yatra was put on hold, the officer said, quoting the complaint. When contacted, the state BJP chief said he went to the stage to thank the people, who had gathered at the venue in large numbers. "Since a big crowd had already arrived at the venue, I had gone to the dais to thank them for coming. In fact, I had told them that we will not be addressing the rally. "This shows their (police) intention. If they continue to act like this, it will be clear how police works here in the state," Ghosh said, adding other party leaders named in the complaint were not present on the dais. BJP President Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from Coochbehar district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The rath yatras were scheduled to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal. A single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty of the Calcutta High Court had on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra. Subsequently, the BJP moved the division bench of the court, which modified the earlier order and directed the state chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police to sit with three BJP leaders by December 12 and take a decision on the matter by December 14. The division bench of Justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee also criticised the state government for not responding to BJP's letters for permission to hold three rath yatras in the state. PTI Rajasthan polls: Pilot or Gehlot? Congress already on Mission CM before results are announced India oi-Shubham Ghosh Jaipur, Dec 8: It's still a few days to go before the results of the recently held Assembly elections in five states are declared but the Congress has already embarked on the mission to finalise its chief minister for the state of Rajasthan where it is predicted to win and return to power after five years - a trend the state has seen since 1993. According to reports, the camps of two-time chief minister of the state Ashok Gehlot and state Congress chief Sachin Pilot have become active to make their respective leader the chief minister. While Gehlot reached New Delhi even before the polling in the state ended on December 7, Pilot reached the capital late in the night, Jagran reported. Efforts are also on to woo the candidates who look probable to win in the election. The results will be announced on December 11. Congress claims doubting EVMs as an election strategy worked for party in MP and Rajasthan The exit polls' prediction of the Congress getting a majority in the 200-member Assembly has encouraged the party to think about the next step, it was reported. It was also reported by Jagran that the Gehlot and Pilot camps were also contacting Independent candidates who are seemed to be favourites to win the election. Sharad Yadav expresses regret over his 'fat' remark on Vasundhara Raje Meanwhile, the Congress's Jaipur district unit president Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said Gehlot was nobody to decide on the chief minister and the final call rested with party president Rahul Gandhi. He was seen making the statement in a video that went viral. The 44-year-old former MLA Khachariyawas is considered to be close to Pilot. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 10:15 [IST] Ramdas Athawale condemns violence at US Capitol, says he will talk to Trump over phone One by one they will resign: Athawale on Maharashtra ministers Will meet Maharashtra CM, want probe: Ramdas Athawale after being attacked by youth India oi-Deepika S Mumbai, Dec 9: Union Minister chief Ramdas Athawale, who was attacked by a youth during an event in Ambernath said on Sunday that he will meet the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and demand a thorough probe into the incident. Republic Party Of India (RPI) president Ramdas Athawale was slapped by an unidentified person during an event at Netaji ground in Ambernath on Friday. Soon after the Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief had finished his speech in Ambernath on Saturday night, a man called Pravin Gosavi walked up to Athawale with a garland and allegedly slapped him, eyewitnesses have told the police. Maharashtra: Ambedkarite activist thrashed after he tried to slap Ramdas Athawale at public event ''I'm a popular leader. This might have been done at the behest of someone angry over something. Security arrangement there wasn't adequate. I'll meet the state's CM over this incident. It should be investigated,'' Athawale told ANI. The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavi's attempt to assault him, an officer said. The local RPI (A) unit has called for a shutdown in Ambernath on Sunday as a mark of protest. Athawale had asked his party workers to maintain peace in the wake of the incident. An officer said the situation in the town was calm and under control, with a large posse of police personnel out on the streets to keep vigil. No untoward incident has been reported since morning, the officer added. Dalit leader and Gujarat lawmaker Jignesh Mevani condemned the incident, but said that the anger has roots into Athawale's "silence" on a host of issues. In September, Athawale had controversially said that the rising petrol and diesel prices don't affect him as he is a minister. After his comment drew widespread criticism, he apologised saying he had no intention of hurting the sentiments of the common man. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 18:59 [IST] BJP wants Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, says Shah; asks other parties must make stand clear on the issue 'There is partnership between TRS and BJP', says Rahul Gandhi in Telangana Telangana: Leave Owaisi's AIMIM behind, will support TRS, says BJP 48 hours before results India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: Two days ahead of the Assembly elections 2018 results, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly said that it is ready extend support to K Chandrashekar Rao's TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) if they leave Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen) and Congress in Telangana. "There can't be a government without BJP in Telangana. In case people have not given a clear mandate we will be a part of govt. We'll not support Congress or AIMIM, but other options are open. The decision will be taken in consultation with our high command,"BJP state president K Laxman said. Telangana Election Results: 'We don't need any alliance': TRS responds to BJP's offer The offer is likely to bolster Congress and TDP's claim of the TRS being a 'B-team' of the BJP. The saffron party had also made a similar charge against KCR, accusing him of colluding with the 'Mahakutami' or grand alliance of the Congress and TDP. Owaisi had earlier said that his party would win the seats that fall in Hyderabad, while the government would be formed by KCR again. He, however, said his party would not join the government. Meanwhile, the exit polls in Telangana predicted that TRS will retain power, by standing victorious on 58 seats. Telangana polls: Lagadapati backs Prajakutami to win Assembly polls in Telangana were originally scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls next year. However, the Legislative Assembly was dissolved prematurely on September six following a recommendation made by the TRS government. Telangana had witnessed a triangular contest between the Congress-led alliance, consisting of the TDP, CPI and TJS, the ruling TRS, and the BJP. In the state, the majority mark is 60. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 16:15 [IST] Telangana Election Results: 'We don't need any alliance': TRS responds to BJP's offer India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Dec 9: Responding to BJP's offer, TDP leader Bhanuprasad said that they don't any alliance and hat they are confident in winning enough seats to form the government for the second time Speaking to media, TRS Spokesperson Bhanu Prasad, said,''We don't need any alliance, we will form the Government on our own. We are confident that we will win enough seats.'' Earlier in the day, BJP had extended post-poll support to TRS leader K Chandrashekar Rao in Telangana, which had asked the caretaker CM to ditch Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM first. Telangana polls: Lagadapati backs Prajakutami to win "The TRS has to make its stand clear. If the TRS aligns with Majlis (AIMIM), there is no question of the BJP extending support to it. BJP will support non-Congress, non-Majlis party. The final decision will be taken by Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, but no party will get clear majority in Telangana," Laxman said. The exit polls have been almost unanimous in predicting that KCR's gamble of advancing the assembly polls will pay off and he will retain power. Republic TV and Times Now forecast that his party would win 50-65 and 66 seats in the 119-member assembly. TV9 Telugu and India Today forecast a tally between 75-85 and 75-91 for the ruling party respectively. Some exit polls saw a tighter battle between the TRS and the Congress-TDP combine. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 16:05 [IST] Do you drive as per Google Map?These three men also did the same and their car tumbled into a ditch! India oi-Shubham Ghosh Thiruvanathapuram, Dec 8: We depend on technology for almost anything nowadays. While travelling, we save time of asking bystanders about a destination and switch on Google Map on our phones. There's no question about its authenticity often. But there are also instances when the Google Map can be misleading and that was experienced by three men from Kerala in their 20s and 30s recently while travelling to Munnar via Palamattam-Avolichal road in the southern state in the dead of night on Thursday, December 6. Travelling from Ernakulam, the trio saw that road as a shortcut to their destination on Google Map and followed suit. Peru man divorces wife after seeing her cuddling stranger on Google Street View All the three - Gokuldas, Musthfa and Isahakh, are natives of Wadakkancherry in Thrissur. It so happened that the trio, who were travelling in a car, followed Google Map for their route but it never told them that the route had a danger awaiting them. A trench was dug up in the middle of the road by the public works department for constructing a bridge on a ditch that falls on the way bit there was no warning sign on either side of the road. The driver of the vehicle did not spot the dangerous edge in the night and when he did eventually, it was far too late and the car fell into the ditch that had eight feet deep water. Mathrubhumi reported that one of the three travellers, Gokuldas, said they got saved since they could escape through the car's open windows. They held on to the car till help arrived. Six people who were on their way back home from night shift in a nearby rubber company rescued the three men from the ditch after hearing their scream. The trio sustained minor injuries on head and chest but lost Rs 8,000 and two mobile phones. The car was pulled out of the water by the next afternoon. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 16:22 [IST] India should be open-minded about dealing with the Taliban: Yashwant Sinha Yashwant Sinha has the following advise for PM Modi on Taliban and Afghan crisis Union Cabinet 'biggest casualty' in Modi government: Sinha India pti-PTI New Delhi, Dec 9: Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi government of destroying various institutions in the country, including the Union Cabinet. Speaking at a talk show, 'Idea of Bengal', organised by the ruling Trinamool Congress, Sinha accused the prime minister of trying to "undermine" the Rajya Sabha during the passage of key bills. "The Modi government has destroyed various institutions of the country. But the biggest casualty is the Union Cabinet," the former Union minister alleged. "I am saying this because several important decisions are being taken without informing the Cabinet, be it the Rafale jet deal or demonetisation," added Sinha, who held the finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Parliament was the "second casualty" as the Modi government has "tried to undermine" the Rajya Sabha, during the passage of several important bills, Sinha said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not enjoy majority in the Upper House of Parliament. Calling demonetisation a "disaster", Sinha said the government was trying to "dress up" the figures of economic growth to hide the "failures" of its economic policies. "First they changed the methods by which GDP is calculated. Next when it came out that the UPA government performed better that the present regime, they withdrew the data from the website. Then the government fudged figures to put up a healthy picture of the economy," he said. The Modi government has a "habit" of blaming the previous governments for all the wrong things that had "either happened or are happening" in the country, he added. "In 2014, the government had given specific figures of the amount of NPAs, now again in 2018 they have come up with a new figure of NPAs till 2014. The idea is to put all the blame on the previous regimes," he said further. Sinha stressed that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee had "all traits" to make a good prime minister. He hoped that West Bengal and TMC would play a major role in defeating Modi in the 2019 general elections. PTI Will this former security personnel of Indira Gandhi topple Congress in Mizoram? India oi-Shubham Ghosh Aizawl, Dec 9: Once, he had earned the trust of former prime minister Indira Gandhi who brought him to politics and the party's chapter in the north-eastern state of Mizoram. Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer, had impressed the Union Home Ministry with his performance in the early 1980s and he was transferred from Guwahati, Assam, to New Delhi as the security in-charge of Indira. The premier was also impressed by the man's organisational skills and sensitivity to people and hence he entered politics. Lalduhoma's journey has been a long one since then and the man contested the just held Assembly election in Mizoram as the chief ministerial candidate of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) - a unity of at least six regional parties in the state which is aiming to topple the rule of current chief minister Lal Thanhawla, who is in power for 10 years now. Mizoram: MNF rubbishes Amit Shah's claim of BJP ruling for next 50 years Lalduhoma, a 1977-batch IPS officer, said their target is to see the end of the Congress's rule. The 69-year-old had won the 1984 Lok Sabha election uncontested on the Congress's ticket but left the party two years later over differences with Lal Thanhawla, his former colleague. He formed the Mizo National Union after leaving the Congress which was later merged with Mizoram Peoples Conference. He then joined the Mizo National Front but broke away again to form the Zoram Nationalist Party which he leads now. Lalduhoma, who played a key role behind signing of the Mizo Peace Accord in 1986 when Rajiv Gandhi was in power, is confident that the ZPM will succeed in forming the government by itself as he believes all sectors of the Mizo society are backing the ZPM. The results of the Mizoram Assembly elections that took place on November 28 will be announced on December 11. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 14:23 [IST] French PM calls for 'dialogue' after fresh 'yellow vest' protests International pti-PTI Paris, Dec 8: French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe called Saturday for fresh dialogue with representatives of the "yellow vest" movement staging protests across France, promising the government would address concerns over rising living costs. "The dialogue has begun and it must continue," Philippe said in a televised statement. "The president will speak, and will propose measures that will feed this dialogue." Interior Minister Christophe Castaner added that 125,000 "yellow vest" protesters had turned out to demonstrate around France on Saturday. Police detained 1,385 of them. PTI Russia is losing confidence on Trump with each passing day International oi-Shubham Ghosh Moscow, Dec 8: Is Russia's 'honeymoon' with US President Donald Trump getting over? Well, it might seem so after the latter snubbed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin twice inside a month, even instigating a Russian lawmaker saying: "It's far worse than it would have been under Clinton." Trump always showed a friendly face to Russia even at the expense of annoying people back home and did not bow even when allegations of him having collusion with the Russian hands during the 2016 presidential election in the US became strong. But now with the White House incumbent not fulfilling the expectations of Kremlin on two occasions - the latest being the snub at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires where Trump called off meeting with Putin in the wake of the Ukraine crisis - Russia is started turning cynical towards the Republican president's promise of improved relations between the two old foes. 'War will continue' as long as Ukraine government in power, says Vladimir Putin Trump's sudden backtracking from talks with Putin in Argentina shocked the Russians so much that officials in the Kremlin are feeling convinced that it is difficult for them to deal with Trump - a mercurial individual who even Washington's old allies have found challenging to handle. "This is a signal for us that it's difficult to deal with this person, that he's unreliable and unsuitable as a partner," Andrey Kortunov, head of the Russian International Affairs Council, a research group set up by the Kremlin, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. "Russian patience is coming to an end." The Buenos Aires disappointment for Russia came soon after the cancellation of yet another meeting in Paris which was scheduled on November 11. It was the third such instance in the last one year and each of them kept making the Kremlin more frustrated as the promised breakthrough in the relations between the two Cold War rivals remained elusive even after Trump spent almost two years in office. The US president also threatened to pull the US out of the INF Treaty with Russia, making the latter also opt for the confrontation course. G20 Summit: Moscow disappointed over cancellation of Trump-Putin talks The Russian side's disappointment was also explicit from its stance that a visit by Putin to Washington was "out of question". Trump had invited Putin to Washington during their summit in Helsinki in July. The next Trump-Putin meeting will only take place in Japan during the 2019 G20 summit in June. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 10:06 [IST] Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history: Donald Trump Trump mocks Macron over Paris protests; says climate deal not working out International oi-Shubham Ghosh Washington, Dec 9: US President Donald Trump made a fresh gibe at his favourite frenemy among allies - French counterpart Emmanuel Macron - over the continuing protests in Paris saying the violence indicated that the climate deal was not working out well for France. French PM calls for 'dialogue' after fresh 'yellow vest' protests In a tweet made on Saturday, December 8, Trump said in a tweet: "People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment". France was witnessing violent protests for the fourth weekend in a row over fuel tax hike and though the French government has abandoned the plan, the 'Yellow Jackets' protesters have now made into a broad movement against Macron who they have accused of overlooking the struggles of rural workers. The government has deployed a huge police force numbering almost a lakh personnel to deal with the protests. The Paris Agreement isnt working out so well for Paris. Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting We Want Trump! Love France. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 8, 2018 The US president, who has had a hot-and-cold relation with Macron in the past, also claimed the protesters in Paris were chanting "We want Trump!" He had retweeted a claim by conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this week saying there were pro-Trump slogans in Paris protests though news reports said that there was "no evidence" suggesting so. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, December 9, 2018, 14:27 [IST] Vijay Mallya has applied for another route to stay in the UK, says lawyer Vijay Mallya extradition case: UK court to pass judgement today International oi-Deepika S London, Dec 9: The Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Monday will deliver its verdict on whether beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya can be extradited to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to Rs 9,000 crore. A joint team of CBI and ED, led by CBI Joint Director A Sai Manohar, has left for the UK to attend the court proceedings. Earlier, special joint director Rakesh Asthana, who has been sent on leave, was leading the case. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. 'Please take the money, stop the narrative that I stole': Vijay Mallya He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is "politically motivated" and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. "I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Kingfisher Airlines. Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud," he said in his recent Twitter post on the issue. "I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it," he tweeted earlier. While dismissing that his intervention has anything to do with the extradition case, it came just days before Judge Emma Arbuthnot is expected to present her ruling in the case. SC notice to ED on Mallya's plea to remove 'fugitive' tag The trial, which opened at the Magistrates' Court on December 4 last year, has gone through a series of hearings beyond the initial seven days earmarked for it. It opened with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) team, led by Mark Summers, laying out the Indian government's prima facie case of fraud and money laundering against Mallya. Summers sought to establish a "blueprint of dishonesty" against the businessman and that there are no bars to his extradition on human rights grounds. Mallya's defence team, led by Clare Montgomery, deposed a series of experts in an attempt to prove that the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines' alleged default of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than "dishonest" and "fraudulent" activity by its owner. The court was also told that a consortium of Indian banks, led by State Bank of India (SBI), had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principal loan amount owed to them. While the CPS argued that Mallya never intended to repay the loans he sought in the first place because his airline's demise was inevitable, the defence tried to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the company's control. "There are clear signs that the banks seem to have gone against their own guidelines [in sanctioning some of the loans]," Judge Arbuthnot had noted during the course of the trial. In relation to the defence's attempts to dispute Indian prison conditions as a bar to Mallya's extradition on human rights grounds, the judge had indicated to the CPS that she did not require any further information in reference to the prison conditions awaiting Mallya at Barrack 12 of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail after seeking a video of the cell. "If the judge is satisfied that all of the procedural requirements are met, and that none of the statutory bars to extradition apply, he or she must send the case to the Secretary of State for a decision to be taken on whether to order extradition," explains Pavani Reddy, a UK-based legal expert and Managing Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. The judge's decision on whether to send Mallya's case to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid can be appealed with the UK High Court's permission, with the person to be extradited entitled to make an application for permission to appeal to the High Court within 14 days of the date of the Chief Magistrate's ruling. On the other hand, the Indian government would also have 14 days to file leave to appeal to the High Court, seeking permission to appeal against a decision not to extradite. "In case the concerned individual does not file an appeal, and Secretary of State agrees with the magistrate's decision, then the individual must be extradited from the UK within 28 days of the Home Secretary's extradition order. "This will also apply if an appeal lodged by either party in the High Court is unsuccessful, but the 28 days will commence from the date when the appeal hearing was concluded," said Reddy. If the judgment goes ahead as scheduled on Monday, it would mark a significant point in this high-profile extradition trial that has lasted over a year. OneIndia News (with PTI inputs) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 9) Lawmakers have called for the presence of Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to answer questions on the proposed 2019 national budget on Tuesday. In a statement Sunday, the House said Diokno will be grilled on the Question Hour, requiring his appearance and participation through House Resolution 2307. It mentioned that House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. already sent the proposed questions to Diokno. Minority Leader Danilo Suarez was quoted, saying Dioknos presence is important as issues regarding budget insertions arise, thereby raising the possibility of having a re-enacted budget for 2019." Earlier, Diokno maintained there will be no insertions into the proposed 3.757 trillion budget. The Supreme Court in 2013 ruled that pork was unconstitutional. However, Senator Panfilo Lacson recently asserted that there was pork in the 2019 budget approved by the House on final reading, amounting to P56.7 billion each congressman for his or her respective district. Andaya also said around P60 billion will be allocated for each lawmaker. Lacson said, of this amount, P2.4 billion is allocated for farm-to-market roads under House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos district alone. The Palace said Arroyo should be called to explain the budget realignments which appropriated that amount to her. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the President has the power to veto the supposed pork allocated to Arroyo in the budget if ruled unconstitutional. The House said this is the first time Congress will hold a Question Hour under Arroyos leadership. Question Hour is known as the period of confrontation initiated by the Legislative to hold the Executive department, particularly Cabinet Secretaries, accountable for their acts and the operation of the government. The House of Representatives is allowed to summon members of the Cabinet for inquiry on matters pertaining to their departments as per Article VI Section 22 of the Constitution and Rule XVII Section 124 of the House Rules of the 17th Congress. Energy Storage Market in US Forecast to 2024 | NextEra Energy Resources, Duke Energy Corporation, E.ON, Invenergy LLC, East Penn Manufacturing, Fluence, GE Power, Trane, Johnson Controls, LG Chem U.S. Energy Storage Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2952 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2952 https://www.gminsights.com Growing regulatory focus toward minimizing carbon emissions while increasing the share of renewables on the grid will drive the U.S. energy storage market size. Key states including California, Massachusetts, New York, and Oregon have adopted legally defined energy storage capacity to be integrated into the electric grid. In December 2017, the New York government introduced a new law mandating a state-wide energy storage deployment target of 1,500MW by 2025.Request for a sample of this research report @The U.S. residential energy storage market will witness robust expansion on account of increasing penetration of solar PV levels along with introduction of supportive policies and energy storage subsidies. California and Hawaii constitute the sizeable proportion of the overall residential energy storage sector in the country with fresh participation anticipated from Arizona and Massachusetts in the near term. The industry growth is further stimulated by growing implementation of time-of-use rates by utilities coupled with reduction in net metering compensation.Lithium ion energy storage market will witness growth on account of continued downturn in battery costs driven by enhanced manufacturing capacity. Li-ion batteries are utilized in a wide array of energy-storage applications, including residential systems with rooftop photovoltaic arrays and grid ancillary services amongst others. High charge/discharge efficiency and appreciable energy density are some of the key features that will continue to boost the technology adoption over the conventional counterparts.The U.S. utility energy storage market size will exceed USD 1.5 billion by 2024. Strengthening need to build a disruption-proof grid with the implementation of increased efficiency, resilience, and sustainability will favor the industry growth. Growing concerns over climate change and aging grid infrastructure will further favor the business scenario.Increasing share of renewables in the national grid facilitated by several fiscal incentives and ventures will stimulate the U.S. energy storage market size. The share of renewable in the California energy mix has been growing exponentially, thereby supporting the industry growth. In addition, legislative mandate to increase renewable generation to achieve emissions reductions targets will positively influence the industry outlook.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Key industry participants active in the U.S. energy storage market comprise Duke Energy, East Penn Manufacturing, E.ON, EDF Renewable Energy, GE Power, EnerVault, LG Chem, Fluence Energy, Invenergy, Johnson Controls, Tesla, SolarEdge, and ABB amongst others.About Global Market InsightsGlobal Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Contact Lenses Market Research Report Global Forecast 2018-25 Estimated with Top Key Players like: Johnson &Johnson Vision Care, Novartis, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb Contact Lenses https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/26998 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/enquiry_before_buying/26998 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/request_for_discount/26998 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/home/requested_sample/26998 https://www.upmarketresearch.com/buy/contact-lenses-market--research www.upmarketresearch.com UpMarketResearch published an exclusive report on Contact Lenses market delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 123 pages which highly exhibits on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability. This report focuses on the Contact Lenses 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, segments and application.Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Report @Contact Lenses Market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Contact Lenses global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 2018 - 2025.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For more information on this report, please visit:The following manufacturers are covered in this report: Johnson &Johnson Vision Care Novartis CooperVision Bausch + Lomb St.Shine Optical Menicon Hydron Weicon Bescon NEO Vision Clearlab Oculus Camax Seed Hoya CorpContact Lenses Production by Region North America Asia-Pacific Europe Central & South America Middle East & AfricaGet Best Discount On This Report @Global Contact Lenses Market: Product Segment Analysis Rigid Contact Lenses Hybrid Contact Lenses Soft Contact LensesContact Lenses Breakdown Data by Application Corrective Lenses Therapeutic Lenses Cosmetic Lenses and Lifestyle-Oriented Lenses OthersGet Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Report @The report categorizes the market into segments by companies, end-use, type and potential regions. 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The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Contact Lenses are as follows: History Year: 2013-2017 Base Year: 2017 Estimated Year: 2018 Forecast Year 2018 to 2025To buy this report please visit:Key Reasons to Purchase: To gain insightful analyses of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Contact Lenses Industry Analysis and Forecast 2018-2025 and its commercial landscape Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations To understand the future outlook and prospects for Contact Lenses market analysis and forecast 2018-2025.Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States Police have identified the man who was shot by four officers at a Northeast Portland Starbucks Friday night. Ryan J. Beisley, 34, had been shouting at employees at the coffee shop connected to the Hollywood District Fred Meyer when the workers went into had a backroom and locked themselves in to get away from him, police said. Officers responding to the incident shot him when they saw he had a gun in the store, a police spokesman said. The officers shot him again when he exited. He was taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening wounds that night. It was later discovered that Beisley had a federal warrant out for his arrest He was released from the hospital Saturday night and lodged at the Multnomah County Jail on a U.S. Marshal hold. Police did not say what the original charge was. Four Portland police officers are on paid administrative leave as the bureau investigates the incident. SUNDAY Dancing With the Stars: Juniors: Its a combination season finale and holiday special. (8 p.m. ABC) The Flash: The big, three-night Elseworlds crossover event begins. (8 p.m. The CW) MONDAY CMA Country Christmas: Reba McEntire hosts and performs in the annual holiday music special. (8 p.m. ABC) Arrow: The three-night Elseworlds crossover event continues. (8 p.m. The CW) TUESDAY Supergirl: Heres the finale of the three-night crossover. (8 p.m.T he CW) WEDNESDAY Americas Mississippi: The Heartland: A look at the central stretch of the Mississippi River, its land and wildlife. (8 p.m. Smithsonian Channel) Little Big Shots: A special holiday episode features host Steve Harvey and returning favorites, including Oregons own Instagram stars, Buddy and his Labradoodle, Reagan. (9 p.m. NBC) THURSDAY The Wine Show: Season 2 continues, with Matthew Goode and James Purefoy visiting the Camargue, as they search for just the right wine to complement the cheese course in their multi-course French lunch. (7 pm PT Ovation) FRIDAY I Love Lucy Christmas Special: Colorized episodes of the classic comedy return for another holiday showcase. This year features the return of The Christmas Episode, and a newly colorized episode, Pioneer Women. (8 p.m. CBS) The Dick Van Dyke Show -- Now in Living Color!: Another classic TV sitcom the colorized holiday treatment. The two episode featured are Where Did I Come From? in which Rob (Dick Van Dyke) and Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) recall Little Richies birth, and one of my favorites, Never Bathe on Saturday, in which Laura gets her toe stuck in a bath tub spout on a supposedly romantic getaway. (9 p.m. CBS) SATURDAY Saturday Night Live: Matt Damon hosts, with Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus as musical guests. (8:29 p.m. NBC) The family of a man who was fatally shot by police in a southern Oregon Carls Jr. earlier this year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Eagle Point, its police department and the officer who fired the gun. Matthew Graves, 33, died in September. Officer Daniel Cardenas followed Graves, who had schizophrenia, into a Carls Jr. bathroom in the southern Oregon town. Cardenas shot Graves in the back twice after a 90-second dispute. Michael and Vikki Graves filed the suit at the U.S. District Court in Medford on Dec. 6, two days after the release of transcripts from a grand jury trial that ruled Cardenas was legally justified in shooting Matthew Graves. But the family contends the Eagle Point officer didnt do enough to de-escalate an exchange between the two men in the moments leading to Matthew Graves death. The suit also alleges the city and police department did not properly train Cardenas in lawful stops, lawful arrests, how to deal with persons having mental impairments, and the lawful limits of the use of force. The family also wants Eagle Point police to purchase Tasers in brighter colors. They say the departments stun guns look too much like real firearms Cardenas shot Graves only after his partner saw him holding what he thought was a gun. It was actually a Taser that Graves somehow got hold of during the scuffle. He was calm that day Michael Graves told a grand jury in October that his son, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2012, was a non-violent person. He was not aggressive. He was calm that day, Michael Graves said. It wasnt he wasnt agitated. He was just going down there to get his hamburgers for dinner. Matthew Graves would walk to the Carls Jr. in Eagle Point from the familys home a couple of miles away a few times a week, his father told the grand jury. Matthew Graves lived with his parents, typically doing the grocery shopping while his mom waited in the car and helping Vikki Graves raise kittens. That day, Michael Graves said, his son wanted a hamburger for dinner. According to body camera footage and statements Cardenas made during the trial, Matthew Graves first caught the officers attention as the 33-year-old man tried to cross Crater Lake Highway just after 8:45 p.m. Sept. 19. Cardenas said he had to slow his patrol car as Graves entered the street. The light was green for Cardenas and red for Graves, the officer told the grand jury. Graves jumped back onto the sidewalk. But when Cardenas put his foot on the gas pedal, Graves walked into the road again. Cardenas passed through the intersection, then made a U-turn to speak with Graves. Youre not stopping me, Cardenas recalled Graves saying as he walked away. Cardenas called for backup and followed Graves. I dont want to lose sight of peoples hands The officer repeatedly told the grand jury he was confused by Graves actions. Cardenas also said there are only four reasons, in his experience, people walk away from him. Person either has a warrant; person has drugs on them; people have a concealed weapon they are not supposed to have; and/or they just committed a crime, he told the grand jury. Cardenas got out of his patrol car when Graves reached the Carls Jr. He followed Graves into the restaurant and drew his gun. Hed lost sight of Graves for one to two seconds, Cardenas said. He was also afraid Graves would barricade himself in the restaurant. In our training, its always repeated to us, Its the hands that kill you, Cardenas told the grand jury. If you lose sight like I dont want to lose sight of peoples hands. Thats when they start grabbing things and going for whatever they have concealed or dumping whatever they have. Get on the ground or youre gonna get Tased Cardenas entered the restroom to find Graves washing his hands. The action threw him off, Cardenas said, telling the grand jury thats not normal behavior. People dont do that when they have a gun pointed at them, at least in my experience, he said. Body camera footage shows Cardenas nudging the door open with his flashlight. As Graves dries his hands with a paper towel, Cardenas holsters his gun and pulls out a Taser after hed seen Graves was unarmed. The danger starts to go down, but the hairs are still standing up because thats not normal behavior, Cardenas told the grand jury. Graves tries to leave the restroom and Cardenas tells him to get on the ground or youre gonna get Tased. The two go back and forth for a few seconds. Cardenas said he knew his backup, Officer Clarence Davis, was on his way. Cardenas told the grand jury he wanted to keep Graves in the bathroom because he thought someone a Carls Jr. employee or maybe a customer would try to help if the altercation spilled into the dining area. The thing about Eagle Point is our community likes to get involved, and its not a bad thing, Cardenas said. Its to our benefit at times. Davis arrives, but when Graves tries to move past the two officers, Cardenas fires the stun gun. Graves backs into a stall and returns, walking toward Cardenas as the officer shouts for him to get on the ground. As the officers enter the bathroom, Davis tells Graves to turn around. Then, body camera footage shows, Graves tries to lunge past the two men. Davis said he was struck on the side of the head and that the blow rang my bell a little bit. The officers wrestle Graves to the ground. Thats when, Davis said, he saw Graves clutching what he thought was a gun. I remember looking at it and thinking as it was coming up, thinking, Oh, God. This is going to hurt. At least I have my vest on, he said. It happens in four seconds. Davis shouts: He has a gun. He has a gun? Cardenas replies. He has a gun. Davis repeats. A rapid rattling sound fills the room. And then gunshots. Davis told the grand jury he grabbed an object in Graves hands during the struggle. It went off as Davis snatched it.But it wasnt until he felt a zapping sensation that Davis realized Graves didnt have a firearm. It was a Taser. By then, Cardenas had shot Graves twice in the back. The officers called for help. When it arrived, they picked Graves up and took him to the sidewalk outside the restaurant. The familys lawsuit alleges the move exacerbated Graves wounds, contributing to his death. Cardenas told the grand jury he never considered that Graves might have had a mental illness. All I can think is, this guy is pissed off, Cardenas said. But Michael Graves said his son would not knowingly escalate things with the officer. He told the grand jury Matthew Graves just wanted to be left alone. Thats what he would have wanted, just so he could get his hamburger and come home, Michael Graves told the Grand Jury. Updated, 10:29 p.m.: Police have also identified the suspect as Ryan J. Beisley, 34 Police have released the names of the four officers placed on administrative leave following the shooting of a man with a federal warrant Friday at a Northeast Portland Starbucks. Officers Lucas Brostean, Dustin Lauitzon, John Sapper and John Shadron will remain on leave as the Portland Police Bureau investigates the incident and the case is presented to a grand jury. The 34-year-old man shot by the officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is being treated at a local hospital, police said in a release. Police said Beisley is a Federal fugitive wanted for escape. The four officers opened fire on the man at the Starbucks attached to the Fred Meyer at 3030 N.E. Weidler St. in the Hollywood District just after 5:05 p.m. Friday. Police seized a gun that was believed to belong to the wounded man, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said. He told reporters Friday it wasnt clear if the gun was fired or if had been confirmed as real or a replica. Nobody was injured during the altercation. Police taped off parts of the parking lot in the shopping complex Friday. Simpson said the wounded man had earlier yelled at Starbucks employees, then went behind the counter, which prompted the workers to hide in a back room and lock the door. The man tried to get inside the room, and employees called 911. Officers saw the man had a gun when they arrived, Simpson said, which prompted them to shoot at him inside the Starbucks. He was shot at again upon exiting the coffee shop and fell after he was hit. The man was taken to a local hospital for his non-life-threatening injuries. Police did not provide details about his federal case. Its easy to daydream about all the ways the state could use an extra $2 billion for education a longer school year for K-12 students, mental health counselors in high schools and more grant money for low-income students to attend Oregon community college and universities. High quality early-learning programs to help prepare disadvantaged kids for school. Training and support for teachers facing increasingly complex classroom dynamics. These are all real needs on a distressingly long wish list. The problem with all that mental spending is that theres no guarantee that Oregon will have a single extra penny to put toward education. While Gov. Kate Brown called for the massive cash infusion to resuscitate Oregons educational system, she didnt provide any ideas on how to raise it. Although business leaders back increased education spending in theory, their support will hinge on how that money is raised. And even with Democratic supermajorities in the Oregon House and Senate, any new taxes face the risk that voters could seek to overturn them. This funding challenge is complicated by the fact that the governor is proposing another $700 million in taxes and fees for the states share of Medicaid costs. Legislators are teeing up a carbon pricing plan that may hike costs for businesses and consumers. And leaders are seeking these increases at a time when the state is already collecting more money from taxpayers than ever before current estimates project the state will bring in about $1 billion more in 2019-2021 than the previous biennium without changing a thing. All of which is to say that big goals even shared ones like transforming education require a big coalition and compromises all the way around from businesses, public employee unions and Oregonians. A few precepts are worth highlighting: Dont bet on $2 billion in new education money. While the state could use every cent of it, its still a huge sum 9 percent of the record-high general fund revenue projected for the coming biennium. Its already going to be logistically and politically challenging to craft a new corporate tax that considers variances in profitability, corporate structure and other complexities without killing business or shifting too much of the burden onto Oregonians a concern of Browns. Add on possible climate-change fees and the proposed Medicaid taxes and the difficulty of securing that amount of new money increases exponentially. But Oregon still needs to invest big in education. That Oregons K-12 education system could be struggling so profoundly to educate and graduate students in this time of record wealth is an indictment of Oregons priorities and leadership. That said, there seems to be broad agreement by Brown, legislative leaders, businesses and the community that we cant wait any longer. Look to the bipartisan committee on student success, a team of legislative heavy-hitters created by Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek, to lead the way in identifying how Oregon should proceed to improve its K-12 education system. Those investments must also carry on through higher education, however, particularly in containing tuition increases and giving low-income students the financial help they need. Significant reforms to curb Public Employees Retirement System obligations and other cost controls must be a priority for this session. Public employers will be paying $4 billion to the PERS fund in the coming budget cycle, with costs escalating in future biennia. But thats not the only problem. As The Oregonian/OregonLives Ted Sickinger reported, poor investment returns so far this year could boost the current $22 billion unfunded liability to a staggering $26 billion. Depending on what happens in 2019, that could trigger even higher increases in future contributions to the fund that could wipe out any additional tax revenue meant to help education. At the annual Oregon Leadership Summit last week in Portland, business leaders presented a number of promising ways to legally and significantly curb the PERS problem. Elected officials should seriously consider them. This hole is only getting deeper, and state leaders cannot in good conscience ignore the financial peril Oregon is in from this budget-breaking debt. Besides, its hard to imagine voters enthusiastically supporting new taxes if the money will simply go straight to the bottomless PERS pit. A supermajority is an opportunity for leadership. Certainly, Brown and legislative leaders can use their partys supermajorities to ram through any number of revenue-raising measures. But they can best serve and unify the state by heeding concerns of Republican legislators and their constituents, many of whom live in rural parts of Oregon struggling with child hunger, entrenched poverty and limited economic growth. Bipartisan coalitions, as seen in the legislative transportation committee that produced the $5.3 billion transportation package in 2017, wield a credibility that cant be underestimated and can help insulate new taxes from a voter referendum. -Helen Jung for The Oregonian/OregonLIve Editorial Board By Karolyn Adamson People from all over the United States and the world come to visit the Oregon coast. I live in Cannon Beach and small coastal towns like mine -- with a population of 1,710 -- can expect tens of thousands of visitors on any given day. Tourism provides benefits, including thriving businesses, support for the arts community, a vibrant restaurant scene and the pleasure of interacting with people from other places. But with the rewards come costs and responsibilities. The newest responsibility is preparing for a Cascadia earthquake and tsunami event. Evacuation routes, medical supplies, helicopter landing sites and, in our case, a new or retrofitted bridge on Oregon Highway 101 that will survive the earthquake so that our downtown area can be evacuated quickly. Currently, the time it takes to evacuate the downtown area is about 20 minutes. Twenty minutes is on the outside of the tsunami arrival time of 15 to 20 minutes -- and it assumes you are not elderly, disabled or caring for children. That is not acceptable when lives are at stake. We could manage our own population over time. But for thousands more, its a heavy lift, especially when almost 75 percent of our budget relies on lodging taxes. In 2003, the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association successfully lobbied the Oregon Legislature to dedicate 70 percent of collected lodging taxes on efforts to attract more visitors to places like our coast for overnight stays. Prior to that, the city had been able to use the tax to bolster its budget, support community services and finance certain government-mandated but unfunded projects, such as a water filtration plant. As the new policy took effect, the majority of that income source went away. The lodging industry has long complained that they receive no benefit from the lodging taxes collected from their customers. Lets examine that premise. Visitors use local parks, restrooms, beach accesses, lifeguard and police services, public art and interpretive signs meant to inform and impart the areas history. Small coastal cities have made costly investments to accommodate visitors and the businesses that serve them. Visitors may not be aware of the outsized water and wastewater systems -- ours is built to serve a city of 10,000, not 1,710 -- that would not be necessary without large numbers of visitors year-round. In order to serve a small city with large numbers of visitors, 24-hour law enforcement coverage is necessary, meaning more officers and equipment are needed. Our public works department is similarly staffed to manage and maintain the large utility systems. Without the enhanced systems, many hotels would not exist because smaller systems could not accommodate their needs. Development moratoriums could have been imposed on existing motel expansions and the building of new hotels and restaurants. Over the years, these costs have been met through bonds, federal and state grants, city taxes and lodging taxes. In a recent budget cycle, my city paid nearly $400,000 to the chamber of commerce for efforts to bring more people to the coast. But, what about their safety? That money could have gone a long way toward building that bridge we need. As our small coastal towns make improvements and plan for natural disasters, we may need more frequent and higher increases in the lodging tax to generate the resources needed. The citizens of our small towns cannot -- and should not -- be expected to carry the burden of all of the investments made over many years to sustain a lively and viable economic present and future for our businesses, residents and visitors. -- Karolyn Adamson lives in Cannon Beach. Oregons Public Employees Retirement System assumed investments return is 7.2 percent (PERS Q&A: Any chance of pension reforms in 2019 and if so what?, Dec. 3). The stock market has dropped considerably in December. The systems unfunded liability could grow to $26 billion. Legislative leaders have indicated they will not address this issue. Gov. Kate Brown shuns this subject like a plate of romaine lettuce. Draconian measures must be taken soon. All PERS-covered employees should be required to pay six percent of their salaries into the system. All recipients should have their benefits cut by 50 percent -- but this will never be done and Oregons financial future will be bleak indeed. Allen Nesbitt, Portland Letter writer Gene Forsythe from Canby (Lazy, unintended budgetary consequences, Dec. 3) was apparently mislead at some point by stating Oregon Lottery funds were intended to fund educational programs in Oregon. Such an erroneous statement, as one knows, is perpetuated by the readers. Today, some of the funds are designated for educational purposes, but in the initial voter approved statewide lottery, the funds were designated for economic recovery and nothing else. If one would read the financial reports of the early lottery payments, they would find some very questionable funding, and very little -- if any -- substantial connection to economic progress in our state. Paul Nys, Rainier Three years before the impoundment of Cliven Bundys cattle turned into an armed confrontation between anti-government groups and federal agents, the FBI made an assessment that the Nevada rancher personally was unlikely to be violent in the event of conflict. The agency suggested a novel solution to Bundys 20 years of unpaid bills, one designed to put the dispute to rest: drop the fines he owed altogether. The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, based in Quantico, Virginia, determined in 2011 that the rancher was unlikely to comply with federal court orders to move his 900 animals off federal land, where they had been illegally grazing, because "he only has enough land to handle less than 100 head of cattle." Though the Bureau of Land Management was concerned that allowing Bundy to avoid paying federal grazing fees and fines could lead to violence, the FBI thought otherwise. "BLM may wish to consider waiving the existing fines, as a gesture of willingness to participate in discussions geared toward negotiations," the FBI wrote in the classified analysis, obtained by The Washington Post. The unit concluded that any alternatives the government could offer Bundy might reduce the rancher's stress and "in turn, reduce the risk of a violent act." The government did not heed that advice. In April 2014, when BLM officers attempted to take possession of Bundy's cattle, they were met by the gun barrels of hundreds of protesters and militia members who had come to Bundy's aid in the desert. That, in turn, gave momentum to anti-government militias in the west and spawned conflicts such as the deadly standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January 2016. The FBI's threat assessment was one of several pieces of evidence that led to a mistrial of Bundy and his sons Ammon and Ryan, a case that centered on their actions during the standoff. A judge ruled that the FBI document, as well as threat assessments conducted by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and the Southern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center (SNCTC), were improperly kept from the defendants during discovery. The FBI report shows that the agency saw Bundy's disavowal of federal authority in Nevada as in line with his affiliation with the Patriot Movement - a group "centered on a belief that individual liberties are in jeopardy due to unconstitutional actions taken by federal government officials, to illegally accumulate power and control over U.S. land," it reads. But the report also noted that he didn't want the situation to come to a head: "He mentioned on several occasions that he wanted to avoid violence if possible, and stated 'I'm not figuring on hurting anybody, and I don't want any of my friends to get hurt over a damn cow either.' " While the FBI wrote in its report that it didn't conclude that Bundy would become violent, it did consider him to be paranoid. "He appears to believe that many individuals or organizations are aligned against him in a grand conspiracy to infringe upon his perceived constitutional rights," the report said. The FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit declined to comment on the assessment due to the potential for more litigation related to the case, a bureau spokeswoman said. The Nevada assessment, in March 2012, echoed that concern, saying that he suspected the government was going to "wipe him out after the incidents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas, and that the only reason this did not occur was because of the Oklahoma City bombing." Other agencies that conducted threat assessments concurred that while the elder Bundy wouldn't be violent, his eldest son, Ryan, might be. A memorandum detailing a February 2014 meeting between Las Vegas Sheriff Doug Gillespie, Cliven Bundy and several of his children to discuss an impoundment of the cattle said that Ryan Bundy "stated that they were not going to let this happen and they would do whatever is necessary to protect their father's property." "The Sheriff realized there would be no reasoning with Ryan," the memo said. "If anyone in the family would be involved in a confrontation with the BLM or contractor it would probably be Ryan." Cliven Bundy did not respond to requests for comment. Ryan Bundy also declined to comment fully, saying only that such reports and findings are part of a smear campaign against his family that is "dishonest and misleading" and full of "lies." In an interview Saturday, Ammon Bundy said the family has long been frustrated that there is a narrative about violence associated with them, alleging that the BLM has been provoking the Bundys to react violently as part of a strategy to display power and authority. "Never once were we ever violent, never once were we professing violence or acting violent," Ammon Bundy said. "And yet they continue to go with the narrative that we were violent." Bob Abbey, who served as director of the BLM when the assessments were conducted, said he cannot recall anyone suggesting Bundy was not a threat or that the government should waive Bundy's fines. "If that's true, that message was never communicated to me when I was director of the BLM," he said. "We would have certainly taken into account what the FBI had recommended. But, again, none of that information was shared with me." Before helming the federal land management agency, Abbey also served as the BLM's Nevada state director - and when he left that post, he says Bundy was the only rancher with trespassing cattle in the state. "Cliven Bundy was always confrontational. He had strong beliefs that his philosophy was based upon the United States Constitution and the federal government had absolutely no legit role to play in natural resource management, and had no authority for owning and managing public lands," Abbey said. The Nevada terrorism center's threat assessment found widespread support for the Bundy family and its beliefs about the federal government. "Mr. Bundy believes the BLM's actions have nothing to do with cattle or the desert tortoise, but rather that it is an attempt by the federal government to take land from the state and the citizens who live there," the report says. "This sentiment is held by almost every individual who was interviewed." Cliven Bundy, now 72, inherited his 160-acre ranch from his father, David Bundy, who legally grazed his cattle on the federal lands surrounding the desert ranch with the use of a grazing permit. Those public lands now include Gold Butte National Monument, which is filled with cultural artifacts, and sensitive desert areas where threatened tortoise species live and water and food is scarce. But by the 1990s, when Cliven Bundy took the reins of the operation, those grazing permits went unpaid and eventually expired. Cliven Bundy became active in the states' rights movement and clung to Sagebrush Rebellion-era leaders who advocated for federal lands to be transferred back to the states. He often claims that his family holds "ancestral" rights to the public land. In late August 2018, his lawyers filed a lawsuit asking for a judge to declare federal lands within the state as property of Nevada. The Bundy family often says it will do "whatever it takes" to keep its cattle on public land, and the Nevada terrorism report saw that as a veiled threat of violence - even if Cliven Bundy, himself, was not violent: "Several individuals stated that they would not initiate any violent actions against BLM personnel, but they would defend themselves and return fire if fired upon," it read. "Additionally, a couple of Mr. Bundy's relatives stated that they would do anything asked of them, including taking up arms." The Nevada officials anticipated that resistance to a cattle impoundment on Bundy Ranch could take the form of organized protests - which did, in fact, occur in the days before the Bundy Ranch standoff. But when a video of Ammon Bundy being tased by BLM agents went viral, it served as a recruitment video that attracted anti-government groups from around the country. Authorities saw that coming, too, according to the Nevada report: "There is the potential that the use of a nonlethal weapon or instrument could be misinterpreted as being fired upon and quickly escalate the violence of any confrontation." In its report, Nevada authorities wondered why it took 20 years to impound Cliven Bundy's cattle - something Abbey said was the result of state budgeting. He said the Bundy impoundment was estimated to cost up to $1 million, and take as long as 30 days, involving several agencies and requiring helicopters and enough staff to capture the herd. That all comes out of the state budget, Abbey said, money that could be used to rehabilitate public lands after wildfires rage across the western landscape. Today, Cliven Bundy continues to graze his herd across public lands without a permit. Abbey said that is "an action that can no longer been ignored." Ammon Bundy said Saturday that his father has been right all along - not paranoid, as the government suggested - noting that federal authorities came after him exactly as he thought they would, leading to the standoff. Would the Bundys support another standoff or federal lands occupation? "I certainly would if there was an individual or family that I felt would benefit from it," Ammon Bundy said. -- The Washington Post Halestorm, a central Pennsylvania hard rock band, has been nominated for Best Rock Performance in the 2019 Grammys for its song Uncomfortable. The band, which began in Red Lion in 1997, won its first Grammy in 2012 in the category of Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance for Love Bites (So Do I). Frontwoman Lzzy Hale told the Associated Press in July that the group takes the criticism it gets in stride. Were on our fourth record on a major label and we won a Grammy Award, and theres this misconception that youve had the success and therefore it gets easier, Hale, 34, said at the time. "It really doesnt because youve put so much out in the world and youre like, OK, whats next? According to that story, their new album Vicious, was the result of much of experimentation in a Nashville, Tennessee studio working with acclaimed rock producer Nick Raskulinecz. Hale and her brother Arejay Hale, Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith have been performing together for more than 15 years and Raskulinecz wanted to capture that live sound as much as possible, the story said. PennLive writer Julia Hatmaker talked to Hale in this January 2013 Q&A, one of a series of stories that included this timeline of Halestorms long career as a band. Another central Pa. music act, The Travelin' McCourys, were nominated for Best Blue Grass Album, according to a story on ydr.com. Band members Rob and Ronnie McCoury were born in York County. Their father, bluegrass legend Del McCoury, is from York. He received a National Heritage Fellowship lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2010 and was elected into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame a year later. Just over a month after the shooting in which 11 people were killed and seven were injured at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, police are investigating the distribution of hate-filled material through the city. These anti-Semitic pamphlets were spread through numerous neighborhoods, including Squirrel Hill, which is home to the synagogue, KDKA is reporting. Such hate-filled material will not be tolerated in Pittsburgh not by residents, city officials, nor law enforcement, police said in a press release Saturday. Officials said the case is under investigation. On Oct. 27, 11 people were killed when investigators say 46-year-old Robert Bowres opened fire inside the Tree of Life Synagogue. Pittsburgh is and will remain stronger than hate, police said. Accused of overpowering a girl in a dorm room before sexually assaulting her, a Gettysburg College student now faces criminal charges, according to a report from the Hanover Evening Sun. Kyle A. Schnellbacher, 18, of Bergen County, New Jersey is accused of assaulting the minor on Oct. 24 in his dorm room, according to the Evening Sun. The Evening Sun reported that police said Schnellbacher overpowered the girl, who told him to stop and tried to leave the dorm room. The girl later provided police with screenshots of text messaging conversations between her and Schnellbacher, in which he acknowledged that he knew she had asked him to stop, according to the Evening Sun, which cited police. Police said Schnellbacher later confessed to committing the assault, the Evening Sun reported. Online court documents show that Schnellbacher faces a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault without consent. Schnellbacher is free from prison after posting 10 percent of $50,000 bail, according to online court documents. He is to appear for a formal arraignment at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 20. A man was found dead of an overdose in a hotel room in July, and now, police have charged the Harrisburg man they say supplied the drugs. Tyrell C. Coates Jr., 32, is facing one count of drug delivery resulting in death. According to the Lower Paxton Township police, officers were called to a hotel on the 1000 block of Briarsdale Road for a report of an unresponsive male. They found the man was dead, and an autopsy later revealed he died of a drug overdose. The department investigated with the help of the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office and the Dauphin County Drug Task Force, which resulted in the charge being filed against Coates. Coates, police say, was already in Dauphin County Prison on unrelated charges. He is set for a preliminary hearing Dec. 19. The pilot of a single-engine airplane that crashed Saturday in Lebanon County was taken to an area hospital with injuries, according to authorities. The manager of a nearby airport speculated that a combination of windy weather and a missed landing approach likely contributed to the crash. A Cessna 210 aircraft crashed into a field about a half mile from Deck Airport in the Myerstown area, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Rick Breitenfeldt. The crash happened about 1:15 p.m., and only the pilot was on the plane, Breitenfeldt said. The field where the plane crashed was in Jackson Township, according to a trooper answering phones at state polices Jonestown station. The pilot was taken from the scene to Hershey Medical Center to receive treatment for injuries suffered in the crash, the trooper said. The trooper did not identify the pilot or disclose the severity of his injuries. Breitenfeldt did not respond to questions about what may have caused the plane to crash. He also did not answer questions about where the plane departed from or where it was heading. Gary Deck Sr., manager of Deck Airport, said the plane had departed earlier Saturday from Smoketown Airport in Lancaster County. The pilot was attempting to land at Deck Airport at the time of the crash, Deck said. But the pilots landing approach was flawed, Deck said, guessing that windy weather conditions may have played a part in that missed approach. It was gusting pretty severely, he said. After the missed approach, the pilot pulled back up into the air before making a sharp turn, Deck said, adding that he watched the aircraft and was startled by the maneuver. I was like, Dude, what are you doing?'" Deck said. Deck said he was the first one to arrive at the crash site and described a gruesome scene. Deck said the injured pilot was flown from the crash site by a helicopter. An FAA investigation continues, according to Breitenfeldt. A 15-year-old boy is dead after police say a 19-year-old attempted to clear the chamber of a gun, but fired it instead. Zach Mulford had gone to his friends house to visit early Saturday on North Liberty Street in New Castle, WTAE is reporting. When he and another friend knocked on the door, police say Kyle Harris answered, holding a gun, according to reports. When Harris realized who it was, he removed the magazine from the gun, and as he cleared the chamber, the gun went off, hitting Mulford, reports indicate. Harris fled, but turned himself in to police later that day, reports indicate. He is now facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and receiving stolen property. Stacy Mulford, Zachs mother, told WTAE her son loved to draw, was in the band at school and was excited for the future. "Now we have to bury our child that had his whole future planned out," Mulford said. "It's not something we should have to do." A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with the funeral expenses. The world joined us as we mourned the passing of our 41st president, George H.W. Bush, this week. While every nation has its own ceremonies for laying to rest its fallen leaders, the rites and rituals that we observe are a wonder to behold. We show the world who we are and what we aspire to be. Its one of the things we do magnificently. The journey to Washington, D.C., the hours of lying in state in the Capitol, the massive state funeral at Washington National Cathedral, the return to Texas aboard Air Force One and special train ride to his final resting place were all choreographed to blend traditions as old as the nation with the personal touches that President Bush himself wanted. Presidential funerals are planned with incredible detail and precision, far in advance of the passing of the commander-in-chief. Generally, they are done early in the days of every presidents administration. For George H.W. Bush, the proceedings were steeped in centuries-old tradition, combining elements inserted by President Bush himself that reflected his unique character and style. Like the last two presidents who passed away before him, he was taken to the National Cathedral for a state funeral rich in tradition, pomp and ceremony. Unlike President Reagan, whose casket traveled on a ceremonial horse-drawn carriage followed by a riderless horse with Reagans boots inserted backwards in the stirrups, Bush opted for a hearse. Reagan was a Westerner who was known for his love of horses and his riding ability. Although Bush hailed from Texas, he was still an Easterner who valued speed and efficiency. With all of the ceremonial trappings a nation can provide, President Bush was wearing non-somber socks depicting fighter planes, a remembrance of his service to the nation during the Second World War, when he was shot down in the Pacific while flying a torpedo bombing raid. President Bushs casket was laid on the Lincoln catafalque, constructed over a century and a half ago to support the casket of the assassinated president. The simple frame of rough pine boards was hastily nailed together after the shooting of Lincoln. It was largely unused by presidents after Lincolns funeral until Jacqueline Kennedy had her husbands casket placed on it. Since that time six of eight presidents, including Bush, have been placed on it. Only Harry Truman, who requested that he not lie in state, and Richard Nixon were not. The humble box, shrouded in black, has also borne the bodies of Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justices Warren, Burger and Rehnquist, and, most recently, Justice Antonio Scalia. It has also been used by members of Congress, the last of which was Sen. John McCain. For years the catafalque was housed in the bowels of the Capitol, two stories beneath the Rotunda in a crypt intended for George and Martha Washington, but never used as they opted to be buried at Mount Vernon. It was inaccessible to the public. However, it has now been moved to the Capitol Visitors Center where it can be viewed in a place of honor. The national ceremonies are about the office of president as much as they are about the man who occupied it. But they are also an opportunity to memorialize our former leader and to celebrate an American life. For George H.W. Bush, there was much to celebrate. As his closest friend, Jim Baker, who was with him when he passed, succinctly summarized, He was a charter member of the greatest generation. His was a life of service, graciousness, kindness, leadership and a unique ability to bring others together. His life is honored for his many accomplishments, in the military, business, Congress, the diplomatic corps, as vice president, president, and beyond. All of it centered on his character. The respect President Bush received from such a wide array of Americans was born of the respect he had for all. He showed how to bridge partisan and personal divides, how to focus on others rather than self, how to work for the common good and how to make America great by celebrating those things that unite us. What more lasting image is there than that of 95-year-old Bob Dole being lifted from his wheelchair to deliver a final salute to his once bitter political rival? The week brought hours of discussion about George H.W. Bushs legacy, a word he eschewed, and the example he set for bringing people together. The greatest tribute, and the one hed like the most, will be for each of us to work to assure that his unifying leadership is emulated long after hes been laid to rest. PennLive Opinion contributor Charlie Gerow is CEO of Quantum Communications in Harrisburg. His Donkeys & Elephants column appears weekly opposite progressive commentator Kirstin Snow. The Life of a Backpacker in Asia in the 1970s Story and photos by Kevin Kelly In an adapted excerpt from an interview on the Deviate podcast with Rolf Potts, a writer and speaker best known as a futurist talks about his early travel years in Asia, when backpacking meant cutting yourself off almost completely from the home you left. Growing up in the 1960s in New Jersey was very parochial. Before I went traveling later, I had never eaten Chinese food in my life, I had never held chopsticks. But a friend of my father's was living in Japan and I would listen to his exotic stories when he visited and his life there seemed so interesting. But I never really dreamed of going. The only other window I really had into the world beyond was National Geographic magazine. I became interested in photography in high school because I was kind of a science nerd. It seemed like a beautiful convergence of art and technology. At that time in the sixties the only way to do photography was to develop and print photos yourself, to go into the darkroom and mess with the chemicals. Photography was esoteric in the sense that there was a lot of information you had to master. Cameras were not automatic so you had to learn the system. I really got into photography in 1970 and spent a lot time in the darkroom then. My first impetus to want to travel was reading Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grassan ode to the diversity of geography. After that I suddenly got this urge to travel, something I had never really had before. Then a friend of mine told me he was moving to Taiwan for a while and invited me to come visit him there. So then I concocted a plan to take photographs in Taiwan and Japan because my father's friend had a contact for me in Japan also. I knew nothing about Asia, or even travelling; I had never even been out of New England. I knew nothing about what to expect. I went to the bookstores and it was really hard to find any information. There were these Fodor's guidebooks for people who had a lot of money. I didn't have any money. They barely covered places like Taiwan, so these books weren't of any use to me. There was no internet, of course, and the libraries didn't have much. I travelled kind of blindly because I had to. I started getting this idea that maybe I should be a National Geographic photographer so I actually called up the National Geographic office and asked for the photo editor. I was about 18 years old. I had looked at the masthead and got a name, so I called up and asked to speak to him. The guy took my call, I told him about my going to Taiwan and Japan, and asked him if he needed any photos from there. He patiently said, "Well, that's not really how it works. But show me what you've got when you get back and we'll see if any of it's worthwhile." (True to his word, he did take a look later, but I never got published there.) Thinking back it's sort of remarkable. When I was in Taiwan I came across very few other travelers. Taiwan at that time had almost no English translation anywhere. This was in the early seventies and it was similar to China in that respect. It was like I had discovered a secret world. It was very frustrating for me as someone who didn't speak Chinese or read Chinese just finding hotels because to start with there just weren't many apart from business hotels. There were no signs I could read and so I was trying to learn this character for hotel, but sometimes it was more than one character. Often they didn't look like hotels, there was just something like a garage door on the street, and then often they often didn't take foreigners. So just finding a place to sleep was actually a big deal for me as I was trying traveling around. Eventually while I was still in Taiwan, my first foreign country, I encountered these two Swiss guys who were traveling and they were describing their recent adventures going through Indonesia and India and I asked, "Wait, you mean you can just go there? You just buy a ticket and go? And they said, "Yeah you just you just go there." Then of course I asked, "Well...how do you get around? How do you know where to go? They said, "You just go and ask around." Then they were raving about the Philippines, where they had just come from, because you could get by with English. "It's just a couple hours away by flight and the fare is really cheap. You should go!" And I thought yes, I should go. I wanted to take a break from this struggle of trying to get around in Taiwan with the language barrier so I actually bought a ticket to the Philippines a week later. It was very cheap. When I got on the plane. I had nothing. I mean I had zero information. I had no guidebook, no contacts, no addresses. I didn't know anything about the country. I remember sitting there on the plane and there was a little map in the back of the seat and I thought to myself, "Wow, there are a lot of islands down here." I arrived in Manila at the airport and I didn't even know where to go. There were families meeting other people at the airport and one of them threw a little garland of flowers around me. I was asking them, "Are there hotels here in Manila? Where should I go?" I didn't have a single scrap of advance guidance. They told me to get a jeepney into the city and showed me how, so I took a jeepney from the airport and then I was walking around, seeing if I could find a hotel. I just would get a map and try to figure everything out. Well, there's a ferry here, let's see what time the ferries go. The absence of information sounds almost unbelievable to us now but that really was the state of affairs at that time and the solution was just to ask. That's easier in a place where they speak English. Asking in places like Taiwan was frustrating, it was work. There was a little bit of anxiety every day. Will I be able to find a place? I was writing down characters, trying to translate signs. In India, Burma, places like that it was a lot easier, but in Japan it was a constant struggle to communicate and find things. Very little was in English. The standard way to deal with money then was travelers checks. To cash them you had to go to a bank. Not just any bank, but a special bank, and those were usually in the biggest cities. It was always a big ritual, a lot of bureacracy, standing in different lines. That worked pretty well at the time. I would carry a few hundred dollars of cash at any given time and that continued through the 80s. You had to pace yourself with what you had and make sure you didn't run out. This was way before the internet, of course, and you couldn't make phone calls that weren't prohibitively expensive. So the way you stayed in touch was you sent aerograms. These were single thin sheets of paper that you folded up a certain way after you wrote on one side and you could send a letter to someone fairly cheaply. You would then collect mail by telling people ahead of time that you were going to Burma and they should send a letter to you post restante in Rangoon. Then in the main post office in Rangoon there would just be trays and trays of mail, these long trays, full of letters from abroad addressed to different people. There were hundreds, sometimes thousands of envelopes. Often they weren't in any order, so you just had to flip through them all to see if there was anything addressed to you. You could write a letter to anyone, anywhere in the world, and send it to post restante in that city. Japan was very expensive, even then, so I hitchhiked through Japan and stayed in youth hostels. They offered an all-you-can-eat breakfast and dinner. Granted, hostel meals were white rice, miso soup, some pickles and maybe an egg, but that was enough to keep me going most of the time. Then I'd try to find a noodle shop I could afford now and then. I was living on three or four dollars a day in Japan. In India and Burma back then you could get by on a couple dollars a day. You could really go very, very far for a few thousand dollars if you were willing to live at a level where were you stayed was in a dorm with a shared bath and no shower. I wound up going to these communal places not because I wanted to hang out with other travelers necessarily, but because that dorm became the guidebook! Every place would have these guestbooks that guests would write in. People would post key information there. There was this very thin, rarified network of people who just came from an area. Now traveling the circuit is like a rite of passage in Southeast Asia especially, but then it was like this secret network of people who would leave breadcrumbs: which hotels would accept travelers, where you could find yogurt, where to find a bus in the northern Philippines. Because this was before Lonely Planet and Moon Handbooks, this is where you would get all your information, where you picked up all your tips. I didn't identify quite with that crowd though. They were really there to have a good time, cheaply, but I had given myself an assignment. I saw myself as a working photographer. I was documenting the rare stuff. I was out all day taking photos and exploring, traveling hard, always moving. I went to those traveler guesthouses because they were the sources of information. Back then you could take a bus from London all the way to India for very little money and people were realizing you could get to places that previously took expedition level funds to reach. I remember taking an overnight bus from India to Kathmandu. That bus was probably not more than $5. I remember that morning, after traveling all night, rolling down the Kathmandu Valley and seeing the Himalayas, and a whole city with zero cars. It was like taking a spaceship to another planet for five dollars. The way things would often happen is you would meet another traveler in, say, Japan and they would say, "You can take an overnight ferry to Korea, and you know, Korea is kind of cool." So I would think, Hmmm, my visa is running out and I need to go somewhere else, and then I could come back. And it's only a few hundred dollars. I've got that much... Then when you're in Thailand, you find out it's easy to get to Burma. It's almost like you're walking out to the end of the plank and the platform keeps extending below you. You keep meeting people who have come from somewhere else and their tales would convince you that you have to go there-and you can. There were a few jobs you could do along the way, mostly teaching English. But I calculated that I could make more money working for a few months in the USA and saving money, then taking off again. I did that twice, coming home for about six months or so. So that was my solution, except when I got to Iran and I got a "real job" with a driver and everything. But then that kind of blew up in my face when the revolution in 1979 came... Most of the time I was traveling alone, though you really couldn't avoid traveling along with other people because the routes were so parallel. One of my brothers came with me twice for a while. While on one of those trips across Afghanistan, there was a coup by the Soviets. We actually got arrested and exported out of the country. I was photographing with 35mm film. I left home with 500 rolls of film in my backpack. I had 500 rolls of cellophane-wrapped boxes of film, worth a lot of money in those parts back then, and yet over 10 years, no one ever looked inside my backpack, incuding coming back to the US. I would send home maybe 20 or 30 rolls of film at a time in a box. I asked my mom to put them in a freezer when she got them. The first thing I would do when I was back home and earning money was to start getting my rolls of film developed. It was close to $5 a photo in today's money just to develop and print the photos. So I had to really think about it each time I pressed that shutter. It was almost too expensive to experiment. It sounds crazy now, but I often didn't see my pictures until years after taking them! So as you could imagine, there was this really long feedback loop between when I took the picture and when I got to actually see what it looked like. That's a horrible way to do photography where you never see your images. To make it worse, I only had a manual camera, not automatic, so my exposure and focusing could be off and I wouldn't know it. Every few months I would buy a roll of black and white film and get it developed locally just to make sure my cameras were working. I was shooting two rolls of film a day while traveling, about 70 photos. When I was growing up, my family would shoot a roll of 24 photos in a year, which was pretty typical. You'd have three holidays on one roll. It was considered radical, extreme to be shooting as many photos as I was. When I would tell people I shot 70 per day their jaws would drop. They couldn't imagine how you could find 70 things to take a photo of in one day! That many pictures in a day was considered insane. There were great shots I missed because the settings weren't automatic. There are great shots that are gone forever. But the interesting thing is, I never lost a roll of film. Some rolls of Kodachrome got heat stroke when I stored them in Delhi, which affected the color, but I never lost anything. Now I back up digital photos three times, so I still haven't lost any over 40 years. Apart from my camera gear (two camera bodies, 4 lenses) and film, I only had one change of clothes. One pair of pants, a down jacket, a sleeping bag, maybe a sweater. When I went to Sri Lanka with my brother, we left our backpacks somewhere and just brought daypacks. That was fun because we could jump off buses anywhere and stop quickly. My pants were in shreds by the end. I was a total disgrace to hosts. We were obviously not poor, but we looked poor, which was very perplexing to the locals. I was patching my own jeans, not to be cool, but because I was short on money. Sickness was a real risk in Asia. You didn't need a prescription to get any medicine at all though. I went to the library to do research on what I was experiencing in India and I figured out I had giardia. I went and got the right medicine and treated it. Another time I got hepatitus in Nepal. The remedy for that is rest and I ended up spending a whole month in a hostel in Calcutta recovering. Wherever locals drank the water, I drank the water. I think that keeps my microbiology robust. Outside of those two cases I stayed pretty healthy. I still drink local water if the locals do. There were certainly the encroachments of modern life happening, even at that time. But there were places like northern Afghanistan or Kathmandu that hadn't changed in centuries. Now those "unchanged" areas have become much smaller, like tiny corners. In places like China, they have almost disappeared entirely. Other countries like Myanmar still hold the old. Most of the world doesn't look much like the images I captured then at all. My recorded views are increasingly rare views. My first book of pictures from that timeAsia Gracewas published by the German art book publisher Taschen. I'm working on photos now for a second photo book called Vanishing Asia that I hope Taschen will also publish. There will be lots more images of the culture that is rapidly disappearing from Asia. In every culture the native costume is the first thing to go, native architecture is next. Food is one of the last to go, even in modern places where people are wearing blue jeans. So these days I like to go to places where there is still native costume and native architecture. Unfortunately these areas are shrinking. I'm not nostalgic about it; I understand the reasons behind the changes, and it's a net improvement, but someday they will be gone and I want to capture them. After 10 years, when I was hitting 30, I made a switch from being a poor nomad and I started a business. I started to write about travel and was importing and selling travel books by mail order that were hard to find, you know, guidebooks from unknown-at-that-time writers like Maureen and Tony Wheeler (Lonely Planet), Bill Dalton (Moon), and Rick Steves. I started a mail order catalog in 1981 called Nomadic Books selling their self-published guides. That led to other things, like computers, and I quickly graduated to a new class. I stopped traveling so much, had a family, and for a decade and a half in the 1980s and early 1990s I was able to resist that desire to document those disappearing wonders. Now, once my kids left home, I'm covering almost as much territory photographing as I was back then. Again, I am mostly in Asia, returning to the same original assignment, but with more money than time, rather than more time than money. I'm still trying to document these disappearing pockets of timeless places. There was definitely an isolationist aspect of Asia then that is no longer around. These were often societies that were willingly closing themselves off from the rest of the world, economically and culturally. Clearly that is no longer the case. Almost two thirds of the people on the planet live in Asia, so Asia is going to become the cultural and economic leader of the world, which is going to be a big blow to the West. That will be a huge adjustment to make. I keep returning to Asia to both record what is vanishing and to see the future that they have in store for us. Hear the full interview between Rolf Potts and Kevin Kelly on the Deviate podcast. Kevin Kelly is the co-founder of Wired magazine and one of the world's best-known authorities on where technology is headed. He is the author of several popular books including The Inevitable and the Taschen coffee table book Asia Grace. See more at KK.org. Related Features: Two Degrees of Separation: An Introvert's Travel Encounters in New Zealand - Cynthia Trenshaw In North Korea - a Journey Behind the Fiction - Rory MacLean Walkabout Love in China - Dustin Grinnell Dueling Smiles in Muzzled Myanmar - Bruce Northam See more Asia traveling stories from the archives After 16 levels of play, 101 players have made it through to Day 2 of the 1,100 EPT National here at the PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague which takes place in the beautifully decorated Hilton Prague. Day 1a attracted a total of 671 players to the first of three starting flights with Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu grabbing the chip lead honors with 954,500 in chips. Romanias Nedelcu finished in 16th place here in Prague last year, earning him a payday of 15,150 and looks to be heading for another deep run this year. Late into the day, Nedelcu had already built up an impressive stack but was competing with several other players for the chip lead when he eliminated both Marcel Scherrer and Asaf Turgeman with pocket fives. Turgeman was ahead to triple up with pocket queens while Scherrer held ace-queen. The flop gave Scherrer the straight draw but the five on the river meant the end of their tournament lives as Nedelcu hit a set. "It was very good," said Nedelcu when the PokerNews live reporting team asked how his day went. "I won lots of small pots, but I also had two times aces against kings and won! The biggest one was when this guy tried to bluff me with nines on an ace-queen-three-four board. I had three-four! And then on the bubble, I just crushed it." Danilo Velasevic trails Nedelcu with 745,000 in chips. The Serbian player could be found near the top of the chip counts all day long and kept on chipping up all throughout the day. Olgun Ercan from Turkey closes the podium for Day 1a with 598,000 in his Day 2 bag. Other notable players who found a bag at the end of the day and making the money include Sofia Lovgren (382,000), Sebastian Malec (381,000), Gavin ORourke (282,000), William Kassouf (272,000), Charlie Carrel (235,000), Ari Engel (215,000), and Krasimir Yankov with 105,500 in chips. The 101 players are all in the money after Simeon Spasov ran queens into the pocket kings of Nikita Staroverov. There was no help for the Bulgarian and he was eliminated. Exact payouts and what the min-cash is will be published ahead of Day 2. Unfortunately, not everyone made it through Day 1a and will be expected to try again tomorrow, Sunday, December 9, on Day 1b which starts at noon. The PokerStars Team representatives like Maria Konnikova and Jamie Staples both fell at one of the hurdles Day 1a presented to them and will probably be joining the fray again tomorrow. PokerStars Team Pro Maria Konnikova was eliminated during Day 1a Other players like Sander van Wesemael, Ismael Bojang, Vojtech Ruzicka, Antoine Labat, Martin Kabrhel, Matas Cimbolas, 2016 EPT Prague Main Event Champion Jasper Meijer Van Putten, Jack Sinclair, Sam Grafton, Bart Lybaert, Walter Treccarichi, Martin Staszko, and Alexander Lakhov also busted somewhere throughout the day and will be firing another bullet on Day 1b or Day 1c. Day 1b starts at noon local time, Sunday, December 9 and play will end once 15% of the field is remaining. Players will start with 30,000 in chips and play 40-minute levels with a 20-minute break after every three levels. A 75-minute dinner break will take place after Level 9 and at the end of the day, every remaining player will be in the money. Make sure to come back to PokerNews.com as the live reporting team will be there to bring you all the action from the floor here in the Czech Republic. The first two starting flights of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague 1,100 National held at the Hilton Prague have been an incredible success. The first flight attracted 671 players and the second one, which is still going on right now, has well over 1,000 players in it. Day 1c will be a turbo flight and cards will be in the air at 7 p.m. The levels will only be 20 minutes long and they will play down to 15% of the field. Players will start with 30,000 in chips and the first level will be 100/100 without an ante. They will play with a big blind ante from the second level onwards. Georgios Vrakas won last year's event, defeating a field of 2,117 players, collecting 338,000. Players that busted out of earlier flights have the option to reenter the tournament on Day 1C and there will be plenty of players joining the action. It's very likely the tournament will be even bigger than last year's event. Here is the structure for the day: Level Small Blind Big Blind Ante 1 100 100 2 100 100 100 3 100 200 200 4 100 300 300 5 200 400 400 6 200 500 500 7 300 600 600 8 400 800 800 9 500 1000 1000 10 600 1200 1200 11 800 1600 1600 12 1000 2000 2000 Stay tuned to PokerNews for live coverage of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague from start to finish. 1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard On Meet The Press, James Comey destroyed the foundation of Trumps Russia scandal defense in just 18 seconds. Video of James Comey on Meet The Press: Transcript via Meet The Press: CHUCK TODD: Was Hillary Clinton ever a target or a subject during the investigation? JAMES COMEY: Sure. She was a subject of the investigation. CHUCK TODD: But not a target? JAMES COMEY: Correct. CHUCK TODD: And why was that? JAMES COMEY: Because we didnt develop substantial evidence to support a criminal prosecution against her. CHUCK TODD: So at no time she was ever considered a target? JAMES COMEY: Correct. At a rally in Michigan on Saturday night, Trump claimed that Hillary Clinton colluded with the FBI and Russia during the campaign, Look at how the politicians have fallen for this junk Russian collusion. Give me a break. I will tell you that the only I will tell you that the only collusion is the Democrats colluding with a lot of people, and a lot of people, and take a look at the intelligence agency, and what about hey, did you watch Comey on the interviews? Hey, hey. What about Comey? What about Comey? The basis for Trumps attack on the FBI fell apart Trump claims that he is attacking the FBI and the DOJ because they didnt prosecute Hillary Clinton for her crimes, but according to Comey and others who were involved in the Clinton investigation, she was never a target. Hillary Clinton was never going to be locked up because she didnt commit any crimes. The basis for Trumps attacks on the investigators is that they are biased against him. Trump loves to claim that he didnt get the same treatment as Clinton. The chants of lock her up at Trump campaign rallies were smokescreens that were intended to distract from the real crimes being committed by the Trump campaign. Trumps defense for his behavior was crushed by Comey. There was no Clinton/Russia/FBI collusion. The ugly reality is that Trump is trying to crush a federal investigation because he doesnt want the crimes of his presidential campaign to come to light. Coney only needed 18 seconds to cut through the BS that is the heart of the Trump defense of his attacks on the investigation. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. 950 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard After being accused by President Donald Trump of implanting a spy in his presidential campaign, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a recent interview that most of the claims in the infamous Steele dossier have proven to be true. Clapper gave a lengthy interview to Salon Magazine in which he said that the dossier has been corroborated by U.S. law enforcement investigations which occurred subsequent to the dossiers publication. The Steele document makes many allegations of high level connections and conspiracies between Russia and the Trump campaign. Clapper made clear in the interview that the most salacious claims in the dossier have not been proven to be true. (E.g., the pee pee tape.) However, he said, more and more of the dossiers allegations about Trump ties to Russia have been corroborated and proven. Some of what was in the dossier was actually corroborated but separately in our intelligence community assessment, from other sources that we were confident in, Clapper said. The salacious parts, no. Thats never been corroborated, he added. It would appear to me that as time has gone on more and more of it has been corroborated, but I cant actually give you a percentage. The dossier was created by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence agent. It was undertaken by Steele as part of a contract for research he had with the political information company Fusion GPS. The full dossier was published by BuzzFeed News in January of 2017, creating a media firestorm and leading to more law enforcement investigations. However, Clapper also made clear that Steeles information was not used as a source for a 2017 intelligence community assessment (ICA) which concluded that Russians interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Clapper has said before that he believes there is clear evidence that Russia meddled in the U.S. election for the clear purpose of hurting Hillary Clinton and helping Trump. Well, some of what was in the dossier first of all, I need to make an important point here. We did not use the dossier as a source for the intelligence community assessment, thats point one, Clapper said. The dossier is not classified or an intelligence document, he continued. Its actually a collection of 17 separate memos. In a tweet last Thursday, the president erroneously claimed that Clapper admitted to placing a spy on his campaign staff. Clapper has now admitted that there was Spying in my campaign. Large dollars were paid to the Spy, far beyond normal. Starting to look like one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. SPYGATE a terrible thing! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 24, 2018 Clapper has not confirmed that a spy was placed on Trumps campaign team. He did say that an FBI informant was trying to determine if Russians were infiltrating, trying to gain access. They were spying on, a term I dont particularly like, but on what the Russians were doing. Trying to understand were the Russians infiltrating, trying to gain access, trying to gain leverage or influence which is what they do, Clapper said Wednesday on television program The View. Once again Donald Trump has completely twisted the truth to serve his own selfish ends. Any spying done was to determine what the Russians were doing, and he should have been happy that the U.S. intelligence community was doing their jobs. And contrary to his claims, his campaign WAS told that Russians were trying to infiltrate it. He did nothing about it at the time but is now blaming the FBI and others when it was really his own fault. James Clapper is trying to set the record straight and it is hoped that the majority will listen to him rather than the president who seldom tells the truth. WASHINGTON (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump is talking to an aide to Vice President Mike Pence about serving as replacement for out-going White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a White House official said on Saturday. The official said the president and Pence aide Nick Ayers are still working on terms, saying Trump wants him to do the job for two years but Ayers is unable to make that time commitment because of his family. The president and Nick are still working on the specific terms of him taking over, the White House official told Reuters. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; writing by David Morgan; Editing by Nick Zieminski) 1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Controversies surrounding the infamous Steele Dossier are still continuing, nearly two years after its existence was first disclosed. The bombshell document was published by BuzzFeed News in January of 2017 The sensational allegations about President Donald Trumps sexual activities, along with details of his financial crimes, immediately made headlines. The dossier has been endlessly discussed and debated, and has even led some Republicans in Congress to want to investigate Hillary Clinton for her role in commissioning the research that led to the document being compiled. In fact, the Steele Dossier is still the subject of rage from Republicans who believe it is a partisan political document. But Washington Post writer Dana Milbank has a new column which identifies some very important facts from the dossier that have now been corroborated by special counsel Robert Mueller. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the latest filings tell us nothing of value that wasnt already known, Milbank wrote. Thats true in the sense that recent findings essentially corroborate much of the 2016 dossier by former spy Christopher Steele. Milbank goes on to disclose that Muellers findings support the dossiers allegation concerning Trumps former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. Both Mueller and the dossier say that Cohen had an ongoing secret liaison relationship with the Kremlin. This relationship included attempting to secure Russian government approval to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. And there is proof now that Cohens (and Trumps) negotiations with the Russian government on this very lucrative business deal extended into the middle of 2016. And we also know, thanks to Cohens guilty plea, that he lied about it. But according to Milbank there is much more than that. The new revelations about Cohen also show that the dossier correctly identified Putin lieutenants Dmitry Peskov and Sergei Ivanov as the ones managing the Trump campaign for the Russian government, he writes. Peskov, who is now the Press Secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, has only recently admitted to his deep ties to Cohen. The Steele Dossier disclosed that in August of 2016 Peskov was extremely worried and frightened about the chance that the hacking of the DNC would be exposed and blamed on him. Ivanov at the time was a rival to Peskov, and both men were former KGB agents. Ivanov was fired in August of 2016. As Milbank writes, five former Trump aides have now pleaded guilty in Muellers Russia probe, and many now see it as perfectly plausible that Trump himself, as former aide Sam Nunberg put it, may very well have done something during the election with the Russians. What this means is that we now have proof from Michael Cohen himself that key parts of the Steele Dossier are true. So it is likely that the other allegations in the dossier are also true. And thus Michael Cohen has not only implicated President Trump in crimes, he has also completely blown out of the water all Republican denials concerning the importance and the validity of the Steele Dossier. What Bob Mueller has disclosed so far is just the tip of the iceberg of evidence that he has in his files. Much more information will be released by him in the weeks and months ahead. When more information is revealed, there is no doubt we will find that most of the Steele Dossier allegations were true and that Donald Trump is guilty of committing numerous very serious crimes. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) warned Trump not to pardon Manafort, because it may trigger Congress to take action to limit the presidents pardoning powers. Transcript via ABCs This Week: RADDATZ: OK, lets move to Paul Manafort. Just last week, Trump refused to take a pardon for Manafort off the table after Rudy Giuliani acknowledged being in touch with Manaforts lawyers. If the president pardoned Trump (sic), is that a red line for you, would that be obstructionist (ph) RUBIO: I think it would be a terrible mistake if he did that. I do. I believe itd be a terrible mistake. You know, pardons should be used judiciously. Theyre used for cases with extraordinary circumstances. And I just havent heard that the White House was thinking about doing it. I know he hasnt ruled it out but I havent heard anyone say, were thinking about doing it. I would advise strongly against it, it would be a terrible mistake. I would not be supportive of it, I would be critical of it. I dont believe that any pardon should be used with relation to these particular cases. Frankly, it not only does it not pass the smell test, I think it undermines the reason why we have presidential pardons in the first place. And I think, in fact, if something like that were to happen, it could trigger a debate about whether the pardon powers should be amended given these circumstances. Video: GOP Sen. Marco Rubio says repeatedly that President Trump pardoning former campaign chairman Paul Manafort would be a terrible mistake, and that doing so could possibly trigger a debate about whether the pardon powers should be amended. https://t.co/H32i3GVklw #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/Mvfwueb0XH ABC News (@ABC) December 9, 2018 Rubios interview was full of his usual waffling when it comes to questions about potential criminal behavior by the president, but two points were clear. First, even Senate Republicans are willing to admit that this looks bad for Trump and that things are moving in a bad direction for them, and two, pardoning Manafort would be something that even they cant defend. If Trump is looking for a way to make several Senate Republicans turn against him, a Manafort pardon would be a big red line, because as Sen. Rubio referenced it is an abuse of the pardon power to help Trump out of a scandal. It makes Trump look guilty. Rubios answer was a warning to Trump that all hell will break loose in Congress if he pardons Paul Manafort. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 5.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The Russians were not only involved in the Trump campaign. They were all through Trumps life, and interacting with his friends an family. The Washington Post reported: Again and again and again, over the course of Donald Trumps 18-month campaign for the presidency, Russian citizens made contact with his closest family and friends, as well as figures on the periphery of his orbit. Some offered to help his campaign and his real estate business. Some offered dirt on his Democratic opponent. Repeatedly, Russian nationals suggested Trump should hold a peacemaking sit-down with Vladimir Putin and offered to broker such a summit. In all, Russians interacted with at least 14 Trump associates during the campaign and presidential transition, public records and interviews show. Trumps main defense has been that there was no collusion between his campaign and the Russians, but the truth is that there has never been any separation between Trumps life, his campaign, and his business. It is all one big jumble of conflicting interests that leads to corruption. The conspiracy which is a crime involved people close to Trump and in his orbit. People like his kids, Roger Stone, Jerome Corsi, and Michael Cohen. The no collusion defense is crumbling before our eyes, because collusion was a diversion. The real problem is that the Russians were in Trumps life, and those personal relationships likely led to a criminal conspiracy against the people of the United States of America to obtain the presidency through illegal means. Trump has always said no collusion, but there is a good reason why he has never said no crime. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 547 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The Justice Department is investigating possible criminal activity linked to millions of fake messages sent to the FCC opposing net neutrality from Russian email addresses. This incredible new development was reported by Buzzfeed News on Saturday, and gives at least one possible reason for the misguided decision made by the FCC last year. Of the 22 million messages sent during 2017 to the FCC website, nearly 21 million were bots, organized campaigns or fakes, including many using stolen identities. According to a Stanford University researcher, after the fake comments were removed, 99.7 percent of all public comments were pro-net neutrality. The study showed that there were an estimated 800,000 unique comments sent, and these were legitimate. The Russian bot campaigns involved millions of fake, automated comments. This deluge of unauthentic opposing comments led to the FCC falsely claiming that there was widespread public sentiment against net neutrality. In fact, net neutrality was extremely popular, with nearly 100 percent of the legitimate comments being in favor of keeping it. Almost everyone who commented opposed a push by the Trump administrations FCC head Ajit Pai to terminate net neutrality. Pai recently admitted that Russia meddled in the system and acknowledged that many of the suspect comments were linked to Russian emails. The FBI is now involved and has subpoenaed at least two organizations for information linked to the messages. The FBI move came a few days after New York state did the same thing. The FBI is asking for details from 14 different Russian groups for its own investigation, according to Buzzfeed. Massachusetts and the District of Columbia are also involved and are providing support for New Yorks investigation. California is adopting its own net neutrality rules. The FCC was shut down after it was inundated with the fake comments. Members of the commission fiercely debated the pros and cons of dumping net neutrality, which had barred all internet service providers from blocking, slowing down, or charging extra for certain content. The FCC voted late last year to terminate it, even though net neutrality is hugely popular with the American public, according to several polls. The FCC move has made it possible for corporations to significantly increase consumer rates if users want to maintain the same internet speed for all content. Thus the FCC, and the Trump administration, has been viewed as taking steps to favor big corporations over the average citizens who are consumers of internet services. The FCC has subsequently refused information requests by the media and from the New York state attorney general to release detailed information about the fake messages. The New York Times also has filed a lawsuit against the FCC accusing them of making the American public the victim of an orchestrated campaign by the Russians to corrupt the notice-and-comment process and undermine an important step in the democratic process of rule-making. 1.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard President Trump attacked former FBI Director James Comey early Sunday, accusing him of lying during his testimony to House lawmakers about the investigation into Russias election interference. Leakin James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! the president tweeted. This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed! he added. Leakin James Comey must have set a record for who lied the most to Congress in one day. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. They are now exposed! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018 Trump also claimed that Comeys statements that he opened investigations on four Americans and that he didnt know former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele were untruthful and all lies. In addition, the president attacked Comeys repeated statements that he could not recall or did not know certain facts that he was asked about by the congressional committee. During his testimony the man who Trump fired as FBI director said on multiple occasions that he was unable to remember certain facts. Also, he told the members of Congress that he was unable to answer some of their questions because they related to ongoing FBI investigations. This really set Trump off on a Twitter tirade. He wrote: On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didnt know, didnt recall, or couldnt remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) didnt know who signed off and didnt know Christopher Steele. All lies! On 245 occasions, former FBI Director James Comey told House investigators he didnt know, didnt recall, or couldnt remember things when asked. Opened investigations on 4 Americans (not 2) didnt know who signed off and didnt know Christopher Steele. All lies! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2018 Comey testified last week before the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees. The hearings were not public, and took place behind closed doors. The committees, however,later released a transcript of the roughly six-hour meeting. The transcript revealed some very interesting new information about the counterintelligence investigation into possible conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign. Comey said it had begun with an FBI investigation into four Americans who he did not identify. These would be people other than the president. Comey said he could not disclose who they were because they are part of an ongoing investigation. According to the transcripts, Comey also defended the former FBI agent Peter Strzok, who has been attacked by Trump numerous times. The president criticized Strzok for the text messages he sent that were critical of Trump. They were sent by him before he started working on special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Trump ultimately fired him, causing even more controversy. Trump has criticized Comey for years over his handling of FBI investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He also was upset that the former director would not do what he asked him to do. This led Trump to fire Comey in May 2017, which in turn led to the appointment of a special prosecutor, Robert Mueller. Comey has been very critical of Trump since leaving his position in the FBI. He has called the president morally unfit for office, and been very critical of Trumps repeated, unjustified attacks on the FBI. Recently Trump has increased his criticism of the Mueller investigation, which he is still calling a witch hunt despite its successes in numerous indictments, guilty pleas, and criminal convictions. Muellers investigation has so far implicated five of Trumps former close associates and more than 20 Russians. No matter what Donald Trump tweets, most Americans will not believe that James Comey lied under oath to congressional committees. The fact that he accused the straight-arrow former FBI director of committing perjury shows how desperate and unhinged Donald Trump has become. 890 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard One thing lost in the flurry of Mueller court filings last week is the fact that there is now more concrete evidence that Donald Trump, Jr. lied under oath in his testimony before two congressional committees. House committees, at least, will turn over the transcripts of Don Jrs testimony to Robert Mueller after Democrats take control in January. And when the special counsel compares the transcripts to the truth, it is very likely that Donald Trumps oldest son might be indicted for perjury. At least that is what at least two Democratic members of Congress are saying. Rep. Jackie Speier of California has stated that not only did Don Jr. lie to Congress, but that Republican members helped him to cover up his lies. Speier is a member of the House Intelligence Committee which will be chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff next year. And Schiff has made it clear that he intends to fully investigate Trumps foreign entanglements which has not been done during Trumps first two years in office. Speier revealed in an interview that she believes there were at least two occasions when Don Jr. lied to the committee when he offered testimony about Russian election interference. Speier also explained that her Republican colleagues did not allow the committee to subpoena documents that would have disproved Don Jr.s testimony. She described Republicans on her committee as puppets of the President who ignored their constitutional duties in order to protect Donald Trumps son. Don Jr. also appears to have lied when he testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in May. In his sworn testimony he denied that foreign governments either offered or provided direct assistance to the Trump campaign. But this was false, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said, and he demanded that Trump Jr. return to the Senate and provide further details on his statements. After Trump Jr. spoke to the Senate, the New York Times reported that George Nader, an official emissary working on behalf of princes from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, met with Trump Jr. at Trump Tower before the 2016 election. At that meeting, Trump Jr. was reportedly told that the princes wanted to help Trump win the election. In a letter written to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Coons noted that Trump Jr. did not deny the meeting occurred even though it showed his testimony was untruthful. I am deeply concerned that, based on new information we learned this week, Donald Trump Jr. provided false testimony, Coons said. Republicans have made clear that they will keep ignoring their oversight duties as long as they remain in power. Despite several serious allegations that Don Jr. lied under oath to Congress, Republicans in the Senate have said they will not investigate the matter. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley said Monday that he did not see a need to re-interview Don Jr. because there is nothing inconsistent about his prior statement to the committee in which he claimed that he was only peripherally aware of the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations. Republicans are still protecting Donald Trump and his family regardless of the evidence showing they have committed crimes. That is why voters have given control of the House to Democrats, who will change course starting in January. When the Democrats take control, there will finally be meaningful and real oversight of the corruption, Donald Trump, his family, his business, and his entire administration. And when they share with Bob Mueller the lies Don Jr. told under oath to Congress, it is very likely that an indictment for perjury will soon follow. Three former family-owned retail stores are poised to become mixed-use developments that place first-floor storefronts and boutique hotel businesses in one building. The Board of Architectural Review will vote on plans for one of them this week. Hicks column: All of a sudden, South Carolina's Legislature is looking better than most Lauren Sausser is the Health & Science Editor at The Post and Courier. She also writes about health care issues in South Carolina. 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. You are the owner of this article. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. The Post and Courier provides a forum for our readers to share their opinions, and to hold up a mirror to our community. Publication does not imply endorsement by the newspaper; the editorial staff attempts to select a representative sample of letters because we believe its important to let our readers see the range of opinions their neighbors submit for publication. The Guam Power Authority had hoped to keep power costs stagnant up to August as fuel prices fall amid greater oil production over demand. Whether this trend continues over the next few months is still uncertain as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, whose members are some of the largest oil producers in the world, contemplates a slash in production to stabilize the market. Production cuts between OPEC and Russia in 2016 helped raise the price of oil in the short term but failure to maintain cuts and increased production from the United States, the current largest oil producer worldwide, has worked to push back prices and maintain the volatile nature of the market. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. According to GPA data, the price per barrel of oil began to climb in March 2016 and reached a high of about $80 per barrel in September. Prices rose and fell intermittently in between but have dropped steeply in the last couple of months. As CNN reported, OPEC members are seeking an agreement to cut output by 1.3 million barrels per day in a market "awash with oil." OPEC members are looking to discuss the matter further with Russia. Guam's isolation from other power grids and dependence on imported fuel have been the driving force behind increasing power costs. The fuel surcharge the part of the power bill that pays for oil but now includes renewable energy costs dropped sharply between August 2014 and February 2015. The surcharge dropped again in August 2015 but began to uptick after August 2016 and maintained that trend. It is currently at 15.4 cents per kilowatt-hour. While markedly higher than the low of about 8 cents per kWh in 2016, the surcharge remains below costs in 2013, when prices reached a high of more than 20 cents per kWh. Higher costs in the islands According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the cost of electricity on Guam has run two to three times higher than the states in recent years. Ratepayers in neighboring islands don't fare much better. The cost of power in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is between 1 1/2 and three times higher than the U.S. average. According to a 2015 report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on the Federated States of Micronesia, the cost of power in the FSM was about four times higher than the average in the states. Island communities are exploring energy efficiency initiatives and renewable energy to mitigate costs. GPA has engaged a rebate program to encourage customers to purchase more energy-efficient but also more expensive appliances. It also has contracted several utility-scale renewable energy projects. Surcharge recommendation A recommendation to keep the surcharge as is, rather than reduce it in light of falling fuel prices, is due in part to GPA needing to recover losses from prior surcharge increases that only partly covered the cost of fuel. The utility also maintains about three months' worth of fuel in reserve at all times, so any benefits from price drops won't be felt immediately, according to GPA. The surcharge recommendation already has been approved by the Consolidated Commission on Utilities. The Public Utilities Commission will decide on the matter before February. Low-interest federal disaster loans are being offered to Guam businesses and residents affected by Typhoon Mangkhut. In a news release, the U.S. Small Business Administration said it acted under its own authority to declare a disaster following the denial of Guams request for a major disaster declaration for individual assistance Nov. 30. The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available on Guam, which experienced Mangkhut from Sept. 10 to 11. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to businesses of all sizes, most private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters whose property was damaged or destroyed by this disaster, said Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBAs Disaster Field Operations Center-West. "Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 11, SBA representatives will be on hand at the following Disaster Loan Outreach Center to answer questions about SBAs disaster loan program, explain the application process and help each individual complete their application," Garfield stated. The Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be in the Astumbo Gym at 255 Chalan Hachon in Dededo. It will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Its hours of operation will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays until further notice. No appointment is necessary. "Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets," the release stated. For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers economic injury disaster loans. Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Applicants may find more information, apply online and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants also may call the Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information. Individuals who are deaf or hardofhearing may call 800-877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. The deadline to apply for property damage is Feb. 5, 2019. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Sept. 9, 2019. Theres no question that students should get back to learning five days a week considering instructional time, for a third school year now, ha Read more In the United States, burglars generally try to break into homes that are unoccupied. We tend to take this fact for granted, but it isnt true everywhere. There are advantages to breaking into residences when the owners are home: you can force them to tell you where valuables and drugs are kept, rather than having to search. And if a woman is present you may choose to assault her. This is why, in countries where gun ownership is rare, invasions of occupied homes are much more common. Last week the Telegraph reported: Half of burglaries on occupied homes as thieves grow bolder. Half of burglaries in Britain now take place while householders are inside their homes, as thieves become emboldened by police inaction. Figures show 58 percent of burglaries happen at occupied properties, as campaigners said criminals no longer feared being caught in the act. *** Analysis of the most recent Office for National Statistics crime figures shows the proportion of burglaries targeting properties when someone is at home has soared in recent years. The Crime Survey for England and Wales found such incidents made up 44 percent of raids in 2004-2005, but have since shot up to 58 percent in 2016-2017. How do the numbers compare in the United States? It is surprisingly hard to find up to date data; this 2010 report by the Department of Justice doesnt seem to have been superseded. The DOJ report found that the household was occupied in 28 percent of residential burglaries. In 26 percent of burglaries where someone was present, one or more individuals were physically harmed by the burglar or burglars. So burglars are around twice as likely to invade occupied residences in the U.K. than in the United States. Why is that? Certainly not because the American police are any more likely to interrupt a burglary in process. The obvious answer is that hardly any homeowners in the U.K. possess firearms, while gun ownership is common in the U.S. Bluntly put, a burglar who invades an occupied residence in the United States takes a not-immaterial risk that he may be shot by his intended victim. As, for example, here, here, here and here. The conclusion: if gun-grabbers get their way and the Second Amendment is effectively nullified, many more Americans will be terrorized by home invasions; more will be injured or killed; and more women will be raped. Rudy Giuliani says Team Mueller doesnt believe President Trumps claim that he was unaware in advance of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and a Russian-connected lawyer. Giuliani concludes this from his understanding of the way Muellers team interrogated Paul Manafort. Im not sure I believe President Trumps claim either. Its not just that on the very day the meeting with the Russians was confirmed, Trump stated, I am going to give a major speech. . .and were going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons a speech he did not give after the meeting with the Russians turned out to be a dud. Its also that I have difficulty believing Trump wouldnt have known about a meeting at which his team expected to obtain valuable dirt on Hillary. It doesnt matter, though, what I believe, or even what Mueller believes. Its what he can prove that counts. Trumps statement that about the speech he would give, coupled with the absence of such a speech when the Ruskies turned out to be a dry hole, is suggestive but thats all. Does Mueller have anything more than this? I dont know. It seems, however, that Manafort didnt provide it. Moreover, its not just a question of what Mueller can prove. Its what he can prove thats a crime. Is it a crime to meet with Russians in the hope of obtaining information that will help ones campaign? John Yoo and David Marston argue persuasively that it is not. The problem is that, according to Giuliani, President Trump told Muellers team he did not know in advance about the meeting his son and other close advisers had with the Russians. If, in fact, Trump did know, then Trump has lied to the feds. No wonder Mueller would want desperately to secure Paul Manaforts testimony that Trump knew. No wonder he would make such testimony a condition for a sweet plea deal. But if Trump did know, its more likely he found out from his son, Donald Jr., than from Manafort. Donald Jr. was the mastermind behind the meeting. Manafort may simply not know whether Trump knew. The plot continues to thicken, but we have no way of knowing how thick it has become. Andrew McCarthy has a deep reading of the 40-page sentencing memo filed filed by New York prosecutors in the campaign finance case against Michael Cohen. Reading the memo with a trained eye, Andy explains Why Trump is likely to be indicted by Manhattan US Attorney. I posted the memo and summarized it in Cohen can and cant (1) Andy goes much further than I was able to in making out the coming case against Trump that is to be inferred from the memo. Reading the memo, I commented, Oh, what a tangled web we weave That may be the only salient point in my summary. McCarthy draws out the picture that is in the process of assembly by the prosecutors. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 9) In time for the celebration of the International Human Rights Day on Monday, civil society groups led by Karapatan are gearing up for a protest at Mendiola in Manila to denounce what they call a disastrous state of human rights in the country. Volunteer artists created a carousel which bears murals of various depictions of President Rodrigo Dutertes face to be displayed during the rally. One mural features Duterte in the likeness of the dictator, Adolf Hitler, while another shows the President with horns. Theres also a mural of Duterte looking like a dog, and another shows hes smoking. Visual artist and UGATLahi Artist Collective Project Coordinator Max Santiago said the murals will be displayed at the rally so the public will know who Duterte is. The murals, Santiago added, "highlight the human rights violations and policies that define Duterte's presidency." "Ito ang aming pagpapakita doon sa tatlong taong panunungkulan ni Digong, 'yung mga masama niyang nagawa," he said. [Translation: This is how well show Dutertes wrongdoings during his three-year term.] Duterte had drawn flak from different human rights groups for his crackdown on illegal drugs. But despite criticisms, the President had repeatedly vowed to continue the campaign. Government records show more than 102,000 anti-drug operations were conducted during the first two years of the administration's fight against illegal drugs. In these operations, a total of 147,000 drug personalities were arrested, while at least P14 billion worth of illegal drugs were seized. An international tribunal is currently looking into alleged human rights violations committed under the anti-drug campaign. Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said on Sunday the artists felt one mural will not be enough to show the gravity of the human rights violations committed under the Duterte administration, so they came up with eight. Aside from the four faces of Duterte, there are also murals painted in his nicknameDU30with images showing extrajudicial killings, crackdown on activists, poverty and martial law. "Its an expression ng ating mga artista ng bayan ng sentimyento ng mamamayang Pilipino doon sa tumitinding attacks on civil and political rights," Palabay said. (Translation: Its an expression of the artists of the Filipino peoples sentiments against intensifying attacks on civil and political rights.) She hopes the rally on Monday will draw a sizeable crowd to show the government that people value human rights. Palabay said public opinion is important, particularly in light of Dutertes plan to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year. The issue is expected to be tackled by Congress in a joint session this week. "I think not all has been fooled by Duterte and, especially those that uphold the value of human rights and peoples rights, 'yun po yung mga mamamayan na magmamartsa bukas, (those are the people who will march the streets tomorrow) she said. Regional chapters of Karapatan will hold similar protests in provinces across the country to mark the International Human Rights Day. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Sunday threatened to seek a legal interpretation on whether it has the right to withdraw funds from the Nigeria LNG Dividend Account without the approval of the National Assembly. The corporation issued the threat through its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Isiaka Abdulrazaq, during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos over the ongoing probe by the Senate on the matter. NNPC spokesperson, Ndu Ughamadu, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, quoted Mr Abdulrazaq as saying there was nothing illegitimate about the withdrawals made by the NNPC from the account so far. We have provided the legal authority on which we rely to use funds from the NLNG Dividend Account to the Senate. We believe they will reason with us. But, if need be, we will seek legal opinion on it, Mr Ughamadu quoted the NNPC CFO as saying. The NNPC established on April 1, 1977 is owned 100 percent by the Federal Govern of Nigeria, with operational interests in exploration and production of oil and gas in partnership with some multinational joint venture operators in the areas of refining, petrochemicals and products distribution and marketing. On the other hand, the Nigeria LNG Limited incorporated as a limited liability company on May 17, 1989, is a private company owned by four shareholders, with the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the NNPC, controlling majority shares of 49 percent. The other shareholders include Shell gas BV (25.6 percent); Total Gaz Electricite Holdings France (15 percent) and Eni international (10.4 percent). Although the provisions of the NNPC Act and the relevant extant laws in the Appropriation Act 2018 allow the corporation to defray its cost of operations from earned revenues, it was not clear which section of the NLNG Act gives it the authority to utilize revenues from the private company to finance NNPC activities. On November 15, the Senate announced it uncovered the illegal withdrawal of $1.05 billion from the NLNG dividends accounts to support importation of petroleum products. On November 22, the lawmakers constituted a committee headed by Bassey Akpan, Chairman of its Committee on Gas, to look at the operations of the NLNG account from 2015 to date. Mr Akpan said the committee was mandated to investigate reports that the NNPC unilaterally tampered with the account to fund its fuel importation under-recovery cost, without required consultation with states and appropriation by the National Assembly. Statutorily, accruals in the NLNG Dividends account, which are basically earnings from dividends paid in line with federal governments equity holding in the gas company, are meant to be shared between the federal, 36 state and 774 local governments. Besides, in line with the Constitution, all revenues accruing to the government are supposed to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation at the Central Bank before sharing to the three tiers of the government based on the approved revenue allocation formula. But, Mr Ughamadu said the NNPC CFOs presentation in his meeting in Lagos was to clarify that the Senate probe was not about missing money as was being insinuated in some quarters. Rather, he said, the lawmakers were investigating whether NNPC acted legally in withdrawing about $1.05bn from the NLNG Dividend Account to support its fuel importation programme. According to NNPC CFO, while the legislators have the statutory right to carry out oversight functions, the relevant extant laws, such as the Appropriation Act 2018, defines revenues from NNPC as net of cost. He said this is an indication that NNPC has the right to defray the cost of its operations from earnings. Citing the NLNG Act, which he said explicitly provides that NNPC could defray its cost from the dividends, Mr Ughamadu quoted Mr Abdulsazaq as saying this was one of the legal grounds NNPC relied upon to withdraw from the account and spend without recourse to appropriation by the National Assembly. Mr Abdulrazaq cited the case instituted by some state governments in 1999 seeking the interpretation of revenue on account of their contention that all accruals from oil and gas operations amounted to revenue and should be swept into the Federation Account. He said the Supreme Court ruling in the case by in 2002 was in tandem with NNPCs position that revenue is after costs of operations have been deducted. The statement did not, however, address the issue if the NNPC also has the right to utilise the earning from a private entity to defray the cost of its operations. Mr Ughamadu did not answer calls to his telephone on Sunday seeking his comment for this story. He also did not respond to a text message sent to him. China appeared plucky on Saturday as it threatened Canada with serious consequences should Ottawa fail to immediately release the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Ltd, Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested following an extradition request by the United States. The United States alleges Ms Wanzhou, daughter of Ren Zengfei, the founder of Huawei, covered up her companys links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions, and requested she should be sent over for trial. Huawei says it complies with export regulations and legislation regarding sanctions. She was arrested in Canada on December 1 as she changed plane in Vancouver. If extradited to the United States, she would face multiple fraud and sanction-breaking charges, up to 30-year sentence for each charge if convicted, a Canadian court in Vancouver heard on Friday as she appeared for her extradition hearing. The court reached no decision after six hours of crossfire and the proceedings were adjourned until Monday. Happening amid the trade war between the U.S. and China, Beijings vice foreign mister Le Yucheng called the case extremely nasty and unreasonable as (it) ignored the law. Mr Yucheng, in his statement on Saturday, disclosed that China called for Ms Wanzhous immediate release in a warning to Canadian ambassador in Beijing whom he said was summoned to lodge a strong protest. China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused, read the statement. The arrest was on the same day that U.S. president Donald Trump met in Argentina with Chinas Xi Jinping over ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the worlds two largest economies. Reuters reported Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to have insisted his country still had a good relationship with China despite the tension over the arrest of the business executive. The top official of Somalis parliament administration said on Sunday he had filed a motion with the speaker of parliament to remove the countrys president, Mohamed Abdullahi, but the grounds for the move were unclear. We have filed an impeachment against the president of the federal republic of Somalia, Abdikarim H. Abdi Buh said in a statement. Constitutionally, 92 lawmakers have to sign a motion for it to be submitted to the speaker. Parliament may debate the motion a week later. Somalias parliament has 275 lawmakers in total. A successful impeachment vote requires the backing of two-thirds of all MPs. (Reuters/NAN) Obiageli (Oby) Ezekwesili is the presidential candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) in the upcoming 2019 election. Mrs Ezekwesili once served as minister of solid minerals and then headed the education ministry during the second-term presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. She also led the Bring Back Our Girls Group (BBOG) for a while. In the second part of this interview with PREMIUM TIMES journalists during her visit to the newspapers corporate headquarters in Abuja, she explains why Nigerians should reject President Muhammadu Buhari and his main challenger in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar. She also speaks on her priorities if elected president. Read the first part here: PT: When did you decide to run? Ezekwesili: That week that you heard me declare. I got to the point listening to these people carrying on as if we are in an okay place. We only have an Atiku and Buhari, who are candidates of the BUTIKU family. It was very clear that we were back again in a situation where citizens have to say, we have to choose of between a lesser evil in the two men. You have citizens saying we gonna choose the lesser of the two evils and I said to myself again, what happened in 2015 is that citizens said we gonna choose the lesser of the two evils and guess what? Of the 67 million people who registered to vote, only 28 million bothered to vote. This was because a large number said, I will not be part of those who will thumb-print any lesser of both evils. We are going on that path again this 2019. Those of you who know me well know I detest politics but what I detest more is the in-actions of our political class. So, that which I detest more forced me to do that which I detest less. That is why at that point in time I said I was absolutely fed up. The other option I had if I did not intend to run is to wash my hands off Nigeria and raise it up and say Nigeria defeated me. I would have said, Nigeria, I tried my best but you defeated me, goodbye or I take this fire in my bone and say, Nigeria is not what is supposed to be. We are waiting for the day the political class will now change and decide to be nice? The are never going to be nice, quote me. There is no incentive on the part of our political class to do things differently. Havent you seen that even our demand for accountability and good governance from them has become a blunt instrument? You demand governance and accountability, what do they do? They say its because we dont like them or because we are looking for something. Its like its not registering. They are in a different level of reasoning, they are lost somewhere! Completely disengaged from the reality. The reality that I face as a wife of a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God which is that we really have poor families that sometimes no longer eat because the situation is that bad. Sometimes people say to me that I am an elitist and does not know what is going on. They dont know that other side of me where I have to deal with everyday Nigerians who are facing dire situations. PT: As you said, you are a pastors wife and we believe you are also a pastor? How do you think you can involve yourself in Nigerian politics as they say politics is a dirty game? Ezekwesili: I am here to change that dirty Nigerian politics. If you are waiting for me to give you money, I will not give you, I dont have and even if I have, I will not give anybody money. You should ask your self a question: why will a person give you money to go and serve you? How does that make sense? The only explanation is that the person is not going to serve you. PT: How do you hope to win with a party that does not have structures across the nation. In the 2015 election, your party only won few councilor seats in Osun. Ezekwesili: What is the definition of structure? What these politicians call structure is a captive audience of Nigerians who come out when they need them to come out. You think the structure is that they build story building? No. It is that there is a captive audience of Nigerians who have bought into their message, who when they say to them, there is a meeting at the village square, they all come out. PT: But you will need persons to represent you at all the polling units in the states. Ezekwesili: That is the point I am making, I am saying to you that the structure is the individual Nigerians, so the question you should be asking is that, do we now have people in each of these places that have bought into the message of the ACPN of today? I am here to say to you, yes we do. Let me tell you, the matter of structure is the one that we have used our own strategy to be able to deal with. We have our communities that become our structures and I can assure you that the taste of the pudding is in the eating. When you take your PVC to go vote for me, you will see many other people (supporters) at the polling booth. PT: You resigned from the BBOG to take up this gauntlet. Has the movement been abandoned? Ezekwesili: There is no way the movement can be abandoned. Have you not noticed how frequently we change leadership? It is a model for how to run institutions in Africa. This is a movement that has been on the basis of the sweat of Nigerians. We told ourselves from the very beginning that we will not take a dime from anybody. Everything we have done as bring back our girls movement, we have had to do it ourselves. We put our money where our empathy lies. Part of way of modelling of the movement is that it is not built around a single individual. I stepped down as chair of the strategic team, Aisha Yusufu stepped in. When she stepped down, Ozor stepped in and so on. It is not going anywhere until all our girls are back. We are committed to it. The only thing that we have done is to not allow my candidacy to mix up with the activities. Our girls are in our hearts, Leah Sharibu and now Alice, a humanitarian aid worker. We are not shifting ground. PT: As Minister of Education, you once tried to reposition the unity schools. Did it work? Ezekwesili: Its part of the 436 reforms. Its only one out of 436 reforms. People forget that we had to do ORASS, Operation Reach All Secondary Schools. We grilled secondary school inspectors and gave them the tools and they went to every secondary school in this land and on the basis of what they did, we were able to design what is called the Nigerian Education Management Information System. Without that kind of management, you cannot do education planning and that is a major area for us. The work we did on enrollment in that short period reduced out of school children by 500,000 but after we left, the remaining figures spiked by more than twice what it was. PT: So how do you intend matching education with human development (if elected) which is what you are now preaching? Ezekwesili: But education is the heartbeat of human capital development. When we say human development, we are talking of education and health. We need healthy human beings who you then give education. That is human development. The programme that we have is very interesting. Number one matter for us in the education reform programmw is to completely change the position of the teachers in our education system because research has showed us that almost 60 per cent of learning outcome is determined by the quality of the teacher in the class room. So one of the programmes we have is teachers prestige, teachers pride which will professionalise teaching. We have another programme called teachers top talent. In that one, the upper percentile of academic achievers are the ones that we will recruit into teaching. We have plans for housing all teachers because when the teachers have a sense that there is housing for them, those who have the calling will come through. We want to reevaluate the teaching profession to continuously upgrade their quality. There is a lot in the human development angle. On health, the cornerstone thing for us is universal access through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). We want that scheme to start working. What we do today you see people on AIT or NTA and Facebook begging for money. We cannot have a broken health system that shuts its door to the poor. We are going to fix that. PT: What is your plan on corruption? Ezekwesili: Prevention! A lot of institutional structures will take care of it. For example, systemic change. During the public procurement reforms, you saw how that reduced public contracting corruption. We are going to do process change to improve service delivery. The big banana is the deregulation of the economy. The more you deregulate the economy and reduce the opportunity that public servants have to be making decisions at discretion over things that can happen competitively, the less they have opportunity, so that is the prevention part of tackling corruption. The other part is sanction. It has to do with law, judiciary, enforcement, the capacity of the police to investigate, prosecute and then the judiciary to be a very committed arm in tackling corruption. If we do the prevention, we reduce opportunities for corruption. Research shows when you have reduced opportunities for corruption, less corruption happens. Oby Ezekwesili and Olusegun Obasanjo The prevention part is also to tell those kind of people that when you do your corruption, we will fish you out and when the law finds you out, we will prosecute you and when we have mechanism put in place for prosecuting corruption, people will be appropriately be sanctioned. People will be sanctioned on the basis of equality before the law, all men and women are equal before the law. When you see a lot of bad behavior punished over time, less people will be inclined to indulge in corruption and to underpin these things, you will need a leader driven by moral integrity, not the kind of integrity you look for under the table. PT: How much do you value Obasanjos endorsement given your closeness to him, If you value it highly, have you gone to get it? Ezekwesili: I think the endorsement of the Nigerian people is what Im working so hard to get right now and that is why I want all Nigerian people to get ready to vote for me. All these years, what did you get in voting in almost 20 years of our democracy? Have you not been wasting your votes? A vote for Ezekwesili gets you good governance. I am on a rescue mission, we have a problem, we must rescue this land. We cannot have this kind of result that we overtook a country that is seven times our population and became the worlds capital of poverty and we just keep quiet. Do you know that poverty is the worst destabilising factor in all economies? A former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has denied media reports (not PREMIUM TIMES) that he has decided not to support any candidate for next years presidential election in Nigeria. Mr Obasanjo made the clarification in a statement on Sunday by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi. While Chief Olusegun Obasanjo is in Cairo to attend the maiden edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF), of which he is Chairman of the Advisory Council, his attention has been drawn to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) with the headline Atiku: Obasanjo Shifts Political Gear to Neutral. It is disingenuous, if not malicious, for anyone to suggest that Chief Obasanjo was being neutral when he chose not to use the Owu Convention as a platform for political campaign but instead adopt a communal and familial approach in talking to members of his Owu family, Mr Akinyemi said. For the records, and as accurately reported by some media organisations, what the former president said at the convention in Iwo was that while he would not impress any candidates on them, Nigerians should vote for credible candidates who will drive growth and development and make their lives better than it is now. He explained that Mr Obasanjos statement did not suggest his neutrality, as he believes that, only a fool will sit on the fence or be neutral when his or her country is being destroyed with incompetence, corruption, lack of focus, insecurity, nepotism, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious. Chief Obasanjo is no such fool nor is he so unwise, the aide said. The former president, who already declared his support for opposition presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said he would not sit on the fence when he needs to be out and active for people to know where he stands in the best interest of Nigeria. He urged Nigerians to stop complaining about their current situation and advised that they should and go out to get beneficial change, stating that, they must know that such change will not come if they remain inactive just complaining and complacent and they allow themselves to be deceived by sycophants and enemies of Nigeria. If they do not become active and get much needed change of the current administration to a government that will improve the economy, regain the confidence of investors and generally drive growth, development and economic progress with security, what is coming will be much worse than what Nigerians currently suffer. Mr Obasanjo said he would continue to speak against poor governance and nobody should manipulate his stance on the 2019 presidential election. Mr Obasanjo was an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he supported for the 2015 general elections. President Muhammadu Buhari He has, however, accused the president of nepotism, poor performance, and sectionalism and declared his support for Mr Abubakar. The presidency has however repeatedly asked Nigerians to ignore Mr Obasanjo, saying Mr Buharis performance in office was enough to earn him re-election. Mr Buhari also accused Mr Obasanjo of corruption while in office. Monday 2019: Amosun vows to work against APC flag bearer in Ogun State The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, vowed to work against his partys governorship candidate in the state. Being a close ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, he, however, pledged to work for the presidents re-election bid, adding that he would not leave the APC and would contest the Ogun central senatorial election on the platform of the party next year. Two traditional rulers suspended for organising prayer session for Buhari Two traditional rulers in Deba district of Gombe State were suspended from office for organising a prayer session for the success of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 election. Alhaji Julde of Garin Mallam and Ummaru Bappayo of Wajari district were suspended by the Emir of Deba after they reportedly organised the prayers and invited prominent Islamic clerics to the session. Nigeria, Russia sign treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federation of Russia signed a treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. The ministrys spokesperson, George Edokpa, disclosed in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja that the treaty was negotiated in 2009 to enhance collaboration and cooperation between the two countries in the administration of criminal justice and was signed in Moscow, Russia on November 27 this year. SSS parades woman for allegedly posing as First Lady of Kogi State The State Security Service paraded a middle-aged woman, Amina Mohammed, also known as Justina Onuoha, for allegedly gaining entry into the Presidential Villa in Abuja while posing as First Lady of Kogi State. The SSS accused Ms Mohammed of gaining unauthorised entries into the Villa over a period of time, during which she impersonated top government officials and allegedly duped one Alexander Chicason Okafor, the billionaire chairman of Chicason Group, a major logistics and oil and gas firm, of up to N150 million in November 2017. But the accused said she never acted alone and urged Nigerians to ensure she does not suffer the consequences of the alleged crime alone. 2019: Atiku flags off presidential campaign in North-west The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Monday flagged off his campaign in Sokoto and appealed to the residents to vote in one of their own as president. He also told the crowd at the rally ground that he is a Jack of all trades, who has the experience to revive the nations economy. Tuesday Okorochas son-in-law dumps APC Uche Nwosu, former Chief of Staff to the Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Action Alliance (AA) to pursue his political ambition to be the next state governor. Saraki assures NASS workers of meeting their demands Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, assured aggrieved National Assembly workers of a quick consideration of their request. He also promised to meet with the management of the National Assembly to find a lasting solution to the problem. Buhari expresses concern over communal violence in Crosss River President Muhammadu Buhari expressed concern over reports of violence in four communities in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State resulting in loss of lives, injuries and displacement of villagers. Calling for calm and restoration of peace in the affected communities bordering Abia State, the president urged the people of the areas to allow law and order to prevail. Wednesday Gombe APC chieftain predicts easy victory for Buhari A chieftain of the APC in Gombe State, Jamil Gwamna, said the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari were visible enough for APC to defeat the PDP in 2019, adding that the APC does not need to campaign to defeat PDP in 2019 Ambodes Commissioner resigns from APC Former Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state [Photo credit: Instagram akinwunmiambode] The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Olawale Oluwo, in Lagos State, resigned from the ruling APC to join the PDP. In his resignation letter dated December 3 to the state APC chairman and obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Oluwo, who is a confidant of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, said he could no longer shoulder the heavy moral burden the contentious primary election placed on him. Thugs attack convoy of Ogun ADC governorship candidate Some individuals suspected to be political thugs reportedly attacked the convoy of the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Ogun State, Gboyega Isiaka. Mr Isiaka, popularly called GNI, and his campaign train were going to Ibese in Yewa North Local Government Area of the state when the thugs reportedly opened fire on them, injuring two of his supporters. Supreme Court refuses stay of execution of judgement on Ogun PDP crisis The Supreme Court refused a request to make an order of stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos which recognised the Adebayo Dayo-led executive committee as the authentic leadership of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party. Oshiomhole describes Okorocha, Amosun as poor History students Former APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole Photo: DailyPost The National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, said the governors of Imo and Ogun State, Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun, were behaving like poor students of their own histories by forgetting they lost elections before winning on the platform of the APC. The real headline today is that we win in Ogun state and we will deliver Hope Uzodinma in Imo state. Our popularity in Imo State today are increasing, what we dont know and Nigerians always make this mistake that once you are a governor, you have electoral value, Mr Oshiomhole said. Fayose sustains injury in car crash Immediate past Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, sustained injuries after his G-Wagon Benz was involved in multiple car crash. The accident occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge inward Iyana Oworo around 1 pm. Reports stated Mr Fayose had driven the white G-Wagon which rammed into a broken down commercial bus and a patrol motorcycle parked beside it. Thursday Workers shut down National Assembly Workers at the National Assembly under the auspices of the Parliamentary Support Association of Nigeria, on Tuesday crippled activities at the chambers. Members of PASAN picketed the Senate and House of Representatives, turning back lawmakers who came for plenary. Aisha Buhari denies association with suspected impersonator Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari denied being an associate of Amina Mohammed, the suspect paraded by the State Security Services on Monday for allegedly impersonating the wife of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. Mrs Buhari said she neither knew the imposter nor ever did any business with her. Buhari assures Nigerians 2019 elections will be free and fair President Buhari in Abuja assured Nigerians that the 2019 general elections will be free and fair. I respect the peoples feelings, he said, I assure all that we will have a free and fair election next year. President Buhari said. Federal government vows to complete second Niger Bridge in 2022 The Nigerian government guaranteed that the construction of the N220bn Second Niger Bridge will be completed 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. CUPP selects Atiku as consensus candidate The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) selected the PDP s candidate, Mr Abubakar, as its candidate in the 2019 presidential election. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), however, distanced itself from the endorsement, saying it is not part of the coalition. SDP National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Alfa, said the party already has a candidate, Donald Duke, whose name had been submitted to INEC for the 2019 election. Sanwo-Olu officially kicks off campaign in Lagos The gubernatorial candidate of the ruling APC in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, officially kicked off his independent campaign in Lagos Island East. The Chairman of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area in the state, Oloruntoba Oke, who inaugurated the councils Independent Campaign Group (ICG), urged members to begin a door-to-door and house-to-house campaign for the APC candidates for next years elections. EU supports INEC to help disadvantaged people vote in 2019 The Head of EU, Ketil Karlsen, the INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, and Founder of The Albino Foundation, Jake Epelle. The European Union (EU) said it will support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its plans to get people with disabilities, women and the youth to fully participate in the 2019 general elections. South-west will vote massively for Atiku Ex-PDP Scribe A former National Secretary of the PDP, Wale Oladipo, boasted that the South West will vote massively for the PDP presidential candidate, Mr Abubakar. KOWA kicks over CUPPs adoption of Atiku The presidential candidate of KOWA Party, Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, criticised the process that resulted in the adoption of the candidate of PDP, Mr Abubakar, as the consensus candidate of the Coalition of United Political Parties. The presidential candidate, via his Twitter account, @SFB2019, said, KOWA Party stands for transparency and accountability and we consider the CUPP process largely flawed and quite dubiously executed. We had nothing to do with it and are not aware Atiku promises to start restructuring process within six months if elected The presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr Abubakar, pledged that his administration will start the process of restructuring the country within six months of his inauguration. He made the pledge in Ibadan during the flag off of his campaign in the South West Zone. ADP governorship candidate in Ogun picks running mate Court stops Kano Assembly from investigating Ganduje over alleged bribery A Kano State high court, presided by Justice Ahmad Badamasi, ruled that Kano State House of Assembly has no power to investigate the $5 million bribery allegation against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. Delivering the judgement, the judge said collecting bribe from contractors is a criminal offence in section 115 and 116 of the penal code, and the House has no capacity to investigate criminal offences. INEC picks new secretary The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appointed Rose Orianran-Anthony as its new secretary. Akeredolu urges N-Power beneficiaries to vote for Buhari The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, urged Npower beneficiaries nationwide to reciprocate the gesture of their engagement by the present administration by re-electing president Muhammadu Buhari and his vice in the forthcoming general election. House of Reps approves June 12 as Democracy Day The House of Representatives approved June 12 be marked as Democracy Day in Nigeria. The current date, May 29, was deleted from the Public Holidays Act and replaced with the new date. Court sacks Anambra APC Chair A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, sacked Emeka Ibe as the chairman of the APC in the state. A member of the APC in Anambra and chairmanship aspirant, Uzochukwu Onyekwere, had gone to court to contest the May 19 state elective congress that brought in Mr Ibe over unlawful exclusion. NaAbba quits APC A former Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003, Ghali Naabba, resigned his membership of the APC. Friday Activist warns Atiku on restructuring Atiku Abubakar The President of Midwest Movement, Pedro Obaseki, said the presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr Abubakar, should stop using restructuring as a political gimmick to get votes, if he has no intention of fulfilling his promise, else, he will face court action. Police assure Nigerians of its readiness in 2019 The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Agboola Oshodi-Glover, assured the public that men of the Nigeria Police Force were ready for the 2019 general elections. The police boss said measures were being put in place towards ensuring free, fair and credible elections in 2019. The Nigeria Police Force is prepared for the coming elections. We are ready to ensure adequate security before, during and after the election. He said. National Assembly workers threaten strike National Assembly workers under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the management of the legislature failed to meet their demands. The Chairman of PASAN, Musa Bature, gave the warning at a press briefing in Abuja. Ladoja defects to ZLP Former Oyo State Governor, Rashidi Ladoja, announced his defection to the Zenith Labour Party from the African Democratic Congress. Justifying his decision at a press conference in Ibadan, the state capital, Mr Ladoja said his former party was rudderless and operating under invisible leaders. 19 Imo lawmakers defect to AA The Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Acho Ihim, led 18 lawmakers to defect from their former parties to the Action Alliance. The affected lawmakers were before now members of the APC and the PDP. Buhari declines to assent 2018 Electoral Act President Buhari declined to assent to the 2018 Electoral Act Amendment bill and returned it to the National Assembly. That was the fourth time the bill was being rejected by the President. The earlier rejections were said to be due to errors in the bill. FEC approves 2019 budget estimates The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the proposed 2019 budget estimates. Minister of Budget and Planning, Udoma Udoma, said: The estimates have been approved and will soon be forwarded to the National Assembly for passage. President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday challenged African youth to champion the fight against corruption, saying their involvement is critical to winning the anti-graft crusade in the continent. Mr Buhari gave the challenge while declaring open the 2018 Africa Youth Congress Against Corruption (AYCAC) at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. According to him, their involvement will help in reversing the negative trends of corruption and its implications for Africa. To the young people of Africa, this fight against corruption is yours to lead and to win in order to reverse the negative trends of corruption and its implications for Africa. The Youth of Africa must pool their energies to effectively ensure that our natural and mineral resources remain on the continent for value addition, job and wealth creation as well as to create affordable health-care and quality education for our people. Winning the fight against corruption is very much in your hands! Of particular interest to the youth, as reflected in the Nouakchott Declaration, is the emphasis on the imperative of investing in the demographic dividends through anti-corruption, education and sensitization campaigns, targeting young people as a means of bringing about behavioural change. I thereby encourage young Africans to use this Declaration as motivation to achieve greater resource investment in developing anti-corruption curricula and anti-graft campaigns in schools, businesses and the general public space. African Youth must remain the front and centre of restoring traditional African values of probity, integrity, honesty, diligence and hard work. It is only when the youth drive this change, that corruption will be eliminated!, he said. The president, who was appointed by the African Union (AU) in January as the 2018 AU Anti-Corruption Champion, emphasised that the youth must rise up to the occasion in order to check the rising trend of corruption in the continent. He noted with delight that the youth regional consultative forums were informative and rewarding for the over 600 young people from across the continent who sharpened their strategies and skills to fight corruption. While observing that youth meetings serve as vital platforms for young people to engage, the president recognized and commended some young African leaders who had demonstrated the zeal and determination to build the Africa We Want: He said: First, I wish to recognize Mr Moussa Kondo from Mali for his Accountability Lab in the Republic of Mali. He blazed the trail on how to build sustainable coalitions of Accountapreneurs. Secondly, I recognize, Mr Maxence Melo, from the United Republic of Tanzania, founder of JamiiForums for strengthening the viability of whistleblowing policy tools. I also enjoin us to celebrate our very own Nigerian Damilola Olawale, founder of Code IT for using technology to give young people the tools to demand transparency in the management of public resources. The President, whose administrations three cardinal principles include the fight against corruption, also advocated for the introduction of anti-corruption curriculum and campaigns in schools. He expressed optimism that the Abuja Congress of AYCAC would take adequate stock of policy and institutional mechanisms in the fight against corruption as well as the role of technology, among others. He also hoped that the Congress would give due support to the continental strategies to stem illicit financial flows out of Africa and expedite stolen assets recovery and return as well as strengthen the capacity of national anti-corruption institutions. Mr Buhari also enjoined the Congress to explore the link between corruption and conflicts and strengthen oversight by citizens on budget performance. You should also strongly advocate the universal signing and ratification of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption by all Member States of the African Union. At the end of your deliberations in this Congress, I am confident that you will come up with an Agenda for Action on Winning the Fight against Corruption that will serve as the rallying cry of the African Youth towards a corruptfion-free Africa. Strive for an Agenda for Action that will be results-oriented and serve as a roadmap for our continent. Let me share with you what I believe are the A, B, C of fighting corruption: (A) stands for ACTION. Let us all move from talk to action. I urge you to develop tangible projects in your community to instill transparency and accountability of the highest standard. I look forward to receiving your Creed of Transparency from this Congress with a view to forwarding the recommendations to the next Summit of the African Union in February next year. (B) stands for BUILDING BRIDGES. The youth have a unique opportunity to spearhead the building of inter-generational and cross-sectoral bridges in our various communities. Often, fighting corruption requires partnerships with unlikely allies. Be open to exploring constructive partnerships with a wide base of actors. Again, I look forward to all of you joining the Transparency Champions Network that was created following the Regional Youth Consultations. (C) stands for CULTURE. So, let us cultivate and equip ourselves with African culture, (the) right attitude and mindset change that will enable us to stand firmly against corruption. By so doing, accountability and change will begin with you and me. According to the president, while the symbolic year may be ending, the campaign against corruption must not end, as the common future is even brighter. He added that as Africa promotes regional integration and global prosperity, corruption remains a major stumbling block to the realization of the seven aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We must, therefore, fight it from all angles and avenues without ceasing. And only a united front led by the African Youth can change this present narrative to a great story of African transformation. Buhari, therefore, urged the youth to challenge corruption in their different countries as we are doing in Nigeria and DO NOT COMPROMISE!! The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu, noted that the level of corruption in Nigeria and Africa as a whole is unacceptably high and warrant urgent action. He listed some of the measures taken by the Buhari administration to fight corruption to include the implementation of the whistle-blower policy, Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Bank Verification Number (BVN). He disclosed that the agency had embarked on continuous audits to ensure public funds were spent judiciously. He, however, stressed the need for the support and cooperation of the youth in the anti-corruption battle, and pledged never to betray the mandates of the agency. According to Magu, the EFCC will redouble its efforts in the battle until corruption is wiped out. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, noted that the youth are the future leaders of Africa and they must go all out against corruption. According to him, corruption is an injustice against Africans and must be resisted vehemently, adding that the time to kill corruption is now. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representatives of United Nations (UNODC) and Chairperson of the African Union delivered goodwill messages at the event, which was attended by cabinet ministers and participants from across the African continent. (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday received a condolence message and assurance of support in the fight against terrorism from King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, who prayed for peace and calm in Nigeria, and throughout African region. In a telephone conversation, King Abdullah commended the Nigerian army for their courage and resilience in the face of challenges in fighting extremist terrorism. Mr Buhari thanked the king for his concern on the recent setbacks that led to the loss of military lives in the North East. Scores of soldiers have been killed in recent months by the Boko Haram in attacks in the North-east. The president assured that several measures had been discussed and were being implemented to steer the country from the unfortunate occurrence. He told the monarch that he would continue to work towards the total elimination of terrorism in the Lake Chad basin area. Mr Buhari commended the king for his support and steadfastness for the global effort against terrorism, describing the collaboration between Jordan and Nigeria, and the rest of Africa, through the platform of Aqaba Counter Terrorism Retreats, as very beneficial. The Aqaba Counter Terrorism Retreats is convened by the Jordanian king. President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded Nigerians for curbing excessive taste for foreign products, which he said has positioned the country for food self-sufficiency and resulted into savings of over $21 billion. The president said the savings will be deployed to other critical areas like infrastructure, education, health care, and many others. Mr Buhari was reacting to recent disclosures by the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, who spoke at the 2018 Annual Bankers Dinner, where he said: Noticeable declines were steadily recorded in our monthly food import bill from US$665.4 million in January 2015 to US$160.4 million as at October 2018, a cumulative fall of 75.9% and an implied savings of over US$21 billion on food imports alone over that period. Most evident were the 97.3% cumulative reduction in monthly rice import bills, 99.6% in fish, 81.3% in milk, 63.7% in sugar, and 60.5% in wheat. We are glad with the accomplishments recorded so far. Mr Buhari said with the commitment of Nigerian farmers, and the support given by the government, in no distant future, food importation will be completely alien to us, and we will even export actively, thus reversing our position as a mono- product economy. The CBN governor equally spoke on the number of jobs created in the agriculture sector: In the agriculture sector, the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) has ensured that Nigeria emerged from being a net importer of rice to becoming a major producer, supplying key markets in neighbouring countries. As at October 2018, a total number of 862,069 farmers cultivating about 835,239 hectares, across 16 different commodities, have so far benefited from Anchor Borrowers Programme, which has generated 2,502,675 jobs across the country. Describing the development as heart-warming, the president said it was just a matter of time before a significantly positive impact would be made in the statistics of the unemployed in the country, particularly from the agriculture sector. He asserted: We are on a productive voyage, which would see the ship of state berthing at the harbour of food self-sufficiency, gainful jobs, peace and prosperity for Nigerians. The Federal Government says African Natural Resources and Mines Ltds 600 million dollars (N183 billion) investment in integrated iron ore mining processing and steel production will boost the countrys economy. The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, said this in a statement issued by Paul Abechi, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications in Abuja on Sunday. Mrs Ahmed, who expressed the governments delight over the development, said this during a meeting with the representative of the firm, Raj Gupta, in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The minister said that the investment would also lead to increased revenue generation and job creation under the diversification policy of the federal government. In a bid to diversify away from oil and increase government revenues, I met with African Natural Resources and Mines Ltd and they are investing 600 million dollars in an integrated iron ore mining, processing and steel production project in Kagarko Local Government, Kaduna State. This is about the first major investment in the mining sector in more than two decades. The project will have a capacity of 5.4 metric tonnes per annum and will create 3,500 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, the minister said. According to her, the steel plant will generate 36 megawatts of electricity to the national grid that will, in turn, boost the already generated megawatts of power for other economic activities. About 36 megawatts of electricity is to be generated from the waste heat which will increase power supply to Kagarko Local Government to help develop other industries and urbanise the local area. The surplus will also be added to the national grid, she said. Mrs Ahmed explained that the companys steel would carry out beneficiation, pelletising and convert iron into direct steel for manufacturing. She added that it would galvanise the industrial space into a hub of production of finished goods for local consumption and export to foreign countries. She predicted that the project would massively impact on the local people and the nation at large, based on the potential it has to transform the socio-economic life of Nigerians. This project will drive industrial and community development, generate more power, create employment for locals, substitute imports, crude steel production, royalties and reposition the mining sector, she said. (NAN) Passengers on board an Emirates airline from Dubai to Lagos in the early hours of Sunday protested as the scheduled flight developed fault just as it was about leaving the Dubai airport. The Boeing 777-300 aircraft developed fault with its air conditioning system just before it took off, the pilot announced. The plane was taxing preparatory to taking off when the pilot reported that it was not safe to fly due to the detected problem. He recommended passengers to be evacuated for the problem to be fixed in 30 minutes. But anxiety developed in the cabin as no evacuation began immediately. Fast change in the cabin temperature heightened the passengers anxiety in spite of the attempts of the pilot to calm the situation. The flight, which was due to leave the at 3:55 a.m., local time, was still unable to move over an hour later. With increased tension, the pilot announced improvisation of the cabin air pressure, which gradually restored the air condition around 5:15 a.m. At 5:32 a.m., the aircraft was finally connected to a boarding tube, to the relief of the pensive passengers. The pilot announced a new boarding time of 7:30 a.m. to allow for reorganisation of the aircraft and crew. Passengers disembarking however grumbled for being made to pass through the stress of fresh security screening. One Nigerian passenger, who pleaded anonymity for fear of being targeted by airline officials, described the experience as horrible and the conduct of the airline officials as ignoble. I dont think I will fly them again. Something like this happened and they cannot talk to passengers politely and calm them. I am disappointed. But another passenger, Tobi Adejimo, said this was the first of such experience he has with the airline despite flying them regularly. I use Emirates every time. This is the first time I am witnessing such, and instead of all this shouting we should thank God and the pilot who didnt risk flying when he noticed the issue, he said. PREMIUM TIMES was not able to get Emirates reaction to this story as at the time of this publication. Millions of people from around the world packed the two auditoriums at the Redemption Camp of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and hundreds of viewing centres on Friday as the churchs 2018 Holy Ghost Congress climaxed. At the event, the General Overseer of the church, Enoch Adeboye, warned attendees and Christians not to buy or sell items branded with his image or that of his wife. He asked that those caught selling such should be handed over to the police. The Redeemed Church is in 197 countries from where people who could not make it to the camp, participated in the congress from viewing centres. For those seeking miracles, the hosting of such mammoth crowds without an incident should probably be the first. The second should be the churchs ability to feed and accommodate a large part of the congregation free of charge. But there were also turn-around miracles as some happy couples testified to Gods intervention after many years of barrenness, some as long as 20 years after marriage; and the use of handkerchiefs, anointed by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to reportedly heal various diseases including cancer. On such occasions, the congregation expects Mr Adeboye to pray for them and anoint mantles for them. The expectations reached a feverish pitch when he announced his encounter with God on Thursday night. According to him, he had prayed for God to do him a special favour; something special during Fridays plenary and got the assurance that He would focus specially for an hour on the Congress during the congregational prayer session. The one-hour prayer After his sermon, he announced the beginning of the special hour. He had told the congregation, We are to pray for one hour. If you like within that one hour fall asleep. An opportunity like this might never come again. I will not go back to God for this kind of opportunity. If I were you, all those things I have asked from God that have not been granted, I will present all of them to God; if I were you, I wont ask for a small thing. I will be asking God: Dont let my Sun set in the afternoon. Anoint me afresh, and let me be one of your favourites. Put an end to my sorrow. I am not going to tell you what you are going to ask for the one hour. Go ahead, your one hour begins now Promptly, people rushed to the altar and all available space to pray, rendering the air with various voices. For one hour, the congregation prayed, some people in standing position or on their knees, while some sprawled on the floor. Miracle handkerchiefs At the end of the hour, Mr Adeboye sealed the prayers with his, and proceeded to anoint the mantles. He said; You dont argue with results. You dont argue with testimonies. When I listened to testimonies of what God has been doing with the handkerchiefs anointed here: the healings, raising the dead and like the one we heard here yesterday about a woman whose breast was restored, I feel encouraged. Because of these incredible testimonies, I have made up my mind to be anointing your handkerchiefs, clothes, shoes, everyone on every special occasion. He asked people to sing their choice of praise song and wave the items they wanted anointed as he sang his own praise song and prayed. The sea of heads in the auditoriums turned into a white roaring sea of handkerchiefs. The cleric who never misses an opportunity to win souls, would not miss Fridays, except that he didnt do it himself. Joe Olaiya, who preached earlier that night on how sin affects Gods response to our prayers, made the altar call and many people rushed to the altars in both auditoriums. In the sermon, Mr Olaiya, a reverend, reminded the listeners that the Lords hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear, and advised that when fasting and prayers are ineffective, one should look inwards and backwards for reasons. Sin distances us from God and causes affliction, he warned. Another high point of the night was the congregational prayer for all nations, which was led by Folu Adeboye, the wife Mr Adeboye and one of the pillars of the church. She prayed particularly for bad aides and advisers around leaders to be removed. Branded Items In his own sermon for the night titled The Glory Ahead, which is also the theme of the Congress, Mr Adeboye defined glory simply as the opposite of shame, and Glory Ahead as a prophetic saying symbolising a great future. He said it generates hope, serves as an encouragement, and provides comfort. He added that it could also mean the sun is about to rise; that if things are good, they are about to get better; stolen glory is about to be restored or ones glory is going to get higher. Rounding up, he urged the congregation to seek wisdom and be wise, and listed the expectations from the wise. Glory belongs to the Wise. From now on, be the wise. The wise shall inherit Glory. Be wise, he that wins soul is wise; be wise, pay your vows; be wise, the fool says there is no God; and be wise because without faith it is impossible to please Him. Seek God diligently. Before the sermon, he had dissociated himself from people selling branded items with the images of him and his wife. He said: It has been brought to my attention that some people are selling car keys and bracelets with my photograph and the photograph of my wife in it. May I appeal to you in the Mighty Name of Jesus; dont buy them. If you have bought, throw them away. If you can see the sellers, report them to the police. I didnt send them. I have nothing to do with them. What these people are doing can lead to serious trouble; not for them, but for me. God will never share His Glory with any man. If at any time, God senses that a man is sharing His Glory; that man is dead, but whether the devil likes it or not I am not dying yet. A woman bought one of the bracelets with my photograph and gave it to her child. You know children, anything they see they will put in their mouth. When the mother wanted to take it; she saw my picture was opened and the picture of Prophet T.B Joshua was on the other side. You already know what that means. Please dont cooperate with anyone who wants to kill me. The warning against sharing Gods Glory Mr Adeboye, noted for his humility, desists from self-adulation and avoids praise-singing for him. According to him, after the success of the very first Holy Ghost Congress, he had had an encounter with God at the Redemption Camp during which he was warned sternly against sharing in Gods glory. He recalls in one of his testimonies in the book, The Stories of Pastor E.A. Adeboye: Something happened after Lekki 98; one of the biggest programmes that we ever had. The whole of Lagos was paralysed because of the programme. People walked kilometres to the venue and back. Fortunately, the programme was also transmitted by radio, so those who couldnt get there listened to it on their radio. It was a fantastic programme! After the programme, I returned to the Redemption Camp and soon proceeded to thank God: God I bless Your Holy name, what a wonderful thing, etc. It was between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. when He spoke. I heard him say clearly, Son, bend down. I bent down quickly because, you know, I was in the jungle. You never can tell; a witch could have been flying past. And then he said, Draw the figure of a man on the sand. I drew the figure of a man: zero for the head, one line for the body and two lines for the leg and so on. You know that kind of drawing. God said, Stand up. I did, but by then I was afraid because I knew something serious was happening. He said, Wipe out the figure you have drawn with your leg. I wiped it out. And He said, Son, if you ever forget who your boss is, I will wipe you out. Nobody will even remember you came to the world. That was what He told me. So, I smile when I hear people say, Hes a very humble man. How can a man be so successful and be so humble? You think I want to be wiped out? When you allow pride to creep into your life, you know what you are asking for? To be wiped out. The Congress which continued on Saturday with an anointing service, ends on Sunday with a thanksgiving. Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe) says the November 29 National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalled the consideration of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP). Mr Lawan, Majority Leader of the Senate, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja, said though the matter was scheduled on the Order Paper, it was stepped down. MTEF and FSP is a three-year planning tool that defines the governments economic, social and development objectives and priorities. It also details the strategies to achieve the governments defined objectives and highlights the key assumptions behind revenue projections. It also highlights strategic objectives behind the expenditure framework and fiscal targets over the medium term. It further articulates the nature and fiscal significance of the governments debt and measures to reduce such liabilities. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 makes statutory provisions requiring the federal government to prepare the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP). It is expected to be considered before presentation of the 2019 Budget by President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr Lawan noted that the Senate planned to take it on another legislative day but that did not happen due to other developments. It is unfortunate it has not been considered. It was scheduled, unfortunately, we could not take it because the day it was scheduled was the day the PDP held its NEC meeting. We had thought that we will take it the next week but then again something happened, he said. The lawmaker expressed optimism that the MTEF and FSP would be considered shortly. He said, I want to believe that we will take it between Tuesday and Wednesday. On the level of implementation of the 2018 Budget, Mr Lawan said while he could not say categorically the level of implementation, the government could not do much due to the paucity of funds. He said that much could not be done in the implementation of capital allocation until recent passage of the Euro Bond by the Senate for foreign borrowing. He said, I believe that the implementation of the 2018 Budget will pick up very fast now that there is fund. This administration has done a lot in a short while and with so little. Devoting 2.8billion dollars to capital projects is something previous administrations failed to do. My expectation is that now that the funds are available, the implementation will jump to catch up with the time we have spent, the majority leader said. (NAN) Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos) has kicked against any attempt to override President Muhammadu Buharis veto on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018. Mr Adeola made this known, on Sunday, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Kayode Odunaro, in Abuja. He said those making the calls to override the presidents veto did not have the interest of Nigerians at heart as they were not bothered about the success of the 2019 general elections. The lawmaker said he would not support any move in the Senate to do such, adding that the plan was counterproductive. According to him, passing the bill into law to take effect from the 2019 elections as observed by the president will not yield the desired result because the country has only a few months to the election. As a senator and Nigerian, I cannot be part of any move to override the presidents veto on the Electoral Bill. The president clearly stated his reasons for the veto and I think they are cogent enough to be accepted by all in national interest. Good enough, the president is not totally foreclosing the need to amend the Act as he clearly stated that such process can take place after the 2019 elections, he said. The lawmaker warned that moves to override the presidents veto would only amount to waste of precious legislative time and overheating the polity in place of other important legislative agenda. He added that besides the waste of time, it would be an exercise in futility, stressing that the parliament would not have the required constitutional two third to override the presidents veto. The lawmaker noted that at this point, I will stand with all those desirous of peaceful and transparent election as promised by President Muhammadu Buhari. With the assurances by INEC that it is ready to conduct a free and fair election with or without the amendment of the electoral law, only those with ulterior motives will want to override the presidents veto less than three months to the general elections. President Buhari on December 7 declined to assent to the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018 for the fourth time. Ita Enang, the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), said that the president had communicated his decision to the National Assembly. In September, the president rejected the bill for the third time due to what Mr Enang described as some drafting issues that had remained unaddressed. (NAN) The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has inaugurated the Aisha Buhari Integrated School for Nomadic Community in Maiduguri. The school, which was built and equipped by the Borno administration of Governor Kashim Shettima, is meant to provide an atmosphere conducive for learning to the children of nomads. The school was named after Aisha Buhari by the Borno State Government in appreciation of her efforts towards providing humanitarian services to the victims of insurgency in the State. While inaugurating the school, the wife of the president expressed optimism that the school would provide a good atmosphere for learning. Mrs Buhari also expressed the hope that the school would go a long way in ensuring a better future for the girl child, especially the children of the nomadic families. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the school, which commenced operation on October 15 2015, has 24 classrooms with 525 students. NAN also reports that the nomadic school was established by the Borno Government to cater for the educational needs of children of Hanagamba, Mbororoji and Fulani ethnic groups who were displaced by the activities of insurgents in their various communities. During the visit, the wife of the president also inaugurated the model orphanage integrated school built by the wife of Borno Governor, Nana Shettima, for orphans whose parents died due to the activities of insurgents in the state. While in Maiduguri, Mrs Buhari also visited the Government Girls College where she commissioned a newly constructed two-storey building of eighteen classrooms. Mrs Buhari ended her working visit with the inspection of the Orphanage Centre being built by the Aisha Buhari Foundation. She has since returned to Abuja. Picture story: Mrs. Buhari having a tete-a tete with wife of the Governor of BornoState, Mrs. Nana Shettima during award of excellence to Mrs. Buhari by Governor Shettima. Mrs. Buhari commissions the Aisha Buhari Integrated school in Maiduguribuilt by Governor Kashim Shettima for children of Fulanis and Mbororojis, orphans and the girl child..jpeg (2) Mrs. Buhari with a student of the school Mrs. Buhari, Governor Shettima and his wife during award of excellence for humanitarian activities to Mrs. Buhari Mrs. Buhari commissions the Aisha Buhari Integrated school in Maiduguribuilt by Governor Kashim Shettima for children of Fulanis and Mbororojis, orphans and the girl child..jpeg Mrs. Buhari inspecting a room at the orphanage room at the orphanage Mrs. Buhari commissioning a two story block of classes at the Government Girls College Maiduguri built by the Governor Mrs. Buhari commissions Model Orphanage and integrated school built for orphans by wife of the Governor of Borno state, Nana Shettima (NAN) The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued President Muhammadu Buhari over failure to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, and/or appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations of bribery against Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, as contained in the widely circulated video clips allegedly showing Mr Ganduje receiving bribe. SERAP had in November asked the president to direct the investigation of Mr Ganduje, stating that, if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for him to face prosecution at the expiration of his tenure as governor. The organisation also sought protection for the journalist, Jaafar Jaafar, who reportedly published the video clips. However, SERAP said since the receipt of its letter and to date, President Buhari has failed to grant its requests. Also, a Kano State high court last week stopped the Kano State House of Assembly from investigating the $5 million bribery allegation against Mr Ganduje. Consequently, in the suit number FHC/L/CS/2055/18 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, SERAP is seeking an order for leave to apply for judicial review and an order of mandamus directing and/or compelling Mr Buhari to immediately direct the investigation of allegations of bribery against Mr Ganduje. SERAP said: The Applicants requests are not onerous but simply based on issues of public interest, good governance, transparency and accountability. It is in the interest of justice to grant this application, as the Respondent has nothing to lose if the application is granted. The suit is also seeking an order to compel Mr Buhari to instruct appropriate security and law enforcement agencies to ensure the protection and guarantee the safety and security of journalist Jaafar Jaafar. The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its counsel, Bamisope Adeyanju read in part: Investigating allegations of bribery against Mr Ganduje would be entirely consistent with the provisions of section 15 subsection (5) of the 1999 Constitution, which requires the government of the Respondent to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power, regardless of the state where such practices are taking place. The Constitution defines government to include federal, state and local governments. Growing allegations of corruption against many state governors have not been investigated and several of the governors involved are getting away with their alleged crimes. Granting the reliefs sought would assist the Respondent to succeed in his fight against corruption and help to combat corruption among many state governors, who continue to allegedly mismanage their states resources with almost absolute impunity. The Attorney-General of the Federation has power conferred on him by section 174(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and anticorruption agencies have the powers to act on the allegations of bribery against Mr Ganduje for the sake of discharging their mandates, ensuring transparency and accountability, promoting the common good, peace, order and good government of the federation (which includes Kano State). Under the provisions of section 5(1)(b) of the Constitution of Nigeria,1999, the Executive powers of the Federation extends to the execution and maintanance of the Constitution which is the grundnorm and all laws made by the National Assembly, including the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, which SERAP is requesting the Respondent to effectively implement. Under Section 61(2) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) Act, a law of general application throughout the country, public officers accused of bribery may be prosecuted by the appropriate authority for such an offence. Although primarily a matter of concern for Kano State, the allegations of bribery against Mr Ganduje have assumed such a proportion as to become a matter of concern to the federation as a whole, and therefore, to the government of the Respondent. Vigorously seeking to enforce anticorruption legislation and the United Nations Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party regarding alleged corrupt state governors, will show that the Respondent is concerned with the overall well-being of the federation and willing and able to enforce important constitutional principles. Given the history of corruption in Nigeria, especially unresolved allegations of grand corruption against many state governors, the government of the Respondent cannot and should not look the other way regarding the allegations against Mr Ganduje. Any allegations of bribery and abuse of power in any state of Nigeria is of concern to every Nigerian, and should therefore, be of concern to the government of the Respondent. It is important to reiterate that a sitting governor can be investigated under Nigerian laws. Any criminal allegation against a sitting governor can and should be investigated pending the time the governor leaves office and loses immunity. SERAP has sufficient legal interest in monitoring the way and manner public funds are being utilized in Nigeria, hence our request for the Respondent to perform his public duty. The Respondent has failed, neglected and refused to instruct the Attorney General of the Federation and/or anti-corruption agencies to investigate Mr Ganduje over the alleged bribery. Given his anticorruption commitments, the Respondent ought to have acted on SERAPs requests to improve transparency and accountability among state governors. As the Supreme Court of Nigeria stated in Ugwu v. Ararume (2007) 31 WRN 1 at 42: If we want to instill sanity into our human affairs, if we want to entrench unpolluted democracy in our body polity, the naked truth must permeate through the blood, nerve and brain of each and every one of us. Although credit may not always have its rightful place in politics, we should try to blend the two so as to attain a fair, just and egalitarian society where no one is oppressed. Let us call a spade a spade! No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit. The agreement I had with my wife is (was) till death do us part but I never expected it six months after marriage. She started going into labour about 2 a.m. in the midnights early this year but died due to unavailable health centre and poor road leading to the community. She bled seriously to the extent that the local midwives who deliver pregnant women in the community could not attend to her. I was traumatised but had no choice than to move on. This is the agonising account of Innocent Enoch, a 37 year-old-man who said he lost his wife during childbirth due to lack of healthcare facility in Kekere Community, populated by the Ijaws in Edo State. The absence of a primary health centre in Kekere community is a major challenge for residents who have to travel about one and half hours to get to the closest health facility in Essi community. Mr Enochs story in this riverine community located in a hard-to-reach environment in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State is perhaps one of the reasons why Nigeria is rated as one of the counties with the highest incidences of maternal and infant mortality rate in the world. Kekere is mainly an agrarian settlement with cocoa being the major cash crop. However, majority of the residents cannot maximise the benefit of their produce because the deplorable state of the road that leads to the community. Three Days In A Week Primary School PREMIUM TIMES observed that the only available school in the community is a primary school with a single block of four classrooms. Although well built, it cannot accommodate even primary one to six students. This newspaper also gathered that the school, built during the administration of ex-Governor Adams Oshiomole, is now in a poor state due to dilapidated facilities. The classrooms can only be located through a narrow pathway as tall bushes already covered the school, exposing pupils to danger from reptiles and As you can see the classes are not enough. Students are merged together. Primary one students and primary two are merged, likewise other classes. Since the school was built during the regime of Oshiomole, weve not seen any government official even for inspection, Ngozi Agwu, a resident of the community said. This reporter observed that during a period the school was in session, no student or staff was present. Upon investigation, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the school only functions three times in a week because the few teachers in the school live in faraway Benin City. Side view of the only school to show Government presence Signpost of the only school in the community Classes with fallen off ceilings Today is Tuesday, the few teachers here are residing in a faraway Benin City, they only come to teach the pupils three times in a week because of the hard-to-reach axis of the community and the poor state of the road, Ms Agwu said. PREMIUM TIMES also gathered the only alternative school located in the neighboring Lakaloko has only two classrooms for over 150 pupils. Polluted River For over 1000 residents of the village, there is no single source of potable water. The alternative source of water for the community is the polluted river which exposes them to water-borne diseases. With what PREMIUM TIMES witnessed at this community, one could easily conclude that their case perfectly matches the life lived by people during the Neolithic era, when pipe-borne water or even a wash-borehole was still a mirage. However, this is actually happening in the 21st century Edo State. River used for survival by residents No single source of water except the river. People from houses without toilets defecate in this river and yet still use it to prepare food. Many have been sick and upon return from hospital, they still have to settle for the water. Sachet water is sold in some places here for N20 each because of the stress and how difficult it is for sellers to get it from the city to this village, Adams Farouq said. River used for survival Another resident simply identified as Chinwe who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on the bank of the river also expressed her displeasure over the situation. Lack Of Electricity Kekere also lacks electricity. The residents survive by the use of personal generators. In the 2018 Edo State budget, the government provides for electrification of Kekere and other neighboring communities under the line item extension of electricity from Essi to Boluwa, Kekere and Lakaloko. The electrification project alongside related projects was placed in the budget of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development at a total cost of N60 million. The related projects include construction of perimeter fence at Umaza (Phase 3); construction of 6 Nos. classroom block with office at Adolor primary school Umaza; renovation of 3 Nos. classroom in ovia primary school Ugbo; renovation of okponha primary school at Okponha; rehabilitation of old udo/iguobazuwa road 7km and extension of electricity from Essi to Boluwa, Lakaloka and Kekere communities. Road leading to Kekere Community When PREMIUM TIMES visited, the electricity project was yet to commence and the people were not even aware of the budget provision. Rapheal Ani, a resident of the community, narrated the hardship his family faces due to the electricity challenges faced by the community. I have faced untold hardship because the business my wife does is selling frozen foods and that has crumbled because of electricity failure, he said. We spend on fuel and contants service of the generators until it became unrepairable. Another resident, who identified himself as Chris, said the darkness renders the communitiy lifeless at night. It is depressing and makes residents expecially kids vulnerable to dangerous animals. Frustrated Community Leaders The community leaders at Kekere expressed their displeasure over the absence of government projects in the community. One of the leaders, Ben Bowie, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said they have written several letters to the state and local governments. Apart from the school in this community, there is nothing to show again that we have government here. Since the inception of democracy. This community has been left to ruin. We have had several meetings with the local government chairmen that come to power every four years but these proved abortive. In fact, the present local government chairman doesnt know this place. Many have fallen on Okada (motorcycle) and died on that road, many children have been buried because of lack of single primary health centre. Front view of the school I dont think we are demanding too much, we are only asking for our right and what is expected of us. We live in shocking poverty and not happy with the situation of things. Power supply is even nothing to write about, he said. Im Unaware Official Several calls and text messages sent to Edo State Commissioner for Local Government, Jimoh Ijegbai, were unanswered. However, when contacted, the Chairman of Ovia South West Local Government, Destiny Enabule, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was not aware that the community did not have a healthcare centre, electricity, potable water and school amongst others. I am not aware that Kekere Community did not have all these you have listed and it is not our fault. You see, the community needs to start taking responsibilities on their own, he said. Fine, the government should provide welfare but we need to know what they want. If you say they want schools and all that, do we know if they want that? The community must first talk to their leaders that they want something and then they (leaders) will communicate with us. When PREMIUM TIMES faulted his argument that basic amenities such as roads, hospital and others are social responsibilities of the government, he claimed the government cannot implement projects they dont ask for. One of the houses in Kekere Community Even the school that you are talking about that teachers only come three times in a week Is it the government that will drag teachers to work. Anyway, since you have made this known, I will speak with higher authorities and lower authorities to find a solution to their problem. Government Needs To Be More Responsible The Programme Officer of Amplify, a civic organisation that advocates for sustainable development in rural, underserved Nigerian communities, Ayodele Ibiyemi, urged the Edo State Government to pay attention to the Kekere community to ensure effective service delivery. Asides the primary school, the community has no other form of government presence. No motorable access road, no electricity, no healthcare facility and the people vote every election year. The quality of life is very low and this is unacceptable. The government has to do something to make the people feel like theyre part of the country. (Editors Note: This report is supported by Amplify, a civic tech organisation projecting the voices of rural underserved people and advocating for sustainable development in Nigerias forgotten communities.) Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Lagos branch, have accused the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Wale Babalakin, of overreaching his legal limits and trying to foster discord amongst the staff of the university. According to a statement on Sunday morning signed by the coordinator of the Lagos Zone of ASUU, Olusiji Sowande, the union accused the pro-chancellor of dictatorial tendencies and of thinking himself to be the Imperial Majesty of the university with no tolerance to divergent views. The union, therefore, warned that whatever unrest comes from its resistance to the alleged oppression meted by the pro-chancellor should be blamed only on him. The University of Lagos has an enviable record of being the first university in Nigeria established by an act of parliament, in 1962. Ever since, the university has enjoyed unparalleled peace, harmony and tranquillity on account of successive administrators faithfulness and obedience to and respect for the time-tested tradition of total obedience to, and strict adherence to the rule and regulations establishing the University as enshrined in the statute. It is now becoming clear, very worrisome and agonizing that the recent activities of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the University of Lagos Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, manifests a reckless and flagrant erosion, undermining and total disregard not for only the extant tradition of the University but also for its statutes. For the avoidance of doubt, the Pro-Chancellor activities since assumption of office are best described as autocratic, meddlesome and dictatorial. For example, he not only brooks no opposition during Council meetings because of his over bloated sense of personal importance and intellectual capability. He acted like an obsessed Imperial Majesty by ordering the reinstatement of the Director of Sports, contrary to the recommendation of a Senate Committee set up to investigate the various cases of malfeasance against the Director of Sports. In addition, the Pro-Chancellor tyrannically ordered the seal off of an apartment allocated to the immediate past Registrar of the University, without any humane consideration for the family of that person, who has right to respect for his person and family. Contrary to extant laws and established traditions of the University, the Pro-Chancellor illegally called a town hall meeting on the 26th of September 2018 with the Non-academic Staff of the University and on the same day overreached his mandate and legal limits as a political appointee by addressing the University Senate in violation of the academic autonomy of the university. All this was done to satisfy his vainglorious desire to create disaffection and dominate, using the divide and rule tactic within the University community. The latest in the Pro-Chancellor antics is his letter to Deans and Heads of Departments inviting them for a meeting on the 11th of December 2018. This represents another violation of the University norm and a rabid desire to scuttle the ongoing strike action by our union. This meeting is calculated at instigating disaffection, division, discord and disharmony amongst the generality of Staff in the University. This is, to say the least, undignifying of a Pro-Chancellor in the University that is often touted as the University of First Choice and the Nations Pride. In view of the foregoing illegal and untoward activities of an individual whose professional calling is the defense of law and order, but who has suddenly turned a meddlesome interloper, an unrepentant lawbreaker, who lacks the value of intellectual humility and respect for contending views, our union wishes to put the general public and well-meaning Nigerians on notice that the continuation of Dr Wale Babalakin as the Pro-Chancellor represents present and future danger to the existence of the University of Lagos. Our union shall vehemently resist this real threat to the well-being of our university. Consequently, should there be a breakdown of law and order on account of our resistance in the University of Lagos, whether now or in the foreseeable future, the pro-chancellor and chairman governing council, Dr Wale Babalakin San, should be held singularly and squarely responsible. In his reaction to the allegations, Mr Babalakin hinted that he has acted within the laws that set up the university. I will expect you to insist on being provided with evidence before you make any allegation. Please get back to those who made the statement to verify it. It is also important that they avail you with the laws of the university. Once you have done these things, I will be in a position to respond to your questions, the lawyer said in a short message in response to PREMIUM TIMES enquiry. (EDITORS NOTE: The story was updated with the response to Wale Babalakin to the allegations). The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has lifted the embargo placed on some banks by the immediate past administration. The Fayose-led administration had in May 2016 placed a non-patronage ban on three banks- Ecobank, GTbank and Zenith Bank Plc and forbade government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as workers from transacting business with them. Governor Fayemi in quashing the directive on the embargo, earlier in the month, also directed that all MDAs should resume patronage of all the banks immediately. Consequently, the office of the States Accountant General has issued a memo to all heads of MDAs to give effect to the Governors directive lifting the ban. According to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, the embargo was lifted in a bid to rekindle and strengthen the age-long relationship between the affected banks and the state government. Government took the decision after a careful review of the developments that led to the purported embargo by the immediate past administration. The Fayemi administration is committed to the infrastructural and industrial development of the state. In achieving this, it will create a conducive atmosphere for business to thrive in the state by partnering with the private sector and encouraging private initiatives, among others, the statement added. The police in Lagos have arrested six supporters of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore, for allegedly removing the campaign materials of an unnamed political party and replacing them with those of their candidate. Spokesperson for the Lagos police, Chike Oti, who confirmed the report to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the suspects were arrested around 2.30 am around by patrol cops around the Ikeja area of the city. Mr Oti said the alleged actions of supporters of Mr Sowore, whose campaign slogan is Take It Back runs foul to the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) laws that forbade advertisers from pasting posters at no other hour than during the day time. Mr Oti said the police retrieved a poster bearing the picture of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, (AAC) Mr Sowore, brush, buckets containing gums and turn off posters of other political parties, from the suspects. The CP has directed that the suspects be charged to court on Monday for malicious damage and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace to serve as a deterrent to others, he said. Meanwhile, the AAC has reacted to the arrest of its supporters saying it is a continuation of the intimidation of its supporters by the government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). A statement signed by Rachel Onamusi-Kpiasi, director of communication of the Take it Back movement, said the supporters were not violating any law at the time they were arrested. Pasting of posters and creating awareness for the only alternative to the rot that has decimated our nation is not and has never been a crime in Nigeria, and this recent act of injustice suffered by the Take It Back Movement, the AAC and the presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, is further proof that the APC party is not interested in a free, fair election or in doing what is best for Nigerians. Every step of the AAC partys campaign has been dogged with impediments and outright blocks from the ruling party. From cancelled TV interviews to the withdrawal of rally permits in the northern part of Nigeria, the Buhari-led government has launched a vendetta campaign against the one party resolved in bettering the lives of Nigerians. There are no guesses as to why the APC has taken offence against the AAC. While unwilling to pay hardworking Nigerians N30,000 a month for work done as minimum wage, the African Action Congress promises a living wage of N100,000 per month. While the incumbent government looks the other way while Nigerians are killed in their droves by terrorists, the AAC promises prosecution and tougher security measures to guarantee the safety and protection of Nigerians, the opposition group said. Following the destruction of the posters of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Jimi Agbaje on the Third Mainland Bridge, earlier this month, an agreement was reached by political parties in Lagos and the police not to deface campaign posters of other political parties nor destroy their billboards. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost 9,000 personnel are responding to Duke Energy power outages due to a winter storm that is rolling through the Carolinas this weekend. Customers can follow the latest developments on the winter storm and Duke Energy's efforts to restore power at: https://www.dukeenergyupdates.com/. As of noon today, the company reported 240,000 outages 170,000 in North Carolina and 70,000 in South Carolina. The company has restored power to 80,000 customers since last night and early this morning. "We appreciate the patience of our customers, who are personally dealing with the impacts of the storm," said Duke Energy Storm Director Jason Hollifield. "We are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power to our affected areas." Among the hardest hit counties: North Carolina: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Mecklenburg, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Wake counties. South Carolina: Greenville and Spartanburg counties. A mix of heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain are causing branches to sag and trees to fall, bringing power lines down with them. Also, hazardous road conditions are resulting in vehicle accidents. Cars hitting power poles and other electrical infrastructure further increase the risk of power outages. The company typically requires 12-24 hours to fully assess damage from a significant weather event, even while simultaneously restoring power. Winter storms can present additional challenges to moving personnel and equipment within hard-hit areas. Safety reminders With temperatures below freezing, customers should make a plan to move family members especially those with special needs to a safe, alternative location in case an extended power outage occurs. The company urges everyone to be prepared and stay safe and encourage other family members, friends and neighbors to do the same. If you plan to 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. Don't use grills or other outdoor appliances or equipment indoors for space heating or cooking, as these devices may emit carbon monoxide (CO). The following are symptoms of CO poisoning: Flu-like symptoms Headache Drowsiness Ringing sensation in the ears Nausea Blurred vision Chest pains Light-headedness or dizziness If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, open doors and windows, leave your home / business and consult a physician. 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 and South Carolina , and a good practice for all drivers. Reporting outages Customers who experience an outage during the storm have multiple ways 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 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'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. 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://duke-energy.com Paris, Dec 9 : A total of 135 people have been injured after violence broke out between police and groups of masked youth in several French cities during protests against high living costs, said Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. Besides, 1,385 people have also been detained. Created on social media, the "yellow vest" movement which got its name from the high visibility vests drivers keep in their cars, has lured people of all ages and backgrounds. With no leader, it had turned into a bigger movement denouncing a squeeze on household spending, high living costs caused by Macron's fiscal and economic policy which they say favours the rich. Some even demanded Macron to step down. In a joint press briefing with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Saturday, the Minister added that 974 individuals remained in police custody, and that the figure could rise. At least 10,000 demonstrators participated in the Paris march, while 125,000 protesters turned out across the country. Among the injured were 17 police officers who were hurt in the scuffles mainly in the French capital and Bordeaux city, Xinhua news agency reported. "The situation is under control," Castaner said, adding "...but totally unacceptable." "Time for dialogue. This dialogue has begun, it must continue. The French nation must find itself. No tax can threaten national unity," said Prime Minister Philippe, noting that President Emmanuel Macron would propose further measures to abate the social anger. After a calm start, tension flared in Les Grands Boulevards and streets near the Champs Elysees and the Republic Square where a group of hooded men joined the protest and hassled police by setting barricades and setting afire garbage bins and trees. Scores of vehicles were burnt and shops damaged, forcing the police to fire tear gas and use water cannon to push back the rioters. Armoured vehicles were also deployed for the first time in the capital since Paris suburbs riot in 2005 amid intensified security measures that the government implemented to avoid the chaos two weeks ahead of the peak of Christmas holidays. As part of an "exceptional" security plan, the government has deployed 89,000 officers in the French cities. In Paris, 8,000 officers have been put in place to maintain law and order to avoid any incident similar to last Saturday's rioting that plunged the French capital into chaos, its worst unrest in decades. Earlier this week, French government dropped a plan to increase fuel tax next year, bowing to the force of the streets. However, the protest movement shows no sign of abating. Protesters still demand concrete moves, notably a rise in minimum wage and lower taxes. New York, Dec 9 : Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, continued talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman even after the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents in Istanbul, The New York Times said in a report. As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and American intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the Prince's most important defender inside the White House, The Times quoted informed sources as saying in the report issued on Saturday. Since the early months of the Trump administration, Kushner had been having private, informal conversations with the Prince. Given Kushner's political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former White House officials. In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new Chief of Staff tried to reimpose longstanding procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders. But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner and Prince Mohammed kept speaking, according to the officials. In fact, they said, the two men were on a first-name basis, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls. In a statement to The New York Times, a White House spokesman said: "Jared has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines regarding the relationship with the Crown Prince and all of the other foreign officials with whom he interacts." White House officials declined to explain those protocols and guidelines, and declined to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with Prince Mohammed since the killing of Khashoggi. According to a CNN report in October, Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton had called the Crown Prince nearly a week after Khashoggi went missing from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and amid an investigation into the journalist's disappearance. Initially claiming no involvement, the Saudis later admitted a team of rogue operatives had murdered Khashoggi inside the consulate. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) assessed in November that the Crown Prince had personally ordered the killing of the journalist. The Saudi government has denied bin Salman's involvement. Trump and the State Department have maintained that the US government has not reached a final conclusion about who is responsible for Khashoggi's death. Katowice, Dec 9 : A smart campus cloud network -- a set of guidelines for starting climate action -- was launched at the ongoing UN climate action summit in this Polish city to make the university campuses green, an official associated with the project said on Sunday. The Climate Neutral University Campus was launched along with a toolkit and water guidelines at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP24, TERRE Policy Centre for the smart campuses Chairman Rajendra Shende told IANS. The kit and the guidelines that are meant to initiate the actions on the campus are part of the tool-box for similar actions for clean energy, waste management, sustainable transport and afforestation. The results of the activities in the campus would be shared through cloud network with other universities in the network and linked to UN's Sustainable Development Goals, he added. India-based TERRE Policy Centre is a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organisation dedicated to sustainable solutions to developmental imperatives. "The smart campus cloud network is a bespoke approach to empower and support students and faculty to begin action on climate change urgently," UN Global Compact's former senior advisor Frederick Dubee said. Speaking at the launch function, Dubee said the smart campus cloud network, supported by the Unesco, leverages an asset to address the climate emergency. Cornell University-US student Zeyu Hu presented his university's sustainability achievements. By sharing the successes and challenges through the cloud network, the campuses would generate positive competition. "Campuses are the right places to trigger the emergency actions laid out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 1.5 degrees Celsius," Shende told IANS. "Campuses would not only make youth Sustainable Development Goals ready but would also make them climate-resilient," he added. Mumbai, Dec 9 : "Kedarnath" director Abhishek Kapoor has urged the Uttarakhand government to lift a ban on the movie. "I plead with the Uttarakhand government to please lift the ban on my film 'Kedarnath'. It is an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Please don't deprive us of this opportunity," Kapoor tweeted. While there has been no official ban on the film by the state government, it wrote to all district magistrates about the film and the controversies surrounding it. The decision followed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that reviewed a report submitted by a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj. The government asked the district administration to take a call on their own and left it to their discretion whether or not the film should be released in their respective jurisdictions. Following which Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Almora and Udhamsinghnagar banned the film. The Hindi film, with the 2013 flash floods in Kedarnath as the backdrop, was being opposed by the right-wing activists from the day its shooting began in the hill state and they alleged that it hurt Hindu sentiments and promoted the idea of "Love Jehad". The film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan, was shot extensively in Triyuginarayan, Gaurikund, Soneprayag, Rambada, Kedarnath and Chopta, and it had to face protests even then. The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday refused to ban the film and asked the petitioners to approach the District Magistrate with their complaints. On its opening day, the movie garnered Rs 7.25 crore in India. New Delhi, Dec 9 : Billed as "a masterpiece in every sense of the word", Rajmohan Gandhi's upcoming book "Modern South India" is promoted by its publisher Aleph as an authoritative and magnificent work of history about South India that will be read and reflected upon for years to come. "The sounds and flavours of the land south of the Vindhyas -- temple bells, coffee and jasmine, coconut and tamarind, delicious dosais and appams -- are familiar to many, but its history is relatively unknown," Gandhi writes in the 500-page book that traces the history of South India from the 17th century to current times. But why this historical amnesia? "For one thing, the South is a large area, where, dauntingly, a great deal happened during the 400 years covered in my study. Secondly, while the story of each powerful culture within the South has been studied in depth, few in either the South or the North have attempted an integrated view of the South as a whole. Thirdly, India's political power has resided in the North, influencing the focus of academia, not merely the media," the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, who has taught political science and history at two IITs, Michigan State University and the University of Illinois, where he currently serves a research professor, told IANS in an email interview. But South India is not the only major region suffering from neglect, Gandhi maintained, and asked: "Do we have many histories of western or eastern India?" He pointed out that the Maratha history is rich, so is the history of Bengal, and likewise the histories of Assam, Odisha and Gujarat, but there is a case for broader histories of western and eastern India. "Yet the expression 'South Indian' conjures up images hardly matched by phrases like 'East Indian' or 'West Indian', which Indians never use. In places in the US, an 'East Indian' is an Indian from India, different from a native American, while 'West Indian' suggests the West Indies," he said. In the book, Gandhi tells the story of four powerful cultures -- Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu -- as well as the cultures Kodava, Konkani, Marathi, Oriya, Tulu and indigenous that have influenced them. Asked if there was a common thread that binds them all together, he pointed to three elements. "One geographical and the other linguistic, have given the South Indian peninsula its unity and distinctiveness. Because of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, European countries like Portugal, Holland, England and France impacted the South in ways not experienced by northern and central India. Secondly, the South's major languages have Dravidian rather than Sanskritic roots, even though their vocabularies have been enriched by borrowings from Sanskrit and elsewhere. Thirdly, the Dravidian/Aryan question resonates, not necessarily divisively, in many southern minds," he shared. The 83-year-old public intellectual said that while some may fear "a chasm" between "cultural" and "national" identities, others may celebrate the Indian scene's variety and richness. "Fascination with the history of one's neighbourhood can harmonise with interest in the national story," maintained Gandhi, who has also written books such as "Why Gandhi Still Matters: An Appraisal of the Mahatma's Legacy" and "Understanding the Founding Fathers: An Enquiry Into the Indian Republic's Beginnings". One particular portion of the book that arouses interest is related to Tipu Sultan, who has been subject of much controversy in recent times. He writes: "The eighteenth century saw the growth of the kingdom of Mysore, first under Haidar Ali, a military leader who had briefly served the Nawab of Arcot, and then under his son Tipu Sultan, who annexed parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. By now the European presence was growing strong and assertive. And with the fall of Tipu in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War at the end of the eighteenth century, the British East India Company (now the sole European power in South India) consolidated its holdings in the South." Asked about his findings on Tipu Sultan and his take on the controversies, Gandhi said that Tipu had to feature prominently in his account. "Not because of current controversies around his rule -- today's headlines did not guide my journey into the past. Tipu and his father Haidar were central to the 18th century's second half. Between them they provided a stable 38-year-rule that not only brought economic progress to a large portion of southern India, it almost foiled Britain's conquest. Tipu had serious failings. Like most rulers of his time he was tyrannical. His personality included bigotry, which however was mitigated by his remarkable support to the Sringeri Sankaracharya," he said. The historian-biographer contended that Tipu's fall in 1799 changed South India's story. "Though the following 10 years saw a string of impassioned rebellions across the South, including the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 and revolts in Kerala spearheaded by Pazhassi Raja (killed in 1805) and Velu Thampi (who killed himself in 1809), the East India Company had conquered the South when it defeated Tipu. "Historical characters like Tipu, Pazhassi Raja and Velu Thampi deserve a frank study of their lives in their times, not labels handy for squabbles in our times," he suggested. "Modern South India: A History From the 17th Century to Our Times" is priced at Rs 799 and is available both online and at bookstores. (Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) New Delhi, Dec 9 : Ahead of the crucial meeting of opposition parties in their bid to forge an anti-BJP front, DMK President M.K. Stalin met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday and discussed a range of issues. Informing about Stalin's visit on twitter, Rahul Gandhi said: "We had a warm and cordial meeting and discussed a range of issues. "I look forward to continuing our dialogue and to strengthening our alliance that has stood the test of time." Stalin met Sonia Gandhi on the day of her 72nd birthday along with former Union Minister D. Raja and Kanimozhi. The December 10 meeting in the national capital has been called by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, aimed at brainstorming over a possible front to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A host of opposition leaders were expected to participate in the meet that was earlier scheduled for November 22 but was postponed because of the Assembly polls to the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Mizoram and Rajasthan. Jammu, Dec 9 : A Hizbul militant's close associate, who has been motivating youths to join militant ranks, was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, police said on Sunday. The arrested militant was identified as Riyaz Ahmad, who has been associate with Hizbul terrorist Muhammad Amin, an officer said. More arrests were likely based on leads that would come out after interrogation of the nabbed militant, who hails from Dachan village. Chandigarh, Dec 9 : Expelled INLD leader and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Hisar Dushyant Chautala on Sunday launched the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) from a rally in Jind town in Haryana. Dushyant is the grandson of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) national president Om Prakash Chautala, who is currently lodged in Tihar prison. No announcement was, however, made on who would head the new party. Dushyant had won the Hisar parliamentary seat on the INLD symbol, but he was expelled from the party on November 2 for "anti-party activities". Addressing the rally in Jind, which was attended by thousands of people, Dushyant said his fight is on principles and that the new party would fight for the rights of people of Haryana. The new party, which has made the split in the INLD and the Chautala family official, has been formed at a time when general elections are three-four months away and Assembly elections in Haryana are likely to be held in October next year. Amid a show of strength by the two warring Chautala brothers, elder brother Ajay Singh Chautala had on November 17 announced the floating of a new political party. Ajay Chautala had been expelled from the INLD by party supremo and his father Om Prakash Chautala last month. Ajay's younger brother Abhay Singh Chautala, who controls the INLD as its general secretary, said on Sunday that the split would not affect the INLD's political fortunes. Ajay Chautala is also serving jail term in the Tihar prison and had come out recently on parole. The infighting within the first family of the INLD, which is Haryana's main opposition party, has led to the split in the party. Dushyant and his younger brother, Digvijay Chautala, who were both expelled from the party on November 2, are the great-grandsons of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal. The action against them followed as both youth leaders and their supporters tried to project Dushyant as the chief ministerial face in Haryana for Assembly polls next year. O.P. Chautala and his elder son, Ajay, were convicted in the JBT (junior basic teacher) recruitment scam in January 2013. Both were sentenced to 10 years in prison by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Delhi. The father and son have been barred from contesting elections due to the conviction. The INLD has been managed by Chautala's younger son Abhay Singh Chautala, who has been the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly since then. Kabul, Dec 9 : A total of 10 militants, including a Taliban key commander Mawlawi Nasratullah, were killed in Afghanistan's Faryab province on Sunday, an army spokesperson said. The security forces, acting upon an intelligence report, attacked a Taliban gathering in Dawlat Abad district in the wee hours of Sunday, killing 10 rebels on the spot, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the official, 15 more insurgents have been arrested in the ongoing operations. Nasratullah was an important Taliban commander in Faryab province and his elimination could prove to be a major setback to the insurgents in the area, the official said. Taliban militants have not commented yet. Mumbai, Dec 9 : Star couple Debina Bonnerjee and Gurmeet Choudhary will represent India at a world summit to be held in Instanbul, Turkey later this month. Debina, an actress and a lifestyle blogger, will attend the INFLOW Global Summit 2018, which will begin from December 17. The summit will bring together social media content creators, opinion leaders and sector professionals with brands in various sectors for informative and fun activities. Debina started blogging under the name 'Debina Decodes' last year. "It is exciting to be amidst talented people from various field across the globe. I started blogging out of passion as I always loved to document interesting food and places," Debina said in a statement. "Since Gurmeet and I travel together, most of my travel blogs are with him. So, the summit team extended an invite to Gurmeet as well as two is always better than one and also beneficial for them to reach a bigger audience," she added. Ranchi, Dec 9 : A Maoist guerrilla was arrested in Jharkhand's Gumla district on Sunday, police said. Akshya Kumar Singh, a Maoist guerrilla belonging to People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), was arrested from Pipal roundabout of Gumla district by Khuti district police, according to them. The police seized a letter pad, a list of persons to be extorted, and manifesto of the PLFI. He was nabbed while travelling in a bus, the police added. Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 9 : The Karnataka legislature is set for a stormy 10-day winter session from Monday at Belagavi in the state's northwest district, where it meets every year in December, ostensibly to address issues concerning the region. "This is the legislature's second session after the JD-S-Congress coalition government was formed on May 23 following a hung verdict in the May 12 Assembly elections and fall of the 3-day BJP government on May 19 for want of majority," an official told IANS on Sunday. Belagavi in the former Bombay Province is 500km from state capital Bengaluru. "Besides pending bills, the session will discuss major issues, including remunerative price for sugarcane growers, farm loan waiver, drought in 17 districts across the state and drinking water supply from Mahadayi river to the four drought-prone northern districts," said the official. The first day, however, is unlikely to see any disruption, as both the legislative Houses (Assembly and Council) will pay obituaries to three prominent state leaders and former Union ministers who passed away in November. The deceased are Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and BJP's Lok Sabha member from Bengaluru South Ananth Kumar on November 12, former Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Kannada super star M.H. Ambareesh on November 24 and former Railways Minister and former Congress Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru North Jaffer Sharief on November 25. "As the legislature is meeting after the July budget session in Bengaluru, the legislature will also pay tributes to former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16 in New Delhi," the official hinted. Though Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy formally began giving debt-free certificates to some farmers at Doddaballapur near Bengaluru on Saturday, the opposition BJP has vowed to expose the six-month-old coalition government for failing to waive loans of all farmers who borrowed from the cooperative and state-run banks since 2016. "We will move a special adjournment motion in the Assembly on Tuesday against failure of the state government in fulfilling its promise of waiving farm loans till date though Kumaraswamy announced it in July," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s state unit spokesman told IANS here. The BJP will also seek the state government's response to the demand of the sugarcane farmers for payment of arrears by the sugar mill owners and fair price for this year's crop as fixed by the Central government (Rs 2,650 per tonne) and an additional Rs 250 for harvesting and transporting it to the nearby mills for crushing. "In spite of assurances by Kumaraswamy and state Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar to resolve the issues by November 5, hundreds of farmers have resumed agitation near the state legislative building, as the state government has let them down again. There is also no sign of loan waiver for lakhs of farmers, who are unable to take fresh credit from the banks for the rabi crop as their debts have not been waived yet," BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters here. Many Congress legislators are also miffed at the inordinate delay in expanding the state cabinet and appointing chairmen for about 30 state-run boards and corporations, as six ministerial berths are still vacant. New Delhi, Dec 9 : The Delhi government will construction 83 metalled roads and streets in three unauthorised colonies in North-West Delhi "despite the BJP obstructing our initiative to develop and regulate unauthorised colonies in the national capital", announced Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday. Kejriwal was addressing a huge gathering in Shalimar Bagh constituency where he said that all the unmetalled roads of unauthorised colonies under Aam Aadmi Party MLA Bandana Kumari's area would be constructed in the next five-six months. "The project would cost approximately Rs 513.81 lakh and would cover a stretch of 4.7 kilometers in the three colonies, namely: Shalimar Bagh village, Sahipur, and Haiderpur, Ambedkar nagar colony," a note released by the Delhi government said. Kejriwal said it is really unfortunate that the Modi government at the Centre is trying to destruct unauthorised colonies in Delhi just because "it considers them to be making the national capital dirty". "Modiji has been touring a lot lately -- from France to Belgium, Japan, the USA and Australia -- and now he says that he will transform Delhi to look like London. He also says that unauthorised colonies are dirty and should be destructed...," Kejriwal said. The AAP chief also took a jibe at the Central government for filing a case against PWD Minister Satyendar Jain and said that the Delhi government would not stop short of regulating the unauthorised colonies. Visakhapatnam, Dec 9 : In yet another nail-biting contest, Telugu Titans held their nerves to pip Haryana Steelers 35-31 at the jam-packed Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Sunday night. Nilesh Salunke's last-minute super raid gave Titans a much-needed victory. Salunke ended up with 7 points but it was Rahul Chaudhari who top-scored for Titans with 12 points. Titans' defence laid the foundations for their win as they forced as many as six super tackles. Monu Goyat rallied Haryana Steelers remarkably in the second-half and earned 12 points but they just fell short. Nilesh and Rahul got a raid point each to give Telugu Titans 3-1 lead after two minutes. Haryana Steelers scored three straight points to lead 4-3 after four minutes. Monu scored his second point of the match to give Haryana Steelers 7-5 lead in the sixth minute. Telugu Titans forced two super tackles in two minutes to lead 11-8 after 10 minutes. The super tackles galvanised Haryana as they scored seven straight points to lead 14-8. Things got better for Telugu Titans as they inflicted an all-out in the 15th minute to lead 18-9. At the end of the first-half, Telugu Titans led 20-13. The second-half started brightly for Haryana Steelers as Monu scored three points in two minutes to reduce the deficit to 4 points. On two occasions, Haryana Steelers came close to inflicting an all-out but Telugu Titans' resolute defence denied them. Two more super tackles followed for the Titans as they led 29-21 after 25 minutes. With less than five minutes to go Haryana, gave themselves a glimmer of hope as they inflicted an all-out to trail 25-29. Two more raid points for Monu Goyat meant that Steelers were trailing by just one point after 37 minutes. Steelers sent Rahul back to the bench but he picked up a bonus as the scores were level at 30-30. Vishal forced a super tackle in the 40th minute to earn two more points for Titans. Nilesh made a super raid in the dying seconds of the match to lead Titans to 35-31 win. New Delhi, Dec 9 : Launching a public campaign '#iCan19' here on Sunday, Swaraj India President Yogendra Yadav appealed to the people of the country to join the platform to make intervention in the electoral politics. In an open letter, he asked people for political intervention in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, so as to decide issues on which elections should be fought. The initiative, also called Indian Citizens' Action for Nation, 2019, will select the country's main issues, find their solutions and form nation-wide public opinion, and in some selected seats campaign for candidates who will be the carriers of these issues, said a press release. "If this election is fought on the issues of farmers and youth, then no matter who comes to power, the nation will move forward. But if the elections are fought by creating rift between Hindus and Muslims, then whoever wins, the nation will lose. And we will not let India lose," Yadav said in the release. "Swaraj India neither intends to control the #iCan19 campaign nor plans to use it for its candidates," said Yadav, who was the main architect of bringing over 200 farm outfits under one banner that held a mega protest rally in Delhi last week. He said his party was not formed just to contest elections and win seats. "We are here to do a new form of politics. People generally do politics in the name of serving nation; we shall serve the nation in the name of politics," he said. Mumbai, Dec 10 : Kedarnath director Abhishek Kapoor is no stranger to ups and down in his career. If "Kai Po Che" and "Rock On" established him as a director of substance, "Fitoor" brought him down with a thud. But now with his new film "Kedarnath", Abhishek is riding high again. He speaks to Subhash K Jha about the ban in Uttarakhand and the film being accused of promoting "Love-Jihad": Q. What do you have to say about Kedarnath being banned in Uttarakhand? A. It is very upsetting. How can they do this? When the government has cleared it, the whole country is watching it, how can they stop my film? Uttarakhand is an integral part of the country. What happens to my freedom of expression? Q. Just days before the release of your film, someone filed a PIL against it. Should there be more stringent laws against nuisance litigation? A. More than more laws, the ones that exist should be enforced more effectively. I am very happy with the laws of the country. And I am most willing to work within the parameters of the law. But those parameters should be made workable. Q. Is there a sense of satisfaction at the end making Kedarnath? A. Oh absolutely, because I had nothing more to give to this film. I completely believed in it and I gave all of myself to the film. The feeling of satisfaction after you are consumed by a truthful creative process is almost like a pilgrimage in itself. I feel cleansed after making Kedarnath. Q. What do you have to say about those who accuse the film of promoting Love-Jihad, whatever that means? A. What can I say about assumptions that were based on a 2-minute trailer? People are reacting out of their own insecurities. Dangerous assumptions such as these are made when certain sensitive ideologies are played around with or have been violated before. People who make assumptions without seeing the film must be stopped. The censor board has cleared our film with just two cuts. Isn't the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) the final authority on the content in cinema that goes into the public domain? Q. Would you say the sensitivity about inter-religious relationships is misguided? A. I would say we need to take a more mature view of the matter. Kedarnath is a clean honest attempt to look at the devastation that the people there in Uttarkhand suffered after the 2013 floods. They are yet to recover from the shock. My film is small gesture of healing for a people who lost everything and still had the resilience to bounce back. So many lives and families were destroyed. As a responsible filmmaker, I wouldn't dream of making an exploitative film about their misery. Q. How did the idea of doing Kedarnath come to you? A. After making Fitoor, I was wondering what to make next. I began travelling to explore ideas. When I went to Vaishno Devi, I became familiar with the world of "pithoos" -- these young men who carried pilgrims on their backs to the top of the mountain. Q. You are being condemned for showing a Muslim pithoo? A. But that is very much the reality. They are at Vaishno Devi, Amarnath, Kedarnath... They do their job with utmost sincerity. And what could be more gratifying for a pilgrim than to be taken to the purest place by a Muslim. That's how we are as Hindus. We have an all-encompassing cultural tradition. Our ideology is such that it assimilates all. If you are a Shiv Bhakt you would know how He swallowed poison to save the world. "Har Har mahadev" means there is God in all of us. Why can't we accept the sheer acceptability and inclusiveness of our religion? This who we are. When I spoke to Salim Saab (writer Salim Khan), he observed that 40 years ago there was no Hindu-Muslim issue. It is the politics of the nation that has brought this divide into our culture. Q. But surely when you have a Muslim man and Hindu girl falling in love at a Hindu pilgrimage spot, you know some elements will be provoked. A. I have full faith in the system. For all its faults, the Indian system of governance works for us, and I have full respect for it. Even the censor board...I may disagree with censorship being implemented on works of art. But then India is a country with several contrasting sensitivities. These have to be dealt with in a special way. We have to trust the censor board. Q. The 2013 deluge in Uttarakhand is woven organically into the plot? A. This is how it must have happened in the real life. Everyone has issues, personal political cultural and communal. And then something like this (the deluge) happens and all the issues come down to zero. Mankind becomes one. Q. Sara Ali Khan has made a big splash in the film? A. Kedarnath has a very strong part for the female protagonist. And then Sara is fresh. And she has so much to give to the camera. She needed a certain guidance and Sushant helped her a lot with her performance. People like her, they like the film. Whatever has gone into the film has gone with much thought. We've gone through a long struggle to ensure the film reaches the theatre, come what may. Q. How difficult it was to recreate the 2013 deluge of Uttarakhand? A. We planned every shot in detail. There are so many people in our team and they all worked so hard to make the film look authentic. As far as the recreation of the floods goes, we didn't have the budget of a Hollywood film. We can't. Though the special effects in the floods sequence are essential, they do not anchor the film. We made Kedarnath to tell a story, not to use the floods as technical gimmick. I feel there is an old-school feeling to the film. It's a theme never done before. But the people and culture it addresses haven't changed over generations. Cinema has to mirror society. I don't make films to take them only to international film festivals. I make them so they can connect with the people whom they portray. Q. The deluge in the climax reminded me of Raj Kapoor's Satyam Shivam Sunderam... A. Ever since my film came out, a lot of people have been finding this similarity. I saw Satyam Shivam Sunderam long ago. I have no idea if I was influenced by it. Q. You won me over with that amazing reference to "Lag ja gale se..." A. That is Lata Mangeshkar. Even an opportunity to pay her a tribute is very big thing for me. Baker Electric, a full-service storage, electric, and solar contractor for the Southern California area, recently completed a 65.86 kW DC rooftop solar installation for FBI Flowers in Vista. As a consistent producer and distributor of quality floral products for more than 20 years, FBI Flowers was looking to up their environmental game by commissioning the solar project to harness a more natural source of energy for their 11,000-square-foot building. The state-of-the-art solar system installed by Baker is primed to continually produce clean energy equivalent to offsetting greenhouse gas emissions from 8,822 gallons of gas consumed annually. While much of its product is local to Southern California and northern Mexico, a portion of FBI Flowers steadfast flower supply is often imported from its 120 partner farms in South America and Australia. The need for refrigerated transport and storage was a factor in the decision to go solar, as reducing consumption in the main building will help lower overall costs. Power is a significant expense to us. We were looking for ways to lock in our costs and make them more predictable, said Frank Biddle, president and owner of FBI Flowers. Bakers estimates project the solar unit will save FBI Flowers nearly $19,000 within the first year of use, and an estimated $840,217 throughout the 25-year warrantied life of the solar modules. Baker assisted with securing financing for the unit, which is funded entirely by a power purchase agreement (PPA). Reducing costs was a driving factor for FBI Flowers, but the company had also begun working on limiting environmental impact by utilizing eco-friendly shipping containers to import and export much of its product where possible, instead of air freight and other more expensive and impactful shipping methods. We are at the forefront of a new system where we are using refrigerated shipping containers, which have a much lower carbon footprint, said Biddle. They are along the same line [as the solar unit]; they save money and save carbon. Converting to solar energy was a natural next step for the company. Baker completed the project in less than nine months, and FBI Flowers was up and running on clean energy shortly after. Going solar is helping businesses all over Southern California both reduce their environmental impact and improve their bottom line, said Scott Williams, Vice President of Baker Electric. The solar systems $840,000 in cumulative savings will go far towards helping FBI Flowers continue to thrive over the next 25 years. About FBI Flowers: FBI Flowers began in the late 1980s as a supplier of stock to markets along the East Coast. Since then the company has expanded, staking its home base in Southern California with local floral farms in northern Mexico and the San Diego area. FBI Flowers is a worldwide supplier of a broad variety of freshly-grown floral product, catering to both small, local stores and larger national chains. For more information, visit http://www.fbiflowers.com. About Baker Electric: Founded by Leroy Baker in 1938, Baker Electric Inc. provides a wide range of high-quality, cost-effective commercial solar and electrical installations throughout the greater Southern California area. The company acts as both a prime and subcontractor, providing comprehensive pre-construction services, planning and coordination, design-build, project management and in-house electrical engineering for solar, microgrid, storage and electrical projects of any size, and has upheld its high standards of quality and customer service for the last 80 years. For more information on Baker Electrics work and its company history, visit http://www.baker-electric.com. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. InList Art Basel Kickoff with Lance Bass, Miguel Paredes, Gideon Kimbrell Art Basel and Miami Art Week are now officially in full swing and the worlds glitterati and jet set have descended upon Miami in masses, as they all talk about who attended InLists spectacular Royal Racer kick-off party. The amazing fete brought together more than you would expect from Art Week Miami including celebrity sightings, interactive installations, immersive art, endless alcohol, and even drone racing. For the fourth year in a row, the combined forces of InList's exclusive membership and Moishe Mana's influence in the art world brought together the likes of Lance Bass, Michael Turchin, Grammy award winner Cedric Gervais, Miss Universe Ariadna Gutierrez, Grammy award winner Roger Sanchez, Victoria's Secret Barbara Fiahlo, Xuitcasecity, Gilda Garza, Miguel Ferro, Talina Navide, Model Shaun Ross, Tiffany Meia, Valeria Orsini, Eddy Bogeart, Millionaire_Mentor Jason Stone and Wife Christi Stone. ....... Guests were immersed into the world of "Royal Racer" created by world renown artist Miguel Paredes and his Speed Racer inspired paintings that brought back a retro comic feel throughout the venue as well as being surrounded by graffiti art on every wall in the venue. As everyone enjoyed libations from Deep Eddy Vodka and Alacran Tequila they were treated to several performances that included Sonic Butterfly and her harp made of steel cables that span 1,000 feet from the stage, overhead, clear across the venue to the side of a building. If that wasn't enough, there were live drone races zipping by at 120 MPH with an after party being hosted by E11EVEN. Miami is abuzz with the invasion of almost 500,000 people and the realization that this years Miami Art Week and Art Basel reqires you now to arrive earlier in the week and go to the "Pre-Basel" that starts earlier in the week. "Pre-Basel" has become just as star-studded than the latter but without all the lines and overcrowding. For images of the best kick-off event of Art Basel with InList go to Getty Images and WRE, get social on Facebook and Instagram. For press inquiries and interviews: Nick Betancourt Betancourt PR nick.betancourt(at)yahoo(dot)com Reno Garage Doors for 60 Years They cover so much territory every day impeccably with same-day garage door delivery and installation and 24-hour emergency service. Kenneth Reyman and the team from Thompson Garage Doors in Reno Nevada is celebrating the companies 60 years of garage door service and growth in Northern Nevada and Northern California. Thompson Garage Doors is the largest commercial and residential garage door specialist within 100 miles of Reno Nevada. Thompson Garage Doors has been serving residential and commercial garage door customers in Northern Nevada and Northern California since 1957. I love this team, says Reyman. They cover so much territory every day impeccably with same-day garage door delivery and installation and 24-hour emergency service. Which is no small task since they cover Reno, Sparks, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Elko, Fernley, Fallon, Yerington, Topaz, Gardnerville, Minden, South Lake Tahoe, North Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, Squaw Valley, Truckee, Quincy, Portola, Loyalton, Herlong, Susanville, and Alturas. An online map is available at http://thompsongaragedoors.com/reno-garage-doors-experts-about/ There is so much to smile about at Thompson Garage Doors, Reyman continued. In 2016 Thompson Garage Doors and Building Supplies was awarded Platinum Dealer status by Amarr Entermatic Garage Doors for our sales performance in 2016. The Platinum Award is Amarrs top dealer honor, and Thompsons has won this award each year since it was created in 2013. Way to go team! Thompson Garage Doors truly is a Nevada success story and 60 years in business is worth celebrating. For more information on how Thompson Garage Doors and Building Supply can service and install your residential and commercial garage doors call (775)356-6601 or visit http://thompsongaragedoors.com/ Dr. Alicia Mangram (center) and G60 Trauma staff visit the Electronic Caregiver tower in downtown Las Cruces, New Mexico. Virtual Caregiving is set to enter both the healthcare industry and patient home settings. In January 2019, G60 Trauma (G60Trauma.org) will begin testing Addison Care, the worlds first, comprehensive virtual caregiving system to provide real time, 24/7 patient monitoring and care. Addison Care provides exciting new components to an interactive voice platform to demonstrate an interactive, augmented reality feature tied to visual sensing and connected home devices. Now, not only can you have a two-way conversation with an Electronic Caregiver, but the technology comes alive with an expertly designed augmented reality character named Addison, developed on AWS Sumerian. Addison provides a breakthrough user interface. What can Addison do? In a clinical setting, Addison can greet a patient, recognized through facial recognition, conduct a verbal health examination, collect vitals, and even direct a comprehensive gait and balance session to determine the probability of a ground level fall in a particular patient. In the residential environment, Addison provides medication reminders, verifies medication consumption, provides medical test reminders, monitors vitals, demonstrates rehabilitation exercises, assesses a patients progress, mood, fall risk and responses to escalating conditions and emergencies including contacting responders or caregivers in time of patient need. How does Addison work? A network of wireless visual sensors, local AI (artificial intelligence)-based processors, interactive tablets, Bluetooth biometric devices and emergency monitoring devices will be setup in a residence. Addison Care will be marketed and supported by a network of nationwide private duty home care providers that will serve as both live caregivers and Addison Care representatives. CEO of SDS, Anthony Dohrmann said, Our goal is to expand affordable population health care to the masses, while lightening the burden on providers and payers. We are delivering an exciting new form of technology to patients and the active aging to improve their quality of life and health outcomes. Addison will be making its debut at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show January 8-11, 2019, Booth: Sands Convention Center Halls A-D 42142. Why partner with G60 Trauma Organization? Dr. Alicia Mangram, founder of G60 Trauma in Phoenix, Arizona, is a surgeon and acclaimed trauma specialist who has devoted her career to improving trauma care through advocacy, surgical and critical care research, education and community services. G60 Trauma is a specialized care program designed for trauma patients over the age of 60, with the goal of optimizing their recovery and safely discharging them back to their homes. This partnership will allow us to study hundreds of patients who have had a ground level fall and provide us with the data and information we need to continue producing products and services geared toward prevention and superior outcomes. With an expert research team of professionals behind hundreds of successful research publications and processes, G60 Trauma team will be conducting an expansive study involving over 500 patients to document the effectiveness of Addison Care and Electronic Caregiver on improving patient outcomes, increasing patient and family satisfaction, reducing hospital readmission and reducing mortalities. Also, improving treatment adherence with the hope of validating a more effective, outcome based, continuum of care capable of reducing the long-term pressures and costs associated with long-term care and chronic disease management. The costs of treatment non-adherence have been reported to be as high as $300B annually and is noted as being responsible for 50% of all treatment failures. In a period of nursing and physician shortages, where home care is inadequate in frequency partly due to high cost, our hope is that Addison Care and Electronic Caregiver can fill the gap in patient care and bring better outcomes to the masses, Dr. Alicia Mangram stated. About SameDay Security, Inc. and Electronic Caregiver SameDay Security (SDS) is one of the fastest growing monitored technology providers in the U.S. and one of only a handful of nationwide service providers. Known as the Electronic Caregiver CompanyTM and founded in 2009, SDS currently provides automated home care solutions and safety devices nationwide to thousands of clients. SDS has invested over $35,000,000 in patient screenings, research and development. SDS will disclose a new capital offering after CES to fuel new product launches and expansion. SDS has developing contracts with hundreds of home care partners across America who will participate in Addison Care marketing to their clients. New clinical trials are scheduled with G60 Trauma of Phoenix, Arizona, involving 500 patients over 3 years to determine the impact on patient outcomes, cost reduction, lower hospitalization, chronic disease management and long-term care. Electronic Caregiver employs over 70 employees and is headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico. http://www.electroniccaregiver.com About G60Trauma.org G60 is a specialized trauma care program developed by Dr. Alicia Mangram. Since 2009, Dr. Mangram has devoted her career to improving trauma care through advocacy, surgical and critical care research, education and community services. In the beginning of her career, she quickly realized that a traumatic injury in patients 60 years and older could occur from a simple fall resulting in a hip fracture. The traditional approach was to admit them to a medical facility and await medical clearance for pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, etc. prior to any surgery. While patients waited for medical clearance, other medical related complications could develop. Recognizing the cause of these complications lead to a paradigm shift and implementing an aggressive care approach for our G60 population. Through evidence-based research, Dr. Mangram and her team developed a care plan to address the needs of G60 trauma patients. These care plans achieved several goals, such as: Expedited early identification in the ER, admission to trauma service, alternative pain management modalities, for example, hip block, multidisciplinary care rounds with integration of the Biopsychosocial Model, evaluation of care approach through research and data analysis, achievement of optimal level of functioning and independence upon discharge. Sneakers Agency was truly honored to be selected by The Infatuation to help them take over ownership of the Zagat mobile apps from Google. Sneakers Agency, an independent digital agency based in Soho, New York, announced that it worked with The Infatuation to help them take over ownership of Zagat's mobile apps from Google. In working with The Infatuation, Sneakers Agency took on the complex challenge of migrating the Zagat mobile apps to a new back-end service managed by The Infatuation while insuring a seamless upgrade experience for Zagat mobile app users. Christopher White, Founder/CEO at Sneakers Agency says, Sneakers Agency was truly honored to be selected by The Infatuation to help them take over ownership of the Zagat mobile apps from Google. Zagat has always been a pioneer in providing diners with outstanding restaurant reviews. About Sneakers Agency Too many brands struggle with innovation. The Sneakers Agency framework helps brands clarify their digital strategy. Customers who work with Sneakers Agency build better companies and bigger business opportunities. Sneakers Agency is a full-service digital product development agency focused on helping brands launch and grow their businesses. Our core branding, product, and marketing services help brands at every stage of their journey not only survive, but thrive. Sneakers Agency has been trusted by 50+ brands since 2014 from start-ups, to enterprises, to non-profits, and partner agencies. We are located in Soho, NYC. Services include Branding, Design, User Interface, Research & Discovery, UX Strategy & Design, Android & iOS Mobile Development, Web & App Development, Marketing, QA & Deployment, DevOps, CRM & Hosting, SEO, and Social Media Marketing. For more information, visit https://sneakersagency.com. Media Contacts: info(at)sneakersagency.com. About The Infatuation The Infatuation brings you the most honest and trustworthy opinions on where to eat around the world. The Infatuation's restaurant reviews and guides are all written by a small group of highly trained, highly opinionated writers and editors. They eat out a lot. More than they probably should. He added that the ghost, while spending time with them in Nigeria, even carried him in his arms one time. A ghost came from Accra and came and live with us for 3 months, and that ghost carried me, the actor recounted. The award-winning actor said the person who visited them had been declared dead long before his visit to Nigeria. Emmanuel France said the last time he saw the ghost was when it was announced that another person was coming to visit them from Ghana. The said ghost, according to the actor, woke up early on the day the second person from Ghana was to arrive and packed his stuff and left.Its not a story, its the truth. The day the man (the ghost) knew somebody was coming from the Gold Coast (Ghana), early in the morning, around 3 am or 4 am he said he was leaving it was a bit surprising France disclosed. It is not a strange phenomenon when people claim to have seen a dead person. There have been stories of dead people appearing to family members they love dearly for the last time after their death. READ MORE: undefined Opening up on his lifestyle in an audio making rounds on social media, the young man explained that he had joined an occult group with some friends to make ritual money. After making so much money, he realised that there was a time limit to his wealth and life and it was manifested in his sakawa friends dying mysteriously. Explaining further, he revealed that he had to seek refuge from the church when he realised his friends were dying. At the peak of his wealth, the sakawa boy claimed, he had about 11 Range Rover cars, two Benz Salvadors, two Chevrolet Camaros and a host of other posh cars he did not have much regard for. READ MORE: undefined For houses, he stated that though he had many, it was only four that he always remembered. From his story, the sakawa boy obviously regrets his evil ways especially for the part where he was not told of the expiration of his life and wealth. The confession of this sakawa boy comes after that of another who shared a sad story of how his attempt to get rich quick led him to a spiritualist for double money. Though he adhered to the terms spelt out by the spiritualist, the money never came and he has been left to battle with evil spirits who have been tormenting his life ever since. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! He organised a bash at his residence where bigwigs of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) were heavily represented to wish him well and mark the day with him. Present at the function was the ousted former chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko, who prior to the 2016 election suggested Akufo-Addo could not be president. The president and Afoko met for the first time in three years and had a brief discussion. The President who returned from Tamale on the 34th National Farmers Day Celebration is reported to have said Chairman, how are you? Longtime His decision comes a day after another aspirant, Elikplim Lorlormavor Agbemava, said he will not contest again and threw his support behind ex-president John Mahama.Below is the full statement from Mr BonsuI would like to thank the Council of Elders for their prompt response to our petition regarding the NDC flagbearership election.It is with deep regret that after considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided to end my campaign for the flagbearership of the NDC today.However, my boundless optimism for the long-term future of the NDC and Ghana at large remains steadfast. The fight is far from over, I am not ending the fight for unity and accountability and I am not ending the fight for victory for the NDC.As a dedicated member of the NDC, I look forward to working with the Party and the elected Flagbearer to advance issues of importance to our beloved country.I will use this opportunity wish all the aspirants the best of luck, and I urge them to unite after the election and work together with the eventual winner, because without unity we cannot defeat the NPP come 2020.Lastly, I want to express my sincere thanks to my advisers, campaign team, friends, volunteers and loyal supporters who generously contributed their timeand effort to our campaign; I am honoured and humbled that you placed your trust in me.God bless NDCGod bless our Homeland Ghana This for one simple reason that any member of Team Mafisi wouldnt pass. According to the Guardian, members of this tribe have an interesting way of showing their hospitality to their guests. STRANGE PRACTICE Apparently, when a visitor comes around, the man of the house will show his approval and pleasure of seeing his guest by giving him the Okujepisa Omukazendu treatment. This practice literally means that the man willingly gives his wife to his guest to spend the night with, while he the husband sleeps in another room. Whats more, in a case where there is no available room, the husband will sleep outside. WELCOMING VISITORS The woman has little or no opinion in the decision making. Submission to her husband comes first. She has an option of refusing to sleep with the visitor but has to sleep in the same room. The woman is also entitled to give her visiting friends to her husband, although this rarely happens. The benefits of this tradition include reducing jealousy and fostering relationships. ASUP President, Comrade Usman Yusuf Dutse while addressing journalists in Kaduna said the strike became necessary because federal government the failure failed to fulfil the unions demands overtime. Dutse in an interview with Premium Times recently said the federal government has failed to meet the demands of the polytechnic lecturers. He, however, said the impending strike would be ''total and indefinite'' ece-auto-gen This further emphasises the resolution of the 93rd National Executive Council meeting reached at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos last week. Government has failed to implement and fulfil agreements it reached with the union as contained in the memorandum of understanding signed, he said. ALSO READ: 3 ways to advance your career this holiday season Earlier in October, the union issued a 21-day ultimatum to the government. It later extended it to November but didn't start the strike. Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) for calling off its two-month strike. The union reportedly called off the strike after an agreement with the Federal Government. According to Daily Trust, President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to the National Open University Amendment Act, to allow the institution to operate like all other universities in the country. The presidential approval makes it possible for the graduate of the university to participate in both postgraduate programs for all graduates and Law students. ece-auto-gen Presidential Assistant on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang announced the assent of the President while addressing State House reporters in Abuja, Daily Trust reports. President Buhari has also assented to National Open University Amendment Act, which allows the National Open University to operate like all other universities, having the same power and functions and the same administrative structures eliminating possible discrimination as some use to want to have on its products and programmes. A video he posted on Instagram on Sunday, December 9, 2018, reveals an injury to his chin. He submits it as an evidence after the assault also suffered by a female motorist whose vehicle collided with his. According to the actor they were both attacked after he sought help from policemen around the Lekki 1 Roundabout. He identifies four officers as the persons responsible for the assault. "Good evening. My name is Gideon Okeke. An actor and a responsible citizen of the city of Lagos. "I will like to draw the attention of the office of the highest authority that this message may concern. "There has recently been a threat on my life and my economy by men of the Lagos Division of the Nigerian Police Force for a minor accident that happened between myself and another driver Mrs Mosunmola Ilori. "Yesterday at about 8 pm at the Lekki Roundabout, myself and Mrs Mosunmola Ilori alongside her niece were brutally manhandled by men of the Maroko Police Station after an accident that happened between us for which we were both settled and in agreement. "The results are what you see on my face." The actor confirms that the nasty experience prevented him from attending the Johnnie, Jazz & Whisky (JJW), Live Music Concert at the GET Arena, Oniru, expected to hold on the evening of the incident. Okeke explains that he had entered an agreement to host the event but could not be present due to the problem with the police. He intends to use every means possible until justice is served. The actor is mounting pressure on social media in order to get the attention of the right people. The school was named after Aisha Buhari by the Borno Government in appreciation of her efforts towards providing humanitarian services to the victims of insurgency in the State. While inaugurating the school, the wife of the president expressed optimism that the school would provide good atmosphere for learning. Mrs Buhari also expressed the hope that the school would go a long way in ensuring better future for the girl child, especially the children of the nomadic families. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the school, which commenced operation on Oct. 15 2015. has 24 classrooms with 525 students. NAN also reports that the nomadic school was established by the Borno Government to cater for the educational needs of children of Hanagamba, Mbororoji and Fulani ethnic groups who were displaced by the activities of insurgents in their various communities. During the visit, the wife of the president also inaugurated the Model Orphanage integrated school built by the wife of Borno Governor, Mrs Nana Shettima, for orphans whose parents died due to the activities of insurgents in the state. While in Maiduguri, Mrs Buhari also visited the Government Girls College where she commissioned a newly constructed two-storey building of eighteen classrooms. Aisha has ended her working visit with the inspection of the Orphanage Centre being built by the Aisha Buhari Foundation. The Fayose-led administration in May 2016 placed a non-patronage ban on the three banks and forbade government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as workers in its employ from transacting business with them. Governor Fayemi in quashing the embargo, also directed that all MDAs and their staff could now resume patronage of all the banks. Consequently, the office of the States Accountant General has issued a memo to all heads of MDAs to give effect to the governors directive lifting the ban. According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebode, the embargo was lifted in a bid to rekindle and strengthen the age- long relationship between the affected banks and the state government. Government took the decision after a careful review of the developments that led to the purported embargo by the immediate past administration The Fayemi administration is committed to the infrastructural and industrial development of the state. Abdulrasaq said that the country has about 52-day-petroleum sufficiency, adding that this represented an average of 50 million litres per day products availability on land. He said that motorists and other consumers of petroleum products are assured of adequate stock to meet their energy needs. The CFO further dispelled insinuations of any impending petroleum products scarcity in the country. He said that providing information on the petroleum products stock level became imperative to dispel suggestions that the threat of strike by the DAPPMA would result in a slip into a round of products shortages across the country. He advised motorists not to engage in panic buying as the corporation would do all it could to ensure products availability in all parts of the country, Abudulrasaq said that the corporation had been proactive in importation of petroleum into the country, adding that government has saved over N305 billion from subsidy payment. He, however, condemned insinuations that government is planning to sell the countrys refineries, adding that the refineries are currently undergoing rehabilitation. Similarly, the Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers of Nigeria (MOMAN) Mr Clement Isong pledged its associations commitment towards product availability across the country. Isong told the News Agency Nigerian (NAN) on phone that MOMAN operations and sales will continue to the general public and no interruptions are planned or expected by the association. According to him, MOMAN in the company of other marketers associations met with representatives of the government on Dec. 6 where they held discussions on the outstanding payments owed marketers by government. At that meeting, government made some proposals on how to settle the outstanding debt and marketers requested some adjustments to these proposals by government and are expecting to hear from government. MOMAN had at no time issued an ultimatum or threat to stop operations or sales and will continue operations and sales to the public throughout the Christmas and end of year period while engagements with the government continue. Protocols: I want to specially thank the African Union under the able leadership of our Chairperson, His Excellency, Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and all African Leaders for entrusting me with the leadership responsibility of championing the African Union theme of the Year Winning the Fight Against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africas Transformation. 2. May I also extend my gratitude to the African Union Commission headed by Chairperson, His Excellency, Moussa Faki Mahamat, for providing the technical support to my Champion-role for the past twelve (12) months. 3. Excellencies, the anti-corruption year of the African Union has been long and demanding. The year has also been filled with sharing of great lessons, promises and inspirations as well as some success stories on our journey to winning the fight against the evil of corruption. I am therefore very pleased that with your support, we have kept faith with the African people, particularly our Youth gathered here today. 4. Throughout this year, we have focused the strategy for Africas structural transformation on strengthening our collective anti-corruption fight. 5. As African leaders, we made history in adopting this theme in January 2018 in Addis Ababa and openly debated and evaluated our strategy in Nouakchott last July. And today in Nigerias capital with our Youth, we are rallying against this once-hidden taboo and hydra-headed challenge that freezes our aspirations and dents the hopes of our youth for a newly emergent Africa. 6. During the mid-year summit of the African Union Assembly, African Heads of State and Government adopted the Nouakchott Declaration on the Anti-Corruption Year, to serve as a roadmap in the fight against corruption over the coming years. The Declaration reiterated that corruption is not only an African phenomenon but a global one, especially when we consider Illicit Financial Flows where Africa, regrettably is in fact a net creditor to the world. 7. To the young people of Africa, this fight against corruption is yours to lead and to win in order to reverse the negative trends of corruption and its implications for Africa. 8. The Youth of Africa must pool their energies to effectively ensure that our natural and mineral resources remain on the continent for value addition, job and wealth creation as well as to create affordable health-care and quality education for our people. Winning the fight against corruption is very much in your hands! 9. Of particular interest to the youth, as reflected in the Nouakchott Declaration, is the emphasis on the imperative of investing in the demographic dividends through anti-corruption, education and sensitization campaigns, targeting young people as a means of bringing about behavioral change. 10. I thereby encourage young Africans, to use this Declaration as motivation to achieve greater resource investment in developing anti-corruption curricula and anti-graft campaigns in schools, businesses and the general public space. 11. African Youth must remain the front and centre of restoring traditional African values of probity, integrity, honesty, diligence and hard work. It is only when the youth drive this change, that corruption will be eliminated! 12. Your Excellencies, African Youth Representatives, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, as a buildup to this youth congress, l was briefed by the African Union Commission on the African Governance Architecture (AGA)-organized Regional Youth Consultations, dedicated to the Anti-Corruption theme of the year. 13. I am pleased to learn that the youth regional consultative forums were informative and rewarding for the over 600 young people from across the continent who sharpened their strategies and skills to fight corruption. 14 Furthermore, Youth meetings serve as vital platforms for young people to engage. I would like to recognize some of our young leaders here present who have demonstrated the zeal and determination to build the Africa We Want: 15. First, I wish to recognize Mr. Moussa Kondo from Mali for his Accountability Lab in the Republic of Mali. He blazed the trail on how to build sustainable coalitions of Accountapreneurs. 16. Secondly, I recognize, Mr. Maxence Melo, from the United Republic of Tanzania, founder of JamiiForums for strengthening the viability of whistleblowing policy tools. 17. I also enjoin us to celebrate our very own Nigerian Damilola Olawale, founder of Code IT for using technology to give young people the tools to demand transparency in the management of public resources. 18. These young people have done impressive work in pushing the boundaries of innovation in the pursuit for greater accountability. And so today, we celebrate them and indeed we celebrate all of you anti-corruption youngsters. You are the unsung heroes of our thematic year of the African Union, the high-impact achievers. You are the REAL AFRICAN CHAMPIONS! 19. This Congress is therefore a grand rallying point to catalyze policy and practical action against the vice of corruption. We must listen to the perspectives of the African Youth and engage in frank and honest conversations. Communication, upwards and sideways can only be ignored at a price. 20. I am most pleased to observe that this Abuja Congress will take adequate stock of policy and institutional mechanisms in the fight against corruption as well as the role of technology amongst others. 21. I am confident that you will give due support to the continental strategies to: stem illicit financial flows out of Africa; expedite stolen assets recovery and return; strengthen the capacity of national anti-corruption institutions; explore the link between corruption and conflicts; strengthen oversight by citizens on budget performance. 22. You should also strongly advocate the universal signing and ratification of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption by all Member States of the African Union. 23. At the end of your deliberations in this Congress, I am confident that you will come up with an Agenda for Action on Winning the Fight against Corruption that will serve as the rallying cry of the African Youth towards a corruptfion-free Africa. Strive for an Agenda for Action that will be results-oriented and serve as a roadmap for our continent. 24. Let me share with you what I believe are the A, B, C of fighting corruption: A stands for ACTION. Let us all move from talk to action. I urge you to develop tangible projects in your community to instill transparency and accountability of the highest standard. I look forward to receiving your Creed of Transparency from this Congress with a view to forwarding the recommendations to the next Summit of the African Union in February next year. B stands for BUILDING BRIDGES. The youth have a unique opportunity to spearhead the building of inter-generational and cross-sectoral bridges in our various communities. Often, fighting corruption requires partnerships with unlikely allies. Be open to exploring constructive partnerships with a wide base of actors. Again, I look forward to all of you joining the Transparency Champions Network that was created following the Regional Youth Consultations. C stands for CULTURE. So, let us cultivate and equip ourselves with African culture, right attitude and mindset change that will enable us to stand firmly against corruption. By so doing, accountability and change will begin with you and me. 25. My Highly Esteemed Young brothers and sisters from all over Africa, I believe that as we wind up the African Union Anti-Corruption Year, the young people across the continent remain the cornerstone of shaping the future of the fight against corruption. While our symbolic year may be ending, our campaign must not end, for our common future is even brighter. 26. As Africa promotes regional integration and global prosperity, corruption remains a major stumbling block to the realization of the seven (7) aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 27. We must therefore fight it from all angles and avenues without ceasing. And only a united front led by the African Youth can change this present narrative to a great story of African transformation. 28. Finally, permit me to leave you with a quote from the late Nigerian anti-corruption crusader Gani Fawehinmi, who said: You do not justify your crime by a defence that there are other criminals. 29. I therefore urge you all to challenge corruption in your different countries as we are doing in Nigeria and DO NOT COMPROMISE!! I thank you for you attention. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the former President, at the 27th annual Owu National Convention which held in Iwo, Osun state on Saturday, December 8, 2018, urged Nigerians to vote wisely, adding that he will not campaign for any particular candidate. Speaking on the report, OBJs spokesman, Kehinde Akinyemi said It is disingenuous, if not malicious, for anyone to suggest that Chief Obasanjo was being neutral when he chose not to use the Owu Convention as a platform for political campaign but instead adopt a communal and familial approach in talking to members of his Owu family. For the records, and as accurately reported by some media organisations, what the former president said at the convention in Iwo was that while he would not impose any candidates on them, Nigerians should vote for credible candidates who will drive growth and development and make their lives better than it is now. Only a fool will sit on the fence or be neutral when his or her country is being destroyed with incompetence, corruption, lack of focus, insecurity, nepotism, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious. Chief Obasanjo is no such fool nor is he so unwise, according to Premium Times. Buhari, in a letter to the National Assembly on Thursday, December 6, 2018, declined assent to the bill while stating several reasons. According to The Cable, the President said "I am declining assent to the Bill principally because I am concerned that passing a new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general election which commenced under the 2015 Electoral Act, could create some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process. "It is also important for the following drafting amendments to be made to the Bill: section 5 of the Bill, amending section 18 of the Principal Act should indicate the subsection to which the substitution of the figure '30' for the figure 60 is to be affected. "Section 11 of the Bill, amending Section 36 should indicate the subsection in which the proviso is to be introduced. "Section 24 of the Bill which amends Section 85 (1) should be redrafted in full as the introduction of the 'electing' to the sentence may be interpreted to mean that political parties may give 21 days notice of the intention to merge, as opposed to the 90 days provided in Section 84 (2) of the Electoral Act which provides the provision for merge of political parties. "The definition of the term 'Ward Collection officer' should be revised to reflect a more descriptive definition than the capitalized and undefined term Registration Area Collation Officer. Ben Bruce speaks on Senates next move Speaking to Punch on the matter, the Senates spokesman, Ben Murray-Bruce said that the upper chamber will do all in its power to override the Presidents action. He also said that the Senate rejects the various reasons given by Buhari for declining his assent. He said First of all, we think it is a mistake not to sign the bill. We think Buhari should have signed it. We want the APC senators and all Nigerians to understand that that bill is the right thing to do at this period of our national life. We will do everything possible to work with progressive APC senators to get the right number of votes to override it. We will override it. Ali Ndume counters Ben Bruce Reacting to Ben Bruces comment, a die-hard supporter of the President, Senator Ali Ndume said his colleague does not have the right to speak for the Senate on the issue. Ndume said You quoted Ben Murray-Bruce as saying that the Senate was going to veto. Who gave him the right to speak on behalf of the Senate? Even if you are the Vice-Chairman of the Media and Public Affairs Committee, you dont just go and talk on behalf of the Senate. Let it be on record that he did not speak on my behalf. The letter from Mr President has not even been read and it has not been deliberated upon. His responsibility is to speak on behalf of the Senate, but if he is speaking for himself, that is a different thing. He went on to say that they are going to veto it. Where are they going to get the numbers (two-thirds) to veto it? PDP Senator condemns Buharis action Speaking on the plans to override Buharis decision, the Senate minority leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi said that PDP members will work with disgruntled APC Senators to make the plan a success. Olujimi said This is because 70 per cent of the INEC budget has to do with the funding of card readers and other equipment needed for the election. We are going back to the chamber on Tuesday to look at the reasons for the Presidents rejection and we will do our best to override his assent because the Electoral Act (amendments) bill is the best thing that can happen to our election in Nigeria. It is not only the opposition senators who would override the President. We would work on our colleagues in the ruling APC, most of whom are disgruntled that their party denied them tickets to return to the Senate. Senator Marafa says the plans will fail Also, APC Senator, Kabiru Marafa said that the plan will fail. According to him,How will they get us to support their action when we already agree that the reasons given by President Muhammadu Buhari were genuine and reasonable? INEC, at the moment, has a lot of issues to contend with. Why should we overburden them with new amendments that would make its works more cumbersome? Why cant we wait till after the 2019 elections before we introduce new electoral laws? Addressing Senator Olujimis comment, Marafa said I disagree with Senator Olujimi completely on that issue. INEC budget was huge because of the insecurity in the country. Most of the funds would be expended on security personnel to ensure a hitch-free exercise. I challenge her to come up with her figures and prove me wrong. There could be some calculated attempts in some quarters to sabotage the entire process; otherwise, I dont understand the attack on the President for postponing the implementation of the law till after the general elections. Why are they unnecessary jittery now over the use of the card reader. I am beginning to think that those who are agitating now have some ulterior motive. The 2015 election was successful because of card reader, he added. Buttressing Marafas point, APC Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege said But from what I have read, his reasons are very genuine. Like I have always maintained, Mr President has always supported this bill. It is the usual town crying of the PDP particularly. Let me say that PDP is scared because they were used to rigging when they were in government. We are in government now and they think everybody will be the same. If you are not a rigger, why are you talking about rigging when the election has not been conducted? Data from 2015 election Data obtained fromDeepDive Intelligence recently, shows that about 21.4 million Nigerians voted in the 2015 election without full biometric authentication. Full biometric authentication, as explained by the report, is when the PVC and fingerprint of a voter is successfully authenticated by the Smart Card Reader. The prayers that held in Omu-Aran, attracted leaders and members of the party from Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal constituency, and was at the instance of the partys newly-elected Rep member, Tunji Olawuyi. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five members of the party, mostly executives in Irepodun Local Government Area, had died in an auto accident few meters to Oke-Onigbin. The deceased were on their way to Oro, the home town of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, for a victory rally over the outcome of the bye-election won by Olawuyi. The special prayer was led by Alhaji Sodiq Afolayan, the Chief Imam of Omu-Aran Central mosque on the Islamic side and Pastor Isaac Ajewole of the Revival Centre, Omu-Aran on the Christian side. Dr Rafiu Bello, a Public Administrator and Consultant in Public Health, in a lecture at the event, said the recent political development in the country was due to the high level of awareness and orientation among the electorate. He described the APC victory in the recent bye-election in the constituency as a huge turning point in the states political landscape. People, especially the electorate, are now bolder, courageous and determined in taking their destiny in their hands. The last bye-election in the state was a clear indication of the peoples determination to put a stop to the dominance of a particular dynasty in the governance and administration of the state, he said. Bello urged members of the party to be more focused and dedicated, saying that the challenges ahead required more sacrifice to achieve the desired victory in future elections. Olawuyi, in a remark, described the death of the party members as an act of God and prayed God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss. He said his victory in the bye-election was designed by God and and was a divine direction toward the desired emancipation and transformation of the people of the district and the state. Olawuyi, who promised to be a good representative, called on members of the party across the state not to relent in contributing their quota toward achieving the desired victory in the 2019 general elections. Belgium's King Philippe accepted the resignations of the N-VA's ministers on Sunday after meeting with Michel at the royal palace, according to a statement. Michel also presented the king with the list of replacements for the departing N-VA ministers in the interior, finance, defence and migration portfolios. The departure of the Flemish party means Michel lacks a parliamentary majority five months ahead of legislative elections scheduled for late May. "I regret that it has come to this," Michel told the RTL-TVI television channel. AFP He said that a "responsible coalition" had been set up and called for "dialogue with parliament" warning of a looming risk of early elections. Interior minister and N-VA member Jan Jambon had confirmed earlier Sunday that he and the party's other ministers would step down. "It's clear," he told national broadcaster RTBF, following hours of uncertainty. 'It's chaos' In power for four years, the coalition has often been riven over the N-VA's anti-migration positions. Health Minister Maggie De Block, who will also take on the migration portfolio replacing N-VA's Theo Francken, said she would pursue "a new strict but fair" migration policy. "I am taking on a department in crisis. It's chaos," the new migration minister said in a statement. AFP On Saturday night, N-VA leader Bart De Wever warned Michel that the party would leave the coalition if the prime minister flew to a UN conference in Marrakesh on Sunday to endorse the migration pact. "If we no longer have a voice in this government... there is no point in continuing," De Wever said. However Michel stood firm, saying he would endorse the pact. A last-gasp cabinet meeting was held late Saturday, but failed to overcome what Michel called a "profound difference" between the parties. 'Pact with the devil' The non-binding UN accord, which would promote a common global approach to migrant flows, was initially supported by all four parties in Belgium's coalition. But the N-VA changed its mind in late October. The crisis had been rumbling for several weeks before bursting into the open on Tuesday when Michel turned to parliament after failing to unite his government behind the pact. AFP The liberal prime minister has steadfastly defended the pact, saying on Sunday that it presented "the opportunity for better European and international cooperation". On Thursday, a majority of parliament supported the accord, but the N-VA and far-right Vlaams Belang party voted against. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Steve Bannon, a former advisor to US President Donald Trump, denounced the pact at an event hosted by Vlaams Belang in Brussels on Saturday. "The country that signs the pact obviously signs a pact with the devil," Le Pen said. The draft UN accord lays down 23 objectives to open up legal migration and better manage a global flow of 250 million people, three percent of the world population. The United States dropped out of talks on the pact last year and countries including Italy, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Australia have rejected it. Tens of thousands of travellers could see their holiday plans disrupted after Air New Zealand union workers announced plans to strike just before Christmas. Savage, head of aviation at Air New Zealand explains how many workers are affected and why they have been in negotiations for six weeks. 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 A lot goes on around Athens and UGA campus and sometimes it can be hard to keep up. From the We asked readers which Athens staples made their short list, then we threw in a few favorites of our own. From best drunk food to best hidden gem, here are the award-winning best things to eat, drink and do all around Athens. A crowd of over 20 students stood in a circle around the memorial at Baldwin Hall to discuss what black history meant to them and to honor the people who built the university. Kerala has become the first state in the country to have four international airports with the inauguration of the Kannur airport on Sunday. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan jointly flagged off the inaugural Air India Express flight, carrying 186 passengers to Abu Dhabi, at the airport near Mattannur town in the morning. With the commissioning of the airport, the state has become the first in the country to have four international airports, with Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode being the other three. The airport depicts not only cultural traditions of Malabar and Kannur, but also of Kodagu in neighbouring Karnataka. Virajpet in Kodagu is just only 58-km away from the airport, while district headquarters Madikeri is around 90-km away. Mural paintings depicting the heritage of Malabar and Indian dance forms, including Theyyam of north Kerala, Kathakali and Yakshagana, the traditional theatre art form of Karnataka, are among the art works that vie for attention at the airport. Speaking at the inaugural function, Prabhu said the commissioning of the greenfield airport was expected to pave way for the state's overall development and prosperity, especially the northern region. The Kannur airport, built on a public-private partnership mode, will become a new benchmark of how airports will be constructed in the country. The airport will help the non-resident Keralites (NRKs), especially in the Gulf region, besides boosting tourism and exports, which will result in several job opportunities, Prabhu said. The minister also wanted the airport to use green power as it would result in economic savings. India already has about 100 airports and, in 10-15 years, another 100 would be added, he said. "The Centre is also preparing an integrated logistics plan to fast-track movement of goods and cut transactions cost of business and we are actively working with Kerala government on this," Prabhu, who is also the commerce and industries minister, added. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed the support of the minister in fulfilling the state's dream project. Vijayan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response was also positive when he had met him as part of bringing foreign carriers to the airport. "The effective interventions of everyone has helped the airport become a reality now," he said, adding that Kannur was the second airport in which the state government has a stake. Vijayan also remembered various personalities, including late Communist Party of Indian-Marxist veteran and former state chief minister, E K Nayanar, and late industrialist Krishnan Nair, who had contributed in making the Kannur airport project a reality in various phases. The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party have boycotted the function. The United Democratic Front is miffed as former chief minister Oommen Chandy was not invited. Various state ministers and NRI businessman M A Yousuf Ali were among those who attended the event. IMAGE: US President Donald Trump speaks to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly after an event with reporters in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will step down by the end of the year, President Donald Trump has announced, becoming the latest top-level official to quit the administration amidst reports that relations between them have soured beyond repair. The 68-year-old retired Marine Corps general has been President Trump's Chief of Staff since July 31, 2017 when he replaced Reince Priebus, who resigned, in the first seven months of the Trump administration, Kelly was the secretary of Homeland Security. "John Kelly will be leaving -- I don't know if I can say 'retiring'. But, he's a great guy. John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year," Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday. "We will be announcing who will be taking John's place...I shall be announcing that over the next day or two. But, John will be leaving at the end of the year. He has been with me almost two years now," Trump said. Nick Ayers, the 36-year-old chief of staff to vice-president Mike Pence, is Kelly's likely successor. There were reports that the relationship between Trump and Kelly had deteriorated to such an extent that the two were no longer on speaking terms. Kelly, who was brought in by Trump after he fired Reince Priebus, has been instrumental in bringing in a sense of discipline inside the White House. Kelly was one of the several generals appointed by Trump to key roles, including defense secretary Jim Mattis, and former national security advisers Michael Flynn and HR McMaster. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the relationship between Kelly and Trump had completely broken down, leading the president to tell an associate to 'stop calling John' and to instead 'call Nick, he's my guy'. Veteran journalist Bob Woodward wrote in his bestselling book Fear that Kelly called Trump an 'idiot' at the head of a 'Crazytown' administration. Kelly is said to have used the description repeatedly and also allegedly said that 'it's pointless to try to convince him of anything'. Kelly, however, denied such reports and stayed in post. CNN reported this week that Kelly and Trump were no longer even speaking to each other. It said Trump wanted a chief of staff with more political expertise, to help him handle the inevitable investigations and legislative battles with next year's Democrat-controlled House, and to prepare for the 2020 election. In France in November for events marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war, Kelly visited an American cemetery outside Paris while Trump remained in the city, the White House said rain made a presidential visit impractical. Kelly's exit from the White House is the latest in a series of reshuffles in the Trump administration. On Friday, Trump said he will nominate William Barr his attorney general, replacing Matthew Whitaker who was named acting attorney general only a month ago. Whitaker replaced Jeff Sessions for the top Justice Department post. Sessions was fired on November 7 after he was attacked and ridiculed for months by the president. Trump appointed State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert as the US' next ambassador to the UN, replacing Indian-origin Nikki Haley who said in October that she would step down at the end of the year. McMaster was replaced on March 22 with John Bolton as the national security adviser. Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency chief quit on July 5. Former secretary of state Rex Tillerson was fired by Trump on March 13 after rifts between them. On Friday, Trump tweeted that Tillerson was 'dumb as a rock' and 'lazy as hell'. James Comey, the FBI director, who led the Russia probe before Mueller, was fired by Trump in May last year. Michael Flynn resigned in February last year as Trump's national security adviser. Earlier in the day, Trump nominated General Mark Milley as his next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation's top military advisor. If confirmed by the Senate, Gen Milley would replace General Joe Dunford who is scheduled to retire next summer. Milley currently is Chief of Staff of the Army. Trump described Gen Milley as a 'great gentleman and a great patriot'. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 9) The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) confirmed Sunday it has copies of the four arrest warrants issued by a Davao court against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for libel. NCRPO Director Guillermo Eleazar said they obtained the warrants on their own initiative so they could be on top of the case and its details. The Davao Regional Trial Court Branch 54 on Friday ordered Trillanes' arrest following a complaint filed by Presidential son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte in September. The local court set Trillanes' bail at 24,000 for each of the four counts of libel. Eleazar also said Trillanes was invoking Article VI, Section 11, which states the senator be free while Congress is in session. "In this regard, our legal office at the NCRPO says that we have to abide by the Constitution," Eleazar said. Eleazar, however, said, given Trillanes' statement that he would post bail before the court on Monday, they would be coordinating with the Office of the Senate Sargeant at Arms on the issue. "If the senator wishes to turn himself to us, then we will get him from the Senate," Eleazar said. On Friday, Trillanes said he was ready to face arrest, slamming the justice system for being turned upside down in President Rodrigo Dutertes administration. In a separate statement on Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said the senator was "out of his wits." "His latest remarks prove once and for all that he is an incorrigible rabble rouser and perennial whiner, a false accuser who, when hailed to court, cries like a baby reminiscent of staging a coup and surrenders instantly even without a gun being fired from the government forces," Panelo said. THOMASTON Thomaston Savings Bank is pleased to announce the election of Richard Bushka to the Board of Directors. Bushka is a Corporator of the Bank and co-owner of Bushka Lumber & Millwork Co., LLC, a well-known Waterbury family business serving the community since 1954. Bushka, along with his brothers and father, has led Bushka Lumber & Millwork Co. for the past 25 years through an evolving business model and expanding presence in new markets, both within Connecticut and across the country. Bushka has focused on steadily growing the business by establishing a niche for the company in the burgeoning market for custom millwork. Bushka is an active member in his community. He belongs to many professional organizations including the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the New England Retail Lumbermans Association and The Waterbury Chamber of Commerce. He has served on the building and grounds committee at Chase Collegiate School and he and his family were past recipients of the Jo Ann Davies Award at Chase Collegiate School. Richard currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury. He attended Holy Cross High School and holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from Post University. He resides in Waterbury with his wife, Nancy and their daughter, Tiffany. Society acknowledges foundation grant COLEBROOK The Colebrook Historical Society recently received a $2,400 grant from The Draper Foundation Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation. This grant enables us to carry out a very special project, members said in a statement. The CHS was blessed for many years with the dedication of our Curator, Robert Grigg. Bobs thirst for knowledge was unquenchable, and he concentrated on the history of our community. Bob was a generous person and wanted to share all hed learned. He started writing columns called Bobs Bytes, which were published in local newspapers. Hence Bob became the Municipal Historian, documenting the history of Colebrook for future generations. On Bobs death, the CHS wanted to honor him, and his many contributions to our community, in a concrete way. We also wanted to pass on the vast amount of local history that Bob had accumulated through the years, the statement continues. The idea was to gather the best of Bobs Bytes into a book, but the cost of publication was beyond our budget. Now, thanks to The Draper Foundation Fund, we can make this memorial to Bob a reality. Bobs Bytes will be published and available to all this coming spring. SVNA receives special funding SALISBURY Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association recently received a $1,000 grant from the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation. SVNAs Executive Director said, We are grateful to the NW Connecticut Community Foundation for this generous grant, these funds will help SVNAs patients that our less fortunate during the holiday season. The Foundation has approved 52 local nonprofits in the Northwest Corner that are dedicated to assisting area residents and families with limited financial needs. Julia Scharnberg, Grants and Program Director said, The Year-End Critical Needs Grant is made possible by the Marion Wm and Alice Edwards Fund, the Draper Foundation Fund, and a very generous donor-advised fund that joined in this effort to increase the charitable resources made available for this initiative. Donors Marion Wm. and Alice Edwards, Jim and Shirley Draper, and the donor-advised fund all expressed a strong desire to assist those facing difficult and challenging economic circumstances. For more information about SVNAs services, visit www.salisburyvna.org or call 860-435-0816. Nutrition program receives funding LITCHFIELD The Litchfield Hills Northwest Elderly Nutrition Program, which operates the local Meals on Wheels program, received a $1,000 grant to provide emergency meals to homebound seniors. The critical needs grant funded by The Draper Foundation Fund, a fund of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation will provide 270 shelf stable emergency meals to 135 homebound seniors most in need. The meals are designed to be kept on hand if the program is unable to deliver due to inclement weather. The program serves an 18 town region throughout Litchfield County. WATERBURY Naugatuck Valley Community College hosted members of the Connecticut National Guard along with staff from the U.S. Department of Defense program, STARBASE, for a tour of the Colleges manufacturing and allied health facilities. The tour was conducted on NVCCs Waterbury Campus on November 15 and attendees included: Maj. Gen. Fran Evon, Adjutant General of the Connecticut National Guard; Brig. Gen. Gerald McDonald, Assistant Adjutant General, Connecticut Military Department; Melissa Vanek ,a director for STARBASE Connecticut; and Felix Cowey, a Deputy Director for STARBASE Connecticut. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) STARBASE is a premier educational program, sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. In Connecticut, STARBASE has two sites, both supported by the Connecticut National Guard; one located at the Windsor Locks Readiness Center and the other at NVCC. The first tour stop was inside Technology Hall where NVCCs Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC) is housed. Attendees received an overview of the AMTCs history, academic programs, and mission by Joseph R. DeFeo, Program Director for the AMTC. Attendees were able to see AMTC students in action, demonstrating the skills theyve acquired operating machines such as the CNC and grinders. It was a pleasure meeting with Major General Evon and his staff last week to host a tour of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. I would be proud to welcome members of Connecticuts National Guard to enroll in our training program, said DeFeo. The tour continued on to Founders Hall which was opened in 2017 and houses NVCCs Allied Health programs such as nursing, radiologic technology, respiratory care, and physical therapy along with being the base for NVCCs non-credit lifelong learning workforce education and safety programs. Participants were able to see the state-of-the-art facilities such as the ambulance simulation lab for its EMT program, the equipment used in its radiology lab, smart classrooms, and many of the other simulation laboratories that help prepare students for working in the allied health field. As a veteran of the U.S. Army and faculty member at NVCC, I was proud to show the new Center for Health Sciences to Major General Evon and his staff, said Dr. Janet Gangaway, PT, DPT, Professor of Physical Therapy. Our faculty are happy to work with STARBASE to introduce health careers to hundreds of local fifth-grade students and I look forward to future collaboration to improve the knowledge and skills of our citizen-soldiers in the National Guard. The manufacturing and health care science programs and facilities at NVCC are state of the art and quite impressive, said Maj. Gen. Evon. The local availability of quality education programs in growing fields are a benefit to Connecticut National Guardsmen who take advantage of the 100 percent tuition waiver. I have no doubt that students who complete these programs become great assets to Connecticut industries and as members of the Connecticut National Guard. At STARBASE, students participate in challenging hands-on, mind-on activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); such as physics and chemistry experiments, engineering challenges and computer-aided design (CAD) programming. Each year, more than 700 fifth grade students from Waterbury benefit from the week-long STEM intensive program at STARBASE at the NVCC location by gaining a sense of self-confidence in themselves and excitement for STEM topics, in addition to the increase in STEM knowledge. For more information on NVCCs Advanced Manufacturing programs, visit, nv.edu/amtc. For more information on NVCCs Allied Health programs, visit nv.edu/alliedhealth. For more information on STARBASE, visit: http://starbase-ct.com/. DrukKho, a young Tibetan man who set himself on fire in Ngaba county, a Tibetan region in the western Chinese province of Sichuan, on Dec. 8, 2018, in undated photo. A young Tibetan man set himself on fire in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) county, a Tibetan region in the western Chinese province of Sichuan, on Dec. 8 in a protest aganst Chinese rule in Tibet, sources in the region said on Sunday. A Tibetan youth self immolated on December 8 in the afternoon in Ngaba county, and it is true that it happened, but after the incident any discussion of this is very inconvenient a source in Tibet told RFAs Tibetan Service. It has become an emergency issue and the details of the incident cannot be discussed at the moment. Everyone is aware of this self-immolation case in Ngaba, but no one has received a detailed account of the situation, the source added. The source said the self-immolator was identified as DrukKho, from Soruma in Ngaba county, and was thought to be in his 20s. The Tibet Post International, an online news outlet based in Dharamsala, identified the man as Drugkho and said he set himself on fire while shouting slogans calling for the long life of the Dalai Lama and freedom in Tibet. There has been an immediate lockdown in the area, with internet communications blocked, according to the same sources. Chinese police, government and religious affairs bureau officials in the region either said they were unaware of the situation or did not answer their phone, said the Post. The Post and RFAs source said it was not immediately clear whether the man was alive. After the self-immolation, the Chinese armed police have beefed up security in Ngaba and it has become a tense situation, said a source in the Tibetan exile community. The source told RFA that Chinese authorities, in an effort to prevent the news from spreading, have started to monitor any online communication between Ngaba and the world. Tibetans in Ngaba have requested their friends and relatives abroad sever any communication contacts with them for the moment, added the second source. Drugkho's protest follows the Nov. 4 self-immolation of Dopo, also in Ngaba, and brings to 155 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans since the wave of fiery protests against Chinese rule of their homeland began in 2009. It is the 42nd confirmed self-immolation in Ngaba so far, and the third in the county in 2018 Ngabas main town and nearby Kirti monastery have been the scene of repeated self-immolations and other protests in recent years by monks, former monks, and other Tibetans calling for Tibetan freedom and the Dalai Lamas return to Tibet. Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Paul Eckert. YEREVAN -- Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians alliance scored a landslide victory in Armenias snap parliamentary elections, capturing more than 70 percent of the vote and giving the Caucasus nation what he called a "revolutionary majority." Final official results show that Pashinians My Step alliance took 70.4 percent of votes cast in the December 9 election, the Central Election Commission said. Pashinian now has a parliamentary majority to push through his program of tackling corruption and reforming the economy, nine months after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in protests that led to a peaceful change of government and ignited new hopes of more democratic rule. The former ruling Republican Party (HHK) was at 4.7 percent, failing to clear the 5 percent threshold to make it into the 101-seat National Assembly. My Steps closest rival, the Prosperous Armenia Party of wealthy businessman Gagik Tsarukian, won 8.3 percent. The liberal, pro-Western Bright Armenia, a party led by former Pashinian ally Edmon Marukian, was in third place with 6.4 percent. The Dashnaktsutyun party had 3.9 percent. Pashinian early on December 10 hailed the clear and transparent elections and told reporters that citizens of our country are voting for a revolutionary majority, and they are doing it in a calm environment. The election commission said that according to preliminary data, turnout was 48.6 percent, some 12 percent lower than the previous parliamentary elections in April 2017. Speaking live on Facebook during the day, Pashinian explained the lower turnout by saying that during the 2017 and other elections [held during the HHKs time in power], people were bused to polling stations according to lists and [were made to vote] through mechanisms that you know all too well. Such mechanisms have not been used and cannot be used now, Pashinian added. The election, in which some 2.6 million Armenians were eligible to vote, was observed by monitors of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). "After the elections, we will be developing Armenian democracy and make an economic revolution happen," Pashinian told reporters after casting his ballot. We have already achieved our main goal: to hold truly free, transparent, democratic elections, Pashinian said. For the future, our main goal is to strengthen democracy in Armenia at the institutional level. It was Pashinian, a former anticorruption journalist, who led the demonstrations that forced long-entrenched leader Serzh Sarkisian to step down from office. Pashinian was eventually elected to the prime minister's post, although the Republican Party (HHK) maintained its majority in parliament. Pashinian announced in October that he was resigning from the post in order to dissolve parliament and force early elections. He has continued to perform his prime-ministerial duties until a new parliament and prime minister are elected. Pashinian pushed for early parliamentary elections following his bloc's landslide victory in the mayoral race in the capital, Yerevan, in a bid to unseat the HHK. The election saw the HHK and nine other political parties and alliances vying for seats in the 101-member National Assembly. The list of candidates of the HHK was headed by former Defense Minister Vigen Sarkisian, who urged Armenians to get out and vote." I expect that, by the end of the day, we will have a more consolidated society, he said after voting in the Armenian capitol. I voted today for an Armenia where no one will ever allow the idea that society can be divided into whites and blacks. Because this would lead to the formation of an internal enemy, and the internal enemy in a besieged fortress is the worst that can happen. Vigen Sarkisian is no relation to Serzh Sarkisian, who served 10 years as president before assuming the prime minister's post in an effort to remain in power. Serzh Sarkisian was not running in the election. The results were in line with a Gallup poll conducted between December 1-4 among 1,100 voters, which put the My Step Alliance well ahead of all other parties with 69.4 percent. "Thanks to the revolution, we will finally have fair elections," Parzik Avetisian, 72, told the AFP news agency. "I voted for the positive change promised by Nikol [Pashinian]." Garnik Arakelian, a 52-year-old painter, told AFP: "I want all those corrupt officials who for many years were robbing and humiliating people to be jailed." However, Saak Mkhitarian, a 37-year-old video engineer, told the Associated Press that he was worried about what he called Pashinian's divisive rhetoric. "He wants to create an internal enemy and hates those who don't share his beliefs," Mkhitarian said. Pashinian during the campaign stressed the need to end government corruption and improve the economy to cut the nation's high unemployment rate. He also vowed to maintain close relations with traditional ally Russia, while at the same time said he will seek closer ties with the United States and the European Union. With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters The Taliban has attacked an army post in Afghanistans western province of Farah, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers, officials say. The overnight assault lasted nearly three hours before the militants overran the outpost and took nine other soldiers hostage, council members Dadullah Qani and Gul Ahmad Faqiri said on December 9. They said the attackers took all of the post's equipment with them. Provincial police spokesman Mohibullah Mohib said three militants were also killed and four others were wounded in the battle. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousof Ahmadi posted a video on Twitter showing what he said were the captured soldiers. The Taliban has ramped up attacks on Afghan security forces and government facilities in recent months. Based on reporting by AP and dpa Iranian security forces have detained 10 people suspected of links to a recent suicide attack in the country's southeast, police say. "Good clues have been obtained and hopefully with the public's cooperation...we will get to the main leads," the official news agency IRNA quoted police chief Hossein Ashtari as saying on December 9. More suspects have been identified and were being sought, he added. At least two police officers were killed and around 40 other people were wounded in a December 6 assault in which an explosives-laden car exploded outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar. The Sunni jihadist group Ansar al-Furqan claimed responsibility for the attack. Sistan-Baluchistan Province, where Chabahar is located, has seen repeated attacks by Sunni militants against security forces in recent years. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters Iran has detained an Australian-based academic on charges of trying to "infiltrate" Iranian institutions, state media said. Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi, a dual Iranian-Australian citizen who works at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, was detained recently as she was leaving Iran, the state news agency IRNA said, confirming earlier reports. Last week, the hard-line newspaper Kayhan reported the arrest of several population "activists...who, under the cover of scientific activities, had infiltrated state bodies. According to Kayhan, they manipulated statistics and handed sensitive information to Iran's enemies as part of efforts at "cultural and social invasion. Asked about the report, judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told reporters on December 9: "One person has been arrested in this regard... and three or four people are being sought," the judiciary's news website Mizan reported. A spokesperson for the university in Melbourne said reports of Hosseini-Chavoshi's detention were "deeply concerning. In October, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for greater efforts to combat enemy "infiltration" as tensions escalated with the United States after Washington withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Iran does not recognize dual nationality and does not routinely announce arrests or charges of dual nationals. Reuters reported in 2017 that Iran had arrested at least 30 dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage charges. Based on reporting by Reuters and smh.com.au Chinas campaign against Uyghur nationalism, branded by Beijing as separatism, has abruptly spiked in the last two years and spread beyond just the Uyghurs. Beijings earlier attempts to simply keep control over the Uyghurs of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have given way to an all-out offensive that has seen new regulations for clothing and personal appearance, restrictions on observing Islamic rituals, the closure of mosques, and the incarceration of more than 1 million Uyghurs, according to many reports, in so-called political reeducation camps. The campaign, which is clearly targeting the Muslims of Xinjiang, has widened and no longer includes just Uyghurs. Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tatars, Hui (Han Muslims), and now there are even reports that some Uzbeks are also being taken to the reeducation camps in Xinjiang. Some of those caught up in this huge net in Xinjiang are officially now citizens of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Their disappearance across the border in China has been noticed by relatives and friends in Central Asia, and those who have been released from these reeducation camps and crossed back into their new homelands in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are finding a growing domestic and international audience waiting to hear their stories. The governments in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan find themselves in an uncomfortable situation. China is a major -- and often the major -- trading partner and investor in the Central Asian states, but the growing resentment among the people of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan over Chinas policies in Xinjiang cannot be ignored by officials in Astana and Bishkek. On this week's Majlis podcat, RFE/RL's media-relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderates a discussion on the repercussions of Beijings policies in Xinjiang among the people and governments in Central Asia. Participating in the discussion from Washington is Sean Roberts, the director of international development studies at George Washington University and a leading authority on the Uyghurs and Central Asia. In the studio in Prague, we are joined by Tyntchtyk Chorotegin, a well-known Kyrgyz historian and former director of RFE/RLs Kyrgyz Service (known locally as Azattyk), and Torokul Doorov, the director of RFE/RLs Kazakh Service (known locally as Azattyq). Ive been writing about the Uyghurs for many years, so I also had something to say about this shocking turn of events. Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes. Human rights defenders and diplomats are praising Lyudmila Alekseyeva and her lifetime commitment to the struggle for justice in the Soviet Union and Russia as an inspirational example. Alekseyeva, a veteran defender of human rights who challenged the Soviet government and President Vladimir Putin's Kremlin, died in a Moscow hospital on December 9, Russia's presidential council of human rights said. She was 91. No cause of death was given, but the council said she had been treated several times for unspecified ailments. "This is a huge loss for the entire human rights movement in Russia," according to the council's head, Mikhail Fedotov. For many, she was and will remain the soul of the human rights movement, an example we should try to be worthy of," said the Moscow Helsinki Group Alekseyeva became a human rights advocate in the 1960s in the Soviet Union, went into exile, and returned to continue her work in Russia following the collapse of the U.S.S.R. She co-founded the human rights organization Moscow Helsinki Group in 1976. Within a year, its members were arrested or forced into exile. Alekseyeva fled to the United States with her family in 1977, where she continued advocating for human rights and took up freelance work for RFE/RL and Voice of America, until her return to Russia in 1993. There, she returned to being a leading figure of the human rights movement, denouncing rights abuses under former President Boris Yeltsin. Most recently, her target had been the soft authoritarian regime introduced by Putin and his ruling party, United Russia. Kenneth Roth, executive director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, tweeted that with Alexeyevas death, We have lost a giant among human rights defenders -- a courageous, principled defender of the rights of all Russians from the dark Soviet days to the increasingly dark Putin days. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) praised Alekseyeva as an inspirational figure for human rights advocates worldwide. Alekseyeva spent her life fighting for principled and respectful treatment for all people and I hope her legacy will serve as a reminder to all that we need to continue this work, it said in a statement on December 9. Bill Browder, a U.S.-born Briton who was once the biggest foreign investor in Russia and has now become a campaigner against Russian human rights abuses, called Alekseyeva the bravest human rights activist in Russia and the person who most effectively took on Putin and his cronies over the murder of Sergei Magnitsky. When Magnitsky, an anticorruption lawyer, died in pretrial detention in 2009, she actively lobbied for an investigation into his death. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said Alekseyevas courageous work on behalf of victims of injustice and repression serves as a model for us all. The president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Liliane Maury Pasquier, also paid tribute to Alekseyeva, a winner of PACEs 2015 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize, which honors outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights. "Her commitment to the struggle for justice had guided her throughout her life, despite threats and persecution, Pasquier said in a statement, adding that the activists lifelong commitment will be remembered. The Council of Europes commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic, described Alekseyeva as a real force of nature and said her work as a human rights defender in Russia will remain an inspiration to many. Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjorn Jagland called Alekseyeva my friend and World Matriarch of Human Rights Defenders, adding that she will be missed sorely by all of us. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin valued Alekseyeva's contribution to the development of civil society in Russia and respected her positions on many issues. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev praised her courage, dedication, and unfailing firmness in defending her views, writing on Facebook that her death was a great loss" for the human rights movement in Russia. With reporting by the BBC, TASS, and Interfax Thousands joined an antigovernment march in Belgrade on the evening of December 8. The event was organized by the Alliance For Serbia opposition coalition in protest against a November 23 assault against Borko Stefanovic, the leader of the Serbian Left party. The opposition accuses people from the ruling Serbian Progressive Party of being behind the attack. Manpreet Singh Badal SPOKESMAN NEWS SERVICE: CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 9: Bringing the curtains down on Military Literature Festival-2018, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal on Sunday announced that the State Government would set up a special corpus fund for holding the Festival as an annual event, regardless of which party comes in power. This would help institutionalise the gala event for as a permanent affair in the state. Advertisement The Minister also underlined the need for an amendment to the Constitution for nominating representatives from the ex-servicemen fraternity in the Rajya Sabha, besides ensuring their representation in Block Samitis, Zilla Parishads, Panchayats and other democratically elected bodies. Paying respects to the serving and veteran soldiers, Manpreet recalled his experience as a member of the National Manifesto committee of the Punjab, Congress said when he was asked to contribute to the exercise he had said he would love to draft a separate chapter for the welfare of Defence personnel and ex-servicemen. After having detailed deliberations with the ex-servicemen and serving defence personnel by visiting various parts of the country, Manpreet said that he was convinced that the Great Sons of the Nation preferred self-esteem (Izzat) to pecuniary benefits. He underscored the need to give due respect and recognition to these fine sons of the nation, to whom the society owed a debt. He pointed to the example of Americans, who held their brave soldiers and veterans in high esteem, which was embedded in their national character. We need to imbibe the same spirit, he added. Advertisement The Finance Minister apologized for Captain Amarinder Singhs inability to attend his scheduled MLF sessions, saying the Chief Minister had made extensive preparations but could not make it due to health reasons. Therefore, the Chief Minister had deputed him to attend the concluding function, said Manpreet. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Ministers Senior Advisor Lt Gen. (Retd.) Tejinder Singh Shergill said the event would go a long way in motivating youth to join defence forces in the larger interest of the nations security, integrity and sovereignty. He said that the event had received enthusiastic response, with a massive footfall, which crossed 13,000 yesterday and the 20,000 mark today. He thanked Lt. Gen. Surinder Singh of the Western Command for the immense support and guidance provided by them for holding the momentous event. He also complimented all the organisers, delegates, panelists, participants, volunteers and students for making the event a grand success. He also thanked the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department for providing an excellent framework to organise this gala edition of MLF. Advertisement On the occasion, a remembrance ceremony was held where lineal descendants of World War 1 martyrs were honoured by the Finance Minister. These bravest of the brave included Lt. John Smyth VC 2nd Battalion the Sikh Regiment, Subedar Darwan Singh Negi VC 6 Mechanised Infantry Battalion, Rifleman Gabbar Singh Negi VC 2nd Garhwal Rifles, Lance Dafadar Gobind Singh, 2nd Lancers, Major George Godfrey Wheeler, VC 18 Cavalry, Subedar Lala, VC 3 Dogra, Rasaldar Badlu Singh, VC Deccan Horse, Lt. Frank Alexander Depass, VC the Poona Horse, Major George Wheeler, VC 2/9 Gorkha Rifles and Riflemen Karan Bahadur Rana , VC 2/3 Gorkha Rifles. Advertisement Earlier, an interactive session on Indian Cavalry Charges of the First World War was moderated by Lt. Gen T S Shergill and participated by Tony McClenaghan, Lt Gen Aditya Singh, Brig. M S Jodha and Brig Sukhjit Singh. A Book titled Drummers Call penned Lt Gen. (Retd.) N S Brar was released by Shergill during the session. Meanwhile, Manpreet Badal also released a book An Insight-The Iconic Battle of Saragarhi-Echoes of the Frontiers, written by Brig. Kanwaljit Singh. Participants during a panel discussion on 'Reporting from the War Zone' Spokesman news Service: Chandigarh, December 9: Panelists at MLF 2018 on Sunday called for a more fearless, balanced and critical approach while covering the defence Forces, particularly the Army, to ensure transparency and credibility of information flow to public. Participating in a discussion on 'Reporting From The War Zone', during the third and final day of the Festival here at the Lake Club, they also suggested a proper training module for journalists covering frontline battles and exploits of soldiers during counter insurgency operations. The eminent group of participants included former UK Chief of Staff 3rd Division Brig. Justin Maciejewski and his wife Rebecca Maciejewski, Media producer Arati Singh, Chandigarh based reporter who had covered Kargil, Vikramjit Singh, besides Major James Sutherland and Captain Jay Singh Sohal of UK Army. Calling for a transparent system for decisions pertaining to announcement of Gallantry Awards, the panelists said there were certain misgivings amongst senior commanders regarding particular citations. Advertisement Lieutenant General T S Shergill, Senior Advisor to Punjab CM, Military Historian from UK Amarpal Singh Sidhu and Dr Indu Banga Rebecca Maciejewski stated that governments needed to be more forthcoming in engaging journalists while sharing information leading to such decisions. Seconding the thought, Vikramjit Singh, who has covered the frontline operations twice in Jammu & Kashmir, said that regimental affiliations at times do play a partisan role in awarding gallantry awards like PVC. Earlier, highlighting the psychological trauma faced by soldiers on war duty, Vikramjit brought alive the poignant tale of Indian personnel honouring the dead Pakistani intruders killed during their Kargil conquest by performing their last rites. At first, our men were seething with anger at the thought of being asked to rest the bodies of Pakistani soldiers who had killed their comrades, but later, senior commanders consoled them, explaining they at the end of the day they were soldiers too, he said. Underscoring the need to train young journalists to acquaint them with the sensitivity required for frontline reportage, Arati Singh called for more systematic investment into this vital aspect. Youngsters aspiring to take on this very difficult role of narrating real war stories of valour and heroism needed to be nurtured, she added. Advertisement Sharing their thoughts on the nuances of war coverage, Brig. Justin Maciejewski and Captain Jay Singh Sohal of UK Army cautioned against the temptation to go for an exclusive story. Real war has real people, with the lives of their families and friends entangled with the fate of the war, said Captain Jay Singh Sohal, while referring to the London beheading of a UK soldier by Jihadists, the video of which was sadly aired by many channels. Two Battles for survival-Feroz Shah 1845 and Chillianwala 1849 We have to be more sensitive to the lives of all those involved, he said, adding that by irresponsibly publishing the 'content' we only end up promoting the nefarious designs of the perpetrators. In this age of information, it was getting increasingly difficult to ascertain the veracity of facts, said Major James Sutherland, highlighting the role of the editorial checks and balances in the fight to be more 'instant' than others. Advertisement Meanwhile, another session on Two Battles for survival - Feroz Shah 1845 and Chillianwala 1849, concluded that if the successors of Maharaja Ranjit Singh had followed his policy of not expanding east of Sutlej, Sikhs would have been able to retain the entire landmass consisting of J &K, Pakistan, upto Multan, besides North West frontier and Gilgit, and the country would not probably have suffered partition. Lieutenant General T S Shergill, Senior Advisor to Punjab CM, Military Historian from UK Amarpal Singh Sidhu and Dr Indu Banga shared various perspectives of these two important battles that enabled the British Empire to embed itself in India for the next 100 years. Dwelling on the strategic importance of these two battles, Shergill said that despite the whitewash by East India Company and British Historians, the British had not actually won these battles but got them on a platter. Due to strange unexplained reasons, Lal Singh in Feroz Shah battle decamped and Sher Singh leading Chillianwala battle gave away after winning it. General Shergill regretted that the policy of consolidation of the armed forces adopted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh was abandoned after his death, and in the ensuring battle for succession, the morale and discipline of his army was the first casualty. Describing Maharaja Ranjit Singh as a visionary war strategist, Shergill said that from 1830 to 1839, his army, that was predominantly cavalry based, expanded with artillery infantry, and French officers were inducted in to give professional training to his force. Advertisement Experts discussing the topic The battles of Meerut and Delhi 1857 during MLF The East India Company got a window of opportunity to take on Punjab after the death of Ranjit Singh and realised that there was no effective second line of succession as Nothing grows under a Banyan Tree, said Shergill. He said that infighting amongst the successors, greed, urge to loot and plunder, and forgetting the golden principle of not crossing the Sutlej gave an opportunity to the British to eye what they once considered the forbidden territory of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. There was consensus among the panelists that Khalsa rule could have survived British onslaught if they had not succumbed to the mechanisations of the British and followed the golden rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Meanwhile, during a discussion on The Battle for Delhi and Meerut 1857, Squadron Leader (Retd.) Rana TS Chhina said that the uprising which took place in 1857 was probably the first event during which the Indian Army made a strong political statement. He said that though the event took place more than 150 years ago, it continues to hold a lot of fascination for Indians and the Indian Army. Eminent historian and author, Dr. Amit Pathak said that the uprising that took place in British cantonments had a distinct feature, as Sadhus and Maulvis, who were otherwise not expected to take part in politics, emerged as the main messengers for the revolts. He said that the same Sadhu who had spread the message of revolt in Meerut, was also seen prior to this in Kalka and Ambala. Dr. Pathak said that another unique feature of the revolt was that generations of people who took part in this revolt had to face the consequences due to the confiscation of their land holdings and homes. Historian Amaresh Mishra said that there were several myths associated with the uprising, which were slowly being wiped out. He said that Indian rebels fought very valiantly and it was on record that the Indians made around 36 attacks on the British forces which trying to sneak into Red Fort from the Ridge outside Delhi. Eminent journalist and the Editor of the Times of India, Manimugdha Sharma, said that 1857 uprising was the last full-fledged war fought in the Indian subcontinent. He said that subsequent wars in post-independence period were largely fought on the borders but this war was spread over a large part of the country. Eminent historian Prof. Saiyid Zaheer Hussain Jafri said that the most important effect of the uprising was that Red Fort emerged as the symbol of sovereignty of the country. He said that it inflicted a serious blow on British psychology as the Bengal Regiment, which was raised and trained as Blood and Iron of the British Empire, deserted its masters. Military Literature Festival 2018 ended today on a successful note Spokesman News Service: Chandigarh, December 9- The Military Literature Festival 2018 ended today on a successful note, with people from all walks of life thronging the beautiful environs of the Chandigarh Lake Club in large numbers to enjoy the multitude of interesting activities on the platter. Advertisement The Food Court, Martial Arts display, Weaponry Exhibition of Operation Vijay, Military Art and Photography exhibition, along with Clarion Call Theatre, attracted massive crowds, along with the stimulating panel discussions on all the three days. The mouth-watering Punjabi, Rajasthani, South Indian, Continental cuisines, along with the popular fast foods, were on high demand during the event. Huge rush was witnessed at the stall where Punjabi traditional food was being served with butter and Lassi. Milk products of Verka were also in huge demand. Students of Chitkara University and Food Craft Institute Hoshiarpur also made their presence felt with their tasty food. The martial arts performed by the various regiments of the Indian Army mesmerized the people through like Gatka, Philippine Martial Dance, Khukhri Dance, etc, while the Bhangra of Punjab left veryone tapping their. Advertisement The Clarion Call Theatre recalled the capture of Tiger Hill and Raja Picket by the Indian Army during the Kargil war. It also showcased the heroic deeds of the Indian Air Force during the same war. People were also attracted by the weaponry, which highlighted the valiant deeds of 8 Sikh regiment during the conquest of Tiger Hill in Kargil War. Advertisement The visitors to the festival showed keen interest in the weapons, especially mortars, MMG, laser range radar, dragnov sniper rifle and others used by the Indian Army to defeat the enemy during the war. The Pakistani flag, jacket of Pakistani Captain Karnal Sher Khan and the Pak Army ammunition that was captured during theTiger Hill battle was also a source of major attraction. Similarly, Military Arts and Photography exhibition at the festival attracted massive crowds during the event. People evinced a lot of interest in the rare pictures that were displayed during the exhibition. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. One the the photo and this is sense. He's 21, very talented and merely signed an agreement to represent Parana, an Italian/Brazilian sneaker company. That's right, you read that suitably. Toning shoes can be also found in boot grow! Those toning sandals bought are just the tools for summer, but what you going to finish when it gets icy? Put on your toning boots, as expected! The furry, fluffy, warm and comfy boots you like can even be found in toning form. 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A A A A (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/795018/Tile_study.jpg ) Millions of absent-minded Brits will be nodding their heads at the findings revealed today by Tile, the world's leading community-powered finding platform. Brits are most likely to lose an item during the rush to work or the school run on Monday - between 7am and 9.59am - those crucial three hours when sleepiness, weekend hangovers and maybe work blues often lead to major recollection fails. These missing moments can also happen throughout the day, with more than two in five of the population (41 per cent) searching their pockets or rummaging through bags for lost items up to three times a day. And after breaking into a cold sweat, over a quarter of the population (28 per cent) report turning on their heels and dashing back home - at least once a month - to retrieve a forgotten item. 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VIENNA, December 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Bid acceptance demonstrates confidence in UAE ' s leading role in shaping the future of manufacturing A A Partnership between UNIDO and the UAE government reinforce s role of manufacturing in advancing global prosperity A A First time in over 30 years that UNIDO GC will be held in the Middle East A Abu Dhabi has officially been selected to host the 2019 United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) General Conference (GC), the organisation's supreme policy-making organ which convenes every two years. The announcement was made following a vote by the 53 member states of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) at their 46th annual meeting in Vienna where they convened to review the implementation of the UNIDO work programme, approve budgets, and make recommendations to the General Conference on policy matters. The consensus is a testament to the growing confidence in the UAE's role in shaping the future of manufacturing, and its development of a robust industrial base as part of a national vision for a diversified, knowledge-based, highly productive and competitive economy. Since becoming a specialised agency in 1985, UNIDO has never hosted the General Conference in the Middle East, and only hosted it away from its Vienna headquarters three times: in Bangkok, Thailand (1987), YaoundA, Cameroon (1993), and Lima, Peru (2013). A A A A A (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/795704/Suhail_Mohamed_Faraj_Al_Mazrouei_and_Li_Yong.jpg ) UNIDO and the UAE have a long-standing relationship, with both serving as co-chairs for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), the world's first cross-industry platform that gathers leaders from public and private sectors and civil society to harness the Fourth Industrial Revolution's (4IR) transformation of manufacturing to the regeneration of the global economy. The platform has seen Abu Dhabi emerge as a leader in driving this transformation, and hosting the UNIDO GC will build on its continuous efforts and initiatives, which seek to shape the future of manufacturing while promoting industrialisation for poverty reduction, inclusive global development, and environmental sustainability. The General Conference is scheduled to be held at the end of 2019 and will be preceded by UNIDO's Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Ministerial Conference. As the world's largest donor of official development aid relative to national income, a leader in smart strategies, and a strategically positioned geographic location between East and West, the UAE has continuously demonstrated its commitment to contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Home to the ministerial Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, a first of its kind in the world, and co-chair to the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, hosting the UNIDO GC in Abu Dhabi will allow countries to benefit from a global pool of capabilities and enhance their understanding of, and preparation for, the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A According to data from Oxford Economics, from 2007 to 2017, the UAE's industrial sector (which includes extraction, manufacturing, utilities and construction) has grown by more than a third, and is forecast to grow by another third over the next decade. An integral part of the global supply chain, companies in the UAE such as Strata Manufacturing, the region's only aircraft parts manufacturer, Emirates Global Aluminum, which was the world's largest 'premium aluminum' producer in 2017, and defence vehicle manufacturer NIMR Automotive, have proven their capabilities and evolved into global players in knowledge-based and cutting-edge sectors. A Following the announcement, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, affirmed the UAE's commitment to enabling inclusive and sustainable industrial development as a catalyst for economic and social prosperity, and commented on the occasion: "Selecting Abu Dhabi to host the 18th UNIDO General Conference reflects the international recognition of the UAE's significant role in supporting the global industrial sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The UAE remains a pioneer in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and continues to bridge and connect civilisations between the East and West. Through its partnership with UNIDO in the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit, the UAE is well-positioned to play a strategic role in shaping the future of the global manufacturing sector." UNIDO Director General LI Yong said: "We highly appreciate the generous offer of the Government of the United Arab Emirates to host the eighteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in Abu Dhabi. I look forward to further strengthening our ties, especially since UNIDO and the United Arab Emirates share the commitment to take a transformational approach towards shaping the future of manufacturing and jointly co-chair the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit." His Excellency Eng. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy & Industry said: "The UAE has flourished in a relatively short period of time since its establishment, but many challenges had to be overcome to achieve this. Our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had the vision to leverage oil wealth to build a prosperous nation and enhance the welfare of UAE citizens, developing what are now world-class healthcare and education systems, and a globally competitive economy. This vision, however, was not exclusive to the people of the UAE; in the midst of the country's renaissance, it arose as a leader in international cooperation and in the provision of humanitarian relief and development support to those less fortunate across the world. "Clearly, spreading global prosperity is deeply instilled into our belief system, and unlocking the potential of the manufacturing sector will support our efforts; it has always been a key contributor to social and economic welfare, and is instrumental to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, the 2030 Agenda is being carried out at a time when the lines are blurred between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. The developments that the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings must be exploited to ensure prosperity is shared across all societies, particularly in developing countries. This is something we have been focused on delivering through the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit with UNIDO as our co-chair, and we have no doubt that our efforts will be amplified by hosting the UNIDO General Conference in the UAE." The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has been instrumental in the UAE's efforts to drive industrial development, with the Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi (DED) having shaped the Emirate's Industrial Strategy 2011-2015. The DED also established a department focused on the development of the industrial sector, and cooperated with government and semi-governmental bodies to update the industrial strategy of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 2016-2020. His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Hajeri, Chairman of the DED said: "The Emirate of Abu Dhabi's economic diversification roadmap - Abu Dhabi's Economic Vision 2030 - has set out a goal for the nonaoil sector to raise its contribution to GDP from 41% in 2005 to 64% by 2030, and the development of the industrial sector is specifically recognised for its vast potential to contribute to this goal. We have already made headway in achieving this objective, with the sector's contribution to GDP in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi having increased from 5% to 7% in recent years. This is a clear demonstration of the success of the Emirate-wide industrial strategy, which aims to attract foreign direct investment and facilitate a smooth transition to a post-oil economy. "Collaboration is key to achieving our vision, and w! e are hon oured that Abu Dhabi was chosen to host the UNIDO General Conference in 2019. We look forward to welcoming the UNIDO Member States to Abu Dhabi, and to discussing how the sector can drive competitiveness and social welfare all over the world." Badr Al Olama, Head of the Organising Committee for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), said: "GMIS was established with a strong conviction and mandate to make the Fourth Industrial Revolution fully inclusive, harnessing its potential in manufacturing to make the world a better place for all. We have made great progress with UNIDO and the UAE Ministry of Energy & Industry as co-chairs of GMIS, and have attracted interest from stakeholders all over the world who share our commitment. As a cross-industry platform, the tangible outcomes that GMIS has delivered have been made possible through global collaboration and partnerships. "The Fourth Industrial Revolution is seeing disruption across all sectors, and GMIS' approach is to empower the manufacturing sector to not only deploy new technologies, but to anticipate and leverage such disruption to the sector's benefit and in a way that maximises social and economic impact. As such, we are absolutely thrilled to be hosting the UNIDO General Conference in Abu Dhabi. This is a new milestone for GMIS, and marks the beginning of a new era in which policy-makers address anticipated changes to the sector, and channel them towards achieving global prosperity, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals." The UNIDO GC will take place at the end of 2019 in Abu Dhabi. As the host country to the UNIDO GC, the UAE will have the opportunity to nominate a President for the GC and recommend a theme for the conference, both of which are currently underway. Note to EditorsA Supplemental information: A 1. The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO): UNIDO is the specialised agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation and environmental sustainability. As of 17 May 2018, UNIDO has 168 Member States, such as Brazil, Germany, France, Russia and Japan. They regularly discuss and decide UNIDO's guiding principles and policies in the sessions of its Policymaking Organs. Following the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, UNIDO's mission is to promote and accelerate 'Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development' (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognised by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which frame the United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development in the next fifteen years. UNIDO's mandate is fully recognised in SDG-9, which calls to "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation". The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organisation's programmatic focus prioritises creating shared prosperity, advancing economic competitiveness, safeguarding the environment, and strengthening knowledge and institutions. Each of these programmatic fields contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO's four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. In carrying out the core requirements of its mission, UNIDO has considerably increased its technical services over the past ten years. At the same time, it has also substantially increased its mobilisation of financial resources, testifying to the growing international recognition of the Organisation as an effective provider of catalytic industrial development services. A 2. The UNIDO General Conference The General Conference (GC) is UNIDO's supreme policymaking organ where all Member States meet once every two years. It determines the guiding principles and policies of the Organisation, approves UNIDO's budget and work programme of UNIDO, and drives activities to strengthen UNIDO's thought leadership in the industrial sector Additionally, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Ministerial Conference is a key stream of the General Conference. The current Director-General of UNIDO, Mr. LI Yong (China), assumed office in June 2013, with the GC appointing the Director-General every four years. The GC also elects the members of the Industrial Development Board and the Programme and Budget Committee. A 3. The UAE and the Industrial Sector Over the past eight years, the UAE has advanced 13 positions on the UNIDO Competitive Industrial Performance Index, which measures the performance of 150 countries around the world, ranking it 41st on the 2018 index, compared to 54th in 2010 and 43rd in 2015. The industrial sector is a key driver of economic development in the UAE and plays a pivotal role in enhancing the country's Gross Domestic Production (GDP). The UAE's dynamic industrial sector is not exclusive to oil derivatives, but includes multiple industries such as aerospace, defence, aluminium, building materials, food and pharmaceuticals, as well as industrial SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises). The UAE is a vital part of the global supply chain ranking 11th in the World Bank's latest Logistics Performance Index. It is also a pioneer in testing Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) innovations. By 2021, key sectors of 4IR are expected to grow exponentially across the globe: Artificial Intelligence (AI) by 55.1%; blockchain by 61.5%; automation by 28.1%; and renewable energy by 40%. According to the UAE Ministry of Economy, roughly 6,300 factories in the UAE have been operational representing investments worth more than AED103.1 billion (US$ 28 billion) until the end of 2016. A 4.A The development of a new industrial strategy f or the UAE The UAE's Ministry of Energy & Industry is currently developing a strategy for the industrial sector by establishing a set of capabilities at the federal level in an effort to enhance the sector's contribution to the GDP. The strategy is being developed in cooperation with the relevant authorities in the UAE, with the aim of driving an increase in the sector's growth and enabling sustainable development. The new strategy indicates that these goals will be achieved through innovation, a reduction in carbon emissions, the support of SMEs, the stimulation of innovative industries, and a focus on non-oil sectors. The new strategy comprises clearly defined work programmes for each Emirate, including a programme to integrate the UAE's different industrial zones, maximising the purpose, strength and comparative advantage of each. Other programmes include the standardisation and modification of investment procedures for the industrial sector, and simplifying the issuance of industrial licenses and their merging in order to better appeal to investors. By attracting investors, the new strategy allows the industrial sector to realise its potential to build a sustainable, knowledge-based and innovative economy, in line with the national vision to increase the sector's contribution to GDP. The UAE has already succeeded in establishing a solid industrial base in recent years, and is now building on this momentum to bring about further growth and progress, and enhance its global competitiveness. The objective of maximising the sector's role in the national economy is also fundamental to UAE Vision 2021 and UAE Centennial 2071, striving to achieve a sustainable, diversified, knowledge-based and innovative economy with less reliance on oil. This would see the UAE on par with developed countries, where the industrial sector is one of the key pillars of any national economy. The UAE's prominence as a destination for major industrial companies at the regional and international level has been growing. The country offers numerous advantages, including a legal system that protects the rights of investors; security and political stability across the country including its major industrial zones; state-of-the-art infrastructure, roads and transportation, including international ports and airports, and logistics warehouses equipped with the latest technologies and human resources. In 2017, the UAE built 37 industrial zones and cities equipped with infrastructure facilities, roads, modern office complexes, and energy, with the aim of establishing competitive local industries and attracting investments. The zones include eight in Abu Dhabi, six in Dubai and 19 in Sharjah, Al Jurf Industrial Area (Ajman), Umm Al Quwain Industrial Zone, Fujairah Industrial Zone, and Ras Al Khaimah Free Industrial and Technological Zone. A 5.A Updating the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy 2016-2020 The Industrial Development Bureau of the Department of Economic Development - Abu Dhabi (DED), in cooperation and collaboration with relevant governmental and semi-governmental entities, is in the process of updating the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy 2016-2020. The new phase of the industrial strategy will focus on the next stage of providing and improving the business environment for the industrial sector in the short term. Over time, the strategy will support a number of targeted industries, which are dependent on some of the current key industries, as well as creating greater added value and better managing resources. During the course of the next three years, the Industrial Strategy will focus on empowering the UAE's industrial sector by focusing on the needs and requirements of performance in the business environment, such as industrial finance, intellectual property protection, and foreign property laws. The industrial sectors targeted in the updated strategy include aerospace, defence, industrial equipment, plastics and finished metal products, which will be supported by the major existing industries in the Emirate - steel, aluminum and petrochemicals. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi currently has eight industrial zones and cities, with plans to expand to nine zones by 2020. These areas focus on maximising the country's export capabilities, in particular petrochemical, iron and cement products. The zones also seek to attract investors and SMEs in order to contribute to sustainable economic growth by linking ICT infrastructure across the industrial zones and through the development of modern, high-end road networks and mega-ports. The Higher Corporation for Specialized Economic Zones (ZonesCorp) operates a number of dedicated industrial zones in Abu Dhabi, including the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD) and Al Ain Industrial City. ICAD has five industrial zones and cities: the first Industrial City of Abu Dhabi (ICAD I), which specialises in heavy-to-medium manufacturing, engineering and processing industries, ICAD II, which is focused on light-to-medium manufacturing, engineering and processing industries, ICAD III, for light-to-medium manufacturing, ICAD IV for technology and light industries, and ICAD V, specialised in the automotive industry. Meanwhile, Al Ain Industrial City (I and II) is dedicated to light-to-medium manufacturing, engineering and processing industries. Meanwhile, the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park in Abu Dhabi's city of Al Ain, spanning 25 square kilometers, is a multi-faceted development that will consist of industrial projects, business, and office facilities, and mixed-use residential zones complemented with world-class community services and amenities. Jointly created by Mubadala Investment Company and Abu Dhabi Airport Company (ADAC), Nibras is a key driver in diversifying the emirate's economy and will focus on attracting Global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), Industry Suppliers and Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) that can serve the industry. Abu Dhabi is currently implementing projects to develop new industrial zones and infrastructure in Al Dhafra, including Ruwais Industrial City, which focuses on the chemical, petrochemical, plastics, cement, oil and gas, building and logistics sectors, while the Madinat Zayed Industrial City will target oil, gas, food manufacturing and logistics industries. The Abu Dhabi Municipality operates the Mussaffah Industrial Area, which includes six specialised industrial zones. The first is focused on the automotive, machinery and auto spare parts sector; the second on food, textile and beverage sectors; the third on engineering, wood and herbal industries; the fourth on chemical, plastic and petrochemical industries; the fifth in construction related materials; and the sixth in advanced technology industries. Abu Dhabi Ports Company is developing the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), located within Khalifa Port, which will become Abu Dhabi's main commercial port. The project includes a wide network of land, sea, air and network transmission lines. The industrial sectors targeted in KIZAD include petrochemicals, steel, pharmaceuticals, bio-chemicals, chemicals, biotechnology, metals, food, beverages, logistics and transportation. The industrial complex of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) hosts a number of petrochemical industries. The complex includes an oil refining plant, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cracker, a fertiliser plant, a seaport and a sulphur treatment plant. A 6.A The UAE and the Fourth Industrial Revolution The UAE is committed to harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to advance global prosperity. The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS), a joint initiative of the UAE and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is a global platform that gathers international industry leaders together to shape a transformative new chapter for the sector that will deliver a better future for all society. In doing so, the UAE government launched the Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, a first of its kind ministerial council in the world. A As part of its remit, the council announced a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) strategy that seeks to strengthen the UAE's position as a global hub for the 4IR and to increase its contribution to the national economy by means of advancing innovation and future technologies. As it pursues its vision of building a diversified, sustainable, and knowledge-based economy, the UAE is uniquely positioned to lead the global ambition to transform the manufacturing sector, and to utilise its established role in international cooperation to support other countries in achieving peace and prosperity. In a relatively short period of time since its founding, the UAE has succeeded in cultivating key businesses; its numerous companies in aerospace, renewable energy, mining, pharmaceuticals, petrochemical and defence are cutting-edge, and now form an integral part of the global value chain. The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for the post-oil era, is an essential driving force for the development of the UAE's advanced industrial capabilities and to enhance the UAE's global competitiveness. These efforts fall directly in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which seeks to secure a diversified, knowledge-based and sustainable economy for generations to come. The industrial innovation brought about by the 4IR will transform the world as we know it, and the UAE is well-placed to become a hub for the development of next-generation technologies from across the globe. In doing so, the UAE will transition from an importer of technology to an exporter of knowledge, harnessing the potential of the 4IR and its immense impacts. A 7.A The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) The Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit (GMIS) was established in 2015 to build bridges between manufacturers, governments and NGOs, technologists, and investors in harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution's (4IR) transformation of manufacturing, to enable the regeneration of the global economy. A joint initiative by the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), GMIS is a platform that presents the manufacturing sector with an opportunity to contribute towards global good, and that is committed to bringing benefit to all. As the world's first cross-industry initiative, GMIS offers a platform for leaders to engage on the issue of the future of manufacturing, highlighting the need for greater investment in capabilities to foster innovation and drive skills development on a global scale. Uniting key stakeholders - including world leaders, industry CEOs, and specialist researchers! and acad emics - GMIS has placed manufacturing at the heart of economic transformation and government policy-making, promoting it as a tool for global cooperation and collaboration. The first edition of the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, at the Paris Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in March 2017. It brought together over 3,000 government, business, and civil society leaders from over 40 countries to advance manufacturing and industrial development globally, and to identify key trends and opportunities.A The second edition of GMIS will be held in July 2019 in the city of Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia. The 2019 Summit is themed on "Nature-Inspired Technologies" and will build on the ground-breaking success of the first edition, ensuring that manufacturing adapts, evolves, advances, and retains its place at the vanguard of global economic prosperity. Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire at the Sun Maxims Dim Sum restaurant in San Francisco Sunday afternoon. The fire was reported at 2:13 p.m. at 2034 Irving St., in the Outer Sunset neighborhood, in a two-story building with residences on the second floor and the restaurant at street level. It was out within an hour. There were no injuries reported and three people were displaced. The fire started in a common entryway on the first floor and damaged part of the hallway and restaurant. The upper floor suffered heat and smoke damage, said Lt. Jonathan Baxter. The cause of the fire was under investigation, but it did not appear suspicious, Baxter said. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker Oakland may soon require hundreds of old apartments to be seismically retrofitted in an effort to prevent a mass collapse of buildings in the next big earthquake. The retrofit rules would apply to soft-story residential buildings: multiunit, wood-frame structures with weak first stories built before 1991. An apartment with garage parking in the ground floor or street-level retail could fall into the targeted category. Such buildings are prone to collapse during earthquakes, when the combined weight of shaken upper levels becomes too much for the vulnerable first story, as Loma Prieta proved in 1989 and Northridge in 1994. You look at photos of (San Franciscos) Marina District after 89 quite a few buildings looked like three stories when they used to be four, said Thor Matteson, a structural engineer of the Bay Area firm Quake Bracing. Oakland is believed to have more than 24,000 housing units in 1,400 to 2,800 soft-story buildings, defined as those with at least five units and two to seven stories, according to city estimates. The first step of the ordinance proposed by City Councilman Dan Kalb and Mayor Libby Schaaf involves finding out which buildings must be retrofitted and which are exempt, such as those that have already completed the work. Building types would be divided into three tiers, and each category would be on a different timetable. Owners would have four to six years to complete the retrofit work. If we dont increase the integrity of the buildings, not only will we have loss of life, but massive displacement, Kalb said. Were not prepared for that. No city is prepared for that. The proposal was based on similar ordinances in nearby cities. The Bay Area has roughly 140,000 housing units in 18,000 soft-story buildings, according to the Association of Bay Area Governments. Cities including San Francisco and Berkeley are several years ahead of Oakland in mandating soft-story retrofits. San Francisco passed its law in 2013, and the program is supposed to wrap up in 2020, although hundreds of landlords dragged their feet on complying with deadlines. Berkeleys law took effect in 2014, and retrofit work is supposed to be completed by the end of this year. Los Angeles began its program in 2016, and it will end in 2024. San Jose does not require soft-story retrofits, but officials there are considering doing so. Officials in Oakland started working on the proposal four years ago, but it wasnt on the front burner in recent years, Kalb said. Legislation stemming from the housing crisis impact fees, tenant protections and a massive bond took precedence, he said. Experts and public officials say its only a matter of time before a catastrophic earthquake erupts along the Hayward Fault, which bisects the city. The past five large quakes on the fault came at roughly 140-year intervals, and the last one happened 150 years ago. Despite the apparent imminence, Kalb and others say the timing for Oakland to enact the retrofit requirement now is actually beneficial. San Francisco and Berkeley are doing 5,000 of these right now, said David Bonowitz, a structural engineer who advised Oakland officials on the proposed ordinance. It means the contractors and engineers are trained, and theres a good market with lots of supply. Heidi Tremayne, executive director of the Oakland-based Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, said Oakland officials took advantage of lessons learned from policies and planning of other cities. Engineers and contractors have gotten upskilled by other programs, she said. Darin Ranelletti, Schaafs policy director for housing security, said the pace of the program, in which some owners would have six years to make the fixes, is necessary because of the number of buildings and tenants involved. He said the city plans to hire 11 new building inspectors. Oakland previously instituted a voluntary retrofit ordinance and screening program. This one which will go to the full City Council on Tuesday would be mandatory. Under the proposal, up to 70 percent of the costs of the retrofit could be passed on to tenants over a 25-year period. Tenants forced to move out while the work is done would be eligible for relocation payments from owners, who can apply for financial assistance from the city, which received grant money from state and federal programs. Kalb said temporary displacement of some tenants would be dwarfed by the crisis-level homelessness that is expected to follow a big earthquake absent a wide-scale seismic retrofit program. Now Playing: Tips for how to prepare your home for the next big one. Video: San Francisco Chronicle Many soft-story buildings have hazards beyond their weak first floors. Asymmetric configuration a normal wall in the back but a wide-open front, for instance can lead to a building twisting or rotating during an earthquake, said Khalid Mosalam, a UC Berkeley structural engineering professor and director of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. Soft-story buildings are a known vulnerability of residential homes. We know that because of past experiments we have done, past modeling and simulation, but also because of observation after earthquakes, he said. You can end up with cascading failures in gas lines, electric lines, and God forbid you have a fire after an earthquake. 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. Other common problems in soft-story apartment buildings, because of their age, come from environmental deterioration things like moisture buildup or termite infestations, Mosalam said. Because of those additional risks, if the ordinance passes, city inspectors will also be noting code violations that owners would be required to fix. The proposed ordinance includes some incentives for property owners. One is a housing bonus in which owners can add an additional one to two apartment units. The idea is to help them offset the costs of the work by opening up another stream of rental income, which also helps the city increase housing supply, Ranelletti said. Retrofit design and construction can cost tens of thousands of dollars. James Gillett, a building contractor and president of Earthquake Construction Service in Oakland, recommended that property owners shop around for estimates. Bonowitz, the city adviser, encouraged landlords to get references from engineers and contractors and ask for examples of their work. This is not a kitchen or bath remodel, Bonowitz said. Seismic retrofits vary by building. The work often involves strengthening existing walls with plywood or adding a steel moment frame around a garage door. The things were talking about are basic engineering, Bonowitz said. You take a building thats collapse prone and make it not collapse prone. We have high confidence that these are going to be much, much better. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov A former senior investigator says he was fired for blowing the whistle on his boss, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, who he alleged carried a gun while flying in violation of federal law. Gascon reacted with a pattern of retaliation and harassment that culminated in the termination of senior investigator Henry G. McKenzie on Oct. 30, 2017, according to the suit filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. In the Nov. 24 filing, McKenzie says that Gascon who is also the citys former police chief took a gun on board commercial flights repeatedly after becoming D.A. in January 2012. According to the suit, members of the San Francisco District Attorneys Office Investigators Association, which included McKenzie, discussed the need to blow the whistle on Gascons potential criminal violations in early 2017. Sometime that spring, an investigator in the district attorneys office contacted the Transportation Security Administration to report Gascons alleged unlawful travel with a firearm. The issue is flying armed while not being a peace officer, and flying armed when there was no need to for law enforcement purposes, McKenzies attorney, Fulvio Cajina, told us. Under federal law, peace officers who are armed while traveling are required to state that they are doing so for good reason a reason related to their work under penalty of perjury. The investigators believed that, as district attorney, Gascon was no longer an active peace officer and had no need to travel with a gun. In the months after the TSA was notified, five of the Investigators Associations seven-member governing body were either terminated or reprimanded. In all, according to the suit, nearly half of the district attorneys investigative department or about 14 staff members were either terminated or forced to resign under intense pressure within a five-month span, the suit said. At a Sept. 5, 2017, training day at the Lake Merced shooting range, Gascon allegedly told the entire investigations staff that there was a cancer growing in the Bureau of Investigations and he was going to cut it out, according to the suit. Kat Wade / Special to The Chronicle 2010 In what was described as a rant, Gascon told the group that if anyone was going to talk to The Chronicles Matier & Ross, they better make sure they had their facts straight and that he would be around a lot longer than anyone else at the bureau. The next day, on Sept. 6, 2017, McKenzie says he was placed on administrative leave and that an internal affairs investigation was pending. McKenzie alleges he was removed from his job because he was either a whistle-blower or had aided a whistle-blower. He was fired the next month, and in late February, McKenzies termination was upheld by the D.A.s office after an administrative review. McKenzie has since found a new job. In the meantime, according to the lawsuit, federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into defendant Gascon. TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers declined comment, saying the agency cannot provide any additional detail beyond what is in publicly available documents. The TSA website spells out the specific criteria required for law enforcement flying armed, and simply being a cop doesnt cut it. Among other things, the person must be authorized to have the weapon in connection with assigned duties and have completed the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Flying Armed Training Course. The person must also have a particular reason, such as being on protective duty, conducting a hazardous surveillance operation or handling a prisoner. Also, according to the website, its not good enough to carry a weapon while attending training, conferences, police week, memorial services (or on) personal travel. When asked whether Gascon had been carrying a weapon while flying and on what grounds D.A. spokesman Max Szabo declined to comment, telling us, We cant comment on a former employees lawsuit. Gascon, by the way, has announced he will not seek a third term next year, citing his need to care for his elderly mother in Southern California. Curtain rising: Being flush with a nearly $15 billion budget surplus had some Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento already proposing tens of billions of dollars in new social and educational programs during the opening week of the new legislative session. Proposals submitted by lawmakers in the first week ranged from more funding for schools to extending Medi-Cal eligibility to adults living in the country illegally. 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. But just as fast as the spending is being proposed, key lawmakers are tapping the brakes. We have to watch the bottom line, said Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco. The California economy is strong, but we have been growing for eight years, and that is two years over the historic cycle for another recession, Ting said. We dont want to start spending and then go through the dramatic cuts we had to in the last recession, which came to about $20 billion a year. Russell Yip / The Chronicle 2017 Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom appears to agree. The Legislature laid out a wish list, with no one believing we can do everything at once, Newsom said. Instead, look for one-time spending on specific tasks, such as cleaning out the states fire-prone forests and brushlands, along with a string of down payments on new programs, including Newsoms own pet project to increase universal preschool. Within our means and with historic reserves, Newsom said, in what is likely to be the most heard statement of the budget battle. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross Being flush with a nearly $15 billion budget surplus had some Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento already proposing tens of billions of dollars in new social and educational programs during the opening week of the new legislative session. Proposals submitted by lawmakers in the first week ranged from more funding for schools to extending Medi-Cal eligibility to adults living in the country illegally. But just as fast as the spending is being proposed, key lawmakers are tapping the brakes. We have to watch the bottom line, said Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco. The California economy is strong, but we have been growing for eight years, and that is two years over the historic cycle for another recession, Ting said. We dont want to start spending and then go through the dramatic cuts we had to in the last recession, which came to about $20 billion a year. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom appears to agree. The Legislature laid out a wish list, with no one believing we can do everything at once, Newsom said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Instead, look for one-time spending on specific tasks, such as cleaning out the states fire-prone forests and brushlands, along with a string of down payments on new programs, including Newsoms own pet project to increase universal preschool. Within our means and with historic reserves, Newsom said, in what is likely to be the most heard statement of the budget battle. San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross A company that got its start at Facebook is setting its sights abroad with a new round of funding. San Franciscos Asana, which makes project management software, raised $50 million in November just 10 months after investors put $75 million in the company and plans to use the money to expand in Europe and Asia. A year and a half ago, Asana realized it was getting 40 percent of its revenue from international customers, even though it hadnt focused on them much, Chief Operating Officer Chris Farinacci said for example, by offering its interface in languages besides English. It adapted Asana for French and German in November 2017, added Spanish and Portuguese in February, and just added Japanese as its sixth language. Asana was founded by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein in late 2008. The idea for the company sprang from the co-founders experience building software at Facebook. Moskovitz co-founded the company at Harvard University with Mark Zuckerberg, and Rosenstein helped create the Like button. In Facebooks early days, it was growing quickly and teams had to spend a lot of time figuring out who was doing what, so they ultimately built a tool to manage tasks. Employees are constantly receiving notifications like emails and instant messages throughout the day, and all of that communication can cut down on productivity, Farinacci said. What we do is help reduce a lot of that, because if you know what matters to your team, you spend less time on whos doing what and (finding out) if things are falling through the cracks, he said. Asana is available as both web and mobile apps, and while early customers included startups like Uber and Airbnb, its now used by established companies like GE, Deloitte and Air France. Its gone from San Francisco-based and Silicon Valley-based tech companies and disruptors to a breadth of industries beyond that and a breadth of regions across the world, Farinacci said. The company, which has about 400 employees, plans to open a European data center in Frankfurt next year, and will also hire more people in Sydney and Tokyo. New money: Wrike What it does: Helps employees manage and collaborate on projects What happened: Vista Equity Partners took a majority stake in the company. Why it matters: The investment from Vista values Wrike at around $800 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Headquarters: San Jose To hear more To listen or subscribe to The Chronicle's "Startups of the Week" podcast: www.sfchronicle.com/startups Or search for "Startups of the Week" in your favorite podcast app. See More Collapse Funding: Undisclosed Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Employees: 251-500 Also trending: Crunchyroll What it does: Streams Japanese anime and manga What happened: Crunchyroll is creating an anime series inspired by Blade Runner 2049, according to Variety and other reports. Why it matters: Crunchyroll will work with Alcon Television Group and Adult Swim for the series, according to Variety. The project is an opportunity to bring more viewers to Crunchyroll, which says it has more than 45 million registered users and 2 million subscribers, who pay $7 a month or $60 a year. Headquarters: San Francisco Funding: $26.8 million Employees: 101-250 Sophia Kunthara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaKunthara There is no road map home for the thousands of Butte County residents who lost their houses in the Camp Fire. And for those who decide to rebuild, it may be years, even a decade, before construction workers show up to pour a foundation and hammer 2-by-4s. With infrastructure destroyed and large portions of the town of Paradise still closed off to the public, most of the 13,972 homeowners who lost their residences in the Camp Fire have many more questions than answers. They dont know how much insurance money they might get or when that check might arrive. They dont have any idea when water or power might be restored to their neighborhood. They dont know how long it will take for the charred, toxic remains of their homes to be cleared from their land, or when county authorities will deem that land safe for rebuilding. People are still in shock, said Ben Eckstrom, owner of Chicos Proframe Construction and board president of the Valley Contractors Exchange. If you lost your home, you are still in shock and devastated and trying to figure out where Christmas is going to be. And even if some of these questions are answered, a shortage of construction workers in the region could lead to years of backlogs, Butte County builders warned. Area contractors and architects say the county has only a fraction of the building trades workers or companies that would be needed to rebuild so many homes, and commercial and institutional buildings, including five schools and a shopping center anchored by a Safeway in Paradise. Census figures from May 2017 estimated that Butte County had 2,940 workers involved in the construction and extraction trades. The Valley Contractors Exchange, which represents construction trades in the county, says there are 346 licensed contractors employing 4,000 workers, some of whom live outside the county. About 1,400 of those workers lived in Paradise, Eckstrom said. Right now, its unclear how many of those Paradise construction workers will be able to find housing in the area and stick around. Another contractor, Bob Smalley, lost his house in Magalia but is lucky enough to have an apartment above his workshop, which survived. All but one of his 12 construction workers lost their homes to the fire. Several of the workers are staying temporarily in RVs parked in Smalleys work yard. People are disjointed and have lost their center, Smalley said. He added that a lot of his neighbors are planning to get out of Dodge, at least for the time being. Im hearing from a lot of people who are thinking about relocating for now and keeping their property here until the moonscape goes away, he said. Im going to put (rebuilding) my house on hold. My goal is to stay here and help people. It could be a few years before I know if I want to live there again. Brannan Hankins, an electrical contractor in Chico, said the consensus is that it will take four to five years to rebuild the infrastructure in the worst hit areas. Hankins lives in Chico his neighborhood was not damaged by the fire, but the homes of four of his workers went up in flames. We already had a shortages of labor force because of the amount of work in Chico, Hankins said. Add to that the Redding fire last summer and Santa Rosa fire last year, and the problem has become worse. Frank Glazewski, a Chico architect, said that any rebuilding would require significant help from designers and contractors outside of Butte County. We have been busy as it is for quite a while, and have had a hard time keeping up with demand, said Glazewski. It doesnt take much to swamp me. I am a one-man operation and have been working seven days a week for at least the last two years. Those hoping to build a new house quickly would get a dose of reality by looking to Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties, where the Wine Country fires destroyed more than 8,000 structures in October 2017, said Keith Woods, chief executive officer of the North Coast Builders Exchange in Santa Rosa. Of the 5,600 homes destroyed in the Tubbs Fire, the most destructive of the dozen blazes, only 200 homes have been rebuilt and reoccupied, with another 800 under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2019, Woods said. Rebuilding, we have learned, is a long, slow process no matter how quickly you want it to go, Woods said. We are celebrating every new house that gets rebuilt, but we still have a long way to go. Construction costs were about $140 per square foot before the fire but could easily double because of the demand, labor shortage and new code requirements, area builders and architects said. But at $280 per square foot, a new house in Paradise could cost $336,000 to construct, nearly 20 percent more than the average home price prior to the fire. Nobody is going to rebuild a home that costs more than it is worth, Woods said. Once the insurance payment comes through, some homeowners will reach the conclusion that their money will go further elsewhere. In Sonoma County the cost of rebuilding was so high for a lot of people it wasnt worth it, said Selma Hepp, an economist for the real estate brokerage Compass in San Francisco. I think that will be the trend generally with California wildfires, even in less-expensive areas like Butte County. Many burned-out residents of Butte County might not be able to endure the wait for a home to be rebuilt. The general housing shortage could push fire victims out of the region or out of state, according to Shelinda Bryant, a Century 21 real estate broker in both the Chico and Paradise offices. In the month since the Camp Fire broke out on Nov. 8, the inventory of homes on the market has dwindled rapidly. On the Tuesday before the fire, there were 248 properties on the market in Chico, 91 in Magalia and 72 in Paradise. As of Dec. 4, the inventory in Chico was down to 72 homes, while there were 41 homes left on the market in Magalia and 28 in Paradise. Thats a 66 percent drop in inventory in less than a month. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California And we are still trying to figure out if some of those 28 homes in Paradise actually made it, Bryant said. Those who lost their place of residence are already scattering to Grass Valley, Auburn, Reno, Sacramento or Redding, Bryant said. We cant absorb 14,000 people in Butte County, Bryant said. Not even close. Those who remain will also face daunting paperwork to collect insurance money, get their land cleaned up and certified, and obtain building permits. Robert Olshansky, a professor of planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an expert in post-disaster recovery, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency typically pays to to rebuild roads, parks, schools and other public buildings. But private homeowners must rely almost entirely on fire insurance money, which is a slow process with a lot of paperwork and a lot of documentation. Along with paperwork for insurance claims, the first task for homeowners is to figure out how debris will be removed and their property cleaned. Over the coming months the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control will begin inspecting properties for household hazardous waste, mainly asbestos, and removing any they find. Next, property owners have two choices. They can sign up for the government-sponsored debris removal program, overseen by Cal Recycle, or they may undertake the cleanup at their own expense through a private licensed fire debris cleanup company. No building permits will be issued until local officials sign off on the property as being clean. And in preparing their property for a new home, many homeowners in Paradise will likely face an additional challenge that fire victims in Santa Rosa or Redding did not had to deal with: lack of a public sewer system. As the largest city west of the Mississippi River to have no public sewer service, Paradise residents rely on upward of 12,000 individual septic systems. Experts worry that many of of the septic tanks, which sit in shallow soil resting on bedrock, will be damaged during the excavation of the contaminated fire debris. All these obstacles lack of labor, the time it takes to clean and prepare a lot for rebuilding, the wait for insurance money will take their toll. Chico architect Gary Hawkins said most of his former and potential clients have no idea what they want to do. There are a lot seniors in their 80s or 90s who cant imagine rebuilding anything at this point in their lives, he said Im getting calls from people wanting to get copies of their plans, and then you have people with no plans houses built in the 40s or 50s or 60s. They dont know where to start. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen One of the most comforting talking points in politics is to claim that your political opponents are irrationally obsessed. Im sure this is as old as time, but I first noticed it in the late 1990s. Many of Bill Clintons most ardent supporters responded to every new criticism by claiming the presidents enemies were twisted by hate for the man. During the George W. Bush administration, thanks in part to a phrase coined by my late friend Charles Krauthammer, conservatives deflected criticism of the president by claiming his foes suffered from Bush derangement syndrome. The term caught on, and Obama supporters hurled charges of Obama derangement syndrome (along with charges of racism a secular term for a kind of derangement) at Obamas opposition. Today, its not hard to find people claiming that Donald Trumps adversaries are obsessed, deranged or conspiracy-obsessed witch hunters. A search of Twitter finds an infinitely long stream of references to Trump derangement syndrome. Now, heres the thing: Sometimes its true. Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump all had and have their haters. And some people do lose their bearings and immediately leap to the most outlandish interpretation of the facts (or rumors disguised as facts). The paranoid style is a bipartisan phenomenon in American life. But sometimes the people making the derangement syndrome or hater charge are the ones who refuse to see the facts, taking comfort in the fallacy that the motives, real or imagined, of a critic automatically disqualify the criticism. Anyway, you get the point. What interests me is how this psychological phenomenon has become professionalized, particularly in the digital age. As Emory University political scientists Alan Abramowitz and Steven Webster have documented, we live in a moment of extreme negative partisanship: Millions of Americans are driven more by the dislike of the other party than by attachment to their own. In this kind of climate, being hated by the right people is the best way to get not just a big following but an intensely loyal one. Ive written about this before, but I think its worth revisiting in the context of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the it girl (sorry, it person) of the left these days. The head of the DNC not long ago referred to her as the future of the Democratic Party. Shes received fawning, glowing-to-the-point-of-incandescent coverage from the mainstream media and outsize critical attention from Fox News and other right-leaning outlets. AOC, as many call her, is attractive, young, Latino and almost eloquent in her passion for some ill-defined notion of socialism or social democracy. She also says many untrue and silly things. Just last week she suggested in a tweet that the Pentagon misplaced some $21 trillion in funding that could have paid for most of a $32 trillion Medicare for All scheme. A Defense Department spokesman told the Washington Posts Fact Checker column: DoD hasnt received $21 trillion in (nominal) appropriated funding across the entirety of American history. In recent months, she said unemployment was low because so many people are working two jobs (thats not how it works), that the upper-middle class doesnt exist anymore (it does), and that wed save money on funeral expenses if we had Medicare for All. If you point out the absurdity of these things, the almost instantaneous defense is that her critics are obsessed with an incoming-freshman congresswoman. In some cases, theyre right. The fixation some conservatives have with her clothes is over the top (though I did love one wags phrase, Neiman Marxist). But what her defenders leave out is their own obsession with the woman. In other words, AOC is quite brilliantly playing a lot of people for suckers. She already has more Twitter followers than the 60 other incoming freshman Democrats combined. Ocasio-Cortez, wittingly or not, has appropriated a technique mastered by Trump. Trump prefers positive attention, but hell take negative attention over no attention every time, in part because he knows his supporters will intensify their dedication to him in response to allegedly unfair attacks. AOC is doing the same thing. By forcing partisans to take sides, she generates controversy. Controversy attracts media attention. Media attention generates even more controversy. And so on. As with Trump, sometimes she clearly knows what shes doing, and other times she simply displays her ignorance. But at this stage, it doesnt matter. The more right-wing partisans attack her, the more left-wing partisans rally to her. The more left-wingers rally to her, the more justified the right feels in paying attention to her. I suspect this will be new model for years to come. 2018 Tribune Content Agency LLC Jonah Goldberg is the author of Suicide of the West. Email: goldbergcolumn@gmail.com Twitter: @JonahNRO To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters. In a matter of months, California may get an answer on fixing its unsustainable public pension system. The state Supreme Court is due to rule on a politically loaded case that could open the door to peeling back retirement benefits in the name of fiscal need. The case deals with an odd corner of state worker benefits: a since-canceled fringe benefit that allows employees to buy extra years of service to sweeten their final retirement payout. This feature dubbed airtime was promised to workers until it was ended in 2013 in a modest pension overhaul approved by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown. But that change was protested by employee unions who claim the revocation is unfair to those who went to work while it was still being offered. You cant break a promise, the lawyers told the high court in challenging Browns signing. Quirky as airtime sounds, its the edge of a much larger issue on protecting pension rights embodied in the so-called California Rule. For decades, the courts have sided with arguments that pensions cant be altered without compensation, an approached adopted by a dozen other states. Between the lines, Brown is offering a different thought: You cant promise money that isnt there. The Californias public pension pool is tens of billions short of being fully funded, with cities feeling the same pinch. Pension promises made with the best intentions or from political loyalty may prove impossible to deliver. Faced with a sweeping decision on whether pensions are sacrosanct, the jurists may want to whittle down the scope of their decision. Several judges quizzed the union lawyer to suggest the airtime benefit wasnt a bedrock pension right since it was a choice that each worker could make or ignore. Its only an opportunity to purchase, noted Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. A narrow ruling could be in the offing that skirts the larger issue of financial reality pressuring retirement pay. The political backdrop makes a court decision key because lawmakers dont want to touch the issue. California is running a $15 billion surplus and Sacramento is in the hands of a Democratic super-majority backed by powerful public employee unions, factors that dont suggest incoming governor Gavin Newsom is about to launch a pension-cutting crusade. Browns goal is the right one. Pensions need to be matched to whats balanced and reasonable, not unsustainable pledges. If the economy hits a down cycle, state and local revenues will plummet, saddling government with unpayable bills just as California witnessed a decade ago. The courts should recognize this hovering problem and acknowledge the need to make most changes in pension promises in the future. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. In response to a recent medical journal article that calls firearm violence a public health crisis, the National Rifle Association tweeted, Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. What???? As a nurse who spent years working with trauma patients and the physicians who treated them, I witnessed the effects of gun violence up close: colostomies, brain injuries, shattered bones and paralysis, to name a few. Years after a bullet had damaged their spinal cords, some paraplegic and quadriplegic patients still regularly cycled through the hospital with bedsores and infections. In response to the NRAs tweet, Dr. Joseph Sakran, a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, tweeted back, Gun Violence IS Our Lane. He then went on to create a Twitter account @ThisIsOurLane, which as of Sunday had 27,900 followers. San Francisco pathologist Dr. Judy Melinek expanded upon the point: Do you have any idea how many bullets I pull out of corpses weekly? This isnt just my lane. Its my f highway. That was just the beginning; The docs have gotten graphic. Using the hashtags #ThisIsOurLane and #docs4gunsense, emergency medicine physicians have posted photos of blood-soaked scrubs and of operating room floors slimy with victims blood. They are posting accounts of what its like to sit with parents after youve informed them of their childs death; what its like to hear the anguished screams of a mother echoing in your brain days and weeks later; what its like when you have children the same age at home. Now were getting into my lane: burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary stress and compassion fatigue. All of these terms reflect normal human responses of people whose work regularly exposes them to trauma: physicians, nurses, social workers, medical therapists of all kinds, first responders, public defenders, judges, psychologists, prosecutors, journalists and others. It takes real courage to tell your patient that a bullet severed his spinal cord and that the injury is irreparable. It takes real courage to inform your patients family that in spite of your best efforts, their loved one died of multiple bullet wounds. This kind of work takes its toll. Symptoms include sleep disturbances, fatigue, intrusive images, nightmares, excessive anger, irritability, anxiety, fear, tearfulness, social withdrawal, despair, hopelessness and cynicism. As a psychiatric nurse, I suggest that expressing more and suppressing less is healthier than silently suffering. Self-care might help, if emergency room physicians had the time and energy to pursue practices such as yoga, mindfulness meditation and regular exercise. But given the major stressors of unrelenting exposure to human pain and suffering, excessive workloads, documentation requirements, the threat of malpractice suits and a loss of professional autonomy to name a few structural change is urgently needed. By educating employees about the symptoms of caregiver stress, health care institutions can break through the denial that prevents a concerned professional from reaching out to an afflicted colleague. Work schedules must be made more compatible with private life. The health care environment itself must be made safer physical assaults on staff are highest in the ER and psychiatric areas. Gun violence is a public health crisis in the United States. Mass shootings may dominate the news, but two thirds of firearm deaths 22,000 annually are suicides. Nonfatal gun injuries deeply affect millions of caregivers, family members, friends, co-workers, teachers, schoolmates and others. While the NRA continues to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye, the rest of us need to open our eyes, ears, and hearts and grapple with our reality. Laurie Barkin, author of The Comfort Garden: Tales from the Trauma Unit (2012), is a UCSF psychiatric nurse consultant. For immigrant communities in the Bay Area and around the country, the past two years have been a time of extraordinary fear and real danger. Now, the Trump administration wants to make matters even worse. U.S. immigration law says the government can deny a green card or entry to the country for an immigrant who is considered a public charge. Under the Trump administration proposal, the definition of public charge would be expanded to include anyone who uses or is deemed likely to use public benefits, including Medicaid, assistance with food and non-cash housing assistance. The effect would be to subject millions of immigrants living in this country to the possibility of deportation if they ever used or were deemed likely to use government benefits to help their families meet basic needs. The proposed rule is already sowing fear in immigrant communities, even if they may not be directly affected by such a policy change. Housing stability is necessary for our communities overall health and well-being. We strongly oppose the Trump administrations proposed changes to the public charge rule. In the Bay Area, federal housing assistance is a vital support for families dealing with ever-rising rents in one of the priciest real estate markets in the world. Surveys regularly show that an overwhelming majority of our low-income neighbors are spending between 30 and 50 percent of their income on rent, well above the benchmark for housing affordability. Federal housing programs, such as Section 8 vouchers, provide working people and families with support they need. The administrations proposed rule change would harm immigrants and diverse communities in many ways. It would prevent immigrants who use or have used housing and other benefits from gaining green cards or sponsoring family members to join them in the United States. It would compel many immigrants to give up lifeline assistance that keep their families one step away from homelessness, so they dont fall under the new public charge definition. Presumably this change is intended to increase deportation and family separation for millions of people who have been living legally in this country, many of them for decades. It will force many of our families, neighbors and co-workers underground. Our organizations are joining with community and elected leaders around the Bay Area to tell the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to drop this wrong proposal before it causes real harm to people and communities. All of us can make our voices heard. The period for public comment on the new rule closes Monday. Treating immigrants as an undeserving other is morally reprehensible and contrary to the inclusive values that define us as a nation. Immigrants are at the core of our Bay Area communities in every way. Together, we can defeat the Trump administrations latest affront to dignity, justice and the American dream. Charise Fong is chief operating officer of East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. She is joined in this view by Elizabeth Orlin, chief operating officer of the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp., and Luis Granados, CEO of Mission Economic Development Agency. When Bob Isaacson moved into the Mission Creek Harbor community 38 years ago, the landscape looked very different from what exists today. It was fairly grubby. It was really outcast, says Isaacson, 88. There was a bunch of people that lived in Islais Creek on houseboats and the city wanted to get rid of them, so they told the port who was in charge that if they didnt provide a place for them, theyd move the houseboats by City Hall and burn them. Today, Isaacson and his wife, Ginny Stearns, live in a two-bedroom floating home among 19 other homes lined up along a dock in Mission Creek. Their community is surrounded by newly constructed housing and mixed-use buildings, but they have managed to stand strong amid the development. The community consists of about 50 residents who work together and make decisions for the area. We have a master lease that goes until 2055, Isaacson says. We run the harbor. We make our own rules. Its a very good deal for us and for the port. This master lease secures the fate of this community for the next 37 years. After that, the Port of San Francisco and harbor residents will be faced with a new challenge: climate change. Mission Creek is one of the lowest points in San Francisco, so decisions will need to be made around the time their lease ends on how to combat rising sea levels, Stearns says. Ownership of a floating home is vastly different from one with a solid ground foundation. Stearns and Isaacson are constantly checking the line to make sure their home is secured to the dock. After their first home sank, they installed an alarm system in their new home to alert them of water seeping in. Living on the water to me is a wonder, Isaacson says. I felt like moving into an apartment would be like moving into a closet. Here, you dont have the illusion of solidity. You have the reality of its always moving and its always unfirm. The Regulars is a photo and video column that offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in the Bay Area, caught in routine activities of modern urban life. The door to the Lean In office in Palo Alto, California, has Sheryl Sandbergs name on it. The email addresses for Lean In employees bear her initials. And millions of dollars in funding every year for the womens empowerment organization comes from her. But inside, surrounded by wall art reminding women to be bold, the Lean In staff has a singular message: Sandberg now has little to do with the group she founded. I dont want to take anything away how could I? from Sheryl as the inspiration for the work that we do, said Rachel Thomas, the president of LeanIn.org. But the book came out six years ago. Its become less and less about Sheryl with every passing year. The sentiment extends beyond Silicon Valley. Sheryls not really Lean In, said Emily Schwarz, who runs Lean In Atlanta, a group of about 2,000. We are Lean In. This is a startling change for an organization that still has Sandbergs face pop up when you scroll over the About Us tab on its website; as recently as October, she was the lead author of a Lean In-branded essay in The Wall Street Journal. It coincides with a radical shift in perception of Sandberg in her day job, as Facebooks chief operating officer. In recent weeks, Sandbergs work at Facebook has been the subject of damaging headlines, from her slow response to Russian manipulation of Facebook to the way her team went on the attack against critics. Pundits have called on her to resign. Now, the Lean In movement is trying to figure out how independent it can actually become from the Sheryl Sandberg brand. Sandbergs workplace feminism revival began with her 2013 book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. Research she popularized at the time about how women do not negotiate as strongly as men do for raises, about how posing like Superwoman in the bathroom can help women stand more authoritatively for a presentation is now mainstream. Her phrases became part of the lexicon. But it was always going to be tricky to have a feminist movement led by a billionaire corporate executive. Now jabs at Sandberg make some crowds cheer. Its not always enough to lean in, Michelle Obama said onstage in Brooklyn this month, while promoting her memoir. Using an expletive, Obama added that Lean In stuff doesnt work all the time. For Sandberg, 49, none of this was the plan. She was widely expected to leave Facebook after the 2016 election and work for President Hillary Clinton, perhaps as secretary of the Treasury. When Clinton lost, Sandberg continued at the company just as it became engulfed in crises. After an initial interview, Thomas emailed to say Sandberg remains a driving force behind all we do and has for years discussed making her own brand less central to Lean In. Through a Facebook spokeswoman, Sandberg declined to comment. I no longer ascribe to her view of corporate feminism Lean In inspired outrage from the start. On the left, critics panned Sandbergs advice as only for other wealthy white women and said it ignored structural problems in society. On the right, a chorus tried to argue that the gender wage gap was exaggerated, and a cottage industry of writers emerged to fight ideas she popularized, like microaggressions. But Sandbergs message largely won over the feminist mainstream, and she became one of its iconic leaders. According to the organization, more than 40,000 Lean In Circles now meet regularly around the world, from Fremont County, Wyoming, to New Delhi and Paris. Some were drawn to Lean In exactly because of Sandbergs business success. They wanted more economic power, and here was a mother of two who had figured it out and whom they could aspire to be like. Youre looking at someone whos in Silicon Valley, a billionaire, one of the most powerful people in the world, said Julene Allen, describing why she founded Lean In Dayton in Ohio. How can I be more influential? Yet as Sandbergs wealth and fame grew movie stars and other celebrities began showing up at her parties she started losing the support of some in her tight-knit Silicon Valley community. And Facebook began confronting concerns that it was a harmful force in society. After the 2016 election, the social network was revealed to have played a role in distributing Russian propaganda to Americans, stoking genocidal rage in countries like Myanmar and disrupting elections around the world. That tipped the delicate balance of having a corporate leader as a feminist leader. I no longer ascribe to her view of corporate feminism as a heroic thing, said Katherine Goldstein, who hosts a podcast, Double Shift, about working moms. Its inherent message is that corporations and workplaces are basically benevolent and good. Amy Westervelt, whose book Forget Having It All: How America Messed Up Motherhood and How to Fix It, came out in November, said Sandberg had made bringing more women into the workplace a priority over changing the structure of workplaces. All people in power have potential to be corrupted by it, and women are no different, Westervelt said. Your social movement cant be led by a CEO or the COO. A thought leader and a possible candidate for president When I attended a few Lean In Circle meetings in 2013 and 2014, most of us had Sandbergs book with her face on the cover on our laps. Her life story inspired us, a group of mid-20s professionals in San Francisco confronting workplace challenges for the first time. And I found the advice, like to stop insulting my own work and to not be afraid of being disliked, useful. The manifesto, which was full of intimate anecdotes, made Sandberg a household name. It took her out of simply being Facebooks No. 2 and reframed her as a thought leader and, many fans thought, a potential candidate for president. In Silicon Valley, Sandberg became the social nexus for a collective of powerful women who met regularly for dinners at her house. At the events, she often invited a guest of honor and did a casual interview, the two in armchairs in front of 30 or so female guests who held plates on their laps. Lean In remained a core outlet for Sandberg, too. She contributed essays about women in the workplace and other topics to The Journal and The New York Times. She spoke regularly about women at work, and her Facebook feed was full of news about Lean In. Today, the staff of Lean In works in the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation office, which is named after her and her husband, who died in 2015. Sandberg still hosts Lean In Circle leaders at her house. But what has changed is that some of those leaders and even friends of Sandbergs are playing down her role and positioning her as a peripheral character to the movement. From the very beginning, Sheryl drew people in, said Deborah Gruenfeld, a professor at Stanford and a co-director of the universitys Executive Program in Womens Leadership. But I dont think of her as all that central to whats happening right now. Alexa Crisa, a digital strategist who leads Lean In Atlanta alongside Schwarz, told me: We dont work at Facebook. We work with Lean In. We only ever even mention who Sheryl is to explain why her experience is relevant to women. Thats where it ends to us in terms of the mention of Sheryl. Allen, in Dayton, said, Weve taken this thing, and were driving it. These women were ones Lean In suggested I call. Most anyone not on its list had a different take. Gia Punjabi, a senior finance analyst at Levi Strauss & Co., founded a Lean In Circle in San Francisco in August 2017. She said that she had noticed a recent drop in interest and that she suspected it was tied to Sandbergs changing brand. At the end of the day, Lean In is something thats integrated with Sheryls name, Punjabi said. You cant know one without the other. Sandberg has her defenders, some of whom post on public Facebook pages with the hashtag #IStandBySheryl. And Sandberg has been engaging directly with women on the platform. Sharon thank you for being a voice on the importance of 50/50 relationships for women, she wrote to a user who had shared a Forbes essay headlined The Sheryl Sandberg Bashing Explained. Many in Sandbergs corner argue that the news coverage of her role at Facebook has been unfair. They say it is sexist and focused more on Sandberg than on Mark Zuckerberg, Facebooks founder and chief executive. Some I spoke with called the claims that she was involved in nefarious behavior false news. Its starting to sound a little bit like a witch hunt, said Nuala Murphy, the founder of Lean In Belfast in Northern Ireland and chief executive of Moment Health, a health technology startup. Kathy Andersen, the executive director of the Womens Fund Miami-Dade in Florida, said the media was trying to fool women into disavowing one of their advocates. Women are not fooled by the gender-biased tear-down of Sheryl thats happening, Andersen said. Theyre fueled by it. The critical articles about Sandberg are rooted in sexism, said Shelley Correll, a professor of sociology at Stanford and the director of the Clayman Institute for Gender Research. Flawed people were involved in the civil rights movement, she said. We dont give up on a movement because people arent perfect. Visiting Lean In headquarters One chilly day in November, I visited the Lean In office, in an open-air shopping center above a Bar Method in Palo Alto. There, I met Sandbergs longtime friend Thomas, who led me past a Proceed and Be Bold sign and into a room called People First. Has Sheryl inspired a lot of what we do here? Of course, Thomas said. But its really grown way beyond Sheryl. She added that moving beyond Sandbergs name was always the agenda for Lean In and was what Sandberg had wanted. (When I later called another founding member of the Lean In team, she laughed and disputed that characterization. Sandberg is the organizations sole source of funding, and no other figures have stepped in to take her place.) Thomas talked about what Lean In was doing now. The organization had published a fourth annual study with McKinsey called Women in the Workplace and has created a new workplace justice-oriented deck of cards called 52 Ways to Fight Bias. On the front of each card is a microaggression, like the female executive who is mistaken for a more junior figure; on the back is why it happened, why it matters and what to do. We circled back to Sandbergs work at Facebook. Wasnt it always risky, I asked, to have someone leading such a large company also leading a movement fighting for workplace equality? Im curious, Thomas said. Youre a smart, engaged woman on all of this why is that hard for you? Its hard, I replied, to reckon with the idea that we have taken life and career advice from someone who could be building something thats not good for the world. For a beat, Thomas sat silent and looked right at me. She later brought up a study, which she wanted to make clear was apropos of nothing and was part of an intellectual conversation about how we perceive women in power who do something bad. Women candidates had an edge out of the gate because people assumed that women were more ethical, she said. But if women did something that was perceived as less ethical, the fall was . Thomas stopped herself and did not finish the sentence. She picked up again: It was just interesting the complexity around gender and expectations. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. OROVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) A Gilroy couple is moving out of California with very little, choosing to donate their home furnishings, appliances and other essentials to firefighters who lost their homes in the Camp Fire. Kim Ringeisen has 15 years of search and rescue experience and helped in the town of Paradise for more than a week. "I was searching about 100 homes in Paradise," Ringeisen said. "I'm also a combat veteran, but this was unimaginable. We had to rewrite ways of doing things and figure out new ways to take care of what we need to take care of out there." When returning home, he felt compelled to do more. That led him to a KCRA3 article about a firefighter who lost his home in the Camp Fire. MORE: Dog waited weeks for owners to return to home burned by Camp Fire "I was looking for a firefighter with a family I could donate to, and then I came onto your site," Ringeisen said. "We decided to donate all of our household goods to the firefighters. So this is all the things we have donated, including handmade dolls that my wife makes." Ringeisen and his wife are moving to North Carolina, where he hopes to use his experience in an emergency management role. ALSO: Harrowing aerial photos show Paradise before and after the Camp Fire Ringeisen connected with Oroville firefighters and donated enough to fill a 26-foot storage truck. The items will help dozens of firefighters and families who lost their homes. "We want to turnkey everybody back up in their lives, so they can put this behind them and move forward," Ringeisen said. "We didn't lose our sentimental things. We didn't lose something to a fire very abruptly. So, I think it's good if we can donate everything we have. We'll start over. They're starting over. So, I think it's going to be a good thing, a good memory for us in how we helped." The drop-off was at Best Self Storage of Feather River Boulevard in Oroville. On Saturday, the business is hosting Operation Camp Fire Blessings, a toy donation drive, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This story originally appeared on KCRA. LONDON With a crucial parliamentary vote on Brexit looming, British Prime Minister Theresa May warned lawmakers Sunday that they could take Britain into uncharted waters and force a general election if they reject the divorce deal she struck with the European Union. May is fighting to save her unpopular Brexit plan and her job ahead of a showdown in Parliament on Tuesday, when lawmakers are widely expected to vote down the deal she negotiated with Brussels. Her office insisted that the vote will go ahead despite speculation that the government may be forced to delay it. A defeat in the vote could see Britain crashing out of the EU on March 29, the date for Britains exit, with no deal in place an outcome that could spell economic chaos. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, May said rejecting her deal would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal. When I say if this deal does not pass we would truly be in uncharted waters, I hope people understand this is what I genuinely believe and fear could happen, she said. Mays government does not have a majority in the House of Commons, and opposition parties as well as many of Mays own Conservatives have already said they will not back the divorce deal that May and EU leaders agreed on last month. Pro-Brexit lawmakers say the deal keeps Britain bound too closely to the EU, while pro-EU politicians say it erects barriers between the U.K. and its biggest trading partner and leaves many details of the future relationship undecided. Its unclear what would happen next if lawmakers vote down the deal. May could return to Brussels seeking changes to the Brexit pact and bring it back to Parliament for another vote. But EU leaders have insisted the divorce agreement is final and not renegotiable. However, while the 585-page withdrawal deal is set, the declaration on future relations between the EU and Britain is shorter and vaguer and may be open to amendment. Meanwhile, pro-Brexit Conservative rebels who have long wanted to oust May can trigger a no-confidence vote if they amass enough support. The Labor Party may also attempt to force a general election or seek to form a minority government. What we would urge (May) to do is either call a general election because she wouldnt have the confidence of Parliament to carry on as prime minister, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labors business spokeswoman, told the BBC. But alternatively, she could offer to renegotiate around a deal that would provide consensus in Parliament. Sylvia Hui is an Associated Press writer. When she was a high school student in Maryland, Sister Susan Francois got her first job at Kmart. She then requested shifts on Saturdays and Sundays to avoid church. Born and raised Catholic, she was already experiencing doubts about the role of women in the church and in the institution itself. She spent most of the 1990s as an ex-Catholic, she said, living in Portland, Oregon, where she went to college and worked as a city elections official. As the millennium approached, however, Sister Susan, now 46, became interested in her Catholic roots again. I was in this high-powered career, but where I found all my joy in life was through my volunteer work, she said. She began to see a connection between what was rapidly becoming her social mission and Catholicism. So she started to fill her weekends with church again. In 2005, Sister Susan got in even deeper: She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace religious order on the West Coast. It was around this time, she said, that she noticed other nuns praying for President George W. Bush and then, President Barack Obama. In 2017, two years after she had relocated to the St. Joseph headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Sister Susan decided to take her own presidential praying practice to the next level: Twitter. Dear @POTUS. 661 days later still praying for you as a leader and as a human being to grow in humility and the ability/capacity/willingness to focus on the common good and peace of all. #PopeFrancis has some good advice for all of us ... Pope Francis@Pontifex This Advent, make yourself small, make yourself humble, make yourself a servant of others, and the Lord will give you the ability to understand how to make peace. #SantaMarta This is an edited and condensed version of a recent conversation with her. Q. How did you come to tweet prayers to the president? A. I was sitting in Chicago OHare Airport, waiting for my flight back to Newark. It was a few days after President Donald 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. Q. What is your process for coming up with the tweets? A. 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. Q. Why do you tweet at his official account, rather than @realDonaldTrump? A. 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. Q. You call yourself a Gen X nun on your Twitter bio. Whats the significance of that? A. As someone who entered her religious life in her 30s, I bring the cultural nuances and references and approach to life that Gen Xers have. I am actually part of a group called Giving Voice, and we are Gen Xers or millennials, and we live religious life a little different. We had lives and careers before this. Q. Whats your living situation like? Do you have a daily ritual? A. I live with two sisters in a rental house near the St. Michaels Villa, which had a fire two years ago, so our main building is under construction. Were hoping to move back by the end of February. We start each day sitting together in silent prayer, which sets the tone for the rest of the day.I serve on the Congregation Leadership Team, working on relationships with sponsored ministries in New Jersey: a hospital, two nursing homes, a school for the blind and an inner-city ministry with women and children. I am also the congregation treasurer. You dont think of the sisters as a corporation, but they are, so the business side of it has to take place, too. Q. What do you do for fun? A. I do sometimes cross the bridge and come into the city. I just came in last weekend to meet a sister-friend who is about my age and is celebrating 15 years as a sister its called a jubilee. In about a week, I am going to spend time with a group of sister-friends my age from other congregations, and were going to hang out at a vacation house, play cards and watch movies do things normal people do. Q. What is one thing youd like to share with the rest of us about the lives of nuns these days? A. To know that we exist, and we always will in some shape or form as long as people are committed to making the good stuff of the Gospel in the world come true. We are normal people who have this special dedication to prayer and to helping people. And its a good life. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. (CNN) French police clashed Saturday in Paris with protesters staging a fourth weekend of "gilets jaunes," or "yellow vest," demonstrations against the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Officers fired rubber bullets and hundreds of canisters of tear gas at the demonstrators, some of whom had set vehicles on fire. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said 135 people were wounded in Saturday's protests across France, including 17 police officers. Castaner said 1,385 people were taken in for questioning and 974 were in custody. Two photographers from the newspaper Le Parisien were hit by projectiles. One was taken to hospital as dusk drew near in a city still in shock from last weekend's riots -- the worst to hit the French capital in decades. One Parisian, teacher Francesca Testi, tweeted a video of protesters smashing up what appeared to be a cafe. A French radio reporter, Boris Kharlamoff, tweeted a photo of his wounded torso after a rubber bullet hit him. "A policeman shot at me with a rubber bullet even though my press arm band was showing," he wrote. "It hurts but it's all right. Colleagues be careful on the Champs-Elysees." Protesters could be heard calling for Macron's resignation Saturday in Paris. Macron will address the demonstrations Monday, according to the Elysee Palace. Some 125,000 joined in Saturday's protests across France, the interior minister said, with about 10,000 in Paris. The latter converged around midday on the Champs-Elysees, with many dressed in "gilets jaunes," the yellow high-visibility jackets that have become the symbol of the movement. Police used water cannons in a bid to disperse the crowd. Tires were also set on fire, but with riot police outnumbering the demonstrators by about 2 to 1, there were none of the violent scenes that grabbed international attention a week ago. A smaller "yellow vest" demonstration of about 500 people also took place in the Belgian capital of Brussels near the European Parliament, according to the newspaper Le Soir. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, President Donald Trump claimed the protests, which started in reaction to an eco-tax on gas, underscored his decision not to sign the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. "The Paris Agreement isn't working out so well for Paris," he tweeted. "Protests and riots all over France. People do not want to pay large sums of money, much to third world countries (that are questionably run), in order to maybe protect the environment. Chanting 'We Want Trump!' Love France." CNN reporters on the ground said the only time they heard Trump mentioned was as a joke when they were recording. Earlier, TV images showed French protesters parading past the flagship stores of some of Paris' best-known luxury brands such as Mont Blanc and Cartier, all with their shutters tightly fastened on what would usually be a busy shopping day before Christmas. Anticipating a repeat of last weekend's violence, monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and many of the city's Metro stations remained closed, with about 8,000 police on the streets of Paris and tens of thousands more deployed across the country. "We have to change the Republic," Ilda, a yellow jacket protester from the south of France near Toulouse, told CNN. "People here are starving. Some people earn just 500 euros a month; you can't afford to live. People don't want to stop because we want the President to go." Patrice, a pensioner from Paris, said he was protesting because of "the government and the taxes and all these problems. We have to survive." With more unrest expected in other parts of France, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the government was deploying 89,000 security force members across the country. Philippe said that "it's time for dialogue" between politicians and representatives of the protesters. The French retail sector has suffered a loss in revenue of about $1.1 billion since the beginning of the yellow vest protests last month, a spokeswoman for the French retail federation, Sophie Amoros, told CNN. Amid heightened tensions, police seized 28 petrol bombs and three homemade explosive devices Friday at an area blockaded by protesters in Montauban in southern France, a spokesman for the Tarn-et-Garonne prefecture told CNN. Dominique Moisi, a foreign policy expert at the Paris-based Institut Montaigne and a former Macron campaign adviser, told CNN the French presidency was not only in crisis but that Europe's future also hung in the balance. "In a few months from now, there will be European elections, and France was supposed to be the carrier of hope and European progress. What happens if it's no longer? If the President is incapacitated to carry that message?" Moisi asked. "It's about the future of democracy, as well; illiberal democracies are rising all over the world. And if Macron fails, the future of France risks looking like the presidency of Italy today. And it's much more serious because we have a centralized state, which plays a major role in the balance of power within Europe. "But make no mistake, it is a French version of a much more global phenomenon." France's far-left CGT movement has pledged support for the protests, which also are backed by the far-right leader Marine Le Pen. This story was first published on CNN.com "France's 'yellow vest' protesters detained and tear-gassed" Senior U.S. officials were worried. Since the early months of the Trump administration, Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and Middle East adviser, had been having private, informal conversations with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the favorite son of Saudi Arabias king. Given Kushners political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former senior U.S. officials. In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new chief of staff tried to reimpose long-standing procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders. But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner, 37, and Crown Prince Mohammed, 33, kept chatting, according to three former White House officials and two others briefed by the Saudi royal court. In fact, they said, the two men were on a first-name basis, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls. The exchanges continued even after the Oct. 2 killing of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents, according to two former senior U.S. officials and the two people briefed by the Saudis. As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the princes most important defender inside the White House, people familiar with its internal deliberations say. Kushners support for Crown Prince Mohammed in the moment of crisis is a striking demonstration of a singular bond that has helped draw President Donald Trump into an embrace of Saudi Arabia as one of his most important international allies. But the ties between Kushner and Crown Prince Mohammed did not happen on their own. The crown prince and his advisers, eager to enlist U.S. support for his hawkish policies in the region and for his own consolidation of power, cultivated the relationship with Kushner for more than two years, according to documents, emails and text messages reviewed by The New York Times. A delegation of Saudis close to the crown prince visited the United States as early as the month Trump was elected, the documents show, and brought back a report identifying Kushner as a crucial focal point in the courtship of the new administration. He brought to the job scant knowledge about the region, a transactional mindset and an intense focus on reaching a deal with the Palestinians that met Israels demands, the delegation noted. Even then, before the inauguration, the Saudis were trying to position themselves as essential allies who could help the Trump administration fulfill its campaign pledges. In addition to offering to help resolve the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, the Saudis offered hundreds of billions of dollars in deals to buy U.S. weapons and invest in U.S. infrastructure. Trump later announced versions of some of these items with great fanfare when he made his first foreign trip: to an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The Saudis had extended that invitation during the delegations November 2016 visit. The inner circle is predominantly deal-makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner, the Saudi delegation wrote of the incoming administration in a slide presentation obtained by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which provided it to The Times. Several Americans who spoke with the delegation confirmed the slide presentations accounts of the discussions. The courtship of Kushner appears to have worked. Only a few months after Trump moved into the White House, Kushner was inquiring about the Saudi royal succession process and whether the United States could influence it, raising fears among senior officials that he sought to help Crown Prince Mohammed, who was not yet the crown prince, vault ahead in the line for the throne, two former senior White House officials said. U.S. diplomats and intelligence officials feared that the Trump administration might be seen as playing favorites in the delicate internal politics of the Saudi royal family, the officials said. By March, Kushner helped usher Crown Prince Mohammed into a formal lunch with Trump in a state dining room at the White House, capitalizing on a last-minute cancellation by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany because of a snowstorm. Bending protocol, Kushner arranged for Crown Prince Mohammed, often referred to by his initials as MBS, to receive the kind of treatment usually reserved for heads of state, with photographs and news media coverage, according a person involved in the arrangements. It appears to have been the first face-to-face meeting between Kushner and the crown prince, but Kushner raised eyebrows by telling others in the White House that he and Crown Prince Mohammed had already spoken several times, two people at the event recalled. In a statement, a White House spokesman said Jared has always meticulously followed protocols and guidelines regarding the relationship with MBS and all of the other foreign officials with whom he interacts. White House officials declined to explain those protocols and guidelines and declined to comment on Kushners one-on-one communications with Crown Prince Mohammed since the Khashoggi killing. Their connection, though, has been pivotal since the start of the Trump administration. The relationship between Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman constitutes the foundation of the Trump policy not just toward Saudi Arabia but toward the region, said Martin Indyk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Middle East envoy. The administrations reliance on the Saudis in the peace process, its support for the kingdoms feud with Qatar, a U.S. ally, and its backing of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, he said, all grew out of that bromance. You will love him Before the 2016 presidential race, Kushners most extensive exposure to the Middle East was through Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a Kushner family friend, and the Kushners had contributed heavily to Israeli nonprofits supporting Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank. But the Arab rulers of the oil-rich Persian Gulf mainly figured in Kushners life as investors in U.S. real estate, the Kushner family business. So Tom Barrack, a Lebanese-American real estate investor with close ties to both Trump and the Gulf rulers, set out during the campaign to introduce Kushner to his associates as a useful ally. You will love him and he agrees with our agenda! Barrack wrote in May 2016 in an email to the Emirati ambassador in Washington, Youssef Otaiba. Otaiba soon positioned himself as an informal adviser on the region to Kushner. Thanks to you, I am in constant contact with Jared and that has been extremely helpful, Otaiba wrote to Barrack in the first months after Trump took office. The Emirati ambassador was also eagerly promoting Crown Prince Mohammed. Since the princes aging father had taken the throne in 2015, the Emiratis were betting heavily on the prince as their preferred contender in the succession struggles within the Saudi royal family. MBS is incredibly impressive, Otaiba wrote Barrack in June 2016, as they tried to arrange meetings between the prince and the Trump campaign. The month after the U.S. election, the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi delivered a similar message when he made an unannounced trip to New York for a meeting with Kushner and others about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. While speaking with Kushner, the Emirati crown prince also recommended Crown Prince Mohammed of Saudi Arabia as a promising young leader, according to a person familiar with their conversations. Kushner seemed impressed. The meeting had been arranged in part by Rick Gerson, a hedge fund manager who was close to Kushner and to the Emirati crown prince. After the encounter, Gerson sent a message to the Emirati crown prince about his success in winning over Kushner. I promise you this will be the start of a special and historic relationship, Gerson wrote, in a text message. On the eve of the inauguration, Gerson wrote to the Emirati crown prince again. You have a true friend in the White House, Gerson wrote, recounting a visit with Kushner before Kushner departed for Washington. The emails with Otaiba and the text messages with Gerson were provided to The Times by people critical of Emirati foreign policies and authenticated by others with direct knowledge of their contents. Gerson declined to comment, and the Emirati embassy did not respond to requests for comment. Lack of familiarity with history Top aides to Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed also met with Kushner on a trip to New York in November 2016, after the election. The Saudi team included Musaad al-Aiban, a Cabinet minister involved in economic planning and national security, and Khaled al-Falih, installed by the crown prince as minister of energy and chairman of the state oil company, according to executives who met with them and a person who was briefed on the meetings. Al-Aiban did not respond to a request for comment and al-Falih could not be reached for comment. The delegation made special note of what it characterized as Kushners ignorance of Saudi Arabia. Kushner made clear his lack of familiarity with the history of Saudi-American relations and he asked about its support for terrorism, the team noted in the slide presentation prepared for Riyadh. After the discussion, he expressed his satisfaction with what was explained about the Saudi role in fighting terrorism and what the Saudis said was their international leadership in fighting Islamist extremism. Kushner, the Saudi report said, also questioned the delegations motives, asking whether the group had always been interested in working with Trump. As a candidate, Trump had promised to ban Muslim immigrants from entering the United States and had singled out Saudi Arabia as a dangerous influence. Kushner wondered about Saudi Arabias desire for partnership and whether it came from opportunity or worry, and he wondered as well if it was specific to this U.S. administration or whether it was presented to Hillary Clinton (for example: women driving), read another slide, next to a photograph of Kushner. But Kushner was clear about his own priorities, the report said. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was among the most important issues to draw Kushners attention, the delegation reported, and therefore the best way to win him over. The Palestinian issue first: there is still no clear plan for the American administration toward the Middle East, the delegation wrote, except that the central interest is finding a historic solution to support the stability of Israel and solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To cultivate ties with the Trump team, the Saudis had prepared a long list of initiatives they said would help Trump deliver for his supporters. Seizing on Trumps campaign vows for the extreme vetting of immigrants, the Saudi delegation proposed establishing an intelligence and data exchange to help the American administration carry out its strategy of investigating those requesting residency (extreme vetting), according to an Arabic version of a presentation for the Trump team. And the delegation pledged high-level coordination with the new American administration to help with defeating extremist thought. Several of the Saudi proposals were evidently welcomed. One was a joint center to fight the ideology of extremism and terrorism. Trump helped inaugurate a Saudi version of the center on his trip to Riyadh the following May. Another Saudi proposal outlined what the Trump administration later called an Arab NATO. In their presentation, the Saudis described it as an Islamic military coalition of tens of thousands of troops ready when the president-elect wishes to deploy them. Other initiatives appeared timed to Trumps first term in office, like proposals to spend $50 billion over four years on U.S. defense contracts, to increase Saudi investment in the United States to $200 billion over four years, and to invest, with other Gulf states, up to $100 billion in American infrastructure. And the delegation urged Trump to come to Saudi Arabia himself to launch the initiatives as part of a historic welcome celebration. It is unclear how the delegations slideshow presentation to and about the Trump team were obtained by the Al Akhbar newspaper, which is sympathetic to the Iranian-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah and Iran, an enemy of Saudi Arabia. Several Americans identified in the presentation acknowledged meeting with the delegation and confirmed broad outlines of the discussions. The Times provided the documents and the names of delegation members to an official of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, who declined to comment. A Saudi role in Mideast Peace Israel had long argued to U.S. diplomats that Saudi Arabias influence in the region made it essential to any peace deal, and the Israelis were developing high hopes for Crown Prince Mohammed because of his hawkish views toward Iran and his general iconoclasm (he would later make several statements, like affirming the Israeli right to land, that were notably more sympathetic to the Israeli position than those of other Saudi leaders.) Within weeks of Trumps move into the White House, Kushner had embraced the delegations proposal for the president to visit Riyadh, convinced by then that the alliance with Saudi Arabia would be crucial in his plans for the region, according to a person who discussed it with Kushner and a second person familiar with his plans. The secretary of state at the time, Rex Tillerson, opposed the idea. It would link the administration too closely to Riyadh, these people said, giving up flexibility and leverage. Trump initially saw little benefit either, according to a person involved in his deliberations. But by the time of the inauguration, Kushner was already arguing that under the influence of Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia could play a pivotal role in advancing a Middle East peace deal, according to three people familiar with his thinking. That would be the presidents legacy, Kushner argued, according to a person involved in the discussions. It was around the time of the White House visit in March 2017 that senior officials in the State Department and the Pentagon began to worry about the one-on-one communications between Crown Prince Mohammed who is known to favor the online messaging service WhatsApp and Kushner. There was a risk the Saudis were playing him, one former White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Two later face-to-face encounters with Kushner preceded key turning points in Crown Prince Mohammeds consolidation of power. Shortly after Kushner visited Riyadh with the president in May 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed orchestrated the ouster of his older cousin, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, removing him from control of the Saudi Interior Ministry and replacing him as crown prince. Crown Prince Mohammed also announced a Saudi-led blockade of its neighbor and rival Qatar, the host of a major U.S. air base. And days after Kushner made an unannounced visit to Riyadh in the fall of 2017, the crown prince summarily detained about 200 wealthy Saudis, including several of his royal cousins, in a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh. After each play for power, Trump publicly praised Crown Prince Mohammed. One former White House official argued that Kushners personal ties to Crown Prince Mohammed had sometimes been an asset. At one point, for example, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen had blocked a critical port, cutting off humanitarian and medical supplies. The national security adviser at the time, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, suggested that Kushner call Crown Prince Mohammed to address the issue, the official said, and McMaster believed Kushners intercession had helped persuade the Saudis to loosen the restrictions. White House officials also say that Kushner has formal conversations with many other leaders in the region. And previous administrations have also had close ties to the Saudi government. Since the uproar over Khashoggis killing, the Trump administration has acknowledged only one conversation between Kushner and Crown Prince Mohammed: an Oct. 10 telephone call joined by John R. Bolton, the national security adviser. The Americans asked for more details and for the Saudi government to be transparent in the investigation process, the White House said in a statement. But U.S. officials and a Saudi briefed on their conversations said Kushner and Crown Prince Mohammed have continued to chat informally. According to the Saudi, Kushner has offered the crown prince advice about how to weather the storm, urging him to resolve his conflicts around the region and avoid further embarrassments. Few of the Saudi promises have amounted to much. The effectiveness of the counterterrorism center in Riyadh remains doubtful. After offering $50 billion in new weapons contracts, the Saudis have signed only letters of interest or intent without any firm deals. After proposing to marshal up to $100 billion in investments in American infrastructure, the Saudis have announced an investment of only $20 billion. Inside the White House, Kushner has continued to argue that the president needs to stand by Crown Prince Mohammed because he remains essential to the administrations broader Middle East strategy, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Whether Crown Prince Mohammed can fulfill that role, however, remains to be seen. His initial approaches to the Palestinians were rejected by their leaders, and their resistance stiffened after the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital without waiting for a negotiated agreement on the citys status. Now the crown princes father, King Salman, 82, who is still the official head of state, has appeared to resist Kushners Middle East peace plans as well. The Palestinian issue will remain our primary issue, the king declared in a speech last month, until the Palestinian people receive all of their legal rights. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Lyudmila M. Alexeyeva, a leader of the Russian human rights movement in the Soviet Union and in the era of President Vladimir Putin, died Saturday in a Moscow hospital. She was 91. Her death was confirmed to the Russian media by Mikhail Fedotov, the director of the presidential human rights council. Alexeyeva had been Russias most prominent surviving Soviet-era dissident, harking from the same generation as physicist Andrei Sakharov and novelist Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Though frail, she took part in street protests until about eight years ago. She spent about 50 years in the Russian opposition, starting as a typist for a samizdat journal in the 1960s and continuing as an observer of politicized court hearings against street protesters under Putin. She was clearly one of the giants, Tanya Lokshina, an associate director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch, said in a telephone interview. She called herself the grandmother of the Russian human rights movement, and that is what she was. Alexeyeva was a founder of the Moscow Helsinki Group, a pioneering human rights organization, for which Soviet authorities exiled her from the country. She then served as the organizations chairwoman after returning to Russia in the post-Soviet period. Though she spent a lifetime challenging abusive leaders, her approach was never shrill, acquaintances said. Also, she saved some of her criticism not for the abusive men in power, but for the people who let them get away with it. In her analysis of the causes of repression in her society, Alexeyeva consistently disputed any neat apposition of Russian despots and Western democratic leaders. Russia was not merely unlucky with its leaders, she maintained. What separated the Soviet Union and Russia from the West, she said, were not enlightened leaders but systems of checks and balances. With the Helsinki Group, for example, she tried to monitor authorities in the Soviet Union by holding them to their own stated commitments to human rights. Her views were also a critique of the vilification of Putin as personally responsible for rolling back Russian democracy and the idea, sometimes heard among his opponents, that if he were to step down Russia might be ruled differently. Only by building civil society could Russians achieve better results from their leaders, she maintained. She kept pushing that point, Lokshina of Human Rights Watch said. There could be different leaders, but if there is a healthy system of checks and balances, it is much more difficult to do serious damage. Unfortunately, in Russia, that is not the case. She is survived by two sons, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Born in Crimea on July 20, 1927, Alexeyeva became a dissident as a member of what she called the thaw generation under the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, who introduced a period of relaxed censorship. When the screws tightened again in Leonid Brezhnevs Soviet Union, she and other Moscow intellectuals risked their lives to keep pressing for freedom and human rights. Alexeyeva typed a samizdat journal, called the Chronicle of Current Events. She and other dissidents saw an opening when the Soviet Union signed a treaty in Helsinki that required it to uphold certain rights at home, though apparently it had little intention of doing so. In 1976, she co-founded the Helsinki Group to monitor compliance. Though the treatys text was published in Pravda, the newspaper of the Communist Party, Soviet authorities were not amused. They broke up the Helsinki group less than a year after its founding, and offered Alexeyeva a choice of prison or exile. Her husband pressed her to take the second option, and she left with her family for the United States, not returning until 16 years later after the Soviet breakup. In the United States, she wrote two books: The Thaw Generation: Coming of Age in the Post-Stalin Era and a scholarly study called Soviet Dissent. When Putin came to power in 1999, Alexeyeva quickly became critical of his government and in particular rights abuses by Russian soldiers during the second war in Chechnya. Despite this, she engaged with Putins government and is credited with persuading him to shelve a plan to force people who had fled the war in Chechnya to return before the fighting had stopped. As Putin rolled back democratic rights, Alexeyeva lent her name to a range of causes, including a protest group that gathered on the 31st day of months with 31 days, in reference to the 31st article of the Russian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of assembly. It was at one such protest that she was arrested in 2010. Still, she remained optimistic about Russias prospects, telling interviewers that, as bad as conditions were under Putin, the Soviet Union had been worse: When people say to me, It is like Soviet times, I say, No, it is much, much better. It is moving slowly, slowly, but in the right direction. If the governments aim was to stage show trials to discourage street protests, she said in 2012, it would backfire in the looser society of post-Soviet Russia. It is not working, she said. They have to reckon with the fact that people are not afraid. This is the 21st century, not the Soviet Union. But the soft authoritarianism under Putin also took its toll. After Russia passed a law restricting foreign funding for nongovernmental organizations, Alexeyeva was compelled to lay off employees at the Helsinki Group. Nonetheless, Putin paid a visit to Alexeyeva on her 90th birthday that was both a gesture of respect and, apparently, a sly effort to co-opt support from Russias most prominent dissident for the annexation of Crimea. Putin, as a gift, offered Alexeyeva a painting of her native Crimea. She accepted. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. MILL VALLEY (BCN) Police in Mill Valley made an arrest Wednesday several hours after the theft of a bicycle from Tamalpais High School, officers said. Police were called about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and told a bicycle had just been stolen from campus, according to a Mill Valley Police Department statement. Witnesses gave police some suspect information, which was broadcast to neighboring police agencies. That night, a man matching the general description of the bicycle thief was seen by Marin County Sheriff's deputies in San Rafael, and was determined to have the missing bicycle. Mill Valley police officers were called to the scene, and arrested Travis White of Sausalito on suspicion of theft and possession of stolen property. White was then booked into the Marin County Jail. Mill Valley police are investigating whether White may be tied to other bike thefts in that city. Anyone with related information is asked to call Det. Scott Brooks at (415) 389-4100, ext. 116. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. RICHMOND (BCN) The environmental organization Groundwork Richmond is asking for residents' input on where to install 50 air-monitoring sensors around the city. Groundwork, in partnership with the city of Richmond and environmental consultant Ramboll was awarded a grant from the state air resources board to pay for the sensors. Residents can submit recommendations on where the air monitors should be placed, at www.shairaq.io/richmond-sensor-locator/ Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The National Weather Service has extended a dense fog advisory from the far East Bay into the San Francisco Bay north of the Bay Bridge and the East Bay valleys through the late morning today. According to NWS Meterologist Scott Rowe, the regional office in Monterey extended the Bay Area's advisory to the Concord and Livermore areas and the Bay waters overnight after originally only issuing the warning for the east Contra Costa County areas east of Pittsburg. Rowe said the dense fog is a result of moisture from recent rains, along with nighttime cooling and slight or nonexistent winds. These conditions are ripe in both the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, where widespread dense fog is expected, Rowe said. Meteorologists said areas of dense fog might reduce visibility a 1/4-mile. Motorists are advised to slow down, keep their headlights on and take extra time in getting to their destination. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health clinicians across California will walk off the job during a five-day strike starting Monday, calling for the HMO to increase staffing and resources for mental health services. Patients often wait more than a month for an appointment because there is only one full-time mental health clinician for every 3,000 Kaiser members in California, according to the National Union of Healthcare Workers. "Clinicians are booked solid for weeks and patients are waiting far too long for therapy appointments," said Clem Papazian, a Kaiser-licensed clinical social worker. Psychologists, therapists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and addiction medicine specialists will be among 4,000 clinicians on picket lines at several locations around the state, including at Kaiser's San Francisco Medical Center and the San Jose Medical Center, said union spokesman Matt Artz. Kaiser representatives on Saturday maintained the union's stance at the bargaining table was not about improving care and access for patients. "Rather, in addition to seeking even higher wages and benefits, the union is demanding changes to performance standards that would reduce, not increase, the availability of mental health care for our patients," said Michelle Gaskill-Hames, chief nurse executive for Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Kaiser has been hiring therapists, increasing staff by 30 percent since 2015 and has invested $175 million to expand and improve mental health care offices, Gaskill-Hames said. Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum, will join the clinicians' strike Monday in San Francisco and Tuesday in Oakland. Kennedy will also appear at a mental health care forum from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Oakland Masonic Center, 3903 Broadway. "The CDC recently reported that life expectancy has dropped yet again due to rising numbers of overdoses and suicides," Kennedy said in a union news release. "Timely access to care is critical. Insurers who subject those with mental health and substance use disorders to a separate and unequal system of care must be held accountable." All Kaiser hospitals and medical offices will remain open during the strike, Gaskill-Hames said. Patients needing urgent mental health or other care will receive the services, but some non-urgent services are being postponed, she said. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. PETALUMA (BCN) Police arrested a man suspected of stealing power tools from a home improvement store, taking a cell phone from a unlocked car and shoplifting at Kohl's on Saturday. Evan David Thomas, 25, of Sebastopol, is suspected of breaking into Friedman's Home Improvement at 429 North McDowell Blvd. at 5:10 a.m. He reportedly entered the store's nursery area and gathered items until he was confronted by a staffer and fled with several power tools, according to police. Video surveillance from the store of a suspect was provided to police. Later in the morning, a resident in the 200 block of Prince Albert Court told police that someone had rummaged through his car overnight and taken small items, including a cell phone. At 1:25 p.m., officers were then dispatched to Kohl's at 1363 North McDowell Blvd. on a report of a shoplifting suspect in the store. When officers arrived, they recognized Thomas from video surveillance footage from the earlier burglary at Friedman's. Thomas had several stolen items from Friedman's and the stolen cell phone from the Prince Albert Court auto burglary with him, police said. He was arrested on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and booked into Sonoma County Jail. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) Protestors will carry child-sized coffins across the Golden Gate Bridge this afternoon to protest the ongoing war in Yemen, according to organizers. The protest, co-sponsored by the Yemeni Alliance Committee and the Bay Area Chapter of CODEPINK, will start at noon at the Welcome Center on the San Francisco side of the bridge. Protesters will then proceed along the eastern walkway to the middle of the bridge for a silent vigil. The protestors will then turn around and host a rally back at the San Francisco Welcome Center plaza at 1 p.m. Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. SEBASTOPOL (BCN) A 35-year-old woman was arrested tonight on suspicion of making criminal threats, resisting a peace officer and brandishing a replica firearm after Sebastopol police had received initial reports of a "possible active shooter" headed for a local tavern, police said tonight on social media. Police were alerted about 9 p.m. tonight that a person with a handgun was headed from Santa Rosa to the Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastopol. Officers went there and found the woman in the parking lot. She physically struggled with officers, who took a BB handgun from her and later booked her into the Sonoma County Jail. No one was injured, police said. Police said the woman didn't offer a reason why she chose that bar, and was not targeting anyone there. Police said the woman may have been seeking "suicide by cop." Copyright 2018 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is the subject of mass scorn after a series of tweets in which he encouraged his followers to visit Myanmar, a country which in recent years has been accused of carrying out a mass genocide and other crimes against humanity. In a thread on Twitter, Dorsey wrote that he attended a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation trip in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar for his birthday on Nov. 19. "Myanmar is an absolutely beautiful country," he wrote. "The people are full of joy and the food is amazing. I visited the cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan." Dorsey's thread was packed with detail. He shared photos of his "basic" room, and of the long sidewalk down which he walked for 45 minutes a day as part of the no-device retreat. He also name-dropped his Apple Watch and Oura ring, shared screenshots of his sleep patterns, and was apparently stung 117 times by mosquitos. The highlight of his trip though, he wrote, was serving monks and nuns food, and donating sandals and umbrellas. It was not specified to whom these donations were given. His thread was quickly picked apart on Twitter for its neglect of the major elephant in the room the continuing human rights crisis in Myanmar. Many users called it "tone-deaf," and "ignorant." "I love that @jack did a 10-day Vipassana and also his product and company are literally the most antithetical experience in the entire world to everything that Vipassana retreats stand for," one user wrote. "The CEO of a major social-media platform went on a meditation retreat in a country where there's an ongoing genocide notable being exacerbated by social media and did a whole big thread about it," another user wrote. Last year, 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled Myanmar. Buddhist-majority Myanmar have long denied the Rohingya a Muslim minority citizenship and other human rights in the country. In Aug. 2017, an underground Rohingya insurgent group attacked Myanmar security personnel, which sparked the country's military to lead an extremely violent campaign against the minority group. Myanmar's military has been accused of mass rape, killings and the burning of thousands of homes. The UN has repeatedly condemn the human rights violations against the Rohingya. In March, a senior U.N human rights official called the crisis "ethnic cleansing." Dorsey's promotion of Myanmar incited hundreds of replies on Twitter. Social media reactions are in the gallery above. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read Annie Vainshtein's latest stories here. Email her at avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain PARIS Pressure mounted on French President Emmanuel Macron to announce concrete measures to calm violent protests when he addresses the nation Monday evening and breaks a long silence widely seen as aggravating a crisis that has shaken the government and the country. Macron will consult in the morning with an array of national and local officials as he tries to get a handle on the ballooning and radicalizing protest movement triggered by anger at his policies, and a growing sense that they favor the rich. He is to speak from the presidential Elysee Palace at 8 p.m. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said earlier on LCI-TV that he was sure (Macron) will know how to find the path to the hearts of the French, speak to their hearts. But, he added, a magic wand wont solve all the problems of the protesters, known as yellow vests for the fluorescent safety vests they often wear. Last week, Macron withdrew a fuel tax hike the issue that kicked off protests in mid-November in an effort to appease the demonstrators, but the move was seen as too little too late. For many protesters, Macron himself, widely seen as arrogant and disconnected from rank-and-file French, has become the problem. Calls for him to resign were rampant over the fourth weekend of large-scale protests. Macron is there for the rich, not for all the French, 68-year-old retiree Jean-Pierre Meunuer said Saturday. Paris tourist sites reopened Sunday, while workers cleaned up debris from protests that left widespread damage in the capital and elsewhere. At least 71 were injured in Paris on Saturday. The economy minister, meanwhile, lamented the damage. This is a catastrophe for commerce, its a catastrophe for our economy, Bruno Le Maire said Sunday while visiting merchants around the Saint Lazare train station, among areas hit by vandalism as the Christmas shopping season got under way. The number of injured in Paris and nationwide was down Saturday from rioting a week ago. Still, TV footage broadcast around the world of the violence in Paris neighborhoods popular with tourists tarnished the countrys image. Nearly 1,000 people were being held in custody after the Saturday protests in the French capital, Paris chief prosecutor Remy Heitz said. Elaine Ganley is an Associated Press writer. WASHINGTON (AP) -- For the first time, prosecutors have tied President Donald Trump to a federal crime, accusing him of directing illegal hush-money payments to women during his presidential campaign in 2016. The Justice Department stopped short of accusing Trump of directly committing a crime. Instead, they said in a court filing Friday night that Trump told his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make illegal payments to buy the silence of two women -- porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal -- who claimed to have had affairs with Trump and threatened his White House bid. Trump has denied having an affair. Cohen has pleaded guilty to several charges, including campaign finance violations, and is awaiting sentencing. Although Trump hasn't been charged with any crimes, the question of whether a president can even be prosecuted while in office is a matter of legal dispute. Here's a look at that long-running legal ambiguity and a few of the main issues at play: DID THE PRESIDENT COMMIT A CRIME? That isn't completely clear. But federal prosecutors didn't accuse Trump in Friday night's court filing of violating the law. However, there was no ambiguity in the court documents that prosecutors believe Cohen's actions were criminal and Trump was directly involved. Prosecutors charged that Cohen arranged the secret payments at the height of the 2016 campaign "in coordination with and at the direction of" Trump. They also alleged Cohen made the payment in order to fend off potential damage to Trump's presidential bid. Federal law requires that any payments that are made "for the purpose of influencing" an election must be reported in campaign finance disclosures. "There is a plausible case against the president," said Rick Hasen, a professor who specializes in election and campaign finance law at the University of California at Irvine. In order to bring charges, prosecutors would have to prove Trump had criminal intent and "willfully violated the law," said Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. Something that would be perfectly legal to do as a businessman could take on a different standard as a candidate and campaign finance laws are "very open-ended," he said. Hasen said Trump's lawyers could argue Trump didn't have willfulness to break the law if the payments were completely personal and not connected to the campaign, despite their timing. Some legal experts have also argued that hush-money payments to keep people silent about their affairs are inherently personal, though Hasen said he didn't agree with that argument. CAN A SITTING PRESIDENT BE INDICTED? Legal experts are divided on that question. The Supreme Court has never ruled on whether the president can be indicted or whether the president can be subpoenaed for testimony. The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice and guidance to executive branch agencies, has maintained that a sitting president cannot be indicted. Two Justice Department reports, one in 1973 and one in 2000, came to the same conclusion. Those reports essentially concluded that the president's responsibilities are so important that an indictment would pose too many risks for the government to function properly. Trump's lawyers have said that special counsel Robert Mueller plans to adhere to that guidance, though Mueller's office has never independently confirmed that. Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has also said that a president cannot be indicted. COULD TRUMP BE INDICTED ONCE HE LEAVES OFFICE? There would presumably be no bar against charging a president after he leaves the White House. Legal scholars have said that based on the Justice Department's guidance, it would appear that Trump could be charged for wrongdoing during the campaign or as president once he leaves office, but likely not before that. Blackman said the statute of limitations for a campaign finance law violation -- like the one Cohen pleaded guilty to -- would be five years. The payments to Daniels and McDougal were made in 2016, meaning the statute of limitations would run out in 2021. COULD TRUMP PARDON HIMSELF? Trump has already shown he's not afraid to use his pardon power, particularly for those he has viewed as unfair victims of partisanship. He's pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff who was convicted of criminal contempt for disobeying a judge's order, and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a Bush administration official convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in a leak case. Courts have never had to answer the question of whether the president can pardon himself. In June, Giuliani told NBC's "Meet the Pres" that while Trump "probably does" have the power, "pardoning himself would be unthinkable and probably lead to immediate impeachment." --By Michael Balsamo, Associated Press STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Photos of the devastation caused by the recent Northern California wildfires -- that has taken the lives of more than 75 people and scorched through hundreds of miles of the state -- immediately reminded Westerleigh resident Caleigh Smith, 16, of the destruction caused to her South Beach community by Hurricane Sandy. Smith remembers how she had to escape her home with her family as floodwaters started rushing into her home on Oct. 29, 2012. I saw a photo of these kids with their house burnt down, and it brought me back to when I was 10-years-old and all the homes as you walked down the block were destroyed from Hurricane Sandy," said the New Dorp High School student. I remember my dad came running into my room about 8 p.m. and said, We got to go, and I packed my most valuable possessions -- stuffed animals and my cat -- into my backpack and we left. ...I remember feeling water seeping into my school sneakers, and we got in the car as the water was rushing down my block, she recalled. Recalling the way she felt when she lost all her belongings as a child, Smith said she had to do something for the thousands of kids who have been devastated by the wildfires. I remember going into the backyard of my house on Pearsall Street and seeing all my playhouses piled up in a corner. I remember seeing all the windows broken on our home, she said. For this reason, Smith has hooked up with ABC7 & Firefighters Spark Of Love Toy Drive Fund to launch a NY Toy Drive for the children of California via a Gofund me campaign. I decided to raise the money then buy the toys through Amazon and Walmart. By collecting money I figured Id be able to donate more and people would be more willing than having to go out and buy a gift, said Smith, noting she is also acceptiong donations, of new, in-the-box toys. I proposed the idea to my principal that day and from there on it took off," she aded. So far, $350 has been raised of Smiths $1,000 goal. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Cookie-crafting extraordinaire Arlene Chua, owner of Chua Cookie, is set to compete in the Food Network Holiday Gingerbread Showdown on Sunday, Dec. 9 at 9 p.m. Chua, alongside assistant Holly Weber from Las Vegas, will compete for a chance to win $25,000. Contestants must build a three-foot tall gingerbread house in the theme of Santas Most Incredible Workshop. Chua is no stranger to high stakes cookie creation, having appeared last year on Food Networks Christmas Cookie Challenge. Chua, a proud first-generation immigrant from the Philippines, moved to Staten Island with her mother and three sisters in 1984. Despite growing up baking with her mother, it wasnt until 2016 that Chua discovered her talent for cookie decorating, something that turned into a therapeutic outlet for her grief after her mother passed away from cancer. In the short time since, Chua has entered several competitions across the country, all while juggling a full-time job as a treasury analyst on Wall Street. For more information, visit ChuaCookie.com. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! A new comparison has found Australia's gender pay gap and rate of underemployment is worse than the average for developed nations. The new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Jobs Strategy report shows that Australia's gender pay gap in 2015 was 41.5 per cent, higher than the OECD average of 38.1 per cent. The labour underutilisation rate (a combination of underemployment and unemployment) for 2016 was 28.5 per cent, which was higher than the OECD average of 27.2 per cent. The rate of part-time employment for women was also higher than the OECD average and the labour supply of mothers with young children was low in comparison. Declan Myers is among underemployed Australians. Credit:Wolter Peeters When it came to its employment rate, Australia scored well with 76 per cent compared to the OECD average of 72.1 per cent. Australia's unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent was just below the OECD average of 5.9 per cent. The OECD reported the quality of jobs in Australia was also generally high. Wong, 27, who got the highest possible HSC mark, a UAI of 100, said he spent a lot of time in year 12 thinking about what to do after high school and worrying about making the wrong choice. "You've got so many options that you didn't realise you had, you realise the world is a lot bigger than your high school and community," Wong said. He did a three-year degree in science at the University of Sydney and then finished a medicine degree, with an elective at Oxford University. He is now working as a doctor in emergency departments in Adelaide while he finishes a PhD in cardiographic research. "I didn't necessarily take the path most people had taken with my decision to do a science degree first but I've picked up skills that have been useful," Mr Wong said. This is also true for Melissa Chen, 28, who also graduated from James Ruse with a UAI of 100 but decided to take a navy gap year instead of going straight to university. She might have been the only one from her school to take a year off from study, but her time in the navy led to her decision to move to Darwin as a criminal lawyer. "It was pretty stressful getting through year 12 and I knew that I wanted a break and wanted to get out of my comfort zone and do something that was a physical challenge," Ms Chen said. Melissa Chen, who got a UAI of 100 in 2008, is now a criminal lawyer in Darwin. "My mum was a bit like, 'why are you doing this?'. And I was pretty worried that having that year off would mean I was bit behind the eight ball." But the experience was invaluable. "You make great friends and challenge yourself and learn a lot," she said. At uni, Chen wanted to become a diplomat, but a placement at a Darwin immigration detention centre and some time working at a domestic violence service changed her mind. "[I] really enjoyed having a practical application to what we had learned, that's what really drew me to being a lawyer," she said. Eyebrows were also raised at Mark Yeow's career choice after he graduated from Sydney Grammar with a UAI of 100. "I logged in to look at my mark in the morning at around 9am and then 15 minutes later, all the calls from the universities came in," the 28-year-old said. "One uni guy said, I see here you've put down as your first preference media and communications, second is law and third is medicine, and he was like, are you sure you don't want to do law?" said Mark Yeow, who got a UAI of 100 in 2008. "One uni guy said, 'I see here you've put down as your first preference media and communications, second is law and third is medicine', and he was like, 'are you sure you don't want to do law? You know you can go into medicine'?" Yeow was not swayed. "I knocked out any course where I thought it would require far too much work to be worth my while and ended up in media and communications because I could write half decently," Mr Yeow said. He ended up working in public relations in Singapore, where he eventually started his own marketing business. He said that the HSC taught him some valuable things but his mark hasn't meant much since leaving school. "It just taught me that no problem is unsolvable and you just need to find the right lever to apply to it," Yeow said. 20 years on Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, who was in year 12 at Wenona School in 1998, had already decided she wanted to be an historian when she was nine years old. Like other students at the time, she nervously awaited a UAI rather than an ATAR, which was delivered through the post. According to the contents of that fateful envelope, Irving-Stonebraker was equal first in the state her UAI was 100. "I always knew what I wanted to do and it required an arts degree, which doesn't require a high UAI at all," Dr Irving-Stonebraker, 38, said. Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, who got a UAI of 100 in 1998, is now an associate professor in history at the University of Western Sydney. Credit:Louise Kennerley "I didn't want to be swayed by getting a high mark and doing something like medicine that my heart wasn't in. I'm glad I had a strong sense of what I wanted to do." After graduating from the University of Sydney, Dr Irving-Stonebraker did a PhD in history, followed by stints at Oxford and Florida State University before taking a job at Western Sydney University. "It doesn't mean I think I did everything right but there's no clear sense I would do anything differently in terms of life choices," she said. Sarah Irving-Stonebraker with her father Terry Irving, photographed by the Sydney Morning Herald in 1998 after getting her UAI. Credit:Peter Rae Unlike Dr Irving-Stonebraker, Alison Beaumer didn't have a plan when she finished her HSC at Meriden School in 1998. She chose law because of her UAI of 100; happily, it ended up being a perfect fit. "I did law because I was good at humanities and got a good mark," Beaumer, 38, said. "It was very very hard to make a choice at that stage in year 10, I had diverse interests and wasn't sure where I'd end up." Beaumer realised she was genuinely interested in law during a stint at the NSW Court of Appeal where she said she loved "watching cases in action and got very interested in evidence. "I'm lucky to have found a career that's a good fit for me, I enjoy it and get to do interesting work every day," Beaumer said. "It was very very hard to make a choice at that stage in year 10, I had diverse interests and wasn't sure where I'd end up," Alison Beaumer said. Credit:Louise Kennerley 30 years on Students sitting the HSC in 1988 had to wait nearly a month after they got their HSC results to receive their rank in the mail. They received a Tertiary Entrance Rank, which was a number out of 500. When Jason Hui, a gastroenterologist and hepatologist in Sydney's south, graduated from Sydney Boys High School and learnt that he had gotten that year's top TER of 496, he was tossing up between medicine and engineering. Thirty years later, he is glad he chose medicine. "When I finished the HSC at the age of 17, there was a lot of uncertainty," Dr Hui said. "If I'd ended up doing some science-based study I'd still be very happy but I really like medicine so no regrets. "By the time you're done with the HSC you have some idea whether you're a science-based person or an arts-based person and the key is to follow what you like." "People think the HSC is the hardest exam but university is certainly harder than the HSC, you have to be a lot more self-motivated and independent," Jason Hui said. Credit:Nick Moir While getting the top score in his year opened doors for him, including scholarships throughout his university degrees, Dr Hui said life became more challenging and interesting after school. "People think the HSC is the hardest exam but university is certainly harder than the HSC, you have to be a lot more self-motivated and independent," Dr Hui said. 40 years on When he graduated from St Joseph's College in 1978, Martin Mulcare was among the top 20 students in NSW. He was determined to defy expectations and avoid law or medicine. Martin Mulcare has worked in top finance and banking firms and run for parliament since graduating with a top HSC score in 1978. Credit:Peter Rae "I wasn't going to do that out of spite," Mulcare, 57, said. Instead, he accepted a scholarship in actuarial studies at Macquarie University and played for the Balmain Tigers under-23s. Loading He worked at various insurance companies before he decided to stop climbing the corporate ladder because he didn't want to be a chief executive. So he sat on boards, consulted and worked with actuary students. He also ran against Liberal MP John Alexander as an independent candidate in Bennelong at the last federal election. "I got 3000 votes or something, it was not what I'd hoped but it was a great experience," Mulcare said. Mulcare said his career has taught him that trying to plan one's life doesn't usually work. David Ipp, the former judge and anti-corruption commissioner, once wrote that "defamation litigation is a fact of Australian life". Whatever our self-perception may be that we are a laid-back people, many of us are swift to threaten defamation action. Sydney has a good claim to the title of being the defamation capital of the world. (Privacy is now the claim of choice in London, but that's another story.) There is enough defamation litigation in Sydney to have specialist lists in the Supreme and District courts. Rebel Wilson mounted a high-profile defamation case over magazine articles. Credit:AAP Ipp also once famously described defamation as "the Galapagos Islands division of the law of torts". Unlike other areas of law, defamation is yet to evolve. Defamation law has a deserved reputation for being complex, technical and artificial. There is renewed appetite for defamation law reform. This is welcome but overdue. After ten months of life support, treatment and rehabilitation, a Belrose man has died of injuries allegedly sustained in a late-night fight in February this year. Adrian Piekus, 43, suffered critical head injuries including a fractured skull in an alleged late-night altercation in the carpark of his Terrey Hills workplace, Better Produce. When emergency services arrived to the Mona Vale Road address, Mr Piekus was unconscious and taken to Royal North Shore Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. Kenneth McMinn, 26, was charged with reckless grievous bodily harm, which the Herald understands is likely to be upgraded in coming days. In an unsuccessful bail application at Manly Local Court following Mr McMinn's arrest in February, police told the court charges could be upgraded to assault occasioning death if Mr Piekus did not survive. For five gruelling months Kathryn Greiner criss-crossed NSW to listen to the concerns of retirement village residents, from the lack of fire drills in bushfire prone areas to complex contracts that left them in financial ruin. As chairwoman of an inquiry into the NSW retirement village sector, which was triggered by the Herald and ABC's joint investigation into juggernaut Aveo, Ms Greiner delivered her findings and recommendations to the government exactly a year ago. Kathryn Greiner is NSW's first retirement village ambassador. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Little did she know the sector-changing hard work would truly start now. The NSW government will announce Ms Greiner as the state's first retirement village ambassador, representing 56,000 residents across the state. A teenager has died and 16 others have been hospitalised following suspected drug overdoses at a dance music festival in Sydney's west on Saturday night. Nineteen-year-old Callum Brosnan, from Baulkham Hills, was found at Sydney Olympic Park train station, then taken to Concord Hospital where he died around 4.30am. The alleged drug offences have reignited debate about pill-testing. Credit:Harder Styles United Two women, aged 19 and 25, and a man were taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition, but on Sunday afternoon had woken up from induced comas and were in a stable condition. Police say 13 other people were hospitalised and 130 sought medical treatment at the event. Adani has set aside an area of land larger than Moreton Island as an offset habitat to protect the endangered black-throated finch at its Carmichael Mine in the Galilee Basin. The plan has not been approved by either the Queensland or federal governments and is awaiting evaluation before any mining can begin. The yellow area shows the 33,000 hectares of land set aside as a conservation zone to protect the black-throated finch and other threatened species. Protecting the black-throated finch from the mine operations is a long-running issue and part of Adani's biodiversity management plans that must be resolved before the Carmichael Mine can go ahead. Adani has submitted a management plan to the Australian and Queensland governments [that] was developed by ecological experts to protect the black-throated finch, a company spokeswoman said. A man has been shot in the leg after being involved in a neighbourhood dispute west of Ipswich on Sunday. Emergency services were called to a property on Albert Street in Rosewood, 20 kilometres west of Ipswich, about 1.30pm. A dispute between two neighbours has ended in one being shot in the leg in Rosewood, west of Ipswich. Credit:Nine News Queensland - Twitter They found a 43-year-old man, who lived in the Ipswich suburb of Brassall, with a gunshot wound in the leg. He was taken to hospital. Its name is Bella. It is 90 metres long, weighs more than the equivalent of 80 trams and is on its way to Melbourne. It's one of two $50 million massive tunnel-boring machines that will work all night excavating thousands of tonnes of dirt and rock for the West Gate Tunnel project. Bella will leave China next week for the month-long trip to Australia. Standing at the tunnelling hub shed in Yarraville to discuss the project, Premier Daniel Andrews said the shed was one piece of the puzzle. "Were getting on and delivering this massive piece of road infrastructure, $6.7 billion, 6000 jobs, that critical second river crossing to take the pressure off the West Gate Bridge," he said. How many Australians know that, 70 years ago this week, Australia's H. V. "Doc" Evatt, was president of the United Nations General Assembly? Then Australian foreign minister H. V. "Doc" Evatt (right) at a UN executive meeting. Credit:Nine On Monday, we celebrated a milestone in global human rights that Evatt presided over: the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Trail-blazing Australian feminist lawyer Jessie Street worked with Evatt on both the declaration and the UN charter that preceded it. Street was the only female delegate on the charter. Other Australians also worked tirelessly to bring to light this landmark declaration, and other UN documents, which changed the global face of human rights. But Australia's record as a global champion of human rights has diminished since. Australia is now the only Western democracy without a national human rights charter. I recently hosted a YWCA event in Canberra with former Australian Human Rights Commission president Professor Gillian Triggs. She said she was often frustrated in her role by the schism between our professed commitment to human rights internationally and our utter indifference to them at home. If you believe all the hype that's peddled, you might think Labor had its act together and the government was in disarray. On that basis you'd expect Labor to be all over the government in Parliament and the government to be struggling. Bill Shorten during question time on Thursday. Credit:AAP We saw some of this over-dramatisation of the government's internal issues last week. A party meeting was called to deal with an idea that has been under discussion since Malcolm Turnbull was deposed, namely putting some security of tenure around a prime minister's term. Apparently having a meeting to settle something that was raised months ago is a crisis. You might think that Bill Shorten, having no apparent internal issues, would be cool as a cucumber and be the master tactician dealing with an allegedly distracted Prime Minister. The trouble with that scenario is that Scott Morrison wasn't distracted at all. Labor ran a snake-oil story that has been shown to be just that. The government didnt lose one vote in the House of Representatives in the past fortnight. Not one. You may be surprised to know that at the end of the parliamentary year, Labor suffered complete humiliation. Labor MPs suffered it because they got ahead of themselves. They started to believe their own bulldust. Being a legend in your own lunchtime is dangerous. Morrison gave Shorten a much needed reality check. The government walked away from Parliament in control ... it got what it wanted. Labor left looking like windbags. It would put at risk "the privacy of applicants, given the transfer of personal data to a private provider, and ultimately weaken the integrity of Australias borders". The statement from Mr Neumann's office said that selling off the task currently done by government employees would "mean the loss of thousands of Australian jobs". Its immigration spokesman, Shayne Neumann, said on Sunday the party was deeply concerned about letting a private company do the work. On Friday, the Department of Home Affairs outlined the next steps in what has been a prolonged process to engage a private company. The 10-year contract would need perhaps a billion dollars in investment by the winning bidder but the company would be able to levy a service charge for processing some types of visa, and this would generate an estimated revenue to the winner of $315 million a year rising to about $450 million at the the end of the period. It is not clear whether any incoming Labor government would undo any privatisation if it had already been done or simply oppose it before it happened. Labor's statement says, "The work of processing and assessing visa applications should be done by highly trained and experienced public servants, who are sensitive to public policy issues, and are accountable ultimately to the Australian government and the Australian people. "Labor is opposed to the privatisation of Australias visa processing system because we will stand up always for our national interests including well paid jobs and conditions for Australians." She also believes that women leaders have built reserves of self-discipline over years of having to meet higher standards of personal behaviour in the political field than their male counterparts. You have to be able to do that just to keep all the blokes focussed and on the paddock, she says. This, she says, is reflected in the manner with which they cope with the shock of the end. Former prime minister Tony Abbott during debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Tony Abbott, she notes, has been involved in politics since he was a student. It could be, she says, that he has considered life after politics and simply does not find the thought of it appealing. It has already been remarked upon that Abbott would earn a higher income on a former PMs pension than he does as a government backbencher. Josh Black, a postgraduate student at the University of Wollongong, has just completed a study of the memoirs and diaries of members of the Rudd-Gillard cabinet. He believes that Rudd is often drawn back into the political fray in part because the issues that drove him - such as climate change and the broadband network - are still at the heart of the political debate. They have become issues that he cant let lie. Carnell says it would do former leaders good to remember that it is simply impossible for their political commentary, no matter how it is intended, to be constructive. It always, always going to be destructive. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Leanne Faraday-Brash, a leading organisational psychologist, is careful to say she could not comment specifically on individual cases, but says there are psychological explanations for some of the unhealthy and unattractive behaviour of former leaders. She likens Turnbulls early determination not to succumb to "miserable ghost syndrome" and his subsequent political interventions, to the reaction that many senior professionals have upon their sudden dismissal. It is not uncommon in such cases, she says, for initial shock to be later supplanted with a fury so deep that it even cruels a subsequent job search. But she notes that someone with an attractive outside life outside politics - someone with, say, financial security, close family ties and immediate alternative prospects - may bounce back quicker than others. The most difficult transitions from high-powered jobs, she says, are felt by those with narcissistic traits so deep that it might even be considered a disorder. In those cases grandiosity can be pronounced and rejection can be intolerable, as is the thought that anyone else could be as capable in their prior role as they were. Hypercriticism or abandonment in early life triggered by an ousting later can provoke a pronounced rage and an ensuing lack of self-control. Labor premier Bob Carr resigned from the NSW top job in 2005. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The day he announced his resignation as premier in 2005 Bob Carr was in a tremendous mood. He had enjoyed a dream political run. He was elected unopposed as leader of the NSW Labor Party, never lost an election and when his polling sank he shocked everyone by announcing his departure. That day, Carr called members of the press gallery to his office to break the news and told them he had just seen the movie Downfall about Hitlers last days. Over a mineral water he recounted his favourite line. Im done with politics, he recalled the fictionalised Hitler as lamenting while Russian shells pounded his bunker. After a big, deep laugh, Carr added his own commentary about the dark absurdism of the moment. Its not like he had any choice. Its not like he could nip off for some professorial fellowship at Harvard. Asked if there is an inherent sort of driven madness in those compelled to pursue high office, Carr concedes that a person who thinks they might be able to do the job but could not face the endless door-knocking and branch barbeques might be more mentally healthy than those who run. But, he adds, the politician is perhaps little different to anyone else who would take it upon themselves to run any other complex sprawling institution, such as a bank or a media organisation. London: Britain's Brexit minister on Sunday insists a crucial vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal would go ahead after a newspaper reported she planned to delay it to make way for a last-minute dash to Brussels to seek a better offer. Several pro-Brexit former government ministers used media appearances to pile pressure on May to go back to the European Union and renegotiate a deal that looks set to fail to win majority support among her own Conservatives or opposition parties. The rejection of May's deal by Parliament on Tuesday would would throw plans for Britain's exit from the EU into turmoil and leave her own political future hanging in the balance. The Sunday Times reported May was expected to announce on Monday that she was delaying the vote to head to Brussels to make a final appeal to the EU to improve Britain's exit deal. Dubai: Iran has detained a University of Melbourne academic on charges of trying to "infiltrate" Iranian institutions, according to official state media. Melbourne University academic Meimenat Hosseini-Chavoshi. Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi, a dual Australian-Iranian citizen, was detained as she was leaving Iran, the state news agency IRNA confirmed on Sunday. Hosseini-Chavoshi is a population expert affiliated with the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Population control has become a sensitive issue in Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued an edict in 2014 calling for a population increase after decades of state-promoted birth control. Even then, before the inauguration, the Saudis were trying to position themselves as essential allies who could help the Trump administration fulfil its campaign pledges. In addition to offering to help resolve the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, the Saudis offered hundreds of billions of dollars in deals to buy US weapons and invest in US infrastructure. Trump later announced versions of some of these items with great fanfare when he made his first foreign trip: to an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The Saudis had extended that invitation during the delegation's November 2016 visit. US President Donald Trump shows a chart highlighting arms sales to Saudi Arabia during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington in March, 2018. Credit:AP "The inner circle is predominantly deal-makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner," the Saudi delegation wrote of the incoming administration in a slide presentation obtained by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar. Several Americans who spoke with the delegation confirmed the slide presentation's accounts of the discussions. The courtship of Kushner appears to have worked. By March, Kushner helped usher Crown Prince Mohammed into a formal lunch with Trump in a state dining room at the White House, capitalising on a last-minute cancellation by Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany because of a snowstorm. "The relationship between Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman constitutes the foundation of the Trump policy not just toward Saudi Arabia but toward the region," said Martin Indyk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Middle East envoy. The administration's reliance on the Saudis in the peace process, its support for the kingdom's feud with Qatar, a US ally, and its backing of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, he said, all grew out of "that bromance". White House senior adviser Jared Kushner watches a ceremony where President Donald Trump was presented with The Collar of Abdulaziz Al Saud Medal, at the Royal Court Palace, on May 20, 2017, in Riyadh. Credit:AP Top aides to Crown Prince Mohammed met Kushner on a trip to New York in November 2016, after the election. The Saudi team included Musaad al-Aiban, a Cabinet minister involved in economic planning and national security. Kushner was clear about his priorities, the report said. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict was among the most important issues to draw Kushner's attention," the delegation reported, and therefore the best way to win him over. To cultivate ties with the Trump team, the Saudis had prepared a long list of initiatives they said would help Trump deliver for his supporters. Several of the proposals were evidently welcomed. One was a "joint centre to fight the ideology of extremism and terrorism." Trump helped inaugurate a Saudi version of the center on his trip to Riyadh the following May. US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka, left, and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner attend the opening ceremony of the new American embassy in Jerusalem in May. Credit:AP Another Saudi proposal outlined what the Trump administration later called "an Arab NATO". In their presentation, the Saudis described it as an Islamic military coalition of tens of thousands of troops "ready when the president-elect wishes to deploy them". Other initiatives appeared timed to Trump's first term in office, like proposals to spend $US50 billion over four years on US defence contracts, to increase Saudi investment in the United States to $US200 billion over four years, and to invest, with other Gulf states, up to $US100 billion in American infrastructure. And the delegation urged Trump to come to Saudi Arabia himself to "launch the initiatives as part of a historic welcome celebration". Within weeks of Trump's move into the White House, Kushner had embraced the delegation's proposal for the president to visit Riyadh, convinced by then that the alliance with Saudi Arabia would be crucial in his plans for the region, according to a person who discussed it with Kushner and a second person familiar with his plans. By the time of the inauguration, Kushner was already arguing that under the influence of Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia could play a pivotal role in advancing a Middle East peace deal, according to three people familiar with his thinking. That would be the president's legacy, Kushner argued, according to a person involved in the discussions. Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner, both White House advisers, at the Royal Court Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during US President Donald Trump's visit. Credit:AP It was around the time of the White House visit in March 2017 that senior officials in the State Department and the Pentagon began to worry about the one-on-one communications between Crown Prince Mohammed who is known to favour the online messaging service WhatsApp and Kushner. "There was a risk the Saudis were playing him," one former White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. One former White House official argued that Kushner's personal ties to Crown Prince Mohammed had sometimes been an asset. At one point, for example, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen had blocked a critical port, cutting off humanitarian and medical supplies. The national security adviser at the time, Lieutenant General HR McMaster, suggested that Kushner call Crown Prince Mohammed to address the issue, the official said, and McMaster believed Kushner's intercession had helped persuade the Saudis to loosen the restrictions. Loading Few of the Saudi promises have amounted to much. The effectiveness of the counterterrorism centre in Riyadh remains doubtful. After offering $US50 billion in new weapons contracts, the Saudis have signed only letters of interest or intent without any firm deals. After proposing to marshal up to $US100 billion in investments in American infrastructure, the Saudis have announced an investment of only $US20 billion. Inside the White House, Kushner has continued to argue that the President needs to stand by Crown Prince Mohammed because he remains essential to the administration's broader Middle East strategy, according to people familiar with the deliberations. Whether Crown Prince Mohammed can fulfil that role, however, remains to be seen. His initial approaches to the Palestinians were rejected by their leaders, and their resistance stiffened after the Trump administration recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital without waiting for a negotiated agreement on the city's status. Washington: Former FBI Director James Comey told politicians behind closed doors he would bet his life that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian ties to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign is being conducted "the right way". "There are not many things I would bet my life on," Comey told the two dozen representatives from two congressional panels, in private. "I would bet my life that Bob Mueller will do things the right way, the way we would all want, whether we're Republicans or Democrats, the way Americans should want." A 235-page transcript of Comey's closed-door interview on Friday was released on Saturday by two Republican committee chairmen, who said "time constraints" will compel the former FBI director to return. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy released the document. The moon shows us its smiling "Man in the Moon" face every month, illuminated by the sun to varying degrees over the course of its orbit around us. However, thanks to its orbital dynamics, we only ever get to see that one hemisphere from Earth. The other hemisphere the "far side" is constantly concealed from us. Well, that's not strictly true. Libration, which is the gentle "wobbling" of the moon in the sky caused by changes in its position in its elliptical (i.e. non-circular) orbit around Earth, mean we can catch glimpses of small slivers of the far side we can actually see 59 percent of the moon's surface from Earth at different times of the year. But until the first space missions to the moon flew around our natural satellite, what lay beyond on the far side was a mystery. It's often mistakenly thought that the far side of the moon is in darkness. Rather, it experiences day/night cycles just like the near side. When we see half of the moon being illuminated by the sun, giving it a half or crescent shape in the sky, half of the moon on the far side is being illuminated at the same time. When the moon is new, the far side is in full daylight instead. When the moon is full, it's night-time on the far side. [China's Chang'e 4 Moon Far Side Mission in Pictures] The reason we only see the one face is because of a phenomenon known as "tidal locking." The moon rotates on its axis roughly once every 27 days, which is the same amount of time it takes to orbit the Earth. This means it is rotating at a rate that means we always see the same face, more or less, as it moves around Earth. "There are two weeks of daylight and two weeks of night on every spot on the lunar surface," Charlie Duke, who was the Lunar Module pilot on the Apollo 16 mission, told All About Space. "It was early morning during the moon day at the Apollo 16 landing site, which was called Descartes. We were the fifth mission to land on the moon, and I can say that it really is a dramatic place." Charlie Duke became the youngest person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 16 mission. (Image credit: NASA) Our first glimpse of the mysterious far side came early in the space race, courtesy of the Soviet Union's Luna 3 spacecraft almost 60 years ago. In 1959, barely two years after placing Sputnik 1 in orbit, Russian engineers managed to send the spacecraft, which was crude by today's standards, into orbit around the moon and, for the first time, we got a good look at the mysterious far side. Luna 3 took 29 film images of the far side in total, which were photographically developed, fixed and dried on board remember, this was long before multi mega-pixel cameras. Ironically, the film used had been stolen from American spy balloons, as it had to be sturdy and radiation-hardened. The spacecraft, using a combination of two camera systems, one wide-field and one narrow-field but higher resolution, and a crude onboard scanner, could then transmit the processed images, which were spot-scanned from the photographs, back to the receiving station in the former Soviet Union. Although only 17 of the 29 taken were transmitted successfully back to Earth, of which six were considered good enough for publication, they proved to be a revelation. Those six images covered 70 percent of the far side and opened a whole new perspective on the lunar surface. It was almost immediately evident that the dark patches that make the face of the Man in the Moon on the near side are almost completely absent on the far side. These dark patches are basaltic plains called "mare" created by volcanic activity on the moon billions of years ago. Instead, the far side was littered with craters, even more so than the near side, and some of those craters were the size of small countries. The Soviets started naming many of the features they were seeing for the first time, an act which caused some controversy in what was known as the height of the Cold War era. We already had an inkling of one of those vast new craters, which is actually one of the very few mare on the far side. The subtlest hint of Mare Orientale, one of the largest impact craters known, seen on the limb of the moon, had been known of since its "discovery" by Julius Franz in 1906 and can be seen during good librations when that portion of the moon swings around towards us. [The Moon: 10 Surprising Lunar Facts] The view from Luna 3 showed how vast an impact crater Orientale was, resembling a bullseye. It was almost 560 miles (900 kilometers) across, pretty much the length of the United Kingdom give or take, and was caused by an asteroid impact, thought to be around 40 miles (64 km) wide just under 4 billion years ago. the resulting giant crater, termed an "impact basin," was subsequently filled with volcanic lava. The first image of the lunar far side, returned by the Soviet Unions Luna 3 spacecraft. In 1965, another Soviet mission, Zond 3, flew by the moon with a far better camera than Luna 3 possessed and with the ability to conduct more detailed science observations, including spectroscopy. Zond 3 produced 23 very detailed photographs of the lunar far side, which enabled one of the first detailed maps of the entire lunar surface to be constructed. In the meantime, NASA was progressing its Apollo Program at a phenomenal rate. Following the declaration by President Kennedy that the U.S. would place a man on the moon and return him safely to the Earth by the end of the 1960s, by December 1968 NASA was ready to send three people Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders all the way around the moon and back for the Apollo 8 mission. They became the first humans in history not only to escape from low Earth orbit but also to see the elusive far side. This is how Lovell famously described the lunar surface: "The moon is essentially gray, no color, looks like plaster of Paris or sort of a grayish beach sand. We can see quite a bit of detail. There's not as much contrast between that and the surrounding craters. The craters are all rounded off. There's quite a few of them, some of them are newer. Many of them look like especially the round ones look like [they were] hit by meteorites or projectiles of some sort." [Apollo 8: NASA's First Crewed Trip Around the Moon in Pictures] Apollo Capsule program manager George Low (left) alongside Wernher Von Braun, the designer of the Saturn V moon rocket. (Image credit: NASA) When the Apollo 8 spacecraft flew around the far side of the moon, the signal to Earth was cut off for around 10 minutes. This loss of signal was a daunting time for the flight crew and mission control; Apollo 8 was alone and truly cut off from Earth, venturing where no human had ever gone before. As the astronauts came back around from the far side, a collective sigh of relief was breathed by many of the flight team at mission control in Houston. Charlie Duke describes what it was like to be flying over the far side of the moon. "The computer told us that we were out of contact with the Earth and that we had loss of signal," he says. "Then, all of a sudden, there wasthe sunrise, it was the most dramatic sunrise Iveever seen. In Earth orbit, you see the sun's glow onthe horizon or the planets atmosphere, and it getsbrighter and brighter. The moon is different, thoughtheres instant sunlight with long shadows on thelunar surface. The far side of the moon was veryrough back there. I would not have wanted to landon the backside of the moon." After the success of Apollo 8, Apollo 9 went back to vital low Earth orbital testing of the lunar module, so the next astronauts to visit the far side were Gene Cernan, John Young and Tom Stafford on board Apollo 10 in May 1969, just two months before the historic landing of Apollo 11. However, while flying over the far side of the moon, the trio of astronauts encountered something strange, which in the last few years NASA has been forced to re-explain thanks to conspiracy theory documentaries airing on U.S television. The facts had been well known since the 1970s. These "strange events" on Apollo 10 were manifest in the form of some very odd sounds. The radio systems on board the Apollo spacecraft were crude by modern standards, though state of the art at the time. The command and lunar modules were relatively noisy environments according to most of the astronauts, with bumps and bangs combined with the whirring of fans and engine noise. What the Apollo 10 crew heard through the radio systems baffled them. They described it as being almost like that made by an electronic instrument called a theremin, often used in creepy science fiction B-movies of the 1950s and 60s, as well as on the Beach Boys song "Good Vibrations." Research has since proven that the sound was nothing more than an interference effect from those 1960s radio communications systems on board. [Lunar Legacy: 45 Apollo Moon Mission Photos] Apollo 10 crewmembers Gene Cernan, John Young and Thomas Stafford. (Image credit: NASA) With the onset of the moon landings, two astronauts would travel to the surface while a third remained onboard the command module to orbit the moon alone, though all of them got chance to orbit the moon and see the far side before landing. The solo orbital journeys of Michael Collins (Apollo 11), Dick Gordon (Apollo 12), Stuart Roosa (Apollo 14), Al Worden (Apollo 15), Ken Mattingly (Apollo 16) and Ron Evans (Apollo 17), who were the unsung heroes of the Apollo missions, are some of the bravest feats ever achieved by astronauts. They would spend days making quite detailed lunar observations from orbit, mapping features nobody had ever seen before. Al Worden is often quoted as saying that his time alone was some of the best he had during the Apollo 15 mission. It was nice to be rid of those guys, as you can imagine. Being stuck in something the size of a family car for over a week, it got pretty crowded up there. Once Dave [Scott] and Jim [Irwin] left, I felt like I had some real space to start to do my important work of mapping the lunar surface. But the far side, the views at certain times, when the sun and the Earth are blocked out, are like nothing you could imagine. The sheer number of stars you see is incredible; it's like a sheet of white, and you know that every single one of them is a sun in its own right." A question often asked of the Apollo astronauts and flight teams is, Why were all the missions just to the near side? [Moon Master: An Easy Quiz for Lunatics] "We wanted to be in contact with the Earth, so we weren't able to land on the far side of the moon," says Charlie Duke. Should something have gone wrong while the astronauts were on the surface, they would not have been able to communicate directly with Earth. This would not be such a problem today, as satellites could be put into lunar orbit to relay communications. One of the hundreds of rocks collected during the Apollo missions, which are still being researched to this day. This is one of the most famous, the Genesis Rock from Apollo 15. (Image credit: NASA) The far side is of growing interest to scientists, and potentially future planned human missions. Indeed, the possibilities for the far side of the moon are vast. For many decades, the astronomical and scientific community has wanted to put radio telescopes and optical telescopes on the far side. Observatories on the far side would be shielded from not only man-made radio interference from Earth, but also the glare of daylight on our planet. The telescopes could be built inside craters to avoid solar radiation, and would provide us with an unprecedentedly clear insight deep into the far reaches of the universe. We also have little true understanding of the processes that make the far side so vastly different in appearance to the near side. Why it is so scarred with impact craters and so lacking in volcanic mare is even more puzzling when you consider that when the moon formed, it was much closer to Earth, and may not have necessarily been tidally locked at that time, meaning there would have been nothing special about the hemisphere we dub the far side. Today, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has mapped the near side and far side of the moon in exquisite detail. And China just launched the robotic Chang'e 4 mission, which will make the first-ever landing on the lunar far side in early January. When humans do eventually return to the moon, the far side must be a goal for a landing. Understanding it will give us more insight into not only the moon's past, but also perhaps the moon's relationship with Earth our own past. This article was provided by Space.com's sister publication All About Space, a print magazine dedicated to astronomy, space exploration and the night sky. Sign up for the All About Space newsletter for news and subscription details! Follow us @Spacedotcom or Facebook. This version of the story published on Space.com. BRUSSELS - With Britain and the European Union's carefully crafted divorce deal headed for likely failure in the British Parliament this week, European leaders are bracing for more Brexit chaos - and warning they have little to sweeten the bargain for London. The landmark 585-page agreement, a thicket of legalese that extracts Britain from the European Union after more than four decades of membership, has proved politically toxic in Westminster. Everyone from hardcore Brexiteers to pro-EU Brits finds aspects to dislike. But both British Prime Minister Theresa May and EU leaders warn that the deal is the best on offer, given the red lines on both sides of the negotiating table. Europeans have gone slackjawed at London's political chaos, with normally demure diplomats comparing the process there to a slow-motion car wreck. They say they can offer little other than cosmetic tweaks that might help May save face with her own Conservative Party. And they have begun to accelerate their emergency planning to prepare safety nets that could avoid some of the humanitarian and economic chaos that might happen if Britain crashes out of the European Union on its deadline of March 29, with no other plan in place. "It's taken many people time to understand that things really are as bad as they are in the U.K.," said Lotta Nymann-Lindegren, a former Finnish diplomat who focused on Brexit issues and now works at the Miltton consultancy. "It's been a real eye-opener that an issue like this can cause such domestic political chaos." Although May could still pull off an upset victory, discussions in both London and Brussels revolve around the expected margin of her defeat on Tuesday. Scores of Conservative lawmakers have already declared their plans to rebel against May. "I believe the government is going to lose this vote next week, I hope - I'm afraid to say - the government loses the vote next week. And then either this prime minister or, if she will not do it, another prime minister must take it back to the EU and change it," said Zac Goldsmith, a Conservative lawmaker. The deal reflects a delicate balance on the island of Ireland, where Dublin has sought to maintain an open border with Northern Ireland to avoid reigniting the violent conflict there. London, in turn, has pressed to avoid any border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. If negotiators fail to craft a different deal during a 21-month transition period, Britain would be locked into a customs union with the European Union, subject to many EU regulations and unable to strike most trade deals with other countries. The compromise is painful, but May and her allies say it is necessary. "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," British Chancellor Philip Hammond told Parliament this week. If May loses, she could go back to Brussels, cap in hand, and ask for further concessions, as early as next Thursday at a previously scheduled summit. She would hope that any tweaks to the deal, plus perhaps panic from the markets, would be enough to persuade lawmakers to support it at a second vote. If that fails, there could be a leadership contest, a general election, a new government, even a second referendum. There is also the possibility - as May likes to point out to the hard Brexiteers - of no Brexit whatsoever. In Brussels, officials say they are willing to keep discussing the deal - just so long as nothing of substance changes. They could offer nonbinding declarations to make clearer that the remaining EU members do not want to lock Britain into an economic marriage against its will. They could tweak the part of the Brexit deal that lists the aspirations for their future partnership, which does not have the force of law. If talks seem to be on track, they could nudge the Brexit deadline from March to late June, when a British-free new European Parliament will be seated. "Usually there are some - I can joke - tricks," the frank-talking Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said last month of the way the European Union finds consensus among its many members. "We promise to promise." Advocates of a hard Brexit claim that they still have leverage in Brussels because the chaos of a deal-free British divorce would also snarl European economies. The ardent Brexiteer and former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, who quit May's government over his disgust with her Brexit plan, continued to urge May to threaten the EU that Britain would crash out of the trade bloc with no deal - to give the country more leverage. "But what people I think want to see is a bit of gumption from this country and a bit of willingness to tackle those problems, and a bit of leadership," Johnson told the political website ConservativeHome on Friday. EU negotiators say the British are badly deluded and that their own business leaders actually fear a no-deal Brexit less than concessions that could give British businesses advantages in the vast EU market without the obligations of EU regulations and taxes. Both sides are now drawing up emergency plans about how to minimize chaos if the worst happens. On the EU side, preparations have accelerated in recent weeks, as the depth of the British chaos becomes clearer, according to diplomats involved in the discussions. And on Friday, the British government warned of border disruptions for up to six months if the United Kingdom crashes out of the EU. Within a matter of days, the EU and Britain could impose measures to allow planes to keep flying, medicine and food to continue flowing into the United Kingdom, and British citizens living in Europe to remain there. But any plans will be temporary, analysts say, leaving deep uncertainty. - - - The Washington Post's William Booth and Karla Adam in London and Quentin Aries in Brussels contributed to this report. A three-member team of the CID and Government Analyst Department had left for Hong Kong to recover voice recordings, deleted from the Operations Director of the Anti-Corruption Force Namal Kumaras mobile phone. The Police said two officers comprising Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and a Chief Inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and a Government Analyst Department Official had left for Hong Kong Saturday night along with Namal Kumaras phone. Earlier, the Fort Magistrate granted permission to send Namal Kumaras mobile phone to Hong-Kong with regard to the telephone conversations, said to have been deleted. The CID informed the court that out of the 124 voice clips, 123 matched with the voice of the DIG Nalaka De Silva and Namal Kumara. The CID informed the court that certain clips had been deleted from the phone.(Darshana Sanjeewa) Ms Rudd told the Today programme: "A lot of people have a perfect vision of what they think Brexit should look like, and that 'perfect' is not available. "What we need is a compromise deal. That's what the Prime Minister has proposed and I would urge my colleagues to think about, first of all, why people voted to leave the European Union [and] what their interpretation is of that. And secondly, what the alternatives are. T housands of people are set to attend a pro-Brexit rally in central London today backed by Ukip's leader and EDL founder Tommy Robinson. Police have warned protesters against committing violence and causing disorder at the march in Westminster on Sunday. Several thousand people are expected to march through central London to demand that there is no betrayal over Britains exit from the EU. On Friday, Mr Robinson posted to his Facebook page urging them to attend the rally. He wrote: "Please join us on Sunday to protest about the government betraying the public over Brexit. Brexit means exit so dump the deal." Conditions have been imposed upon the Brexit Betrayal Rally and also upon a counter march planned by Oppose Tommy Robinson in London and United against Facism and Racism. Tommy Robinson will speak at today's pro-Brexit rally in Westminster / Getty Images Police have warned that anyone who commits violence at the protests will be arrested. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor of the Metropolitan Police, Gold Commander for the operation, said: "If you want to protest on Sunday we ask that you do so peacefully, no matter what your view. We will adopt a robust arrest policy on anyone who attends and is intent on violence and disorder, or is in breach of these conditions." Brexit Betrayal supporters must gather in Park Lane and then follow a route set by police to the end point in Parliament Street. No cars are allowed on the route and only 90 minutes is being allowed for the procession from 12.30pm to 2pm. Tommy Robinson is backing the Brexit betrayal march / REUTERS The rally in Parliament Street after the march must be completed by 3.30pm. Under the conditions, the counter protesters must assemble in Portland Place for their march at 12pm and follow the route set by police to the end point at Whitehall. The march must take place between 12pm and 1.15pm. Any rally at Whitehall at the end of the march must be over by 4.30pm. Mr Taylor said: "The right to protest is a fundamental right in our democratic society, but this right must be balanced against the right of people to go about their day without fear of violence, disorder or disruption. A video still of Gerard Batten's BBC interview in which he defended Tommy Robinson's appointment as an advisor / BBC "Experience has shown us that when groups with conflicting views come together it can create tension and disorder, not just on the day itself but in the longer term. We have had to carefully consider how to balance the right to protest with the potential impact on our communities and our ability to manage any disorder that may have resulted from these protests going ahead as they were suggested. Breaching the conditions is a criminal offence. The rally is taking place just two days before parliaments crucial vote on Theresa Mays Brexit deal. Almost 4,000 people have said they are going or interested in going on a Facebook event page set up ahead of the Brexit Betrayal Rally. Organisers posted: This is a cross-party People's Rally to show our MPs that the 17.4 million who voted Leave really meant what we said! We need as many people here as possible. Among the expected speakers are Ukip leader Gerard Batten, who will discuss the political aspects of Brexit, and Mr Robinson. A few thousand pro-Brexit supporters took to the streets of central London today for a march backed by Ukips leader and Tommy Robinson. One supporter of the Brexit Betrayal march was carrying a huge noose and gallows because he said it represented what traitor Theresa May deserves. The man, who identified himself as Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage, was widely condemned on social media for bringing the noose to the protest. He told the Press Association he had brought it along because: Thats what the traitor May deserves. Thats what treasonous people get. A man, who identified himself as Laukan Creasey, from Stevenage, hold a gallows and noose / PA He later told freelance reporter Trent Murray: "Hanging was banned years ago, it's purely a symbol." Another banner that was being held up by the protesters described the Prime Minister as Theresa treason May and showed silhouettes of the Prime Minister with knives stuck in her back. Tommy Robinson-backed Brexit Betrayal March and counter protests 1 /18 Tommy Robinson-backed Brexit Betrayal March and counter protests Clashes break out as police officers monitor protesters in Trafalgar Square during an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march PA People take part in a "Brexit Betrayal" march and rally PA Police officers marshal Tommy Robinson supporters away from demonstrators during an Anti-Tommy Robinson and Ukip rally in central London REUTERS Police officers holding truncheons as protesters in Trafalgar Square taking part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march and rally PA Police officers push back protesters in Trafalgar Square taking part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march PA Tommy Robinson AFP/Getty Images Demonstrators hold placards at the "Brexit Betrayal Rally" AP Police officers monitor protesters in Trafalgar Square taking part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march PA Police officers monitor protesters in Trafalgar Square taking part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march and rally PA People take part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march and rally PA Protesters hold up placards and Union flags as they attend a pro-Brexit rally AFP/Getty Images People take part in an anti-fascist counter-demonstration against a "Brexit Betrayal" march PA Protesters hold up placards and Union flags as they attend a pro-Brexit rally AFP/Getty Images People take part in a Ukip leader-backed Brexit betrayal rally Getty Images People take part in a Ukip leader-backed Brexit betrayal rally Getty Images People take part in a Ukip leader-backed Brexit betrayal rally Getty Images A man covers his face with a mask at the Brexit Betrayal rally Getty Images People take part in the Brexit Betrayal rally Getty Images In October, an anonymous Tory MP was widely condemned by politicians on all sides when they were quoted as saying that Mrs May should bring her own noose to a meeting of the Conservative partys 1922 backbench committee. Sundays march was led by former EDL leader Mr Robinson with the crowds chanting Oh, Tommy Tommy and What do we want? Brexit. When do we want it? Now. People take part in a Ukip-backed Brexit betrayal rally / Getty Images A counter-protest was taking place organised by Oppose Tommy Robinson in London and United Against Facism and Racism. Scores of police officers lined the route to keep the two groups of demonstrators separated with some forced to hold people back. By 4.30pm, a Scotland Yard spokesman said three people had been arrested. One, the Met confirmed was arrested on suspicion of assault, another was arrested for a public order offence and the third was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. Taking to the stage when the Brexit protest reached Parliament Street, Mr Robinson addressed the crowd and said: What a beautiful sight." Tommy Robinson takes selfies with supporters / Getty Images He joked: "Look at all these tattooed thugs." Mr Robinson added: "What you've witnessed this week by the establishment is fear. They fear a movement that can be politicised across this country." He went on: "I want to thank Ukip and Gerard Batten and Nigel Farage. The Brexit Betrayal march in Westminster / PA And to anyone who fought to bring us that referendum. Now they are being slandered and attacked." Praising Ukip leader Mr Batten, who has faced a series of resignations this week because he hired Mr Robinson as an adviser, he said: The amount of pressure on Gerard Batten, and he is still standing here... that is a leader. Mr Batten told supporters: My message to Parliament is clear and simple: dump the deal and take Britain out of the EU now. He added: The only way we will ever achieve a real exit from the EU is to rebuild the Ukip electoral threat once again. Protesters carring Trump banners at the pro-Brexit rally / AP Mr Robinson also attempted to talk people through the process of joining Ukip on their smartphones but he then joked that his bank details had been declined. Conditions had been imposed upon the Brexit Betrayal Rally and also upon a counter march planned by Oppose Tommy Robinson in London and United against Facism and Racism. Police had warned protesters against committing violence and causing disorder. The rally was taking place just two days before parliaments crucial vote on Theresa Mays Brexit deal. A protester at the Brexit Betrayal rally wearing a mask of the England flag / Getty Images Almost 4,000 people said they were going or were interested in going on a Facebook event page set up ahead of the Brexit Betrayal Rally. Organisers posted: This is a cross-party People's Rally to show our MPs that the 17.4 million who voted Leave really meant what we said! Petitioners final arguments As countrys time ticking away arguments in the Supreme Court meander through words and letters of the Constitution aking his final contentions, over the Fundamental Rights petitions filed against the Presidents decision to dissolve Parliament, Kanag-Iswaran PC, who appeared for Petitioners said . If the things go wrong, the reason will not be that we have a bad Constitution, but the man is vile. The Supreme Court on December 7 concluded the hearing of multiple Fundamental Rights petitions against the move to dissolve Parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena as well as several intervening petitions and extended the Interim Order against staying the dissolution proclamation till the judgment is delivered. The Judgment was reserved with the date to be notified to Counsels later. Following are the arguments moved by the Petitioners on December 7 as their final contentions: Summary of previous contentions of the respondent and the intervening parties On the earlier occasions, making submissions on behalf of the President, Attorney General emphasised that the Supreme Court is precluded from exercising jurisdiction in respect of the alleged violations of Petitioners Fundamental Rights, and from granting the relief prayed for by the Petitioners, and that it has no jurisdiction on the Presidents Proclamation of dissolution of Parliament. Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya with Solicitor General Dappula de Livera, Senior Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam, Additional Solicitors General Demuni de Silva and Farzana Jameel, as well as Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, Senior State Counsel Shaheeda Barrie, State Counsel Kanishka de Silva and Manohara Jayasinghe instructed by Senior Additional Solicitor General Sepalika Tiranagama, in his submission further stated that the dissolution of Parliament by the President did not constitute executive and administrative action. Making submissions on behalf of the intervening parties, Presidents Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena, Ali Sabri PC, Gamini Marapana PC, Monohara de Silva PC and Canishka Vitharana were of the view that Presidents decision to dissolve Parliament was not unconstitutional. They said that Articles 33(2)c and 62(2) of the Constitution have given a substantive isolated power enshrined in the President to dissolve Parliament at any time. They said the phrasal used in Sinhala version of Articles 33(2)c and 62(2) of the 19th Amendment have different meanings compared to its English meaning. Referring to the questioned of Article 70(1), they elaborated that there are two chapters in the Constitution setting out powers vested in the Executive and the Legislature. Their argument is that Section 33(2)c is a standalone Section set out under the Executive Powers Chapter of the Constitution and Section 70(1), which describes about dissolution of Parliament comes under the power of legislation chapter set out in the Constitution, allowing the legislation to call upon President to dissolve Parliament . They argued that it is prima facie evidence that Section 33(2)c is an unfettered provision which allowed the President to dissolve Parliament at any time. They said that people had elected the President and the sovereignty of people was with the President, and that cannot be curtailed. They also were of the view that the President prompted to take this decision as there was a breakdown in the Government and the whole country, so the President had decided to dissolve Parliament which he lawfully could do, to uphold the Sovereignty of the people because there is no better way other than to call upon an election to uphold the sovereignty of people. They argued that Article 33(2)c was introduced into the 19 Amendment deliberately as the legislature could not erode the executive powers set out in the Constitution (to dissolve Parliament) without a referendum, and therefore, Article 70(1) only an inclusion to enhance the check and balances and that it was a realignment of the legislative powers. Question of Jurisdiction Presidents Counsel Kanag-Iswaran, who appeared on behalf of the Petitioners, said that ones right to go before the court on Fundamental Rights violation, by an Executive or Administrative Action in terms of Articles 17 and 126 of the Constitution, could not be ousted merely without a Constitutionally valid derogation. Article 17- says that every person shall be entitled to apply to the Supreme Court, as provided by Article 126, in respect of the infringement or imminent infringement, by executive or administrative action Mr Kanag-Iswaran said that it was only under Articles 154 J and 170 that one had been provided total ousted clauses curtailing the jurisdiction of the court from hearing any case against actions arising out of those Fundamental Rights Articles. He also said Articles 41 and 61A had provided partial ousted clauses limiting the jurisdiction of Court only to Fundamental Rights violations. He said that the position maintained by the respondents that Article 38 (Impeachment procedure) should have been the provision that was available to take actions against a President over a Constitutional Violation was wrong, since Article 38 which provided an impeachment procedure against President was limited to Parliament and not an ouster clause, which prevented the petitions from the access to Article 126 (Fundamental Rights violation actions). Out of the two remedies, either one could be selected. It cannot be restricted unless by a clear ouster clause in the Constitution, he said. Executive action or not Answering the question that whether the power to dissolve Parliament of the President could be regarded as an Executive Action, he read Article 35 (Immunity of the President) of the Constitution, which says, While any person holds office as President of the Republic of Sri Lanka, no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against the President in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by the President, either in his official or private capacity: Provided that nothing in this paragraph shall be read and construed as restricting the right of any person to make an application under Article 126 against the Attorney-General, in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by the President, in his official capacity Article 35 opens a gate for the citizens to take Fundamental Rights violation actions against anything done by the President in his official capacity, he said. He said that even an appointment of a Presidents Counsel or a Supreme Court Judge by the President could be challenged under Article 126 of the Constitution if there was a violation of Fundamental Rights protected under our Constitution. Is the dissolution of Parliament a Plenary power? Rebutting the intervening parties argument that the power of the President to dissolve Parliament was a plenary power, Thilak Marapana PC said, that recognition is long gone tradition which may have existed in kings time, and nowadays, even the actions of Englands Monarch is justiciable. Plenary power is a power that has been granted to a body or person in absolute terms, with no review of or limitations upon the exercise of that power. He further said the word used as in addition in Article 33 is only to add to the list of powers and duties vested on the President under that Article and nothing can be interpreted as to broaden the power. He also said that there were no different types of dissolution called as Legislative and Executive dissolutions, but still, only the President could dissolve Parliament under Article 70 (1) of the Constitution upon the two-thirds majority in Parliament. We misunderstood the harmonious interpretation of the Constitution, it is not that the Constitution must be read harmoniously with the matters happening in the country, but must be interpreted the provisions of the Constitution harmoniously, Thilak Marapana PC. Can President dissolve Parliament, when it is prorogued? Answering to the argument that the dissolution process set out in Article 70(1) of the Constitution can be taken away, when Parliament is prorogued, Mr Thilak Marapana said such situation was set out in Article 70 (3) of the Constitution as follows: 70 (3) A Proclamation proroguing Parliament shall fix a date for the next session, not being more than two months after the date of the Proclamation: Provided that at any time while Parliament stands prorogued the President may by Proclamation (i) Summon Parliament for an earlier date, not being less than three days from the date of such Proclamation, or (ii) Subject to the provisions of this Article, dissolve Parliament. He said this was a power given to the President to exercise not at any time but to exercise during only the time when Parliament is prorogued. He was of the view that in such situation President could dissolve Parliament subject to the provision of this article, Article 70 (1). He elaborated the only three scenarios that the President could dissolve Parliament under this provision. -Firstly, after the four and half years, the President can at any time dissolve Parliament -Secondly, if the time is within the four and half years, and a situation where Parliament is prorogued, then the President has to summon Parliament first (70(3)(i)) and pass a resolution with a two-thirds majority to dissolve Parliament . -Thirdly, when there is a resolution passed by Parliament with a two-thirds majority then the President can dissolve Parliament. This Article 70(3) is not an unworkable provision, it caters how the President should prorogue and dissolve Parliament subject to the other provisions of the same Article. T. Marapana said. Mr Marapana also pointing the importance of the dissolution process under Article 70 (1) of the Constitution, explained that under Article 48 (2) If Parliament rejects the Statement of Government Policy or the Appropriation Bill or passes a vote of no-confidence in the Government, the Cabinet of Ministers shall stand dissolved, and the President shall, unless he has in the exercise of his powers under Article 70, dissolved Parliament, appoint a Prime Minister,- there is a reference to Article 70, and that means the President can only dissolve Parliament according to the procedure set out in Article 70(1). Do the Sinhala, Tamil and English texts have different meanings? Replying to the argument of differences of the text in Article 62(2), M.A. Sumanthiran said the meaning of the text in both -English and Sinhala was the same but only the structuring of sentences differed. 62 (1) There shall be a Parliament which shall consist of two hundred and twenty-five members elected in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. (2) Unless Parliament is sooner dissolved, every Parliament shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer, and the expiry of the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of Parliament. He said that Article 62 was about the term of Parliament in the general sense. It says firstly that there is a five years term, then it says unless sooner dissolve, because there is a possibility of Parliament being dissolved prior to its full term under Article 70 (1), he said. Mr Sumanthiran was also of the view that Article 62 does not mention who can dissolve Parliament and that it is enough to be identified this provision as a common Section which provided the term of Parliament. The phrase, Unless sooner dissolved is a phrase there in any constitution in the world, where Parliament is not a fixed term, he said. Further elaborating his legal argument Mr Sumanthiran moved that Parliament, in fact, could not make laws only in Sinhala and Tamil, and it had to make them available in English as well (in three languages). Referring to the 16th Amendment and Article 23 of the Constitution, in a situation of inconsistency among translations, he said the law didnt say that the Sinhala Language should prevail, when there was an inconsistency among every language, but only said when inconsistency between Tamil and Sinhala, so the English had been left alone for a good reason, since some provisions had to be interpreted with its original version. Such as Article 10, 11 and 12 of the Constitution is borrowed from international instruments, and in forty years of jurisprudence in the Supreme Court has interpreted their English meaning, not the Sinhala translation, which has differences. Similarly, this Article 62 clause which is in Sinhala as Unless sooner dissolved has to be read with its origin, which is borrowed from the English text of Soulbury Constitution to explain the none fixed term Parliament , Sumanthiran said. He also said that even in Tamil and Sinhala texts there was no inconsistency as such because when one read the Tamil version it was clearly in line with the English meaning. The meaning of inconsistency is a very high degree matter, as in this situation there is none as such, since, all the confusions will go away if you go and read the both the Sinhala and Tamil version of Article 62, he said. 33 (2) In addition to the powers, duties and functions expressly conferred or imposed on, or assigned to the President by the Constitution or other written law, the President shall have the power - (c) To summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament; He also referred to Article 33(2) c and dealt with the clause of In addition. Mr Sumanthiran said, There are Additional Solicitor Generals in the Attorney Generals Department, but are we saying that those ASGs have more power than that of the Attorney General because they are additional? No! The phrase in addition is there in Article 33(2) to depict the powers that the President has in the supplement, not that it should be interpreted alone, but with other relevant Articles as well (with Articles 62(2) and 70(1). Article 33 (2) c is about, who can dissolve Parliament , Article 62(2) is about the general term of a non-fixed term Parliament and the possibility of its prior dissolution, and Article 70 is the provision says how the dissolution is done, in what means, on what conditions. These provisions must be interpreted harmoniously, Sumanthiran said. The dispute over Article 70(5) He also explained the dispute over Article 70 (5) (a) and (b). 70 (5) (a) A Proclamation dissolving Parliament shall fix a date or dates for the election of Members of Parliament and shall summon the new Parliament to meet on a date not later than three months after the date of such Proclamation. (b) Upon the dissolution of Parliament by virtue of the provisions of paragraph (2) of Article 62, the President shall forthwith by Proclamation fix a date or dates for the election of .. He said that the sub-Section (a) in this Article is talking about a proclamation that could be issued when Parliament was dissolved according to the process explained in Article 70 (1) before the four and half years time. And the (b) is referring to Article 62 because it speaks about a proclamation that should be issued when Parliament is automatically dissolved in the event of expiration of the term. What was decided in Supreme Court determination case in 2002 There was an argument that on an earlier occasion over the Supreme Courts determination in the case of In Re 19th Amendment Bill in 2002, that the Presidents power to dissolve Parliament cannot be limited unless by a referendum. However, Mr Sumanthiran clarified that in this case in 2002 the Supreme Court did not strike down such fetter being made over the dissolution power of the President since the proposed amendment in 2002 is different to what was proposed in 2015. He was of the view, that in the 19th Amendment of 2015, limited only the Power of the President to dissolve Parliament to four and half years, but still, even with a resolution of a two-third majority, the discretion is with the President to dissolve it. In 2002 determination case, Justice Sarath N. Silva observed the possibility of restricting the dissolution power of the President if the Checks and Balances are maintained properly, so our argument is that the 19th Amendment has restricted the power of the President in a way that caters to the Checks and Balances, he said. He was of the view that, the Supreme Court in 2015 determination allowed for such limitation, not because the inclusion of Article 33(2)c but such limitation can be done with the collaboration of the concept of Checks and Balances. Supporting the above argument, Presidents Counsel Thilak Marapana also said that Article 33 (2) c which was brought in by the 19th Amendment, was included as an enumeration to the powers and the duty of the President. By adding the dissolution of Parliament also in Article 33 (2) as an executive act allows such act to be justiciable under Article126 of the Constitution, he said. Supreme Court determination over the 19th Amendment in 2015 Mr Sumanthiran also showing a written submission made by the Attorney General in the Supreme Court determination case over the 19th Amendment Bill in 2015 said, that the AG too observed that there were limitations to the President in dissolving Parliament according to the proposed Bill, limiting to the situations where after four -and-a-half years of Parliament term and with a two-thirds resolution passed by Parliament. He pointed out the AGs stance on that occasion was that the mandate received from the people by Parliament under Article 4(a) of the Constitution is distinct by the mandate that was given to the Executive under Article 4(b) of the Constitution, and that the question needs to be understood in that light, if the President, who is not legislatively elected, prematurely dissolved Parliament. Article 4-The Sovereignty of the People shall be exercised and enjoyed in the following manner: (a) The legislative power of the People shall be exercised by Parliament, (b) The executive power of the People, including the defence of Sri Lanka, shall be exercised by the President Sumanthiran was also of the view that, if the intervening and respondents argument were to be accepted, it would render Article 70(1) superfluous or redundant, and that was not the way one must give effect to the provision of a Constitution. 70 (1) The President may by Proclamation, summon, prorogue and dissolve Parliament: Provided that the President shall not dissolve Parliament until the expiration of a period of not less than four years and six months from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless Parliament requests the President to do so by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of the whole number of Members (including those not present), voting in its favour. Who is responsible for the confusion Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne also appearing on behalf of the Petitioners replied to the argument put forward by the intervening parties, that there was a confusion in the country which led the President to take this decision to dissolve Parliament . He said: Earlier in the year there was a No Confident Motion passed against the government, which was successfully defeated, and until the October 26, the Government was functioning smoothly, as even according to the Hansard, on 25th and 26th of October there were several Money Bills that were passed. Even in the evening of October 26, there was a resolution passed over a supplementary. Then a Member of Parliament being appointed as the Prime Minister, who is still unable to prove that he had the majority. Later Parliament was prorogued till November 16 and subsequently, it changed till November 14. And amidst all, then the President dissolved Parliament on November 9, which was challenged before the Supreme Court and the Court gave an interim order staying the dissolution on November 13. Following that Parliament gathered on several occasions and passed No Confident Motions against the Government. This confusion was created by the President, so he should go to the people and ask whether he has done so far was correct or not by holding a presidential Election after January 9, 2019. The objective of the 19th Amendment He also observed that the reason to bring four and half years restriction on the dissolution of Parliament is to provide time for different parties for a unity government. The main objective of the 19th Amendment is to provide an opportunity for parties to work together at least for four and half years, he said. There was an argument about the way in which these petitions were filed under Article 12 (equal protection of the law) was inadmissible since the petitioners have to prove that they have been treated differently due to this dissolution in a comparison. Citing several precedents, Dr Wickramaratne said that over the past years the Court had adopted a new doctrine when examining such situations. Equality is a dynamic concept and that cannot be confined, because Equality and Arbitrary Actions are two sworn enemies, he said. He also said if the intervening parties argument was to be accepted, the President will have a power to dissolve Parliament at any time even in a situation where an impeachment process is initiated. This argument would render that the President could dissolve Parliament even at a time immediately after an impeachment process initiated in Parliament against him, so it would mean that Parliament could never have an impeachment against him, he said. Constitution and the peoples right Appearing for the Petitioners, Senior Counsel Viran Corea said that the Constitution was not a riddle, the common-sense approach in interpreting the Constitution was that country could operate with Rule of Law collectively. Constitution is a vehicle. When it is needed to stop and applied breaks, it should be stopped, because it is intended to do so, he said. In Article 33(2)c the power is there for the President to dissolve Parliament but in Article 70(1) there is a restriction on that, he said. Presidents Counsel J.C. Weliamuna was also appearing on behalf of the Petitioners counter-argued about the intervening parties contention of go to the people to solve the confusion. He said that the peoples voice could only be heard in a prescribed manner Election has to be held in a prescribed form by the Constitution, not after every morning tea because going back to the people is also regulated by the Constitution and the Franchise cannot be used as a defence in this situation, he said. Mr Weliamuna also citing various precedents observed that the Fundamental Rights violation jurisdiction is a sui generis jurisdiction, so that the all of the petitions come under the Supreme Courts jurisdiction. Presidents Counsel Geofrey Alagaratnam said that the Proviso of Article 70 (1) was not a mere proviso but an exception, as it has two limbs, firstly the limitation of not allowing to dissolve Parliament before four and half years time and secondly the requirement of two-thirds resolution over the dissolution. Giving the gratitude for the seven Bench Supreme Court Justices for allowing the judicial process to be gone through by hearing the case for four consecutive days, Senior Counsel Hijaz Hizbullah stressed the importance of the hearings. He was of the view that the interpreting of the Constitution is like connecting the dots, and that one would not know the real picture unless one started connecting all the dots which were relevant to the picture. He also referred to a remark of the President which said that he would not appoint a certain member of Parliament as the Prime Minister even if the all 225 members of Parliament were agreed. Considering Article 1 of our Constitution (Sri Lanka shall be known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka) Mr Hijaz Hizbullah asked: Is that statement of the President a Democratic, a Socialist, or a Republican? He also said that it was true that on two occasions the Supreme Court of Pakistan had decided that the President could disregard the Constitution in breakdown situation in the country, however, the Indian Supreme Court decided totally different to that by holding that the Constitution could never be violated . Now see the difference of the two countries democracy level after such decisions, he said. In a final statement considering the upholding of the democracy in the country, he said If not for your lordships, who? If not now when? Ten fundamental rights petitions against the Presidents declaration to dissolve Parliament came up before the bench comprising Chief Justice Nalin Perera and Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira J. de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna S. Jayawardena, Vijith K. Malalgoda and Murdu Fernando. Five petitions have sought to intervene to counter the main petitions. K. Kanag-Iswaran PC, Thilak Marapana PC, Dr Jayampathy Wickramaratne PC, M.A. Sumanthiran PC, Counsel Niran Anketell, Viran Corea, Ikram Mohamed PC, J.C. Weliamuna PC, Ronald Perera PC, Hizbullah Hijaz and Suren Fernando appeared for the petitioners. Gamini Marapane PC with Naveen Marapane, Sanjeeva Jayawardane PC and Ali Sabry PC appeared for the intervenient petitioners opposing the main petitions. *The writer, a law student as Daily Mirror Courts Reporter, has gathered above findings by listening to the oral submissions made on December 7, 2018, at the Supreme Court. He can be contacted via shehandailymirror@gmail.com M Ps have delivered another huge blow to Theresa Mays Brexit plan as a cross-party report criticised the deal for lacking in clarity and certainty. The Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration has been scrutinised for not being clear on the UKs future. The highly-critical report, which has been released days before the Commons is due to vote on a crucial deal on Tuesday, states: After 20 months of negotiations, we only know the terms of the UKs departure but not the nature of the future relationship of the EU. The Prime Ministers deal fails to offer sufficient clarity or certainty about the future. The report comes as another blow for Mrs May, who has also been warned she could be forced out as Prime Minister if she pushes on with her Brexit deal if it is rejected by Parliament. Last night Downing Street was forced to deny reports that the Prime Minister was planning to delay the vote to head back to Brussels. The Sunday Times had reported that Mrs May was going to delay the Commons vote in a frantic bid to save the deal by asking the EU for more concessions. Leaving number 10: Theresa May (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) / Getty Images But in the interview with the Mail on Sunday, she warned Tory MPs that they risk handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10 unless they back her deal. She warned Tory rebels that the UK would be left in "unchartered waters" if the deal is rejected. The cross-party report from the Commons Committee for Exiting the European Union said the Political Declaration, which outlines aspirations for future relations between the UK and EU, is "neither detailed nor substantive", meaning "significant uncertainty" remains about the terms of trade after a transition period. "What is clear from the Political Declaration is that the extent of our access to EU markets will depend on the degree to which we adhere to its rules," the report states. The MPs said that Government failure to set out objectives which are "realistic, workable, and have parliamentary support" mean that negotiations with the EU on the future relationship will be "further complicated, and could take significantly longer" than otherwise. There are no "realistic, long-term proposals" on how to keep the Irish border open while leaving the single market and customs union, according to the committee. The backstop, which would keep the UK under EU customs rules in order to prevent a hard border in Ireland, would be implemented if London and Brussels do not agree a trade deal by the end of a transition period. Under pressure: Theresa May / UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA Activating the Irish border backstop proposals would "result in immediate barriers to UK-EU trade in goods and services", according to the study. It states: "By July 2020 if the future relationship is not in place, or one/two years later if the transition/implementation period is extended, the UK could face the threat of significant economic disruption which would reduce its leverage in the negotiations." The committee also found that a Canada-style free trade deal with the EU would not be a viable option. This is because such an agreement "would not ensure the type of friction-free trade with the EU that many UK companies with just-in-time supply chains need." Previously, committee member and prominent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has spoken in favour of a Canada-style deal that would keep the Irish border open. Jacob Rees-Mogg / Bloomberg via Getty Images Committee chairman Hilary Benn said: "It is because the Government has refused to face up to the hard choices confronting us that this deal would represent a huge step into the unknown. "The Political Declaration falls far short of the 'detailed and substantive' document promised by former secretaries of state and by the EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. TODO: define component type apester "It does not give the British people or our businesses the clarity and the certainty they need about our future trading relationship with the EU in five or ten years' time. "And with these negotiations not even having started yet, this could take years to sort out. "It is now time for colleagues to decide on the Prime Minister's deal. "Throughout this process, the select committee has always argued for Parliament to be given a full and proper role, and a vote on what has been negotiated. "The opportunity to do that is now before us, and I hope this report, with its detailed analysis of the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration, will help members on all sides of the House to make their decision." The report also called for an agreement on outstanding citizens' rights issues to be prioritised in negotiations to give clarity and certainty to people impacted. And the committee said it would be "unacceptable" for the Government not to publish its white paper on immigration before the Commons votes on Mrs May's Brexit deal. T heresa May has just days left until MPs vote on her crunch Brexit deal which could decide her political fate. Mrs May faces a scramble to persuade the Commons to back her deal after fierce opposition to her plans showed no signs of letting up over the weekend. Staunch Brexiteer Boris Johnson refused to rule out a leadership bid during an interview with the BBCs Andrew Marr on Sunday and insisted Mrs Mays withdrawal deal did not need to include the Irish backstop and that he earnestly hoped it was voted down on Tuesday. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay insisted that the vote would still go ahead amid speculation Mrs May might be forced to delay the vote in a last-ditch effort to avoid defeat and go back to Brussels to ask for more. Boris Johnson speaks on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday / Jeff Overs/BBC/PA European Council President Donald Tusk fuelled speculation further by tweeting that he had spoken to Mrs May on the phone on Sunday and that this week was an important week for the fate of Brexit. Former Cabinet ministers Esther McVey and Dominic Raab, who also quit over the PMs Brexit plans, also refused to rule out leadership bids. Although Mr Raab backed Mrs May again to stay on if the deal was voted down and to go back to lead negotiations with the EU. On Monday, the European Court of Justice was due to rule on whether the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50 and cancel Brexit without the permission of the other EU member states. Dominic Raab speaks on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday / BBC/Reuters Last week, a senior adviser to the court wrote to judges expressing his legal opinion that the UK could. Ahead of Mrs May's crucial vote on Tuesday, cross-party politicians debated the future of the country, with Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg lashing out at the PM's Brexit plan. The Channel 4 debate was shown on Sunday evening / PA He said the deal "does not do what the Prime Minister said" on the customs union, the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and a border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "There are 68 pages of laws that will apply in Northern Ireland that will be adjudicated and made by the European Union," he said Ms Lucas put forward a counter argument in favour of a People's Vote. She said: "Why don't we just go back and check they are still happy with this?" Ms Lucas put forward that younger people would be more betrayed than anyone else. She added: One thing that is already clear by tonight is that this decision cannot be left to the politicians. We simply cant agree. This not a parlour game or debating society. These are real people with real lives M P Will Quince has resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson as he said he cannot support the Prime Ministers withdrawal agreement. The Conservative MP for Colchesters announcement is the latest blow to Theresa Mays Brexit deal, since she revealed her plan. Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Quince said: I wanted to support this Withdrawal Agreement, and I still want to support it, but unless the backstop is addressed to include either an end date or a unilateral exit mechanism, I cannot support it and so am resigning from the Government as a Parliamentary Private Secretary. "I implore the Prime Minister to go back to the European Union and find another way, to make this Withdrawal Agreement something we can all support." The 35-year-old is the latest in a string of politicans to have resigned since the PM unveiled her Brexit plan. Mrs May had been warned she could be forced out as leader if she pushes on with her Brexit deal, if it is rejected by Parliament. B rexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has laid into the Prime Ministers Brexit deal as he says it does not do as she said, while facing cross-party politicians for a live debate. Mr Rees-Mogg appeared on Channel 4s Real Brexit Debate alongside a panel of politicians including Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Conservative party deputy chairman James Cleverly MP and Labour MP Barry Gardiner. The four put forward opening statements to a live audience, with Ms Lucas arguing in favour for a Peoples Vote and Mr Rees-Mogg backing a no-deal Brexit. Tory deputy chairman James Cleverly said: "Our deal delivers on what people voted for. It takes back control of our money, our borders, our laws. The Channel 4 debate was shown on Sunday evening / PA "It means we can get on with Brexit and give more time to focus on other important issues like the NHS." He added: "The only thing we know for sure is that rejecting this deal means damaging uncertainty and, as a Brexiteer, the thing that worries me the most is the risk we do not leave the EU at all." But Mr Rees-Mogg said the deal "does not do what the Prime Minister said" on the customs union, the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and a border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "There are 68 pages of laws that will apply in Northern Ireland that will be adjudicated and made by the European Union," he said. Mr Cleverly said "all those instances are entirely temporary" during the transition period or backstop but Mr Rees-Mogg shot back, saying the Attorney General's advice showed "the backstop could be permanent". Green MP Caroline Lucas, calling for a second referendum, said politicians were split and the public had changed their minds on Brexit. She said: "Why don't we just go back and check they are still happy with this?" Ms Lucas put forward that younger people would be more betrayed than anyone else. She added: One thing that is already clear by tonight is that this decision cannot be left to the politicians. We simply cant agree. This not a parlour game or debating society. These are real people with real lives To the sound of applause, she said: Dont leave it to the Westminster elite to decide for you. Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg and Green MP Caroline Lucas / PA Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Channel 4 programme a second referendum would be a "losers' vote". "This is all about trust," he said. "Across Europe politicians are distrusted - there are riots in France and troubles in Italy. "Everybody agreed to accept the result of the referendum. Now Theresa May has said one thing and come back with a deal that does another." Labour's shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said the Government had failed and should call an election if the deal is defeated on Tuesday. "Their botched deal would destroy jobs, it would undermine rights and protections and it would rip our country in half," he said. He added Theresa Mays deal would rip the country in half and satisfy nobody. Conservative MP James Cleverly (left) and Labour MP Barry Gardiner / PA Tory deputy chairman James Cleverly said: "No one really knows what the Labour Party want at all." D owning Street have rejected the suggestions Theresa May could delay holding the crucial Brexit vote on Tuesday, despite reports. A spokeswoman for Number 10 said the vote is still planned, saying : The vote is going ahead on Tuesday. The Sunday Times had reported Mrs May was going to delay the Commons vote on the EU withdrawal, in a frantic bid to save the deal. And in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mrs May warned that the UK "would truly be in uncharted waters" if her Brexit deal is voted down by MPs. Under pressure on Brexit: Theresa May / AFP/Getty Images "It would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit," she said. "We have a leader of the Opposition who thinks of nothing but attempting to bring about a general election, no matter what the cost to the country ... I believe Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on power is a risk we cannot afford to take." In a message to her MPs, she said: "If you want Brexit, make sure you get it, and that's about this deal." The anticipated vote on Tuesday will see MPs deciding if they want to back Mrs Mays deal after five days of debating. Cabinet ministers have apparently warned Mrs May she would have to stand down if the deal is defeated and she fails to secure better terms from the European Union. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd is the first Cabinet minister to publicly discuss the merits of a "plan B" amid widespread speculation the deal will fail to clear the Commons on Tuesday. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also said he would consider delaying Britain's exit from the EU to negotiate a better deal if his party came to power. M eghan Markles father has revealed he is still facing a wall of silence from his daughter and her husband as he spoke of his love for her and his hopes that they will reunite. Thomas Markle, 74, said he has been frozen out and has still not heard from pregnant Meghan, 37, after a rift developed between them when he did not attend the royal wedding and staged a series of paparazzi photos and tell-all interviews. He said he has made dozens of attempts to reach his daughter via texts and letters and even sent a handwritten note to her via his ex-wife and Meghans mother Doria Ragland. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, his first in months, he said he was reaching out to them once again to try to correct the lies and get the truth out there. Thomas Markle with Meghan / Daily Mail He apparently showed the newspaper a series of handwritten notes from Meghan that were sent before they became estranged in a bid to prove that their relationship was once very close. He said: She wrote me hundreds of little cards and notes through the years. Sometimes they were for special occasions, other times just little notes she would leave round the house. Ive still got a Post-It note on my fridge which says, I love you Daddy. " Meghan and Harry on their recent overseas tour / Getty Images Another is said to have read: All I want to do is make you proud and I promise, no matter what, Ill do it. Mr Markle said Meghan also sent him $2,000 to put towards a holiday on Christmas after she became successful on the hit US legal drama Suits. He also produced a string of medical bills and showed them to the newspaper in a bid to prove his heart problems that prevented him from attending the royal wedding were not faked. Mr Markle said his life has been turned upside down since Meghan, now the Duchess of Sussex, met Prince Harry. The couple are expecting their first child in spring next year. Thomas Markle told Prince Harry 'Never raise a hand to my daughter' When they announced her pregnancy I had seven paparazzi on my doorstep night and day for seven days. They rented the house next door, Mr Markle said. He said he has faced harsh trolls on the internet and that harsh lies had been spread about him. The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Visit New Zealand 1 /24 The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Visit New Zealand Meghan, Duchess of Sussex consoles Joe Young following a meeting with young people from a number of mental health projects AP AFP/Getty Images Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex meet schoolboy Joe Young and other children outside the Maranui Cafe in Wellington Reuters AFP/Getty Images Getty Images Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with students from Houghton Valley School at Maranui Cafe in Wellington AFP/Getty Images Reuters Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet with representatives of mental health projects at Marenui cafe AFP/Getty Images Getty Images AP Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, meet actors in costumes during a visit to Courtenay Creative, in Wellington Reuters Reuters AFP/Getty Images Reuters Reuters Reuters Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex attend Totaranui Campground in the Abel Tasman National Park Getty Images Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit Totaranui Campground in the Abel Tasman National Park AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images I dont read things but then people send them to me anyway. They say I faked my heart attacks, that I wasnt at the first wedding. Its all bull****. Meghan and I never had any problems before this. If she would just speak to me, things could be different. I love Meghan very much. I want her and Harry to have a beautiful, healthy baby and a great life. But I want them to stop believing the lies. T he finance minister for France claimed the recent violent protests stage in the country have been an economic catastrophe. Bruno Le Maire said the Yellow Vest protests have also been a crisis for democracy and society. Hundreds of people have been protesting in France for the past four weekends over high living costs, fuel tax rises and other issues. Dramatic scenes have unfolded in Paris this weekend , as police fired tear gas at protesters and used water cannons and horses to charge into demonstrators. During Saturdays protest, about 125,000 people took part in France, with more than 1,700 arrested, the BBC reports. Protesters wearing yellow vests stand next to burning items near the Champ Elysees / AFP/Getty Images While the massive protests have been underway, popular tourist sites such as the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum have had to close. Mr Le Maire said: Its a catastrophe for commerce, its a catastrophe for our economy. Before the most recent protests, Mr Le Maire had said the restaurant trade had declined between 20 per cent and 50 per cent. Authorities have also reportedly said the riots have caused millions of pounds worth of damage. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire / REUTERS Paris went in to lock-down on Saturday with dozens of streets closed to traffic. Shops were also boarded up to avoid looting. US President Donald Trump tweeted about the day's scenes, saying: "Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe its time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes? The U.S. was way ahead of the curve on that and the only major country where emissions went down last year!" D etectives investigating the murder of young British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand have found a body. Police discovered a body in forest about 10 metres from the edge of a country road on the western outskirts of Auckland. The area, known as Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges, is about 15 miles away from the CityLife hotel where Ms Millane was last seen on Saturday, December 1. Officers believe that the body is that of 22-year-old Ms Millane, who is from from Essex. Detective Inspector Beard said the body was found during a scene examination. ( (Lucie Blackman Trust/PA Wire)) / (Lucie Blackman Trust/PA Wire) A short time ago we located a body that we believe to be Grace, he said. "The formal identification process will now take place, however based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days we expect that this is Grace. Grace Millane on CCTV shortly before she disappeared / PA "Obviously this brings the search for Grace to an end. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them." A 26-year-old man, who has not been named by police, was charged with murder on Sunday. He will appear at Auckland District Court on Monday and remains in custody. A stretch of the road was closed on Sunday afternoon while forensics officers scoured the area. Two large blue and white tents had been erected and investigators wearing white overalls were seen nearby. Scenic Drive snakes through dense rainforest in the Waitakere Ranges, which lie to the west of Auckland. The spot where police found the body they believe to be the backpacker is in the vicinity of the Waitakere Reservoir and dam, a beauty spot with hiking trails. Loading.... Det Insp Beard revealed that investigators are analysing a hire car as part of the probe. The red Toyota Corolla hatchback was hired from a central Auckland rental firm just before lunchtime on December 2, the day after Ms Millane was last seen alive. Police have appealed for sightings of the car in the west Auckland area between 6.30am and 9.30am on Monday. Sightings: The red Corolla rental car police are appealing for information about / Auckland City Police/PA Wire The last confirmed sighting of Ms Millane was at 9.41pm on December 1, the day before her birthday, at the Citylife Hotel in central Auckland, when she was seen with a "male companion". Since arriving in New Zealand from Peru on November 20, she had been in near-daily contact with her family. Police received a missing person report on Wednesday and commenced a major search and public campaign that saw dozens of calls made to a helpline. David Millane, father of missing English backpacker Grace Millane speaks at an earlier press conference in Auckland last week / AP T he brother of missing British backpacker Grace Millane has posted a heart-breaking tribute to his sister after detectives investigating her murder found a body. Declan Millane posted a series of pictures of himself with his sister and captioned them with the lyrics to You Are My Sunshine. Police said officers found a body in a forest about 10 metres from the edge of a country road, on the western outskirts of Auckland. Grace Millane: Body found in backpacker murder probe Ms Millanes brother wrote out the lyrics from song You Are My Sunshine in an Instagram post. Accompanying the sweet lyrics, were pictures of him and his siblings as children and young adults. He wrote: You make me happy when skies are grey. Youll never know dear, how much I love you. Please dont take my sunshine away. Mr Millane had previously posted missing person appeals in aid of his sister on social media in a desperate attempt to find her. Grace Millane has been missing in Auckland, New Zealand since Thursday (Grace Millane / Facebook) In response to Mr Millanes emotional post scores of well-wishers commented paying tribute to his sister. A 26-year-old man, who has not been named by police, was charged with murder on Sunday. He will appear at Auckland District Court on Monday and remains in custody. (Ms Millane had been travelling in New Zealand (Lucie Blackman Trust/PA Wire)) / (Lucie Blackman Trust/PA Wire) A stretch of the road was closed on Sunday afternoon while forensics officers scoured the area. Ms Millane's father, David Millane, flew to Auckland and made a public appeal for help finding his daughter, who he described as a "lovely, outgoing, fun-loving (and) family-orientated". A champion cross country runner tripped and fell flat on his face as he attempted to do a knee slide in the mud while crossing the finish line. Mens under-23 European Cross Country champion Jimmy Gressiers celebration as he ran towards the tape did not quite go to plan on Sunday. Carrying one French flag in each hand, he attempted to cross the finish lane in style by performing a knee slide. But he tripped and landed on his face and ended up star-fished on top of the tape in the mud. Taking a tumble: Jimmy Gressier / (Credit too long, see caption) Smiling, he jumped to his feet and waved his flags in celebration. The BBC commentator could be heard saying: Oh! Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, what are you doing? Frenchman Jimmy Gressier celebrates during the U23 men's race / (Credit too long, see caption) s Sri Lanka awaits another historic judgement to be given by the Supreme Court on President Sirisenas move to dissolve Parliament, the Sri Lankan judiciary is being praised for its independence. While respecting its initial interim order withdrawing duties of the purported Prime Minister and his cabinet of Ministers, Sri Lankan citizens have once again vested hopes on this pillar of the Constitution. In order to observe the Supreme Court proceedings on the hearing of petitions against dissolution of Parliament, a high profile delegation representing LawAsia visited Sri Lanka recently. Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Christopher Leong, President of LawAsia and Prashant Kumar, Immediate Past President of LawAsia expressed their observations on conduct, tolerance and patience displayed during the hearings. The commendations The visit of the delegation was coordinated by former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) Upul Jayasuriya. He said that the delegation is carrying out a neutral observation and their remit is to see how the rule of law is being upheld here. The judicial process here is transparent and all parties are allowed to have their say before the court. This is our primary remit and how the court decides on an issue and the sole power is on the Court in a sovereign country, Upul said giving a background to the purpose of their visit. In coming for this observation team, I have had the opportunity to read through the relevant parts of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, Christopher said referring to the Constitution. From what we have observed the relevant provisions involve Articles 43, 62 and 70. One of the things we are very confident in saying is that having read through articles and in terms of language, I think Sri Lanka is very fortunate in that the language used in the Constitution is very crisp and clear. It is unambiguous and that would lend an easy and natural interpretation. Having attended hearings, we have also observed that the SC bench that is hearing this matter is very engaged with the issues involved as well as the arguments. They have exhibited judicial temperance and patience hearing this matter. The observations that we have is that the SC Judges are very careful to give the counsel sufficient time to develop and make their submissions, he continued.I suppose that is because of the gravity of issues that are involved. The SC judges have endurance and most importantly the members of the SC bench asked questions and clarifications. I think the SC acted expeditiously and they have given priority to these proceedings. In his comments, Kumar said that these are tricky Constitutional issues and that the courts have to go in depth. They have to involve all stakeholders and parties who are present before it. It is not uncommon that the hearing gets prolonged and it takes many days. In India, we challenged the Judicial Appointments Commission and the hearing went on for 45 days. Therefore the determination has to be thorough and all aspects of the Constitution need to be argued before the Judges. Jayasuriya further said that in this situation there were ten intervening parties which is a healthy sign where the SC has allowed every one of those parties to be heard. Maintaining integrity of the Constitution The Constitution established in Sri Lanka is a republic and in all republican Constitutions, every power vested in any authority is solely exercisable for furthering the objectives of the Constitution, Kumar added. The judiciary is made the final arbiter and the custodian of the Constitution. That is what is before the SC and the SC has this dispute which is to be analysed from the structure of the Constitution and the effort has to be to maintain the integrity of the Constitutional design of the government which has been established. So judiciaries across the region have been very robust especially in India in exercising their powers as custodians of the Constitution. Primarily this is the issue before the SC which is to see how the Constitutional scheme is to be given its meaning in the light of surrounding circumstances; which action will destroy the spirit or undermine the Constitution or which action will further the Constitutional design and objective. This is the trend in modern Constitutions and judiciaries. Jayasuriya also added that everyone including the President, Judges of SC, Presidents Counsel and attorneys-at-law have all taken an oath to defend the Constitution. So when we are supposed to defend the Constitution that doesnt mean we have a right to violate the Constitution. When in doubt the only authority that can interpret the Constitution best is the SC. When asked whether such attempts to dissolve Parliament have been made in other Asian countries or anywhere in the world, Kumar said that there have been similar instances in India at the Provincial level. There has been an instance where the governor of the state dissolved the assembly and the SC of India went to the extent of restoring the assembly, setting aside the dissolution. This has happened in Arunachal Pradesh and several other states. In India it has been consistently interpreted that the final arbiter of the majority, who form the government is neither the President nor the governor but it is the floor of the house and a test held on the floor of the house. Justifying confidence The other observation was on the vote of No-Confidence that was taken in Parliament, Leong added. As a general rule and a Constitutional provision, the Parliament is always the master of its own house. In this instance, a vote was taken by Parliament to make a determination within the aghast house as to who is reposed with the confidence of the majority of members. That vote was taken twice. As to the manner that vote has to be taken, the Parliament, as the master of its own house could determine the way it could take the vote. It could be taken by a show of hands, a voice vote or by electronic means. But it is the Parliament that determines how it will be taken and the results will be announced by the Speaker. Once the speaker announces the result it is final. Apparently the vote of No-Confidence was taken twice and it was carried by a majority. On both occasions over 120 voted in favour of the vote and matter has been taken to courts by 122 members of parliament. "One of the things we are very confident in saying is that having read through articles and in terms of language, I think Sri Lanka is very fortunate in that the language used in the Constitution is very crisp and clear" Leong also referred to an example in Malaysia. Theres an interesting precedence in Malaysia where the King, who is the head of state decided that in order to ascertain who would get majority confidence you are not merely confined to having a vote of Confidence or No-Confidence in Parliament. You can ascertain that from other means if available. In Malaysia, the head of state gathered the members of the state assembly and asked them to affirm their support for which candidate the majority confidence was reposed. That went to courts, was challenged in court and our apex court decided that it was a valid ascertainment to get the majority view as to whom the Parliament reposed confidence in. Hence, it will be interesting how Sri Lankan judiciary would view this action. What would be the answer? If an answer is not found to the dissolution then the President can continue this process, Kumar added. In fact he will continue until he finds the voter party and majority which he thinks should form the government. So let the new government come and the majority is not to be tested on the floor of the house so that you can dissolve it. Therefore, does the Constitutional scheme suggest that the President has an absolute power and if the election is the solution that he can filter the democracy in a way until he gets the juice he wants? With the series of events that had taken place, one question that needs to be asked is what way to go. If you take one view that the courts cannot intervene and the President has the absolute power to dissolve Parliament then this opens up a possibility which would bring down the entire foundation of a republican Constitution. Then theres no use of an election. It substitutes democracy with a presidential fiat. This is a question before the courts; not just what happens today but it is the entire future of the republic. That is in the hands of the lordships. Whether the country is going to go ahead with what it has preserved for 70 years is the question that is before Courts. Pics by Pradeep Dilrukshana Three persons were killed and another five persons were injured in two accidents involving the same car at Mount Lavinia on the Colombo-Galle Main road early this morning, Police said. They said one person was killed and another was hospitalised when the car which was travelling from Colombo to Galle had knocked down two pedestrians near the Mount Lavinia Court complex early this morning. They said the car had fled the scene after the accident. However, a few minutes later, the same car had crashed with another car and two motorcycles near a fuel station in Mount Lavinia. Police said the car driver, three persons in the second car which was hit and the two riders of the motorcycles were admitted to the Colombo South Teaching Hospital. One motorcycle rider and the driver of the second car had succumbed to their injuries after they were admitted to the Hospital. Investigation revealed that the car driver who is responsible for both accidents was under influence of liquor when the accidents occurred. He is undergoing treatment at the hospital under police security.(Ddarshana Sanjeewa) Video and Pix by D. Ruwandi The Justice Ministry has officially taken over the Presidency of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, Minister Tudorel Toader announced in a post on his Facebook page on Saturday evening according to Agerpres. According to the source, Minister Tudorel Toader attended the last Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 6-7 December, under the aegis of the Austrian Presidency. On Friday, at the end of the Justice Session, the Minister of Justice officially took over the Presidency of this formation, to be exercised by Romania as of January 1, 2019. The Minister of Justice was accompanied at the meeting by the Permanent Representative of Romania to the European Union, Ambassador Luminita Odobescu, as well as by a part of the technical team within the Ministry of Justice and the Permanent Representation of Romania."At the meeting, the ministers of justice adopted the general approach on the proposal for a directive regarding the contracts for the sales of goods, the proposal to recast the Brussels IIa Regulation and the proposal for a Regulation on on European Production and Preservation Orders for electronic evidence in criminal matters. The agenda includes information on the state of play of the European Prosecutor's Office, the preparation by the European Commission of the negotiating mandate for the 2nd Additional Protocol to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime and respectively, an agreement between the EU and US on electronic evidence in criminal matters," reads the same post.The quoted source also states that, in the margins of the meeting, the Romanian Minister had brief meetings with the Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova, as well as with his counterparts from Austria, Luxembourg and Croatia."As the last JHA Council of the Austrian Presidency term, the forthcoming Presidency of Romania of the Council of the European Union presented its priorities in the field of justice for the first semester of 2019, among which: advancing the negotiations on the proposal for a Regulation on Electronic Evidence in Criminal Matters and obtaining the general approach on the proposal for a Directive in the same legislative package, finalizing the Brussels IIa Regulation (recast), appointing the European Chief Prosecutor and strengthening mutual recognition in criminal matters," the post also mentions. President Klaus Iohannis conveyed on Sunday a message on International Anti-Corruption Day, saying "Romania will not be able to reach its true potential until we manage to defeat this scourge." according to Agerpres "Corruption is a disease that eats away at democracy and helds captive millions of people in poverty. Corruption means lack of motorways, insalubrious hospitals, unsafe schools, blocked administration. Romania will not be able to reach its true potential until we manage to defeat this scourge," President Iohannis conveyed in his message also broadcast in video format. He added that he stands by all the magistrates who are fighting against corruption in Romania but also that shunning corruption must become from a slogan a way of being."I bolster the pursuit of the fight against corruption for a healthy Romania and I will stand by all the magistrates who are carrying on this fight, bravely, day by day. Honesty and integrity must be reinstated at all levels of our society. It is in our power! A definite NO to corruption must become from a slogan a way of being," the president further affirms, in the message conveyed through social media networks The Romanian Crown Custodian, Margareta on Sunday characterized as an "uplifting" event the religious service performed by Reverend Peter Galloway in the Savoy Royal Chapel in London, dedicated to Romania and the memory of Queen Maria and King Mihai I. "Uplifting. Truly dignified. I was inspired. The King's memory was very well thought out and very much in his spirit. Reverend Peter Galloway understood everything very weel about our country and about my father and I am grateful for what he has done here today," Her Majesty stated after the event. She explained that in his address, Reverend Galloway highlighted King Mihai's "faith and dignity.""He was faithful and his dignity, his spirit of always being with his faith, that saved him, actually, throughout all those difficult years when he lived in exile, without his country. It was such an uplifting ceremony, that has inspired and made me happy," Her Majesty said.The Romanian Crown Custodian brought to mind the ceremony six years ago, when in 2012, she was alongside King Mihai, who was honoured in the Savoy Royal Chapel."I was a little afraid that it would be difficult, that I was here with the king six years ago, and I did not know how I would feel. But I am feeling very good, obviously thinking about him all the time. I have been very grateful that everyone has thought of him here," the Crown Custodian confessed.Her Majesty noted that the members of the Chapel's choir learned the Romanian Royal Anthem, appreciating the gesture as respect for Romania."The choir has been sublime. Indeed. They have learned it [the Royal Anthem, ed.n]), and that means a great deal to us. They have also shown respect for our country, and that is nice, that we can open some doors and then they move forward. I was very moved," Her Majesty Margareta said.She showed that when we talk about Romania, we should not only think about those who cause trouble, because problems are everywhere."We mustn't think only about those who cause trouble. They are not only from Romania, they are everywhere. Everything Romanians here have contributed to in the financial sphere, the IT ... It's fantastic what Romanians do here. They are a treasure for the country and are acknowledged for this," the Romanian Crown Custodian further said.The Romanian Crown Custodian, Margareta and Prince Radu attended on Sunday as guests of honor the religious service performed by Reverend Peter Galloway at the Savoy Royal Chapel in London dedicated to Romania and the memory of Queen Maria and King Mihai I.In his speech, Reverend Canon Professor Peter Galloway, Officer of the British Empire Order, Chaplain of the Queen's Chapel of the Savoy and Chaplain of the Royal Victorian Order, spoke eloquently about the context of the 1918 Greater Union, about the role played by Queen Maria both during the First World War and after the terrible conflagration when she was present in Western chancelleries to support the cause of Romania. At the same time, he portrayed the personality of King Mihai, the dignity with which he fought against totalitarianism for a democratic regime, crossed the exile and returned to the country he loved.The British Royal Family was represented at the event by their Royal Highnesses Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Princess Elena and Alexander Nixon, Charles Richards, Deputy Master of the Household of Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II, members of the Royal Romanian Council and the Royal House of Her Majesty, the Romanian Crown Custodian were also present.The religious service was attended by the Ambassadors of Romania and the Republic of Moldova in London, Dan Mihalache and Angela Ponomariov.The Savoy Royal Chapel is the seat of the British Empire Order, King Mihai I being the oldest member of the Order, whose Grand Cross and Colan he received in 1936 from King George VI.During a four-day public visit to the United Kingdom, started on Sunday, Romanian Crown Custodian Margareta and Prince Radu will also attend on Monday a dinner in their honour hosted by Travellers Club in London.The trip to the United Kingdom is the thirteenth foreign visit of the Royal Family of Romania in 2018, after the United Arab Emirates (February), the Kingdom of Morocco (March), the Republic of Turkey (April), the Kingdom of Jordan (April), the Kingdom of Spain ), The Republic of Serbia (June), the Federal Republic of Germany, the Portuguese Republic, the French Republic (September), the Principality of Liechtenstein (October), the Swiss Confederation and the Republic of Croatia (November).This is the first visit to the United Kingdom by Her Majesty Margareta, the Crown Custodian, as Head of the Royal House of Romania.The visit takes place in the context of the celebration of the Greater Union and the end of the First World War, as well as to introduce the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. On November 25, two artillery boats of the Gyurza-M class, the Berdiansk and Nikopol, one tugboat, the Yany Kapu, as well as 24 crew members of the Ukrainian Navy, including two SBU counterintelligence officers, were detained by Russian border forces. In the incident, the Russian Federation employed Sobol-class patrol boats Izumrud and Don, as well as two Ka-52, two Su-25 and one Su-30 aircraft. Ukraines provocation follows the advice of several American think-tanks like the Atlantic Council, which have been calling for NATO involvement in the Sea of Azov for months. The area is strategically important for Moscow, which views its southern borders, above all the Sea of Azov, as a potential flash point for conflict due to the Kievs NATO-backed provocations. To deter such adventurism, Moscow has deployed to the Kerch Strait and the surrounding coastal area S-400 batteries, modernized S-300s, anti-ship Bal missile systems, as well as numerous electronic-warfare systems, not to mention the Russian assets and personnel arrayed in the military districts abutting Ukraine. Such provocations, egged on by NATO and American policy makers, are meant to provide a pretext for further sanctions against Moscow and further sabotage Russias relations with European countries like Germany, France and Italy, as well as, quite naturally, to frustrate any personal interaction between Trump and Putin. This last objective seems to have been achieved, with the planned meeting between Trump and Putin at the G20 in Buenos Aires being cancelled. As to the the other objectives, they seem to have failed miserably, with Berlin, Paris and Rome showing no intention of imposing additional sanctions against Russia, recognizing the Ukrainian provocation fow what it is. The intention to further isolate Moscow by the neocons, neoliberals and most of the Anglo-Saxon establishment seems to have failed, demonstrated in Buenos Aires with the meeting between the BRICS countries on the sidelines and the bilateral meetings between Putin and Merkel. On November 30, following almost two-and-a-half months of silence, the Israeli air force bombed Syria with three waves of cruise missiles. The first and second waves were repulsed over southern Syria, and the third, composed of surface-to-surface missiles, were also downed. At the same time, a loud explosion was heard in al-Kiswah, resulting in the blackout of Israeli positions in the area. The Israeli attack was fully repulsed, with possibly two IDF drones being downed as well. This effectiveness of Syrias air defenses corresponds with Russias integration of Syrias air defenses with its own systems, manifestly improving the Syrians kill ratios even without employing the new S-300 systems delivered to Damascus, let alone Russias own S-400s. The Pantsirs and S-200s are enough for the moment, confirming my hypothesis more than two months ago that the modernized S-300 in the hands of the Syrian army is a potentially lethal weapon even for the F-35, forbidding the Israelis from employing their F-35s. With the failed Israeli attack testifying to effectiveness of Russian air-defense measures recently deployed to the country, even the United States is finding it difficult to operate in the country. As the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War confirms: "Russia has finished an advanced anti-access/area denial (A2AD) network in Syria that combines its own air defense and electronic warfare systems with modernized equipment. Russia can use these capabilities to mount the long-term strategic challenge of the US and NATO in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, significantly widen the geographic reach of Russia's air defense network. Russia stands to gain a long-term strategic advantage over NATO through its new capabilities in Syria. The US and NATO must now account for the risk of a dangerous escalation in the Middle East amidst any confrontation with Russia in Eastern Europe." The final blow in a decidedly negative week for Washingtons ambitions came in Buenos Aires during the G20, where Xi Jinping was clearly the most awaited guest, bringing in his wake investments and opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefit, as opposed to Washingtons sanctions and tariffs for its own benefit to the detriment of others. The key event of the summit was the dinner between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump that signalled Washingtons defeat in the trade war with Beijing. Donald Trump fired the first shot of the economic war, only to succumb just 12 months later with GM closing five plants and leaving 14,000 unemployed at home as Trump tweeted about his economic achievements. Trump was forced to suspend any new tariffs for a period of ninety days, with his Chinese counterpart intent on demonstrating how an economic war between the two greatest commercial powers had always been a pointless propagandistic exercise. Trumps backtracking highlights Washingtons vulnerability to de-dollarization, the Achilles heel of US hegemony. The American-led world system is experiencing setbacks at every turn. The struggle between the Western elites seems to be reaching a boil, with Frau Merkel ever more isolated and seeing her 14-year political dominance as chancellor petering out. Macron seems to be vying for the honor of being the most unpopular French leader in history, provoking violent protests that have lasted now for weeks, involving every sector of the population. Macron will probably be able to survive this political storm, but his political future looks dire. The neocons/neoliberals have played one of the last cards available to them using the Ukrainian provocation, with Kiev only useful as the Wests cannon fodder against Russia. In Syria, with the conflict coming to a close and Turkey only able to look on even as it maintains a strong foothold in Idlib, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States are similarly unable to affect the course of the conflict. The latest Israeli aggression proved to be a humiliation for Tel Aviv and may have signalled a clear, possibly definitive warning from Moscow, Tehran and Damascus to all the forces in the region. The message seems to be that there is no longer any possibility of changing the course of the conflict in Syria, and every provocation from here on will be decisively slapped down. Idlib is going to be liberated and Americas illegal presence in the north of Syria will have to be dealt with at the right time. Ukraines provocation has only strengthened Russias military footprint in Crimea and reinforced Russias sovereign control over the region. Israels recent failure in Syria only highlights how the various interventions of the US, the UK, France and Turkey over the years have only obliged the imposition of an almost unparalleled A2AD space that severely limits the range of options available to Damascuss opponents. The G20 also served to confirm Washingtons economic diminution commensurate with its military one in the face of an encroaching multipolar environment. The constant attempts to delegitimize the Trump administration by Americas elites, also declared an enemy by the European establishment, creates a picture of confusion in the West that benefits capitals like New Delhi, Moscow, Beijing and Tehran who offer instead stability, cooperation and dialogue. As stated in previous articles, the confusion reigning amongst the Western elites only accelerates the transition to a multipolar world, progressively eroding the military and economic power of the US. Trump and his neo-cons have withdrawn from so many international organizations and agreements that his foreign policy has earned a shameful nickname: the Withdrawal Doctrine. Donald Trump, currently under the strong influence of arch neo-conservative John Bolton, his national security adviser, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a neo-con in libertarian clothing, has embarked on a policy to not only distance the United States from international organizations, but to withdrawal from them altogether. The only international organization Trump currently supports is NATO and that is only because Bolton, Pompeo, and other neo-cons advising Trump are proponents of unilateral warfare by the United States, with NATO forces as cannon fodder, wherever neo-con doctrine determines Americas interests are threatened. Trumps recent announcement that he is nominating Heather Nauert, a former Fox News talking head-turned-State Department spokesperson for Pompeo, as the next US ambassador to the United Nations is another indication that Trump would, if possible, withdraw the US from the international organization. Trumps naming of Nauert, a person who once inanely opined that the Allied D-Day landings in France represented a high-point in US-German relations, followed on the heels of Pompeo questioning the need for the UN and other international organizations. Speaking at a Brussels event sponsored by the German Marshall Fund, Pompeo lashed out at the UN, European Union, Organization of American States, African Union, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization, while referring to the Brussels-based NATO as an indispensable institution. Pompeo made no mention of Trumps recurring criticisms of NATO. Trumps disdain for the UN is palpable. His selection of Bolton, the only US ambassador to the UN never to be confirmed by the Senate, as national security adviser sent a stark message to the UN. Trump, like many other far-right conspiracists, including members of the John Birch Society and white supremacist groups, have long advocated for American withdrawal and the expulsion of UN headquarters from New York. Their rallying cry America out of the UN and the UN out of America feeds right into the neo-con game plan for diminution of UN power. The neo-cons, who only exist as a sustained force to ensure that Washington kowtows to Israeli interests, have long despised the UN for its resolutions condemning Israeli policies in the Middle East. In 1994, Bolton said, The (UN) Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If it lost 10 stories, it wouldnt make a bit of difference. It was that 1994 statement suggesting that the UN buildings upper floors be destroyed and recalled so soon after the destruction of the World Trade Center that partially resulted in the US Senate rejecting Bolton as ambassador to the UN. It was only by giving Bolton a recess appointment that George W. Bush was able to place him in the US delegations seat. In Brussels, Pompeo, referring to the UN, asked, Does it continue to serve its mission faithfully? Echoing Boltons 1994 comment about the UN, Pompeo answered his own rhetorical question in stating, International bodies must help facilitate cooperation that bolsters the security and values of the free world, or they must be reformed or eliminated. Bolton and Pompeo represent a virtual dastardly duo in shredding treaty after treaty into neo-confetti. Trumps trashing of treaties and agreements has fit into a doctrinaire neo-con playbook. Since becoming president, Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate-change agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Trumps replacement for NAFTA the US-Mexico-Canada agreement (USMCA) was only marginally different from its predecessor. Trump also withdrew the United States from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) because of what he cited as the organizations anti-Israel bias. The UNESCO withdrawal was a classic neo-con move because it, once again, showed the world that Americas actions were dictated by Israeli-controlled neo-cons like then-US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley. Trump earned the worlds opprobrium when he scrapped Americas signature on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the European Union, Russia, China, and Iran on Irans nuclear program. Not only did Trump threaten increased sanctions on Iran, in violation of the JCPOA, but also threatened to impose them on the remaining signatories if they did not participate in the neo-cons tightening of the screws on Iran. Trump also trashed several agreements with Cuba signed after the restoration of US-Cuban diplomatic relations during the Barack Obama administration. The Trump administration ordered closed the Palestine Liberation Organizations (PLO) office in Washington, DC, which had maintained a diplomatic presence in Washington since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. In December 2017, the US announced its withdrawal from the Global Compact on Migration, which was adopted in 2016 by all 193-member states of the UN. The Trump administration also withdrew the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Again, showing that she was merely a puppet controlled by the Israelis, Haley gave as the reason for Americas withdrawal from the UNHRC, the organizations anti-Israel bias. IN another decision inspired by Trumps Israeli masters, Haley announced the slashing of US funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the primary UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, before committing to withdrawal from the agency entirely. Trump has slashed US funding for the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) (with vaccines for children being adversely impacted), UN Environment Program, UN Women and the UN Development Program, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (over maritime and fisheries disputes with Canada), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The Trump administration opposes the WMOs dire warnings, all fact-based and peer-reviewed, about the effects of global climate change. Bolton announced that the US would issue travel bans on judges of what he called the illegitimate International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague, and freeze the courts funds in the US financial system. Bolton also vowed that the US would never join the court. Trump began veering into more dangerous territory when, in October 2018, he announced that the US would withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Russia. There were also indications that Trump would also abrogate the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). Bolton, backed by Pompeo, are known to be critics of the two arms control treaties. Nothing would make Bolton and Pompeo, modern-day Dr. Strangeloves, happier than a major nuclear arms race. In April 2018, the Trump administration withdrew the US from the London-based International Coffee Organization, an international organization of coffee exporting and importing nations the John F. Kennedy administration helped create in 1962. It was Trumps first action after he fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Speaking recently at a public event in Houston, Tillerson revealed that Trump often wanted him to violate treaties in what would have constituted breaches of the law. Charging that the Rome-based Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), a UN specialized agency, is involved in mission creep into global climate change policy, some Trump officials have threatened a US withdrawal from the agency. The US is already in arrears in dues to FAO. FAO established a Climate Change department in 2017. The Trump administration has also expressed opposition to the Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is based in Montreal. The Trump administrations opposition to environmental protection has also affected the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The US wants a go-slow approach on IMO rules that specify that ships must, in 2020, use fuels with 0.5 percent of sulfur or less. Over a beef with China about parcel post rates, the Trump administration announced it was withdrawing from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), one of the worlds oldest international organizations and one that predates the League of Nations. Today, the UPU is a UN specialized agency. Other longstanding organizations under threat from Trump include the Antarctic treaty System (ATS); the International Hydrographic Organization, based in Monaco; and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), based in Abu Dhabi. The Trump administration, which is attempting to abrogate treaties with indigenous nations in North America and the Pacific, wants to limit, if not exclude entirely, indigenous Permanent Participants (PPs) in such organizations as the Arctic Council and Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP). Trump has threatened to withdrawal from the World Trade Organization if it does not "shape up. Trump administration officials have also threatened US withdrawal from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) unless it abandons its support for net neutrality universal access rights to the Internet something Trump adamantly opposes and has scrapped in the United States. The right-wing Heritage Foundation, which is primarily funded by corporate polluters, urged the Trump administration not to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Considering that most of the Heritage Foundations proposal have quickly become Trump administration policies, it appears that UNCLOS will be joining JCPOA, UNESCO, TPP, and others in Trumps rubbish bin. Trump has shown his disdain for cooperating with other world leaders by pointedly refusing to sign concluding communiques issued at the end of recent G7 and G20 summits. Pro-Trump Republicans in the US House of Representatives introduced a bill titled the American Sovereignty Restoration Act. The bill called on the United States to terminate its membership in the UN. Trump and his neo-cons have withdrawn from so many international organizations and agreements that his foreign policy has earned a shameful nickname: the Withdrawal Doctrine. The Russian space program has suffered another fatal setback when the FSB (successor to the KGB) threatened to cancel a lucrative contract Roscosmos (new state-owned corporation running commercial space operations) had negotiated to use 21 Soyuz satellite launchers to put hundreds of small Internet communications satellites into orbit. A British firm, OneWeb, will use the worldwide satellite network to provide Internet access to anywhere on the planet. The FSB concern is about their ability to monitor and censor or block any Internet traffic coming into or out of Russia. The OneWeb system will have a few ground stations to connect the satellites to the rest of the Internet. The FSB is willing to compromise if one of those ground stations is in Russia and the FSB has access to all the Internet traffic passing through it. OneWeb is inclined to deny that demand even if it means Russia will outlaw the use of OneWeb by Russians. That ban would not be completely effective because some Russians would find a way to pay for their access. OneWeb makes money by acting as an ISP (internet service pr9vider) and for hundreds of millions of people in areas with poor, or no, Internet access the satellite service is all they would have access to. That includes millions of Russians in remote areas. The fact that the FSB would not have access to that Internet traffic would be a bonus for Russian users. OneWeb has not yet decided how to proceed and Roscosmos believes they can get the FSB overruled but that will not happen until early 2019. Implementation of the OneWeb launches was first pushed to late 2018 and now to early 2019. The irony of this is that one of the potential replacements for the billion dollar Roscosmos contract is the American SpaceX, which has perfected the reusable boosters (which can land intact and be reused) that lowers the cost of using SpaceX launchers. Roscosmos has been having a hard time remaining competitive and the OneWeb contract is something of a lifeline. OneWeb feels it can use this to persuade the Russian government to tell the FSB to back off. But with SpaceX and others waiting to step in the FSB is negotiating from a weak position. China may offer a way out as they are proposing a Russian-Chinese partnership to establish a competitor for OneWeb that would, of course, be accessible to Russian and Chinese Internet censorship efforts. Russia cannot afford to create its own satellite Internet system and Roscosmos is sling towards bankruptcy. OneWeb is but one of several efforts to provide global satellite-based Internet service. The others are Starlink, Kepler, Telesat, LinkSure and LeoSat. Starlink is backed by SpaceX, which has already launched two test satellites. The full Starlink system would consist of over 11,000 small satellites and SpaceX plans to have nearly 2,000 in orbit by 2021. Starlink offers high-speed Internet service and is not concerned with FSB objections. The one Chinese backed network, LinkSure, would provide free wi-fi worldwide and make money with ads and reselling user data. LinkSure would be subject to Chinese censorship. Meanwhile, Roscosmos continues to have problems with the contracts it already has. On October 11 a Russian Soyuz rocket failed as it was attempting to take two men (a Russian and an American) to the ISS (International Space Station). The two passengers survived because of the emergency recovery system that is part of the manned rocket. The failed Soyuz rocket was another example of the continued management and quality control problems in the Russian space program. Previously there had only been two failures of a Soyuz manned capsule, in 1975 and 1983. The 1983 failure involved a rocket catching fire on the launch pad and the crew rescue system saved the passengers, as was the case during the 2018 failure. As in the past, the Russians recovered and carried out a successful launch to deliver three people to the ISS. There have been 1,210 launches of a Soyuz rocket since 1966 and the success rate has been 97 percent. The failures include the inability to reach correct orbit. The Soyuz FG rocket, used to carry passengers, has been used 55 times since entering service in 2001 and all were successful until the October failure. The Soyuz FG is a more advanced and, until the recent failure, more reliable version of the Soyuz rocket design. There have been some recent problems with the Soyuz models used to launch satellites. Russia insisted that Soyuz FG was different but the personnel and management problems in the Russian space program could not be completely avoided. The Chinese version would cost about $5 billion and many of the launches would be handled by Chinese rockets. Russia is broke and the Russian-Chinese OneWeb would be at a disadvantage because it would be censored. Many potential customers dont care but some do. In any event, Roscosmos is the big loser here no matter which way this goes. The Russians were not going to launch all 900 of the OneWeb satellites anyway and now someone else may well launch all or most of them simply because they are currently willing to do it. Meanwhile, Roscosmos has other problems. SpaceX is poised to take away the Roscosmos monopoly on taking crews to the ISS. A Soyuz passenger capsule that reached the ISS in June 2018 was later found to have a tiny leak, which was apparently created during manufacture and not detected by quality control. The growing number of manufacturing defects in Russian spaceflight equipment is compounded by the growing failure to catch and repair defects. Thus the problems with the two most recent Soyuz passenger vehicles are not just rare events but part of a trend that is getting worse. Russia said they would have another Soyuz FG ready to go by early December and they did. The Soyuz FG problems also reinforce the belief that more than one nations must be able to get people to and from the ISS. SpaceX has a passenger capsule design (Dragon) that will have its first test flight in 2019. Boeing also has a manned capsule design (Starliner) ready for test in 2019. One or both of these could be certified ready for service by 2020. That means Soyuz FG still is the only human transport to ISS for at least the next two years. Russians have looked on with growing dismay as their space program, once a close competitor with the Americans, slips into bankruptcy and insignificance. But the Russians were already falling way behind when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and since then the government has, with increasing frustration, sought to revive Russian space efforts and restore that program to its former fame and glory. The latest major move towards that goal occurred at the end of 2015 when Russia abolished its government federal space agency and transferred all the assets and responsibilities to the newly created Roscosmos. Over the next two years, it became obvious that the problems remained, seemingly beyond solution. To make that failure obvious by the end of 2017 Russia had fallen to third place, behind the Americans and Chinese in space efforts. This was not a surprise because over the last decade Russian space efforts have struggled to meet military space needs, often at the expense of civilian needed. Currently, there are only 134 Russian satellites in orbit and 60 percent of them are military. The Russian space efforts have become a money-losing operation sustained mainly for propaganda purposes. But even that backfires. This was demonstrated in February 2018 when Roscosmos officials were asked for their reaction to the recent successful launch of the American SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. The official response was that the SpaceX launch was a nice trick. This was in reference to the SpaceX Falcon Heavy using 27 rockets operating in unison to launch very heavy loads into orbit. Also notable was two of the three booster rockets returning and landing (nearly simultaneously) for reuse. This and many other innovations made SpaceX Falcon Heavy much (by over 70 percent) cheaper than competing American designs (and foreign ones as well). Finally because the first SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch was a test the SpaceX owner used, for a payload, an electric car (a convertible) with a crash test dummy in a space suit in the drivers seat and the dashboard having an iconic Dont Panic sign on it as well as two high tech storage devices with massive data about earth and its inhabitants (in the event that extraterrestrials find the car in the future). Most Russians appreciated the humor in all this and the reality that it meant Roscosmos was in a hopeless position because Roscosmos lacked the cash and talent to operate as effectively as SpaceX. This was an old story for Russians and now even the Chinese had passed them by. SpaceX offers lower prices and more flexibility than most government (usually military) developed launchers. As a privately owned company, SpaceX has less bureaucracy and is quicker to adapt new technology for launch services. Many existing and potential SpaceX customers see this as the future of space transportation. In April 2018 Russia confirmed the obvious and admitted they had lost their huge market share of commercial satellite launches. As recently as 2013 Russia had half that market. Five years later their market share had fallen to about ten percent and Russian showed no signs of regaining their dominance and expected their share of the commercial market to sink to as low as four percent. After 2013 Russia faced growing competition from cheaper, more reliable Chinese satellite launch services. But what really accelerated the Russian decline was the surprising emergence of new American launch technology, mainly the SpaceX reusable launchers (that can regularly return and land intact). This is particularly annoying because it was another unexpected new American technology (fracking) that drove down and the world price of Russias main export; oil and natural gas. Fracking also made the United States the major producer of oil and gas and a new competitor for Russia in export markets. Meanwhile, Russian space industry officials said they would put more emphasis on satellite design and manufacturing, which is much larger (by about three times) market than launch services. But even there Russia is having problems competing, mainly because of a shortage of skilled engineers and reliable manufacturing capabilities. So while Russia has lost about $2 billion a year in launch business they will probably lose ground on the satellite side of the business as well. A fundamental problem with the Russian space program was that, unlike in the West and now with China, the Russian efforts were a spinoff from the military program that concentrated on weapons (ICBMs and the like). In the West commercial space operations generated a lot more activity (launches, R&D, competition and demands for technical and operational efficiency). With the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was less money for space operations and better career opportunities elsewhere for the Cold War era Russian space program talent. Russia is keeping up in the design and construction of ICBMs, but even there the loss of all that talent forced to work for the Soviet space program and equipment manufacturing has led to a decline, since the 1990s, in quality for all rockets built. Thus all those embarrassing failures in new Russian ICBMs over the last two decades. Many of the details of the military rocket failures are kept secret. Not so on the commercial side. After 1991 Russia was much smaller and with half the population of the Soviet Union and with a new economic and political system. Skilled technical talent could no longer he kept confined to jobs and neighborhoods determined by the government. After 1991 the talent was set free and most, especially the managers, wanted to work anywhere but the state-owned (or controlled) defense industries. This should have been anticipated because half the Soviet population left to form new nations (or revive old ones). Then there was China. Since the 1980s China has set its people free to get rich as long as they did not challenge the communist dictatorship that is still in charge. China has not yet been able to produce something like SpaceX but the Chinese space program has since the 1980s matched and surpassed what the Russians ever did. And China has the kind of economic system and entrepreneurs that could create another SpaceX operation. The Russian problem was that they did not nurture entrepreneurs as the Chinese did. In 1991 Russians were free to work where they wanted and few of the technically skilled Russians wanted to work for the government anymore. A lot of them left Russia and never returned. At the same time, China was attracting talent to its space program by allowing entrepreneurs to create a lot of the technology they needed. Meanwhile, the Russians were putting fewer satellites into orbit and a growing number of those launches were failures because the talent to make that happen was no longer around. This loss of talent was felt throughout the Russian defense industries and since the mid-1990s there were growing complaints from military commanders about quality control problems with the new (post-1991) weapons. This was especially true with nuclear submarines, ballistic missiles and aircraft. The problems seemed to be worst, and most embarrassing, in the space program. It was just the opposite in China and this annoyed the Russian government even more. Now the Americans are launching electric cars into orbit at half the price anyone else can do it. The failure of the Russian space program was not a sudden thing. It took time and it was a painful process. In 1999 a new Russian government came into power and has been trying really hard to fix the problem, with only limited success. For example in mid-2013 the government issued a formal reprimand to the director (Vladimir Popovkin) of the Russian Space Agency (RSA), which handles all of Russias satellite launches. The government later clarified that the reprimand was not for several recent disasters but for the fact that since 2010 the RSA has only been able to launch 47 percent of Russian satellites. The reprimand, which in Russia is usually the last warning for someone about to be dismissed, was about the continued inefficiency of the RSA and the inability of Popovkin to reform and revitalize the RSA. This failure was worse than it appeared. Vladimir Popovkin took over RSA in March 2011. Eleven months later he was hospitalized for exhaustion. There were rumors that he had been worn down by his many subordinates working against the new anti-corruption measures. He was out of the hospital in twelve days and denied the many rumors (like the corruption struggle) swirling about him. Vladimir Popovkin should have been an ideal candidate for the RSA job, as he was a career army officer and scientist who rose to command the Russian Space Forces and several other military operations dealing with large rockets and space operations. Popovkin held on his job despite continued problems because he was qualified to do the job and encountered a lot of problems with corruption and decades of bad management. Russian politicians and state-controlled media, both heavily involved in corrupt activities, were not eager to make a big deal of how corruption was crippling the RSA. What Popovkin also had to deal with was a chronic shortage of competent and reliable technical people. No matter how talented and capable Popovkin it was not enough to turn the space program around. Because of this Soviet legacy, Russian satellite launchers have never been the most flawless, but they got the job done. Including the partial failures, the Proton has about a ten percent failure rate. However, the Russian launchers and Russian launch facilities are cheaper than those in the West and nearly as reliable. But the higher failure rate of the Proton rocket causes some concern among potential customers. Nevertheless, the Proton is so cheap that you can afford to pay more for insurance. And there is some comfort in knowing that the RSA suits put their jobs on the line every time one of those rockets is launched. The repercussions continued in the wake of all the sloppy decisions and stupid mistakes that have led to the loss of launchers and satellites. Another shake-up of the space effort was expected if the government could find someone more qualified than Vladimir Popovkin to do the deed. Senior government officials knew that Popovkin was not the problem and that the corrupt environment he had to work in was. Cleaning that up means cleaning up the corruption throughout Russian society. That requires more than the firing current management, it takes time and persistence. In 2013 Russian space efforts were reorganized once more and Roscosmos was created. This rearranged management but did not solve any of the underlying problems. That fact has been confirmed several times over the last five years and the current Soyuz FG problems and FSB trying to block the OneWeb contract emphasize the continued decline. More direct routes, more frequent services and more reliable buses are part of the new Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty bus network which starts on Monday morning. Bay of Plenty Regional Council Public Transport Committee Chairman Lyall Thurston says it is the first time the network has been changed since 2008. In the last ten years the region has seen unprecedented growth. The new network is designed to improve reliability and on time performance. It has been redesigned to provide more direct routes and stronger connections between areas outside of the Tauranga city centre. New routes have been introduced to address urban growth issues including the new CBD and hospital routes that leave every 15 minutes, and the Golden Sands Express. Cr Lyall said at least 30 per cent of passengers will have shorter journey times because of more direct routes. "More frequent buses will enable people to travel closer to their desired travel times, so there will be savings in their journey times as well. New features on buses include bike racks and internal and external CCTV cameras. Regional Council is committed to low carbon transport, with five electric buses rolling out across the network from mid 2019. The public transport network is paid one third by Bay of Plenty Regional Council; one third is covered by fares; one third is paid by the New Zealand Transport Authority. There is also a SuperGold fare subsidy administered by Ministry of Social Development to fund free bus travel for seniors. High pressure looks set to dominate New Zealand this week but it comes with a catch - it will have some localised low pressure caught up in it too. It's a basic yet complicated forecast with high pressure mainly controlling our weather this week yet at the same time an area of sinking air pressure is entwined, meaning we have a mainly calm week ahead with daily downpours. Very generally speaking the North Island looks more exposed than the South Island does this week for areas of patchy showers or downpours, shifting the recent dry spell back to a more normal set up for this time of the year (ie, a mix of dry and wet weather), says WeatherWatch.co.nz "The further south you go the drier this week looks, which will be welcome news in water logged Southland. "The high over New Zealand is a bit like a tyre with a leak in it, meaning it's not fully inflated over all of the country which allows for more cloud and some wet weather to sneak in or develop." Some of the afternoon downpours which develop this week (and coming weekend) will be heavy, especially inland where daytime heating may contribute to bigger downpours and even isolated thunderstorms again. 1pm rain and air pressure map for Wednesday shows high pressure in charge but locally low pressure sticking around the North Island / MetOcean. Bay of Plenty The civil season is about to kick off here in Tauranga and we have positions for 2 class 2 truck drivers who would be interested... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz The man accused of murdering British backpacker Grace Milane has been granted interim name suppresion. The 26-year-old appeared in Auckland District Court, where Judge Evangelos Thomas granted the 20 day interim order. The accused's defence lawyer, Ian Brookie, argued for name suppression on the grounds of a "fair trial". "A lot has happened in the last two days." Ian argued he needed further time to gather information on his client as investigations were ongoing. The police prosecutor opposed the interim name suppression and shared the Millane family's wishes for Grace Millane's accused killer to be named. Today's court appearance following a week long investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old Grace. Grace was last seen on the eve of her 22nd birthday. She was seen on the night of December 1 going into CityLife Hotel with a man. Grace's body was discovered yesterday afternoon, in an area of bush just 10 metres off the road, in Auckland's Waitakere Ranges. The body remains at the scene and is yet to be formally identified, but police believe it's the backpacker. Detective Inspector Scott Beard says the police investigation into Grace's death would continue for some time, as they pieced together what happened after she was last seen entering a central Auckland hotel more than a week ago. A missing person report was received on Wednesday for the 22-year-old after her family had not heard from her for several days. Grace's father has arrived in Auckland Friday to help police in the search operation. David Millane was met by police at the airport and is being supported by them. During a press conference on Friday, David struggled to hold in his emotions as he told media of his worry for his daughter. "Grace is a lovely, outgoing, fun loving, family orientated daughter. She's usually in daily contact with family on social media," he said on Friday. "I would just like to take this opportunity to appeal to anybody who has seen, spoken to, or come into contact with Grace over the last few days, to come forward with any detail, no matter how small, and contact the investigation team." -Additional reporting by Stuff and RNZ. Greenpeace has launched a new campaign to ban synthetic nitrogen fertiliser and save New Zealands rivers. They have launched the campaign in billboard style, with the wording taking aim at companys Ravensdown and Ballance. Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop says the billboards are just the first step in making these dirty companies a household name. Two of the Greenpeace billboards are being installed just a stones throw from the Ravensdown company headquarters in Christchurch and Ballances in Mount Maunganui. Greenpeace has taken issue with synthetic nitrogen fertiliser because of its links to the industrialisation of agriculture, particularly dairying. Synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is the fuel that drives industrial dairying. Its spread onto New Zealand dairy farms to grow more grass for too many cows, says Gen. Too many cows and too much synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is trashing our rivers and causing climate breakdown. The impacts of the nitrogen cycle breach are already being seen around the world, in the rapid growth in freshwater pollution, oceanic dead zones, and the spike in nitrous oxide emissions. We agree with the sentiment that farming practices need to change, and todays future-ready farmers are already operating their businesses quite differently to the way grandad might have done things, says a Ballance spokesperson. We know from our research, and working with our customers, that the vast majority of New Zealand famers have sustainability front-of-mind, and absolutely want their nutrients to go into growing the premium food and fibre that supports $43 billion of annual primary sector exports not at the expense of our local environment. There is already a lot of policy focused on improving water quality across urban and rural New Zealand, and thats exactly why were continuing to grow our Farm Sustainability Services team so that we have specialist advisors in every region supporting farmers as they evolve their businesses. Its also why were rolling out our MitAgator tool, which was developed in partnership with the Government and has been independently endorsed by AgResearch, as a breakthrough tool for addressing potential contaminant losses at a farm scale with Farm Environment Plans that deliver genuine environmental gains. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A tobacco shop owner who shot and badly injured a would-be robber Friday night at his North Side store also shot at and possibly injured a would-be robber six weeks ago at the same shop at the same time of night. The owner of Alibaba Market on Wolf Street confirmed that he'd been involved in two shootings in as many months during a brief interview at his store on Saturday afternoon. He declined Saturday to comment more about the shootings, saying he was shaken up from having nearly killed a man who brandished a gun at him in a robbery fewer than 24 hours earlier. But he did say he intends to sell his store. "It's too much," he said. And he said police had thanked him for taking a violent criminal off the streets. The suspect in the robbery from Friday night has not been identified or charged yet; he's recovering in the hospital from surgery due to gunshot wounds, police said. The robber armed with a handgun entered the Alibaba Market at 419 Wolf St., around 7:45 p.m. on Friday and tried to rob the store, police said The owner shot the suspect, who fled on foot and was found soon after with gunshot wounds about a tenth of a mile away, police said. Syracuse.com is not identifying the owner involved in both shootings as he has not been charged with a crime. Police have said he won't face charges in the Friday shooting. The owner declined to comment in detail about the previous shooting, as well, but neighbors and friends of his told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard what they saw Oct. 30 and what the owner had told them about the first shooting. Syracuse police did not announce an arrest in the Oct. 30 case or issue a news release, which is unusual in cases where shots are fired or someone is arrested in a robbery. Police said there is a record of a "robbery" at the Alibaba Market at 7:25 p.m. on Oct. 30, but the case is "sealed," said spokesman Sgt. Richard Helterline. A review of arrests in the week after Oct. 30 shows no one arrested for robbery, except for an unrelated robbery. Helterline said the record of the Oct. 30 robbery was sealed by the police department, but that could have been at the direction of a judge or the District Attorney's Office. He did not know why it was sealed and said he was unaware of a shooting that day. Noel Baker, who lives near the store, said he's a friend of the owner's. Neighbors said the owner is often seen outside the store sweeping, his Glock handgun strapped to his hip. "The guy's armed," Baker said. "Leave him alone." On Oct. 30, Baker was inside watching TV when he heard five or six gunshots followed by tires squealing. He stepped outside and saw a cash register in the parking lot. He said he spoke to the owner the next day about what had happened. The owner told Baker that two men had entered the store wearing masks and stole the register. The owner followed them out of the store to get it back, Baker said. At least one of the robbers lost his mask, the owner told Baker. The robbers dropped the register and jumped into a getaway vehicle and started backing toward the owner. The owner told Baker that the driver of the vehicle was steering toward him, so he opened fire, Baker said. "I guess they tried to run him over with the car, and that's when he f***ing emptied his gun," Baker said. The owner fired at the driver through the back window, and the driver sped away, the owner told Baker. Baker said the owner told him that the robbers later called the police, confessed to the robbery and sought medical attention. One of the robbers had a gunshot wound to the hip, the owner told Baker. The owner declined to comment on whether he had hit anyone he shot at in the Oct. 30 robbery. Baker and another neighbor -- who declined to be identified but said he got the same account of the Oct. 30 robbery from the owner -- said police returned the owner's weapon in the days after the failed robbery. "Good thing he got it back in time," Baker said. Both neighbors said they didn't remember if the owner said the robbers on Oct. 30 were armed. But they believed the owner when he said he felt threatened by the driver of their getaway vehicle. "He was pretty shook up," Baker said. Baker said he wondered why the Oct. 30 shooting never made the news, saying a public announcement might have discouraged other robbers from trying to mess with the owner like they did on Friday. On Saturday, the owner reopened his shop around 3:15 p.m., about 20 hours after the shooting. Inside, a TV screen appeared to have a bullet hole in its top left corner. ITHACA, N.Y. -- A man was stabbed in Ithaca Friday night and airlifted to a regional trauma center, according to Ithaca police. The man was listed in critical condition after the stabbing, police said. At 6:36 p.m, officers responded to a stabbing call on the 100 block of North Cayuga Street, police said. They found a man who had been stabbed in his face and back and was bleeding "profusely," police said. An ambulance took the man to a landing zone, where a helicopter picked him up and took him to a regional trauma center, police said. Police are still investigating the stabbing. They ask that anyone with information contact the Ithaca Police Department at 607-330-0000 or at www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Old Newsboys spread throughout Central New York Friday and Saturday to hawk newspapers and raise money for the Christmas Bureau, which provides gifts, food and other items to needy Onondaga County families. The Hope for the Holidays Old Newsboys campaign has raised 75 percent of its $50,000 goal, said Tom Brown, chairman of the Old Newsboys sale and The Post-Standard's circulation director. All of the money raised benefits the Christmas Bureau, a joint effort of the Salvation Army and the United Way of Central New York. "Thank you to the residents of Onondaga County for another great sale," Brown said. "We hope with your continued generosity we will reach or exceed our goal through online and mail-in donations through the end of the year." Want to donate now? You can do it online Andrew Sabbaghzadeh, of the Salvation Army, said the Old Newsboys is vital to the Christmas Bureau. The Christmas Bureau, which is sponsored by the Salvation Army and the United Way of CNY, served 7,000 children in 2017. "And we expect about the same, if not more, this year," Sabbaghzadeh said. The newspapers are donated and all the money collected goes to the Christmas Bureau, which expects to help about 7,000 children this year. The Christmas Bureau Distribution Day will be held Dec. 19. Eligible low-income families receive a book, a toy and a stocking stuffer for each child in the family. Each family receives a gift card to get food for a holiday dinner and extra food to help them feed their children during the school break. "Hope for Holidays is a great tradition in our community - 80 years and going strong," said Tim Kennedy, president of Advance Media New York. "Hope matters for the more than 3,000 families that benefit from the tremendous generosity in Central New York." A hot potato: Completing a decade-old initiative, California has finally and irrevocably added solar panels as a requirement in the California building code. From 2020 onwards, all new homes being constructed will be required to have 2-3 kilowatts of their electricity sourced from solar panels. Unfortunately, the upfront cost of installing that many solar panels range from $8,000 to $12,000, at a time when California house prices are through the roof. The decision was determined in a unanimous vote by the California Building Standards Commission on Wednesday. These provisions really are historic and will be a beacon of light for the rest of the country, said Kent Sasaki, structural engineer and commissioner. Its the beginning of substantial improvement in how we produce energy and reduce consumption of fossil fuels. While its been popular with environmentalists, many Californians have expressed their unhappiness with the move. Victims of the recent wildfires were concerned if it would make it harder for them to rebuild their homes. The Building Standards Commission received over 3,000 comments from over 100 stakeholders, in addition to 300 letters from consumers that complained about the additional costs. With median home prices in California already more than double the national average, this decision will make it even more difficult for the average Californian to afford a home, claimed a letter from Assemblyman James Gallagher. Rather than targeting the 7-8 kilowatts the average home consumes, the solar panel minimum is as low as a quarter of that to make sure that consumers arent paying more than they need to. But to shrink the gap between sustainable and fossil fuel provided power, electricity saving measures such as better insulation must also been implemented. These will cost about $1,500 per home. The commission claims that theyve evaluated the additional costs and determined that theyre not a problem. Over a typical 30-year mortgage, they say, the additional cost of the solar panels is $40 per month while the electricity savings are $80 per month. If the upfront cost cant be worked into the mortgage, leasing options are available for the 30-year lifespan of the panels. A new system, power purchase agreements, is also available and will let households buy their electricity at standard rates from business-owned panels installed on their own roof or at solar farms. Pierre Delforge, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that solar panels are the obvious choice from every standpoint. This is not only the right thing to do for the climate, it is financially smart. Forward-looking: The Samsung Galaxy A8s debuted in China this morning, even though almost everything about the phone had already been revealed, largely by Samsungs own doing. The phone features a Snapdragon 710 processor, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage expandable via microSD, and is expected to land at about $450. Choosing an IPS display over one of Samsungs own brilliant OLEDs would be disappointing if not for that intriguing camera cut-out. Pinhole. Black hole. Polka dot. Pimple. Mole. The wide variety of names for the Infinity-O display which stretches beyond what would be appropriate to write here expresses the wide variety of opinions on it. In all likelihood, thats why Samsung decided to debut the feature on a mid-range device; to test the waters. Rather unfortunately, however, the focus on the hole has detracted from whats otherwise a pretty solid device. The phone was officially unveiled today although we had reported on the Galaxy A8's final specs during the weekend based on info Samsung sent into Chinas version of the FCC, TENAA. The Galaxy A8s features three rear cameras: 24mp, 10mp (telephoto) and 5mp, the latter of which is used for depth sensing. The selfie camera quality is unaffected by its situation and will be a solid performer at 24mp (with f/2.0 aperture). A pretty standard 3,400mAh battery is included with fast charging support over USB-C. It was rumored the Galaxy A8s would be the first Samsung phone to drop the headphone jack and this has been confirmed today. The screen is mostly pretty decent, a 6.4" affair with a reasonable 2340 x 1080 resolution (taller than usual 19.5:9 aspect ratio). Samsungs decision to use an IPS screen may protect upcoming Galaxy S10 sales and make sense business-wise, but it doesnt come without compromise. The bezels on the sides and top are still relatively slim with a small chin on the bottom. Also, reports say that the camera hole requires 1-2mm of dead space around it, bringing it to a pretty large 6.7mm. The device comes in three colors: a silver to black gradient, blue, and green. The Galaxy A8s has been registered in the US and China, with availability expected in the coming weeks though no official date or pricing has been set yet. The government of Pennsylvania is giving out free Naloxone in nearly 80 locations statewide. The idea is to reduce opioid overdose deaths by turning members of the public into first responders as well. Free Naloxone As a part of Stop Overdoses in Pa: Get Help Now Week, the government of Pennsylvania will be giving out free Naloxone to members of the public on Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The distribution will primarily be at county/municipal health departments and health centers. The distribution is a part of the states efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths in the state. We want to ensure that through this opportunity for free naloxone, we can save more lives and get more Pennsylvanians into treatment. Keeping naloxone in your home, work or even in your car can make the difference between someone getting into treatment or dying from this disease, said Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in a statement. There is no need to set an appointment to get free Naloxone on Dec. 13. The list of locations in which they will distributed can be found in the Pennsylvania governments website. Opioid Crisis In Pennsylvania The opioid crisis affects everyone from all walks of life, regardless of race and social standing. In Pennsylvania, at least 10 people die of a drug overdose every day. In fact, in 2015 alone, there were over 3,500 overdose deaths. According to Secretary of Drug and Alcohol, Jen Smith, a common misconception about the people with substance abuse disorders is that they want to die when in truth, most overdose deaths are accidental. In this regard, Naloxone is a very important tool in preventing even more opioid overdose deaths. In fact, since November of 2014, over 20,000 people have been revived by EMS providers in the state. By arming members of the pubic with Naloxone, Pennsylvanians have the opportunity to become first responders themselves and potentially save the life of someone who has overdosed. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bridge Center board chair Kathy Kliebert speaks August 8, during a meeting of the Metro Council. The council authorized a 1.5 mills tax for a period of 10 years to be used entirely and exclusively for the purpose of operating and maintaining a treatment center that will provide mental health and substance abuse services. Baton Rouge's Mike Miller ponders a choice for a moment at the Registrar of Voters office in the fire station building on Coursey Blvd., during the first day of early voting for the Dec. 10 Congressional General Election, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. Early voting there Saturday was considerably less heavy than was early voting for the Presidential Election and Congressional Primary Election, when waits of 30 minutes were common, and were as much as an hour and a half at other locations. 'The parking lot here was like a demolition derby,' he joked. The election includes runoffs for East Baton Rouge Mayor-President, for U.S. Senator from Louisiana, Metro Council and other propositions. Ascension Parish voters turned out on a dreary day Saturday to adopt a new 1-mill property tax to finance the parish's animal shelter and animal control services and build a new home for both operations, complete but unofficial results show. The 10-year tax comes after the nonprofit running the animal shelter for parish government argued for more money and more space amid a growing pet population. Volunteers with Companion Animal Rescue of Ascension, the nonprofit that runs the shelter under a 10-year contract, put together the tax proposal after Parish Council members urged them to seek a dedicated funding source for a shelter that now relies on the general fund. According to assessors data, a 1-mill parishwide property tax generates about $1.32 million annually. Backers have said the new tax's revenues would be split into thirds, with roughly equal shares for shelter operations, animal control operations and construction of a new $2.5 million building. For a homeowner with a $250,000 house and homestead exemption, the 1-mill tax increase will cost an extra $17.50 annually. The owner of $500,000 commercial building will now pay an extra $75 per year, according to assessors figures. In backing the measure, Ascension voters supported on Saturday a new parish government tax for the first time in years, after previously rejecting new taxes for roads, firefighters and recreation. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up While the current nonprofit-run shelter, which is known as CARA's House, houses stray cats and dogs at a parish building near Sorrento, the parish Animal Control Department handles nuisance and dangerous animals from a different building in St. Amant. Parish officials had said that if the tax passed, they may seek to have CARA take over Animal Control too. CARA took over the parish shelter in late 2015 under a deal with then-Parish President Tommy Martinez only months after its members had been banned over accusations of improper parish treatment of animals. Since taking over, CARA has slashed euthanasia rates and boosted live-release rates. It will only euthanize ill or aggressive animals and not to open spots in the shelter, though it has struggled to find room for animals. Parish officials have said that if voters approve the tax, they would create a public board to oversee the new revenue. When Marcinda Williams awoke to the sound of gunfire peppering the walls of her house one night in September 2010, her first thought was: "Not again." She waited, assuming the gunshots would stop and the shooter would drive away as usual. That scenario had become a familiar occurrence since a neighbor had started harassing Williams' family after her niece rejected his advances. But this time was different. One of the bullets struck Williams in the leg, causing her to collapse onto her bedroom floor. The single mother of five was hospitalized overnight and recovered from her injuries relatively quickly, but this was the second shooting in recent months that affected her family her oldest son had been shot and injured trying to break up a fight earlier that year. So she found a way to move out of their house in Baton Rouge's Brookstown neighborhood, hoping new surroundings would bring them peace. The violence continued despite her efforts. Just six months passed before another son was hit by gunfire, killed at age 14, the victim of an armed robbery that occurred while he was visiting friends back in Brookstown. Then a third son was convicted of attempted murder after he shot at someone during an argument over a girl. "Your life could be in constant danger, but you never get used to it," Williams said. "It never seems normal because it doesn't have to be like this. It shouldn't be like this." Raising children in some Baton Rouge neighborhoods means navigating the devastating effects of frequent gunfire, from murders to maiming to stray bullets. Experts contend American law enforcement agencies and researchers have traditionally overlooked the impacts and significance of nonfatal shootings, focusing attention on homicides and failing to address the full spectrum of gun violence that Williams and her family have experienced firsthand. The same goes for the media. Gunshot injuries rarely make headlines and reporters quickly move on from those stories. "We don't pay much attention until someone dies," said Natalie Kroovand Hipple, a criminal justice professor at Indiana University who studies nonfatal shootings. "But that's often the result of a millimeter difference in where the bullet lands. Homicides are relatively rare events in the context of all violent crime." Data show that nonfatal shootings are significantly more common than homicides nationwide, though they're often solved at lower rates. Their victims often face lasting physical challenges, steep medical bills and psychological trauma. Most law enforcement agencies don't collect data on gunshot survivors because it isn't required under federal guidelines. But this year, the Baton Rouge Police Department started tracking those numbers to better inform their policing, taking what experts describe as an important first step to better understand the gun violence that plagues much of Baton Rouge. Change can't come soon enough for Williams. She still has a small scar on her leg, which hurts after she stands for long periods because of nerve damage and bullet fragments her doctors couldn't remove. The pain reminds her of the violence her family has faced, despite her best efforts to counter the gun culture around them making sure her children stayed in school and even confiscating firearms to turn them over to police. "I had to take some control before it got out of hand. Otherwise, Lord forbid, I probably would have had to bury all five of my children," she said. "In some of these neighborhoods, the police just gotta get tougher. Not to blame law enforcement, but I feel like they could do more." Nonfatal shootings in EBR Nonfatal shootings occur at least twice as often as homicides in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to data from Emergency Medical Services and Baton Rouge police. On average since 2014, at least three people have been wounded in a shooting each week, amounting to just over 850 victims surviving a bullet wound within the last five years. Those numbers only account for shootings considered assaults not accidental or self-inflicted and likely underestimate all such victims, because EMS cannot record instances where no one called 911. East Baton Rouge first responders have received more than 140 nonfatal shooting calls so far this year. That follows a total of 233 in all of 2017, when homicides across the parish reached a record high of 106. The parish has had 82 homicides this year, as of Saturday. While shootings and gunshot injuries tend to rise and fall with homicides, New Orleans crime analyst Jeff Asher said tracking only homicides misses larger trends. But that's nonetheless how most law enforcement agencies collect data, in part because of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting system, which requires local departments to report annual homicide totals but lumps nonfatal shootings into other categories, such as aggravated assault and armed robbery. The UCR system hasn't changed much since it was developed decades ago despite rising gun violence, leaving it wildly outdated, said Jim Bueermann, president of the nonprofit National Police Foundation. But he doubts that changes anytime soon given the current political climate and the power of gun lobbyists meaning progress falls to the local level. 'We basically lost everything' Jordan Lee held up his left hand outside of Scotlandville High School one afternoon this September, revealing a long scar on his forearm from an attack on his family's home. The 17-year-old struggles to straighten his fingers, though the numbness has mostly faded. It's nearly impossible to pick up anything of consequence. "Everything's still not alright," said the high school senior, shaking his head. But he didn't just mean his hand. On April 20, a bomb landed in Jordan's bedroom, waking up his family just before 5 a.m., but somehow it didn't explode. Minutes later, more than 25 rounds of bullets came. Some flew through Jordan's younger brother's headboard, missing the teen by inches. Two struck Jordan: one tearing through his left arm, another hitting his back. The crime remains unsolved. Doctors and Medicaid covered Jordan's surgery, but the family didn't feel safe returning to their home of the past 11 years. They believe the attack came from a misinformed hit on the teen's father for allegedly snitching on someone he said he doesn't even know. +8 Teen shot and grenade found, safely removed from home, Baton Rouge police say Police are still trying to find out who tossed a grenade that did not detonate into a house early Friday while a family was asleep inside, fol Victim assistance funds helped them relocate temporarily for three weeks. But additional housing aid didn't pan out and Jordan's parents blew through savings faster than expected. Then the family vehicle broke down and they couldn't afford to fix it. With no transportation, the couple couldn't get to work and Jordan started missing physical therapy. Jordan and his brother moved in with relatives close enough to still attend Scotlandville High while their parents live across town with other family. They all remain hopeful they can reunite soon under one roof. Jordan will graduate this spring and recently started considering college. With permanent nerve damage to his hand, he realizes he won't be able to work a hands-on job like he'd been training for during high school. "We basically lost everything in a matter of minutes," said Jordan's mother Fanta Lee, blinking back tears. There's no money dedicated to protecting families after targeted attacks. To supplement crime victim support funds, officials often lean on charities and nonprofits, said Kristen Raby, East Baton Rouge District Attorney's director of victim support. Fanta Lee feels the family has fallen through the cracks. "We feel like they tossed us away, but we've got to still find a way," she said. Shifting police focus The Baton Rouge Police Department started tracking nonfatal shootings this year during a spike in homicides that left officials searching for new solutions. Leaders said they're using those numbers to allocate manpower and inform policing practices. "We want to know how much damage is being done out there," said Deputy Chief Robert McGarner. "People focus more on homicides in general, but in any given day we have shootings where people are hurt. And you can't dismiss them." But the department still doesn't track how often nonfatal shootings are solved. Officials said nonfatal shootings fall under their "major assault" cases, and extracting the clearance rate for just shootings would be too time consuming. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Many other departments across the state still don't track nonfatal shootings at all including the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office and Lafayette Police Department but the New Orleans Police Department records them entirely. Its data shows that, out of about 200 nonfatal shootings this year, 35 percent have been solved well below their homicide clearance rate. Research from other cities also indicates that nonfatal shootings are rarely solved: under 4 percent in Boston and around 5 percent in Chicago. McGarner said he expects a similar discrepancy in BRPD's clearance rates. He said nonfatal shooting cases often present a unique challenge for investigators when victims more often than not refuse to cooperate with law enforcement, sometimes choosing instead to take justice into their own hands. "You would think a living witness would be better than a deceased victim, but no. It's like pulling teeth," McGarner said. "They don't ever know who shot them. So the cycle just keeps repeating itself." Lt. Stephan Murphy, commander of the BRPD's Major Assaults Division, said his division's seven detectives handle a variety of cases in addition to nonfatal shootings, including felony batteries, domestic abuse and kidnappings, which together amounts to more than 800 cases yearly creating massive caseloads for investigators. +2 'We need more police officers': shortage of Baton Rouge detectives driving concern among residents In December, when Wanda Snowdens brother was fatally shot in his Clayton Drive home becoming one of the final homicides in an already marke 'For better or for worse' Tarj and Durell Hamilton were pulling into their driveway, returning from a concert in Port Allen when they noticed two men approaching them on Sycamore Street. Tarj watched in the rearview mirror, not knowing that the next moments would change her life forever. One of the men pulled a gun and demanded money. Durell reacted almost immediately, retrieving his own weapon as gunfire broke out. He was hit in the abdomen but was able to chase the robbers before collapsing. Tarj dialed 911. She was most concerned about her husband, but soon realized she had also been shot in the back. Four days later, Durell woke up in the hospital. He recovered relatively quickly considering the extent of his injuries but eventually learned Tarj was worse off: She had been paralyzed from the waist down. "We both took a vow for better or for worse," he said. "I was just happy to have my wife." The 2007 shooting occurred not long after the couple returned from celebrating their second wedding anniversary in Las Vegas. Tarj had become a certified real estate agent months earlier and they were settling into their life together, raising four children between them. Durell went back to work as a plant operator, but Tarj spent a month in bed after her release from the hospital, unable to face her new reality until her family pushed her to get up and "take advantage of being alive." After that, she quickly adapted to her wheelchair and later had her car outfitted with hand controls. She went back to work and has since started her own real estate agency. The couple bought a new house of their own in Zachary, which they made handicap-accessible. Baton Rouge police never made any arrests in the case. But Tarj is still paying off over $100,000 in medical bills that weren't covered by insurance or crime victim assistance funds. She's been told she'll never walk again but still holds out hope her spine could regenerate. "I've learned to let go and keep living," she said. "But you just never know. I believe in the higher power." Lasting toll on survivors When people are shot in East Baton Rouge Parish, they're almost always rushed to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, the only area hospital with a trauma surgeon on staff around the clock. Tomas Jacome, the director of the hospital's trauma center, said their main focus is on internal damage from the gunshot's path. Actually removing the bullet is a secondary concern, he said, and can sometimes cause more harm. Gunshot wounds are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the country, according to a 2015 study. Data collected between 2006 and 2014 show that the cost of initial hospitalization for gunshot victims in the United States averaged more than $730 million per year. And another study found that the estimated cost for inpatient treatment was $23,000 per firearm injury in 2010 and nearly half that cost falls to taxpayers. In addition to physical impacts, the mental health issues resulting from gun violence are just as important, said Jill Hayes, a forensic psychologist and adjunct professor at the LSU Health Sciences Center. An estimated 25 percent to 40 percent of shooting victims come out of the hospital with significant signs of post traumatic stress disorder, which are often exaggerated for people living in high crime areas who could have experienced repeated trauma. "We have this kind of civil warfare going on in our cities," she said. "But we don't have the support infrastructure to deal with it." Tonja Myles, a peer support specialist with Capital Area Human Services who provides counseling to local inmates, said she starts by explaining to clients what trauma is and how it causes feelings of anger, anxiety and sometimes depression. "When people hear gunshots every day, they can become desensitized to it," Myles said. "Part of my job is telling them this is not normal. It's not OK. We have to deal with this culture of violence and get people the help that they need." 'Starting over from baby steps' Ditesha Dalton had just left work to file a police report alleging domestic abuse when her ex-boyfriend pulled up beside her at a stoplight on the morning of Sept. 10. Just hours earlier, Dalton had quietly moved out of the house she shared with Claude Elliott, the man she had, until recently, planned to marry. She decided to leave, but still never believed he would try to kill her until he pulled out a gun and started shooting into her car. She wrenched her steering wheel in panic and drove back toward the warehouse on Choctaw Drive where she worked as a building mechanic for local schools. But he followed her, still firing. Man accused of shooting, injuring ex-girlfriend outside her workplace at East Baton Rouge Schools, police say A man is accused of injuring his ex-girlfriend Monday afternoon outside her workplace at an East Baton Rouge Parish Schools' building on Choct The chase continued into the warehouse parking lot, where Dalton finally jumped from her vehicle to run toward the building. But she wasn't fast enough a bullet struck her foot as she launched herself through the side door and jumped over the counter, crouching under a desk while the receptionist called 911. Claude surrendered to authorities and was arrested on the scene. He's being held in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and faces attempted second-degree murder charges. Months after the shooting, Dalton said the impacts are almost insurmountable. Her foot has healed significantly and she's expected to recover fully, but she hasn't been able to work. Her car was damaged during the shooting and she needs money for repairs. She's been living with her sister, but hopes to move out of state soon, worried Elliott will be released from jail. Dalton said the financial hardship is temporarily daunting but not her biggest concern. "The psychological impact that's the worst," she said. "I can't imagine a bigger betrayal that someone I loved and trusted would try to kill me. My life changed in the blink of an eye, and now I'm just starting over from baby steps." In December, when Wanda Snowdens brother was fatally shot in his Clayton Drive home becoming one of the final homicides in an already markedly murderous year she was hopeful Baton Rouge police would find his killer. Five months later, shes lost much of that hope. After dozens of unanswered calls to detectives or otherwise fruitless updates when she did connect with an investigator, she said she doesnt believe Thomas Snowden's murder is getting the attention it deserves. Her brother's case along with 44 other BRPD homicides cases from 2017 when the city and parish broke all-time records for the most murders in one year remain unsolved. And now, almost halfway into 2018, homicides are already outpacing last year, painting a bleak picture for the next seven months. Its like, OK, yall done forgot about 2017 murders and started on 2018, Wanda Snowden said. If yall dont have enough detectives, thats not right. Local authorities concede that the homicide division is not staffed to the level they would like to see as the detectives continue to face ever mounting caseloads. However little has been done to address the situation. Baton Rouge deserves a fully-manned homicide department, said East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III. They are good at what they do, but they are strapped for time and resources. Its a well-known deficiency. When Thomas Snowden was killed at the end of 2017, there were nine Baton Rouge police detectives working the citys most high-profile crimes. BRPD supervisors said they were overworked; Moore then called them woefully short. Yet, despite functioning below optimal staffing levels for months and a change in departmental leadership with Chief Murphy Paul taking over in January, the division has actually shrunk since then. Currently, eight detectives are working homicides cases, down one from December after an officer went on medical leave, police officials said, although they said they hope to add one new detective to the team soon. In previous years, about 12 detectives consistently worked the city of Baton Rouges homicides. We had a discussion about it recently, said Deputy Chief Robert McGarner, who has been over criminal investigations since Pauls induction. Were going to add a couple more investigators to the homicide division, its coming soon. On Monday, Paul officially posted for a new homicide detective, looking to recruit applicants internally, according to the job listing obtained by The Advocate. Interested officers with at least three years experience were asked to submit their applications within three days, the minimum amount of time for a job posting, the listing said. McGarner said the new administration had been discussing adding to the homicide division, but were unable to find a good spot to pull from as the entire department is struggling with manpower shortages. Its been on the table, but were in a situation where we have to rob Peter to pay Paul, McGarner said. We need more police officers, period. From uniform patrol to detectives. McGarner also said they hope to add more detectives once an expected 28 current police academy cadets graduate next month, and then complete their three-month field training. +7 Baton Rouge Police homicide detectives 'woefully short' working the city's historic number of killings In 2014, Baton Rouge Police Department homicide detectives worked 53 homicide cases. At that time, there were 17 officers in the unit. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Theyre just overloaded and they need more help, Moore said. But theyre not alone, its the intelligence department, uniform patrol. But the ones you see most are homicide detectives. There had had been 31 homicides inside the Baton Rouge city limits so far in 2018, up eight from last year at this time, according to records maintained by The Advocate. The vast majority of the parishs homicides happen within city limits, meaning the Baton Rouge Police Departments homicide division responds to the incident and works the investigation. Moore said he is concerned how the shortage of homicide detectives and therefore the time and energy they can spend solving cases can affect the publics perception of the effectiveness of law enforcement, especially as the murder rate continues to rise. He noted that detectives are also tasked with responding to other suspicious deaths, including suicides and drug overdoses which continue to increase amid the nations opioid crisis. The inability to solve cases, particularly murders and rapes, does surely have an impact on the community, Moore said. It also leads to potentially a lack of cooperation, because if they dont believe police can get the job done then someone else gets the job done. Baton Rouge Police have cleared 45 percent of the citys homicides thus far in 2018, about the same proportion they had cleared at the end of 2017 however still well below the national average, which hovers just below 60 percent. A homicide is considered cleared when an arrest is made or when the alleged perpetrator dies, not after a conviction. McGarner said he doesnt believe the shortage of detectives has affected the departments clearance rate, which he said is a testament to how hard the current detectives are working. Studies have shown detectives are more successful when they have more time to work on each case, and they in turn end up with higher clearance rates. The FBI in 2011 recommended that detectives in a department with more than 50 homicides a year should handle an average of five cases annually as the primary investigator. The study also used data to show that when detectives handle more cases than recommended, the overall homicide clearance rate decreased, meaning fewer cases were solved. Although homicides cases are not distributed exactly even among detectives at BRPD, often being assigned depending who is on call at the time, it will still be almost impossible for Baton Rouge Police detectives to adhere to the recommended caseload unless something drastically changes. With only eight detectives taking on cases and 31 homicides thus far in 2018, each detective already could have been assigned about four homicides not even halfway through the year. McGarner said every case is different, some take longer than others. He recalled working 13 cases in one year when he worked in the homicide division. One thing that can make a big difference in solving a case, he said, is the communitys assistance, and he hopes that can continue to improve their clearance rate. The public is starting to buy in, McGarner said. The community has been doing a hell of job helping us. 'Lovable ... church-going': Family grieves for man fatally shot Monday night in apparent robbery Just hours before Thomas Snowden, 46, was fatally shot in his Clayton Drive home late Monday, he and his two siblings had been there planning Moore said hes hopeful something can change to stop the violent upward trend of homicides in the city. But with school getting out last week, hes concerned especially since the months of June, July and August are historically the most deadly. Its going to be a long summer, Moore said. The way its shaping up, I dont like what I see. A pair of tax proposals for road improvements and a mental health facility cruised to easy victories in Saturday's election. The roads tax will raise $912 million through a 30-year, half-cent sales tax. The Bridge Center psychiatric facility won a 1.5-mill property tax for the next 10 years. Versions of both proposals had failed in the past, but each carried more than 60 percent of the vote this time around. "I'm just amazed. I never expected that type of support," Bridge Center Chairwoman Kathy Kliebert said in an interview. "Todays outcome is the result of a tremendous showing of bi-partisan support for this program, which signals a renewed ability to collaborate and innovate on future solutions to advance our city and parish," Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome wrote of the roads tax in a statement. Both women hope to give voters a return on their investment within the next year. Broome's next meeting will be with her transportation director. They'll begin looking to hire a manager for her program, dubbed MovEBR, the mayor said in an interview. In addition to physically widening roads, the plan allocates funds to synchronize the parish's traffic signals, work which Broome expects can begin soon. Tax money for the 30-bed Bridge Center won't be available until 2020, but Kliebert hopes the city-parish will loan the nonprofit some money to get off the ground more quickly. It will still take about six to nine months to staff up and get ready to open, she said. The Baton Rouge General Hospital-Mid City campus is the most likely home for the center. The Bridge Center carried a commanding 68 percent of the vote in an election with 26 percent turnout. MovEBR claimed 61 percent support. East Baton Rouge turnout for last month's congressional election was 153,555, or 54 percent of the electorate. Turnout was 40 percent in December 2016, when the Bridge Center and a roads tax proposed by the Kip Holden mayoral administration failed. The 2016 race also included a mayoral race, though. Kliebert credits the Bridge Center's success this time around to a concerted publicity push much more than had been attempted in 2016 when a similar measure failed. Supporters reached out to the media and attended many community meetings, even if it was just to explain the tax to five or 10 people at a time, she said. Once voters understood what they were getting, Bridge Center advocates were able to win them over, Kliebert continued. Now, the Bridge Center must prove its worth, she said. Saturday marked the second time Broome tried to pass a roads tax. Last year she attempted a 5-mill property tax the Better Transportation and Roads plan but the Metro Council refused to put it on the ballot. The mayor's administration put considerable time, reputation and political capital into passing a roads plan. Broome recalled her vow not to give up when the council spiked her first attempt and felt vindicated with passage of the tax Saturday night. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "I'm extremely thankful, very pleased," she said. Mental health facility coming to Baton Rouge after voters approve tax in landslide On their second try, mental health and law enforcement advocates convinced voters to pass a property tax to fund a psychiatric crisis center. The mayor pivoted to a sales tax in the new iteration. In addition to raising twice as much money as the millage, she hoped the sales tax would be more palatable to Baton Rouge voters, since commuters and tourists would also contribute. The MovEBR plan includes more than 70 projects around the parish, including widening major thoroughfares and synchronizing traffic signals. Broome pitched the proposal as a timesaver. By the year 2032, all drivers combined are expected to save 1.1 million gallons of gasoline and 573 years of time that would be lost sitting in traffic without the improvements contained in the proposal, according to a much-publicized study by the Metropolitan Planning Organization. She leaned on business leaders like the Baton Rouge Area Chamber to talk up the tax, and said Saturday night that its passage will make the parish more attractive to businesses. Broome continued to advocate for the MovEBR tax until the very end, posting a short video to Facebook at 5:26 p.m. reminding voters that the rain had let up and they still had 2 hours to head to their precincts. The plan would ease traffic throughout the parish traffic that could hold up ambulances and emergency crews she promised. The Bridge Center proposal had won enthusiastic support from local criminal justice leaders seeking an option other than the jail or emergency room when officers encounter people who are in urgent need of psychiatric help. The sheriff, Baton Rouge police chief, district attorney and coroner all lined up behind the measure. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation performed the studies that laid the groundwork for the Bridge Center. "Everybody's just ecstatic," Kliebert said as it became apparent the proposal would receive funding. Proponents said the Bridge Center will unclog the jail and courts and give people with mental illness the help they need. Such a plan is safer for people who need help and the officers who encounter them, the officials said. The center will be more humane while saving the parish money associated with housing and caring for inmates, especially at a time when opioid abuse is soaring and exacerbating the need for psychiatric services, lawmen and medical professionals have said. Detractors generally acknowledged the need for a crisis center, but questioned whether it could be funded through existing revenue and whether the collections could go toward a government entity like Capital Area Human Services rather than a separate nonprofit. +2 Kyle Ardoin wins Louisiana Secretary of State race, defeats Gwen Collins-Greenup Kyle Ardoin, the bureaucratic caretaker who initially wasnt going to run for the office, was elected Saturday night as Louisianas Secretary +2 Lanus defeats incumbent Lee in District 2 race for East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Dadrius Lanus defeated three-term District 2 incumbent Vereta Lee in a runoff Saturday, vaulting the 30-year-old educator onto the East Baton Announcing the selection of Ghassan Korban as director of the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board in July, Mayor LaToya Cantrell explained what it boiled down to. Given the frequency with which citizens here are required to boil water lest they ingest some noxious foreign body, that seemed an unfortunate choice of words. Perhaps it was a Freudian slip. What the S&WB search boiled down to was that Korban had spent seven years in charge of Milwaukee's Department of Public Works, and was the most likely candidate to let New Orleans residents put away their kettles. The S&WB had rubbed along with a succession of interim directors since Cedric Grant quit 11 months earlier under a cloud. That was just after the heavens opened, catching the S&WB with its pumps down and submerging much of the city. Grant and his aides spent a couple of days telling the public that all the pumps had been in good working order, which would have been cold comfort, if true. It would have presaged a major flood after every down downpour. But it was a long way from true, and after a series of inaccurate statements were taken back, it was clear that heads had to roll. Grant, after conceding the pumping station was not up to snuff, announced he would retire, noting, in a letter to then-Mayor Mitch Landrieu, that he had served the City of New Orleans honorably, an opinion that would have carried more weight coming from someone else. If the Grant administration lacked candor, Korban evidently struck City Council members as a breath of fresh air when he appeared before them last week to explain the latest boil-water advisory. Several of them praised the transparency with which he acknowledged the derelictions of two of his high level employees. There may not be many cities where a car ramming an electricity pole could result in water pressure plummeting to an unsafe level, but that is what happened here. Put the utility company Entergy and the S&WB together, and chaos will loom. Entergy has had its share of recent woes too, CEO Charles Rice having been demoted when it turned out that citizens who jammed council hearings in support of a new power station were in fact company hirelings. Snapshot of New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board budget: Utility short millions in key areas The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board is tens of millions of dollars short of the funds it needs to complete the projects it has schedule It was around midnight in November when some errant motorist ran into a pole supporting lines on which an S&WB pumping station depends for much of its power. But nobody at Entergy thought to alert the S&WB until more than four hours later. When an attempt to operate with back-up power failed, water pressure dropped at around 6:30 a.m. But the two employees with the requisite expertise to keep the pumps running were missing in action and could not be found, Korban told the council. The entire east bank of Orleans Parish got a boil-water advisory, the city's second within a month. Council members were no doubt right to laud Korban for his frankness, and personnel matters always command a certain amount of confidentiality. But the pronouncements they called transparent were so delphic that they must have left the entire town thirsting for more. The two culprits did not necessarily leave, but they were not available, Korban said. They did not freak out; they opted not to be engaged, he added when pressed. He also described them as not responsive. They bailed and didn't do their job. Some 10 employees were on duty at the pumping station that night, but evidently only these two had the skills and training that might have averted disaster. Since they were also high level, they must have earned management's trust earlier. What could have made such valued staffers suddenly behave irresponsibly is therefore a mystery. The term not responsive is generally applied to the comatose. We can only guess, but in New Orleans drink or drugs are always a possible factor. Whatever the reason for the debacle, both our guys were immediately suspended without pay for behavior that was presumably out of character and bound to make the blood boil. Louisiana Senate President John Alario recalls a time when lawmakers huddled on the House floor to resolve budget debates by deciding the price of oil. Their purpose was to skirt political intransigence by simply adding 50-cents or so to the average annual price per barrel to give the formula that determined how much state government had available enough umpf to spit out an amount that covered the project a legislator wanted, said the Westwego Republican who has served nearly a half-century in the Louisiana Legislature. Hoping for a little more reality and a lot less razzle-dazzle, voters in 1990 created the Revenue Estimating Conference that was supposed to replace convenience with science and separate the spending part of the conversation from the part deciding how much money was available. But oil prices and hard politics remain the base of any debate about revenues in Louisiana. That truth will be evident Monday when the REC meets again. The REC is made up of the speaker of the House, the president of the Senate, the governor and an independent economist. All four must agree to an estimate calculated by two economists one working for the governor and one working for the Legislature. State government builds its proposed spending plan for the coming fiscal year off the revenue number the REC officially recognizes. For years REC went about its business in a routine way until a couple weeks ago when the member of the House of Representatives, for the first time ever, injected the issue of government spending at a REC meeting, said Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, who sits on the REC as Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards representative. After tense meeting over possible rosier Louisiana financials, no update to revenue forecast Just when it seemed fights over Louisiana's state budget had become a thing of the past, tempers flared again at the State Capitol on Tuesday House Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry, the Metairie Republican sitting in for the speaker of the House on Nov. 27, refused to recognize a revenue increase. His decision jeopardized the deal that ended a two-year fight over the budget. To win votes, lawmakers had agreed, provided money was available, to fund $43.3 million for several programs, including paying sheriffs $10.5 million to house state offenders and the Attorney General $869,649 for his Medicaid Fraud task force. Henry said he didnt see the need to rush a decision and possibly saddle taxpayers with additional expenses while confusion in the oil market could lead to another downturn. Dan Fagan: Cameron Henry right to be skeptical of Louisiana's projected revenue increase Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards likes to raise taxes and spend money. He's successfully convinced Republican legislators to raise more than $7 Alario and Dardenne are prepared to call a REC meeting every day this week until the panel confirms an official forecast that is increased enough for the last Joint Legislative Budget Committee to consider the $43.3 million below the line projects. Edwards argues that Louisianas economy has rebounded and state government could collect up to $163 million more than expected this fiscal year and up to $195 million more for the fiscal year that starts July 1. That should cover the $43.3 million and another $100 million for the teacher pay raises Edwards wants to pass. House Speaker Taylor Barras, the New Iberia Republican is a member of the REC, suspects the projected revenues are not sustainable. The increases were driven by legislative changes rather than economic improvement, he wrote Dardenne on Nov. 30. House leadership has long criticized the REC. As far back as April 2017 seven legislative sessions ago House Majority Leader Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, was telling GOP faithful: They never get it right. A volatile energy market makes those estimates even dicier. Oil prices had been rising since the last collapse in 2015, which is good news for American producers like Louisiana, where the energy industry paid an annual average wage of $96,500 to 44,580 employees last year when oil was about $67 a barrel. But higher prices hurt consumers and Novembers price drop to about $54 per barrel was greeted with accolades in some political quarters. Oil prices getting lower. Great! Like a big Tax Cut for America and the World. Enjoy! President Donald Trump tweeted Nov. 21. Major oil states like Saudi Arabia and Russia are talking this week about reducing production to raise the price again. LSU economist Jim Richardson, a member of the REC, asked to run the numbers using $51 a barrel instead of about $60. He was OK with accepting the projections at around $60 the taxes and royalties being collected now are based on the higher price but thought it prudent to get ahead of curve, just in case. Economists Manfredo Dix, for the Division of Administration, and Greg Albrecht, for the Legislature, will present those calculations Monday, if asked. The expected revenue uptick will be impacted, but REC members say the state will still have enough money for the promised projects and teacher pay raises. Will that be enough to win over Barras? He didnt respond to queries from The Advocate. Will Barras even show up? He hasnt responded to queries from Dardenne, either. Theres a big election on the ballot next year, for Louisiana governor. Theres also a big question that might as well be. How much does party matter when voters pick a governor? Two Republicans have now announced theyll challenge Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards in October, Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone and U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham. The states higher-profile GOP figures, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and Attorney General Jeff Landry, have said they wont run, but another one or two or five Republicans could eventually join the field. No matter how that all shakes out, were looking at either an outright Edwards primary win or a D-versus-R runoff. In Louisiana, we know how that story generally ends. The last three Republican presidential nominees all scored roughly 58 percent of the vote. In 2016, Kennedy got 61 percent versus Foster Campbell for an open Senate seat. In 2014, Republican Bill Cassidy faced Democrat Mary Landrieu, a three-term Senate incumbent with a long record of sending federal resources back home, and beat her 56 percent to 44 percent. Elections for statewide offices in Baton Rouge usually follow the same storyline. Other than the governorship, every one of those jobs is now held by a Republican, and its been a while since Democrats were even able to field competitive candidates. Edwards, of course, is the most glaring of exceptions. He beat U.S. Sen. David Vitter by twelve points in 2015. Much has been said since then, by me and many others, about the two candidates particular strengths and weaknesses. But theres also something else going on here. Governors races, Id argue, really are different. Those consistent national results follow a distinct pattern: In our ever-more polarized country, people tend to vote for their own team, not only for president but also in Senate elections that increasingly focus on whether the candidates are with or against the president. For down-ballot statewide races as well as many local contests, the candidates parties can act as shorthand, helping voters who might not know much else figure out whos more in sync with their views. People do pay a lot of attention to governor races, though, and Louisiana isnt the only place where the results have been surprising. Two reliably Democratic states, Massachusetts and Maryland, just re-elected Republican governors; in fact, polls show that Massachusetts Charlie Baker and Marylands Larry Hogan consistently rank among the countrys most popular chief executives. And Louisiana isnt the only red state to have voted blue in recent years. Just last month, Kansas narrowly chose a Democratic governor. Louisiana and Kansas have one more thing in common. Both were previously led by Republican governors, Bobby Jindal and Sam Brownback, who put their ideologically conservative talk into action, most notably when it came to state finances. And both wound up their tenures with approval ratings from their own supposedly like-minded voters in the basement. So why the pattern? One convincing argument is that voters look to governors to be moderating forces, to pull government back toward the center or at least act as a check on the dominant party. A related theory is that the issues a governor handles hit people close to home, whether were talking about funding for their kids educations or the viability of the local hospital or badly-needed aid for people with severe disabilities or basic government efficiency. Its much harder to fall back on strict ideology when these things are front and center. Yet another is that all these successful governors have something in common: They each established a certain healthy distance from their own national parties. Baker and Hogan, for example, have not exactly embraced President Donald Trump, as most of their Senate cohorts have. And Edwards has gone out of his way to build a relationship with a Republican president who is popular among his own constituents. Hes certainly been invited to the White House a lot. None of this guarantees that Edwards will have an easy ride to reelection next year. But the fact that it could very well happen again does tell us something and not just about him. A woman fatally shot her husband as he beat her and tried to strangle her in a Metairie home Friday, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said Saturday. Investigators did not book her with a crime after questioning her. Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich identified the slain man as Ian Mastin, 27. According to the Sheriff's Office, Mastin's 27-year-old wife called 911 just before 9 p.m. and reported she had shot her husband in their home in the 2900 block of Transcontinental Drive. Responding deputies found Mastin had been shot multiple times. He died at the scene. Deputies took his wife into custody and brought her to the agency's detective bureau to be interrogated. The Sheriff's Office said the woman cooperated with investigators and "provided a detailed and well-documented history of physical and psychological abuse" at the hands of Mastin. Although the woman had not previously disclosed the abuse to law enforcement, friends or family, she "was able to provide a significant amount of corroborating evidence to back her statements," the Sheriff's Office said. 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 The woman said Mastin had beaten her and attempted to strangle her Friday before she shot him, "fearing that the years of abuse would culminate in" her death, according to the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office said the woman "displayed multiple physical injuries that corroborated her account" of a justifiable killing in self-defense. The agency declined to name her because it believed she was a domestic violence victim and because she had been released from custody without being accused of a crime. The Sheriff's Office noted that investigators will forward their findings in the case to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney's Office, which will decide whether to file criminal charges. Under Louisiana law, people who reasonably believe that their lives are in imminent danger can legally kill to defend themselves. Public records suggest Mastin had previously spent time in Monroe and Baton Rouge. A social media profile under his name says he was attending Tulane University Law School. The university confirmed that was the case but didn't comment further. Can't see video below? Click here. If 2017 was Facebook's year from hell, then 2018 was...much worse than that. And, thanks to Australian regulators, the pain might not even be over yet. It has been a tough twelve months for Facebook on the stock market, with more than $US230 billion ($319 billion) wiped from the company's market value since late July; and in the court of public opinion, with politicians, the media, and even tech industry peers such as Apple CEO Tim Cook, all turning against it. There are a few factors behind the weakness in Facebook's share price, which is down 34 per cent over the past five months. Following a sustained multi-year rally, global markets have been under pressure amid concerns about a trade war between the US and China. And tech stocks, which led the markets higher during that bull run, are now being hit the hardest. Yet Facebook's many self inflicted scandals are undeniably also at play. As Scott Devitt, an analyst at US broker Stifel Nicolaus put it last week: "Facebook's management team has created too many adversaries politicians/regulators, tech leaders, consumers and employees to not experience long-term negative ramifications on its business," he wrote in a note to clients. "Most importantly, consumers and some employees appear to have grown disenchanted with the company." "I think I'm still a little bit in shock," says Nicole White, after finding out her business has won the 2018 American Express Shop Small Grant. The 39-year-old Sydney-based entrepreneur has won $50,000 and a mentoring session with entrepreneur and Shark Tank judge Andrew Banks. E-learning business The ID Crowd took out the grant from a field of more than 1100 entries from small businesses around Australia. Nicole White is the founder of The ID Crowd. Credit:Janie Barrett Starting out A Fairfax Media and Huffington Post investigation has uncovered an extraordinary story of bribery and corruption in the oil industry, centred on Monaco-based company Unaoil. In the inhospitable Caspian Sea, Unaoil's clients sought to make their fortune. THE PLAYERS Diego Braghi Eni manager Leonida Bortolazzo Middleman Serik Burkitbayev Kazakh official Timur Kulibayev Billionaire and the son-in-law of Kazakhstans president When huge oil reserves were discovered off the coast of Kazakhstan more than 20 years ago, the world's biggest oil service companies headed to the Caspian Sea. American multinational Halliburton and its then-subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root led the charge. The arrival of the US firms famous due to their association with America's military and the firms' former chairman turned US vice president Dick Cheney signalled that there was serious money to be made. So did the arrival of Unaoil at around the same time. The Monaco-based company specialises in paying bribes for multinational clients on the basis that it can deliver a valuable edge in bidding for oil and gas contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Unaoil's assistance also costs big typically commissions of 3 per cent or more of the total value of the contract but Halliburton and KBR were happy to pay. So were Britain's Petrofac and Rolls Royce, Norway's Aker Kvaerner, Turkish firm Gate, and Singapore conglomerate Keppel and US firm National Oilwell Varco. It's clear that at least some of KBR's managers knew how Unaoil got its edge. In February 2005, a KBR manager urged Unaoil to start hobnobbing to help KBR win a services contract on the Kashagan oil field, which is considered to be the biggest deposit found in the past 30 years. "..that we own the Spaghetti House & have a lease on the Shashlik takeaway," My feeling is that a good spaghetti house is where it is at; of course a little shashlick for lunch is good to digest also, the KBR manager wrote using code words spaghetti for the managers of Italian company Eni, which was managing the Kashagan field alongside Kazakh officials, who were codenamed shashlick. But the hobnobbing that KBR was seeking was no ordinary lobbying. Unaoil was bribing both Kazakh officials and Eni managers. We need to convince [KBR] that we own the Spaghetti House & have a lease on the Shashlik takeaway, wrote Unaoil executive, Peter Willimont, to his boss, CEO Cyrus Ahsani. This done we can get our deal signed. Ahsani responded, also in code, that the American company must pay Unaoil before it began helping the US firm: Try to get the paper before we do the rounds. It would help if we had it. In other words, KBR should guarantee to give Unaoil a fat commission before it could wield the kind of influence it wanted. Sure enough, by 2008, KBR had promised Unaoil over $10 million in commissions. Our ability to live from the reputation of working with KBR is immense, a Unaoil email states. OWNING THE SPAGHETTI HOUSE Willimont's claim that Unaoil owns the spaghetti house was no idle boast. Leaked internal emails show that several Italian oil executives from Eni, appointed to help manage Kazakhstan's oil wealth, used their power corruptly. In return for bribes, these men leaked highly sensitive tender information and rigged contracts to support KBR and Unaoil's other clients. A huge amount of inside information from supposedly confidential tender committees was leaked to Unaoil. In one email, Eni manager Diego Braghi told Unaoil that in return for kickbacks, he can provide all the tender details, clarifications, evaluations from the tender committee he was appointed to help oversee - and keep confidential. Five Italian middlemen, including several operating out of London, were used by Unaoil to bribe a network of Eni executives. Of the five, Leonida Bortolazzo was the most powerful. Formerly an Eni executive himself, Bortolazzo was no stranger to corruption. Leaked emails reveal that Unaoil spent tens of thousands of dollars on upmarket furniture for Bortolazzo's London home while he was responsible for overseeing large Kazakh oil service contracts in 2004. Advertisement The bribing of Bortolazzo by Unaoil continued after he left Eni in October 2004 and began working with an influential Kazakhstan government owned oil company called KING in 2005. KING was run by Bortolazzo's good friend, the powerful Kazakh official Serik Burkitbayev (who was later jailed for corruption). KBR was desperate to secure the support of KING, Bortolazzo and Burkitbayev because they had, according to a KBR memo: unofficial preferential treatment when tendering instant access to decision makers in the Kazakh Government and access to information simply not available to the likes of KBR. When this memo was written, in 2005, Unaoil was already bribing Bortolazzo. Leaked documents show he would, at one stage, be paid $80,000 a month by Unaoil in return for corrupting tender committees to favour KBR and other firms. In a 2006 email, Bortolazzo wrote that he had been promised $2.5 million by Unaoil in return for the help he had given KBR and other companies. Bortolazzo kept some of these funds for himself and used the rest to pay further bribes to his corrupt friends inside Eni. Bortolazzo and Braghi were approached for comment. THE SHASLICK TAKEAWAY Unaoil and its network never wasted an opportunity to win favour among powerful Kazakh officials. Small inducements were provided without hesitation. At the request of a powerful government official, Unaoil spent 6000 Euros on Monaco hotel rooms; it helped another senior Kazakh official and his wife submit a fraudulent visa request to the Spanish embassy and paid for their holiday accommodation; it helped a front man for an influential Kazakh figure to set up a company in the British Virgin Islands and a bank account in Bermuda. But the real business of influencing Kazakh officials involved Unaoil advising its clients to give multi-million dollar sub-contracts to companies these officials owned or controlled. Unaoil and its multinational clients, including KBR, were obsessed about winning the backing of figures such as billionaire Timur Kulibayev, the son-in-law of Kazakhstan's president. Kulibayev is known for buying the home of British Royal family member, Prince Andrew, for 15 million pounds in 2007 - even though the asking price was 12 million pounds. He's also named in US diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks as exercising incredible control over Kazakhstan's oil industry. In 2006, when Unaoil CEO Cyrus Ahsani invited Kulibayev to his brother's wedding in Monaco, he addressed the invite to Your Excellency. The leaked emails repeatedly describe how Unaoil and its clients sought to win Kulibayev's favour, and that of the Kazakhstan government, by engaging in business deals with companies he controlled. Anti-corruption authorities from the United States and elsewhere warn that such activities may amount to bribery and corruption. In 2007, Unaoil set up its own joint venture company with a high ranking Kazakh official who it described as being very close to TK [Timur Kulibayev]. It also advised its client, Singapore conglomerate Keppel, to use its financial ties to a Kulibayev-controlled company to help win a government funded contract to supply an oil drilling barge. Failing that, Unaoil advised working out what financial rewards Keppel's opposition had promised another company, KGNT, which also has ties to Kulibayev, and to attempt to match it. There is no suggestion that Kulibayev ever improperly assisted Unaoil or its clients as a result of Unaoils efforts to win his favour. A man has died and a woman was badly injured after a brick pillar holding a hammock at a Subiaco unit collapsed overnight. The pillar collapsed just before 1am. Credit:9 News Perth The pair, aged in their early 20s, were rushed to hospital after the accident happened at a block of units on Robinson Street around midnight on Saturday. The hammock was tied to a palm tree and a brick pillar holding up the pergola outside the unit, which is home to three young women. It's understood that a wall collapsed, bringing down the pillar on to the young man and woman who were on the hammock at the time. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer is under pressure to fix casual worker "double dipping" before Christmas, as lawyers prepare to file a massive class-action suit and employers fear they could be exposed to liabilities of up to $8 billion across the economy. Ms O'Dwyer is understood to be considering a bold solution to the situation created by the Federal Court when it ruled that Paul Skene, a casual truck driver employed at a Rio Tinto mine through labour hire firm WorkPac, was entitled to annual leave and sick pay. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer is understood to be considering a bold solution. Credit:AAP Under the plan being considered, the minister would use her executive powers to create a regulation to ensure that employers are not hit twice by having to pay entitlements on top of the casual loadings designed to compensate for them. It comes as class-action law firm Adero prepares to file suits against WorkPac and fellow mining industry labour hire firms Hays recruitment, Programmed and One Key Resources, on behalf of thousands of workers who say they are in the same position as Mr Skene. The national curriculum is overcrowded, Education Minister Dan Tehan has said, opening the door to a streamlined program with a heightened emphasis on core subjects like maths and English. Amid concerns over declining academic results, Mr Tehan will tell an education conference at the Australian National University that the Morrison government wants to revamp the goals of the school system and better support teachers. Education Minister Dan Tehan says the curriculum is overcrowded. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer In his speech on Monday, Mr Tehan will say education standards are about more than funding levels and he has received a clear message from teachers and parents around the country that the curriculum is overcrowded and that means we are sacrificing quality for quantity. Teachers tell me that there is too much being taught and we should be concentrating on developing a deeper understanding of essential content, he will say. NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann has issued a blistering attack on her party, saying she is "beyond appalled" with many members and fears the Greens have been "infiltrated by extreme left forces". Ms Faehrmann, a former chief of staff to Greens' federal leader Richard Di Natale, said the party's decision to force fellow MP Jeremy Buckingham to resign was a new low for the NSW Greens. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann says her party is at a crossroads. Credit:Louie Douvis Her comments will further inflame tensions in the divided party as it prepares for the state election. The NSW Greens voted on Saturday to kick Mr Buckingham off the party's 2019 election ticket, amid accusations made under parliamentary privilege that he had committed an act of "sexual violence" against a former Greens employee. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has again ruled out pill testing, following the suspected drug overdose death of a 19-year-old man at a Sydney dance music festival on the weekend. Callum Brosnan, 19, was found at Sydney Olympic Park railway station in the early hours of Sunday morning, but later died at Concord Hospital. Police said 16 others were hospitalised with suspected drug overdoses and 130 sought treatment following the Knockout Games of Destiny festival run by Harder Styles Unite at the Sydney Showground on Saturday night. Friends of Callum posted tributes to their "intelligent" friend on Facebook. The Victorian government has given its strongest indication yet that it will not sign up to the federal governments Gonski 2.0 school funding deal, in a move that has infuriated independent and Catholic schools concerned funding could stop flowing to them next year. Non-government schools are concerned government funding could stop flowing to them next year unless a new school funding deal is struck. Credit:Michele Mossop In a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described the Commonwealths school funding agreement as fundamentally flawed. The letter, which was sent ahead of this weeks Council of Australian Governments and Education Council meetings, urges the federal government to increase funding for public schools. If the Commonwealth is serious about improving student learning outcomes then it needs to do its share to adequately resource all Victorian schools, Mr Andrews wrote. Grace Millane was described as a "fun loving, outgoing and [a] family-orientated person". Credit:Facebook "I can now advise that a short time ago we located a body which we believe to be Grace," Beard said. "The formal identification process will now take place, however, from the evidence we have gathered over the last few days we expect that this is Grace. "Obviously this brings the search for Grace to an end. This is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them. "The focus now is to piece together exactly what happened to a young woman who came to New Zealand on her OE [overseas experience]." Police have CCTV footage of some of Grace Millane's movements on Saturday. Credit:NZ Police/AP He added Millane's dad, who arrived in New Zealand from London on Friday to help with the search, had been joined by another family member. "Any father in this situation is going to struggle," he said. "We are putting a lot of support around him. I feel for him, I have a daughter in her twenties. "It's difficult because he is here with a brother from England, and the rest of the family are back home. Our hearts go out to them." Millane, 22, from Essex in the United Kingdom, was last seen in central Auckland on December 1 and was reported missing on Wednesday. At a press conference on Saturday, Beard said police had gathered evidence, from CCTV footage and searches at the CityLife Hotel on Queen St where she was last seen, that determined "Grace is no longer alive". The red 2016 Toyota Corolla hatchback hired from a central Auckland rental car company. Credit:Stuff At the time, Beard said while officers did not know where she was, they were "determined to find her and return her to her family". Back home in Essex, church services were to be held to remember Millane. Father John Corbyn, of Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church in Wickford, where the Millane family lives said she was well known in the community. "Many of our young people went to school with her. She went to Catholic school, and so did they, so they know her. Grace Millane's brother Declan Millane posted this image in a tribute to his sister, along with words from the song You are my Sunshine. Credit:stuff.co.nz "We were praying for her while she was missing, and then of course ... the sad realisation that she wasn't missing any longer, as it were." He said the mood at the church was "rather sombre and sad", adding: "I didn't know her personally but many of the people here do. They're shocked and saddened by what's happened." In Auckland, police continued to search the CityLife apartment where Millane was last seen at 9.41pm on December 1, and were sifting through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. Beard said he had no evidence to suggest Millane knew the man in custody before Saturday night but detectives knew they were together from the time she was captured on footage at SkyCity to the time she was seen at the CityLife Hotel. Detectives were also still searching for some of Millane's belongings, including her passport, a pale pink Casio Baby-G watch and a silver necklace with a green stone in the middle, which were missing from the Base Backpacker hostel where she was staying. "That property is going to be somewhere, the clothing is going to be somewhere, we haven't found it. Somebody may find it somewhere, we don't know what has happened to it," Beard said on Saturday. Millane was on a year-long trip after graduating from the University of Lincoln in September. The Edge Breakfast Randell tries his best to guess what Adele's next song will sound like Booking photo of Andre Marc Sutherland, who was arrested after he broke into an apartment in Phoenix, and was punched in the face by a 13-year-old boy. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office) Arizona 13-Year-Old Fends Off Home Intruder by Punching Him in the Face An Arizona boy punched a home intruder in the face after the meth-affected man climbed into his apartment because he thought it was haunted and abandoned, police said. Andre Marc Sutherland, 27, was arrested after breaking into the Phoenix apartment on Dec. 2 through an unlocked sliding glass door, AZFamily.com reported. The teen told officers he was making pizza in the kitchen around 7 p.m. and when he went back to his room and found Sutherland in his bed, fondling himself. The teenager then punched Sutherland in the face and the two got into a scuffle. The boy then locked himself in the bathroom and called his father and 911. As soon as he said it, I kind of didnt believe it, the boys father told AZFamily.com. He said, Oh, there was a break in and he tried to choke me was all he said. Im locking myself in the bathroom.' The suspect left the premises and was located shortly after by police. Sutherland reportedly told the police he was surprised the boy punched him in the face because thought the two were having a telepathic conversation. The suspect told police he had been using meth for the past month, and entered the apartment because he was looking for a place to sleep. Police said Sutherland told them he thought the place was haunted and was fondling himself as a way to draw the spirits in. Sutherland was arrested on charges of burglary, public sexual indecency, and aggravated assault. I dont think anybody could have done any better than what hes done, the boys father said. He reacted perfectly in a situation where you couldnt really tell what way it was going to go. He certainly exceeded my expectations. Im very proud of him, he added. Face-to-Face With Burglars The story recalls a harrowing episode several backs when a 12-year-old Arizona boy called 911 on two burglars who had kicked their way into his house, enabling police to respond and make an arrest, but not before he came face-to-face with the two intruders. The 12-year-old boy, who has not been identified by name, heard someone kicking down the door to his Scottsdale home and hid in the closet, according to AZCentral.com. An audio recording of the 911 call made in August 2015, published by ABC, reveals the boy asked the operator to summon the police as the intruders entered the house. Theyre trying to break down the door right now I can hear them, the boy said on the call. I think they might be inside, he said, also whispering that he was in a bedroom closet. The boy, who was home alone at the time, listened to the suspects rummage around his house for 15 minutes while the 911 operator stayed on the phone with him. Does it still sound like theyre in the bedroom with you, the 911 operator asks, according to the ABC report. No, I think theyre in the kitchen right now, the boy responds. The situation became even more terrifying when the boy came face-to-face with the burglars. Please dont hurt me, the boy says. The two suspects ran away when they saw the boy. Yes, theyre running. Theyre running they saw me. What do I do? What do I do? the boy says the operator. By that time the police had surrounded the house and arrested the suspects. The boy was uninjured. Australian MP Introduces Magnitsky Bill Australias proposed Magnitsky Bill will send a powerful message to human rights violatorsthat their criminal actions will face international scrutiny. Outgoing Labor MP, Michael Danby, introduced the bill, The International Human Rights and Corruption (Magnitsky Sanctions) Bill 2018, to the Lower House in the Australian Parliament on Dec. 3. The Magnitsky Bill, which has been legislated in the United States, Canada, and the UK, would enable the Australian government to impose sanctions on any individual human rights violators. On Monday I'll move an Australian Magnitsky Bill. As in US,UK & Canada it applies sanctions to those connected with authoritarian governments who engage in Human Rights violations https://t.co/kvBgrTQyOG @iRebiyaKadeer @Billbrowder @DalaiLama @MiaFarrow @MsJulieLenarz #auspol pic.twitter.com/AuwY1HLyTJ Michael Danby MP (@MichaelDanbyMP) November 30, 2018 Michael Danby MP told Parliament on Dec. 3, that around the world, the Magnitsky Acts are becoming a weapon for Democratic pushback by Western governments, against officials connected with authoritarian governments, who engage in serious human rights abuses and corruption in their own countries. Under the bill, human rights violators would be banned from travelling to Australia. Violators would also have their assets frozen and be barred from sending their children to Australian schools. Above all, the bill will act as a deterrent and provide accountability to individuals who have engaged in activities deemed illegal by international human rights law. If youre the general who sent the military hooligans to shoot down MH17 or youre the official in Khartoum who sends the Janjaweed militia to murder the Muslim people of Western Sudan, or youre the Beijing official who has set up concentration camps for a million Uyghur people in East Kazakhstan, you will not like this bill, Danby said. Magnitskys Legacy The Magnitsky bill is named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who uncovered the largest tax fraud in his countrys history and was subsequently detained for a year in a Moscow prison and eventually died under torture in 2009. The bill, which was initiated by Bill Browder, a British-American fund manager, was first used to target Russians who invested their ill-gotten gains into Western countries. It aimed to enforce visa bans and freeze assets, in order to prevent criminals from investing in safe havens, such as the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia. [I]f we can disrupt the safety of their money it really does have a profound impact on their psychology, Browder told ABC. In 2016, following Democratic pressure, the United States passed the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Danby said that the Australian Magnitsky Act will partially replicate the U.S. version, and will deal with corrupt abusers of human rights and corruption all around the world, not just Russia. Current Sanctions On Dec. 21, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that imposed sanctions on 13 human rights abusers and corrupt actors. That number has since increased. Treasury is freezing their assets and publicly denouncing the egregious acts theyve committed, sending a message that there is a steep price to pay for their misdeeds, said Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin. At the direction of President Trump, Treasury and our interagency partners will continue to take decisive and impactful actions to hold accountable those who abuse human rights, perpetrate corruption, and undermine American ideals. Among that list are Gao Yan, the Burmese military, and Saud al-Qahtani. Gao Yan (Gao) was the Beijing Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch director. During Gaos tenure, human rights activist Cao Shunli was detained at the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau Chaoyang Branch where, in March 2014, Cao fell into a coma and died from organ failure, her body showing signs of emaciation and neglect. Since 2016, the Burmese military has committed brutal acts of violence against Rohingya villagers as well as other ethnic and religious minority groups. The Burmese military has committed extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and torture against civilians from minority communities. Saud al-Qahtani, a senior official of the government of Saudi Arabia, his subordinate Maher Mutreb, Saudi Consul General Mohammed Alotaibi, and 14 other members were added on the Magnitsky list for having a role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. China on Notice Danby said that he is outraged that many groups are persecuted in China today. Among those persecuted in China today are Human Rights Activists, Christians, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Falun Gong practitioners. Thank you @MichaelDanbyMP for introducing the Australian Magnitsky Bill. An important step to challenge authoritarian governments like #China who engage in serious human rights abuses and corruption. #auspol https://t.co/SvBOCQJBV5 Aust Tibet Council (@TibetCouncil) December 3, 2018 I think we are all outragedand I, particularly with my background, find it incrediblethat, in these days, a million Uyghur people could be sent to concentration camps. Xinjiangor East Kazakhstan, Danby added. Communist Party viceroy, Chen Quanguo, with his monstrous plan to incarcerate a million Uyghurs in concentration camps, will not be forgotten by legislation like this if it is passed and a future federal government has a chance to name himjust as the Christian people are being persecuted in China at the moment, with their churches blown up and crosses blown off the roofs, Danby continued. This is something that should attract the support of both sides of politics. Its time that Australia joined this growing international movement and adopted its own global Magnitsky law, Danby said. The Magnitsky Bill will now be passed onto the House committee for public inquiry. Body Found in Search for Murdered British Backpacker in New Zealand New Zealand police said on Dec. 9 they believe they have found the body of a missing 22-year-old British woman after charging a 26-year-old man with her murder. Grace Millane went missing on Dec. 1 in Auckland, New Zealands most populous city, just one day before her 22nd birthday. She had been travelling the world after graduating from college. Police said on Saturday she had been murdered and they were questioning a man in connection with her death. Detective Inspector Scott Beard told reporters late on Saturday that the man, who was not identified by name, has been charged with Millanes murder. Sadly, the evidence we have gathered to this point of the enquiry has established that this is a homicide, said Detective Inspector Scott Beard, of the Auckland City Police on Dec. 8, adding that her family was devastated. The unnamed suspect is expected to make a court appearance on Monday morning. The man has been reported by the Daily Mail as having gone on a Tinder date with Millane on the night she disappeared. Unbearable Beard said investigators have not formally identified the body, but they believe it is that of the missing woman. I can now advise that shortly after 4 p.m. today, we located a body, which we believe to be Grace, he said in a statement. Obviously, this brings the search for Grace to an end, Beard said. It is an unbearable time for the Millane family and our hearts go out to them. He added that Millanes family, including her father, who flew to New Zealand on Friday, has been informed. Asked how the father was doing, Beard said, Any father, any parent in this situation would struggle. The Search Police had earlier declared the portion of a bush area in Aucklands Waitakere Ranges as of interest in the investigation. Since early this morning a scene examination has been underway in a section of bush on Scenic Drive in the Waitakere Ranges, Beard said. The British womans body was found about 10 meters (30 feet) from the side of the road, hidden in bushland. Investigators believe it had been taken there in a rental car that was recently found nearly 300 kilometers (186 miles) away in Taupo. Police have reached out to the public with a request for information about the case and released a photograph of the rental car connected with Millanes murder investigation. I am releasing two photographs of a 2016 red Toyota Corolla hatchback, Beard said in a statement. This car was hired from a central Auckland rental car company. We need to hear from anyone who saw this car last Monday morning, between 6 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. in the West Auckland area. Beard said the investigation would continue for some time yet. The focus now is to piece together exactly what happened to a young girl, who came to this country on her OE, he said. Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Family-Orientated Daughter Members of her family flew out to New Zealand from England the day before the police announced her death. In an earlier statement, her father, David Millane, described her as a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter. The family had been alerted when Millanes stream of regular updates of her exploits suddenly fell silent. Grace has never been out of contact for this amount of time and is usually in daily contact with either her mother, myself, or her two brothers, said Millane. She was on a yearlong worldwide overseas experience, he said. Grace started this travel journey in Peru in South America and was really looking forward to the second leg in New Zealand. She arrived here on the 20th of November and has bombarded us with numerous photographs and messages of her adventures, he said. The young traveler, from Essex, England, was last seen at the CityLife hotel in Auckland with the male suspect, according to the Daily Mail. Reuters contributed to this report. Chinas Threat to Ottawa Over Huawei CFO Arrest Ignores Rule of Law in Canada News Analysis TORONTOChina has escalated its warning to Canada over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wenzhou, saying that there will be serious consequences if she isnt released immediately. China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused, according to a Dec. 8 statement from the Chinese foreign ministry. What the Chinese communist regime may be ignoring, however, is that governments in democratic nations cant interfere with legal proceedings. I think this is very typical of Chinas behavior, said Brian Lee Crowley, managing director of the think tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute. They look at how they behave domestically, and how every institution in China must bend to the will of the Communist Party, and they just assume that every other society is organized the same way. Meng, who is the CFO of Huawei and the daughter of the Chinese telecom companys founder, was arrested Dec. 1 on fraud charges and is facing extradition to the United States. She is alleged to have lied to U.S. banks about Huaweis relationship with Skycom, a Hong Kong-based company that reportedly conducted business with Iran. Meng denies the allegations. Mengs first bail hearing was held in Vancouver on Dec. 7, and will resume on Dec. 10. The crimes she is charged with each carry a maximum sentence of 30 years. Under its extradition treaty with the United States, Canada is obligated to carry out an extradition request if it complies with the treaty requirements. If the conduct that is committed in the United States is an offense in Canada and there are specific terms of imprisonment attachedwith Canada and the U.S. it has to be exceeding one-year imprisonment if convictedthen there is no gray area, said Seth Weinstein, a lawyer and expert in extradition law. In some cases, if an alleged offense committed in a foreign country isnt considered a crime in Canada, then Canadian officials have some discretion not to carry out the extradition request. However, if the alleged crime is fraudas in the charges Meng now facesthere typically is no gray area, Weinstein added. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Dec. 7 that he was made aware of the arrest a few days before it took place, and that the decision to carry out the arrest was made without any political involvement or interference. Huawei was founded by CEO Ren Zhengfei, a former member of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). Officials in the intelligence community have raised concerns about the use of Huaweis equipment in telecommunication infrastructure, citing the threat of the companys gear possibly being used for spying for Beijing. Three out of five of Canadas allies in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, have banned Huawei from their emerging 5G networks. Chinas Arrests Based on Political Motives Crowley said that by threatening Canada over Mengs arrest, Beijing is showing ignorance on how societies that operate under the rule of law actually work. In contrast, the regime has used its judicial system to arrest foreign nationals due to political motives, he said. When China wasnt getting its way, suddenly Canadian citizens found themselves in trouble with the law in China. In 2014, shortly after Canada acted on an extradition request from the United States to detain Chinese national Su Bin over charges of stealing sensitive military information, a Canadian couple living in China were arrested by Chinese authorities on charges of espionage. Julia Garratt was eventually released in 2015, but her husband, Kevin, wasnt released until 2016. A number of Canadian citizens are currently in custody in China, including Sun Qian, an adherent of Falun Dafa, a spiritual meditation practice persecuted in China; John Chang and Allison Lu, winery owners who were arrested on allegations of smuggling; and Huseyincan Celil, a Canadian of Uyghur Chinese ethnicity. USChina Relations Mengs arrest occurred the same day that President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met while attending the G-20 summit in Argentina, with the two leaders agreeing to ease trade tensions. The White House announced at the end of the meeting that both sides agreed to begin negotiations on the changes that Washington has been seeking, including ending Chinas trade policies with respect to forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft, among others. According to U.S. officials, Trump was unaware of the arrest. Crowley says that Mengs arrest is part of a larger sign to China that the United States is going to be more aggressive in asserting the legal standards that they expect China to abide by. This is not just a question of trade relationships, this is a question of the application of American law, he said. I think the legal system is signaling that they wont tolerate this, even by powerful people. Dog That Survived California Fire Found Waiting at Home a Month Later A dog that survived the massive Camp Fire in California was found waiting at home by his owners when they finally returned weeks after the blaze forced them to evacuate. The story was shared by Facebook group K9 Paw Print Rescue. Madisons parents were unable to get home to him when the Camp Fire spread. They hoped and prayed he would be OK. When they finally got clearance to go back to the lot where their house once stood.Madison was waiting there for them as if he were protecting his former home. Never give up!! the group wrote. Shayla Sullivan, a rescue worker who helped look after pets following the devastation wreaked by the flames, said that she spotted the dog a few times while working and brought the owner Madisons brother Miguel. Im so HAPPY to report that Andrea was allowed to return to her property today and THERE MADISON WAS!!!! He had stayed to protect what was left of his home, and NEVER gave up on his people! Sullivan wrote. Madisons parents were unable to get home to him when the Camp Fire spread. They hoped and prayed he would be OK. When K9 Paw Print Rescue Im so happy Im crying as I write this! He didnt give up through the storms or the fire! A LOOOOONG month it must have been for him! Andrea Gaylord, the dogs owner, said that the reunion was emotional. Imagine the loyalty of hanging in in the worst of circumstances and being here waiting, she told ABC 10. It was so emotional. Sullivan said on her Facebook page that she put out food for Madison for weeks but didnt actually see him until his owners went to the house. It was the BEST feeling having Madison meet our truck. After feeding him for almost a month, but NOT knowing he was for sure still there, seeing him was surreal. He followed the truck, so he must have sensed Miguel was aboard, she wrote. She said that the dogs owners plan on building a new house for the dogs to watch over, but for now theyre patrolling the property with vigilance. Camp Fire Finally Contained The Camp Fire started on Nov. 8 and burned through over 150,000 acres by the time it was finally extinguished on Dec. 6. The fire consumed nearly 14,000 residences in addition to some 4,800 other buildings, and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. It also killed 85 people and injured three firefighters. Hundreds of firefighters deployed to northern California to fight the flames and the group was eventually able to finish them off. A video shot by former Lytro executive Steve Cooper shows the devastation in the town of Paradise, which was almost completely destroyed by the fire. Cooper shot the video with a 360 camera and condensed it into a seven-minute video documentary. You could see across multiple neighborhoods in every direction; an uninterrupted view that would have been impossible before the fire, Cooper told Engadget. What was chilling was to see massive steel gun safes which were sagging like they were made of wax and left out in the sun. And it was utterly quiet. From NTD News Europe Should Be Worried About Huawei, Says EU Tech Commissioner Europe should be wary of telecommunications company Huawei and other Chinese technology companies, says European Unions technology chief, echoing cybersecurity concerns raised in other parts of the world. European Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip told reporters at a press conference on Dec. 7 that these companies have to cooperate with the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) intelligence services by placing backdoor services in their products, which can be used for espionage. I was always against having those mandatory backdoors, said Ansip, who is also the European Commissioner for digital single market. [It is] about chips they can put somewhere to get our secrets. Its not a good sign when companies have to open their systems for some kind of secret services. As normal ordinary people, of course we have to be afraid, he added. Ansip comments come days after Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested on fraud charges in Canada. Meng is accused of concealing Huaweis relationship with Hong Kong-based company Skycom, which allegedly did business with Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Prosecutors alleged that Skycom was effectively controlled by Huawei, according to Mengs bail hearing on Dec. 7. Huawei responded to Ansips statement on Dec. 7, calling the comments a misunderstanding. The telecom company said in a statement, Singling out one vendor does nothing to help the industry identify and address cybersecurity threats more effectively. Huawei also said that it had never been asked by any government to build any backdoors or interrupt any networks. Global Cybersecurity Risk For years, intelligence agencies in the west have raised concerns about Huaweis connections to the CCP and the possibility that its equipment could be used for CCP spying. In November, The Weekend Australian cited an Australian national security source who said that Australia has evidence that Huawei company officials were pressured to disclose access codes and network details needed by CCP intelligence services to infiltrate a foreign network, according to secret intelligence reports. The Australian reported that it remains unclear if the attempted cyber hack, that occurred only within the last two years, was successful. The case provides the first known evidence that supports the long-held suspicions that Huawei poses a risk to the cyber security of sovereign nations because it is answerable to the CCPparticularly since China passed it National Intelligence Law last year. Under the new law, Chinese citizens and organizations are expected to cooperate with their state intelligence services as required. Huawei is the worlds largest maker of telecommunications network equipment and the No. 3 smartphone supplier. Ren Zhengfei, the founder of the company, was a former officer in the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). He continues to run the company today. The United States and Australia have already shut out Huawei from their 5G networks. Similarly, New Zealand refused a telecoms companys request to use Huawei technology in its 5G network last month. UKs BT Group said this month that it would remove Huawei equipment from its 3G and 4G mobile operations, and will not be using Huawei technology in its 5G network. The chief of UKs foreign intelligence services said in a rare speech on Dec. 3 that Britain needs to review its 5G network reliance on Chinese technology without mentioning Huawei. Meanwhile, Canadas head of intelligence agency has expressed concerns about the security of the countrys emerging 5G network and other technology infrastructure, saying foreign interference and espionage are the biggest threats to the countrys national interest. Japan is also planning to ban government purchases of Huawei equipment, according to reports on Dec. 7 A firefighter died after getting trapped inside a building while battling a five-alarm blaze in Worcester, Massachusetts, on the morning of Dec. 8. (Google Street View) Firefighter Dies Inside Five-Alarm Massachusetts Fire: Reports A firefighter died after getting trapped inside a building while battling a five-alarm blaze in Worcester, Massachusetts, on the morning of Dec. 8. A fire goes to a five-alarm on the fourth call for additional manpower and equipment, indicating a severe blaze. Firefighter Christopher Roy was rescued from the building but later died at the hospital from injuries he sustained during the blaze. A second rescued firefighter is in stable condition, fire chief Michael Lavoie told WCVB. Firefighters were heroic in their efforts to rescue their colleague under extreme conditions, Lavoie said. Roy served in the Worcester Fire Department for about two years. He leaves behind a daughter, parents, and a sibling, the chief said. Firefighters were sent to 7 Lowell Street at 3:58 a.m. after residents said they smelled smoke and alarms sounded. Conditions deteriorated rapidly, with heavy fire forcing several firefighters on the second floor to evacuate, Lavoie said. With heavy hearts, we share this photo of @WorcesterFD Firefighter Christopher Roy, who died this morning after becoming trapped in a burning building. https://t.co/DiPPQ7Tova pic.twitter.com/a3TymS1c5X WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) December 9, 2018 He was trapped inside the Lowell Street building for a considerable period of time before he could be rescued. The Red Cross told WCVB that about a dozen people were displaced by the fire. Please keep the members of the Worcester FD and their families in your thoughts and prayers while they mourn the loss of a firefighter today, wrote the Woburn Fire Department on Twitter, according to the Boston Herald. Tragic. The firefighter was trapped inside during this raging fire. https://bit.ly/2BZE4iJ WCVB Channel 5 Boston Our thoughts are with our brothers and sisters of the #Worcester Fire Department for the loss of their member. @auburnmassfire as well as the rest of the fire service are standing by to assist in any way we can., Auburn Fire Rescue wrote in a tweet. Other details about the incident are not clear. French Yellow Vest Protester Has Hand Blown Off by a Grenade, Report Says A French protester taking part in the yellow vest demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron reportedly was seriously injured by a grenade on Dec. 8 in Paris. Sud Ouest, a French newspaper, reported that the unidentified protester apparently tried to grab a crowd-control grenade and throw it back at police. The device then blew up in his hand. Olivier Etienne, the deputy public prosecutor in Bordeaux, confirmed the details to the publication. This is horrifying. The Sun Graphic footage uploaded on social media showed a man holding what used to be his hand while profusely bleeding. Its also not clear if the man is the same referenced in the Sud Ouest article. This Saturday night, a protester was seriously wounded in the hand by trying to recover a grenade in order to send it back, the report said, according to a translation. The video that apparently showed the man with the bloody stump for a hand was first uploaded to Facebook group France en colere, or Angry France (WARNING: The video footage is very graphic and Facebook covered up the video). According to the Daily Mail, a woman also apparently lost her eye during riots in Paris. Graphic footage uploaded online also showed her bleeding from her eye. Macron will address the country on Dec. 10 to try and pacify the yellow vest protesters. The president will also meet with Senate president Gerard Larcher and National Assembly president Richard Ferrand, France24 reported. The president wants to bring together all the political, territorial, economic and social forces at these difficult times for the nation, in order to hear their voices and proposals with a view to mobilize them into action, Elysee Palace said. France24 reported that more than 1,000 people were arrested during the Paris protests. French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said 125,000 people took part in the demonstrations across the country. Bordeaux, Lyon, and Toulouse also saw significant numbers protest and clash with police. The economy minister lamented the damage to the economy, according to The Associated Press. This is a catastrophe for commerce, its a catastrophe for our economy, Bruno Le Maire, the economy minister, said Sunday while visiting merchants around the Saint Lazare train station, among areas hit by vandalism as the pre-Christmas shopping season got underway. The dialogue has begun and it must continue, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said, according to France24. The president will speak, and will propose measures that will feed this dialogue. What happened yesterday and the Saturday before, it was unforgettable, said Jean-Pierre Duclos, a local from Paris. It happened in a country like France that supposed to be sophisticated, its unbearable and it cannot be forgiven. Police and protesters also clashed in other French cities, notably Marseille, Toulouse, and Bordeaux, and in neighboring Belgium. Some protesters took aim Saturday at the French border with Italy, creating huge traffic jams. Some 135 people were injured nationwide, including the 71 in Paris. Saturdays protests were a direct blow to Macron, who made a stunning retreat last week and abandoned the fuel tax rise that initially prompted the yellow vest protest movement a month ago. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Columbus Zoo said that a giraffe died just several days after giving birth to a calf, the zoo said on Dec. 8. (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) Giraffe Dies Following Rare C-section at Ohio Zoo, Officials Say The Columbus Zoo in Ohio said that a giraffe died just several days after giving birth to a calf, the zoo said on Dec. 8. We want to thank everyone for their support and concern during this difficult time for our team, it wrote on Facebook. Zoo officials said Cami had an emergency C-section to deliver the calf, which died during birth, the statement said. The animal was being monitored 24 hours per day by animal care experts, but the giraffe collapsed around 1 a.m. on Dec. 7 and was unable to get back up. The veterinary team immobilized her to assess her condition and provide fluids, but she passed a short time later. Initial bloodwork suggested acute kidney failure, but a full necropsy will be conducted with pathology results expected in approximately six weeks, said zoo staff in the statement. The Columbus Zoo added that C-sections in giraffes are quite rare and are done as a last resort, adding there is a high risk involved with putting the large ruminant species under anesthesia. There are only three documented reports of a giraffe dam surviving a Cesarean section, none of which occurred in North America, the zoo stated. More Details According to the zoo in a news release, Cami began to exhibit signs of labor around 3 p.m. on December 4 in a behind-the-scenes area of the Heart of Africa region at the Columbus Zoo. As Camis labor progressed, it became evident that the calf was presenting rear hooves first. Giraffe calves are typically born front hooves first, and it is extremely rare for calves to survive after being born rear hooves first. The zoo brought in a large-animal surgeon from Ohio State University to manually extract the calf from Cami without success, the release stated. They then performed an emergency Cesarean section. After the calf was removed, the veterinary team found that the calf had serious congenital defects and thus would not have survived even if it had been born front hooves first, according to the zoo. Cami, a 6-year-old Masai giraffe, came to the Columbus Zoo in 2013 from the Nashville Zoo in Tennessee. Another giraffe calf the Columbus Zoo died last month just a few weeks after being born. While regular wellness checks conducted by the animal health team had previously shown that she was growing and developing appropriately, Ubumwes (the calf) behavior and appearance began to change on November 16, and her health suddenly deteriorated, the zoo stated. Over the zoos history, 19 giraffes have been born in the facility. Newborn calves can weigh anywhere from 100-150 pounds and are, on average, around 6 feet tall, it says According to the Association of Zoos and Aquarium, the mortality rate for giraffe calves in human care is about 25 percent while the mortality rate for giraffe calves in their native range is over 50 percent. Scientists also estimate that only a quarter of giraffe calves reach adulthood in their native ranges due to a variety of threats, said the zoo. Our devoted team is truly devastated but continues to be lifted by the outpouring of concern and support we have received from giraffe lovers from around the world, said Columbus Zoo and Aquarium President Tom Stalf in a statement. The Columbus Zoos animal care experts made heroic efforts to try and save Cami and the calves. Every individual animal in our care is extremely important not only to us, but to their species, and as giraffe populations are declining rapidly in their native ranges, it is up to all of us to help protect them. Working to help vulnerable species like giraffes comes with both triumphant and heartbreaking moments, and even during this sad time, I am proud of the Columbus Zoos work on behalf of animals in our care as well as our continued commitment to the conservation of giraffes in Africa. Endangered Species Meanwhile, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, giraffe populations overall are listed as vulnerable in southern and eastern Africa. The group said that giraffe populations have dropped by 40 percent over the past 30 years, CNN reported in 2016. Many species are slipping away before we can even describe them, IUCN Director General Inger Andersen said. This IUCN Red List update shows that the scale of the global extinction crisis may be even greater than we thought. Whilst giraffes are commonly seen on safari, in the media and in zoos, peopleincluding conservationistsare unaware that these majestic animals are undergoing a silent extinction, IUCN co-Chairman Julian Fennessy added. The iconic giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis), one of the worlds most recognisable animals and the tallest land mammal, is now threatened with extinction. The species, which is widespread across southern and eastern Africa, with smaller isolated subpopulations in west and central Africa, has moved from Least Concern to Vulnerable due to a dramatic 36-40% decline from approximately 151,702-163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 in 2015, said the IUCN. It added: Illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest are all pushing the species towards extinction. Of the nine subspecies of giraffe, three have increasing populations, whilst five have decreasing populations and one is stable. Greek Island of Santorini: More Than a Tourism Paradise The first breathtaking sight of the Greek island of Santorini makes one want to believe that it was indeed the fabled Atlantis. The volcanic island rises straight up from the sapphire-blue sea, with the whitewashed buildings of four villagesOia, Fira, Imerovigli, and Firostefanidecorating the rim of the horseshoe-shaped crater. Sadly, there is no real evidence to support the claim that the Minoan civilization that flourished there had any relation to Atlantis. What undisputable evidence does exist is that Santorini supported a very sophisticated and thriving Minoan civilization more than 4,000 years ago. Ongoing excavations of the ancient town and harbor now called Akrotiri, on the Southern coast of the island, clearly show a history equal to that of mythical Atlantis. The town was destroyed by volcanic action approximately 150 years before the major volcanic explosion and tsunami of 1630 BC, which cleaved the island in half and destroyed the Minoan civilization of Northern Crete. The Minoans of Santorini had developed an advanced mercantile economy that included travelling and trading with not only the Cretan Minoans and Peloponnesian Mycenaeans but also buyers and traders from the Near East, Egypt, and North Africaas far South as what is now Sudan and as far West as the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara. Multi-colored frescoes found on the walls of some of the more affluent residences in Akrotiri, ranging from 1780 BC, show not only images of daily life but also such iconography as merchant fleets and exotic animals. The monkeys depicted were not found anywhere in the Aegean region, but were plentiful in Southern Egypt, Northern Sudan, and the Atlas Mountains. A number of the frescoes and other finds from the site are an extraordinary window into the life of this Bronze Age society, and originals from the excavation can be seen in the archaeological museums of Fira and Athens. Today, Santorini is one of the most frequented Aegean islands on the Mediterranean cruise boat circuit. Viewing the caldera from Fira is awe-inspiring, as are the narrow and winding streets with shops full of outstanding crafts just waiting to catch the eyeand pocketbookof tourists from all over the world. Wine and Food But Santorini is not only a tourism paradise. The fertile volcanic soil of the island creates some of the best white wines in the Mediterranean, with three indigenous varieties growing on the windswept hillsides. The vines produce fewer berries and need to dig deep for nutrients, but the wines produced from those grapes are exceptional. Santorini also has established mariculture facilities in some of the remote coves that are successfully raising branzino, gilt-head bream, and bluefin tuna. These fish are then flown overnight to markets in Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the East Coast of the United States as well as being consumed locally in the islands restaurants and tavernas. But tourism is still the number one industry. A large variety of hotels, resorts, and guesthouses dot the landscape in the towns as well as near the airport and the newer seaport, on the southernmost end of the island. Hospitality is a very ancient tradition in Greece, and Zeus was the patron god of hospitality. Every visitor is treated like an honored guest, whether you are staying at a five-star hotel or someones home. Gastronomically, the island has many outstanding restaurants that offer local produce, fish, and seafood, cooked either traditionally with time-honoured recipes or by chefs and cooks who understand the strategies of modern cuisine. We dined at Nykteri, a seaside restaurant at Kamari Beach where three dishes were absolutely spectacular: octopus stewed in a fresh tomato and red-vinegar sauce on a bed of fava puree, and a charcoal-grilled large calamari body, over smoky eggplant salad. Plus, a superb dish of deep-fried phyllo pastry stuffed with mizithra, a semi-soft cheese, and topped with honey, fresh sesame seeds, and dried fig slices cooked in the honey. At Assyrtiko, we had an outstanding view of the caldera and a lovely dinner from our location high on top of Fira town. But the Cave of Nikolas, a taverna at the beach by the Akrotiri site, was the most interesting dining venue, not only because of the quality of the dishes, which were traditional, very authentic, and outstanding, but also because of its history. The owner, Uncle Nikolas, is an old seafaring Santorinian who in the past worked for the Athenian archaeologist that excavated Akrotiri. The foundation for the taverna was dug at the bottom of the cliff by Nikolas himself; he expanded natural caves in the volcanic tufa, and there is a series of cave rooms fronting the kitchen. Currently, the Cave of Nicolas is run by his daughter, Margarita, who learned the art of cooking from her mother. But Uncle Nikolas still comes around to supervise the kitchen and visit with his guests, regaling them with stories of Akrotiri, the excavations, and his personal travels. Santorini is unique, even among the thousands of Greek Islands, and a visit there should be high on everyones bucket list. The authors were guests of the Municipality of Thira. Barbara and Manos Angelakis are seasoned international travelers and award-winning writers based in the New York City area. To read more of their articles and adventures visit LuxuryWeb Magazine at www.luxuryweb.com Qualcomm Inc. CEO Steve Mollenkopf speaks during a keynote address at CES 2017 last year in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Huawei Saga Offers Opportunity for Global Telecom Giants News Analysis The arrest of Huawei Technologies CFO is the latest affirmation that trust and security will play increasingly central roles in the regulation of the telecommunications sector globally. The reason? 5G wireless technology. 5G, or fifth-generation wireless, is on the cusp of replacing both 4G wireless and broadband Wi-Fi networks for businesses and households. The buildout of 5G network infrastructure, and which companies will lead such efforts, will have major ramifications and affect every aspect of the digital economy. In other words, choosing the right vendor is a matter of national security. Huawei is a global leader in telecom. But its links to the Chinese communist regime, its military ties, and the Chinese regimes penchant for cyberespionage, worry the global community. Huawei has been excluded as a potential 5G network-equipment supplier by the United States, as well as a number of its allies, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. While the UK hasnt officially banned Huawei, British telecom giant BT Group Plc has stated that it wont utilize Huawei 5G network equipment. U.S. ally Germany appears to be an outlier for now. A spokesperson for Germanys interior ministry told Reuters, We dont foresee the legal exclusion of specific suppliers or specific products. Huawei is currently working on a 5G project in Berlin with Deutsche Telekom AG, Germanys biggest telecom provider. 5G Taking Over The new wireless technology will offer superior performance, with data rates rivaling and sometimes exceeding those of physical fiber optics. It will create energy savings, cost savings, higher capacity, and most importantly, allow for expansive interconnectivity between devices. In a nutshell, 5G will make smart homes a reality and bring so-called internet of things devices to the mainstream. The 2018 global mobility report by Swedish telecom giant Ericsson estimates that 5G networks will achieve more than 40 percent global population coverage, and have 1.5 billion mobile broadband subscriptions by 2024. 5G will take off in 2019, and 2020 will be the year in which 5G enters the mass market, the report says. Ericsson also believes 5G will have faster coverage buildout than 4G LTE. The report suggests that the first 5G adoptions will be in fixed wireless-access devicesnot in mainstream smartphones. Around half of all households in the world dont currently have broadband connections, and 5G creates opportunities for operators to deliver broadband services to homes and small and medium-sized enterprises economically. German automaker Audi already announced that it would build a private 5G network to replace Wi-Fi within its assembly plants. BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen have also expressed a desire to build their own 5G networks. 5G private networks will keep Germany competitive in times of digitization [by enabling the] factory of the future, which will be highly flexible and support a high degree of customization, Klaus Mittelbach, the CEO of Zvei, Germanys manufacturers trade group, told MIT Technology Review. The Contenders Global telecom giants are paying attention to how the Huawei security saga plays out. Huawei is currently one of the worlds biggest telecom infrastructure providers. If its barred from 5G buildout in major Western markets, that would create a major opportunity for the likes of Qualcomm, Ericsson, and even bit players in the space such as Samsung. San Diego-based chipmaker Qualcomm is one of the vendors poised to benefit. At its third annual Snapdragon Tech Summit on Dec. 4 in Hawaii, Qualcomm stated that the transition to 5G will be far more impactful than the previous transition to 4G LTE. Both Verizon Wireless and AT&T Wireless were in attendance to demonstrate their 5G capabilities. South Koreas Samsung also is eyeing the potential opportunity vacated by Huawei. According to a Dec. 7 report by the Wall Street Journal, Samsung is replacing the head of its business unit that develops 5G networking equipment, according to people familiar with the matter. Its a shake-up atop a key business looking to rapidly grow sales, as global pushback builds against market leader Huawei, the Journal reported. While Samsung is currently a small player in mobile infrastructure equipment, it has grand ambitions. Its deep pockets, and leading position in smartphone devices and semiconductors, make 5G networking equipment a fitting market for expansion. Italian Police Probing Deadly Stampede Find Pepper Spray Can ROMEItalian police investigating a deadly disco stampede said Sunday they found a pepper spray can and were questioning dozens of witnesses Sunday following accounts by concertgoers that a teenage boy had sprayed an irritating substance, triggering the mad rush by the crowd to flee. It wasnt known if the can found was the one whose spray apparently set off the stampede about 1 a.m. Saturday in a crowd awaiting a rappers performance in the Lanterna Azzurra (Blue Lantern) disco in Corinaldo, a small town in the Marche region of east-central Italy, the Carabiniere paramilitary police commander of Ancona province, Col. Cristian Carrozza, told reporters. He also declined to confirm Italian media reports that a 16-year-old boy had been identified as the sprayer and would be questioned by juvenile court officials. Five teens, all juveniles, and a woman who had accompanied her 11-year-old daughter to the concert, died in the crush of fleeing concertgoers who toppled over a railing atop a cement ramp outside an exit. The railing gave way, sending young people tumbling over it and landing atop of each other in the area below the ramp, about 1.5 meters (feet) below. On Saturday, prosecutors and Italys premier and the interior minister told reporters that nearly 1,400 tickets had been sold, while the disco could safely hold only 870 people, with the capacity of the room of the concert itself set at about 460. On Sunday, Carrozza said a count of ticket stubs indicated that about 600 tickets were used for entry. It was unclear if others might have gotten in without having tickets checked by disco personnel. One of the DJs, Marco Cecchini, told reporters he was sure that more than just one room of the disco was open, in addition to the one with the 460-person capacity. Ive done 40-50 evenings in that place, and, sincerely, there werent so many people. Id estimate maybe 800-900 people, but all the rooms were open, the Italian news agency ANSA quoted Cecchini, who is the son of one of the discos managers, as saying. Several parents whose children had gone to the concert on Saturday brought police cellphones to show videos of the discos premises in case the visuals could help in the investigation, ANSA said. Many parents and patrons have said the disco was jam-packed. Carrozza said that on Saturday police had taken accounts from more than 80 people, and many more concertgoers were being questioned on Sunday. Seven of the more than 50 people injured in the stampede remained in critical condition Sunday while the remaining patients were either already discharged or about to be discharged after their condition improved, doctors said. After Interior Minister Matteo Salvini insisted that safety codes for public places be rigorously respected, police overnight shut down two discos in the south, near the port city of Salerno, for apparent overcrowding. By Frances DEmilio Republican Congressional candidate for North Carolina's 13th district Ted Budd (R), and 9th district Mark Harris (L) are introduced by President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at the Bojangles Coliseum on October 26, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images) North Carolina Republican Accused of Illegal Ballot Harvesting North Carolina Republican Mark Harris is embroiled in a post-election ballot harvesting controversy not unlike recent midterm election concerns emanating from California, where a state law legalized the collection and return of absentee ballots by third parties. That practice helped flip seven GOP House seats to Democrats in California, including the entirety of the traditionally conservative Orange County. Now, it is the Republican Partys turn to grapple with the implications of potential ballot harvesting fraud. Harris narrowly defeated his Democratic midterm opponent, Dan McCready, for North Carolinas U.S. House seat in District 9. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, Harris holds a 905-vote lead, although the election has not been certified due to an ongoing investigation. Youre looking at several thousand, possibly 2,000 absentee ballot requests from this most recent election. About 40 percent of those, it appears, at this point may not have been returned, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman told CNN on Dec. 5. Many of the unreturned absentee ballots, which may have been destroyed, were from Bladen County, a south-central county near the South Carolina border that broke for Harris by 1,557 votes. Only one other county of the eight comprising District 9, voted decisively for Harris. A spreadsheet of Bladen County absentee ballot returns obtained by The Epoch Times shows that 916 mail-in ballots were either never returned, returned blank or undeliverable, or were missing signatures. Others were labeled spoiled, wrong voter, or incomplete. There is no way to know by looking at the results if any votes were illegally changed before they were ultimately received by elections officials. At the center of the ballot irregularities, is a local election contractor named Leslie McCrae Dowless, who was hired by Harriss political consulting firm, Red Dome Group. Dowless is accused of conducting an illegal operation to collect, fill out, and potentially discard unfavorable ballots from voters. He allegedly employed harvesting operatives who went door-to-door asking voters to turn in their ballots so they could be delivered to election sites, according to WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Several voters said in interviews that they complied with the ballot collectors requests even though their ballots werent sealed or completed. Former Federal Election Commission member Hans von Spakovsky warned of the proliferation of such tactics when describing Californias statewide harvesting law known as AB-1921. 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, von Spakovsky told The Epoch Times. At least 16 states either limit who can collect absentee ballots or ban the practice outright. It is illegal in North Carolina for campaign operatives or political activists to harvest votes. WSOC reported that State Board of Elections investigators had identified a woman named Lisa Britt as one Dowlesss harvesters. In a sworn affidavit, one Bladen County voter claimed she only voted for two candidates on her ballot and was told by Britt that she would finish the rest. The voter said she was later contacted by an elections official asking if she was going to return her ballot, indicating that her harvested ballot may have been discarded. At least three of Dowlesss paid ballot collectors were active in neighboring Robeson County, according to investigatorsand it may not have been the first time. Robeson County Board of Elections chairman Steve Stone attested to receiving an abnormally high number of new voter registration forms and absentee ballot requests over the summer, sometimes receiving duplicates or triplicates. The spike in ballot requests was a red flag for Harriss Republican primary opponent Robert Pittenger, when he received fewer absentee ballot votes than Harris despite being a three-term incumbent. Pittenger lost the primary election by 828 votes. According to the Chicago Tribune, Pittenger suspected Dowless was behind the suspicious mail-in returns. Dowlesss efforts were widely known, and we did share our concerns with several people, Pittenger said. District Attorney Freeman confirmed this week that a criminal investigation into potential voting irregularities extends as far back as 2016. Harris incidentally ran for the 9th District House seat in 2016, but narrowly lost. Subpoenas were issued on Dec. 5 for the Harris campaign and the Red Dome Group. As of Dec. 6, state records reportedly indicate that more than 3,400 midterm absentee ballots across the 9th District were requested by voters but never returned. If the State Board of Elections concludes that the absentee ballot irregularities affirmatively undermined the election, then it could call for a new election. The Board will hold a hearing by Dec. 21. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Dec. 4, that the House may not seat Harris if significant questions remain about his election victory when new members are scheduled to report on Jan. 3. If there is what appears to be a very substantial question on the integrity of the election, clearly we would oppose Mr. Harris being seated until that is resolved, Hoyer said. Paris Cleans up as Macron Prepares to Respond to Yellow Vest Riots PARISWorkers in Paris swept up broken glass and towed away burnt-out cars on Dec. 9, after the latest yellow vest protest, while the government warned of slower economic growth and said that President Emmanuel Macron would address the nation this week. On Saturday, anti-government protesters wrecked havoc in the city for the fourth weekend in a row, throwing stones, torching cars and vandalizing shops and restaurants. Across the city, bank branch offices, toy shops, opticians and other retail outlets had boarded up storefronts smashed by protesters, and walls were covered in anti-Macron slogans. You wont make it past Christmas, Emmanuel, read the graffiti on a boarded-up shop near the Champs Elysees boulevard. Macron, elected in May 2017, is facing mounting criticism for not speaking in public in more than a week as violence worsened. The upheaval in the Christmas shopping season has dealt a heavy blow to retailing, the tourist industry and the manufacturing sector as roadblocks disrupt supply chains. On Saturday, the Eiffel Tower and several museums closed their doors for security reasons, as did top Paris department stores on what should have been a prime shopping weekend. The protest movement will have a severe impact on the French economy, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Reuters on Sunday as he toured an upmarket central Paris neighborhood that had seen heavy looting Saturday night. We must expect a new slowdown of economic growth at year-end due to the yellow vest protests, Le Maire said. In the middle of last month, before the protests, the central bank forecast 0.4 percent fourth-quarter growth. Economists said then that the economy would need to grow at 0.8 percent in the final three months to hit the governments 1.7 percent annual growth forecast. Everything Is Broken Gregory Caray, the owner of two furniture shops in the heart of Paris, said he was relieved to see that his shop had not been vandalized, but the protective wooden boards over its windows were plastered with graffiti. Named after the fluorescent safety vests that French motorists must carry, the yellow vest protests erupted on Nov. 17, when nearly 300,000 demonstrators nationwide took to the streets to denounce high living costs and Macrons liberal economic reforms. The government canceled a planned rise in fuel taxes last Tuesday to try to defuse the situation but the protests have morphed into a broader anti-Macron rebellion. I dont know if Macrons resignation is necessary, but he must completely change course, said Bertrand Cruzatier as he watched cleaners scrub out anti-Macron graffiti at Place de la Republique. A banner hanging from the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, read: Give back the money. Macrons last major televised address was on Nov 27, when he said he would not be bounced into changing policy by thugs. Fight Until Easter Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said Macron would make important announcements early in the coming week. However, not all the problems of the yellow vest protesters will be solved by waving a magic wand, he said. Yellow vest protesters demand lower taxes, higher minimum wages and better pension benefits. But, mindful of Frances deficit and not wanting to flout EU rules, Macron has scant wriggle room for more concessions. Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said the yellow vest movement expressed a deep sense of inequality among French people. We need a new social contract for the 21st century, he told LCI television. Yellow vest protesters were unimpressed with the governments overtures, continuing their blockade of traffic roundabouts nationwide and vowing to fight on. We want our share of the pie, like everyone. I will stay here until Easter, if necessary, a protester called Didier told BFM television in Frejus, southern France. By Geert De Clercq and Elena Gyldenkerne Massa Tribunal Investigates Allegations of Forced Organ Harvesting in China LONDONAn independent peoples tribunal is examining evidence claiming to show that the Chinese state is targeting innocent prisoners of conscience and forcibly carving out their internal organs for transplants and profit. Three days of public hearings began on Dec. 8 in the heart of Londons legal district, in which witnesses from across the globe gave their testimonies on the disturbing practice of forced organ harvesting. Chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, the peoples tribunal will, in his words, be looking at the evidence of forced organ harvesting in China afreshwith no assumptions. Further hearings are scheduled to take place early next year, followed by a report of the findings. Emotional and Painful The atmosphere during the Dec. 8 hearing in Holborn was serious, and for some, emotional, and painful. Among the witnesses who testified to Sir Geoffrey and a panel of six experts, were three Chinese refugees who said they fled from persecution in China. All refugees spoke separately of being detained in China for their faith in Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has been brutally suppressed in China for over 19 years. Torture methods described by the refugees included electrocution, sexual harassment, forced feeding, and starvation. But they all spoke of having physical examinations, too. Feng Hollis, who was arrested in 2005, said that at the time she wondered why she was given a medical test after being tortured in prison. In a press briefing before the hearings, Susie Hughes, executive director of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC), said an increase in transplant activity in China coincided with the repression of Falun Gong. During the 2000s, analysis of various sources of emerging evidence led to the conclusion that people who practiced Falun Gong were being killed to provide the organs fuelling Chinas transplant boom, she said. Research from human rights lawyer David Matas, a witness on Dec. 8, has found that the number of transplants from voluntary donors and death-row prisoners is far from the total number of transplants taking place in China. Main Supply of Organs Linked to Falun Gong Investigations by Matas, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Ethan Gutmann, and former Canadian Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) David Kilgour indicate that the main supply of harvested organs comes from adherents of Falun Gong, while Uyghurs, Tibetan Buddhists, and some house Christians also have been victimized. The trios 2016 report (pdf) examined the public records of 712 hospitals in China that carry out liver and kidney transplants and found that the real number of organ transplantations in China is many times higher than the official statistics of 10,000 to 20,000 per year. The purpose of this [tribunal] is to let the public know what has happened to the victims, said Hamid Sabi, legal counsel to the tribunal. In this particular case, how terrible it is for them to be exposed to this sort of torture and eventually pillage of their organs through the most horrible way. Pioneered by Lord Russell in his tribunal examining war crimes in Vietnam, peoples tribunals are often set up by victims of a serious crime, when international bodies are not willing to investigate the issue. While it does not have legal authority, it does serve as an evidence-based record and can place pressure on international organisations as well as raise public awareness. One of the main challenges in collecting evidence is that the victim usually dies in the process of forced organ harvesting and his or her corpse is then cremated. Additionally, the witnesses to the crime, the doctor and other medical professionals, are usually the perpetrators, and therefore unlikely to come forward. Its dispiriting to see the number of doctors involved. This, of course, was the Nazi experience. There was a lot of medical abuse in the Nazi period, said Matas in an interview after giving his evidence. A pro-government army soldier carries Yemen's national flag as he walks at the strategic Fardhat Nahm military camp, around 60km (40 miles) from Yemen's capital Sanaa, Feb. 11, 2016. (Reuters/Ali Owidha/File Photo) US Against Cutting Support for Saudi-Led Coalition in Yemen ABU DHABIThe United States wants to continue support to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemens war and will remain engaged in efforts to combat Iranian influence and Islamist extremism in the Arab state, a State Department official said on Sunday. The Senate last month voted to advance a resolution to end U.S. military support, which includes arms sales and intelligence sharing, for the Western-backed Sunni Muslim coalition that intervened in 2015 against the Iranian-aligned Houthis to restore the internationally recognized government. There are pressures in our system to either withdraw from the conflict or discontinue our support of the coalition, which we are strongly opposed to on the administration side, said Timothy Lenderking, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs. We do believe that the support for the coalition is necessary. It sends a wrong message if we discontinue our support, he told a security forum in the United Arab Emirates. The United States last month halted U.S. refueling of aircraft from the coalition, which has been blamed for air strikes that have killed thousands of civilians in Yemen. The U.S. officials reassurances of continued support comes as Sweden hosts the first U.N.-led peace talks in two years between the warring parties and as Gulf Arab leaders hold an annual summit in Riyadh on Sunday, expected to discuss the war. Containing Iran Lenderking said peace talks launched last week were a vital first step in ending the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and left millions facing starvation. He said there were no illusions the process would be easy, but that there were signs of constructive talks and that Washington wants concrete results from the meetings focused on confidence-building measures and a transitional governing body. Looking down the road we seek a stable and unified Yemen that fosters rather than drains regional and global stability, Lenderking said. There is no place in a future Yemen for an Iranian-backed threat to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and vital international economic quarters, he said, adding that the coalition was also combating al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists in Yemen. The Arabian Peninsula country lies beside the southern mouth of the Red Sea, one of the most important trade routes in the world for oil tankers. The conflict, seen largely in the region as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran, pits the Houthi movement against other Yemeni forces loyal to the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi backed by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The Houthis, who have fired missiles on Saudi cities, control the capital Sanaa, after ousting Hadis government from there in 2014, and the most populous areas of the country. Hadis government has a base in the southern port of Aden. Lenderking said that experts forecast there could be 1 million former combatants that need to be disarmed once a peace deal is reached, requiring security sector reform as well as restoring crippled infrastructure and shoring up the economy. Early recovery efforts are underway but full-scale reconstruction can only occur in a peaceful environment. For that reason, we want to close the space for malign Iranian influence. By Alexander Cornwell US Becomes Net Oil Exporter for First Time in Decades America hits a crucial milestone of energy independence The United States became a net oil exporter last week for the first time in almost 75 years, a significant step toward achieving energy independence and dominance, as promoted by President Donald Trump. The United States had been a net oil importer since 1949. In the last week of November, however, weekly U.S. net imports of crude oil and petroleum products fell to minus 211,000 barrels per day (bpd), meaning the country became a net exporter of that amount, according to data from U.S. Energy Information and Administration. The news came on the back of a surge in crude exports to a weekly record of more than 3.2 million bpd. U.S. petroleum net imports peaked in 2005, reaching over 14 million bpd. It has declined gradually since then, falling to an average of 2 million bpd in recent months. This trend was the result of many factors, including increased domestic production of crude oil and hydrocarbon gas liquids. U.S. oil production has more than doubled since 2012 because of the shale revolution, which started with the development of new technologies in oil extraction. In the past half-century, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, had largely dictated the oil markets. The rise of U.S. shale production, however, recently changed the dynamics. The shale revolution has transformed the United States into the worlds largest petroleum producer, surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia in recent months. The International Energy Agency said in its latest World Energy Outlook that the United States will be the biggest contributor to the oil market, accounting for almost 75 percent of global oil production growth in the period to 2040. The news about the United States becoming a net oil exporter was largely ignored last week, as markets were obsessed with the OPEC meeting in Vienna. While there is so much focus on the drama in the OPEC cartel, the real historic news that went unnoticed was that the United States last week exported more crude oil and fuel than it imported for the first time on record, Phil Flynn, analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago, wrote in an email. So now the United States can join the community of exporting nations as opposed to consuming nations, at least this week. OPEC Cuts Production OPEC members and Russia agreed to cut oil production Dec. 7 after a two-day meeting in Vienna, rebuffing Trumps call for higher output and lower oil prices. Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the rest of the OPEC nations announced to cut oil output by 1.2 million bpd for the first six months of 2019. Following the announcement, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude price increased more than 4 percent, reaching $53.70 and the international benchmark, Brent crude, was up nearly 5 percent at $63. According to the agreement, the 15-member OPEC cartel will reduce output by a total of 800,000 bpd, while non-OPEC producers, led by Russia, committed to another 400,000 bpd cut. Trump has repeatedly demanded that OPEC and Saudi Arabia push prices down. A day before the OPEC meeting, Trump sent another message to the cartel via Twitter. Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! he wrote on Dec. 5. The agreement is only for six months, and the cartel will review the supply-demand balance again in April 2019, according to the reports. Iran was a major holdout within OPEC during the talks, seeking an exemption from the cuts, which was initially turned down by Saudi Arabia. In the end, Tehran got a verbal assurance that it would be exempt, according to a Bloomberg report. Venezuela and Libya also got exemptions. Oil prices have nosedived since peaking in early October amid fears of a potential supply glut and cooling global demand. Crude prices have slid nearly 30 percent from their highs. To prevent a further slide in oil prices, Saudi Arabias Minister of Energy Khalid Al-Falih announced last month plans to cut production. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, however, was more cautious about cuts, saying that the market is in the stage of a good balance because of temporary waivers for Iran oil. Diverging perceptions of supply caused volatility in oil prices in recent weeks. In November, Trump reinstated economic sanctions on Tehran but granted waivers to eight countries for oil imports from Iran to prevent a spike in oil prices. Oil prices sold off sharply following the news of exemptions. The markets initial expectation was a more dramatic decline in global supply with fears of potentially zero Iranian exports. The recent slump in oil prices is good for U.S. households. However, too low of a price may hurt U.S. shale oil producers in the long run. Low prices may lead to a slowdown in drilling activity and lower investments in the shale patch, according to experts. The production cuts by OPEC and Russia will bring oil inventories back to their 5-year average level, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a report. We forecast Brent prices back slightly above $70 per barrel in early 2019a price level consistent with normalized inventories, but not high enough to overstimulate shale drilling activity, the report said. St Paul Cathedral, the mother church of the Pittsburgh Diocese on Aug. 15, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Penn. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) US Jesuits Release Names of Clergy Accused of Sexual Abuse DENVERTwo U.S. chapters of the Roman Catholic Churchs Jesuit order of clergyman on Dec. 7 released a list of 153 names of its clerics who have faced credible accusations of sexual misconduct spanning almost half the country. The disclosures come from Jesuits on the West Coast and in the central United States and identify offenders dating back to the 1950s. The Rev. Scott Santarosa, the head of the western Jesuit province apologized to the victims in a written statement accompanying the release. It is inconceivable that someone entrusted with the pastoral care of a child could be capable of something so harmful. Yet, tragically, this is a part of our Jesuit history, a legacy we cannot ignore, Santarosa said. While some of the Jesuit offenders were already known, the disclosure is the latest revelation of clergy sex abuse that has roiled the Catholic Church since 2002, when the Boston Globe newspaper uncovered a decades-long cover-up by the Church hierarchy of sexual misconduct. Since then, similar reports have emerged in Europe, Australia, and Chile, prompting lawsuits, sending dioceses into bankruptcy and undercutting the moral authority of the leadership of the Church, which has some 1.2 billion members around the world. The Jesuits, formally known as the Society of Jesus, is the largest order of male clergy in the Catholic Church, consisting of some 16,000 priests, brothers and scholastics, or priests in training. There are 2,150 Jesuits in the United States. Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks Catholic clergy abuse, said in a statement that the disclosures marked a significant development, but still falls short of full accountability. Detailed descriptions of the allegations should have been provided, especially for priests and brothers whose names are being made public for the first time, he said. It is crucial to know how long an accused priest worked in a school or parish, and in what years. The central U.S. province said it retained a consulting firm comprised of former FBI agents, and a comprehensive audit of its offenders will be released next year. The U.S. Catholic Church has paid out more than $3 billion to settle clergy abuse cases, McKiernan said. One of the largest payouts by any Catholic order was the Jesuits, who paid out $166 million to victims, most of them Native Americans from remote Alaska Native villages or Indian reservations in the Pacific Northwest. (The story is refiled to correct headline to upper case Jesuits.) By Keith Coffman Woman Drops From Ceiling of Colorado Jail, Security Cameras Show A woman at a Colorado jail was caught on camera dropping from the ceiling and dashing across the lobby, before being confronted by a deputy and arrested. Jessica Leger, 29, was released from custody on the evening of Nov. 21, according to a Fox31 report, but before leaving the prison complex decided to use the toilet. Leger had just finished using the womens bathroom in the Inmate Services lobby of the Jefferson County Jail when she found herself locked in. Reporters who reviewed the arrest affidavit said when Leger couldnt get the door open, she screamed for help. Deputies responded to her distress by trying to pry the door open. They reported hearing Leger yelling through the door that deputies had released someone ahead of her that had threatened her life. The officers also said that they overheard Leger saying she was having a psychotic episode. When the officers managed to get the door open, they found evidence suggesting Leger had dismantled parts of the bathroomincluding a paper towel dispenserand had crawled into the wall. Deputies ran up an emergency stairwell in an effort to find her, suspecting she might have crawled to the floor above. But a security camera trained on the lobby captured footage of the woman as she emerged from the ceiling, dangled for a moment, and then dropped to the floor. She then springs up and sprints across the lobby, and dashes inside a room, before darting out again and a split second later coming face-to-face with a deputy. Leger was then apprehended, booked for criminal mischief, and spent two more nights in jail. Court records cited by Fox31 suggest the woman caused $400 in damages to the bathroom. It breaks my heart for a couple of reasons, said Andrew Romanoff, the president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, in an interview with the station. Romanoff said that 55 percent of inmates in state prison and 65 percent of inmates in county jails are thought to have some kind of mental health or substance abuse disorder. There are too many people in Colorado with mental illness who arent getting the care they need, turning our jails and prisons into warehouses for folks with mental illness is the most expensive and least therapeutic decision we could make, said Romanoff. You shouldnt have to be charged, you shouldnt have to be incarcerated in order to get care. A spokeswoman for the Jefferson County district attorney told Fox31 that it was too early to say whether Leger was suffering from a mental illness when she climbed into the ceiling. She added that Legers attorney could request a mental health evaluation to determine whether she is fit to stand trial. Leger is due back in court Jan. 17. Elaine Hines said her daughter, 41-year-old Amanda Gill's body didnt have a brain, heart, or eyes after she died in a hospital, reported the Daily Mail. They stole everything inside her, she said. (Facebook selfie) Woman Who Died in Mexico Flown Home Without Eyes and Heart; Family Suspects Organ Trafficking A UK womans body that was sent back to her home country from Mexico reportedly may have been a victim of organ harvesting. Elaine Hines said her daughter, 41-year-old Amanda Gills body didnt have a brain, heart, or eyes after she died in a hospital, reported the Daily Mail. They stole everything inside her, she said. If this has happened to Amanda how many other people has it happened to and will again? Hines said. Where are my sisters beautiful blue eyes? Amandas sister, Katie Miller-Gill, asked. Why were they taken from her? Where is her brain, her heart? She said the family may have considered donating her organs, and she now thinks that Mexican criminals stole the organs under the belief that her family wouldnt follow up on the case. No officials contacted the family about the womans organs. Hines died at Hospital de Cos following diabetes complications while she was traveling in the country. Hospital officials said they dont know what happened to the organs, according to the publication. Hospital authorities told The Mirror that her body was passed to police in a sealed bag. No officials have taken responsibility for the womans missing organs, Gills family told the Mirror. Did they do it to her because she was foreign? Did they steal her organs for the illegal trade? asked a family member in the report. We just dont know. We havent got the answers we wanted. Her family also doesnt understand why she died. The hospital said she wouldnt take fluids but the first thing you do is put them on a drip and that brings them round. It isnt something that would have killed her, said a family member. Mexican officials said her cause of death was visceral congestion, which according to the report, perplexed pathologists in the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office told the outlet, Our staff are supporting the family of a British woman following her death in Mexico, and we have conveyed their concerns about the handling of her remains to the Mexican mortuary services. Organ Harvesting Criminal gangs in Mexico have been long accused of organ harvesting. In 2014, the Guardian reported that an alleged drug trafficker from the Caballeros Templarios (Knights Templar) cartel was arrested for kidnapping children to kill and harvest their organs. Jose Manuel Mireles said that vigilantes in Michoacan State stopped a truck driving in the area before discovering the children in a refrigerated container. The children were still alive and wrapped in blankets, Mireles was quoted by the Guardian as saying. They were all from the same school in Mexico City and their parents had let them go because they were told they were going on a trip to the beach. Mexican cartels, especially the Caballeros Templarios, are known to engage in illegal activity other than drug trafficking, including kidnapping, organ pilfering, and even exporting iron ore to China. China, meanwhile, has been accused of carrying out state-sanctioned large-scale organ harvesting for the past decade or more. Various religious groups who are known to not drink or smoke, particularly practitioners of the persecuted Falun Gong spiritual discipline, are targeted for their organs by Chinese communist officials. Falun Gong, also known as a Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice based on meditative exercises and moral teachings centered on three principles: truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, according to its website. But in China, its been subjected to brutal persecution since July 1999, with widespread reports of torture, brainwashing, forced labor, extrajudicial killings, and organ harvesting in labor camps throughout the country. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) highlighted the Chinese Communist Partys campaign of organ harvesting this week. The Chinese government and Communist Partys ongoing efforts to eradicate Falun Gong practice is a black mark on recent Chinese history. The CCPs need to control even the consciences of the Chinese people has led to horrific human rights abuses, torture, arbitrary detention, and organ harvesting, said Smith on Dec. 3. Investigations by the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, an ethics group consisting of medical doctors, lawyers, academics, and other researchers, said that a significant number of Falun Gong practitioners have been killed for their organs for profit. NORWALK One hundred and eight times thats how many visits to Norwalk Hospital one repeat patient had in a single year. He was in every other day or so, said Katherine Michael, medical director for Western Connecticut Health Network and founder of the Community Care Team at Norwalk Hospital. He would drink too much and be in the community and someone would call 911 and he would be taken to the ER. Aside from struggling with alcohol dependence, John Smith whose name is not being used to protect his privacy was homeless and didnt have the kind of insurance (Husky D) that allowed him access to good substance abuse treatment, Michael said. Hed be on a waiting list for three days, Michael said. Smith is not alone in his situation. Legal issues, a dwindling number of psychiatrists and cuts to the state budget make it difficult for hospitals to ensure patients have the right supports in place to leave the hospital, said Dr. Charles Herrick, chair of psychiatry for Western Connecticut Health Network, which includes Norwalk, Danbury and New Milford hospitals. The Community Care Team made up of police, probation officers, mental health providers, primary care providers, housing agency staff and other social services workers formed a partnership with Liberation Programs Inc., an addiction rehabilitation center that offered Smith treatment and a bed at their facility. After a few weeks of persuasion, he enrolled and finished rehab in three months. But upon completion, Michael said, he didnt have housing and relapsed within a few days. He went back to the program and this time when he came out we got housing for him, Michael said. I wont say hes not drinking at all, but his ER visits are less than five per year. The CCT formed after a 2012 Community Needs Assessment survey indicated Norwalk residents were most concerned with mental illness and substance abuse in the community. The team helps adults who use the emergency department more than six times in six months by offering them access to food, insurance, housing, substance abuse treatment and a long list of other social services. The idea behind it: Access to social services reduces frequent ER visits. When theyre able to have transportation to doctors appointments then they dont have to wait until theyre in such unstable conditions that they would have to go to the emergency room, Michael said. If theyre diabetic and only have access to McDonalds and we can help them get to a food pantry with healthy food, we can help them not come to emergency room. Its a little simplistic but thats essentially how it works. The team measures its success by collecting data on ER use and how many patients are linked to services. From April to September 2017, 149 patients used Norwalk Hospitals emergency department more than six times in six months. As a group, the patients utilized the ER 1,035 times, Michael said. A year later, with the CCTs help, those numbers dropped from 149 patients to 125, with a total of 672 visits, a decrease of about 400 visits, Michael said. As far as providing services, from February 2017 to February 2018, 75 percent of patients at Norwalk and Danbury hospitals were connected with housing assistance, 61 percent with addiction services and 77 percent with case management, according to hospital data. Most patients were uninsured or under-insured single adults struggling with mental illness, physical health issues or substance abuse, CCT members said. About 45 percent received help getting insurance. One of the trends were seeing and in the homeless population too is were seeing more of an elderly population coming in over 65 and shelters are seeing that too, said Staci Peete, CCT supervisor at Norwalk Hospital. After noticing the trend in their data, they decided to launch a senior-focused Community Care Team in April, with providers more appropriate for an older population, Peete said. The goal is to cut down on the number of seniors repeatedly visiting the emergency room, aiming for similar success like theyve seen with their general CCT. I think Ive seen increased success, for sure because care is so coordinated, said Suzanne Curto, director of behavioral health at Norwalk Community Health Center. For example, there are two big gaps in access to treatment, she said: long wait lists for substance abuse treatment when the patient needs it and is ready and access to psychiatrists for psychiatric evaluations and medications. To address the need, Norwalk Hospitals outpatient psychiatric clinic recently hired a psychiatrist now in charge of those two things, she said. CCT patients can utilize that service. Michael pointed to Smith as a success story. With CCTs help, Michael said, Smiths health is better, hes drinking less and hes seeing his other doctors. As the cradle of democracy, Greece knows better than most countries what politics is all about. Yet, for the last eight years, any discussions between lawmakers from the left and right there have been overshadowed by the country's economic collapse, and the string of rescue programs put together by the European Union and International Monetary Fund. Athens has been locked in permanent confrontation with its European partners, which culminated in the showdown of 2015 when Greece very nearly exited the euro after a dramatic referendum. Politicians of every persuasion had little room for maneuver, as economic policy was dictated by the "memoranda of understanding" with its financial rescuers, who imposed budget consolidation and structural reforms. Greece left its third adjustment program in August, and it's refreshing to feel a hint of a return to politics as usual ahead of next year's general election. Politicians have largely stopped blaming Brussels, and seem more focused on what they might do for voters. The confrontation between Syriza, the left-wing governing party, and New Democracy, the center-right opposition that's leading in the polls, is fierce. But it offers the impression of a country that's longing for normality. An improving economy helps. Greece's gross domestic product is on course to expand by about 2 percent this year as exports start to pick up. Unemployment has finally fallen below 20 percent after peaking at nearly 30 percent in 2013. Of course, many companies remain reluctant to invest because of high taxes and a deteriorating business environment. Poverty levels remain intolerable. But there is a slight break from the endless woes - some self-inflicted - that marred the Greek economy for most of this decade. The fiscal outlook is brighter too. Greek national debt still stands at nearly 180 percent of GDP. But the country is meeting the targets demanded by its creditors. The primary surplus in the first 10 months of this year stood at nearly 6.5 billion euros ($7.4 billion). That gives the government room to avoid more cuts and raise discretionary spending. The political debate has shifted. Both Syriza and New Democracy now accept that Greece needs the confidence of its European partners and international investors. Brussels and Berlin are still blamed for deepening the crisis, but that's no longer the main focus of Greek politicians. Their eyes are set on next year's general election: a political battle that might define Greece's economic model for years to come. Alexis Tsipras, the prime minister who took Greece to the brink of a euro exit and then back, believes it's time to help those left behind during the recession. Syriza pays lip service to helping companies, flouting a corporate tax cut from 29 percent to 25 percent over the next four years. But the party's main interest lies elsewhere. It wants to beef up the public sector by hiring more workers in education and local government; restore collective wage bargaining; and increase the minimum wage, pensions and social benefits. The priorities of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, New Democracy's leader, are radically different. The Harvard-educated businessman wants spending cuts to help him fund a generous tax reduction. He would outsource public services, while slashing corporation tax to 20 percent. He also wants to overhaul pensions, strengthening private provision. Syriza politicians dismiss New Democracy as "neoliberal" and incapable of repairing Greece's torn social fabric. But they have a very sketchy record to defend. The last recession was largely self-caused, as Tsipras and his then finance minister Yanis Varoufakis insisted on confronting creditors. Greece has lost out on some of the best years of the European recovery. The comparison with Portugal - which grew by more than 12 percent between 2014 and 2017, while Greece stagnated - is brutal. Domestic investors are desperate for change. Some moved to Bulgaria and Cyprus, attracted by lower taxes. Others point to the lack of progress on reform, as well as the attack on independent institutions such as the Bank of Greece. But for all New Democracy's appeal to the richer classes, Syriza's message still resonates with the poor. The incipient economic recovery could help Tsipras. The country still faces formidable challenges, which will make governing hard for whoever has power. Nearly half the loans in the banking system are nonperforming, and bank shares have lost almost 50 percent of their value this year. The global economic slowdown could turn into recession by the time a new government came to power. That would make it much harder to maintain the promised primary surpluses and could create new tensions with the EU. Productivity is still well below pre-recession levels, as the brain drain sucks talent out of the country. Domestic consumption remains sluggish, after a dramatic drop in living standards. But at least Greece appears ready to take its destiny back into its own hands. While this won't be enough to succeed, any signs of hope are welcome. - - - Giugliano writes columns and editorials on European economics for Bloomberg Opinion. He is also an economics columnist for La Repubblica and was a member of the editorial board of the Financial Times. By Frank Jordans 9 December 2018 KATOWICE, Poland (AP) A diplomatic standoff over a single word could set the stage for a bigger showdown during the second half of this years U.N. climate summit. Negotiators took time out Sunday to rest after the first week of talks ended on a sour note the previous night, when the United States sided with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in blocking endorsement of a landmark study on global warming. I think it was a key moment, said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists. The fact that a group of four countries were trying to diminish the value and importance of a scientific report they themselves, with all other countries, requested three years ago in Paris is pretty remarkable.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes special report on what would happen if average global temperatures rise by 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), and how to ensure they dont go higher, was widely regarded as a wake-up call for policy-makers when it was released in October.As diplomats wrapped up a week of technical talks Saturday, almost all 200 countries present in Katowice, Poland, had wanted to welcome the IPCC report, making it the benchmark for future action. ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) Habso Mohamud was born in a refugee camp in Kenya. While living in the camp, Mohamud traveled with her grandmother to traditional villages and places where nomads lived. Her grandmother wanted her and her siblings to see the other side of the world. Because to Mohamuds grandmother, they were lucky they had shelter and knew where their next meal would come from. My grandmother would take us and show us you could have it worse. Be appreciative at a very young age thats what I learned, Mohamud said. Mohamud lived in the refugee camp until she was 10. Now 24, Mohamud lives in St. Cloud. She attended St. Cloud schools and earned her bachelors and masters degrees at St. Cloud State University. She also works for the UNESCO Center of Peace and recently published a childrens book. In her book, It Only Takes One Yes, Mohamud hopes to inspire children especially young girls to see themselves as being able to make a difference in the world. I want to make sure kids have a voice, she said. But I want to do it in my community because this community needs me. Despite working for the United Nations, Mohamud chooses to live in St. Cloud. I love it here. Thats why Im here. Thats why I came back, she said. I want to give back. Without this country and without the opportunities that were presented to me, I wouldnt be who I wanted to be. And this is the country where you can be anything you want to be in this world. Mohamuds parents lived in Somalia before fleeing the country for Kenyan refugee camps during the civil war in Somalia. Her mother never finished high school but her father went to college and was a medic in the military. Mohamud received an education in the camp but said it was very basic and without a set curriculum because the population changed so frequently. Her family came to the United States in 2005 and was placed in Fargo. They moved to St. Cloud, where Mohamud attended Talahi Community School, South Junior High, and spent time at Technical and Apollo high schools. She then moved to Chicago to live with her sister and graduated from Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. Thats the same high school Hillary Clinton former first lady, senator and secretary of state graduated from, Mohamud said proudly. Mohamud graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelors degree in hospitality and tourism in 2017 and a masters degree in global education and leadership development in 2018. I love traveling. I didnt know that was actually a career until I went to St. Cloud State, she said. When Mohamud entered school in the United States, she spoke Swahili. She was placed into an English learner program, which she liked. She also loved math and geography. And she is remembered by her principal at South Junior High Eric Williams, current STRIDE Academy executive director as a cheery, positive and delightful student. She was just a joy. She was the type of student you wish you could clone into a school full of them, Williams said. But Mohamud dealt with mental health issues from about sixth grade to 11th grade that sometimes kept her from school. I was actually going through this health condition, she said. It was really hard. I was in and out of St. Cloud Hospitals adolescent department. Mohamud said mental health issues are taboo in her culture. But her mother made sure she received the treatment she needed. In the community, kids would make fun of me, she said. Thats when my mom would not take me to the playground and I would just stay inside the house and just read books. Thats why I became attached to reading books. Even though my mom didnt speak English, she would keep me company and I would read to her, she added. The silver lining to her isolation? Reading and studying so much she became proficient in English faster than many English learner students do. Thats how I tested out of my exams, she said. Im grateful for every opportunity I had. She hopes by sharing her story, she can help make mental health issues less taboo. I want kids to know that just because you have mental illness, it doesnt mean that your future is over, she said. But its the start of something great. Mohamud has visited area schools including STRIDE Academy to read her book and talk to students. Williams said she is welcome back any time. What I think is pretty amazing is she is so gracious and she is so true to her roots and wants to give back to her community, Williams said. To have so much poise and be so confident in her own abilities, its going to take her to a lot of places and shes going to have a lot of success. Shes definitely going to make an impact in the world. WOOD RIVER Wood River residents looking to get out of the cold and into the Christmas spirit attended the citys WinterVille Festival on Friday night. The event was complete with everything Christmas themed you can think of Christmas tree, an ornament-making station, holiday cookies, and even the Grinch. The event was sponsored by the Wood River Appearance Board. This is the fourth year for WinterVille Festival, which took place at the Roundhouse in Central Park. The festival is newly renamed this year to allow it to stand out from other Christmas wonderlands this season, board member Valerie Freeman said. Attendees of the event had the opportunity to see and vote on the best-decorated Christmas tree. Trees were decorated by elementary school children from Lewis and Clark Elementary. Each grade level, kindergarten through fifth grade, was given their own tree to decorate however they chose. A prize of a $50 gift card will be was given out to the grade level winner once votes are tallied. Trees from local business owners were also donated and decorated. Wood River Recreation, Almost Famous Boutique, Rustic Roots, Kristens Hair Studio and the Wood River Appearance Board all had appropriately decorated festival trees. Hot cocoa, cookie, juice and coffee were provided for everyone to sip on for free as they enjoyed festival holiday music. Activities at the event included games, face painting, crafts and more. We just want to keep the kids as busy and as entertained for as long as possible, Freeman said. This was more than an easy task with games like jingle bell toss and Christmas tree ring toss. Even the Grinch couldnt steal everyones holiday joy. While the event was free, organizers did ask for canned goods as donation, all of which will be given to local Wood River food banks. Reach reporter Riley Newton at (618) 208-6460. EDWARDSVILLE Five requests for special use permits to allow solar farms were among a dozen recommendations passed on by the Madison County Boards Planning & Development Committee at Thursdays meeting. That included approval of three permits and the denial of two others. A sixth permit was pulled from consideration at the request of the developer. The proposed developments are near Hamel, Marine and St. Jacob and are all on landed owned by William Drake. SRE Solar Origination 1 LLC, also known as Summit Ridge Energy, had requested special use permits for six sites. The Committee approved special use permits for projects on Green Hedge Road in Hamel Township, 10205 Illinois State Route 143 near Marine, and on Gilomen Road, Marine. Denied were permits for a site on Illinois State Route 157 just south of Hamel and Ellis Road near St. Jacob. Several people spoke against the permit applications that were denied. Most said they didnt want to see that kind of development near them. St. Jacob city officials had objected to the Ellis Road site because it was within 1 miles of the municipal boundary, making it part of their planning area. St. Jacobs land use plan calls for that area to be business development. A sixth permit for a project on Staunton Road was pulled by the developer but could be considered next month. A number of solar farm proposals have been approved by the ZBA, Planning Committee and full County Board; while other communities, including Godfrey, are also looking at proposals or changing ordinances to allow for the solar farms. There has been increased interest in solar projects throughout the state, in large part because of the Illinois Future Energy Jobs Act. As part of the law the Illinois Power Commission will hold a lottery to determine which projects will be able to move forward. There are expected to be approximately 1,400 project vying for those slots. The projects approved and being considered are community solar projects, which allow citizens to purchase power from the companies. The power is transmitted through the local power provider, in Madison County that would be Illinois Power. The projects are limited to two megawatts each, which would provide power for approximately 350 homes. Other requests approved by the Planning & Development Committee include: A request for a variance by Sherrill Associates on behalf of property owner Gregory Goode to split off two tracts of land, each less than two acres, from a larger tract. The property is located on Illinois State Route 159 near Moro. A request for a variance to allow a 25-square foot sign at Canaan Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 307 Allen St., Madison. The sign is replacing a worn out sign. A variance requested by Timothy and Christine Domagalski, to allow a fence to remain on property at 6133 Old Alton Road, Granite City. The fence had been on the property for 25 years as a non-conforming use, but had recently been damaged by winds. The area of the fence was changed slightly, requiring the variance. A variance request by Sarah Gieszelmann to locate a swimming pool in the front yard of her home at 5318 3 Lake Estates Lane, Edwardsville. A variance requested by Larry Bell for a setback variance to allow construction of an addition to a house at 5876 Illinois State Route 140, Moro. A variance request by Jonathan Sparks on behalf of SJG Land Investments to allow a setback variance to construct a home at 2886 Fawn Meadows Court, Edwardsville. All actions must go to the full County Board for final approval at its Dec. 19 meeting. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. A bundled-up Lylah Blurton, 4, of Greenville, hands over an item she is purchasing at the Edwardsville Winter Market Saturday. Customers braved temperatures in the mid- to lower-20s to shop for a variety of goods. The market is sponsored by the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department. Bundled-up customers walk along inspecting stalls at the Edwardsville Winter Market Saturday. Customers braved temperatures in the mid- to lower-20s to shop for a variety of goods. The market is sponsored by the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department. ALTON Frozen food stayed that way Saturday morning as about a dozen Alton police officers, with help from their family members, delivered food baskets to local families. The delivery is a long-standing tradition for the Police Benevolent and Protective Association Alton Unit 14, according to union president Det. Andrew Pierson. Weve been doing this a long time, before I started in 2007, he said. Its a way to give back to the community, a way for us to serve the people were protecting. Eleven officers distributed the food baskets, each containing approximately $50 worth of groceries from Schwegels Market. Many of the officers brought family members to help with the deliveries. Lt. John Franke had his daughters, Addison and Lauren, along for the ride. The holiday season, not everybody is able to provide for themselves, so its good to give back to the community and help them out, he said. The girls lugged turkeys and hams to the vehicle, and then helped deliver them. I just think its a good way to spread holiday cheer, Addison said. One of their deliveries was to Robert Gord, a resident of the Humboldt Apartments. Its a blessing, it really is, he said. In addition to providing some food to residents, both Pierson and Franke said it also shows that there is more to the police officers than just a uniform that shows up when there is trouble. Hopefully they will see us now when they are in need, Pierson said. It shows were not just a uniform, but people in a uniform, Franke said. The holiday season has been busy for the PB&PA. Last week they took 50 Alton children and youth on a shopping spree at Target as part of the annual Shop With a Cop program. The students were selected by social workers within the Alton School District. The PB&PA holds an annual Policemans Ball in the spring to raise money to support the Alton Police Youth Camp, Shop With A Cop, Food Basket Distribution, area youth events, and other charitable giving throughout the year. Donations can be sent to: Alton Police Youth Camp, PO Box 861, Alton, Illinois 62002. For information visit www.facebook.com/pbpa14. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. 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Police search for man missing at Phuket reservoir PHUKET: Rescue team divers are scouring the Bang Neow Dum reservoir today for a man who failed to come home last night after he went to the lake to fish. By Eakkapop Thongtub Sunday 9 December 2018, 01:32PM Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub Police and rescue team divers are searching the Bang Neow Dum reservoir for the missing man. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub The search began after the alarm was by Chaweewan Kongkaew, who checked with local hospitals for her long-term partner Pharit Daorueang, 40, who had failed to come home from his fishing trip. Police are assisting with the search, despite the official requirement for a person to be missing 24 hours before police can receive a missing person report. Ms Chaweewan explained to police that Mr Pornthip went fishing at the lake at about 3pm yesterday. When the search team arrived at the reservoir, Mr Pornthips motorbike was still parked there, with three candles and incense in place for prayer beside the motorbike. His shoes and fishing gear were by the reservoirs edge Divers are now searching the reservoir which is up to 15 metres deep, noted Capt Eakkasak Kwanwan of the Thalang Police. Face, meet palm. As many of you would know, Marvel's follow-up flick to Avengers: Infinity Wars, titled Avengers: Endgame, is set to hit movie screens next year. And needless to say, many Marvel superfans are fizzing at the bung over it. And the collective Marvel fanboy boner hit peak hardness over the weekend, as Marvel released the long-awaited trailer and title for the movie, which sees the superheroes picking up the pieces after Thanos just plain fucked shit up at the end of Infinity Wars. Watch: China has threatened Canada with grave consequences if a top executive at Huawei Technologies Co. is not immediately released, calling her arrest as she changed planes in Canada unreasonable, unconscionable and vile in nature. In its first move since Meng Wanzhou was arrested Dec. 1, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng summoned Canadian ambassador to China John McCallum to urge the immediate release of Huaweis chief financial officer, the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement Saturday. Le told McCallum that the arrest was a severe violation of a Chinese citizens legitimate rights and interests. The move ignored the law, and Canada should be held accountable if Meng was not immediately released, Le said in the statement. Mengs arrest, on allegations that she committed fraud to sidestep sanctions against Iran, has become a flash-point in trade tensions between the U.S. and China, roiling markets. On Friday, the U.S. began a market-shaking case against the Chinese telecoms giant in a Vancouver courtroom, alleging that Meng had hidden ties between Huawei and a company called Skycom that did business in Iran, said a lawyer representing Canada during the court hearing. Canada is presenting the case on behalf of the U.S., which wants to extradite Meng. Meng, 46, daughter of Huaweis founder, is spending the weekend in jail after a decision on whether to grant bail was not reached. The case will continue on Monday. Read more: Huawei arrest fuels anxiety over the security of Canadas 5G dealings Bail hearing for Huawei exec reveals fraud allegations at heart of international strife What we know and dont know about the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou We will continue to follow the bail hearing, Huawei spokesperson Glenn Schloss wrote in an emailed statement. We have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion. Meng was charged with conspiracy to defraud banks and should not be granted bail because she may flee, Crown attorney John Gibb-Carsley said during the court hearing in Vancouver earlier on Friday. Banks in the U.S. cleared money for Huawei, but unbeknownst to these financial firms, they were conducting business with Skycom in contravention of the sanctions, the lawyer said. In her dealings with the banks, Meng hid ties between Huawei and Skycom, when in fact Skycom employees worked for the Chinese telecom-equipment giant, Gibb-Carsley added. He noted that some Skycom workers used Huawei email addresses and employees in Iran used a different set of stationary depending on whether they were doing Huawei or Skycom work. The Crown attorney argued against granting Meng bail because shes so wealthy that she will easily be able to pay whatever is required and then flee. Since learning of the investigation into her alleged activities, Meng has avoided the U.S. and other Huawei executives have stopped traveling to the U.S., he added. To feel the pull of bail, we are in a different universe in this case, he said. Mengs defense lawyer David Martin said the evidence presented doesnt prove she broke either U.S. or Canadian law. U.S. sanctions law is complex, has changed over time, and there are exemptions for telecom equipment in the countrys Iran sanctions, Martin argued. A major pillar of the U.S. case is a misrepresentation that Meng allegedly made to a U.S. bank in 2013, referred to as Financial Institution 1. Martin identified the firm as HSBC Holdings Plc, but he disputed the U.S. allegation that Meng misrepresented anything to that financial institution. HSBC has rich experience in trade compliance, he added. Meng was arrested in Vancouver at the behest of U.S. authorities. She was flying from Hong Kong to Mexico with a stop in the Canadian city. Meng spends two weeks a year in Vancouver, her family owns properties in the area, and she has a 16-year-old son at school in Boston. Martin, her lawyer, said she would never breach a court order on bail because that would embarrass her father and China. The case has hit markets already hammered by months of rising trade tension between the worlds two largest economies. The move has especially enraged China, which called for her release. Meng is one of Chinas most prominent businesswomen. She is the daughter of Ren Zhengfei, the founder of Huawei, a national champion at the forefront of President Xi Jinpings efforts for China to be self-sufficient in strategic technologies. While the U.S. routinely asks allies to extradite drug lords, arms dealers and other criminals, detaining a major Chinese executive in this manner is unusual. The alleged transactions involved more than $100 (U.S.) million between 2010 and 2014, according U.S. evidence filed with the court in Vancouver on Friday:During a meeting with HSBC, Meng used PowerPoint slides for a presentation that included several misrepresentations.She allegedly said Huawei operated in Iran in strict compliance with applicable laws and sanctions, although Skycom was using the U.S. financial system to conduct prohibited Iran transactions.Meng stated Huaweis engagement with Skycom was a normal business cooperation, when Skycom was in fact entirely controlled by Huawei. Thumbs Up Meng entered the courtroom in downtown Vancouver at 10:25 a.m. local time, wearing a green sweatsuit and accompanied by her lawyer. She sat at the back of the courtroom in a clear plastic cubicle. About 100 people looked on from the public gallery. She gave a thumbs up to her lawyer before proceedings began. Throughout the hearing, Meng sat in the back of the courtroom mostly still, occasionally leaning toward her interpreter. At one point, the interpreter stepped forward to ask the judge to ask everyone to proceed slowly so she could keep up. The judge agreed. The hearing in Vancouver is the start of a long legal process in Canada that could end with Meng being sent to the U.S. to stand trial. Even though the North American neighbors have a longstanding treaty governing extradition, it can take months, even years, for a defendant to be handed over, if at all. Should a judge agree to extradite Meng, she would have multiple chances to appeal the decision. With assistance from Christian Berthelsen, Josh Wingrove, Nate Lanxon and Rachel Chang. Read more about: An Ontario college has raised concerns over the validity of the scores of a popular international standardized language test submitted by students applying from India after a probe found inconsistencies in language proficiency. Niagara College has contacted more than 400 students admitted to its January 2019 programs who had taken IELTS tests at locations in India, telling them they had to undergo a second English test or risk losing their offer of admission. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is accepted by most Canadian academic institutions and is one of two major English language tests used by Immigration Canada as independent proof of an immigration or citizenship applicants language proficiency. Steve Hudson, Niagara Colleges vice-president of academic and learner services, said the school launched an investigation this fall after the number of first-year international students flagged by faculty for being at risk academically surged to 300 from an average of 150 in previous years. Those students were made to take an in-house language test and the college found 200 out of that group were failing in their academic programs because their English was not at the required level. Further investigation found 80 per cent of them were from India and had taken their IELTS tests at locations run by Australia-based IDP Education. Niagara College said officials alerted IDP Education with their findings shortly after the fall semester started and notified immigration authorities last week. Based on (our analysis), we felt we needed to be absolutely certain that applicants for our winter 2019 term have a level of English proficiency that will allow them to succeed, and we wanted to do this before they invested significant time and money to travel here to study, Hudson said in a statement to the Star. The IELTS test, which is jointly owned by IDP Education, the British Council and Cambridge Assessment English, is a three-hour exam that assesses candidates listening, reading, writing and speaking skills on a scale of 1 to 9. A score of 9 indicates the person is an expert user with full command of the language. But it is up to individual organizations to determine a pass score. More than three million IELTS tests were taken in the last year by people around the world, according to IDP Education. The test is recognized for being fair to all test-takers regardless of nationality, cultural background, gender or special needs, Warwick Freeland, managing director of IELTS/IDP Education, said in an email statement from Melbourne. IELTS is the leading English language test for international students in Canada, he said, adding results from all IELTS test centres, including all centres located in India, continue to be accepted for admission to Niagara College. In a followup email to the Star on Saturday, IDP Education raised questions about the value of the in-house test Niagara College gave to the Indian international students in the fall cohort, saying the college used a low-stakes test which is not approved by Canadian education institutions or government to check their English language skills. Niagara Colleges Hudson said the IELTS language test results submitted by the first-year at-risk students from India this fall were authenticated by IELTS and the school is treating the inconsistencies in their scores and language proficiency as a one-time anomaly. We continue to believe IELTS is a good test for assessment of English proficiency, he told the Star. We have been open to dialogue with IDP and have been communicating our interest in understanding (the) rationale for the larger number of students identified being at risk of failure, Hudson said in a followup email on Saturday. Academic quality and student success has always been and will remain at the core of Niagara Colleges decision-making. An Immigration Department spokesperson said officials are looking into the matter. There have been previous instances that have exposed the vulnerability of the administration of language testing around the world: A Pennsylvania State University student from China pleaded guilty this year after paying someone to take the TOEFL English-language entrance exam for her. In 2016, several people in Britain were convicted of running an immigration scam that paid fake sitters to take TOEIC language exams for non-EU students. In Australia, an employee at Curtin Universitys English Language Centre was found guilty in 2011 of accepting bribes and manipulating IELTS results through the centres computer system. The case triggered an investigation by Western Australias Corruption and Crime Commission. Freeland, who said IDP Education partners with a range of organizations who administer IELTS in 140 countries, maintained IELTS is a secure and valid indicator of a candidates ability. All test centres are rigorously monitored to ensure they operate to the highest of standards, he said. Alarm Raised Over Validity of International Language Tests | Story Behind the Story The test, which costs about $215 in India, has two versions, one for higher-level academic purposes and a general version that measures a persons ability to function in English. Niagara College said the school will be responsible for covering the cost of retesting for the 428 students in India and the tests must be completed by Monday. Gonzalo Peralta, executive director of Languages Canada, an association that represents more than 200 providers of accredited English and French language programs across the country, said maintaining the integrity of language tests is important to the international education sector. Language testing is one tool that tells everybody the students, institutions, Immigration Canada and employers with confidence that this person is ready to perform linguistically, he said in an interview. You cant run international education without appropriate and good-quality testing. So much depends on it. Peralta said test operators constantly update their security measures and have tight rules in place at local test centres, including requiring photo ID and banning cellphones. When informed about the situation at Niagara College, Peralta said, Im concerned it impacts one of our good members, Niagara College. Im also concerned for the students who have invested substantially to learn. Im concerned about IDP, not knowing what has happened. According to the Canadian Bureau for International Education, there were 494,525 international students in Canada at all levels of study in 2017, a 17 per cent increase over the previous year. Some 123,940, or 25 per cent, of these students came from India, which made up the second largest contingent behind China. At Niagara College, which has campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2,914 of a total 4,683 international students come from India. Tuition fees for international students average $13,500, more than triple the amount their Canadian peers pay. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting in your community Hudson said the school received about 8,200 international applications for the winter 2019 term, of which 4,800 applicants were from India, where the school recruits through international education fairs. The college made 1,300 admission offers to Indian applicants; 428 of those students have been asked to retake the IELTS test or take the alternative Pearson Test of English. We recognize that this is stressful for these applicants and their families, but we want to ensure that before they make significant financial and emotional investments involved with travelling to Niagara College to study, that they have the opportunity to be successful in their studies, said Hudson. We believe the hardship they would experience if they were to travel here and be unable to succeed in their program of study would be much more significant. We will continue to engage with the applicants and IDP throughout this process. Hudson said those at-risk students who are already attending the college have either been redirected to language programs or offered additional language and academic support. Read more about: Hassan Awadh says the last thing St. James Town needs is a 50-storey condo tower. I look out from my balcony and all I can see are highrises, says Awadh, 50, who has lived in the area with his wife and four sons since 2008. There are huge lineups for TTC buses in the area, particularly on Wellesley St. just west of Parliament St., and the local Food Basics and FreshCo supermarkets are overflowing in the evenings signs of how tightly packed the community is, Awadh says. In fact, St. James Town is considered one of the most, if not the most, densely populated neighbourhoods in Canada. Thats a key reason a new development application by Greatwise Developments Corp., calling for a 51-storey condo highrise, four townhouse blocks and two midrise buildings including a 10-storey rental building 890 new units in all has local residents, service providers and city planners nervous. A total of 2,230 units already exist in the neighbourhood. Read more: Class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of St. James Town residents displaced by fire St. James Town fire evacuees grateful for publics generosity but fearful of their future St. James Town residents displaced by fire must be out of hotels as early as Friday I mean, youve got to be kidding me. Theres not enough services in the area for the people who are already here, says Vickie Rennie, 61, who has lived for 48 years near the 4.3-hectare parcel of land at the northwest corner of Wellesley and Parliament Sts. where the proposed development would unfold if approved by the city. There are four rental highrises there already 240, 260 and 280 Wellesley St. E. and 650 Parliament St., all dating from the late 1960s. An Aug. 21 fire at 650 Parliament displaced more than 1,500 residents, forcing them to local community centres, hotels, relatives homes and other Greatwise buildings in St. James Town. The blaze caused catastrophic damage to the buildings electrical and mechanical system and the building owners recently said it will take at least six months to complete the repairs. Corporate records indicate the proponent behind the development application, Greatwise Developments Corp., located at 333 Wilson Ave., is administered by Samuel Grosz. Records show the buildings on the property are owned by a variety of entities including Parwell Investments Inc. and Lilsam Inc., all listed at the same Wilson Ave. address. The application doesnt call for the demolition of the four aging buildings. The project is similar to the reurbanization of Parkway Forest, a subdivision near Sheppard Ave. E and Don Mills Rd. in North York. There, hundreds of new rentals and thousands of new condo units spurred by the Sheppard subway line are springing up alongside 1960s-era towers. Torontos planning department has sought input from local residents and community groups on the Wellesley-Parliament project, and the height and scale of the 51-storey condo tower has been mentioned as a key thorn. Planning staff have suggested to the landowner that the height should come down. Our comment was fairly preliminary in the context of the existing buildings on site. They are in the range of 20s up to 32 storeys, says Thomas Rees, a city planner on the file, who notes 51 storeys is almost double the existing buildings on site. That one is really going to stick out, he adds. But in a statement from Greatwise on Friday, spokesperson Danny Roth said the company believes the height will have a minimal impact on the pedestrian experience. Its height will fit into the range of heights that have recently been approved in the neighbourhood, particularly along Sherbourne St. and Bloor St., Roth said. There will be other challenges for the landowner. Prompted by the recent blaze at 650 Parliament, the planning department is demanding that before the new application can be approved, Greatwise do a health and safety audit of the existing towers on the parcel, including 650 Parliament. The audit would cover items including the electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems in the buildings, Rees says. Were asking the developer to provide a building safety audit to identify what needs to be fixed, and then we want that to be subject to a peer review to ensure its accurate and not missing anything, he says. The city wants to find ways to secure necessary improvements to the buildings as a condition of development, Rees adds. Density issues raised by the application are also on the citys radar, the planner said. On behalf of the ownership group, Greatwise said its proceeding with an application we believe meets existing policy frameworks, including the citys official plan and the Growth Plan for the (Greater) Golden Horseshoe. The statement added that more than just from a policy perspective, the applicants proposal brings reinvestment to a community that has seen little to no change since it was built in the 1960s. St. James Town is actually a larger neighbourhood bounded by Wellesley, Sherbourne, Bloor and Parliament Sts. The four buildings in question are part of a cluster of crumbling highrises in the area 19 in all that are home to about 17,000 people, many of them new arrivals in Canada. When first built, the 60s-era towers became a magnet for hip young men and women who enjoyed the amenities, including an outdoor pool. But the buildings have since fallen into disrepair. In April, Greatwise submitted a joint official plan amendment and zoning bylaw amendment application for the Wellesley-Parliament project. The proposed development will allow us with hindsight to correct many of the sites existing challenges including the current lack of public road connections through the site, undefined open spaces, an abundance of surface parking and outdoor garbage storage areas, and the monotony of the prevailing architectural forms, among other issues, Roth said in his statement. Proposed features include a new supermarket, a network of new streets and a new 0.1-hectare public park, though the city says the applicants park allotment needs to be bigger. The developer also plans to take out the Food Basics discount grocery store on Wellesley and replace it with another unspecified supermarket. The fear among local residents is that the new one will be a high-scale store, which is not appropriate for a low-income community, said Hanna Ahmed, who has lived in the neighbourhood for eight years, in an interview while shopping at Food Basics. Rees, the city planner, notes the Wellesley-Parliament application comes at a time when St. James Town faces enormous density challenges. For example, a school in the catchment area, Rose Avenue Junior Public, is already over capacity. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting in your community The Wellesley-Parliament project and other residential developments approved or close to being approved along Sherbourne, Howard and Bloor Sts. mean the school will have to contend with many more students. Were working with the school board to see how were going to deal with this. I dont know what the answer is, but to me its a big concern. We dont want to force kids to be bused when theres a school right behind them, Rees says. Housing developments in the schools catchment area since 2016 within or near St. James Town include a 32-storey tower already built at 28 Linden St.; another at 555 Sherbourne St. that is 43 storeys; two highrises 38 and 46 storeys under construction at the north end of Parliament St.; and two others on Sherbourne above 50 storeys each, at various stages of the citys approval process. Construction is nearly complete on the Selby, a 50-storey residential rental building also on Sherbourne. Niv Balachandran, an executive member of the St. James Town Service Providers Network, a coalition of organizations serving the community, says residents feel their voices are being drowned out by a powerful landowner. Resident feedback has been that the process has been disenfranchising for people who want to be engaged, but do not feel they are on an equal footing to have their voices and concerns heard, Balachandran says. A trip to a casino, a poker game, drinks and lap dances at a strip club were part of an undercover Mr. Big operation that led Toronto police to arrest two of three suspects wanted for the beating death of a 25-year-old man almost three years ago. Details of the elaborate sting and the unusual legal challenges it created were kept from a jury that this week convicted two men accused in the midtown attack that killed Zaher (Zack) Noureddine, 26, on Dec. 30, 2015. Jurors were not told the Mr. Big operation resulted in a confession by one of the accused, nor that a judge last month declared a mistrial after prosecutors played an earlier jury a video she ruled had not been properly introduced into evidence. They also didnt hear about all the entries on the trios rap sheets, nor details of an outstanding robbery charge that the Crown argues has similar facts to the Noureddine killing. On Thursday, Patrick Smith, 28, was acquitted of first-degree murder but found guilty of second-degree murder. His co-accused, Matthew Moreira, 34, was convicted of manslaughter. Smith was also convicted of assaulting Mitchell Conery, Noureddines co-worker, while Moreira was found guilty of robbing Conery. William Cummins, 32, still faces a first-degree murder charge and robbery charge. He and Moreira are also charged with committing a violent robbery weeks before about 100 metres from where Noureddine was killed. Read more: Two men found guilty in midtown beating death of Zack Noureddine, a complete stranger Judge declares mistrial in Toronto murder case, ruling Crown should not have played videos to jury Father convicted in girls deaths to go free after Supreme Court ruling On Dec. 30, 2015, Noureddine and Conery were in business attire and had just left a restaurant near Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave. when they were confronted by three strangers who had spent the evening boozing and doing drugs. Conery testified he was knocked to the ground and held there by a man who demanded his wallet as he saw two assailants attacking Noureddine, who died as a result of blunt-impact head trauma. The suspects came on the police radar a few days after Noureddines death, when two witnesses reported seeing a suspicious car and three occupants close to the crime scene. That led police to obtain video surveillance from a nearby apartment building, at 100 Merton St., that showed the three men together at various points before and after the attack. In one video, taken hours after Noureddine was killed, the three men were recorded in an elevator laughing and recreating the attack. William Cummins, Matthew Moreira and Patrick Smith in an apartment elevator near the crime scene early Dec. 30, 2015 less than two hours after the fatal attack on Zack Noureddine. The Crown told jurors the surveillance footage shows the trio re-enacting the murder, with Cummins demonstrating how he kneed the victim, Smith simulating how he stomped on him while Moreira laughs. Within a week, police had the three under surveillance and were building their case. In March 2016, investigators decided to undertake a Mr. Big operation which involved using undercover officers to establish a friendship with Smith to create sufficient trust so that he would cop to the brutal crime. Details of the elaborate Mr. Big sting were outlined in an 18-page pretrial ruling on the admissibility of statements made by Smith to undercover officers. Superior Court Justice Maureen Forestells ruling meant the jury heard nothing about what was done or said during the sting. (Forestell was the judge on the first trial, which ended in mistrial, but her ruling carried over to the retrial.) Mr. Big operations are a costly and controversial police tactic originally designed to yield a confession from a suspect tricked into thinking hes joined some kind of criminal organization. A 2014 Supreme Court decision ruled such a confession based on that approach was presumptively inadmissible. As a result, police have changed how Mr. Big ploys unfold. Instead of convincing a suspect hes joined a Mafia-type criminal enterprise undercover officers, in this case, befriended Smith and made out like they were legitimate businessmen who operated as fixers who dabbled in criminality. There was to be no overt criminality (from the officers) and no violence or threats of violence, Forestell wrote in her ruling. The sting began when two undercover officers were inserted in a jail cell with Smith after he was arrested for stealing gas on March 7, 2016. One of the officers, whom the ruling calls K, was successful in striking up a conversation with Smith about women, drinking and playing poker. K also told Smith he had an older friend who gave him money to play poker, bought drinks and paid for lap dances at a nearby club. Smith gave K his phone number and they agreed to go to Casino Niagara with another man, G, also an undercover officer. The officers whose identities are protected under a publication ban secretly recorded their interactions with Smith. On March 8, 2016, G picked up the tab for the trio to drink and have lap dances at the Sundowner, a Niagara Falls, Ont. strip club. They also hit the casino. During that meeting, Smith spoke of selling drugs and said when he is disrespected theres no stopping me, like, I lose my mind. The officers later ensured Smith, who was subject to a curfew under bail conditions, was home in time, the ruling says. After that evening, the undercover officers continued to communicate by telephone and text message with Smith, and met up with him again in at a pub where they spoke of work, women, partying and fighting. Smith told K that he loved to fight and had martial arts experience. At another pub meeting, Smith told K his boy, referring to Cummins, had been arrested for an unrelated robbery and he was concerned his car would be connected back to him. In response, K told Smith G was a bit of a magician and said hed seen the other officer pull rabbits out of a hat. Over a number of weeks, the deception deepened. The officers spun bogus tales all designed to suck Smith into believing he was keeping company with men who could do things for him, as long as he showed them honesty, loyalty and respect. By mid-April, Smith was anxious to connect with Cummins, who had warned him not to talk by phone. Smith told his new friends he needed clean phones ones the cops werent bugging for himself and Cummins. One day, while driving past the scene of Noureddines beating, Smith told K thats the place where the thing happened but the officers determined he wasnt sober enough to give a usable confession. They held off until their next meeting, in a Mississauga lounge. After weeks of wining and dining, Smith opened up to the two undercover officers even taking them on a walk-through of how the evening unfolded. He pointed out surveillance cameras after one of the officers gave the impression he could take care of evidence on surveillance cameras, according to Forestells ruling. On April 12, 2016, Smith told the officers Cummins had dropped one guy Noureddine then turned to fight the other while Smith said he smoke(d) buddy that died. He described hitting one of the victims a couple of times and, as Cummins was taking care of him, Smith said he saw that the guy that died was getting up and kicked him in the face. He said he learned a day later that Noureddine had died. Toronto police arrested Smith and Cummins on April 13, 2016, the day after Smith confessed to the undercover officers, and charged them with murder. But this Mr. Big operation had a twist. Normally, the Crown wants Mr. Big confessions admitted into evidence and must, therefore, prove the statements are reliable. In this case, they needed to demonstrate they were not. Thats because in his Mr. Big confession Smith told the officers Moreira whom he called B.K. was not really in on the beating. Smith said he was there, but never made any kind of moves, according to Forestells ruling. Smith also claimed Cummins had been jumped by two guys. The Crown said both were lies. Rather than ask to admit Smiths entire confession, prosecutors Bev Richards and Mihael Cole sought permission to use Smiths statements during cross-examination to demonstrate he lied to his new criminal friends. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting in your community The crown attorneys also wanted admitted into evidence Smiths boasts to the undercover officers about his experience in martial arts and his love of fighting, Forestell wrote in her ruling. But the judge concluded it would be an abuse of process for the Crown to use the undercover statements for the purpose of cross-examining Smith. The use of deceit and trickery to elicit a reliable and true confession to a crime will, in some circumstances, be acceptable but the use of deceit and trickery to elicit bad behaviour and lies for the purpose of a future attack on credibility and character cannot be acceptable, she wrote, adding she was not suggesting police sought to elicit bad behaviour and lies, nor that they engaged in any misconduct. Moreiras lawyers Chris Hicks and Jessica Zita, meanwhile, wanted the jury to hear Smiths very favourable evidence that their client wasnt involved in the attack on Noureddine. Forestell said that would be OK, as long as Smith didnt testify. But he did. So, in the end, jurors never heard anything about the confession or the Mr. Big operation. NHIALDIU, SOUTH SUDANWrapping an arm around her stomach, the young woman hung her head and recounted the day in early November when she and a friend were bound, dragged into the bush and raped by four men with guns. My body hasnt been the same since, the 18-year-old said. The men attacked during an hours-long walk home to the South Sudan village of Nhialdiu. I was crying and screaming but I was so far from the village that no one could hear me, she told The Associated Press, which doesnt identify survivors of sexual assault. Shock and outrage followed when the medical charity Doctors Without Borders announced that 125 women and girls had been raped, whipped and clubbed over 10 days last month in a dramatic spike in sexual violence. Horrific, the United Nations secretary-general said. They were attacked as they made the long walk to a food distribution site in Bentiu, in Unity state. In an exclusive look at the aftermath, the AP joined a U.N. peacekeeping patrol where the attacks occurred as humanitarians, rights groups and South Sudans government scrambled to find out more. Rape has been used widely as a weapon in South Sudan. Even after a peace deal was signed in September to end a five-year civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people, humanitarians have warned of higher rates of sexual assault as growing numbers of desperate people try to reach aid. While some aid groups have quietly questioned whether all 125 people in the Doctors With Borders report were raped, they do not dispute that the problem has become grave. The 18-year-old was not included in that report, and the real toll of sexual assault is not known. Read more: 125 women, girls raped, whipped and clubbed in South Sudan In South Sudan, a new approach in ending child soldiers use Child bride auction in South Sudan goes viral, sparks anger Joining the U.N. patrol on Friday, the AP travelled the potholed road where the recent assaults took place. Shrouded by trees and elephant grass, some stretches provide cover for perpetrators to lurk. Several local women said the violence is escalating. Nyalgwon Mol Moon said she was held at gunpoint last month while two men in civilian clothes, their faces covered, stole her clothes, her shoes and the milk she meant to sell at market. Standing beside the road, pointing to her borrowed, oversized sneakers, she said she now tries to take alternative routes on her weekly walks to Bentiu. She has no other choice. Food in Nhialdiu and nearby villages is scarce. Most people could not cultivate last season because of fighting and too much rain. Many rely on monthly aid from the U.N.s World Food Program. That means a walk of almost 40 kilometres to Bentiu town. Unable to carry the heavy rations back in one trip, most women leave some behind with relatives and make several journeys throughout the month. Some said they make the 11-hour trek at least six times. Alarmed by the sexual assaults, the World Food Program said it is prepared to bring distribution points closer to communities. The U.N. is now clearing the road from Bentiu to Nhialdiu of debris to make access easier. No one has taken responsibility for the wave of assaults that the U.N. and African Union have condemned as abhorrent and predatory. South Sudans government has acknowledged the assaults occurred in areas it controls, on the road between Nhialdiu and Bentiu and in surrounding villages. But it blames them on unregulated youth who fought alongside warring factions before the peace deal, Laraka Machar Turoal, deputy governor of Northern Liech state that was once part of Unity, told the AP. Youth who were never officially integrated with armed groups have been left idle, guns in hand, to take what they want by force, Turoal said. South Sudans government has called on all sides to demobilize the youth. It said it has deployed troops to areas in Unity state suspected of harbouring criminals. And yet the army in Nhialdiu has not detained anyone in the assaults and denies responsibility for finding the perpetrators, said John Dor, army commander for the area. He said they took place far from town, outside his jurisdiction. But several local people said they knew of attacks in villages less than 15 kilometres from the army base. Some who were attacked at gunpoint said they believe the armed youth are affiliated with government troops. The government has done nothing so far to stop the violence, one woman explained. The U.N., which has increased patrols, is pushing South Sudans government to take more responsibility. The U.N. Security Council in a statement on Saturday noted its willingness to impose sanctions on those who threaten the peace, including by sexual violence. Theyre obliged to make sure everyones protected ... its not enough just to sit in one place and not be involved, said Paul Adejoh Ebikwo, the U.N. missions senior civil affairs officer in Bentiu. Unity state was one of the hardest-hit areas in the civil war, and Bentiu has changed hands several times. Government and opposition forces remain at odds, even as factions across the country try to reconcile. A meeting on Thursday to build trust was cancelled because the parties couldnt agree on a place to meet, said the independent monitoring group charged with overseeing the peace deals implementation. Meanwhile, many women and girls are terrified. Cautiously peering through the trees, several hesitantly emerged from the bush, inching toward the side of the road. Were walking here because were scared of coming on the main path, said Nyachieng Gatman. Three days ago, she said, she met a breast-feeding mother and young girl who had been raped in a nearby town. Standing beside her, 11-year-old Anchankual Dood lowered her heavy bag of grain and gulped from a bottle of water. Its a long distance to go and come from Bentiu, the girl said. But we do it because we need food and because were suffering. Read more about: LONDONWith a crucial parliamentary vote on Brexit looming, British Prime Minister Theresa May warned lawmakers Sunday that they could take Britain into uncharted waters and trigger a general election if they reject the divorce deal she struck with the European Union. May is fighting to save her unpopular Brexit plan and her job ahead of a showdown in Parliament on Tuesday, when lawmakers are widely expected to vote down the deal she negotiated with Brussels. Her Downing Street office insisted that the vote will go ahead despite speculation that the government may be forced to delay it. A defeat in the vote could see Britain crashing out of the EU on March 29, the date for Britains exit, with no deal in place an outcome that could spell economic chaos. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, May said nixing her deal would mean grave uncertainty for the nation with a very real risk of no Brexit or leaving the European Union with no deal. When I say if this deal does not pass we would truly be in uncharted waters, I hope people understand this is what I genuinely believe and fear could happen, she said. Mays government does not have a majority in the House of Commons, and opposition parties as well as many of Mays own Conservatives have already said they will not back the divorce deal that May and EU leaders agreed on last month. Read more: Is there a Brexit Plan B? U.K. minister offers alternatives May loses control over Brexit endgame in war with Parliament Theresa May takes losses in Parliament, Brexit hangs in balance Pro-Brexit lawmakers say the deal keeps Britain bound too closely to the EU, while pro-EU politicians say it erects barriers between the U.K. and its biggest trading partner and leaves many details of the future relationship undecided. The main sticking point is a backstop provision in the Brexit agreement that aims to guarantee an open border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.s Northern Ireland post-Brexit. The temporary measure would keep Britain under EU customs rules, and is supposed to last until superseded by permanent new trade arrangements. But critics say it could leave Britain tied to the EU indefinitely, unable to strike new trade deals around the world. Boris Johnson, Mays former foreign secretary and leading Brexiteer, said the backstop puts Britain in a diabolical negotiating position, and insisted Sunday that it must be taken out of the divorce deal. He urged May to renegotiate with the EU, and postpone the Irish border issue so it forms part of the talks on a future trade deal. We have to change it, Johnson told the BBC. We can have a withdrawal agreement that does not contain the backstop. We can do much, much better than this. Its unclear what would happen next if lawmakers vote down the deal. May could return to Brussels seeking changes to the Brexit deal and bring it back to Parliament for another vote. But EU leaders have insisted the divorce agreement is final and not renegotiable. However, while the 585-page withdrawal deal is set, the declaration on future relations between the EU and Britain is shorter and vaguer and may be open to amendment. Meanwhile, pro-Brexit Conservative rebels who have long wanted to oust May can trigger a no-confidence vote if they amass enough support. The Labour Party may also attempt to force a general election or seek to form a minority government. What we would urge (May) to do is either call a general election because she wouldnt have the confidence of Parliament to carry on as prime minister, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labours business spokeswoman, told the BBC. But alternatively, she could offer to renegotiate around a deal that would provide consensus in Parliament. Some have also floated the idea of a second referendum on the question of Britains EU membership but the government is firmly opposed to that. Voters who favour pulling out of the EU narrowly won a 2016 referendum that triggered the exit process, but the subject still deeply divides the nation. On Sunday, riot police were deployed on central London streets amid fears of clashes between a pro-Brexit rally led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and counter-protesters. Thousands of supporters of the Eurosceptic U.K. Independence Party and Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, rallied to accuse May of compromising over Brexit. They were met with thousands of Labour activists and anti-fascist protesters. Read more about: OSLOOne of the winners of this years Nobel Peace Prize says the attention the prize has drawn to sexual violence against women in war zones must be followed by action against the abuses. Dr. Denis Mukwege spoke Sunday at a news conference with Nadia Murad of Iraq, with whom he shared the 9-million Swedish kronor ($1 million) prize. Mukwege was honoured for his work helping sexually abused women at the hospital he founded in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Murad, a Yazidi, won for her advocacy for sex abuse victims after being kidnapped by Daesh militants. What we see during armed conflicts is that womens bodies become battlefields and this cannot be acceptable during our time, Mukwege said, speaking through a translator. We cannot only denounce it, we now need to act. Murad, 25, was one of an estimated 3,000 girls and women from Iraqs Yazidi minority group who were kidnapped in 2014 by Daesh militants and sold into sexual slavery. She was raped, beaten and tortured before managing to escape three months later. After getting treatment in Germany, she chose to speak to the world about the horrors faced by Yazidi women, despite regardless of the heavy stigma in her culture surrounding rape. She said Sunday it was difficult for a girl, a woman, to rise up to say that these atrocities have happened. Mukwege, a 63-year-old surgeon, founded a hospital in the city of Bukavu and over the past 20 years has treated countless women who were raped amid fighting between armed groups seeking to control of some the central African nations vast mineral wealth. He expressed concern Sunday that new violence could be coming as Congo holds a general election this month. We think the conflict might blow up around this electoral period and women and children are always the first victims of such conflicts, he said. Along with preventing sexual violence, more effort is needed to attend to victims, Mukwege said. We need to realize that any woman who is a victim of sexual violence within her own country such women should be allowed treatment and its not only medical treatment, also psychological treatment, judicial treatment, he said. Murad said the psychological burden of her ordeal and her subsequent work is heavy. I dont want to live in fear. For the last four years I have been in Germany, in a safe place, but yet Im living frightfully, she said. Im scared that these people will not just attack me or have an impact on me, but with anybody else. Murad and Mukwege will receive their prize Monday at a ceremony in the Norwegian capital. The winners of Nobel prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry and economics will get their prizes Monday in Stockholm. No Nobel literature winner was named this year due to turmoil in the Swedish Academy, which chooses the literature winners. HARTFORD, CONN.Documents from the investigation into the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut are shedding light on the gunmans anger, scorn for other people, and deep social isolation in the years leading up to the shooting. The documents that a court ordered Connecticut State Police to release include several writings by Adam Lanza, who gunned down 20 children and six educators on Dec. 14, 2012. He fatally shot his mother before driving to the school and ultimately killed himself. Lanza wrote in what appears to be an online communication with a fellow gamer: I incessantly have nothing other than scorn for humanity, the Hartford Courant reported. I have been desperate to feel anything positive for someone for my entire life, he wrote. The criminal investigation ended a year after the massacre without determining a motive. Thousands of pages of documents were released at the time, but in a lawsuit brought by the Courant, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in October that personal belongings of the shooter that had been withheld, including journals, also had to be made public because they were not exempt from open record laws. A report by the Connecticut child advocate said Lanzas severe and deteriorating mental health problems, his preoccupation with violence and access to his mothers weapons proved a recipe for mass murder. From the 10th grade, Lanzas mother kept him at home, where he was surrounded by an arsenal of firearms and spent long hours playing violent video games. His medical and school records included references to diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. The newly released documents were seized by authorities during a search of Lanzas home. They include writings that had been described or summarized by previous investigative reports such as the Big Book Of Granny, a book describing violence against children that he wrote with another boy in the fifth grade, and a spreadsheet listing mass killings dating back to 1786. On one handwritten list titled Problems, Lanza details a range of grievances including lights that are too bright and his hair touching his brothers towel. I am unable to distinguish between my problems because I have too many, Lanza wrote. In other writings, he rages against fat people doctors who touched him during physical examinations as a child and writes about pedophilia as a form of love. In the document where he described his scorn for other people, he also indicated a desire for some form of companionship. Most of my social contact was through those players, he wrote to the other gamer. All of them are typical detestable human beings, and it bred an aura of innumerable negative emotions for me. You were a respite from that. By Jihad Watch , Dec. 07, 2018 CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case so named by the Justice Department. CAIR officials have repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas and Hizballah as terrorist groups. Several former CAIR officials have been convicted of various crimes related to jihad terror. CAIRs cofounder and longtime Board chairman (Omar Ahmad), as well as its chief spokesman (Ibrahim Hooper), have made Islamic supremacist statements about how Islamic law should be imposed in the U.S. (Ahmad denies this, but the original reporter stands by her story.) CAIR chapters frequently distribute pamphlets telling Muslims not to cooperate with law enforcement. CAIR has opposed virtually every anti-terror measure that has been proposed or implemented and has been declared a terror organization by the United Arab Emirates. Ayloush himself in 2017 called for the overthrow of the U.S. government. Read More: Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com Follow Larry Elder on Follow Larry Elder on Twitter "Like" Larry Elder on Facebook CHARLOTTE, N.C.A massive storm brought snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a wide swath of southern U.S. states on Sunday causing dangerously icy roads, immobilizing snowfalls and power losses to hundreds of thousands of people. Accidents on snow-covered interstates caused major delays, hundreds of flights were cancelled and drivers in North Carolina and Virginia got stuck in snow or lost control on icy patches. Meanwhile, kids and the young at heart took advantage of the early winter snow with snowball fights, sledding and snowmen. Police in North Carolina and Virginia said they responded to hundreds of snow-related traffic accidents as of Sunday afternoon, as cars, trucks and tractor-trailers all struggled with the snow and ice. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper strongly urged residents to stay off the roads Sunday, asking drivers not to put lives of first responders needlessly at risk. Cooper said emergency crews, including the National Guard, worked overnight to clear traffic accidents on major roadways. Stay put if you can, Cooper said. Wrap a few presents, decorate the tree, watch some football. Five members of a dive team searched the Neuse River in Kinston, N.C., for a missing truck driver Sunday after a tractor-trailer ran off a road and into the river, WRAL-TV reported. Police just outside of Charlotte said a driver died when a tree fell on a moving vehicle. Governors and local officials in several states declared emergencies ahead of the storm crossing several Southern states, which hit portions of North Carolina and Virginia particularly hard. Virginia State Police said Interstate 81 in far southwest Virginia was particularly dangerous, with snow coming down faster Sunday afternoon than crews could clear it. Police said several tractor-trailers slid off the highway. Officials warned residents to prepare emergency kits and stay off roads in impacted areas. Several schools districts in North Carolina and Virginia announced theyll be closed Monday. Virginians should take all necessary precautions to ensure they are prepared for winter weather storm impacts, said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. The National Weather Service said a prolonged period of snow began late Saturday and would last until Monday in the region, with the heaviest snow expected in northwest North Carolina and southern Virginia. Some areas of North Carolina and Virginia saw more than 30 centimetres of snow by Sunday afternoon. More than 300,000 power outages were reported across the region with the majority of those about 240,000 in North Carolina, according to poweroutage.us. Parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also saw outages. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the sixth busiest airport in the country, said American Airlines reduced its operations, with more than 1,000 flights cancelled on Sunday. American Airlines also issued a travel alert for nine airports throughout the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia, meaning passengers may be able to change travel plans without a fee. Travellers were advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport. Cancellations were reported on flights from as far as the Midwest. Read more about: Toronto is on track for the highest number of homicides in a calendar year since 1991. Tragically, a large number of these have involved guns and youngsters. In September a 16-year-old male was shot and killed in Scarborough. A week later, Mackai Jackson, who had just turned 15, was fatally shot and died in his friends apartment. Jackson was considered by many in his community to be a harmless kid. The city claims to have taken steps to try and reduce the sudden swell in gun violence. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced in August that the Ontario government would dedicate $25 million in funding over the next four years to address the issue of gun violence in Toronto. Its not exactly clear how these funds plan on being spent to combat the issue but there has been no mention of stricter gun control policies or programs that target at-risk youth. Now is a good time to look at solutions to the issue of gun violence. The first solution entails educating youth about the dangers of gun violence and the second entails diverting youth from becoming gang affiliated. A study in Baltimore found that the best means of reducing gun violence and homicide is through community-based intervention programs. This involves openly discussing the issue of gun violence with youth and educating them about the dangers of possessing firearms both in terms of the physical and legal repercussions. Educating youth about the dangers of firearm usage and possession means they are less likely to engage in gun crime. The second strategy involves protecting youth from gang affiliation. Gun violence and gang affiliation are intrinsically linked. All academic research regarding gun crime convenes on the fact that the majority of gun crime comes as a result of gang violence. Turf wars and revenge killings are all used to spur on gun crime and youth become caught up in gun violence as a result. Youth who get drawn into gang life are often pressured into committing some type of gun crime, usually as a means of proving themselves. For many kids owning a gun means they command respect from their peers. Gang prevention involves educating youth about the dangers of joining gangs and providing programs that are viable alternatives to hanging out on the streets. After school programs such as team sports and arts help kids stay connected to their community and also away from street life that is conducive of gang life and other criminal activity. This comes at a time when the city is cutting funding for many programs. Gang affiliation is the biggest contributor to gun violence and Toronto must teach its youth about the dangers of gang affiliation and provide viable alternatives to street life. These steps are key to ensuring that kids never face a life-and-death situation, standing on either end of a gun. DOW Isaac has been a good boy this year, so Santa is bringing him some paper towels for Christmas. Isaac, whose full name is Isaac Newton, is a resident turkey vulture at the TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow and was part of Sundays annual A Very Critter Christmas. Event visitors were encouraged to bring items on the centers Critter Holiday Wish List in exchange for a reduced-fee photo with jolly Old St. Nick and one of the centers owls. Isaac got his paper towels, and his fellow resident eagles, owls, hawks, pelicans, foxes, coyotes and deer must have been good little birds and mammals because they also received just what they needed animal food, trash bags, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies, not to mention cash donations to purchase these items. As the gifts imply, every holiday season is a Messy Christmas at TreeHouse. Oh my goodness, yes! said TreeHouse fundraising coordinator Kelly Vandersand. Every day the animal cages get cleaned so the animals will have a healthy environment to live in. We also do a lot of laundry because many of our animals get blankets for warmth or privacy. We couldnt do it without our donors and volunteers, Vandersand said. All of the proceeds go directly to benefit the animals. Its always the animals first at TreeHouse. Children bent the ear of Santa Claws during A Very Critter Christmas and posed for photos with his trusty sidekick, a Barred Owl named Chili whose eyes shined as brightly as Rudolphs nose. I think Santa needs more beard because my dads beard is bigger than Santas, said six-year-old Critter Christmas visitor Kaylee Kulupka from Collinsville. I like coming here because I get to see the owls and the other animals I like. I made friends with a vulture and made noises with a coyote. Sunday was five-year-old Josiah Emerys first TreeHouse visit. Im gonna give them some money to buy food for the animals, said Emery, a resident of West Alton, Missouri who asked Santa Claws for a train set. I liked seeing the owls because they make sounds. Four-and-a-half-year-old Hudson Lyons of Jerseyville was impressed with A Very Critter Christmas. I liked the animals I saw when me and mommy walked in, Lyons said as he made a keepsake craft of wood, sparkles and glue that looks like a snowflake. A Very Critter Christmas visitors made a nature-based holiday craft to take home, learned about winter season backyard wildlife, saw the centers birds up close, and purchased unique Christmas presents in sites gift shop. TreeHouse Wildlife Center was established in 1979 and is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife and the educational promotion of environmental stewardship and awareness. They are open daily for free public visitation, and offer both on-site and off-site educational programs. Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL), the second greenfield airport set up under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, near Mattannur in Kannur district was inaugurated on Sunday. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union minister Suresh Prabhu jointly inaugurated Kannur airport. The Air India Express to Abu Dhabi is the first plane to fly out of Kannur. A large number of people have arrived at the airport on the inaugural day. Both the opposition Congress-led UDF and the BJP boycotted the event. The airport built in an area of 2,300 acres has all modern passenger amenities. At present the length of the runway is 3,050 metres and works to extend the length of the runway to 4,000 metres had already began, it was stated. After expansion, KIAL will be the biggest airport in Kerala. The airport has 24 check-in counters, self-baggage drop counters, self-checking machines and 32 immigration counters. The airport has arrangements to facilitate the landing of big aircraft like Boeing-777. It has bays to park 20 aircraft at a time. The Kannur airport will be the fourth international airport in the state, the others being in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. Kannur airport is the second to be built under PPP route after Nedumbassery International Airport at Kochi. It is only 20 km away from Kannur city and 2 km from Mattannur on Kannur Mattannur Mysuru road. Among the objectives of the airport include transforming the north Malabar region into a highly developed growth centre for travel, tourism and industries. Construction of the airport, considered a flagship programme of the previous Congress-led UDF government, was inaugurated by then Defence Minister and senior Congress leader A.K. Antony on February 2, 2014. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner continued to have private conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and advised him on how to deal with the aftermath of the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives, a US media report said. Kushner offered the crown prince advice "about how to weather the storm" following the killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the New York Times reported, citing a Saudi source familiar with the conversations. Since the early months of the Trump administration, Kushner, the president's Middle East adviser, was in private and informal contact with Prince Mohammed, which was a cause of worry for senior American officials, the report said. Given Kushner's political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former senior US officials. In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new chief of staff tried to reimpose longstanding procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders. But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner, 37, and Prince Mohammed, 33, kept chatting, according to three former White House officials and two others briefed by the Saudi royal court. In fact, they said, the two men were on first-name terms, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls. The exchanges continued even after the October 2 killing of Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents, according to two former senior American officials and the two people briefed by the Saudis. As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and American intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the prince's most important defender inside the White House, people familiar with its internal deliberations say. Kushner's support for Prince Mohammed in the moment of crisis is a striking demonstration of a singular bond that has helped draw President Trump into an embrace of Saudi Arabia as one of his most important international allies. But the ties between Kushner and Prince Mohammed did not happen on their own. The prince and his advisers, eager to enlist American support for his hawkish policies in the region and for his own consolidation of power, cultivated the relationship with Kushner for more than two years, according to documents, emails and text messages reviewed by NYT. A delegation of Saudis close to the prince visited the US as early as the month Trump was elected, the documents show, and brought back a report identifying Kushner as a crucial focal point in the courtship of the new administration. He brought to the job scant knowledge about the region, a transactional mind-set and an intense focus on reaching a deal with the Palestinians that met Israel's demands, the delegation noted. Even then, before the inauguration, the Saudis were trying to position themselves as essential allies who could help the Trump administration fulfil its campaign pledges. In addition to offering to help resolve the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, the Saudis offered hundreds of billions of dollars in deals to buy American weapons and invest in American infrastructure. Trump later announced versions of some of these items with great fanfare when he made his first foreign trip: to an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The Saudis had extended that invitation during the delegation's November 2016 visit. "The inner circle is predominantly deal makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner," the Saudi delegation wrote of the incoming administration in a slide presentation obtained by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which provided it to NYT. Several Americans who spoke with the delegation confirmed the slide presentation's accounts of the discussions. The courtship of Kushner appears to have worked. Only a few months after Trump moved into the White House, Kushner was inquiring about the Saudi royal succession process and whether the US could influence it, raising fears among senior officials that he sought to help Prince Mohammed, who was not yet the crown prince, vault ahead in the line for the throne, two former senior White House officials said. American diplomats and intelligence officials feared that the Trump administration might be seen as playing favourites in the delicate internal politics of the Saudi royal family, the officials said. By March, Kushner helped usher Prince Mohammed into a formal lunch with Trump in a state dining room at the White House, capitalising on a last minute cancellation by German Chancellor Angela Merkel because of a snowstorm. Bending protocol, Kushner arranged for the prince, often referred to by his initials as MBS, to receive the kind of treatment usually reserved for heads of state, with photographs and news media coverage, according to a person involved in the arrangements. It appears to have been the first face-to-face meeting between Kushner and the prince, but Kushner raised eyebrows by telling others in the White House that he and Prince Mohammed had already spoken several times before, two people at the event recalled. White House officials declined to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with the prince since the killing of Khashoggi. Their connection, though, has been pivotal since the start of the Trump administration. "The relationship between Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman constitutes the foundation of the Trump policy not just toward Saudi Arabia but toward the region," said Martin Indyk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Middle East envoy. The administration's reliance on the Saudis in the peace process, its support for the kingdom's feud with Qatar, an American ally, and its backing of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, he said, all grew out of "that bromance". Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her... Washington, Dec 9 (AFP) The US negotiator in charge of trade talks with China said Sunday he considers March 1 to be a "hard deadline" for reaching an agreement that would avert an intensifying trade war. "As far as I'm concerned it's a hard deadline," US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on CBS's 'Face the Nation'. "When I talk to the president of the United States, he's not talking about going beyond March 1, he's talking about getting a deal if there is a deal to be gotten in the next 90 days." Lighthizer also said he did not expect the arrest in Canada of a top Chinese executive, Meng Wanzhou of telecom giant Huawei, to interfere with the trade talks. "It shouldn't really have much of an impact," he said. "I can understand from the Chinese perspective how they would see it that way. That is a criminal justice matter. It is totally separate from anything that I work on." China has strongly protested the arrest and the US demand that Meng be extradited over allegations that Huawei has violated US sanctions against Iran. The arrest shook investors and rattled the markets amid fears it could reignite US-Chinese trade tensions just as a new truce had been declared. Since taking office, Trump has waged an often-fierce offensive against Chinese trade practices, which he regularly brands as "unfair." He has particularly denounced the forced transfer of technology to China by foreign firms seeking to do business there, as well as the country's weak protections of intellectual property rights. At the end of a dinner in Buenos Aires on the margins of the recent G20 summit there, Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping said they had agreed to put on hold the months-long trade war that has resulted in billions of dollars in tariffs being imposed on imported goods. Washington gave Beijing a deadline of March 1 to achieve concrete results and suspend the imposition of 25 per cent customs tariffs -- rather than the current 10 percent -- on USD 200 billion in imported Chinese products. In exchange, the Chinese agreed, somewhat vaguely, to purchase more American products and to work to reduce the enormous trade gap (around USD 335 billion in China's favour) that so irritates the US president. It was Lighthizer, a veteran of complex trade negotiations and a hawk on trade issues with China, who was tabbed to lead the American team in the talks. His remarks Sunday appeared to bring clarity after mixed signals from the administration, including a suggestion from Trump about possibly extending the truce. "The negotiations with China have already started," Trump said in a Twitter message Tuesday. "Unless extended, they will end 90 days from the date of our wonderful and very warm dinner with President Xi in Argentina." (AFP) SCY SCY Mumbai, Dec 9 (PTI) Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor has requested the Uttarakhand government to lift the ban on his latest directorial venture Kedarnath. Kedarnath, which features Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan in the lead, has been banned in the seven districts of Uttarakhand by district magistrates in view of protest by Hindu outfits. he film, set against the backdrop of the natural tragedy in the temple town of Kedarnath, is a love story of a Hindu girl and a Muslim porter. Those seeking a ban on the film have accused it of hurting Hindu sentiments. Kapoor took to social media to request Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat to let the film get screened in the state. "I plead with the Uttarakhand govt to please lift the ban on my film #kedarnath. It's an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Please don't deprive us of this opportunity. @tsrawatbjp @RonnieScrewvala," the director tweeted. In an interview with PTI, Sara, daughter of actors Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan, said she was "disheartened" by the ban as the idea behind the film is "not to divide but unite people". "The dream was that I could pass on this story to some people. We shot the film in Uttarakhand, we stayed there for 40 days, I have the best memories of my career there. It is very disheartening to not give back to them because they have given me so much. And that is the only real regret," Sara told PTI. The film is not about dividing you, it rather calls for coming together. I don't know how people are feeling hurt. I don't think they have seen the film," she added. Kedarnarth released on December 7. PTI SHD KJ KJ KJ New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours: FGN8 CHINA-INDIA-DRILL India, China to resume military drills after one year gap Beijing: India and China will resume their joint military drills after a one-year gap on Tuesday in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu to improve capabilities in fighting terrorism and promote mutual understanding, officials said on Sunday. FGN10 UK-LD MALLYA Vijay Mallya's extradition case edges towards ruling London: Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, is scheduled to return to the Westminster Magistrates' Court here on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. By Aditi Khanna FGN9 US-TRUMP-LD KELLY Chief of Staff John Kelly to leave White House by year-end: President Trump Washington: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will step down by the end of the year, President Donald Trump has announced, becoming the latest top-level official to quit the administration amidst reports that relations between them have soured beyond repair. By Lalit K Jha FGN4 CHINA-CANADA-HUAWEI China: Canada's detention of Huawei exec 'vile in nature' Beijing: China summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. (AP) FGN12 GCC-SUMMIT Regional crises cloud Gulf summit in Saudi Arabia Riyadh: Saudi Arabia hosts a summit of Arab Gulf leaders Sunday as crises brew over a bitter diplomatic dispute with Qatar, the war in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (AFP) FGN13 AFGHAN-ATTACK-SOLDIERS Taliban kill 8 Afghan soldiers in attack on checkpoint Kabul: An Afghan official says the Taliban have attacked an army checkpoint in the western Farah province, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers. (AP) FGN11 FRANCE-PROTEST-ARRESTS Over 1,700 arrested in latest 'yellow vest' protests in France Paris:More than 1,700 people were arrested across France during the latest round of "yellow vest" protests, in which demonstrators clashed with riot police, the interior ministry said Sunday. (AFP) RUP RUP Khartoum, Dec 9 (AFP) A helicopter crashed Sunday in eastern Sudan, killing at least five local officials who were on board, state media reported. Witnesses said the helicopter caught fire after hitting a communications tower as it tried to land in a field in the state of Al-Qadarif. "Flames and thick dark smoke rose from the aircraft," one of the witnesses, Adam Hassan, said. Al-Qadarif governor Mirghani Saleh, his cabinet chief, the local minister of agriculture as well as the local police chief and head of border guards were killed, state television said. It did not give details about the circumstances of the crash near the border with Ethiopia, or say if there were any survivors. Sudan's state news agency SUNA gave a slightly higher toll of six government officials killed. It said an unspecified number of other people were taken to hospital for treatment, without providing further details. Most of Sudan's military and civilian fleet consists of old Soviet-made aircraft, and the country has suffered a series of crashes in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems and bad weather. In October eight people were injured in a collision between two Sudanese army planes on the runway at Khartoum airport. Weeks earlier in September, two pilots were killed when their military jet crashed near Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city on the west bank of the Nile. That accident came days after a military helicopter crashed and caught fire on landing in Darfur, though all passengers were rescued. (AFP) RUP RUP New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours: FGN8 CHINA-INDIA-DRILL India, China to resume military drills after one year gap Beijing: India and China will resume their joint military drills after a one-year gap on Tuesday in the southwest Chinese city of Chengdu to improve capabilities in fighting terrorism and promote mutual understanding, officials said on Sunday. FGN10 UK-LD MALLYA Vijay Mallya's extradition case edges towards ruling London: Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, is scheduled to return to the Westminster Magistrates' Court here on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. By Aditi Khanna FGN9 US-TRUMP-LD KELLY Chief of Staff John Kelly to leave White House by year-end: President Trump Washington: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly will step down by the end of the year, President Donald Trump has announced, becoming the latest top-level official to quit the administration amidst reports that relations between them have soured beyond repair. By Lalit K Jha FGN17 BANGLA-POLLS-ZIA Bangladesh's jailed ex-premier Zia seeks HC intervention to fight polls Dhaka: Bangladesh's imprisoned former prime minister and opposition BNP leader Khaleda Zia on Sunday challenged an election commission order disqualifying her from contesting the upcoming general election, as she filed three writ petitions in the High Court here. By Anisur Rahman FGN19 UK-BREXIT-LD MARCH Thousands turn out for pro and anti Brexit marches in UK London, Dec 9 (PTI) Thousands of protestors marched through London in support of Brexit on Sunday amid tight security measures in place by Scotland Yard. By Aditi Khanna FGN18UK-BREXIT-LD MAY May says Brexit deal defeat could topple UK government London: Prime Minister Theresa May warned on Sunday that parliament's rejection of her Brexit deal could leave Britain in the European Union and bring the opposition Labour Party to power.(AFP) FGN4 CHINA-CANADA-HUAWEI China: Canada's detention of Huawei exec 'vile in nature' Beijing: China summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. (AP) FGN15 QATAR-GCC Qatar emir to skip Saudi-hosted summit with Gulf rivals Riyadh: Qatar said its emir will skip a summit Sunday of Arab Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, which has spearheaded a boycott of the small but energy-flush neighbour and sparked a major regional diplomatic row. (AFP) FGN13 AFGHAN-ATTACK-SOLDIERS Taliban kill 8 Afghan soldiers in attack on checkpoint Kabul: An Afghan official says the Taliban have attacked an army checkpoint in the western Farah province, killing at least eight Afghan soldiers. (AP) FGN11 FRANCE-PROTEST-ARRESTS Over 1,700 arrested in latest 'yellow vest' protests in France Paris:More than 1,700 people were arrested across France during the latest round of "yellow vest" protests, in which demonstrators clashed with riot police, the interior ministry said Sunday. (AFP) RUP RUP Paris, Dec 9 (AFP) A huge clean-up operation was under way in Paris on Sunday after French "yellow vest" demonstrators clashed with riot police in the latest round of protests against President Emmanuel Macron, but a heavy security deployment averted a repeat of last week's destruction. Protesters nonetheless set fire to cars, burned barricades and smashed windows in pockets of violence across the city centre, clad in their emblematic luminous safety jackets, as armoured vehicles rolled through the streets. The embattled president -- whose name rang out across the Champs-Elysees as protesters shouted "Macron, resign" -- is expected to address the demonstrations in a much-anticipated speech in the coming days. Clashes broke out in cities across France, including Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse, during a fourth weekend of nationwide protests against rising living costs and Macron in general. But it was Paris which again bore the brunt of the violence and destruction. "Dozens of shopkeepers have fallen victim to hooligans," Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo tweeted. "Once again, this is deplorable." Thick plumes of black smoke from fires rose high into the sky as police fired tear gas, while numerous shops and a Starbucks cafe were ransacked. "The weather is crap and so is this government," a handful of protesters chanted as light rain began to fall. It turned to downpours by mid-evening, scattering many of the remaining demonstrators. The outbreaks of violence were on a smaller scale than the destruction and looting of a week earlier, when some 200 cars were torched in the worst rioting in Paris in decades. The government had vowed "zero tolerance" for anarchist, far-right or other trouble-makers seeking to wreak further havoc at protests that have sparked the deepest crisis of Macron's presidency. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe congratulated police for the operation, and promised Macron would address the protesters' concerns. "The dialogue has begun and it must continue," Philippe said. "The president will speak, and will propose measures that will feed this dialogue." Police reinforcements were boosted to 8,000 across the city, with armoured vehicles deployed in Paris for the first time. Shops along the Champs-Elysees and central department stores stayed shut with their windows boarded up to avoid looting. The Eiffel Tower, major museums and many metro stations were also closed as parts of Paris went on effective lockdown. More than 670 protesters were detained in the capital, many of them stopped as they arrived at train stations or meeting points carrying hammers, petanque balls and other potential missiles. Authorities also launched an investigation into social media activity from accounts allegedly drumming up support for the protests, sources told AFP. According to the UK's Times newspaper, hundreds of online accounts linked to Russia were used to stoke the demonstrations. Citing analysis by New Knowledge, a cybersecurity company, the Times said the accounts spread disinformation and used pictures of injured protesters from other events to enhance a narrative of brutality by French authorities. Officials estimated that a total 125,000 "yellow vests" turned out nationwide throughout the day, down from 136,000 last week. In Paris, health authorities said 179 people had been admitted to hospital, mostly with minor injuries. Among the police, 17 were hurt, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said. The movement has spread beyond France's borders, with around 400 arrested at a "yellow vest" event in Brussels on Saturday and peaceful demonstrations taking place in Dutch towns. The French protests also attracted the attention of US President Donald Trump. "Very sad day & night in Paris. Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?" he tweeted. The demonstrations are not directly linked to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Trump has abandoned to the dismay of Macron and other Western leaders. People began blockading French roads on November 17 over rising fuel prices -- partly due to taxes aimed at helping the country transition to a lower-carbon economy. But the demonstrations have since swollen into a broad movement against ex-banker Macron, whom the protesters accuse of favouring the rich. Nationwide, 89,000 police officers were on duty in towns, cities and on numerous motorways which caused havoc on France's road network, including a blockade of a border crossing with Spain. Nearly 1,400 people were detained across France, according to Castaner. Macron this week gave in to some of the protesters' demands for measures to help the poor and struggling middle classes, including scrapping a planned increase in fuel taxes. (AFP) PMS PMS Protesting in Delhi wont help restart mining in Goa: Minister Panaji, Dec 9 (PTI) Two days ahead of a protest by Goa mining dependents in New Delhi, a state minister said such stirs would not help in finding a solution to the issue. Mining in Goa came to a standstill in March this year after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases and banned the extraction of fresh ore. Goa Mining People's Front, an umbrella organisation of mining dependents, had in November announced that it would hold a protest between December 11-13 in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan and Jantar Mantar. Speaking on the issue Sunday, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, "A solution to the (mining) issue has to come through discussions at government to government level." He said Goa Chief Minister Parrikar was in touch with "certain people" in Delhi to ensure mining resumes in the state. "Being an MLA from the mining belt, I have sympathy for the mining dependents and their interests should be protected. I have said CM Manohar Parrikar and the state government will have to work out a solution," he said. Rane said there were "two-three options" on the issue before the government and he expressed confidence that a solution would be found. He said the discussions on Goa mining would restart once results of polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram are declared on December 11. He said BJP leaders were busy with poll campaigning all this while. PTI RPS BNM BNM Shirdi (Maha), Dec 9 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh DGP O P Singh Sunday said the situation in Bulandshahr district, where two people died in violence following an alleged cow slaughter incident last week, is peaceful now. Singh, however, evaded a query by reporters on the role of Army jawan Jitendra Malik who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during the violence. The Uttar Pradesh top cop Sunday visited the famous Saibaba shrine here in Ahmednagar district. "Peaceful atmosphere prevails in Bulandshahr. Law and order is good," he told reporters. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr district apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, police inspector Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the violence but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. PTI CORR NSK GVS Mumbai, Dec 9 (PTI) Police Sunday questioned model-cum-television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee in connection with the killing of a diamond trader, an official said. The trader, Rajeshwar Udani, 57, a resident of suburban Ghatkopar, had gone missing on November 28. His decomposed body was found at Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district Friday, police had said. Police Saturday arrested Sachin Pawar, a former personal assistant of a Maharashtra minister, and Dinesh Pawar, a suspended police constable who was earlier arrested in a rape case. They were Sunday remanded to police custody till December 14, a police official said. Police suspect that the trader was killed over a monetary dispute and for having a roving eye for a female friend of Sachin Pawar, the official said. Bhattacharjee, who is known for her role as Gopi Bahu in the popular Hindi serial "Saath Nibhana Sathiya", was questioned Saturday, he said Sunday. She was allowed to go after questioning, the official said without elaborating. Meanwhile, Bhattacharjee took to Twitter to explain her position. "Hello frens..thanks for your love and caring..I am safe and home nd there is nothing to get worried about..It was an investigation as I know the person who got killed..an official statement has been already given by the department..All is well (sic)," she tweeted. Police are interrogating several persons in connection with the case. According to police, Udani's son had lodged a missing complaint at the Pant Nagar police station in Ghatkopar on November 29 when his father did not return home. During the probe, it came to light that an unidentified body has been found in Panvel, about 60 km from Mumbai, police had said, adding that it was later identified as that of Udani's. Post-mortem revealed fractures at several places in the body and death by strangulation. Sachin and Dinesh were booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping) and 120b (conspiracy). PTI DC NSK KJ KJ Guwahati, Dec 9 (PTI) An estimated 38 per cent voters exercised their franchise till noon on Sunday in the second phase of panchayat polls in 10 districts of Assam which was largely peaceful, state election commission officials said. Voters queued up in front of polling booths since 7am to cast their votes. However, a few cases of anomalies regarding names of voters and candidates, symbols and ballot papers have been reported so far, a spokesman of Assam State Election Commission said here. The problems were resolved locally and polling was continuing without a hitch, he said. The polling, which will end at 3pm, has so far been brisk and was expected to go up further during the day, he added. Polling is being held in Nalbari, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, South Salmara, Goalpara, Cachar, Hailakandi, Karimganj and Hojai to elect 169 zila parishad, 895 anchalik parishad, 895 gaon panchayats presidents and 8,950 gaon panchayat members from among a total of 35,056 contestants. The first phase of polling was held on December 5 in 16 districts which recorded a voter turnout 81.5 per cent. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Debabrata Saikia has complained to the state election commissioner against BJP MLA from Sonai, Aminul Haque Laskar, for subverting the election process. Saikia has alleged that Laskar has asked his party workers via a video message to even "steal" ballot papers after casting their votes early. "It is a matter of grave concern that an elected legislator of the ruling party is making such statements which undermine the electoral process and raise many questions in the minds of the voters," the Congress leader said. He urged the Assam State Election Commission to take note of the matter and ensure a peaceful anf fair election. PTI DG JM ABH ABH Kolkata, Dec 9 (PTI) The West Bengal Police has filed a suo motu complaint against state BJP president Dilip Ghosh and three other party leaders for conducting a public meeting in Coochbehar district on Friday without requisite permission, police said. Besides Ghosh, BJP state-in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya, national secretary Rahul Sinha and general secretary Raju Banerjee have been named in the complaint registered on Saturday, a senior officer of the district police said on Sunday. "We have registered a suo motu case against four BJP leaders for holding the rally without proper permission from the administration. We have started taking necessary action against them," he said. The BJP leaders have been booked under different sections of the IPC and the Police Act, he said. Ghosh, along with other party leaders, addressed the rally on a private land in Jhinaidanga in Coochbehar district after BJP's rath yatra was put on hold, the officer said, quoting the complaint. When contacted, the state BJP chief said he went to the stage to thank the people, who had gathered at the venue in large numbers. "Since a big crowd had already arrived at the venue, I had gone to the dais to thank them for coming. In fact, I had told them that we will not be addressing the rally. "This shows their (police) intention. If they continue to act like this, it will be clear how police works here in the state," Ghosh said, adding other party leaders named in the complaint were not present on the dais. BJP President Amit Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally' from Coochbehar district on Friday, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The rath yatras were scheduled to cover all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal. A single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty of the Calcutta High Court had on Thursday refused permission to the party to hold the yatra. Subsequently, the BJP moved the division bench of the court, which modified the earlier order and directed the state chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police to sit with three BJP leaders by December 12 and take a decision on the matter by December 14. The division bench of Justices Biswanath Somadder and A Mukherjee also criticised the state government for not responding to BJP's letters for permission to hold three rath yatras in the state. PTI SCH RBT GVS Kolkata, Dec 9 (PTI) BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya Sunday mocked the scheduled meeting of opposition parties in New Delhi, and said they should first declare a prime ministerial candidate before thinking of ousting the Narendra Modi government. In a major step towards forming an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) front, top opposition leaders will huddle in the national capital on Monday, to discuss forging a grand alliance to take on the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "It's really good to see opposition parties trying to forge an alliance to fight against us. But, first let them declare their prime ministerial candidate, then they should dream of fighting against us and ousting us," he said. "We have Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is their PM candidate?" he added. Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee left for New Delhi earlier in the day to take part in the meeting. Taking a dig at the CM, senior BJP leader Mukul Roy said she should clarify whether the Communist Party of India(Marxist) and the Congress, also part of the opposition meeting, were friends or opponents of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in Bengal. "When the TMC was born in 1998, Mamata Banerjee and her party used to say both the Congress and the CPI(M) are political opponents," Roy said. "The TMC throughout its 20-year history has termed the CPI(M) as its number one political opponent. So, now it should clarify whether the two have become friends," he said. PTI PNT RBT RHL Sharad finds Lalu's benami wealth legitimate: Sushil Modi (Eds: recasting overnight story) Patna, Dec 9 (PTI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi has claimed that Loktantrik Janata Dal founder Sharad Yadav is siding with the RJD as he finds nothing wrong in the alleged benami properties owned by its president Lalu Prasad's family. The remarks of Modi, who is also a senior BJP leader, followed Yadav's meeting with Prasad, who is currently lodged at a hospital in Ranchi on account of ill-health. Prasad is serving sentences in fodder scam cases. "Sharad Yadav finds the benami wealth of Lalu family as legitimate and therefore, he rebelled against the JD(U) and started siding with the RJD," Modi tweeted on Saturday. The Income Tax department and Enforce Directorate have attached properties allegedly belonged to Prasad's family earlier this year. The Deputy CM's remark was a reference to the former JD(U) national president walking out of the party, which is now headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and siding with the opposition camp in Bihar. Yadav formed his own outfit, Loktantrik Janata Dal, in April this year after he was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha following a petition filed by the JD(U) before the Chairman of the Upper House. A former NDA convener himself, Yadav had refused to toe the party line when Kumar walked out of the Grand Alliance comprising the JD(U), the RJD and the Congress, and formed a new government with the BJP. Sushil Modi also criticised Yadav for "making an inappropriate comment against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia, but keeping mum on the extradition of Christian Michel, who is involved in the Rs 255-crore Augusta Westland helicopter scam of which the Gandhi family was a beneficiary". After drawing flak over his remarks against the Rajasthan CM a couple of days ago, he expressed regret and said he would write a letter to her. "Sharad Yadav is becoming a part of a front opposed to the NDA government, which has curbed black money, and ending up helping the Lalu-Gandhi families in protecting their ill-gotten wealth," Sushil Modi alleged. PTI NAC RBT NN NN BJD MPs to raise special category status for Odisha in Parliament Bhubaneswar, Dec 9 (PTI) The Biju Janata Dal MPs will raise the demand of special category status for Odisha and a number of other issues during the winter session of Parliament which is scheduled to start from December 11, a senior party leader said Sunday. The BJD Parliamentary party meeting presided over by party chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik chalked out the strategy to be adopted by the regional party MPs during the winter session of Parliament. "The party will demand special status for Odisha in both the Houses of the Parliament," said BJD spokesman and MP Pratap Deb after the meeting held at Naveen Niwas here Sunday. Deb said the BJD was opposed to the Centre's stand that the special category status could not be accorded to any state as per the recommendation of the Niti Ayog. "The norms can be changed as the state deserved to get the special category status," Deb said. The BJD leader said the party MPs will raise several other issues including 33 per cent reservations for women in Parliament and state Assemblies and would demand financial assistance for cyclonic storm Titli-hit districts in the state during the session. Stating that the meeting resolved that even as the state contributed much to the railways, the projects were being delayed. "We will lay emphasis on the Central negligence towards Odisha," said BJD Rajya Sabha MP SR Patnaik after the meeting. Apart from special category status and women reservation matters, the BJD MPs will also raise issues like Polavaram, Chhattisgarhs barrage on Mahanadi, SC/ST scholarship funding pattern change, state's demand of running a special train in name of Bauxi Jagabandhu and farmers issues during the session, he said. PTI AAM RG RG BJP pursuing a politics of "hate and lies": Sanjay Singh Patna, Dec 9 (PTI) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday accused the BJP of pursuing a politics of "hate and lies" and stressed on the need for ousting it from power at the Centre. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who is also the party's in-charge for Bihar, alleged that in Delhi - which is ruled by his party - "names of about 30 lakh voters half of whom are from UP-Bihar have been deleted from the electoral roll at the behest of the BJP". "Where will the disenfranchised voters of Delhi go. Are they Bangladeshi infiltrators. Amit Shah indulges in rhetoric on the issue of illegal immigrants and in practice his party has been pitting people of one region against the other", Singh said in response to a query on the BJP chief's recent remark "India is not a dharmshala" in the context of the National Registry of Citizens in Assam. The Bulandshahr incident in which two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter, is another example of BJP's politics of "hate and lies", he said. The BJP has made the construction of Ram temple such a big issue while in Kashi (Varanasi), dozens of temples of various gods have been razed for development projects, he said. "I am going to bring a private members' bill in the Parliament, on behalf of my party, seeking restoration of all the temples of Shiva, Krishna and Ganesha etc. in Kashi", he declared. "... It is essential that the nation acts and the party is ousted from power. Our assessment is that the results of assembly polls in four states will be a huge setback for the BJP and set the tone for the Lok Sabha polls next year", Singh added. Replying to a query, he said "as of now, AAP is not the part of any political formation. Though our moral support is there to all efforts aimed at defeating the BJP". He also said the party plans to contest about 100 seats across the country in the general elections but did not divulge details. PTI NAC RG RG Lucknow, Dec 9 (PTI) Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) chief Shivpal Singh Yadav hit out at the BJP Sunday, saying the saffron party had "weakened" the country and it wanted to "instigate riots" for political gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' here, the first such event by the PSPL after its formation this October, Shivpal Yadav said, "The BJP has weakened the country. We will oust the BJP from power at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh... We want peace and brotherhood, the communal people want to instigate riots." Adding an element of surprise to the Sunday gathering was the presence of SP patriarch and Shivpal Yadav's elder brother Mulayam Singh Yadav, who attended the rally barely two days after sharing the stage with his son and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Firozabad. Mulayam Singh Yadav, while addressing the gathering, started speaking about the SP rather than the PSPL, causing embarrassment to Shivpal Yadav. "The SP carries everyone along with it, treats all human beings as equal irrespective of their caste and religion, so make the SP stronger," he said, leaving Shivpal Yadav nonplussed. Mulayam Singh Yadav stopped referring to the SP only after the PSPL chief nudged him. The SP founder's younger daughter-in-law, Aparna Yadav, also took everyone by surprise by attending the rally. Continuing with his attack on the ruling party, Shivpal Yadav said, "The then BJP government (in UP) had submitted an affidavit assuring security (of the Babri mosque). But, despite the affidavit, the Babri mosque was demolished. They want to spread the same fire in the country." "In the Dharam Sabha, which was held in Ayodhya on November 25, there were efforts to vitiate the atmosphere, and the workers of PSPL came out on the streets so that no riots take place in Ayodhya," the PSPL chief said. "The need is to remove the current government, which is dishonest, useless and false. I and 'netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav) are with the Muslims," he said. Shivpal Yadav said there should not be any temple on the disputed land and added that the Supreme Court order on the matter should not be defied. "If the temple is to be built, then a piece of land can be searched on the banks of the Saryu river. There is no dearth of land for the government," he said. Shivpal Yadav alleged that there is corruption across varied sectors and departments in Uttar Pradesh. "(Narendra) Modi ji might go on telling about his 56-inch chest, but there isn't any strength in it to combat corruption. Tall promises of the chowkidar of eradicating corruption have been just like a disaster in UP," he alleged. Shivpal, whose speech was punctuated with slogans from the crowd applauding him, assured the gathering that his party will make all efforts to provide jobs to the youth. On the day Shivpal Yadav floated his new outfit, Mulayam Singh Yadav had visited the PSPL office here and hours later dropped in at the SP headquarters for a chat with son Akhilesh, leaving his party workers guessing where his sympathies lay. Shivpal Yadav had offered his elder brother the mantle of his new outfit, but Mulayam Singh Yadav remained non-committal. "I have offered the party president's post to 'Netaji' (Mulayam) and a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha election from Mainpuri seat. Our party will carry forward the ideologies of Lohia," Shivpal Yadav had then said. At the PSPL office, Mulayam was also offered the new party's flag by Shivpal Yadav and both of them posed before shutterbugs. The Yogi Adityanath government recently allotted a sprawling bungalow at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, vacated by BSP supremo Mayawati on Supreme Court orders, to Shivpal Yadav. The SP workers' confusion began when Prateek Yadav's wife participated in a function organised by Shivpal Yadav and expressed her support for him. She was reported as promising to work towards strengthening the PSPL. Aparna Yadav, who shared the stage with Shivpal Yadav, had said, "I have always respected chachaji and Netaji (Mulayam)." Earlier too, Mulayam Singh Yadav had made an appearance at a function alongside Shivpal Yadav after he launched his new outfit. In August, Shivpal Yadav had launched 'Samajwadi Secular Morcha' after expressing his disappointment with the Samajwadi Party leadership and a month later, he floated his new party. PTI NAV SMI CK Chandigarh, Dec 9 (PTI) Bringing the curtains down on the Military Literature Festival-2018, Punjab Finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal Sunday said that the state government would set up a special corpus fund for holding the MLF as an annual event, regardless of which party comes to power. This would help institutionalise the gala event as a permanent affair in the state, he said. The minister also underlined the need for an amendment to the Constitution for nominating representatives from the ex-servicemen fraternity in the Rajya Sabha, besides ensuring their representation in block samitis, zilla parishads, panchayats and other democratically-elected bodies. Paying respects to the serving and veteran soldiers, Badal recalled his experience as a member of the national manifesto committee of the Congress when he was asked to contribute to the exercise, he had said he would love to draft a separate chapter for the welfare of the Defence personnel and ex-servicemen. After having detailed deliberations with the ex-servicemen and serving defence personnel by visiting various parts of the country, Badal, while addressing the MLF here, said he was convinced that the 'great sons of the nation' preferred self-esteem to pecuniary benefits. He underscored the need to give due respect and recognition to these 'fine sons of the nation', to whom the society owed a debt. Badal pointed to the example of Americans, who held their brave soldiers and veterans in high esteem, which was embedded in their national character. "We need to imbibe the same spirit," he added. The Finance minister apologised for Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's inability to attend his scheduled MLF sessions on Sunday, saying the chief minister had made extensive preparations but could not make it due to health reasons. Therefore, the chief minister had deputed him to attend the concluding function, he said. Singh underwent some routine medical tests at PGIMER here Sunday as a follow-up on the viral illness he had suffered last week. During earlier sessions at the MLF, panelists called for a more fearless, balanced and critical approach while covering the defence forces, particularly the Army, to ensure transparency and credibility of information flow to the public. Participating in a discussion on 'Reporting From The War Zone', during the third and final day of the MLF here, they, however, also suggested a proper training module for journalists covering frontline battles and exploits of soldiers during counter-insurgency operations. The eminent group of participants included former UK Chief of Staff 3rd Division Brig. Justin Maciejewski and his wife Rebecca Maciejewski, Colonel James Sunderland and Captain J Singh Sohal of the British Army, a Punjab government release said. Calling for a transparent system for decisions pertaining to announcement of gallantry awards, the panelists said there were certain misgivings amongst senior commanders regarding particular citations. Maciejewski stated that governments needed to be more forthcoming in engaging journalists while sharing information leading to such decisions. Sharing their thoughts on the nuances of war coverage, Brig. Justin Maciejewski and Captain J Singh Sohal of British Army cautioned against the temptation to go for an "exclusive story". "We have to be more sensitive to the lives of all those involved," he said, adding that by irresponsibly publishing the 'content' we only end up promoting the nefarious designs of the perpetrators. In this age of information, it is getting increasingly difficult to ascertain the veracity of facts, said Col. Sunderland, highlighting the role of editorial checks and balances in the fight to be more 'instant' than others. The MLF, which was into its second edition this year, is organised to raise awareness among people about the legacy of the armed forces and rekindle among youth motivating spirit to join the Indian Army. PTI SUN KJ Jaipur, Dec 9 (PTI) Ahead of the counting of votes on December 11, arch-rivals BJP and the Congress have both claimed they are forming the government in Rajasthan, a state that has seen the two national parties alternate power over the last 20 years. While the BJP claimed it would get a majority in the state, irrespective of what the exit polls predicted, the Congress said it will go past the numbers the poll of polls projected for it. The BJP on Sunday held a meeting of its core committee at its headquarters here to discuss the strategies post counting process. "I am not going to comment anything on the exit polls. The results will come on December 11. The BJP is going to form the government with majority" Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje told reporters after the meeting. Exit polls have predicted a win for the opposition Congress in Rajasthan. Union minister and BJP state election management committee convener Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also exuded confidence that his party will form the government with a majority. He said the meeting was held to distribute the responsibilities on the day of counting. An upbeat Congress believes it would surpass the exit poll predictions when the election results are declared on Tuesday. "The numbers for the Congress party will be better than what any of the exit polls have predicted," Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said. "I have no doubt ... The Congress is sweeping Rajasthan," he said. PTI AG CK New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) Author Manu Bhattathiri believes a story should be told without sounding preachy or philosophising its essence. He says writers must trust the excitement in their story and not appear to be making "revelations" to the readers. Bhattathiri has previously penned "Savithri's Special Room and other stories", which was set in the imaginary small town of 'Karuthupuzha', Kerala. Now in his first novel, "The Town That Laughed", the 43-year-old writer sketches an array of eccentric characters leading a tranquil life. The book intertwines tales of a retired policeman and his wife, a drunkard and a dwarf, among other characters in a village "where the people had the patience and the time to wait until it rained to know that it was raining". "To write simple and yet to be interesting is a challenge. But the 'Karuthupuzha' stories are about people, and not really about any complex philosophies or issues. "To tell their stories I have chosen a clear, calm canvas so that the characterisation and portrayal of relationships stand out. "I like to tell stories the way my grandfather used to tell them without preaching, without pointing out too many clever truths, trusting the excitement inherent in the story to move the listener. His technique was the lack of technique, Bhattathiri told PTI. Born in Kerala and settled in Bengaluru, the author has worked as a copywriter, a journalist and a college lecturer. The setting of the novel, published by Aleph Book Company, in 'Karathupuzha' may remind readers of the iconic 'Malgudi', created by legendary RK Narayan, but the Bhattathiri says there is no commonality between the two imaginary towns. He says he has not read too much of Narayan to be influenced by him. "I feel very proud that I have been spoken in the same breath as the giant of Indian literature, but I cannot claim much commonality. I suppose it is the small-town background and simple characters that invite parallels to be drawn between 'Karuthupuzha' and 'Malgudi'," he says. Having completed the 262-pager in eight months, Bhattathiri says the prime reason he is able to find the time and freedom to write is because he no longer works in a multinational company. "I've given up that life and founded my own ad agency along with my partner. More than even time, this gives me peace of mind and the leisure to think up stories and characters," he says. Another novel set in 'Karathupuzha' and a short story collection are in the pipeline for the author in the next two years. PTI KIS RDS SHD \R Kannur, Dec 9 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Sunday appealed to the Centre not to lease out the Thiruvananthapuram airport under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and requested it to entrust the aerodrome's management with the state government. The Union Cabinet has recently approved a proposal to manage Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Mangaluru besides Thiruvananthapuram airports under PPP mode. At the inauguration of the Kannur International airport, Vijayan said, "We can set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and manage the airport in a remarkable way. We are ready to take over the management of the Karipur International airport (Calicut) also if the Centre has any similar plans in future." The feasibility study of a new airport proposed to be built at Erumeli near Sabarimala Temple was going on, the chief minister said and requested the Centre's support for the project as well. Accusing the Congress-led UDF of delaying the Kannur airport project when it was in power, Vijayan said the alliance, which ruled the state between 2001 and 2006, had done nothing to make the long-pending dream a reality. "The project got a fresh lease of life after the V S Achutanandan government came to power in 2006," he said. Vijayan alleged that the Ommen Chandy government had tried to create an impression that work on the airport was completed and carried out its inauguration before the LDF came to power in 2016. "An Indian Air Force aircraft, which can land anywhere, was brought here and people were invited saying that the airport was being inaugurated," Vijayan said, adding the same airport has now been opened in its full-fledged form, two-and-a-half years after his government came to power. BJP president Amit Shah had arrived at Kannur in a chartered flight on October 27 before the airport was formally inaugurated. With the commissioning of the \RKannur airport, Kerala has become the first in the country to have four international airports, with Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode being the other three. \RPTI LGK UD NSD New Delhi, Dec 9 (PTI) The Delhi Police on Sunday claimed to have busted a gang of thieves with the arrest of four persons from Dwarka. The accused persons, identified as Pramod (27), Mukesh Verma (24), Rahul (20) and Kamal (20), were arrested on Friday, police said. Following a tip off, they were caught red handed at around 9:15 pm from Uttam Nagar's Chhath Puja Park, where they had assembled to steal a vehicle, they said. The accused persons have confessed to their involvement in around a dozen cases of auto lifting and snatchings, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse said. During interrogation, police learnt that Pramod was the gang leader and he had met Mukesh in jail. After coming out, they again started stealing motorcycles, he said. Later, they roped in Rahul and Kamal, enticing them with money and a lavish lifestyle, he said. The gang led a luxurious life, splurging on liquor and branded clothes, he added. Rahul and Kamal allegedly carried out the snatchings on stolen motorcycles and the earnings were divided among the four, Alphonse said. PTI AMP DIV DIV 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 People seeking presents that help a good cause this Christmas are being urged to think twice before buying a live gift for a struggling community in a far-flung country. Such gifts are often no more than clever marketing tricks to encourage you to donate money. Charities such as Oxfam are selling cards with lovable-looking animals pictured on them emblazoned with messages such as: I got you a very special goat. The gift costs 25. Fact: According to independent research by the charity directory Charity Choice, for every 1 spent by Oxfam in the year to March 2017, 64p went on charitable activities For 13 you can buy a friend or relative a life-changing chicken while 46 purchases a pair of poverty-busting pigs. In reality, the cash pours into a big Oxfam charity pot to help people living in poverty. Although the gift money aims to meet Oxfams mission to beat poverty for good, some of it may end up being absorbed by the 126 million-a-year wage bill the charity pays for employing more than 5,000 staff. Eleven employees are taking home 100,000 or more a year. Hilary Blume is founder of the Charities Advisory Trust that helps good causes raise funds effectively. She says: The use of such gifts may be no more than a cynical way of getting money out of people. Only in the small print do the cards make it clear that the money is going where it is needed. One has to ask if it could end up going towards the chief executives six-figure salary. Oxfam is one of the worst offenders but others touting virtual charity gifts include the World Wide Fund for Nature. It wants you to adopt an animal such as a polar bear or orang-utan. In return, you get a cuddly toy, stickers and regular updates. Another is the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development that sells chirpy chickens and fantastic fish for 20 each. The reality is that any cash generated from sales just goes into a large fund. Blume adds: There is an erosion in ethical standards among fundraisers with some exploiting peoples goodwill selling a goat that is not a goat. Integrity and honesty can sometimes go out of the window when charities are looking at new ways to raise money. In response, Oxfam said on Friday: Our website explains where money goes from all gifts made so people know how they are helping to fight poverty. 'Gifts like the one for a goat make it possible for us to help poor families build a better life. World Wide Fund for Nature said: We always make it clear to gift buyers that donations directly support the species that has been adopted as well as helping our wider work to protect nature. Gift idea? Charities such as Oxfam are selling cards with lovable-looking animals pictured on them emblazoned with messages such as: 'I got you a pair of poverty-busting pigs. For those concerned about the destination of their donation, Blume says people can get certainty about where their gift money ends up. For example, the Good Gifts project, organised by the Charities Advisory Trust, enables someone to make a 27 donation, knowing it will purchase 18 pairs of flip-flops to help prevent African children from being infected by hookworm an intestinal parasite which can be picked up from walking barefoot. Also, 145 donated towards the installation of a deep pump designed to access clean water will be spent on just that. Oxfam generated income of 427 million in the year ending March 2018, of which nearly half came from the Government and public organisations. Around 99 million was received from donations and legacies, which includes animal charity gifts. A further 94 million came from trading sales. According to independent research by the charity directory Charity Choice, for every 1 spent by Oxfam in the year to March 2017, 64p went on charitable activities while for World Wide Fund for Nature it was 82p. Lydia Marshall, of the Advertising Standards Authority, said: In looking at advertising material, context and content are key. Since publication of this article, Oxfam has issued a further statement: 'Oxfam is transparent about where the money is allocated from sales of Oxfam Unwrapped - including the sales of the goat card. Far from the proceeds going to 'a big Oxfam charity pot,' unless people specifically choose otherwise, the money is restricted. In this instance to projects which help people make a living including providing goats and other livestock. All the information is freely available on our website https://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/oxfam-unwrapped/how-we-spend-your-money and also referred to on the back the cards.' Adventurer Ed Stafford was the first person to walk the Amazon river and it sent him spiralling into debt. Stafford, 42, has never forgotten trudging through the Amazonian swamps, plagued by mosquitoes, worrying about how he could afford to carry on and complete his two- and-a-half-year expedition. But he never gave up and now commands fees of up to 14,000 for a half-hour motivational talk. He also earns a six-figure salary from his work as a TV presenter and explorer on the Discovery Channel. His series First Man Out premieres on the channel at the end of January and a book about his inspiring journeys, Adventures For A Lifetime, with a foreword by Ranulph Fiennes, is out now and costs 18.99. Wise: 'I remember that Dad would get stressed about it all. It taught me to be thrifty and save, because if you know that you have got reserves in the bank, you can relax,' he says What did your parents teach you about money? My parents were not good with money. They were hard-working, middle-class solicitors who adopted me when I was eight weeks old. They paid for me to have an expensive private education I went to prep school and boarding school but they were always in the red and money was tight. Sometimes, I remember that Dad would get stressed about it all. It taught me to be thrifty and save, because if you know that you have got reserves in the bank, you can relax. What was the first paid work you ever did? When I was eight, I worked for a local farmer at weekends, hauling hay bales and opening gates. He would give me 50p for a mornings work and I would spend it on a 99 ice cream with a flake. Have you ever struggled to make ends meet? In between finishing university and joining the Army, I worked in a metalwork factory for 3 an hour while trying to pay off a student loan. I did not have much money left at the end of each month and it was mind-numbingly boring. I thought I would prefer the Army outdoors, rolling around in the mud and doing physical stuff. But being told what to do was not my cup of tea. Have you ever been paid silly money? Yes, doing motivational talks. Since becoming the first person to walk the length of the Amazon river, I can charge upwards of 5,000. I have even been paid 14,000 for a half-hour talk. It is the sort of money that makes you get up in the morning and pinch yourself. But to put that in context, when I came out of the Amazon I was 54,000 in debt. The expedition took two-and-a- half years. I slept in hammocks, washed in rivers and fished piranhas for food. But I had to pay an expert guide to travel with me and that cost a lot. There was also insurance, satellite communications, a website and a public relations campaign to pay for. I received donations but the expedition cost 108,000 and midway through my sponsor pulled out. Success: Now a veteran TV star, Ed earns a six-figure salary from his work as a TV presenter and explorer on the Discovery Channel, for which he's filmed seven series Did you worry about money while in the Amazon? Yes. I did not want to stop the expedition because we had run out of money. One day, after I had been trudging through the swamps getting bitten by mosquitoes, I received an email from a guy in Hong Kong whom I had never met. He said he was donating 5,000 and even apologised for not having given earlier. He had been unemployed, he said. I remember reading his email and crying sobbing in the middle of the jungle. That money enabled us to keep walking for another two months and buy return flights and sort out costs I had been stressed about. What was the best year of your financial life? This one. I have just finished filming my seventh series for the Discovery Channel and now earn a six-figure sum. What is the most expensive thing you bought for fun? It was a 45,000 bespoke Antarctic pulk a sledge you drag behind you made from carbon kevlar. It was for a world-first expedition to cross the Antarctic alone on foot that never came off. I poured my own money into designing it but no one agreed to sponsor the expedition so I just had to suck up the loss. What is your biggest money mistake? Moving out of London just as house prices started to dip in 2016. I sold for 85,000 less than I had paid 18 months previously. 'The expedition took two-and-a- half years. I slept in hammocks, washed in rivers and fished piranhas for food. But I had to pay an expert guide to travel with me and that cost a lot,' he says Do you save into a pension or invest in the stock market? No. I am not a fan of pensions and I do not have any spare cash to invest in the stock market. Do you own any property? Yes. Home is a four-bedroom Grade II-listed grange in Leicestershire. It was built in 1693 and has its own priest hole and an attic that used to be the servants quarters. Do you pay off your credit cards in full? Not at the moment due to the cost of designing that Antarctic pulk. I have not quite recovered from that, but I am chipping away at my debts. What little luxury do you treat yourself to? Reading a magazine in the bath with a glass of Guinness. I am away so often for the Discovery Channel, sleeping on a mountain or in a jungle, that when I come home I like to relax. If you were Chancellor what would you do? Given I am an ex-military man, the issue that troubles me is homelessness. A large number are ex-military because people sometimes fall apart when they leave the Forces. I would invest in better resettlement programmes that hold peoples hands when they come out of the army until they are able to look after themselves. What is your number one financial priority? Not to have to worry about my income when I am too old and knackered to be on the television. The war of words between bosses at advertising giant WPP and its former chief executive, Sir Martin Sorrell, reached fever pitch last night ahead of a key strategy update. Johnny Hornby, the head of WPP-backed The & Partnership, urged Sorrell to stop talking down the company and its new chief executive Mark Read, adding: Its disrespectful to them and makes him look small. Hornby, the half-brother of author Nick Hornby, said: When he left in the summer the company badly needed a change of direction and strategy that Martin had not delivered and he should allow Mark to get on now unhindered. Critic: Sorrell who remains one of the companys largest shareholders with a near 2 per cent stake claimed that WPP is becoming too Anglo-orientated The intervention comes ahead of a key summit for Read, who will welcome shareholders to WPPs London headquarters on Tuesday to set out his plans to turn it around following a difficult period. But his task has been made even more difficult by Sorrell, who piled on the pressure in an interview with The Mail on Sunday ahead of the investor day. Sorrell who remains one of the companys largest shareholders with a near 2 per cent stake claimed that WPP is becoming too Anglo-orientated. He also accused Read of not doing enough global travel and even suggested his new firm, S4 Capital, could catch up in size with the company he led for 33 years. It is understood that Sorrell had already angered WPP bosses last week when he claimed that S4 Capital was 2-0 up after it completed its second takeover deal for US ad tech firm MightyHive, which works with Google and other big companies. When The Mail on Sunday informed WPP of Sorrells latest comments ahead of publication last night, a spokesman hit back, saying his company never made a formal offer for MightyHive. Since Sorrell left, WPP has lost a number of high-profile client contracts, including one with US car giant Ford. WPP insiders trace the decline back further into Sorrells reign as chief executive. Since Sorrell left, WPP has lost a number of high-profile contracts, including one with Ford Sorrell believes that 11 billion-valued WPP is a car crash in slow motion and has now suggested that S4 which he admitted is currently a speck in comparison, with a value of 380 million could catch up in size. If youre in a car crash, the speck catches up quite quickly, he said. Sorrell also refused to rule out one day buying WPP back. Asked how WPP can emerge from its car crash, Sorrell said: I dont know. Youll have to see what happens. Who knows. Asked if he might buy it back one day, he said: Ive got no idea. You just dont know whats going to happen. Criticising WPPs performance since his departure, the 73-year-old alleged that the business has become too London-focused under Read. The UK is WPPs second largest market after the US, but the firm operates in 112 countries. Sorrell said: Senior management havent been travelling enough and theres a feeling that its Fortress Britain. But a WPP source hit back, saying Read was based in the US over the summer while he was co-chief operating officer before being promoted and that since taking charge he has spent most of his time outside the UK. Everest Re Group Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Reinsurance, International, Bermuda, and Insurance. The U.S. Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance and specialty lines of business, including marine, aviation, surety, and accident and health business, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies primarily within the U.S. The International segment offers foreign property and casualty reinsurance through Everest Re's branches in Canada and Singapore and through offices in Brazil, Miami, and New Jersey. The Bermuda segment comprises reinsurance and insurance to worldwide property and casualty markets through brokers and directly with ceding companies from its Bermuda office and reinsurance to the United Kingdom and European markets through its UK branch and Ireland Re. The Insurance segment writes property and casualty insurance directly and through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents within the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartere Read More Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. is a supplier of precision instruments and services. The firm manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. It also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development; and also, metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. Its operations are conducted by the following segments: U. S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations and Other. The U.S. Operations segment represents certain of the company's marketing and producing organizations located in the United States. The Swiss Operations segment includes marketing and producing organizations located in Switzerland, as well as extensive R&D operations that are responsible for the development, production, and marketing of precision instruments, including weighing, analytical, and measurement technologies for use in a variety of industrial and laboratory applications. Th Read More innogy SE operates as an energy company in Europe. The company operates in two divisions, Grid & Infrastructure and Retail. The Grid & Infrastructure division is involved in the operation of gas distribution network in Croatia, as well as electricity distribution network in Poland and Hungary; and water business. The Retail division sells electricity and gas. The company serves residential, commercial, industrial, and corporate customers, as well as distributors. innogy SE has a strategic partnership with Nordex. The company was formerly known as RWE International SE and changed its name to innogy SE in September 2016. innogy SE was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Essen, Germany. innogy SE is a subsidiary of E.ON Verwaltungs SE. Read More First American Financial Corp. operates as an insurance company. It provides title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The company operates its business through the following segments: Title Insurance & Services and Specialty Insurance. The Title Insurance & Services segment provides title insurance, escrow, closing services and similar or related financial services domestically and internationally in connection with residential and commercial real estate transactions. It also maintains, manages and provides access to title plant records and images and provides banking, trust and investment advisory services. The Specialty Insurance segment issues property & casualty insurance policies and sells home warranty products. It also provides title plant management services, which include title and other real property records and images, valuation products and services, home warranty products, property and casualty insurance and banking, trust and investment advisory services. First American Financial was founded in January, 2008 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, CA. Read More Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. distributes and sells propane and related equipment and supplies. The company transports propane to propane distribution locations, tanks on customers' premises, or to portable propane tanks delivered to retailers. It conducts its portable tank exchange operations under the Blue Rhino brand name through a network of independent and partnership-owned distribution outlets. The company's propane is primarily used for space heating, water heating, cooking, outdoor cooking using gas grills, crop drying, irrigation, weed control, and other propane fueled appliances; as an engine fuel for combustion engine vehicles and forklifts; and as a heating or energy source in manufacturing and drying processes. It serves residential, industrial/commercial, portable tank exchange, agricultural, wholesale, and other customers in the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As of July 31, 2018, it operated 72 service centers and 859 propane distribution locations. The company is also involved in the sale of refined fuels; provision of common carrier services; and retail sale of propane appliances and related parts and fittings, as well as other retail propane related services and consumer products. Ferrellgas Partners, L.P. was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Read More Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp. engages in the provision of equipment, systems, and value-added services for the rail industry. It operates through the following segments: Freight and Transit. The Freight segment involves in the manufacture and offers services components for new and existing locomotives and freight cars; supplies rail control and infrastructure products such as electronics, positive train control equipment, and signal design and engineering services; overhauls locomotives; and provides heat exchangers and cooling systems for rail and other industrial markets. The Transit segments includes the manufacture and providing services components for new and existing passenger transit vehicles, including regional trains, high speed trains, subway cars, light-rail vehicles, and buses; supplies rail control and infrastructure products such as electronics, positive train control equipment, and signal design and engineering services; builds new commuter locomotives; and renovate passenger transit vehicles. The company was founded in 1869 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. Read More Albany Quick, funny, tuneful and as lovable as a rambunctious puppy that occasionally soils the carpet, "Altar Boyz" is a high-energy spoof of boy bands that tells the story of the final concert on a tour of the fictional, eponymous ensemble, a quintet of young Christian men united in spreading the gospel through song. Since its premiere in New York City in 2004, prior to an off-Broadway run that lasted five years, "Altar Boyz" has been produced around the world. With infectious if not especially memorable pop tunes music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker, book by Kevin Del Aguila and a simple story of ambition, doubt and reconciliation, the show is within reach of the resources of many regional and community theater groups. Requiring almost nothing in terms of set and costumes, "Altar Boyz" needs only a cast of five high-spirited young men and only a minimal band; the engaging but flawed production that opened at Albany Civic theater on Friday night uses two keyboards, guitar and drums, though it likely could be done with just a piano or even to recorded instrumental tracks. The boys are broad types with biblical names: Matthew (Nicholas Harry Edwards) is the hunk, Luke (Peter Darling) the lunk, Mark (Nik Gatzendorfer) the gay one, Juan (William Wright Heatley) the Latino, and yarmulke-wearing Abraham (John A. Meglino) is, according to the script, "the gefilte fish out of water." That's indicative of the level of humor in "Altar Boyz," which happily traffics in comedy as likely to produce groans as grins. Over 11 songs and 90 minutes, we get to know the boys as they perform, and an onstage device, called the "Soul Sensor DX-12," displays a dwindling count of the number of troubled souls in the theater. As directed by Norm Eick, with musical direction by Leslie Eliashuk, who also plays keyboard in the onstage band, and lively choreography by Christine Meglino, "Altar Boyz" brings contagious energy to the ACT stage, where musicals are a rarity. With the boys running in the aisles and cajoling the crowd, audience clap-alongs and shouts of appreciation are frequent and genuine. Depending on your expectations, the varying levels of performance inadequacy in this production may be jarring or easy to overlook. Of the five boys, only Gatzendorfer seems to have genuine, accomplished skill in singing, acting and dancing -- the fundamentals of musical theater. Returning to the role of the flamboyant Mark, whose big coming-out song reveals that he is, gasp, Catholic, Gatzendorfer moves and sings supremely well, and he creates a complete character. As the show progresses, the clumsy dancing, tone-challenged singing and wooden acting of the other four becomes, in its own weird way, almost an attribute. It begins to feel like we're seeing not the famous, successful Christian boy band they claimed to be; instead, they're eager but talent-challenged guys who formed a group in high school and never got beyond performing in church basements and at local open-mic nights. Nobody's had the heart to tell them they're mediocre, but no matter: In their rich fantasy life, they're each stars enough in their own rights that they might get offers to become solo artists. Why not? God has performed greater miracles. sbarnes@timesunion.com 518-454-5489 blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping @Tablehopping Baghdad A year after it was routed from Iraq in a devastating war that left entire neighborhoods and towns in ruins, the Islamic State group is fighting to hang on to its last enclave in eastern Syria, engaging in deadly battles with U.S.-backed forces. Cornered in the desert near the Iraqi border with nowhere to run, the militants are putting up a fierce fight, inflicting hundreds of casualties among their opponents and releasing a stream of beheading videos reminiscent of the extremist group's terrifying propaganda at the height of its power. In Syria, the battle for the area of Hajin has dragged on for three months, highlighting the difficulty of eradicating an extremist group determined to survive. Across the border, in Iraq, there is rising concern that the group may stage a comeback. IS sleeper cells have recently launched deadly attacks against security forces and abducted and killed civilians, mostly in four northern and central provinces that were once part of the group's self-declared caliphate. "There is still major danger for Iraq and Syria especially in areas close to the border when it comes to Daesh," a senior Iraqi intelligence official said, using an Arabic acronym to refer to the extremists. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media about security matters. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. He said IS lost most of the income it once made from oil and taxes imposed in areas it controlled. The group now relies on selling gold and other reserves that they had accumulated. He said the money is being used to buy weapons and finance attacks in Iraq and Syria. Another Iraqi intelligence official said IS has begun restructuring its command, relying more on non-Iraqi commanders after most of its leaders were killed in coalition strikes. The Islamic State group once held an area the size of Britain straddling parts of Iraq and Syria. Iraq's then-Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over the group on Dec. 9, 2017. Two months earlier, the coalition liberated Raqqa after a bombing campaign that decimated much of the city. ALBANY Lemuel Smith, the imprisoned-for-life serial killer and rapist once described by an Albany judge as the "poster boy for capital punishment," won a minor court battle this week. Smith, now 73, an Amsterdam native whose notorious killing spree covered Albany, Colonie and Schenectady and who later strangled and mutilated 31-year-old correction officer Donna Payant in 1981 at Green Haven Correctonal Facility, is not leaving prison anytime soon. He is serving several life sentences at maximum-security Five Points Correctional Facility in Seneca County. COLONIE American Airlines flights between Albany International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the sixth busiest airport in the country, were canceled Sunday as a winter storm buries the south in snow. The National Weather Service said a "prolonged period of snow" began late Saturday and would last until Monday in the Carolinas and Virginia. Some areas saw more than a foot of snow by Sunday afternoon. Doug Myers, spokesman for Albany Airport, said that the big impact will be connecting flights through Charlotte. American Airlines reduced its operations with more than 1,000 flights canceled on Sunday. American Airlines also issued a travel alert for nine airports throughout the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia, meaning passengers may be able to change travel plans without a fee. Myers said there appeared to be no delays to or from other southern destinations like Atlanta. Service to and from Charlotte was unpredictable. Sunday evening several departing flights were cancelled. One flight to Albany arriving from Richmond was cancelled Sunday. You can check the status of flights at Albany International Airport here. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. More than 300,000 power outages were reported across the region with the majority of those about 240,000 in North Carolina, according to poweroutage.us. Parts of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also saw outages. The Charlotte Observer Dispatch reported Sunday that up to half a million customers might not have power by the time the storm moves out later Sunday into Monday. Cities under the winter storm warning include Asheville, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; and Roanoke, Virginia. The Associated Press contributed to this report. TROY Rensselaer County District Attorney-elect Mary Pat Donnelly has selected an experienced prosecutor for her first assistant district attorney as she begins building her staff in time for the beginning of her term on Jan. 1. Matthew Hauf, a former member of the Albany County District Attorney Offices Major Offense Unit, will be Donnellys chief assistant. Hauf prosecuted violent felonies and property crimes as a member of that unit. Donnelly selected Hauf Friday. She notified the other candidates that she had interviewed to let them know about her decision. As the Donnellys chief assistant, Hauf will receive a salary of $112,200, according to the recently approved county budget for 2019. In addition to Hauf, Donnelly will have 14 assistant district attorneys. Donnelly pledged to provide better administration of the office to ensure cases are prosecuted on a timely basis and to halt the turnover in assistant district attorneys. Donnellys selection of Hauf came the day after she interviewed the assistant district attorneys still remaining on incumbent Republican District Attorney Joel E. Abeloves staff. Abelove faced difficulties in retaining staff throughout his four years in office. Donnelly last month defeated Abelove, 55 percent to 45 percent, to win the district attorneys race. Donnelly resigned as East Greenbush town justice to run. Hauf will take over the position vacated by First Assistant District Attorney Jessica Hall, who recently resigned. Hall had been Abeloves second-in-command throughout his entire term. Hauf is a graduate of Albany Law School. He began his career with Albany County District Attorney David Soares as an intern while attending law school. Hauf worked as a prosecutor for eight years, leaving in 2016 to join the county alternate public defenders office. In Rensselaer County, it is called the conflict defenders office. When Hauf left Soares staff, he said, The district attorney's office afforded me the opportunity to learn how to be an attorney and hone my skills in the courtroom. Donnelly will assume command of an office that will face two major murder trials in 2019. The nearly year-old quadruple homicide in Troys Lansingburgh neighborhood stunned the Capital Region when the victims bodies were discovered the day after Christmas. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Justin Mann and James W. White, both of Schenectady are each charged with nine counts of first-degree murder, four counts of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree burglary, one count of second-degree robbery and two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. They are accused of killing Brandi Mells, 22; Shanta Myers, 36; Jeremiah Myers, 11; and Shanise Myers, 5, by tying them up and slashing their throats in their basement apartment at 158 Second Ave. Motions are pending in the case. A trial date has not yet been set. The other case is a 2016 double homicide in which two Troy roommates, Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez and Javier Gomez Bartolon, were killed. The two men were Mexican nationals as were the four men originally charged with their deaths. This case has been presented to the grand jury three times after Abeloves office did not provide corroborating evidence to back up an accomplices testimony. Two murder indictments against Cresencio Salazar were dismissed and he was handed over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation. State Supreme Court Justice Andrew Ceresia is reviewing motions pending for the third indictment of Alfredo Monge Guevara and Salomon Najera Hernandez, who are accused of killing the roommates. Salomon Najera Hernandez and Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez were not related. The fourth defendant, Magdaleno Perez Calixto, is awaiting sentencing for his December 2017 guilty plea to burglary and kidnapping charges. His sentencing date is Jan. 4. TROY Two men were sentenced in unrelated cases Friday in Rensselaer County Court after pleading to lesser counts than originally charged. Judge Jennifer Sober sentenced Keishawn Roundtree to two to four years in state prison for first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony. Sober also sentenced Julian Soto to two consecutive one-year jail terms for misdemeanor sentences of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree assault. These Christmas light safety tips will help you get in the holiday spirit and reduce your risk of fire or electric shock injuries. There's nothing like a twinkling strand of Christmas lights to really dress up a home, which is why many homeowners and renters hang them year after year. But because Christmas lights use so much electricity, that heightens the potential for an accident if you neglect to take certain safety measures. The last thing you want on your hands is an open fireunless you're roasting chestnuts, of course. Below, an illuminating look at expert-approved tips on how to safely use, hang, and store Christmas lights. Make sure the lights have been certified for safety With every new box of lights, check for the mark of an independent testing organization like Underwriters Laboratories, which certifies and tests products for safety, recommends Susan McKelvey, communications manager for the National Fire Protection Association. Products certified by the Underwriters Laboratories will have the mark "UL." You should also do a quick search online to make sure your lights haven't been recalled. Don't use indoor lights outside All Christmas lights are not made the same. When you buy Christmas lights to hang outside your home, don't just grab the same ones you'd use indoors. "Outdoor lights are designed to keep water from seeping into places and prevent the elements from causing a failure. Indoor lights aren't designed to do that," says McKelvey. Inspect the lights before use Chad Ridenour, owner and CEO of Turn It On Electric company, says you must inspect your lights before decorating your home. Every year, he lays out all his lights in his driveway to ensure theyre in good working condition. Toss anything thats frayed, broken, or warm to the touch. Youll also want to plug in and turn on the light strands. If one bulb is not working or flickering after you put a new one in, its best to trash the strand since it could be a sign that something is wrong with the wiring. Likewise, ensure that your extension cords are in good working order. When in doubt, throw it out, says Ridenour. Stabilize your ladder When hanging Christmas lights in hard-to-reach areas like the gutters on your house, make sure that the ladder you use is stable. Ladder falls can be fatal, so to protect yourself, make sure your ladder can hold your weight and is stable. Make sure the ladder is in good condition, says Ridenour. Always inspect it. Dont overload your outlets Plugging too many lights into one outlet can overload it. "You dont want to overload outlets because that can create a short, says McKelvey. "Each outlet can handle a certain amount of amps to be drawn from it. If you overload an outlet, it can cause the outlet to fail." When this happens, an outlet generates heat and sparks, which can result in a fire. "We encourage people to not use more than one plug per outlet to ensure that they don't exceed the number of amps that the outlet is rated to handle," McKelvey says. Reduce the risk of a Christmas tree fire If you like displaying a live tree in your home, be sure to purchase one that's as fresh as possible. A dry tree wrapped with Christmas lights will go up in flames much faster than a well-hydrated one. A fresh tree is green and its needles are hard to pull from branches and don't break when bent between your fingers," says Karla Crosswhite, spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. "The bottom of a fresh tree is sticky with resin, and when tapped on the ground, the tree should not lose many needles." Once you bring home your live tree, keep it well-hydrated with about 1 gallon of water a day. And if you favor an artificial tree, search for one that's labeled "fire-resistant." Store Christmas lights properly Taking down your Christmas decorations is never fun, but you'll want to be extra careful when packing up your lights. Storing your lights properly may extend their life span and will ensure they don't end up in a giant, tangled ball. Untangling lights creates wear and tear on them. When you start yanking and pulling, thats when they fray, says Ridenour. Wrap the strand of lights around your arm, and gently place them in an air-tight box so they'll be ready to use next year. The post Christmas Light Safety Tips: Did You Deck Your Halls the Right Way? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. QUEENSBURY More than a decade before one of Shahed Hussain's business ventures was engulfed in mass tragedy, his questionable deal-making left a trail of accusations and would-be partners who claim they were bilked by the shadowy businessman and FBI informant. Hussain, the owner of the limousine company that supplied the stretch Ford Excursion involved in the deadly Oct. 6 limo crash in Schoharie County, had a checkered reputation even before the catastrophe that killed 20 people. A Times Union investigation has found that Hussain was involved in a 2006 deal to lease a gas station in Queensbury that went badly for two Rensselaer County men. They claim Hussain swindled them out of tens of thousands of dollars while he was working for the FBI. That same year, Hussain's testimony at a federal trial helped convict two Muslim men from Albany whom he had ensnared in an FBI counterterrorism sting. Details of the dispute are laid out in hundreds of pages of court records and government documents related to Hussain's business dealings and his involvement with the FBI, as well as in interviews with people who have crossed paths with Hussain and his family over the years. The timeline begins in November 2005, after Hussain and his family had returned to the Capital Region following their yearlong relocation to Tennessee at the behest of the FBI. Hussain, apparently trying to re-establish his local business connections, reached a deal with Lauren Simons, whose father, James Metz Jr., owned gas stations throughout the Hudson Valley through a holding company called GRJH Inc. Hussain signed a lease with Simons to operate the Cobble Pond Farms gas station on Aviation Road in Queensbury, off Northway Exit 19. Under the terms of what was supposed to be a 10-year contract, Hussain made a 5-cent commission on every gallon of Sunoco gas he sold. And he would make whatever profit he could on selling convenience store items like cigarettes, beer and lottery tickets, according to a copy of the document on file with the Warren County Clerk's office. Except for a $10,000 security deposit, the upfront costs were minimal. The monthly lease payments, which started at $2,500, could easily be covered by the gas commissions, and the $50,000 franchise fee was spread out over three years, split into 36 payments of $1,388. It seemed like a good deal for Hussain, who had previously operated a Getty gas station at 222 S. Pearl St. in Albany before the FBI busted him in 2002 for helping fellow immigrants get interim driver's licenses from the state Department of Motor Vehicles using false identities. Court documents and interviews with E. Nisar Khan and Farooq John call into question whether Hussain ever had any intention of operating the Exit 19 gas station for more than a month or two. Khan and John, who say they paid Hussain tens of thousands of dollars to purchase his lease on the station, took over its operation on Feb. 19, 2006. Within a week, things went awry. Hussain allegedly took $1,940 in cash from the day's gas sales and replaced it with a check for the same amount written from the Trustco Bank account of Queensbury Autos DBA, one of many shell companies that Hussain has used over the years to conduct business. The check was returned for insufficient funds, and on March 14 the Metz family changed the locks on the store and told Khan and John they were running the store without permission. Larry Rulison Hussain never returned the money, Khan says. Behind the scenes, Hussain had stopped paying the lease and franchise payments and took his name off utility bills. "What a disaster," Khan recalled in a recent interview with the Times Union. "... After what he's done to us in 2006, I don't want to speak to him. He really ruined everything." Farooq John, a pastor at New Revival Church in Albany, said in an interview that he gave Hussain $29,000 money that had come from refinancing his home. After the deal collapsed, Hussain "never informed us of anything" and told him to "keep quiet" about what happened, John recalled. Hussain quickly sued GRJH, the owner of the gas station, seeking an injunction to reverse the eviction. But according to John, after a state Supreme Court judge denied the request a month later, Hussain disappeared. "I was so amazed," said John, who never pursued any legal action over the incident. Hussain, who has reportedly remained in Pakistan amid the furor surrounding the Schoharie crash, could not be reached for comment. His son Nauman, who helped operate the limo business, has been charged with one count of criminally negligent homicide for allegedly dispatching the Excursion on Oct. 6 for a birthday celebration in Cooperstown despite knowing it had failed safety inspections. All 17 passengers aboard, as well as the driver and two bystanders, died when the limo hurtled into the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store in Schoharie and plunged into a ditch. RELATED: In-depth coverage of the crash The limo company, which Shahed Hussain started in 2012 under the name Prestige Limousine, is just one of many businesses he has operated in the Capital Region over the years. Hussain began working as an undercover informant for the FBI as part of his April 2003 guilty plea to a single felony charge in the DMV case, although he continued making money in various jobs and business ventures. Hussain would claim he was the victim in the 2006 Queensbury gas station incident, according to his lawsuit against GRJH. "The petroleum community is a small community, and word of my dispossession has made its way throughout the state," Hussain wrote in an affidavit. "The loss of my reputation and goodwill in a community as small as the petroleum sales community is essentially a death sentence in my business." Matthew Sgambettera, a Clifton Park attorney who represented the Aviation Road station in the case, tried to show the judge that Hussain's reputation was already tarnished. As evidence, he submitted a 2001 court judgment filed in Albany County showing Hussain still owed one of his vendors $35,000 dating back to his days running the South Pearl Street Getty station. Hussain's request for an injunction in the Queensbury case was denied by state Supreme Court Justice David Krogmann on April 10, 2006 less than a month after he was evicted from the Aviation Road station. Krogmann ruled that Hussain had defaulted on the lease by trying to sell it to investors. Simons, the GRJH executive who negotiated with Hussain, did not return a call from the Times Union seeking comment. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In a court affidavit filed in Warren County in 2006, Simons said she had had "misgivings" about Hussain from the start. She said he originally introduced himself to her as "John" and initially refused to disclose his Social Security number or date of birth standard information exchanged in a business transaction. "I now understand through our counsel, other dealers, and from (Hussain) directly that he recently filed for bankruptcy and had severe credit problems, so he did not want to disclose his (identity)," Simons wrote. Hussain and his wife Yasmeen had filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in July 2003, when they were living in Loudonville. Their home nearly burned to the ground in a fire a few months later. (Yasmeen Hussain died in 2013.) In her 2006 affidavit, Simons said she was working with the Warren County Sheriff's Office to have Hussain prosecuted for theft over the bad check. The Warren County gas station dispute has been brought up by defense attorneys in the two federal terror sting trials in which Hussain testified as a government informant. In 2011, during the so-called Newburgh Four trial in U.S. District Court in White Plains, an attorney for the defense asked Hussain if he recalled issuing a bad check for $1,940 in February 2006 that resulted in criminal charges. Hussain claimed he paid the check amount, and that the case had been handled by his attorney. "So in Warren County municipal court, when you were charged with a misdemeanor, you didn't have to ever go to court?" the attorney asked. "No, ma'am," Hussain answered. The Warren County Sheriff's Office could not confirm Hussain's arrest on charges of issuing a bad check in 2006. Such cases are sealed in New York state if they are dismissed or charges dropped. The Glens Falls attorney Hussain hired to sue GRJH was Martin Auffredou, who is now a state Supreme Court justice in Warren County. His office said he could not comment due to the pending criminal and civil cases involving the limo crash. Sgambettera, the Clifton Park lawyer who defended GRJH in the suit, said he didn't remember the case: "I probably was involved but this guy, I don't even remember his name," he said when asked about Hussain. The Queensbury dispute occurred at a pivotal time for Hussain: In the spring of 2006, he was preparing for his role as a star government witness in his first federal terrorism trial in Albany, while also awaiting his sentencing on the government's own case against him from his 2002 arrest for trying to scam the state DMV. The Albany field office of the FBI declined to comment on the alleged bad check incident, or the criminal charges that Hussain may have faced while he was working as an informant. "The FBI does not confirm or deny the identity of our sources," FBI spokeswoman Sarah Ruane said. Ultimately, what happened in Warren County did not appear to affect Hussain's October 2006 sentencing on his DMV charge. He received no prison time and was fined just $100 by the judge. Hussain potentially could have been given up to 15 years in prison and deported. "Any charges pending against Hussain at the time of his sentencing were disclosed to the court," said Michael Barnett, an assistant U.S. attorney and spokesman for Grant Jaquith, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York. After his federal court sentencing in 2006, Hussain was hired by the FBI to do paid undercover work, including on the Newburgh Four case. It is unclear how long that relationship lasted. Hussain has said in court testimony that he frequently traveled abroad from New York to Pakistan, London and Dubai on personal business. In some cases, he testified, he was traveling to those places doing work for the FBI. The deal involving the Aviation Road gas station occurred around the same time that Hussain made a $20,000 down payment on the Hideaway Motel, a rundown motel in Wilton that years later would become the base of operations for Hussain's limousine business and is now called the Crest Inn Suites & Cottages. Farooq John, the pastor, later went to the motel to demand his money back from Hussain. It didn't go well. "His son came out and said, 'You should not come on this property,'" John said. "He called the sheriff. After that I said OK, no problem I never called him." Heart Children Ireland (HCI), a support group for parents and families of children with Congenital Heart Defects (CHD), proudly launched their 2019 Little Heart Warriors Calendar with the support of Chill Insurance. The calendar was launched recently with Margaret Rogers, CEO of Heart Children Ireland; Aoife ODriscoll, HCI Member & volunteer and Fergal Lynch, Head of Marketing in Chill Insurance. The calendar is a hugely important fundraising event for the charity and this year they are hoping to raise 50,000. All funds raised go directly to the charity and will assist in funding important services such as psychology support to affected families. The theme of this years calendar is Little Heart Warriors Irina & Rhona are two mothers who met in The Children's Heart Centre in Our Lady's hospital Crumlin while their children were recovering from heart surgery. Together they came up with the idea of creating a framed picture that includes lots of photographs of children with CHD. This frame now proudly hangs on the wall of the Heart Centre and gives hope to the many parents who walk the corridors every day. Irina is a professional photographer and she took every photograph included in the frame. Some of these images have been used to create the 2019 calendar. "We are now in our 6th year supporting HCI and every year we are blown away by the dedication and hard work put in by each and every volunteer of HCI. We are proud to be associated with such a worthy organisation and will be with them every step of the way in achieving their target says Fergal Lynch Head of Marketing Chill Insurance. The calendar goes on sale this week for 10 with all proceeds going direct to HCI. We pride ourselves in the fact that all proceeds 100% go to the charity directly to fund our much-needed services for our members. This year our aim is to raise enough to fund our psychology Support Service for 2019. says Margaret Rogers CEO HCI. There is such a feel-good factor around this calendar, last year we had over 120 HCI families and friends selling our calendar nationwide in a wonderful display of teamwork says Aoife ODriscoll calendars organiser, HCI volunteer. The calendar can be purchased online at www.heartchildren.ie. Follow them on Facebook HERE. [December 08, 2018] WISeKey presents its China Deployment strategy at the Asia Pacific M&A Association Summit in Shenzhen WISeKey presents its China Deployment strategy at the Asia Pacific M&A Association Summit in Shenzhen ZUG, Switzerland - December 8, 2018 - WISeKey International Holding Ltd ("WISeKey", SIX: WIHN, OTCQX: WIKYY), a leading cybersecurity and IoT company, today announced that Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO presented to delegates of the Asia Pacific M&A Association Summit in Shenzhen his plans to quickly expand the reach of WISeKey in the growing Chinese market and become one of the country's leading providers of Semiconductors, Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain services. The over-arching objective of WISekey in China is to establish a market foothold with credible in-country leaders to maximize revenue in the near-term and realize reputable category position in the sectors of: retail, financial transaction, mobile communications, automotive, smart cities, consumer products, healthcare, smart card, industrial, transportation, and IT infrastructure, in the long-term. Switzerland, the home country of WISeKey, enjoys a pioneering relationship with China, being one of the first western countries that recognised the People's Republic of China in 1950 - just one year after its creation. Switzerland was also early to recognise China as a market economy in 2007. In 2013, Switzerland became the first European country to sign a free-trade agreement with Beijing and, in 2016, Switzerland was one of the first countries in Europe to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. WISeKey is already manufacturing the WISePhone in Shenzhen and is localizing its IoT IP and technology. WISeKey entered the sophisticated Chinese semiconductor and IoT market through the signing of several commercial agreements with Chinese companies. Recently, WISeKey announced that its IoT Blockchain technology is to be deployed in selected smart cities in China while its chips are already deployed for the Nanjing Smart City project. Chinese companies, such as Feitian Technologies, are working with WISekey to develop innovative hardware and software solutions to enable users, applications and devices to securely authenticate the networks, verify the authenticity and integrity of firmware upgrades, and limit access to sensitive information to authentic users only. Already, China is the largest market in the world for IoT with a 22% market share and over 1/3 of the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) connections for multiple machines, devices and appliances to the nternet by multiple networks are in China. The WISeKey China JV which was established earlier this year, is expected to fully capitalize on WISeKey's pioneering role in secure IoT and M2M communication. China's IOT and M2M market value is estimated to grow from $80 billion in 2015 to over $160 billion by 2020. China's semiconductor consumption growth has continued and in 2016 far exceeded the worldwide semiconductor market growth for the sixth consecutive year. Specifically, China's semiconductor consumption market grew by 2.9% in 2016 to reach a new record of 60.6% of the global market while the worldwide semiconductor market only grew by 1.1%. During the past ten years, China's semiconductor consumption has grown at a 12.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), while total worldwide consumption has only grown at a 3.2% CAGR. The worldwide semiconductor market as reported by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistic organization (WSTS) has grown by $91 billion from 2006 to 2016 while China's semiconductor consumption as reported by China Semiconductor Industry Association (CSIA) has grown by US$150 billion, in the same period. Mr. Moreira said: "WISeKey China is well positioned to take advantage of significant market expansion opportunities in China by combining the international brand and trust model of WISeKey with Chinese technologies and know how. This market represents a great revenue opportunity for WISeKey as China is currently the world's largest consumer of chips, but it manufactures only 16 percent of the semiconductors it uses domestically. Currently, China imports about $200 billion worth of chips annually - a value exceeding its oil imports. To cultivate a domestic industry, the government of China has slashed taxes for chip makers and plans to invest as much as $32 billion to become a world leader in design and manufacturing." About WISeKey: WISeKey (SIX: WIHN; OTCQX: WIKYY) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity ecosystems with a patented process. WISeKey's Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust ("RoT") provides secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com . To receive WISeKey's latest news visit the WISeKey Investors Corner. Press and investor contacts: WISeKey International Holding Ltd Company Contact: Carlos Moreira Chairman & CEO Tel: +41 22 594 3000 [email protected] WISeKey Investor Relations (US) Contact: Lena Cati The Equity Group Inc. Tel: +1 212 836-9611 [email protected] Disclaimer: This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] You have reached a premium content area of TOL. To read this entire article please login if you are already a TOL subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Google Fi, Google's pay-as-you-go wireless network, now supports iPhones and other devices that were previously unusable on the carrier. And that's got many wondering if Google's upstart network is an adequate replacement for Verizon's reliable if a little pricey service. Of course, Google Fi and Verizon are also the only two wireless carriers that sell Google's Pixel phones directly. You could buy a Pixel 3 or 3 XL unlocked and take it to a network of your choosing, but Google and Verizon make the process as seamless as possible. For those who aren't up to speed on how Google Fi works, it's a mobile virtual network operator that uses space on another carrier's network rather than rely on its own towers. In Google Fi's case, it taps multiple networks specifically, T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular. A handful of phones on Fi are equipped to switch back and forth between the trio of towers to achieve the fastest possible speeds in any possible situation. Additionally, Fi only charges you for data you use, while Verizon's plan structures are either capped at predetermined allotments or unlimited, albeit with caveats. Based on those perks, you might like the sound of Google Fi. However, there are some drawbacks to Google's network you should be aware of. Here's how they compare: Google Fi's Key Strengths Pay only for the data you use. Intelligent network switching (on certain devices) Free VPN service for all web traffic Seamless international service Verizon's Key Strengths Fastest, largest LTE network in the U.S. Greater selection of phones to choose from Cheaper (depending on the plan) Coverage Verizon's network is the largest in the country, and by a noticeable margin. Big Red's LTE towers cover 70 percent of the U.S., while T-Mobile one of the three networks that Google Fi is built upon finishes second among the big four carriers, reaching 59 percent, according to data from WhistleOut. Sprint is last, with 27 percent of the nation covered, while US Cellular is a regional character. Verizon also has a hefty advantage regarding speed. The network ranked first in downloads and uploads against seven other carriers in our testing earlier this year. It claimed the fastest service in five of the eight cities we visited, and particularly dominated in Chicago, where its average download speed outpaced second-place Sprint by about 21 Mbps. If coverage and fast data are critical to you, Verizon's your answer. That said, Google Fi has one trick up its sleeve that mitigates Verizon's advantage somewhat. Google Fi comprises three networks, and if you have a handset that you've bought directly from the carrier (rather than a generic unlocked device, like an iPhone, for example), your phone is built to intelligently switch between T-Mobile's, Sprint's and US Cellular's towers to deliver the fastest data speeds among them. MORE: My Month with Google Fi: Why I'm Sticking With It In other words, if you're in an area where Sprint is speedier than T-Mobile, your data will be routed through Sprint's infrastructure. If you travel to another location where T-Mobile's stronger, you'll be tossed back to the Uncarrier's towers, without having to lift a finger. The phone takes care of all of this on the back end, which makes the setup much more convenient. And in our experience, Fi's speeds are often comparable with those of customers who belong to those same carriers. To be fair, T-Mobile and Sprint didn't outpace Verizon in our national testing most of the time. However, on two separate occasions, they came up stronger T-Mobile in Dallas and Sprint in Philadelphia. So there will be occasions where Fi may win out, though it bears repeating that you'll get the network switching feature only if you use a handset sold by Fi that has been optimized for the network. If not, you'll be restricted to T-Mobile's towers alone. Finally, Fi also includes access to Googles 2 million free public Wi-Fi hotspots, again protected by its VPN. These exist to automatically move you off metered data where possible though in our experience, they're not particularly common, and shouldnt be viewed as one of the carrier's primary benefits. Plans For individuals: Google Fi keeps things simple: there's only one plan, and it costs $20 for access to a line with unlimited talk and text; data costs $10 per gigabyte on top of that. At the beginning of every monthly billing cycle, you input how much data you expect to use in the Google Fi app; Google will either credit you for anything under that, or charge you more if you go over on your next bill. The rate is always the same: $1 per 100MB. To keep its service from getting too pricey, Google Fi offers Bill Protection, which kicks in once you exceed 6GB. At that point, the plan effectively becomes unlimited the data charges stop at $60, and anything you use beyond that is free. That means that one month of Fi can never be more expensive than $80 for a single user, though it's important to note that once you exceed 15GB, Google Fi is liable to deprioritize your service and slow your speeds. MORE: Fastest Wireless Networks 2018: It's Not Even Close In contrast, Verizon uses much more conventional (and complicated) structures. There are typical capped data plans at three levels 2GB, 4GB and 8GB that can be used individually or shared with your family. These cost $35, $50 and $70 per month before taxes and fees, respectively. Plus, you have to factor in line-access fees, which add $20 per user. The best option for individual users is a 5GB plan for $55, which has the access fee and autopay discount built into the price. All of these plans let you carry over the data you don't use into the next month. But if you go over, you'll be charged overage fees unless you opt into Safety Mode, which reduces your speed after you've burned through your monthly allotment. Google Fi vs. Verizon: Tiered Data Plans Carrier Amount of Data Cost of Data Additional Fees Total Monthly Bill Google Fi 5GB $10 per gigabyte $20 for unlimited talk and text $70 (You're credited $1 for every 100MB of unused data) Verizon 5GB $40 $20 per line access fee $60 ($55 w/ auto pay enrollment) However, that's just Verizon's selection of tiered offerings. The carrier's assortment of unlimited plans gets even more confusing. Verizon offers three unlimited plans, named "Go Unlimited," "Beyond Unlimited" and "Above Unlimited," that cost $75, $85 and $95 per month for one line, respectively, and only after you opt into auto pay. The per-line rates significantly decrease as you add more lines but more on that later. Google Fi vs. Verizon: Unlimited Plans Plan Cost Notes Google Fi $80 Bill Protection caps bill at $80 no matter how much data you use; speeds are throttled after 15GB Verizon Go Unlimited $75 Includes $5 credit for Auto Pay enrollment; video streaming capped at 480p; Verizon reserves right to throttle speeds if network is congested Verizon Beyond Unlimited $85 Includes $5 credit for Auto Pay enrollment; video streams at 720p; data can be slowed after 22GB; includes 15GB of LTE hotspot data Verizon Above Unlimited $95 Includes $5 credit for Auto Pay enrollment; video streams at 720p; data can be slowed at 75GB; includes 20GB of LTE hotspot data You're likely wondering how there could be three different versions of an unlimited plan. Verizon separates its unlimited offerings by restricting certain use cases, like video streaming and hotspot data. Additionally (and, paradoxically, flying in the face of the whole "unlimited" concept to begin with), users who opt for these plans are liable to have their data slowed under specific conditions. Go Unlimited customers' speeds can be slowed at any time during periods of congestion, according to Verizon, while for Beyond and Above Unlimited customers, that point of deprioritization strikes at 22GB and 75GB, respectively. Additionally, Verizon has a range of prepaid plans. The least expensive is 500MB for $30 per month, though there's also 3GB for $40, 8GB for $50 and an unlimited plan for $70. Autopay knocks these down by $5, while there's a $10 to $20 discount when you add multiple lines. (The amount varies based on the size of your plan, with unlimited prepaid plans enjoying the largest discount.) Prepaid accounts do not share data buckets. Google Fi vs. Verizon: How Verizon's Prepaid Pricing Compares Amount of Data Verizon Prepaid Cost Google Fi Cost 500MB $30 $25 3GB $40 $50 8GB $50 $80 (will Bill Protection) Unlimited $70 $80 (will Bill Protection) For families: Both of these carriers pile on the discounts once you start adding additional users. Google Fi charges $15 per line for each line added after the first. The point at which Bill Protection kicks in is raised to 10GB for two users it's a pool shared between everyone on the account and increases by 2GB for every additional user added. Verizon doesn't discount its tiered data offerings much, but families on unlimited structures can save big. A family of four or more can get a Beyond Unlimited plan for $50 each, compared with $85 for one user alone. Additionally, Verizon recently opened things up so that accounts can combine different types of unlimited plans for individual users. Below, we've identified some scenarios to show you how the carriers stack up. (Auto Pay discounts have been applied where possible.) Carrier/Plan Single Line Cost 2 Lines Cost 3 Lines Cost 4 Lines Cost Google Fi $60 for 4GB ($20 line access + $40 for 4GB) $115 for 8GB ($35 line access + $80 for 8GB) $150 for 10GB ($50 line access + $100 for 10GB) $185 for 12GB total ($65 line access + $120 for 12GB) Verizon (Go Unlimited) $75 (with Auto Pay enabled) $130 (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose Go Unlimited) $150 (with autopay enabled; if all users choose Go Unlimited) $160 (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose Go Unlimited) Verizon (Beyond Unlimited) $85 (with Auto Pay enabled) $160 (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose Beyond Unlimited) $180 (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose Beyond Unlimited) $200 (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose Beyond Unlimited) Verizon (Prepaid; 3GB) $35 for 3GB (with Auto Pay enabled) $60 for 6GB total (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose 3GB) $85 for 9GB total (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose 3GB) $110 for 12GB total (with Auto Pay enabled; if all users choose 3GB) Interestingly, Verizon's postpaid plans can get very expensive very fast, while its prepaid deals are actually quite solid. In fact, with Verizon prepaid's multiline discounts and Auto Pay enabled, a family of four can get unlimited data for $200 a month. Then again, Google Fi gets quite competitive at that point as well the same family could buy a month of unlimited service for $205 once Bill Protection activates. Phone selection As the nation's largest carrier, Verizon sells a wide selection of phones. As of this writing, its website currently shows 29 models, ranging from the latest iPhones and Galaxy S handsets to Motorolas budget-minded offerings and even the unusual Red Hydrogen One. And outside of Google Fi, Verizon is the only carrier to sell Google's Pixel phones. The breadth of choices is a good thing, too, because as a CDMA-based carrier, most unlocked phones are not certified to work on Verizon. That means you'll have an easier time buying your phone from the carrier directly than bringing one to it. Conversely, Google Fi sells just six models on its store: the Pixel 3 and 2 (along with their XL variants), Moto G6 and X4 and LG V35 ThinQ and G7 ThinQ. These phones are the only ones that support Fi's network switching and Enhanced Network feature, that routes all mobile and Wi-Fi traffic through Google's secure VPN. You can bring most unlocked handsets to Fi Google has a helpful tool that will tell you if your phone is compatible though they must be GSM unlocked and notably won't support either of those aforementioned perks. They also might require a bit of fiddling to work properly on Fi; Google says iPhones' APN settings must be modified for SMS and MMS to work, for example. Customer service When it comes to customer service, both carriers compare favorably. Verizon has historically performed well both times we've evaluated customer service in the past (and we're about to update our rankings soon). The Verizon website is a particularly good resource for asking questions, and we've had luck lobbing questions at their social media representatives. I've found Verizon has good tools for monitoring data use, and it's pretty good about warning me when I'm about to exceed my data for the month. Google Fi is also pretty transparent, and the experience of contacting customer service or managing your account is made easier by the carrier's nifty and well-designed app. It provides direct links to chat over text, email or phone with a support representative, and even displays the time you can expect to be waiting before you reach out. In fact, everything you'd ever need to change can be done through the Fi app from setting data-usage warnings to viewing your billing history. That makes it one of the most convenient customer experiences we've encountered among wireless carriers. Extras and perks Some carriers, like T-Mobile, will give you free Netflix. Others, like Sprint, offer a free subscription to the music-streaming service Tidal. And given that AT&T owns DirecTV, you can bundle both to save on your wireless and television bills. If you're looking for those kinds of perks, Google Fi and Verizon will mostly disappoint you. Verizon unlimited customers are entitled to free Apple Music, but only for six months. The carrier's Up Rewards program issues credits every time you spend $300 on monthly bills typically small coupons for retailers, though there are also finite "Super Tickets" to concerts, sporting events and other live experiences that customers can claim as well. The catch with Up Rewards is that to use it, you must agree to Verizon Selects a collection of monitoring tools Verizon uses to serve personalized ads. Selects watches how, where and why you use your phone, including the websites you visit and the apps you download. If you've been eyeing a Pixel 3, we suggest Google Fi. If you're an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy devotee, it becomes a harder call. Google Fi doesn't have any programs of the sort, though we don't think you're missing much there's nothing on the level of that free Netflix subscription T-Mobile customers get with either of these carriers. However, Google Fi users do receive excellent international coverage in more than 170-plus countries, with roaming at the same price for data as what youd pay at home. By contrast, Verizon offers Travel Passes in more than 185 countries, that take the form of single-day add-ons. Using a Travel Pass, you're not charged per minute, text or megabyte rather, you pay $5 per day in Mexico and Canada, or $10 per day in other countries. Notably, the Above Unlimited plan includes five Travel Pass days per month. Bottom line So which is better Google Fi or Verizon? As you could probably surmise by now, that answer depends on the phone you're using, how many people are on your plan and what matters to you most. If you've been eyeing a Pixel 3, we suggest Google Fi. It's hardly surprising that Google's phone is built to take the most advantage of its network. Fi's network switching and VPN support work beautifully on Pixel handsets, and the service rates aren't bad, either. Plus, until Jan. 8, you can save up to $300 in Fi service credits on a device of your choosing from the carrier's store. If you're an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy devotee, it becomes a harder call. Verizon's postpaid plans are hard to recommend they're exorbitantly expensive, even if their speeds are faster than the competition's. However, those devices won't reap the benefits that Fi offers, so in that event, it would be wise to entertain one of Verizon's prepaid options. These offer the cheapest possible service across both carriers discussed here, and still deliver Verizon's blazing-fast and well-covered LTE network. It's an even better deal for families, thanks to Auto Pay and multiline savings. Finally, if you travel a lot, Google Fi is unrivaled. With roaming free of charge in more than 170 countries and the same, simple plan no matter where you go, no other carrier offers as simple and stress-free an experience for world travelers. Credit: Tom's Guide Trump in KC: All would benefit from prison reform Prison reform would help inmates gain more skills that could be used in the workforce and would "get them on the right track," President Donald Trump said during a national law enforcement conference Friday in Kansas City. Trump spoke during the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods national conference - hosted by the United States Department of Justice - at the Westin Crown Center. The mainstream narrative for this week's Prez Trump visit focused mostly onandwhilst this excellent report on a more progressive policy initiative from The White House was mostly ignored but deserves consideration amid an increasing skepticism about the viability of theand the shocking fact that the U.S. still locks up more people than communist China Checkit: In the wake of the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, the Senate voted last week to advance a resolution ending U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led coalition's war in Yemen. We are now awaiting a Senate floor debate and a motion to proceed, which could come as early as Monday. by Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org TOPEKA - Hanukkah, or the Jewish Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees after their victory over the Seleucid Empire. But as Jews throughout the United States celebrate the festival, which runs from Dec. These Men Are Waiting to Share Some Feelings With You In meetings and retreats, chastened menfolk are working on their feelings. On a Monday night in a sparsely decorated room in Midtown Manhattan, a group of approximately 20 men including an endocrinologist, a sportscaster, a policeman and an employee of the United Nations were baring their souls. Reader suggested news link informs us that thatfor locals looking for a new take on manhood that's a bit more touchy & feel-y than a more traditional gender conceptions.Check this national perspective on male support group amid changing times that are confusing some dudes . . . Read more: pardeepdhull@gmail.com Majid Jahangir Tribune News Service Srinagar, December 9 Three militants were killed and three security men injured in an 17-hour long gunfight that ended on Sunday here on the outskirts of Srinagar, officials said. One of the slain militants has been identified as 14-year-old Mudassir Parrey of Hajin Bandipore. He had joined militant ranks in September. The other two have been identified as Saqib Bilal Sheikh, resident of Hajin, Bandipora, and Ali, a Pakistan national. The three, according to police, were associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba. The gunfight broke around 5 pm on Saturday when joint teams of forces were carrying out a cordon and search operation at Mujagund, some 15 km from city centre along the Srinagar Bandipore highway "The gunfight ended this morning with the killing of three militants," CRPF Inspector General Ravideep Sahi said. The exact identity of the slain militants was being ascertained. Police sources said at least three security men were also injured during the gunfight. At least two residential houses were also damaged during the operation as militants kept on changing locations during the counter-militant operation within the cordoned off area. Meanwhile, intense clashes took place near the gunfight site after locals staged protests to disrupt the anti-militant operation. Authorities have suspended mobile Internet services in Srinagar district. shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Mumbai, December 9 "Kedarnath" director Abhishek Kapoor has urged the Uttarakhand government to lift a ban on the movie. "I plead with the Uttarakhand government to please lift the ban on my film 'Kedarnath'. It is an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Please don't deprive us of this opportunity," Kapoor tweeted. While there has been no official ban on the film by the state government, it wrote to all district magistrates about the film and the controversies surrounding it. The decision followed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that reviewed a report submitted by a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj. The government asked the district administration to take a call on their own and left it to their discretion whether or not the film should be released in their respective jurisdictions. Following which Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Almora and Udhamsinghnagar banned the film. The Hindi film, with the 2013 flash floods in Kedarnath as the backdrop, was being opposed by the right-wing activists from the day its shooting began in the hill state and they alleged that it hurt Hindu sentiments and promoted the idea of "Love Jehad". The film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan, was shot extensively in Triyuginarayan, Gaurikund, Soneprayag, Rambada, Kedarnath and Chopta, and it had to face protests even then. The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday refused to ban the film and asked the petitioners to approach the District Magistrate with their complaints. On its opening day, the movie garnered Rs 7.25 crore in India. IANS shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Tribune Web Desk Chandigarh, December 9 A shocking video of a 17-year-old beating his mother with a broom went viral on social media on Saturday. The video, shot by his elder sister, shows the mother in her early 50s, screaming in pain, as her son thrashes her with a broom. When the sister tries to stop him, he asks her to sit aside. He first objects to her badmouthing him and forces her to stop discussing about him with neighbours. He beats her, saying, If you continue talking like this, I will continue beating like this. He also stated that he doesnt care if his mother files a complaint against him. On seeing the video, the Chennammanakere Achukattu Police in Bengaluru decided to take action against the minor. The police also tried to talk to the mother but she refused to give a statement. Perhaps she was afraid of being further beaten by her son, the police said. The son was upset with her mother as she allegedly badmouthed him in the neighbourhood. Recently, the woman was seen talking to her neighbours on the future of her son as he was not serious about life and faring badly in studies, said the police. However, the police warned the boy of dire consequences if he repeated the same and made sure he apologised to his mother. They also got an undertaking signed by him. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Lucknow, December 9 The Army jawan arrested for his alleged involvement in the killing of a police inspector during mob violence in Bulandshahr was on Sunday produced before the judicial magistrate, who sent him to jail for 14 days, officials said. The Army handed over Jitendra Malik to Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team in Meerut late Saturday night. Editorial: Accident at Bulandshahr Malik was interrogated by the crime branch during the day and also questioned by the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the incident, the city Superintendent of Police (Crime) said. He was taken to the district hospital for a medical examination and later produced before the magistrate, who sent him to prison for two weeks, the SP said. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people rampaged through a village in Bulandshahr apparently after cow carcasses were found in a jungle nearby. During the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and a 20-year-old man died of gunshot wounds. Singh and his team had gone to the area to tackle the violence when they came under attack by the mob. Earlier in the day, the UP government transferred Raees Akhtar, who was posted as additional superintendent of police (rural) in Bulandshahr, six days after two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter incident. In a statement issued here, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said Akhtar has been transferred to PAC Headquarters in Lucknow. Manish Mishra, posted as additional superintendent of police at modern control room, Ghaziabad, has been made the new ASP (rural) of Bulandshahr. On Saturday, the UP government transferred Bulandshahr SSP Krishna Bahadur Singh to the DGP office in Lucknow. Kumar had said the senior superintendent of police will be replaced by Sitapur SP Prabhakar Chaudhary. The government has transferred two other policemen of Bulandshahr district Circle Officer of Syana area Satya Prakash Sharma and Chingravati police chowki in-charge Suresh Kumar. Additional Director General, Intelligence, SB Shiradkar submitted a report on the violence Friday. The transfers are understood to be in line with the findings of the report on police handling of the situation. Inspector Singh, who died in the mob violence, was the investigating officer of the Dadri lynching case from September 28, 2015 to November 9, 2015. However, the chargesheet was filed by a different IO in March, 2016. Police have arrested nine accused in the Bulandshahr case but the main conspirator, Yogesh Raj, the district convener of Bajrang Dal, is on the run. In a video that surfaced online on Wednesday, Raj had claimed innocence. Another inquiry by a government-constituted SIT is underway, and the team is going into the details and video footage of the incident, an official said. Also, a magisterial probe has been ordered by the government. The Uttar Pradesh government has been severely criticised by opposition leaders over law and order and for its handling of the situation after the violence. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the violence in Bulandshahr was an "accident" and there did not happen any incident of mob lynching in his state. He, however, assured that no one responsible for the violence will be spared. The Congress has slammed Adityanath's downplaying of the severity of an incident of mob violence and said he has attempted to "derail" the probe in the case. - PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com Naveen S Garewal Tribune News Service Hyderabad, December 9 With just two days remaining for the counting of votes, none in Telangana is willing to take the prediction of exit polls seriously. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) continues to claim a lead, but so has the Congress led "Praja Kutami" (grand alliance), which is confident of forming the next government on its own. While the speculation is on, BJP state chief K Laxman has announced the party's willingness to support the TRS in case it fell short of numbers. But the BJP has a condition that says Asaduddin-Owaisi led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) should not be part of the TRS government. "We will support the TRS only if it keeps the AIMIM away," Laxman said here today. Laxman said he and his party were expecting a hung assembly despite a record polling of 73.5 per cent, since higher polling indicated anti-incumbency vote. "The polling in the state concluded peacefully and the two major parties were exuding the confidence of emerging victorious in the elections, but exit polls and survey left the others amusing, giving rise to a feeling that we may be headed towards a hung house" he said. He went on the say, "If there is hung in the election, BJP will support to anti-Congress, anti-Muslim parties." Laxman, however, put a prerequisite that to get its support the TRS should swerve all ties with the AIMIM. It is pertinent to point out that Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah were highly critical of the TRS and KCR during the election campaign. KCR too did not leave any opportunity to hit out at the BJP and Congress. Congress president Rahul Gandhi called TRS the "B" team of the BJP. Now, even before the results are out, BJP is willing to support the TRS. Political observers feel that the BJP leader's argument is flawed to the extent that the AIMIM was likely to get more seats than the BJP. If that happens the TRS would rather seek the support of the AIMIM that has a large voter base in Hyderabad and other Muslim-dominated areas like Nizamabad and Mahabubnagar. In the Parliamentary elections due next year, the TRS is likely to benefit more if it had an alliance with the AIMIM rather than the BJP. Besides, chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) is an advocate of a third front, sans Congress and the BJP. Meanwhile, the local media is abuzz with theories about why Hyderabad city and neighbouring areas recorded mere 50 per cent polling, while certain constituencies in Nalgonda district recorded over 90 per cent turnout. Telangana Congress Committee official spokesperson Shujath Ali has attributed the low polling to the hate speeches by the BJP and AIMIM leaders saying, "People are fed up with dirty communal politics." This drop in polling was bad news for democracy and needs to be corrected by checking "rogue" politicians. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Thane/Mumbai, December 9 A 30-year-old man was detained for allegedly attempting to slap Union Minister Ramdas Athawale at a public event in Maharashtras Thane district on Saturday night, police said. The Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief was in Ambernath town to address a rally. Athawale had just got off the dais after delivering a speech on the Constitution when the incident happened at around 10.15 pm, a police officer said on Sunday. Pravin Gosavi, on the pretext of garlanding Athawale, allegedly tried to slap him, following which people overpowered him, beat him up and handed him over to the police. The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was not harmed as the bystanders and police managed to foil Gosavis attempt to assault him, the officer said. Gosavi, who was first admitted to a hospital in Ulhasnagar town following the public beating, has been shifted to a state-run hospital in Mumbai, police said. We have registered a case under Sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code. Gosavi has been detained and not arrested as yet, said Ambernath police station inspector K G Chavan. While a probe was under way to ascertain why Gosavi had tried to attack the minister, a senior police officer said it could have been out of frustration for having been expelled from the RPI (A). Gosavis membership was terminated from the Republican Party of India (Athawale) a year ago for criminal activities as he was blackmailing people through RTI (Right to Information pleas), P P Shewale, deputy commissioner of police (zone IV), Thane Police, told PTI. He may have been frustrated over it (expulsion from party) and may have tried to manhandle the Union minister, the DCP added. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. The local RPI (A) unit has called for a shutdown in Ambernath on Sunday as a mark of protest. An officer said the situation in the town was calm and under control, with a large posse of police personnel out on the streets to keep vigil. No untoward incident has been reported since morning, the officer added. In a statement issued on Sunday morning, Athawale said, The police did not provide sufficient protection, which helped the assailant to target me. My popularity is growing and it may have resulted in a jealous person charging against me. I am going to meet the Maharashtra Chief Minister regarding the same. Athawale also asked his party workers to maintain peace in the wake of the incident. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Mumbai, December 8 Two persons, including a suspended police constable, were arrested on Saturday in connection with the killing of a diamond trader whose body was found in adjoining Raigad district, 10 days after he went missing, police said. The trader, Rajeshwar Udani, a resident of Mahalaxmi Society in suburban Ghatkopar, had gone missing on November 28. The 57-year-olds decomposed body was found at Panvel in Raigad district Friday, police had said. Police identified the duo as Sachin Pawar and Dinesh Pawar. Sachin Pawar is a former personal assistant (PA) of a Maharashtra minister, while Dinesh Pawar is a suspended police constable who was arrested earlier in a rape case, a police official said. They were taken into custody after interrogation, he said. Several other persons, including a TV actor, were still being interrogated in connection with the case, the official said. It appears the trader was murdered due to a monetary dispute with the accused and for eyeing a female friend of Sachin Pawar, DCP (Zone VII) Akhilesh Singh said. According to police, Udanis son had lodged a missing complaint at the Pant Nagar police station on November 29 when his father did not return home. During the probe, it came to light that an unidentified body has been found in Panvel, about 60 km from Mumbai, police had said, adding that it was later identified as that of Udani. Post-mortem revealed fractures at several places in the body and death by strangulation, Singh said. The accused were booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping) and 120b (conspiracy), Singh added. PTI amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, December 9 In a major step towards forming an anti-BJP front, top Opposition leaders will huddle here on Monday to discuss forging a grand alliance to take on the saffron party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The meeting, significantly, comes a day before the results of the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly polls are scheduled to be announced and the winter session of Parliament is slated to begin. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is coordinating the meeting. He has invited the leaders of all the non-BJP parties. "The main agenda of the meeting is to chart the future course of action for forming a non-BJP front," a source said. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi are likely to attend the meet, during which the Opposition is also expected to chalk out a joint strategy for the winter session of Parliament. During the meeting at the Parliament House Annexe, the opposition parties are expected to discuss their responses to government bills and issues related to the Rafale deal and farmers, sources said. Not only the heads of non-BJP parties, but also the chief ministers of opposition parties from Kerala, Punjab and Puducherry were invited to the meeting, they added. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy are expected to attend the meeting. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M K Stalin, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav and Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) leader Sharad Yadav are also among those likely to attend the meeting. Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was unlikely to be part of the meeting, the sources said, adding that he might join the anti-BJP alliance post the general election. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati was also unlikely to take part in the meeting, but her close aide Satish Chandra Mishra might attend it, a source said. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav was likely to attend the Opposition meet, but in case he was unable to come, then senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav would be present, a party source said. Naidu had last month met the heads of several opposition parties, including Rahul Gandhi, and termed the TDP's alliance with the Congress a "democratic compulsion" to protect the country. Sources said there could be pre-poll as well as post-poll alliances, taking into account the interest of each state. "Price rise, the ill-effects of demonetisation and the GST, unemployment and threats to the Constitution will also be on the agenda of the meeting," NCP leader D P Tripathi said. AAP leaders confirmed the party's participation in the Opposition meet called by Naidu. Earlier, the meeting was planned for November 22, but had to be deferred because of the Assembly polls in five states. - PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com New Delhi, December 9 The Pakistan High Commission on Sunday said it has issued visa to 139 Indian pilgrims to visit Katas Raj Dham, the famous Shiva temple, in the countrys Punjab province. Under the framework of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. Another group of Indian pilgrims, comprising 139 people, have been issued visas by the Pakistan High Commission to visit Shree Katas Raj Dham in Chakwal district from December 9-15, the Pakistan High Commission said. Last month, Pakistan had granted visa to more than 3,800 Sikh pilgrims to visit the country. Some of the pilgrims had attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor on November 28 in Narowal. The corridor will link the Darbar Sahib shrine in Kartarpur in Pakistans Punjab province to Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district in India. Earlier this month, over 220 Indian pilgrims were granted visas to visit the famous Hindu temple, Shadani Darbar, in Sukkur. Katas Raj is one of the holiest places for the Hindu community in Pakistan. The temples form a complex surrounding a pond named Kataswhich is regarded as sacred by the devotees. Pakistans High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood stated that the issuance of visas for yet another group of pilgrims from India was consistent with Governments of Pakistans policy of promoting visits to religious shrines and was a reflection of its commitment to faithfully implement the 1974 Protocol, the High Commission said in a release. He said that Pakistan remained committed to providing all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims and strengthening people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. PTI uttara@tribuneindia.com Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, December 9 The Mumbai Police have grilled well-known television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee in connection with the murder of a diamond merchant whose body was discovered in a forest in Maharashtra's Raigad district last week. Police said Bhattacharjee, an actress best known for her role as Gopi Bahu in the television serial Saath Nibhana Sathiya, was questioned for several hours after she was found to have spoken several times to Rajeshwar Udani (57) a short while before he went missing. Udani's family had registered a case of kidnapping after he was went missing earlier this month. His decomposed body was found in the forest without any identification. The diamond merchant was identified on the basis of his clothes and shoes, police said. So far, a former aide to Maharashtra minister Prakash Mehta, Sachin Pawar and a suspended police constable, Dinesh Pawar, have been arrested in connection with the murder. According to officials at the Ghatkopar police station, Bhattacharya gave them valuable clues about Udani's links to several actresses in the television industry. Though the actress was questioned for several hours she has not been arrested, police officials said. "We have called several more women from the television industry for questioning," an official from the Ghatkopar police station said. pardeepdhull@gmail.com London, December 9 Embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya is scheduled to return to Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Monday when his extradition trial is listed for a judgment hand-down. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money-laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, has been on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April last year. He has contested his extradition on the grounds that the case against him is politically motivated and the loans he has been accused of defrauding on were sought to keep his now-defunct airline afloat. I did not borrow a single rupee. The borrower was Kingfisher Airlines. Money was lost due to a genuine and sad business failure. Being held as guarantor is not fraud, he said in his recent Twitter post on the issue. I have offered to repay 100 per cent of the principal amount to them. Please take it, he tweeted earlier. While dismissing that his intervention has anything to do with the extradition case, it came just days before Judge Emma Arbuthnot is expected to present her ruling in the case. The trial, which opened at the Magistrates Court on December 4 last year, has gone through a series of hearings beyond the initial seven days earmarked for it. It opened with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) team, led by Mark Summers, laying out the Indian governments prima facie case of fraud and money-laundering against Mallya. Summers sought to establish a blueprint of dishonesty against the businessman and that there are no bars to his extradition on human rights grounds. Mallyas defence team, led by Clare Montgomery, deposed a series of experts in an attempt to prove that the erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines alleged default of bank loans was the result of business failure rather than dishonest and fraudulent activity by its owner. The court was also told that a consortium of Indian banks, led by State Bank of India (SBI), had rejected an offer by the liquor baron in early 2016 to pay back nearly 80 per cent of the principle loan amount owed to them. While the CPS argued that Mallya never intended to repay the loans he sought in the first place because his airlines demise was inevitable, the defence tried to establish that Kingfisher Airlines was suffering from consequences of a wider global financial crisis around 2009-2010 and that its failure was a result of factors beyond the companys control. There are clear signs that the banks seem to have gone against their own guidelines [in sanctioning some of the loans], Judge Arbuthnot had noted during the course of the trial. In relation to the defences attempts to dispute Indian prison conditions as a bar to Mallyas extradition on human rights grounds, the judge had indicated to the CPS that she did not require any further information in reference to the prison conditions awaiting Mallya at Barrack 12 of Mumbais Arthur Road Jail after seeking a video of the cell. If the judge is satisfied that all of the procedural requirements are met, and that none of the statutory bars to extradition apply, he or she must send the case to the Secretary of State for a decision to be taken on whether to order extradition, explains Pavani Reddy, a UK-based legal expert and Managing Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. The judges decision on whether to send Mallyas case to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid can be appealed with the UK High Courts permission, with the person to be extradited entitled to make an application for permission to appeal to the High Court within 14 days of the date of the Chief Magistrates ruling. On the other hand, the Indian government would also have 14 days to file leave to appeal to the High Court, seeking permission to appeal against a decision not to extradite. In case the concerned individual does not file an appeal, and Secretary of State agrees with the magistrates decision, then the individual must be extradited from the UK within 28 days of the Home Secretarys extradition order. This will also apply if an appeal lodged by either party in the High Court is unsuccessful, but the 28 days will commence from the date when the appeal hearing was concluded, said Reddy. If the judgment goes ahead as scheduled on Monday, it would mark a significant point in this high-profile extradition trial that has lasted over a year. PTI editorial@tribune.com Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 8 At least 4,000 Indian nationals are stuck in various camps of a construction company in Saudi Arabia, of whom at least 1,000 are Punjabis. Around 500 of them are from Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur. For the past six months, Indians working in Saudi Arabia are stuck in Riyadh, Jeddah, among other cities in Saudi Arabia. The claims were made by at least 50 families of these construction workers who are languishing in company camps sans passports and visas for the past over seven months. The families on Saturday approached state BJP general secretary, Rakesh Rathour, seeking the intervention of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. A video released by a group of men stuck in Jeddah and another by a Bihar resident have been shared by the families. A Punjab resident claims that as many as 4,000 Indian nationals are stuck in various cities of Saudi Arabia, of whom many are Punjabis. Dharamveer Singh, brother of Avtar Singh, who went to Riaydh in 2013, says, My brother went to work with a construction company. It has now shut operations. Thousands of Indians are stranded in the company camp. They havent been paid for the past six months. While both the state BJP unit leaders have already approached the Ministry of External Affairs, the party functionaries said they were working to arrange their meeting in Delhi soon. Rathour said, They are committed to bringing back all Indians stuck in Saudi Arabia. BJP national secretary RP Singh and state president Shwait Malik are already coordinating on the issue. We expect to arrange a meeting of the families with the Eternal Affairs Ministry soon. uttara@tribuneindia.com Tribune News Service Faridkot, December 9 Sikh leaders have refused to call off their six-month long protest at Bargari until the Punjab government gave in to their demands. "We are not ending morcha but we're changing its outline," Dhian Singh Mand said in his address at 'Insaaf Morcha' on Sunday. Congress cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa also addressed the protest, but protesters remained unmovedwith several in the audience even choosing to walk out of the venue. Protesters' demands include arrest of culprits in sacrilege cases, action against guilty police officials who opened firing on peaceful protesters at Behbal Kalan and release or shifting of Sikh prisoners. Video credit: Pawan Sharma Highlights 12:48 pm: People at Bargari Morcha are waiting for a decision. While many panthic leaders have already reached the protest site, Congress leaders yet to arrive. 12:52 pm: Speakers say dharna wont be lifted until government makes up its mind and until panthic leaders agree. 1:02 pm: Speakers joke about Badals' atonement at the Golden Temple for mistakes that they had committed during their rule. 1:19 pm: Speakers accuse the press of disrespecting Guru Granth Sahib when they entered the protest site wearing shoes. 1:24 pm: Cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Randhawa and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa reach protest site. 1:25 pm: Faridkot Congress MLA Kushaldeep Dhillon also reaches venue. 1:58 pm: Patti MLA Harminder Singh, Randhawa speak. Randhawa speaks about state government's stand. 2:00 pm: Badals should seek forgiveness at Bargari for their mistake: Randhawa 2:01 pm: Badals also say Panth is in danger, but it is his family that is in danger. In contrast to Guru Gobind Singh, who sacrificed his sons for panth, Badal sacrificed panth for his family: Randhawa. 2:10 pm: State government has engaged four senior lawyers to ensure prosecution of all accused in sacrilege: Randhawa 2:11 pm: He accused CBI for soft pedalling sacrilege cases. 2:13 pm: Well ensure 23 Dera Sacha Sauda followers arrested for sacrilege dont get bail We shifted enquiry from CBI to SIT for this reason: Randhawa 2:19 pm: Weve a constituted three-member lawyer committee to raise the issue of Sikh prisoners: Randhawa 2:19 pm: One prisoner has been released from Nabha, other being released from Amritsar soon. Raised the issue to ensure release of prisoners in Jaipur: Randhawa 2:20 pm: We are bringing a new Bill in Vidhan Sabha for releasing of prisoners: Randhawa 2:26 pm: SIT will not spare even Badals, I give this assurance in presence of Holy Guru Granth Sahib: Randhawa 2:30 pm: People begin protesting as Randhawa finishes speaking. Daduwal tries to pacify crowd, says no decision yet. 2:29 pm: Listen Tript Bajwa, Daduwal appeals to crowd. Only Mand will take final decision. 2:29 pm: People begin to leave venue as Bajwa begins to speak 2:30 pm: Organisers trying to pacify the crowd. 2:35 pm: Bajwa says decision to call off dharna to be taken by Mand. We came here only to inform you of the action taken by the state government, he says. 2:35 pm: Asks state government to rechristen Bargari as Bargari Sahib, give compensation to the injured in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents 2:35 pm: Bajwa ends speech. 2:41 pm: SIT DIG RS Khatra was accused of not taking action against sacrilege suspects under Badal's regime, but it has arrested suspects in Bargar and Malke incidents under Capts rule, says Daduwal. 2:42 pm: State government will soon get vacated stay on arrest of four policemen accused in the firing incidents, said Daduwal. 2:45 pm: People want Badals arrest, said Daduwal. 2:48 pm: Not satisfied with Daduwal's words of assurance, people begin to leave rally ground. 3:11 pm: Randhawa makes announcement to cancel all 295-A cases against Sikhs registered on the complaint of Sacha sauda Dera followers. 3:12 pm: He promises to ensure Badals are put behind bars. 3:15 pm: Public reaction to their speeches has led to Congress and panthic leaders discussing whether to call off protest. Congress leaders leave venue, but panthic leaders continue discussions. 3:15 pm: Public reaction to their speeches has led to Congress and panthic leaders discussing whether to call off protest. Congress leaders leave venue, but panthic leaders continue discussions. 3:14 pm: To give panthic leaders time to come to a decision, they taking turns to address the crowd. 3:21 pm: Baba Fauza Singh asked Dhian Singh Mand to keep public sentiments in mind while decision whether to call off dharna. 3:24 pm: Simranjit Singh Mann says arresting of all accused in sacrilege incidents is their foremost demand. Another one is to bring guilty policemen to book. 4:15 pm: After two hours of deliberation, Dhian Singh Mand begins his address. 4:25 pm: Mand refuted allegations that panthic leaders misappropriated funds meant for the protest. He said organisers had spent Rs 1.26 crore of Rs 1.48 crore were received as donation in last 192 days. 4:26 pm: No 'tactical dealing' with the state government: Mand 4:30 pm: We are not ending morcha but changing its outline: Mand 4:33 pm: From today, the morcha will take new turn. Announcement regarding this will be made in the days to come, he said. 4:35 pm: Will ensure release of Jagtar Hawara: Mand uttara@tribuneindia.com New Delhi, December 9 Congress president Rahul Gandhi has written to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, urging his government in the state to pass a resolution calling on the Centre to pass the Women's Reservation Bill. Gandhi has written to Singh as well as chief ministers in states where the Congress holds power asking for a resolution urging the central government to pass the Bill. In his letter to the Punjab chief minister, Gandhi noted that the Rajya Sabha passed the 108th constitutional amendment bill in 2010, but it lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. "The Congress and several parties have called on the prime minister to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill and pledged their support. While the opponents of the bill have cast doubts on the ability of women to affect change, the leadership role taken by women after the 73rd and 73th constitutional amendments have proved the detractors wrong," he said in his letter. The Bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. "In order to affirm our support to the passage of the Bill, it would be expedient for the state assembly to pass a resolution calling for the reservation of one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and legislative assembly for women, in the next session," Gandhi said. He said that Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev had also written to all party-led state governments in this regard on November 23. The legislative assemblies of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have already taken a lead and passed a resolution calling on the central government to enact the women's reservation bill, he noted. Gandhi's letter comes just days before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament. Ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to "demonstrate his commitment to the cause of women", and ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during that session. PTI pardeepdhull@gmail.com Beijing/Ottawa, December 9 China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltds chief financial officer, calling the case extremely nasty. Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on December 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her companys links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. In a short statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canadas ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a strong protest. Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Saturday there is nothing to add beyond what the Minister said yesterday. Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China is important and valued, and Canadas ambassador in Beijing has assured Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huaweis CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing. Canadas arrest of Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move ignored the law, was unreasonable and was in its very nature extremely nasty, he added. China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused. The statement did not elaborate. There will probably be a deep freeze with the Chinese in high-level visits and exchanges, David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, said on Friday. The ability to talk about free trade will be put in the ice box for a while. But were going to have to live with that. Thats the price of dealing with a country like China. On Sunday, the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily said that while China would not cause trouble, it also did not fear trouble and that nobody should underestimate Chinas determination on this case. Only if the Canadian side corrects its mistake and immediately stops infringing upon the lawful, legitimate rights of a Chinese citizen and gives a proper accounting to the Chinese people can it avoid paying a heavy price for this, it said in an editorial. Mengs arrest was on the same day that US President Donald Trump met in Argentina with Chinas Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the worlds two largest economies. We are tracking the developments of this case and refer you to the filings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, said a US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The news of Mengs arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have played down its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. A Huawei spokesman said on Friday the company has every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion. The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. Reuters Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- An Investigation of Real Data reveals that what was presented, these Days, as a public outcry against an obscure Chinese Researcher, at a far away Province in China, abusively testing a Germ-line Manipulation on 2 newborn Chinese Babies, Revealing that at "a Conference in China", and triggering mainly Western Countries' strong Criticism for Dangerously Changing the Genome across Future Generations, by the Gene-Editing new Technology of CRISPR-cas9, seems to be, in Fact, the Opposite : - I.e. a staged Attempt by a USA-based Lobby linked to former President Barack Hussein Obama's "Socialist" Dems' Big Pharma Establishment, to Export, Publicize, and soon Impose currently illegal and Prohibited Genetic Manipulations on Human Embryos, even despite obvious Risks, not only for the Cobays, but also for Humankind's Future, and Contrary to National and International Legal Rules, by undermining and Skiping the legitimate Policy of New US President Don Tump, (at least partly Similar to those of his predecessor Republican former US President GW Bush, as well as to various Other, mainly Conservative Heads of State around the World, old and new, among those Heads of State/Government gathered these same Days in Argentina for the "G-20" Summit, which may offer a Timely Occasion, incl to start Firmly Confirming some core Principles, including after Trump - Xi's, much awaited USA-China Bilateral Top Meeting at its Conclusion)... ----------------------------- Indeed, the Young Chinese rogue Researcher, He Jiankui, who notoriously Manipulated the Heritable Genome of 2 Embryos, before they gave Birth at a Southern Chinese Province, had been, in fact, Educated in the USA, Both for his PhD. and Post-Doc. Work, during former US President Barack Hussein Obama's era, on 2010 and 2012, respectively : I.e., by a striking "Coincidence", precisely just after Obama had Lifted, (by his 1st Important Decision, back since March 2009), most of a former Prohibition of Federal Funding for Genetic Manipulations of Human Embryos, (which had been Established and Confirmed, Earlier, by his predecessor, Republican former US President GWBush, twice, on 2001 and 2005+). +Moreover, Both his 2 US Mentors were California "Dems", Educated during former US Presidet Bill Clinton's era in the 1990ies, and Appointed Professors of University, Heads of Institutes, etc., at Key Jobs for Human Genetics raising big BioEthical Issues, during another "Socialist" ("Dem") President, Barack Hussein OBAMA, (2010-2016) : - F.ex., Professor Michael Deem, (his PhD. former Director), at Rice University, Texas, a Specialist of "BioMedical Engineering", including on "HIV" and the "Immune System", as well as "Viruses", "Vaccines", etc, (i.e. Precisely there where Jiankui Manipulated Genetically those 2 Chinese Babies, reportedly seeking to make them Immune during their Lives and even Generations), even eyeing at "Evolution that accounts for Cross-Species Genetic Exchange " (sic !), according to his own presentation, whose Research is Funded by several US Government Authorities (f.ex. in Health, Energy and Defense, etc.), as well as by USA's National Academy of Sciences, whose President, Marcia McNutt, was appointed during Obama's era (from 4/2016), openly Supporting OBAMA's "Climate Change and National Security" policy since 2016, and even OBAMA's plaidoyerie for "Heritable Gene Editing" on Humans sooner of later in the foreseable Future, (Published in a February 2017 Report). Deem reportedly told to the American Press that he had also Participated personally to several Concrete Steps taken by Jiankui in China recently, (f.ex. by Meeting on the spot the Parents of those Genetically Manipulated Embryos, in order to Ensure their "Consent", etc)... - But also Stephen Quake, (Jiankui's "Post-Doc" Mentor, around 2010-2012), at Stanford University, California, (whose "Nevro-Science Institute" is "led" by the same 3 Professors "who jointly led the working Group for President Barack OBAMAs <> research initiative") : Professor of Bio-Engineering, Inventor of "new DNA Sequencing technologies", and New "Pre-Natal Tests", etc., as well as "co-President of the Chan-Zuckerberg Bio-Hub, Founded by American FACEBOOK's Inventor Mark Zuckerberg and his Asiatic-origin Wife (a Medical "Pediatric"), with "Head of Science" a "Genetician and Neuro-Biologist", Cori Bargmann, who "co-Chaired the National Institutes of Health committee that set goals and strategies for President OBAMAs <> Research", etc., and "Policy" Head David Plouffe, Manager of Barack OBAMA s 2008 Electoral Presidential Campaign". as well as "White House Senior Advisor to President OBAMA", (etc)... In Addition, Quake is also Member of Stanford's "Nevro-Sciences Institute", recently ReNamed "Wu Tsai Nevro-Science", after $ 250 Millions funding, just last October 2018, by Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai, co-Founder and vice-CEO of the notorious "ALIBABA" Group, a "Global Internet technology company based in CHINA", (See also Infra). Tsai's "generous Gift will help" not only to "treat Brain Injury", but, "as well as ENHANCE BRAIN functions, to Improve Lives", significantly notes an Official Press Release from Stanford. And "Wu Tsai" added that, Ultimately, we hope (that) the Research undertaken at the... Neurosciences Institute will lead to ...Treatments that impact millions of People by Prolonging their Lives and MAKING them MORE ...PRODUCTIVE", as she claimed. In Fact, Joe Tsai is Not part of Real China at all, since he holds a Taiwan Citizenship, has been Born in Taiwan, (where his Wife also comes from), Educated in the USA, and even Living, initially at Hong Kong, and later in the USA, (at California, notoriously Controlled by Obama's Dems/"Socialists/Liberals"). He's the Only among "AliBaba"'s Managers to do so, and had been, in the Past, just 1 among its ...18 co-Founders ! In order to be accepted for that, he had reportedly left, initially, a USA Job paid $ 7.000, for an Alibaba job paid only ...$ 600 ! + Even More Important : The so-called "CONFERENCE in China", where Jiankui revealed in Public his above-mentioned Heritable Gene-Editing on 2 Babies, (Comp. Supra), was, in Fact, located in ...HONG-KONG, (a former British overseas Colony, until recently, Still having a Special Status Nowadays), was almost entirely Focused on GENE EDITING, and Sponsored by a UK and USA outlets : - Indeed, it was mainly co-Sponsored by the American "National Academy of Sciences" (NAS), a Private, Peer-Managed Institution, whose current President has been Appointed at OBAMA's era, Back since April 2016 : Significantly, NAS' President, Marcia McNutt, had practically Started her career there, by Publishing from September 2016 a 1st Report on OBAMA's "Climate Change and National Security Policy", while, as a Last Move from OBAMA's Out-going Administration, precisely on BioEthics, NAS Published, at the beginning of February 2017, a Report, precisely on the Controversial but Important Issue of Heritable GENE EDITING of Human Embryos, where it practically Warned that the pre-existing Prohibition seemed due to be Lifted, under certain Conditions, in the foreseable Future... + In Addition, it's USA's "Howard Hughes' Medical Institute", HHMI, ( 2nd-Best endowed Medical research Foundation in the World, with 22,6 Billions $), which PAID : - that Conference's co-Organizers, as the Inventors of "CRISPR-cas9" Gene-Editing Technology, Feng Zhang and Jennifer Doudna, - as well as Richard Hynes, HHMI's Investigator and co-Chair of NAS' Committee which had Published the above-mentioned Report on Prospects for the (until now illegal) Heritable Gene Editing, (OBAMA's LAST MOVE, back on 2/2017 : Comp. Supra), - and even ..."AP"'s Press Agency itself, (which was the 1st to Start Publishing a Series of News Articles on He Jiankui's Controversial acts, creating a Mass Medias' "Tsunami" effect of Publicity Worldwide)... ---------------------------------------------- => So that, Obviously, the North American, US and Obama-related Links, mainly of various "Socialist"/Dems' Technocrats on Bio-Genetics, etc., were, by far, the Most Important Factor in Jiankui's case, while, on the Contrary, the alleged "Chinese" Links appeared, Comparatively, much Weaker and UnCertain : - Among others, f.ex., Jiankui, reportedly, had to get an "UnPaid Leave", almost since the Beginning of 2018, from his recent work at the "Southern University of Science and Technology", in Shenzhen, (South-Eastern China), and conduct his above-mentioned Controversial Activities OUT of that University's Campus, at a non-disclosed location, Secretly... ----------------- => In such a Context, Most Public Comments on Jiankui's controversial acts, Both from the USA and from China, or Elsewhere, appeared more or less Critical : - F.ex., the Technical University where he worked, at Southern China, reportedly stressed that Jiankui "seriously Violated Academic Ethics and Standards". - A collective Letter Signed by some 100 Chinese Scientists reportedly Urged the Public Authorities to Monitor efficiently Gene Editing, and Condemned that experiment. - The Head of "China Association for Science and Technology", Huai Jinpeng, reportedly called that "Despicable and Damaging for China's Image". - Various International and/or American Experts reportedly called such acts "UnExpected and Deeply Disturbing". - Mainly Western and other Scientists, (including at the above-mentioned Hong Kong International Conference), reportedly "Warned of Far-Reaching Effects", while "we have No Idea what Future Risks there may be". - Notre Dame Law School professor O. Carter Snead, a former Presidential adviser on Bio-Ethics, was reported as calling this case Deeply Troubling". Medical Ethicist Julian Savulescu of Oxford University, reportedly called such "experiments" "Monstrous". ---------------------------------- - But several, mainly USA Dems' comments, appeared, in fact, to rather pay a mere Lip Service on Criticizing simply Procedural and/or Timing Aspects, while, on the Contrary, seeking an Occasion to Prepare a recalcitrant Public Opinion for a forthcoming use of such Controversial and UnPopular Methods, sometime in the Future... - F.ex., some Focused Only on Asking for some undetermined and vague "Ethical Procedures", "Transparency", etc., while Leaving the Essence of such Acts to be, eventually, more or less Tolerated, perhaps under certain Conditions, Later-on. - In thsis regard, Typical is the above-mentioned "Chan-Zuckerberg BioHub"'s stance, in California (indirectly linked to Jiankui : Comp. Supra), which Limits itself into only expressing "Concerns", related to "Transparency", "Ethical and Medical Criteria", etc, while, at the Same Time, it Praises what it calls "CRISPR Technology"'s "Tremendous Potential", which, as they Claim, "Must (sic) be Pursued", simply "within (undetermined) Community Standards", accepting even OBAMA's era's NAS' Controversial Report, published on 2/2017, "For the Use of Heritable Genome Editing" (Comp. Supra) !... - Several People reportedly found "Astounding", the Obama era - appointed (2016) Dean of Harvard's Medical School, George Daley's abstention from condemning the present case, but Only calling it as a mere "MisStep", while Urging that "it's Time to ...Start outlining ...an actual PathWay for Clinical translation" (sic !)..., as he said at that strange Hong-Kong's Conference organized by some UK-USA Lobbies, (Comp. Supra). - Scandalously Threatening a Morbid Blackmail, an even Worse Claim was reportedly launched when some evoked a Nightmare Scenario : F.ex. if a new Killer Virus arises (as the Black Death in Medieval Times, or Obama's era 2009 "Mexican"/California Deadly Virus, etc), withOut Vaccine, but Only some People's Genes being able to Resist => Wouldn't, you, then, feel Obliged to implore for a kind of ...Genetic Antidote to the current and next Generation ? - "This is a Technology that could Save the Species, (sic !) potentially", pompously claimed f.ex., Harvard's Stem Cell Institute's IVF Doctor, Werner Neuhausser, in that Gene Editing Conference at Hong Kong... - "We, as a Species need to maintain the flexibility to Face Future Threats", by "Taking Control of our Heredity", reportedly went on to Add, apparently in that Same (Blackmail) Line, also the Obama-era (2016) appointed, controversial Harvard Medical School Dean Daley... ----------------------------- >>> On the Contrary, "Other Voices asked for a BAN on Germ-Line Editing", a Journalist from "Technology Review" observed, (See also Infra). - In mainland China, Science and Technology vice-Minister, Xu Nanping, reportedly accused that Heritable Genetic Manipulation of 2 Babies to have "Blatantly Violated China's relevant Laws and Regulations", since "Clinical operations of Genetic Editing for Human Embryos is Strictly Prohibited in our Country", as he observed, citting, f.ex., inter alia, also a 2003 Rule, etc. => "This is Shocking and UnAcceptable : We (China's Government) are Resolutely Opposed !", the competent Minister reportedly stressed. - Therefore, he Requested to Suspend the Scientific/Technological Activities of those who Committed such Acts, (reportedly Repeated over 7 Embryos, from which only 2 were Born), and anounced that the Next Step of China's Ministry of Science and Technology will be to male a full and objective Investigation on those Incidents, so that the Competent Authorities will be able to Deal with those who are Responsible, according to the Laws and Regulations. - UK's "Socialist"/Labour Establishment's Newspaper "Guardian" claimed that, at least that 2003 BioEthical Rules would Not foresee any "Sanctions", but it canNot be Excluded a priori Any Possibility for Various Convincing Measures versus those who Violate the Norms on such Important Issues for Both the People immediately Affected, but Also for all Humanity. + In the USA, it's FDA's New Chief, Commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, (appointed by New US President Don Trump on 2017), reportedly slamed "certain Uses of Science", which "should be Judged InTolerable, and cause Scientists to be Cast Out". F.ex., "the use of CRISPR to Edit Human Embros, or Germ-Line Cells, should Fall in that bucket", Gottlieb pointed out : A Restriction which should reportedly apply on Cells which are "for (Human) ReProduction". ------------- => In this International Context, from a PanEuropean point of view, the 47 Member Countries (including Russia) strong CoE in Strasbourg has Just Published Today a Press Release on the above-mentioned Events, (Heritable Gene-Editing on 2 Babies, and that 2nd International Conference on Human Genome : Comp. Supra), reminding the Fact that its' "Convention on Human Rights and BioMedicine (alias "Oviedo Convenion" of 1997)", which is "the Only International, Legally Binding instrument, addressing Human Rights in the Bio-Medical Field", "provides a Unique Framework" for that Purpose, Distinguissing mainly between : - "better Understanding of the Causes of Diseases, and their ...Treatment", in order "to Improve Human Health", where "these Technologies have considerable Potential for Research", from one side - and "the Application of Genome Editing Technologies to Human Gametes or Embryos", which, "however, ...Raises many Ethical, Social, and Safety Issues, particularly from any Modification of the Human Genome, that could be passed on to Future Generations", => CoE Topicaly observes that, Both "these Expectations and Concerns, remain very Relevant Today, with regard to those Genome-Editing Technologies". - Indeed, "the Oviedo Convention", already "represents the outcome of an in-Depth Discussion at European level, on Developments in the BioMedical Field", including, "particularly", "Genetics". + In Addition, Nowadays, "Addressing these Issues is the Aim" of the Work carried out by the "Human Rights - BioMedicine" Group of Experts, inside the CoE, observes the PanEuropean Organisation of Strasbourg, (concerning, evenmore, a matter for which that relevant Convention's Mechanism is always Open to the Accession even of Non-European States, from Anywhere in the World)... ------------ - Indeed, "this Work" is "Guided by the Aknowledgement of Positive Perspectives" in "the Development of Knowledge in ...Genetics", from one side, "But also by the greater Possibility to Intervene and Control Genetic Characteristics of Human Beings", from the Other side. => This Fact is "Raising Concern, about Possible MisUse and Abuses, in particular the Intentional Modification of Human Genome, so as to Produce Individuals or Groups endowed with Particular Characteristics, and required Qualities", CoE Warned. >>> On this Crucial point, "Article 13 of the Convention, addresses these Concerns about Genetic Enhancement, or Germ-Line Engineering, by Limiting the Purposes of any Intervention on the Human Genome, (including in the Field of Research), to Prevention, Diagnosis or Therapy" only, CoE stressed. +"Furthermore, it Prohibits any Intervention with the Aim of Introducing a Modification in the Genome of any Descendants", (i.e. in the Germ-Line), clearly observes CoE, thus Excluding any Heritable Germ-Line Manipulation, as that Nowadays made by Jiankui, (Comp. Supra). [NDLR: However, Despite that CoE's Legal Protection of Human Genome from most Genetic Manipulations, (particularly when they seek to Modify the Germ-line permanently), it's also a Fact that Many CoE Member Countries, headed, initially, by Germany, etc., have notoriously Refused to Ratify that "Oviedo" Convention, by arguying that it would leave Too Much Discretion even to potentialy Dangerous BioMedical Interventions, especialy on Heritable Human Gene-Editing. In this regard, "Eurofora" has witnessed Both the Exasperated Outburst of angered critical German and other Experts, (f.ex. also from Cyprus, etc), when that Draft had been Adopted by a Committee in Strasbourg, already Back on 1996-1997, and the quasi-Despair of an eminent former Long-Time President of CoE's competent Experts, (from Portugal), when he Denounced the existence of a stubborn Division and Opposition, between National Experts who wanted to Better Protect Human Embryos, and Other Experts who pushed, on the Contrary, to Weaken even More CoE's legal Safeguards, forming 2 Camps, then led by Germany or the UK -governed by ChristianDemocrats/Right or "Socialists"/Left, respectively- which Provoked, soon, even the ...Suspension or Dissolution of CoE's Working Group on Human Embryo, during the 2.000ies ! So that, Afterwards, it was mainly at UN level that a Majority, inspired particularly by World-Famous former Long-Time Pope John-Paul II from Poland, adopted a relevant Resolution at UN General Assembly for the Protection of Human Embryo from Genetic Manipulations, just before his Death, on 2004/2005. The move was Supported also by former USA President GW. Bush, who had already Adopted a Strong Relevant Measure, Prohibiting Federal Funding to Genetic Manipulations of Human Embryos from August 2001, and, following his Brillant Re-Election, he also Opposed his Veto to an Opposed, deviationist Draft Bill, from a Dems'-controlled Congress, after 2005.] ------------------ => Finally, observing anew "the Fundamental Questions raised by ...Recent Technological Developments", particulaly on "the Ethical and Legal Challenges raised by ...Emerging Genome-Editing Technologies", CoE Topicaly reminded Today its December 2015 Decision to "Examine" those "Challenges", and to "use" the "Principles laid down in the Oviedo Conention", (Comp. Supra), also "for the Debate called for at International Level", (as it's also foreseen "in its Article 28" on the "Need for such Debates"). ___________________________ => Will, new US President Don Trump, and China's President Xi Jinping, be Inspired by the Firm Stance on basic Human Rights' Principles, that showed recently their Competent Authorities, (Comp. Supra), and Reminded also the PanEuropean CoE Today, (ibid), when they will Meet Together for a Long Working Diner, also on other Topical Global Issues, as Trade, etc, at the Conclusion of the on-going "G20" Summit in Argentina, Saturday Evening in Buenos Aires ? In Fact, the Political Developments in Key Countries such as Brazil, and also Argentina itself, partially Italy, etc, where New, Conservative Leaders of the Right have been notoriously Elected by the People, might, eventually, Facilitate even a much Wider common Stance for BioEthics inside the "G20" Summit. But, at any case, at least President Trump should realize that it's Important Not to Leave such Key Issues to some Shady Manouvers mainly by Obama's "Socialist" a.o. Lobbies, (Comp. Supra), which still exert Pressure for Technocrats' desiderata to be Imposed against People's basic Human Rights, with Dangerous Threats for Humankind's Future. And the Precedent of former US President GWBush's unexpectedly Brillant Electoral Win, Back on 2004, (a Fellow Conservative himself), against the Dems' "Socialists", with a 3 Millions Votes - Large Margin, mainly over his Solid and Principled Stance on the Protection of Human Embryos from Genetic Manipulations by greedy Technocrats, proved, once again, that there is an Important, yet untapped Potential throughout all those "Evangelicals", "Born Again", and various Other Christians, or simply Grassroots American People notoriously living at USA's "Heartland", the Mobilisation of whom can become a Game Changer in view of the Next, 2020 US Presidential Election, which will be the most Crucial Test. for USA's foreseable Future, (but, perhaps, also of the World). At any case, let's hope that this Argentina Meeting will help, if not an immediate Agreement, between the North American and Chinese Presidents, Strong on BioEthical Principles and Values, for the sake of both their People and all Humankind, at least a useful Preparation for such -much needed- Positive Developments asap. Even the Sad news about the Death of Historic former US President (1989-1993) George H. Bush Senior, aged 94, (shortly after his inseparable Wife, Barbara, passed away, earlier this Same Year), anounced by his Son, GWBush junior, himself former US President twice (2001-2009), can be read as a Symbol : Twice vice-President with Ronald Reagan, CIA Director, Ambassador to the UN, etc., GHBush, (who oversaw the End of "Cold War" and Germany's peacefull ReUnification, etc), had also served as USA's Liaison with ...China ! And we shall never forget that Night of Autumn 2004, when all Polls were giving Only an UnCertain 50 - 50 % Draw to his Son, GWBush, on his Re-Election attempt, until Late Evening, making Father Bush to urge him to go to Sleep, overNight, in order to be Ready for Tomorrow Morning, himself staying Awake throughout all that exceptionaly "Long" Night. Until he was Surprized to Find that, UnExpectedly, the Young GWBush had just Won with a Crystal-Clear + 3% Margin, after a Big Number of USA Heartland's People, (Christians and others), had suddenly Decided to Massively go Vote for his Son, when it became Clear that he really intended to keep his Promise to Protect Human Embryos from Genetic Manipulations by Technocrats, as he realy did, later-on, Marking the Importance of Key BioEthical Issues for simple but genuine American People, then, as, Hopefully, also Now... Nowadays, it's for conscious People, and their Elected Authentic Representatives, to SafeGuard the Independence, Security and Freedom of Natural Human Biths, instead of Abandoning the crucial issue of Human Beings' Reproduction to Artificial Manipulations controlled by a Handfull of Technocrats, (Comp. Headline PHOTO/Patchwork). Several conscious and important Intellectuals have already Warned for the Need to Prevent such Dangers to Slyly Impose a Monstruous AppartHeid, which Threatens to be the End of Humankind, (Comp., f.ex., inter alia, also : Aldus Huxley : "Brave New World", Eugene Zamyatin : "We", Mary Shelley : "Frankenstein", HGWells : "Time Machine" + "The Island of Dr. Moreau", etc). Today, it's, obviously, for Presidents Don Trump and Xi Jiping to decide first, as well as for the International Community at large, in a really Democratic, Transparent, Well-Informed, Efficient and Timely way, and Not for a Shady Powerfull Lobby of Misleading Technocrats, Hypocritically pursuing, in fact, their selfish interests, badly Hidden behind a Fake Smokescreen, (Comp. above-mentioned Facts)... Nowadays, it's for conscious People, and their Elected Authentic Representatives, to SafeGuard the Independence, Security and Freedom of Natural Human Biths, instead of Abandoning the crucial issue of Human Beings' Reproduction to Artificial Manipulations controlled by a Handfull of Technocrats, (Comp. Headline PHOTO/Patchwork). Several conscious and important Intellectuals have already Warned for the Need to Prevent such Dangers to Slyly Impose a Monstruous AppartHeid, which Threatens to be the End of Humankind, (Comp., f.ex., inter alia, also : Aldus Huxley : "Brave New World", Eugene Zamyatin : "We", Mary Shelley : "Frankenstein", HGWells : "Time Machine" + "The Island of Dr. Moreau", etc). Today, it's, obviously, for Presidents Don Trump and Xi Jiping to decide first, as well as for the International Community at large, in a really Democratic, Transparent, Well-Informed, Efficient and Timely way, and Not for a Shady Powerfull Lobby of Misleading Technocrats, Hypocritically pursuing, in fact, their selfish interests, badly Hidden behind Fake Smokescreens, (Comp. above-mentioned Facts)... Many Facts show that, either they'll guarantee the Respect of current Principles OutLawing Genetic Manipulations on Human Embryos transmissible to Future Generations, or it will be, sooner of later, the End of Humanity as such, (Comp. Supra). (../..) 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. I suppose I dont think of myself as a man really. I think of myself more as an artist. It is typical of Jackie Hinkson that he would identify more with the one that has consciously defined his life, all 79 years so far. What surprises me about that whole idea of me as an artist is how it started, and how it evolved, because I didnt understand how that happened. I'm not an expert but I think it's the same as with persons who are entitled to come visa-free 90/180 but their passports have not been stamped on entry or exit from Schengen (this shouldn't happen but sometimes does). They may be asked to show other proof - tickets, boarding passes, hotel reservations etc that they entered/exited on the day they say they entered/exited to avoid a fine and temporary ban. The burden of proof is on the traveller and not on the government. The OP is also advised to keep such documentation but, all in all, since he has a valid D visa, valid passport and is not planning to cause trouble in Germany, I do not think the authorities will be too bothered to check whether he exceeds his 90/180 period or not. Documented legal foreigners who are not involved in any crime are normally of no interest to the authorities. There are occasionally reports in Polish media about German and Czech residents who are fined and sent back to Germany or Czech Republic but they seem to concern people who come thinking that since it's Schengen they can go wherever they want with only a German/Czech residence permit or without any documents at all because nobody will check them. Help with our plan - Family with 2 toddlers - March 2019 Help with our plan - Family with 2 toddlers - March 2019 Hello All, We are planning a 6 day trip to Costa Rica in March 2019. We'll be landing in Liberia International Airport. Here is the trip plan March 14 - Arrive in LIR, Rent a car and drive to Alajuela. March 15-16 - Tenorio National Park March 16 -19 --- Go to a good beach resort. I need help deciding between Playa COnchal and Punta Islita, Guanacastle. I'm looking for a nice beach for kids to play and at the same time do some short outings. Can you please help me to decide between the two places? Any other suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate. Thank you! -:- 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. Agree with the others. Too much in 12 days. (Does that include or exclude arrival/departure days?) 90+% of firts-timers make the same mistake.... drafting a list of places rather than a realistic practical itinerary. Need help and advice to make it in time for my flight Need help and advice to make it in time for my flight Hello everyone, my flight back home from New Chitose Airport is at 8.55am on 1st January 2019. Since it is an international flight, we will need to check in by latest 7am. The first train from Sapporo is at 6.02am and will arrive at the airport at 6.50am. I would like to know if there is any possibility of train delay, perhaps due to snowstorm or whatsoever? I am quite afraid of missing my flight as I missed one in Korea due to a train fault. I would actually be staying near JR Sapporo station but would you recommend staying at a hotel in Chitose instead? I looked up Air Terminal hotel but it is fully booked. The nearest option I found was Grand Terrace Chitose Hotel which offers a free shuttle bus. Thank you for your advices. I did it! It took me years but I did it! I got the Temple of Dendur completely empty! But lets start for the beginning: Previously on SariChiles ongoing trip report, our female hero (I suspect heroine is not longer politically correct) was about to go on an uncertain mission: to try and take a crosstown bus. O so she thought. LOL Well, my last two trips my relationship with crosstown buses has been patchy to say the least. It was so bad that I ended my long relationship with the M86 (now M86 SBS) because a couple of times it never showed up (and no girl likes to be stood up. Right?). Instead I have been flirting with the M96 since last year so I took the train to W 96th St. with the intention to take that bus. Instead I found a M106 there and the driver told me he crossed the Central Park through the same route than M96 so (fickle as I am) off I went with my new friend. Fortunately an M2 bus came along soon after I got to the stop so I didnt have to wait much in the cold. When we passed by the Guggenheim I was so distracted asking (here) what was going on that I almost miss my stop! I was expecting the MET to be full which was my experience every time I went on weekends. But it was sooooo nicely empty (for MET standards) that I enjoyed the couple hours I was there very, very much. I wonder if this is a consequence of the new full-price policy. So, first stop, the gift shop. I always go there first because I want to take that off the way so I can wander at ease afterwards. As always, I spent too much money there (even after the discount as a member!) but I cant help it. My favorite purchase was a mug with the MET logo that will go with me to work. Then, my ritual. Every time I come to NYC, in my first visit to the MET I go to say hello to Vincent (Van Gogh) self portrait. And in my last visit I go to say goodbye. After that I went to see the Christmas tree. Can I say something heretical? I was kind of disappointed. I mean, the nativity was magnificent but the tree itself was kind of dull. I took loads of pictures of the nativity though and even managed a couple of the entire tree with nobody around. (At this point I was so sleepy that I had to stop typing) So, the next step was the Dutch Masters exhibition. Not as big as I had imagined but interesting nevertheless. Ive come to the conclusion that the more I see Vermeers work the more I like them. I also discovered three artists that I hadnt noticed before and whose works I liked a lot: - Govern Flink: Bearded Man with a Velvet Cap - Margareta Haverman: A Vase of Flowers (The only woman among Dutch Masters!!!) - Hendrick Sorgh: A Kitchen It was getting late and I saw less and less people in the museum. I couldnt believe my luck. I rapidly headed to the Greek and Roman galleries and managed several empty room pictures (sometimes there were a few people in there but they were out of sight). I must have looked like one of those tourists that dont care about the art, just the I-was-there photo, but Ive admired the art many times (this must have been my 17th or 18th time at the MET) but couldnt get the photos I wanted. So, it was around 8:45 pm and I rushed to the Temple of Dendur. I had great hopes of achieving my goal: the photograph the Temple, empty. Several trips ago I did it but the photo turned out shaky (cameras not having the image stabilizers they have today). I even won a prize at the DK website for posting the tip to wait until closing time to get pictures of the temple illuminated and empty. But I hadnt been able to repeat the photo because I was always too tired to wait or has something else to do. But I finally did it!!! I took several photos with both my camera and my phone. Hurra for me!!! It was finally time to go back home (or hostel) and I walked to take the M86 SBS, crossing my fingers for it to come soon. Boy, it didnt just come soon, it came beautiful! It was like when your ex goes and have a makeover after you have dumped her/him. Big, comfortable bus. With a screen informing how many stops away was the next bus and all. When I took it there was another one just three stops away. Im seriously considering going back to the M86 for my trips to the MET. And thats was all for my first day. Going out now to the Museum at Eldridge Street. I have a tour booked at noon. I will read you and answer your posts during the day. Thanks for reading and have a great day!!!! Well in 4 weeks I will be packing to go on my first trip to NYC (and my first ever flight!) I'm so excited but absolutely terrified too! Not made a final itinerary yet as my brother is really busy with uni at the moment and want his input but so far I have - Land at JFK 13.55 on Monday 7th January, airtrain and LIRR to Penn Station then straight to our hotel. Freshen up then head out to see the Rockerfeller Christmas tree then to Times Square. Mcdonalds for food (not everyone will approve of this but its familiar and easy for our first night) Maybe look round grand central too? Tuesday No plans as of yet Wednesday 9am booked for Statue of Liberty crown access. 9/11 Memorial Walk Brooklyn Bridge and spend time in DUMBO Thursday Top of the Rock in the morning Shopping afternoon before heading to airport at 5.30pm for 9.30pm flight All very brief at the moment but have a guidebook and map now so hope to plan better over the coming weeks. :) South African Open hosted by the City of Johannesburg Randpark GC, Johannesburg, South Africa Day 1: I would move 9/11 Memorial to day 2 at is it not in the area where you will be on day 1 but is in the area where you will be on day 2. I would add the New York Public Library and Bryant Park after Grand Central Terminal on day 1. Day 2 : Times Square is something to see, I do agree, but twice is a bit much. You might want to see a Broadway show at night, there are many site with discounts (playbill, theatermania, broadwaybox) Day 3 : you can visit a museum there many in New York. To catch your flight at 3pm you will need to leave Manhattan by noon. As for the walk between Penn and the Novotel, it is a 20 minute walk in a straight line (7th Avenue) absolutely walkable, although this depends on your luggage, are you travelling with anyone and the weather. TROY, N.Y. Hudson Valley Community College recently announced the appointment of two new deans, both of whom come from within the ranks of the college administration. Penny Hill, who previously served as the lead administrator at the colleges TEC-SMART extension center, has been promoted to Dean of Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives, and Karen Ferrer-Muniz has been named Dean of Retention and Instructional Support Services after more than seven years with the college. Hill served as associate dean of TEC-SMART (Training and Education Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Alternative and Renewable Technologies) at the NYSERDA Saratoga Technology and Energy Park in Malta for seven years, where she helped grow the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Early College High School, which enrolls students from more than 20 school districts. In her new role, officials said Hill will provide leadership in developing industry partnerships, creating skills-based training initiatives and developing cutting-edge workforce development programs. She will continue to coordinate the START-UP NY program at the college. Prior to her arrival at the college, Hill was the Capital District Regional Director of the Workforce Development Institute of New York where she worked to advance training and education programs in a wide variety of areas, including manufacturing, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. She is a Hudson Valley Community College alumna and earned a bachelors degree in biology from the University at Albany and an M.B.A. from Russell Sage College. For the past seven years, Ferrer-Muniz has been the colleges associate dean for Instructional Support Services and Retention, overseeing several offices that provide academic resources to students and support their success. In her new role, officials said she is tasked with significantly expanding and improving retention-oriented programs while increasing student persistence and completion. She will continue to oversee the Marvin Library, the college learning centers, Collegiate Academic Support Program and Center for Academic Engagement while collaborating with academic deans, department chairs, and enrollment management and student services administrators to plan and implement strategies to boost student success. Prior to her position at Hudson Valley, she held leadership roles at Union College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center. 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. Come tomorrow, a new slate will be voted into the National Association of Athletes and Admin With several sides having already secured their passage to the round of 16, rotation is a factor to consider as we head into matchday six. However, there is still plenty to play for as we consider the best captaincy options. TUESDAY Mohamed Salah (11.0m) vs Napoli (H) Tuesday's decisive Group C contest is set up to be a classic Anfield European night, and such occasions call for big players. Salah who struck a hat-trick for the Reds on Saturday could well be the man to step up in a game which promises goals. The Egyptian also scored twice in his last home outing in the competition and will be the focal point of Jurgen Klopp's attack. Mauro Icardi (10.0m) vs PSV (H) Internazionale have it all to play for in Group B and, with qualification rivals Tottenham travelling to Barcelona, they know a positive result against PSV could mean progress. Step forward Icardi, who has 11 goals in all competitions this season and was on the scoreseheet in the reverse fixture against PSV on matchday two. The Dutch side have only pride to play for, so Icardi will be licking his lips at the opportunity to add to his three goals in this season's competition. Kylian Mbappe (10.0m) vs Crvena zvezda (A) The permutations in Group C are complicated to say the least, but it's safe to assume that Paris will be going all out for victory on their visit to Belgrade. Crvena zvezda have proven to be stern opposition on home soil, but Paris certainly have the firepower to cause them problems. Mbappe has scored eight of his 12 goals in this competition away from home and is a leading candidate for the Fantasy armband. WEDNESDAY Cristiano Ronaldo (11.9m) vs Young Boys (A) Although Juventus are already guaranteed a place in the round of 16, they have not yet secured top spot in their group and will look to tick that box when they travel to winless Young Boys. Ronaldo has produced attacking returns in his last two UEFA Champions League matches and just in case you needed reminding is the all-time top scorer in the competition. Riyad Mahrez (8.6m) vs Hoffenheim (H) With such a wealth of talent at their disposal, predicting the Manchester City line-up is a near-impossible task, but one player Josep Guardiola has relied upon in the UEFA Champions League recently is summer signing Riyad Mahrez. The Algerian winger has started the last three matches in the competition, contributing one goal and four assists during that time. With City looking to confirm top spot in Group F against bottom side Hoffenheim, the 2%-owned Mahrez is an intriguing differential option. Robert Lewandowski (11.1m) vs Ajax (A) When in doubt, why not just go for the top-scoring Fantasy player in the competition? With six goals in his five group stage matches so far including strikes in both away trips Lewandowski is hot property among Fantasy managers and features in 20% of all teams. The winner of Bayern's visit to Ajax will top Group E so a high-octane affair surely lies in store, and with such a stellar scoring record in Europe, the Pole is an excellent captaincy choice. UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie (right) and Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nestor Popolizio during a press conference in Lima, Peru on October 23, 2018. UNHCR / Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo Buenos dias, I am very grateful to President Vizcarra for receiving me this morning, and for the talks we have just had. Thank you Minister Popolizo very much for your work and for your words. I have come to Peru to witness the humanitarian situation for those fleeing Venezuela. I spent the last two days in Lima and at the border in Tumbes, where thousands of Venezuelans are entering on a daily basis. This region is facing one of the largest mass migrations in its history. The crisis is all the more shocking for being predictable and preventable. Every Venezuelan I met described the situation in their country as desperate. I heard stories of people dying because of a lack of medical care and medicine: cancer patients whose chemotherapy was abruptly stopped, diabetes sufferers without access to insulin, children without basic antibiotics, people starving, and tragic accounts of violence and persecution. None of the Venezuelans I met want charity. They want an opportunity to help themselves. I met a man who, until a few months ago, was a lawyer in Venezuela. He now is grateful for a small job in a t-shirt factory. Like many others, his only aim is to be able to send a few dollars home so his children can eat. The message that I heard consistently was, we didnt want to leave, we had to leave. After having spoken to so many people, it is clear to me that this is not movement by choice. The Venezuelans I met did not go north to the US, but traveled south to Peru. Many have gone to Colombia and Ecuador, also very generous countries at this crucial time. As in nearly every displacement crisis, the countries that have fewer resources are being asked to do the most. I want to thank the people of Peru for their generous and resilient response to this difficult situation. I told President Vizcarra how much UNHCR appreciates the steps Peru has taken, to help Venezuelans have legal status and access to basic services. And we discussed the regional efforts being carried out in the Quito process, which is a first step towards a regional solution. We also spoke about what more the international community can and should be doing to support Peru and its neighbors. The number of people displaced worldwide continues to increase, it now stands at 68.5 million people. One person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution. There is justified public concern about this unprecedented movement of people across borders internationally. And a perception that the distinction between refugees and economic migrants, enshrined in international law, is being blurred. Whereas economic migrants choose to move, often for very understandable reasons, refugees face an immediate threat to life and cannot return home safely and their protection becomes a shared international responsibility. At a time when fundamental principles are being questioned, it is more important than ever that we have the systems and resources in place to identify people with genuine refugee and asylum claims, and to make sure that they have the support that they need. It is crucial to reinforce the rule of law, respect for human rights, international protection and asylum systems. This applies as much to the situation in Mexico, where UNHCR is reinforcing its presence in the south, encouraging people to register and apply through legal means, where they can define their reasons for seeking asylum. Most of all, wherever we live, we need our governments to do more to address the conflict and insecurity that is creating refugees, so that people can return to their countries. In my experience the vast majority of refugees want to do just that: they want to return home. I have been deeply touched by the dignity and strength of the Venezuelan refugees I have met on this visit, and by the warmth and generosity of the Peruvian people. Thank you very much for welcoming me to your beautiful country. Tu causa es mi causa. Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, is one of a growing number of cities around the world that are choosing to empower refugees. UNHCR/Claire Thomas MARRAKECH, Morocco The UN refugee chief on Sunday welcomed a commitment by city leaders around the world to get behind two new global agreements on refugees and migrants and support their inclusion in cities. When I started working with refugees 30 years ago, the response to refugees was rural and camp based. Today, two thirds of the worlds 25 million refugees live in urban settings, obliging us to reshape the way we respond and work with cities now on the front line of responding to forced displacement, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said. This years Mayoral Forum took place during UN Migration Week on Saturday (8 December) and garnered support for the global compacts on migrants and refugees that are expected to be validated by the UN General Assembly this month. Some 100 people from city authorities mayors and officials from Quito to Kampala - took part in the gathering, which discussed how to meet the needs of both refugees and migrants. The Marrakech Mayors Declaration adopted by 80 cities around the world on Saturday also pledged to help shape a more positive narrative on people on the move. "We are full of admiration for all the mayors who have taken up a different kind of narrative to hostility and xenophobia." "We are full of admiration for all the mayors who have taken up a different kind of narrative to hostility and xenophobia. I really commend you for your courage and staying the course in crafting a more effective and principled approach to the refugee crises, Grandi told the gathering. In the declaration, city leaders expressed support for the global compact on refugees and the global compact on safe, orderly and regular migration. They recognized the role of local authorities as first responders to large-scale refugee situations, and saw a need to strengthen capacity for reception - including shelter arrangements for new arrivals. Leaders also committed to delivering assistance through municipal services in ways that benefit both refugees and residents, and encouraging initiatives that favour inclusion and refugee self-reliance, as well aiding their integration and removing barriers. The Mayoral Forum comes just days before the eleventh High Commissioners Dialogue on Protection Challenges on 18 and 19 December 2018 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The two days of discussions are dedicated to the protection and assistance of refugees, internally displaced and stateless persons in urban settings, with a particular focus on cities. See more stories from the Cities of Light series Poroshenko had conversations with head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Onufriy. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has asked head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate Onufriy to get into contact with Moscow and mediate in the release of 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia near the Kerch Strait on November 25. "Yesterday and the day before yesterday I had a conversation with the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, His Beatitude Onufriy. I asked him to immediately contact Moscow to involve the church in measures to return [the captive Ukrainian sailors]. I will use every opportunity to get our soldiers back. We will pray and hope that this will happen as soon as possible," the presidential press service quoted Poroshenko as saying in an interview to the First Eastern television channel. The president said that immediately after receiving information about an attack on the three Ukrainian vessels near the Kerch Strait, he requested a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin "in order to get an explanation of the actions of the Russian Armed Forces." "As you know, Putin shuns the conversation," Poroshenko said. Read alsoUkrainian consuls visit seven Ukrainian seamen in Moscow detention center - MFA 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 of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, 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 members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack. Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers. It will depend on the "political situation and the political will of the Kremlin." The Russian authorities may bring new charges against 24 Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia's FSB in the Black Sea on November 25. "All 24 sailors were charged with the same: violation of Part 3 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code of Russia (Illegal crossing the state border of Russia). The highest punishment under this article is six years in prison. But as is seen from experience in other cases and in relation to other political prisoners, I do not rule out that the Russian authorities may try to bring more charges by adding new articles," Russian lawyer of the Ukrainian sailors Nikolay Polozov said in an interview to Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty's Ukrainian service. According to him, it will depend on the "political situation and the political will of the Kremlin." "Of course, such a danger exists," the lawyer added. Read alsoPoroshenko asks church to mediate in release of Ukrainian sailors captured by Russia The Russian authorities have not yet commented on this statement of Polozov. 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 of the plans to re-deploy the vessels in advance in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tugboat, 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 members on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, being charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were wounded in the attack. Russian-controlled "courts" in occupied Crimea ruled that all 24 detainees should be remanded in custody, after which they were transferred to the Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Tishina detention centers. The SBU has information that Russian intelligence services have to organize similar acts of provocation in Belgium, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and other European countries. Latest large-scale "yellow vest" riots in Paris, France, accompanied by looting, vandalism and clashes of activists and law enforcement officers is a "practical examination" of European radicals trained by the secret services of the Russian Federation, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said. "International borders are not an obstacle to Russian hybrid aggression. The Kremlin uses dirty methods to destroy European stability, which it sees as a threat," the SBU quoted Chief Vasyl Hrytsak as saying in a statement posted on the SBU's Facebook page on December 9. According to information available to the Ukrainian special services, Moscow has intensified efforts to seize control of the radical movements of Europe in recent years. Every year, various "conferences" and "forums" are held in Russia where the ideologists of the "Russian world (Russiky Mir)" Alexander Dugin, Sergey Glazyev and others call on foreign "attendees" to forcefully overthrow European democracies. Read also"Russian World" supporters fly "DPR" flag at yellow vest protest in Paris And to let them gain "practical experience," radicals were taken as "European observers" to "monitor" fake "elections" organized by the Russian Federation in Russian-occupied Crimea and Donbas. "Today, the same radicals under the banners of the so-called 'DPR' ['Donetsk People's Republic'] and under the guidance of Russia's FSB and Directorate of General Staff of Russia's Armed Forces, are passing a "practical exam." "They have started to create unrest and violence in France behind the backs of peaceful protesters," the SBU said. In particular, several participants in the "yellow vests" rallies who are seen on a photo holding the banner of the Russian-controlled terrorist group "DPR" are Fabrice Sorlin (left) and Xavier Moreau (right), the SBU said. Fabrice Sorlin is a member of the "Katehon International Analytical Center," which acts under the auspices of the ideologists of the "Russian world": Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, Vladimir Putin's adviser Sergey Glazyev, leader of the "International Eurasian Movement" Alexander Dugin. Sorlin is a member of the "Russia-Donbass Integration Committee," which was created and is funded by the special services of the Russian Federation. Xavier Moreau is the founder of the Stratpol think tank, the Kremlin's propaganda outlet in France. He is a member of NGO "East France-Solidarity Donbass," which is controlled by the Russian special services. Moreau has been living in Russia for 17 years and acquired Russian citizenship in 2013. The SBU has information that Russian intelligence services have to organize similar acts of provocation in Belgium, Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and other European countries. This is just one of those bases near the Ukrainian border. Satellite imagery from Google Earth taken in November shows hundreds of Russian main battle tanks at a new military base on the outskirts of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in Russia's Rostov Oblast. "Images show hundreds of main battle tanks like as T-64 and also T-62M, while a thousand military trucks, artillery systems and tankers are located slightly higher," Defense Blog said. The large-scale military base only 18 kilometers away from the border with eastern Ukraine's Russian-occupied territory. Civil volunteer, Donbas war veteran, head of the Mir & Co charity fund Myroslav Hai gave the exact coordinates of the base on Google Maps. "Those who do not believe that the Russian Federation has been massing tanks near our border could use Google [Maps a web mapping service developed by Google] for assistance. Open [Google] Maps and enter the coordinates: 48.271754, 40.262984. Switch Google Maps to the Satellite view and see it by yourself. Hundreds of units of various military equipment. And this is just one of those bases near our border," he wrote on Facebook on December 9. Reuters earlier quoted Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces Gen. Viktor Muzhenko as saying that Russia had been ramping up its forces near the border with Ukraine since August 2018, posing the greatest military threat since 2014. Muzhenko gestured to a series of satellite images, which he said showed the presence of Russian T-62 M tanks stationed 18 km (11 miles) from the Ukrainian border. They had more than doubled to 250 from 93 machines within the space of two weeks from mid-September to October 1. Read alsoRussian threat highest since 2014: Ukraine military chief media Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak in turn did not rule out full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine. According to him, Russia has amassed almost 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine. As UNIAN reported earlier, a drone of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine spotted over 60 tanks in non-government-controlled areas of Donbas early in December 2018. This year, insurtech has experienced a decline in investments in startups and finally reached an inflection point. According to Deloitte, rather than channeling money across a large number of startups, backers have started investing more capital into established companies, often in late-stage and follow-on rounds. Startup activity in the sector slowed down in the first half of 2018. This trend began last year, with 2017 seeing the launch of 88 companies half the number recorded in 2015 and 2016. However, the decline in startup activity doesnt mean the growth of the past decade is coming to an end. Money continues to pour in, with investment of $869m in the first half of 2018 on track to (at least) equal the $1.82 billion in funds raised last year, which was the industrys second-highest level of financing ever. Anyways, even though startup activity has slowed, insurtech will continue to play a major role in shaping the future of the industry. According to a market forecast to 2023, the global insurtech market revenue, valued at $532.7m in 2018, is expected to reach $1,119.8m by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 16.0% during the forecast period 2018-2023. The digital and analytical tools have opened new revenue model and value chain through digital brokers. The industry, over the last two years, has realized the need and opportunity of software, which simplifies the decision-making process for customers, and allows insurers to understand the current need and demand in the market. Applications include: health insurance, property and casualty insurance, car insurance, life insurance, and others. The property and casualty insurance area is estimated to hold the significant market share in 2018, however, the health insurance segment is anticipated to grow at a higher CAGR. There is an increased focus on restructuring the healthcare systems and bridging the gap between people and healthcare services through improved the insurance claims experience. In this scenario, we want to highlight some US based growing startups that can become industry leading companies or continue to expand relentlessly in 2019 and beyond. Oscar is a health insurance company that provides plans including access to in-network doctors, a personalized Concierge Team, and free, 24/7 telemedicine. The company, which is expanding to offer its insurance in 14 markets in 2019, recently raised $375m in strategic funding . is a health insurance company that provides plans including access to in-network doctors, a personalized Concierge Team, and free, 24/7 telemedicine. The company, which is expanding to offer its insurance in 14 markets in 2019, recently . Root is a Columbus, Ohio-based auto insurance company that incorporates individual driving behavior in every quote. The company uses smartphone technology to understand individual driving behavior. Then customers obtain their personalized quote after a two-to-three week test drive, and can purchase and manage their policy entirely within the mobile app. Founded in 2015 by Alex Timm, CEO, Root raised $100m in Series D funding in August 2018 and $51m in Series C funding in March 2018. is a Columbus, Ohio-based auto insurance company that incorporates individual driving behavior in every quote. The company uses smartphone technology to understand individual driving behavior. Then customers obtain their personalized quote after a two-to-three week test drive, and can purchase and manage their policy entirely within the mobile app. Founded in 2015 by Alex Timm, CEO, Root raised $100m in Series D funding in August 2018 and $51m in Series C funding in March 2018. Metromile is another car insurance startup. Based in San Francisco, the company leverages technology and a pay-per-mile insurance model to offer car insurance, based on the miles the client actually drives, data to optimize how they use their car, and instant access to detailed vehicle diagnostics via the driving app. The company is currently available in eight states, including Ariz., Calif., Ill., N.J., Ore., Pa., Va., and Wash. Metromile raised $90m in Series E funding in July 2018. is another car insurance startup. Based in San Francisco, the company leverages technology and a pay-per-mile insurance model to offer car insurance, based on the miles the client actually drives, data to optimize how they use their car, and instant access to detailed vehicle diagnostics via the driving app. The company is currently available in eight states, including Ariz., Calif., Ill., N.J., Ore., Pa., Va., and Wash. Metromile raised $90m in Series E funding in July 2018. Hippo Insurance allows homeowners to get a quote and purchase home insurance online quickly, and obtaining protection for possessions like appliances, consumer electronics and home offices. Founded in 2015 by Assaf Wand and Eyal Navon and launched in 2017, the company just raised $70m in Series C funding. It is based in Mountain View, CA. allows homeowners to get a quote and purchase home insurance online quickly, and obtaining protection for possessions like appliances, consumer electronics and home offices. Founded in 2015 by Assaf Wand and Eyal Navon and launched in 2017, the company just raised $70m in Series C funding. It is based in Mountain View, CA. Groundspeed Analytics specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science solutions to the $800 billion global commercial property and casualty insurance industry. Founded in 2016 and led by Jeff Mason and Andrew Robinson, the company focuses on solving the insurance industrys data challenge uncovering the value of unstructured information via its platform, which enables carrier, broker, and MGA clients to identify underwriting profit pools and enhance the customer experience. Based in Atlanta, GA- and Ann Arbor, MI, Groundspeed recently raised $30m in Series B funding. specializes in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science solutions to the $800 billion global commercial property and casualty insurance industry. Founded in 2016 and led by Jeff Mason and Andrew Robinson, the company focuses on solving the insurance industrys data challenge uncovering the value of unstructured information via its platform, which enables carrier, broker, and MGA clients to identify underwriting profit pools and enhance the customer experience. Based in Atlanta, GA- and Ann Arbor, MI, Groundspeed recently raised $30m in Series B funding. Pie Insurance leverages data analytics, online features, and a team of experts to offer insurance workers compensation insurance directly to small businesses. The Washington DC-based company recently closed an $11M in Series A funding. leverages data analytics, online features, and a team of experts to offer insurance workers compensation insurance directly to small businesses. The Washington DC-based company recently closed an $11M in Series A funding. Ethos provides life insurance products through technology to align with the needs of American families. Using Ethos, people can apply and qualify for a policy after a ten minute application. Co-founded by Peter Colis and Lingke Wang, the San Francisco, CA-based startup raised $11.5M in financing in 2018. provides life insurance products through technology to align with the needs of American families. Using Ethos, people can apply and qualify for a policy after a ten minute application. Co-founded by Peter Colis and Lingke Wang, the San Francisco, CA-based startup raised $11.5M in financing in 2018. Next Insurance offers small business insurance in such sectors as Beauty, Fitness, Photo & Video, Contractors, Daycare, Cleaning and Therapy. The Palo Alto, California-based company recently raised $83m in Series B funding. offers small business insurance in such sectors as Beauty, Fitness, Photo & Video, Contractors, Daycare, Cleaning and Therapy. The Palo Alto, California-based company recently raised $83m in Series B funding. Lemonade is a New York-based, Certified B-Corp, licensed insurance carrier, offering homeowners and renters insurance powered by artificial intelligence and behavioral economics. It received $120 in funding at the end of 2017. is a New York-based, Certified B-Corp, licensed insurance carrier, offering homeowners and renters insurance powered by artificial intelligence and behavioral economics. It received $120 in funding at the end of 2017. Kin Insurance is another online home insurance platform provider launched in 2017 by CEO Sean Harper. Based in Chicago, the company recently raised $13m in funding. The list in not exhaustive and can be further implemented! In addition, other articles on insurtechs active in other geographies will follow FinSMEs 09/12/2018 The enemy used proscribed weapons. Russia's hybrid military forces have mounted 11 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, since Sunday midnight, one Ukrainian soldier has been wounded in action (WIA). "The enemy continues using the weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements. In particular, the enemy opened fire from 82mm mortars to attack the positions of the Joint Forces in Luhansk region: near the villages of Novotoshkivske and Khutir Vilny in the Popasna sector," the Joint Forces Operation's press service said on Facebook in an evening update as of 18:00 Kyiv time on Sunday, December 9. Read alsoPutin may go for "military walk" to Kyiv volunteer "The Russian invaders used grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns and small arms to attack our troops near the towns of Avdiyivka and Krasnohorivka, the villages of Khutir Vilny, Taramchuk, Pavlopil, Vodiane, and Hnutove," it said. The situation remains under the Ukrainian military's control, it said. On Saturday, December 8, Russian-led forces mounted 13 attacks on the Ukrainian army; one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. Storing the weapons outside the designated sites violates the Minsk agreements. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine has spotted two self-propelled howitzers and four towed howitzers outside the Russian-occupied city of Luhansk. "On December 7, two self-propelled howitzers (2S1 Gvozdika, 122mm) and four towed howitzers (D-30 Lyagushka, 122mm) near Bile (22km west of Luhansk) [were] beyond the withdrawal lines but outside designated storage sites," the OSCE SMM said in its daily update on December 8. Read alsoDefense Blog: Satellite imagery shows hundreds of Russian tanks near Ukraine border Ukrainian members of the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the ceasefire in Donbas stress that such actions by the occupying administration and illegal armed formations of Russia once again demonstrate "persistent unwillingness to comply with the Minsk agreements." As UNIAN reported earlier, Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 11 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, from 00:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, December 9; one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. On Saturday, December 8, there were 13 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas; one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in action. At the time of both deaths agents from the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, were in Britain, according to evidence from SO15. Skripal detectives have uncovered evidence that links the Kremlin to at least two more killings in the United Kingdom including a poisoned jogger and the 'suicide' of a tycoon. British police are secretly revisiting at least two deaths in the UK over evidence they may have been Russian backed assassinations, it has been reported, Daily Mail Online said. As the investigation into the attempted murder of former double agent Sergei Skripal, 67 and his daughter Yulia, 34, continues officers have 'found new evidence' relating to other deaths. The Skripals were saved after ingesting military grade nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March sparking a furious row between London and Moscow. Now, the deaths of Alexander Perepilichnyy and Scot Young are both being revisited, The Times reported. If enough evidence is found they could be refiled as 'suspicious' and investigated again. Perepilichnyy, a 44-year-old businessman collapsed outside his home in Surrey in 2012 after eating Russian sorrel soup. Police initially thought his death was not suspicious because there were no signs of toxins in his body. But scientists later found chemical traces of gelsemium in his stomach. Shortly before his death Perepilichnyy approached a Bill Browder the founder of the investment fund Hermitage Capital and asked him to help expose fraud involving Russian tax officials. Two years later, Scot Young was found dead impaled on railings at his central London home in December 2014. Young, who originally came from an underprivileged area in Dundee had murky business dealings in Moscow, and was also friends with prominent critics of Putin. Police records state Young rang the police in August 2009 and 'disclosed to officers that he believed he was going to be assassinated by gangsters and the Russian Mafia.' In 2015, a coroner ruled Young's death could not be ruled as suicide due to insufficient evidence. Read alsoSecond GRU officer indicted in Montenegro coup unmasked - Bellingcat It is reported now that at the time of both deaths agents from the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, were in Britain, according to evidence from SO15. GRU officers Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov have been named as the men who targeted the Skripals by Scotland Yard but president Vladimir Putin has denied any Russian involvement. Police probes have found a number of agents for the GRU travelled to Britain on passports registered to the same Moscow address. This weekend, Scotland Yard refused to discuss the latest developments, Daily Mail Online said. Green groups said those barred from Poland included people from Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Poland's deputy environment minister, Michal Kurtyka, said on Saturday he was in contact with the authorities over reports from campaign groups that at least 12 to 14 activists were refused entry to the country or deported while on their way to a U.N. climate change conference in Katowice. Human rights experts said the reported barring of activists contradicted the spirit of the 2015 Paris Agreement on global warming which entrenches the principle of public participation in action to combat global warming, Reuters said. "There is a commitment to allow everybody who wishes to engage constructively in this discussion, to be part of it," said Kurtyka, who is presiding over the negotiations, as demonstrators marched through the city streets demanding stronger efforts to tackle climate change. "It is important that all the rules are being respected in a very constructive way," he told journalists. He did not confirm the reports about activists issued on Friday evening by international campaign groups 350.org and Climate Action Network International. U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa said her office was trying to clarify information about the cases. Green groups said those barred from Poland included people from Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Read alsoEnvironmental hazard: Donbas militants burying Russian radioactive waste "We are hopeful and grateful for efforts by the Polish authorities to address this situation and ensure we can continue into the next week in the most inclusive atmosphere," Espinosa said. A spokeswoman for the Polish presidency of the talks told Reuters some activists had been denied entry to Poland because they did not meet requirements or were on a list preventing them from entering Europe's border-control-free Schengen Area. A Polish border guard spokeswoman said 161 people had been forbidden entry to Poland on Friday for many reasons, including a lack of correct documents and being on security lists. She could not immediately say whether there was any connection to the climate talks in Katowice. Earlier this year, Poland came under international pressure to allow activists to demonstrate freely at the U.N. climate change talks, and to protect participants' privacy, after new legislation passed in January sparked fears over civil rights. That legislation forbids spontaneous protests in Katowice during the talks, and allows police to collect personal data on delegates without their consent, according to Human Rights Watch. May Boeve, executive director of 350.org, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that activists who wanted to come to Poland to help create solutions to climate change were being intimidated, detracting from the talks' main purpose of stepping up ambition to tackle global warming. Svitlana Romanko, regional coordinator for 350.org in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, said her group did not know the whereabouts of two Ukrainian NGO workers who had been in Katowice for a week at the talks, following a police check on their papers on Saturday morning. Other six activists from Ukraine were denied entry into Poland. Valentyn Nyzkovolosov was among them. "We were detained in Przemysl, we were not able to go beyond the station. [The] official reason for [the] refusal of entry: [the activists are] "considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or international relations of any Member State of the European Union," he wrote on Facebook on December 8. About 600 Twitter accounts known to promote Kremlin views have begun focusing on France. France opened a probe into possible Russian interference behind the country's Yellow Vest protests, after reports that social-media accounts linked to Moscow have increasingly targeted the movement. According to the Alliance for Securing Democracy, about 600 Twitter accounts known to promote Kremlin views have begun focusing on France, boosting their use of the hashtag #giletsjaunes, the French name for the Yellow Vest movement, Bloomberg reported. French security services are looking at the situation, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday in a radio interview with RTL. Read alsoUkraine's SBU on "yellow vest" riots in Paris: "Practical examination" of Russia's foreign agents Russia has been criticized for using social media to influence elections in the U.S. and elsewhere. Attempts to use fake news reports and cyberattacks to undercut the 2017 campaign of French President Emmanuel Macron failed, but Russian-linked sites have pushed questionable reports of a mutiny among police, and of officers' support for the protests. "An investigation is now underway," Le Drian said. "I will not make comments before the investigation has brought conclusions." The Twitter accounts monitored by the alliance usually feature U.S. or British news. But the French protests "have been at or near the top" of their activity for at least a week, according to Bret Schafer, the alliance's Washington-based social media analyst. "That's a pretty strong indication that there is interest in amplifying the conflict" for audiences outside France. The Alliance for Securing Democracy is a unit of the German Marshall Fund of the U.S., which monitors pro-Kremlin activity. The assertion of police dissatisfaction which doesn't appear to be supported by facts resembles other Kremlin-backed disinformation campaigns that have tried to engender mistrust in Western governments and show that liberal democracies are in decline, Schafer says. Air China as well as its Beijing-Ulan Bator direct route has contributed significantly to the promotion of tourism and people-to-people exchanges between China and Mongolia, a general manager of Air China has said. ULAN BATOR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Dec, 2018 ) :Air China as well as its Beijing-Ulan Bator direct route has contributed significantly to the promotion of tourism and people-to-people exchanges between China and Mongolia , a general manager of Air China has said. "As China-Mongolia relations and cooperation have been expanding rapidly in a wide range of areas, the number of people choosing to travel via Air China 's Beijing-Ulan Bator direct route has been growing," General Manager of Air China in Ulan Bator Otgon Amgalan told Xinhua on Friday. The general manager made the remarks during a promotion event of the company which aimed at further increasing exchanges between the two countries. "Mongolia is one of China's close neighbors. Also, the country is one of the main countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," said Amgalan, adding that the company has made great efforts to develop bilateral ties, the BRI and Mongolia's Prairie Road development initiative. Meanwhile, the general manager said that Air China has played a positive role in fostering humanitarian relations between the two countries by offering services to poor Mongolian patients. The company recently provided half-price tickets for 28 Mongolian children suffering from congenital heart disease who went to Beijing to receive free surgeries, and their parents. "Next year, our two countries are set to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations," said Amgalan. "We are ready to do everything possible to make more contributions to the further development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries."Air China has commenced its operations in Mongolia in 1991 by starting its first direct flight from Ulan Bator to Beijing. Last year, more than 95,000 passengers took the Beijing-Ulan Bator flight, up more than 30 percent compared with five years ago. IMPORTANCE: There is a dearth of evidence examining the impact of newly licensed cancer medicines on therapy. This information could otherwise support clinical practice and promote value-based decision-making in the cancer drug market.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the comparative therapeutic value of all new cancer medicines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) between 2003 and 2013.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We used a narrative synthesis approach to systematically synthesize and analyze English, French, and Australian health technology assessments (HTAs) of all new cancer medicines licensed in the United States and Europe between 2003 and 2013.INTERVENTIONS: Sixty-two new molecular entities with a primary oncology indication.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Overall survival (OS), quality of life (QoL), and safety.RESULTS: Of the 62 new active cancer molecules approved by the FDA and EMA between 2003 and 2013, 53 were appraised by English, French, or Australian HTA agencies through May 2015. Of these 53 drugs, 23 (43%) increased OS by 3 months or longer, 6 (11%) by less than 3 months, and 8 (15%) by an unknown magnitude; there was no evidence to suggest that the remaining 16 (30%) increased OS over best alternative treatments. Where overall survival gains could be quantified, all new cancer drugs were associated with a mean (SE) total increase in OS of 3.43 (0.63) months over the treatments that were available in 2003. Drug-related improvements in OS were, however, widely distributed across therapeutic targets-ranging between 0 (thyroid, ascites) and 8.48 months (breast cancers)-and were sometimes based on modeled data, indirect or nonactive comparisons, or nonvalidated evidence. Although 22 (42%) of 53 new medicines were associated with an increase in QoL, 24 (45%) were also associated with reduced patient safety. Of the 53 new cancer drugs, 42 (79%) were associated with at least some improvement in OS, QoL, or safety.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Although innovation in the oncology drug market has contributed to improvements in therapy, the magnitude and dimension of clinical benefits vary widely, and there may be reasons to doubt that claims of efficacy reflect real-world effectiveness exactly. These findings raise important questions for clinical decision-making and value-based policy.JAMA Oncology. December 29, 2016. [Epub] doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.4166Sebastian Salas-Vega, MSc,Othon Iliopoulos, MD,Elias Mossialos, MD, PhD,1. London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts3. Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston4. Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, England The Meister Guide Service team posted a video on an Otter Tail Lake Facebook page showing a large crack in the ice, recommending anglers to stay off of it. The Department of Natural Resources urges everyone to stay off the ice until at least 4 inches of new and clear ice is present. Officials say it should be at least 5 to 7 inches for a snowmobile or an ATV, and 8 to 12 inches for a car or small pickup and 12 to 15 inches for a medium truck. All of these minimums should be doubled for white ice or ice covered with heavy snow. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers the following additional guidelines for safety on ice: Always wear a life jacket on the ice (except when in a vehicle). Children should never be unsupervised around the ice. Caution children to stay off ponds, streams and other bodies of water. A thin coating of ice on a pond or lake does not mean it is safe. For more on ice safety, visit https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html A migrant, who is part of a caravan of thousands from Central America trying to reach the United States, looks at a hole under the border wall as he tries to cross from Mexico to the U.S in Tijuana Thousands of Central American migrants who`ve travelled all the way to the Mexican/US Border in the hopes of an El Dorado, are facing bitter so far but so near disappointment with little hope of asylum. By James Blears More than a thousand have scaled the Border fence and the vast majority have been caught and detained by the Border Patrol and a bolstering US taskforce which was sent there and is waiting for them... and for more waves on their way. A thousand more, many of whom have fallen ill from the rigors of their forty day plus trek, have given up the ghost and gone home, many volunteering to be deported because it means safe passage transportation back from whence they came, which is far away and far from safe. Several thousand still remain in Tijuana. Mexican Authorities say there are more than ten thousand job vacancies in the State of Baja California, but the wage packets don`t compare favorably with the United States. Talks continue between the new Mexican Administration and the US Government about the Central American migrant caravans issue. One US proposal, is for migrants to stay in Mexico until their asylum claims are considered and adjudged. The Mexican proposal is to issue temporary visas. But no decisions on those lines have yet been agreed. Listen to James Blears' report Todays program brings you Heather's blend of new and old African music from artists like Papa Wemba, Flavour, Elie Almeida, Elemotho and more! Youll also hear a few Nigerian World Cup fans' favorites, and song of the week "Pepper Dem" (Ghana)! Kwame and Heather present this together and they cant stop talking about it! There are also two feature interviews: Heather talks to Gambian Kora virtuoso Sona Jobarteh in Washington DC, and Manuel Wandji sits down with Kalimba musician Achu Frederick in Cameroon. Armenians are casting their votes in early parliamentary elections Sunday. Reformist leader Nikol Pashinian, 43, swept to power in May after weeks of anti-government protests that forced the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan, who was also a former president of Armenia. Sargsyans ruling Republican Party, however, blocked Pashinians bid to become prime minister, resulting in more protests. The Republican Party then decided to back Pashinian for what it said was the good of the nation. Pashinian became prime minister, but recently stepped down so parliament could be dissolved for the early election. He remains Armenias acting prime minister. Analysts expect him to be re-instated in office, with his My Step alliance in control of parliament. Pashinian, a former newspaper editor who had been imprisoned for his activism, has promised to maintain close ties with Russia and fight corruption. He has also pledged to step up cooperation with the United States and European Union. Belgium's Africa Museum reopened on Saturday after a five-year restoration to repackage its looted treasures with a critical view of the country's brutal colonial past. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo hailed a "historic moment" and said it would open "a new chapter" in Belgian-African relations. The reopening of the former Royal Museum for Central Africa in the Tervuren Palace outside Brussels comes amid a renewed European debate about returning stolen artifacts. Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to return 26 cultural artifacts to Benin "without delay," a move likely to put pressure on other former colonial powers to return African artworks to their countries of origin. Macron said the decision should not be seen as an isolated or symbolic case and proposed a conference in Paris next year to discuss an "exchange policy" for African treasures. "Restitution should no longer be taboo," De Croo said on Saturday adding, however, that any returns should be dependent on certain conservation conditions being met. "It is clear that this implies a respectful attitude on the part of the African authorities with regard to this artistic heritage," he said. Before it closed for refurbishment in 2013, visitors to the Belgian museum were greeted by a statue uncritically depicting white European missionaries "bringing civilization to Congo." The museum's research team insists the exhibits will now take a much more critical approach to the depredations of King Leopold II and his agents in Congo. With the help of multimedia displays and detailed captions, visitors will be encouraged to take a critical view and to see colonialism through African eyes. The museum's academic experts say there is no attempt to cover up the past, but rather to use the collection of 125,000 ethnographic objects more educationally. Despite the new approach more in keeping with Belgium's multicultural present, the revamp has not been without controversy. Activists are demanding a proper memorial to seven Congolese who died in 1897 after being brought to Belgium as living exhibits. They are buried near the Tervuren estate. Paula Polanco told AFP her group, Intal-Congo, wanted them to be recognized as "victims of a colonialist crime." Belgium's current king, Philippe, meanwhile declined an invitation to the reopening. The Belgian colonies, run as a private royal estate by Leopold II, covered lands now included in independent Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries have suffered a turbulent modern history and for European experts, in DR Congo's case at least, lack premises to properly house a national history collection. Meanwhile, DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila has now said he plans to formally request the return of art and records before his country's own museum opens next year. The activists doubt the museum's sincerity and have urged it, in Polanco's words, to form a committee to "objectively and materially" determine the origin of the works. For Guido Gryseels, the museum's director general, the political backdrop is part of a broader Belgian conversation about race that goes beyond the rights and wrongs of the ownership of his museum's exhibits. "It's not only our museum. It's the overall Belgian society which is still very much a white society," Gryseels said, insisting that everyone wants to see a more racially integrated future. While France, Britain and the Netherlands, he said, saw large-scale arrivals from former colonies earlier, Belgium's 250,000-strong African population came in the last 20 years. And although the museum has been redesigned, statues and street names still honor Leopold, who personally enriched himself through the forced labor of the Congolese during a period in which an estimated half of the local population -- up to 10 million people -- were wiped out by overwork, violence and disease. "Personally speaking, I think that indeed someone who is responsible for mass murder is not to be put literally upon a pedestal," Bambi Ceuppens, doctor in anthropology at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, said. Other statues should not be hidden, she argues, but used by the museum and educationalists as they explain Belgium and Congo's intertwined histories. And, by better understanding the past, Belgium may be better able to integrate Belgian-born Africans into a more diverse future. "As recently as two months ago our prime minister gave a presentation here for all the top CEOs of Belgium and all the top ministers," Gryseels said. "And the whole audience here was full: 220 white people... Ten years from now the situation will be very different." China summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing on Sunday to lodge a "strong protest" over the arrest of a Chinese technology executive in Canada and Washington's demand that she be extradited to the United States to stand trial on fraud charges. China called the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, telecom giant Huawei Technologies's chief financial officer, "extremely bad" and demanded that the U.S. cancel its extradition request linked to allegations that she broke U.S. laws prohibiting trade with Iran. Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng summoned U.S. ambassador Terry Branstad a day after calling in Canadian envoy John McCallum to protest Meng's arrest, at the U.S.'s behest, at the Vancouver airport on Dec. 1. The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement that Le told Branstad, "The actions of the U.S. seriously violated the lawful and legitimate rights of the Chinese citizen, and by their nature were extremely nasty." Beijing urged the United States to "take immediate measures to correct wrong practices, and revoke the arrest warrant against the Chinese citizen." Meng, if convicted in the U.S., faces up to 30 years' imprisonment, with a Canadian prosecutor alleging at a court hearing Friday in Vancouver that she committed fraud in 2013 by telling financial institutions that China's Huawei was not tied to a Hong Kong-based company, Skycom, which was allegedly selling U.S. goods to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions against Tehran. "Skycom was Huawei," the prosecutor alleged. Meng's lawyers denied the fraud allegation, saying Huawei had divested its interests in Skycom. Her bail hearing is resuming Monday. News of the arrest of the 46-year-old Meng, along with the uncertain state of trade negotiations between China and the U.S., the world's two biggest economies, roiled international stock markets last week, with investors facing substantial losses across the globe. Meng's arrest occurred on the same day U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were meeting in Buenos Aires over dinner to reach a 90-day truce on tit-for-tat tariffs the two countries have been imposing on exports of $300 billion of goods to each other. But White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News on Sunday that Trump did not know about the arrest as he met with Xi. "He didn't know," Kudlow said. "I'll just state that unequivocally. He learned way later." The economic adviser said he could not guarantee that Meng won't be released as part of ongoing U.S. trade talks with Beijing. He described the case against Meng as a "law enforcement issue." "I don't know how it's going to turn out...It seems to me there's a trade lane... and there's a law enforcement lane," Kudlow said. "They're different channels, and I think they will be viewed that way for quite some time." While Meng was arrested the same day at the Trump-Xi meeting, a warrant for her arrest was issued in the U.S. on Aug. 22, with the Canadian prosecutor saying that a Canadian justice issued a warrant when Meng's travel plans became known. China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.'s chief financial officer, calling the case "extremely nasty." Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counterarguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. In a short statement, China's Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canada's ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a "strong protest." Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Saturday that there was "nothing to add beyond what the minister said yesterday." Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China was important and valued, and Canada's ambassador in Beijing has assured the Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. Good relationship When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huawei's CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada had a very good relationship with Beijing. Canada's arrest of Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing planes in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Le said. The move "ignored the law, was unreasonable" and was in its very nature "extremely nasty," he added. "China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused." The statement did not elaborate. "There will probably be a deep freeze with the Chinese in high-level visits and exchanges," David Mulroney, former Canadian ambassador to China, said on Friday. "The ability to talk about free trade will be put in the icebox for a while. But we're going to have to live with that. That's the price of dealing with a country like China." Trump-Xi meeting Meng's arrest came on the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump met in Argentina with China's Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies. "We are tracking the developments of this case and refer you to the filings in the Supreme Court of British Columbia," said a U.S. State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The news of Meng's arrest has roiled stock markets and drawn condemnation from Chinese authorities, although Trump and his top economic advisers have played down its importance to trade talks after the two leaders agreed to a truce. A Huawei spokesman said on Friday that the company had "every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. Congo's President Joseph Kabila is stepping down after this month's election but he doesn't rule out seeking the post again in the future. In an interview with The Associated Press, Kabila said he hopes to continue to be active in tackling the vast challenges that remain in this mineral-rich but "complicated nation." He said he has done what he could for Congo's benefit since taking office in 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila. But he said there is more to be done. "Well, I am not going to rule out anything in life,"Joseph Kabila said. "As long as you are alive and you have ideas as strong as you have, a vision, you should never rule out anything.'' That kind of talk has worried Congo's opposition, which fears that Joseph Kabila will rule from the shadows after stepping down if his preferred successor, ruling party candidate and former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, wins on Dec. 23. The 47-year-old Kabila dismissed those concerns, saying the constitution makes it clear that such an arrangement is not possible. Yet he now acts as moral authority for a recently created political coalition, the Common Front for Congo, keeping himself close to power. Kabila said he will likely remain in the role of adviser: "If anyone wants advice from me, I hope they come and ask.'' Congo faces what could be its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960. At stake is a vast country blessed with trillions of dollars in natural resources but long destabilized by dozens of rebel groups. Now an Ebola outbreak, the second-largest in history, poses a new threat to the election, whose delay since late 2016 led to sometimes deadly protests over Kabila's long stay beyond his mandate. The government blamed the delays on difficulties in organizing the vote as a new wave of rebel fighting raged. Critics of the delay "should be humble enough to realize that the Congo itself is a challenge and that the electoral process is a much bigger challenge, "Kabila said. Any country, be it the United States or France, would prioritize security over elections, he added. Annoyed by the pressure at home and from abroad- including European Union sanctions on Shadary for obstructing Congo's electoral process and a crackdown against protesters - Kabila and his administration have pushed back at so-called interference in Congo's affairs and vowed to fund this election alone, with no outside money. In an ambitious but worrying move for many, Congo also is using voting machines for the first time in this election, leading to questions from technical experts, diplomats and rights groups about how this infrastructure-starved country of 40 million voters, many without computer experience, will succeed. Congo's two leading opposition parties have joined forces after withdrawing from a wider pact to support a single contender. Felix Tshisekedi with the country's most prominent opposition party is representing his party as well as that of Vital Kamerhe. Martin Fayulu Madidi is the other leading opposition candidate. Some in Congo worry that a divided opposition will hurt the chances of defeating Shadary in a single-round election. Congo has no runoff vote. Kabila defended his legacy, pointing to his part election wins, and sounded pensive about the future, whatever his role. "The work in this country will never be over," he said. Pfc. Nichole Bowen-Crawford said she was walking to lunch on her Army base near Nasiriyah, Iraq, in 2003 when she received her daily proposition from a passing fellow soldier. Hey, Bowen, the officer tossed out, lets go f--- in the bunker. Bowen-Crawford told VOA that while this was the most shocking example of the day-to-day regimen of verbal sexual harassment she experienced while in the Army between 2001-2004, it was not her worst experience she had been assaulted by a higher-ranking sergeant earlier that year. When she reported the incident to a male supervisor, she was advised to stay quiet for the sake of her career. Bowen-Crawfords experience is not universal, but far from rare. Suicide rate A work environment tolerant of sexual assault and harassment is believed to be one of the causes of high suicide rates among female veterans, which soared more than 45 percent between 2001 and 2015, according to data from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). The rate among female veterans is lower than that of male veterans, but not compared to their civilian counterparts. Female veterans are almost twice as likely to kill themselves as civilian women. Certainly a mental health diagnosis like PTSD is a risk factor for suicide, said Megan McCarthy, VA deputy director of suicide prevention. Certainly, theres some evidence that experiencing MST (Military Sexual Trauma) is associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, so those that have experienced MST are more likely to think about suicide and possibly more likely to attempt suicide. McCarthy told VOA that the relationship between suicide and trauma is complex. The VAs own research has shown that veterans who experience MST tend to be at higher risk for suicide. A 2016 VA survey of 60,000 veterans found that more than 41 percent of female veterans had experienced sexual harassment. Many believe that the militarys flawed reporting mechanisms have aggravated the epidemic. Sexual misconduct complaints are often handled by the alleged victims supervisor, who may have close ties to the accused. As the Convening Authority (CA), they have the power to act as judge in the case and appoint a jury, as well as decide if the charges should be referred to a court-martial. Critics say this puts pressure on commanding officers to suppress allegations for the sake of their own reputations. Victims tend to face pressure to stay quiet, as well. Traditionally, if you talked about being sexually assaulted or being sexually harassed, you were seen as a troublemaker, said Toni Rico, a former Army media relations worker who accompanied combat missions and now works as director of communications and policy for Service Womens Action Network. You were kind of harassed and faced retaliation. So theres this culture within the military of silence, and if you want it to negatively affect your career. Defense Department data Protect Our Defenders, a nonprofit combating sexual assault in the military, has reported that 60 percent of men and 58 percent of women who reported sexual assault faced retaliation, based on an analysis of Department of Defense data. Veterans say retaliation can take the form of insults, social isolation and even physical threats. But the greatest challenge to female veterans mental health may come after they leave service. Many report feeling there is no place for them in the Department of Veterans Affairs reintegration and health services, especially for sexual assault survivors. This is supposed to be where you get care when youre dealing with whatever youre dealing with, from your combat or from your service, Bowen-Crawford said. Getting hit on, it can be a trauma trigger. Bowen-Crawford said she sought treatment for PTSD elsewhere after being propositioned multiple times. Outside the government, support groups exclusively for female veterans are rare, as well. I walked into an American Legion, and every gentleman I met there commented on the fact I was there and I was a woman Marine, Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas, a former Marine teaching public health at Charleston Southern University, told VOA. They were in the kindest and well-intentioned possible way othering me and saying, Wow, its really weird. Ive never met a woman Marine. Its weird to meet you. Suicide rates steady for female vets The lack of community and resources may help explain a 2015 study showing that while suicide rates steadily declined among male veterans of the Iraq War for seven years after leaving service, they remained elevated for women. For veterans who attempt to kill themselves, the means are deadlier. Women who have served in the military use firearms to attempt suicide 41.2 percent of the time, compared to 32.4 of civilian women. The VA has said this may partly explain why the suicide rates are higher. Suicide rates in the military and the civilian world have climbed in the last few years, but little public attention has been given to the dramatic rates among female veterans. Some say this may be because while womens roles in the military are expanding, service is still seen as a traditionally male occupation. If you ask somebody what a veteran looks like, theyre not going to tell you that its a young woman from Kansas, you know? Thomas said. Thats just not the picture of a veteran. Ol Thida and her husband were sure they had no choice but to leave their tiny rural village. They couldnt find work anywhere nearby. They owned almost nothing, not even the plot of land their palm-thatched hut was built on. They owed a microfinance institution $250, a debt whose principal never seemed to shrink, no matter how much of their spare cash they forked over to the bank. They were desperate to meet the deadline for repayment at the end of the year. So Ol Thidas husband, Prak Chea, left for Thailand to work as a laborer on a cassava farm and send his wages home. He told her to stay home to care for their two daughters and meager property: a few pots and pans, a few cows. He would send money home. Left for Phnom Penh But the debt was not getting smaller, despite the remittances. All Ol Thida could do for income was make baskets and catch fire ants to sell at the local market. Both of these brought paltry sums. She did not have the sewing skills to work at a garment factory. So she, too, decided to migrate. She left for Phnom Penh in October to look for a job as a waitress. I couldnt even make 10,000 riel [$2.50] for my family, said the 34-year-old mother of two. How could I stay here? Her daughters, 7-year-old Meta and 14-year-old Leakhena, were growing up and would need more than she could provide if she stayed in the village. Once in Phnom Penh, she could send money home to them. She arranged for the girls to sleep at her sisters nearby home. She would call them every day on her sisters phone, and Leakhena would cook meals for Meta in the familys own hut. It was a risk, but seemed like the best option in a life of bad options. Tragedy strikes But the familys new life quickly descended into tragedy. Three days after she left for the capital city, on Oct. 18, Ol Thida called home as usual, but her sister couldnt find the girls. Family members began searching for them, but they werent in any of the usual places: not in the hut, not in the rice field where they worked every day. In despair, Ol Thida consulted a fortuneteller in the capital, who insisted the girls were in the hut. The search party returned to the house and opened a box in the hut that was used to store clothes. Inside were the bodies of Leakhena and Meta. The older child had been raped and strangled; the younger had been beaten. A 25-year-old neighbor was arrested the next day for the crime. Chhum Poy was a distant relative; the girls had called him uncle. He confessed to police that he had taken advantage of their being home alone to drop by the hut and rape Leakhena. He admitted to strangling her, then beating and smothering Meta since she had witnessed the attack. The phone fell from my hand when I heard they were killed, Ol Thida said. She said she would not have dreamed her children were in danger of a violent crime in their tiny hometown, much less from a man they were so familiar with. I had never thought about rape in this village, Ol Thida said. Systemic problem Metas and Leakhenas deaths caught the public imagination and were widely discussed by Cambodians on social media, with many people blaming Ol Thida for leaving her children alone, or lamenting the decline of morality in Cambodian society. But the truth is that there is a more systemic problem. Stories like this are becoming more common in Cambodia, as migration from rural areas to Phnom Penh and Thailand is increasing rapidly, said Chhan Sokunthea, the head of the childrens rights unit at local rights group Adhoc. The Cambodia Rural Urban Migration Project (CRUMP) found that the population of the capital city of Phnom Penh more than doubled from 1998 to 2012, from 567,860 to 1,237,600 residents, with an average annual of growth rate of about 8 percent. Cambodians also seek work in other countries such as South Korea and Malaysia. National police reports provide figures on movement out of home villages on a monthly basis, the report said. The reports capture the number of people who leave home villages in search of work. According to this information, migration almost doubled from 2014 to 2015, with reports showing 450,845 people migrating or leaving villages in November 2015, compared with 241,375 people in November 2014. The Cambodian government receives information about migration from Thailand. According to a census conducted by the Thai government in March 2015, there were more than 450,000 migrants from Cambodia working illegally in Thailand. This demographic shift means that some villages are primarily populated by children, the elderly, and men who are unemployable because they use drugs or struggle with mental illness. But children are still expected to do traditional forms of labor, such as collecting forest products and herding cows, that bring them into remote parts of the countryside. In Phsar commune alone, more than 500 people, mostly men and women in the prime of life, have migrated away from the countryside to work, according to Bin Sophan, the commune chief. The suspect in the girls murder was not one of them. He used drugs and alcohol and did not work steadily, Bin Sophan said. Those at greatest risk Chhan Sokunthea said children from poor families whose parents were migrants were at greatest risk of physical and sexual abuse. Nhep Sopheap, secretary-general at the Cambodia National Council for Children (CNCC), a government body, said she was very concerned about the effects on children of poverty and migration. She said the rape of children was of particular worry. We still have limited awareness in the countryside, she said, adding that Cambodia was working on drafting a child protection law that dealt specifically with crimes against children and would fill gaps in the Criminal Code. Rape and sexual abuse remain a threat to the well-being of children in Cambodia, despite significant progress being made by the government to improve the protection of children from harm, said Bunly Meas, a communications specialist at UNICEF, the United Nations childrens agency, which has been working with the Cambodian government on the law. It is important for parents and caregivers to ensure that young children are never left home alone as this exposes them to various forms of neglect and harm, he added. Children should be supervised at all times. The CRUMP survey found that of domestic migrants who left children behind, 82.4 percent left their children with grandparents, usually a grandmother whose average age is 62.4 years, and who circumstances are difficult. Researchers found that families headed by grandparents alone struggled to consistently provide, according to the executive summary of a joint study by CNCC and UNICEF Cambodia. Many of the grandmothers told researchers they found the child care overwhelming. This little one is so active, I can never leave her alone, one woman said. I am too old to watch her properly, she is too active. But hiring a child-minder is impossible for families like Ol Thidas, where the exigencies of eking out a living are in direct conflict with their childrens needs. Donations to mother Amid the social media frenzy over the girls deaths, Cambodians sent Ol Thida thousands of dollars in donations. Bun Rany, the wife of Prime Minister Hun Sen, promised to build her a house and gave her $5,000 through the Cambodian Red Cross. She also helped organize a new job for her at a garment factory, inspecting buttons. The rest of the donated money is being held by local officials, who say Ol Thida is not responsible enough to keep it herself, but have promised to use the funds to buy the family a plot of land and a motorbike. With cruel irony, the loan has finally been paid off but too late. As she spoke to a journalist one day recently, Ol Thida was lighting incense to pray to the spirits of her daughters at a makeshift shrine she had set up in her hut. It was my mistake to leave my children alone, but this was because of the difficulties of my life, she said. Now I cant even work properly I am like a crazy person. I am suffering like the death to lose my two lovely daughters. Then she addressed her dead children. Please dont be unfortunate, like you were in this life! she pleaded with their souls. An enormous early winter storm is clobbering the southern U.S. with snow, ice, and strong winds. More than 20 million people from Virginia to Georgia and west to parts of Mississippi are under storm warnings and watches. Virginia and North Carolina are under states of emergency. More than half-a-million people are without power and 1,100 flights in and out of the busy Charlotte Douglas airport in North Carolina were cancelled. Police are strongly urging people to stay off the roads, saying ice is making driving extremely dangerous. Some parts of Virginia and North Carolina, which usually do not see more than 15 centimeters of snow all winter, could find up to 45 centimeters of the white stuff piled up before the storm moves out to sea. No storm-related deaths or serious casualties have been reported so far. More than 500 bodies were exhumed last week from one of the largest mass graves in Raqqa, Syria, once the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) terror group. A local team of first responders has been carrying out the exhumation of mass graves in and around Raqqa since U.S.-backed forces liberated the city from IS in October 2017. "So far, we have worked on seven out of 10 mass graves that have been discovered in Raqqa," said Yasir Khamis of the Raqqa Civil Council, which is responsible for running the city. "This is one of the largest mass graves in Raqqa. It took us three months to finish the work here. Some of the bodies we found belong to IS fighters, but others belong to civilians, including children and women," he told VOA. WATCH: Hundreds of Bodies Exhumed From Raqqa Grave During its brutal reign in Raqqa, between 2014 and 2017, IS carried out mass executions of locals who opposed it or did not adhere to its extremist ideology. Local experts said about 1,500 more bodies were thought to have been buried at the Panorama mass grave, named after the roundabout where it was found. Concerns Rights groups have demanded the preservation of bodies and evidence for possible war crimes trials. "We are in a race against time. These bodies are decomposing at an exponential rate," said Sara Kayyali, a Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch. "If these bodies are not preserved in the correct way, in the way that's been established, then it does mean that much of this evidence might be lost when we're seeking accountability for crimes committed either in the context of the battle or before it," Kayyali told The Associated Press. Bodies found at the Panorama grave are believed to have been buried there in the last days of the four-month campaign to liberate Raqqa from Islamic State. Experts say they also are carefully examining the bodies to determine the possible identities of IS fighters. "We look into whether these [IS] fighters are local and foreign," Mahmoud Haji Hassan, a local forensic doctor, told VOA. "We can differentiate between local and foreign fighters by their body attributes, face features and types of hair," he added. More graves More mass graves are expected to be found in Raqqa and elsewhere in Syria and Iraq, where IS's so-called caliphate once existed. Mass graves left behind by IS exemplify the challenges that face stabilization efforts in areas liberated from the terror group. Local groups working in this field do not receive the support they need in terms of expertise and workers, analysts say. "To accelerate the process, your need more resources to help workers and experts in exhuming and examining the bodies," Munjid Issa, a local reporter who closely follows the developments in Raqqa, told VOA. "This is a complex project that requires more tangible support from the international community," he said. Qatar's emir skipped a summit in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with fellow Arab Gulf leaders whose boycott of the small but energy-flush neighbor has sparked a major regional diplomatic row. Riyadh is hosting the annual gathering as crises rumble on over the 18-month-old dispute with Doha, the war in Yemen and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul. The regional powerhouse had invited Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to attend the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council talks, but the foreign ministry in Doha said he would not go. Instead Qatar was represented by the minister of state for foreign affairs, Sultan al-Muraikhi, it said. Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, severed diplomatic ties with Doha in 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering close ties with their regional rival Iran. Doha which announced this month it was quitting the Saudi-dominated OPEC oil cartel denies the allegations, but the dispute has dragged on. Speaking at the start of the summit, Saudi King Salman accused Iran of "continuing to interfere in the affairs of the countries in the region". He stressed the importance of the GCC and the need to "defend, in collaboration with our partners, security and stability in the Gulf". Kuwait, which along with fellow GCC member Oman has stayed out of the worst political fallout from the Qatar row, has tried unsuccessfully to mediate a solution to the dispute. Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah called for "an end to media campaigns that have sowed discord [among the peoples of the region] to pave the way for reconciliation". The GCC was formed in 1981 at the height of the Iraq-Iran war and two years after the Islamic revolution in Tehran sparked concern in Sunni-led Gulf states, many of which have sizable Shiite populations, including in Bahrain. GCC secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani has said the summit would review ties with Iran after the US reimposed an oil embargo and other sanctions on Tehran following Washington's withdrawal from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Saudi prince under pressure Saudi Arabia, along with allies the UAE and Bahrain, accuses Tehran of fomenting unrest among Shiites in the Gulf, and has backed the US in piling pressure on Iran. This contrasts with Kuwait and Oman which prefer normalizing ties with the Islamic republic. No major announcements are expected to come out of Sunday's summit. The meeting comes as delegations from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Iran-linked Shi'ite rebels hold UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden. Yemen's capital has been held since 2014 by Huthi rebels who drove the government out and seized a string of ports. The Yemeni government, based in the southern port city of Aden, has fought to push back the rebels with support from a military coalition led by Riyadh and the UAE. King Salman defended the coalition's intervention in Yemen and called for a "political solution" in the impoverished country. The conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people since 2015 when the coalition intervened, according to the World Health Organization, though some rights group say the toll could be five times higher. The UN calls it the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with as many as 20 million Yemenis facing acute food shortages. Pressure has been piling up on Riyadh to ease off its offensive, particularly an assault launched in June on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, a key lifeline for aid entering Yemen. The summit comes with Saudi Arabia and its de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, under mounting pressure over the murder of Washington Post columnist Khashoggi. A critic of the crown prince, Khashoggi was killed by a hit squad in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 in what the kingdom described as a rogue operation. Riyadh has steadfastly denied claims the grisly murder of the Saudi journalist was ordered by Prince Mohammed. Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a human rights pioneer and dissident who challenged the Soviet and Russian regimes for decades, demanding that they free political prisoners and establish democratic rights, died Saturday in a Moscow hospital, a Russian official said. She was 91. "She remained a human rights activist to the very end,'' said Mikhail Fedotov, head of Russia's Human Rights Council. "This is a loss for the entire human rights movement in Russia.'' The gentle but courageous activist was born under dictator Josef Stalin's regime. She risked her own freedom to protest the plight of political prisoners in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s and co-founded the Moscow Helsinki Group, Russia's oldest human rights organization, in 1976. Alexeyeva faced death threats throughout her career and was forced into exile by Soviet authorities in 1977. She returned to Russia in 1993 after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and continued her work energetically, but suspicion of non-governmental organizations under President Vladimir Putin's rule increasingly impeded her activities. In 2014, she announced that the Moscow Helsinki Group had laid off most of its staff and cut pay for the remainder. The move followed declining foreign donations in the wake of legislation requiring groups receiving such funding to register as "foreign agents.'' Relentless Alexeyeva relentlessly pressed Soviet authorities to improve human rights, through times of crushing repression and those of relative tolerance, a job that required enormous patience. "In Soviet times, we couldn't do anything to defend human rights,'' she told The Associated Press in a 2009 interview. "We couldn't even defend ourselves. Our activity was confined to proclaiming that the state should respect human rights and defend them.'' After the Soviet collapse, she turned into a respectful but insistent voice urging that Russia's newly elected leadership live up to its rhetoric about democracy and the rule of law. Despite Putin's early patronage, including his naming her to an advisory council, Alexeyeva was a leading critic of Russia's second war in Chechnya, launched in 1999 during Putin's first term as prime minister, and of Putin's weakening of Russia's democratic institutions. Government officials later accused non-governmental organizations like the Moscow Helsinki Group of spying on Russia for the West, and Alexeyeva became the target of death threats by nationalist groups. Still, she remained determined and optimistic, maintaining her ties to the Kremlin. "I don't accuse, I explain,'' she said. "I say, `You don't agree? We will speak some more.' '' Not in her lifetime While she was certain that Russia would one day embrace Western-style democracy, she did not expect that it would happen soon. "I won't live to see Russia become a democratic state with the rule of law,'' she told the AP. Still, Putin made a house call to Alexeyeva on her 90th birthday last year, complete with a champagne toast. In the early 2000s, Alexeyeva privately urged Putin to halt plans to expel thousands of Chechen refugees from camps in the neighboring region of Ingushetia and force them to return to their war-ravaged homeland. "He agreed, the camps existed for two years after that and the people lived in camps rather than under bombs,'' she said. In December 2008, Putin proposed legislation that would have significantly broadened the definition of treason. Rights activists said the law would make anyone critical of the government liable to prosecution as an enemy of the state. After an outcry by Alexeyeva and others, the proposal was withdrawn. But Alexeyeva and her allies lost at least as many battles as they won. After the December 2003 parliamentary election a watershed vote that saw most of Russia's liberal opposition leadership driven from parliament Alexeyeva recalled bluntly telling Putin: "We don't have elections anymore, because the results are decided by the bosses and not the people.'' Born in Crimea on July 20, 1927, Alexeyeva studied archaeology at Moscow State University. She was drawn into the dissident movement during the Khrushchev thaw, the period of relaxed censorship under Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the 1950s and early 1960s. She was part of the small but determined circle of Moscow dissidents that included Sergei Kovalyov, a biologist who survived a gulag labor camp, and physicist Andrei Sakharov, who won the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. The dissidents often met but seldom talked about their illegal political activities, working in secret cells to deter arrests. In the early 1970s, Alexeyeva worked on the Chronicle of Current Events, the most important of the dissident underground journals typed up on onionskin sheets backed by carbon copy paper and circulated hand to hand. One night Alexeyeva grew worried as she waited in a friend's apartment for a courier to deliver the latest edition of the Chronicle for retyping. When a knock came at the door, she hid, certain it was the KGB, before hearing the voice of fellow dissident Kovalyov. Until that moment, she said, she didn't know he was one of the journal's editors. Kovalyov later spent seven years in a Soviet labor camp for his role in the publication. Like other dissidents, including author Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Alexeyeva was threatened with arrest unless she left the Soviet Union. The mother of two fled with her younger son, Mikhail, in 1977, eventually settling in the United States. There, she co-wrote about her life in The Thaw Generation: Coming of Age in the Post-Stalin Era and also wrote a book called Soviet Dissent. Helsinki agreement In the 2009 interview, Alexeyeva recalled how Russia had changed since her dissident days. One major watershed, she said, was the 1976 Helsinki agreement, which introduced the concept of human rights to the world. "Now every policeman knows what human rights means,'' Alexeyeva said. "He doesn't enforce them, but he knows. That is why I think that today is much easier for us than in the Soviet times.'' Many liberal Russians have blamed the country's leaders for steering Russia toward authoritarianism. But Alexeyeva said Russia's problem wasn't its leaders it was its weak society, which she said was incapable of holding leaders to account. "I don't think the leaders of Western democracies are really such strong democrats,'' she said, but added that Western leaders have to support human rights and the rule of law or risk being voted out. Alexeyeva said she often received death threats and sometimes wondered if she dismissed them too lightly. She recalled having tea in her kitchen in 2008 with Stanislav Markelov, a lawyer who represented Chechen families with grievances against the government. Markelov said someone was threatening his life, but Alexeyeva tried to be reassuring. "I told him we all get them,'' she said, her eyes misting. Markelov, however, was shot and killed on a snowy Moscow street in January 2009 along with Anastasia Baburova, a young journalist. Still, Alexeyeva said neither she nor her colleagues would give up their human rights cause. "I don't know of a single person who works with me who would stop doing what they are doing because of threats,'' she said. "If I stopped what I am doing now, life wouldn't be interesting to me.'' She is survived by her two sons, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Thousands of people have marched in Serbia against the autocratic rule of President Aleksandar Vucic and his government. An opposition alliance called Saturdays protest after assailants recently beat up and seriously injured a leftist party leader and his associates in a southern Serbian city. The opposition parties have blamed the incident on what they describe as an atmosphere of violence and intimidation imposed by Vucics populist ruling coalition. Vucic is a former extreme nationalist who now says he wants Serbia to reform and join the European Union. But critics at home say Vucic has restricted democratic and media freedoms in the Balkan country. The demonstration in Belgrade was dubbed Stop to bloody shirts, a reference to the recent beating of Borko Stefanovic, the leader of the Serbias Left party. For the first time in more than a century, bilbies are running wild in Australias most populous state. Bilbies were once widespread across much of Australia, but were last recorded in the wild in New South Wales state in 1912. Every year bilby populations continue to fall, and conservationists fear the small marsupial could become extinct because of predators, fires and land clearing. Experts say the bilbies are barely hanging on in small, isolated pockets. In northern New South Wales state, environmentalists are celebrating what they are calling a historic moment. Thirty bilbies from a captive breeding program have been released into a large predator-free enclosure near the town of Narrabri, 500 kilometers north of Sydney. Without the protection of a 32-kilometer fence, experts say, they probably would not survive. Historic moment Tim Allard is the chief executive of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, which is involved in the project. He says the release of these iconic animals is a historic moment. Bilbies only really survive behind fenced areas, he said. There are some remaining wild bilby populations, but they get predated upon heavily by feral cats and foxes. Behind a large-scale fenced area is really the only way of ensuring their survival. Well, the point of doing these projects is to return the bush to what it used to be before Europeans turned up, before feral predators such as cats and foxes were introduced, Allard continued. So in the not-too-distant future, you will be able to go inside the fenced area and it will be like stepping back in time before Europeans turned up. You will have populations of bilbies, bandicoots, bridled nail-tail wallabies. It will really be a very special experience. Protecting biodiversity Bilbies are known for their long rabbitlike ears and large hind legs. They are small nocturnal, burrowing animals that grow to about 2.5 kilograms. They eat plant roots, ants, beetles and spiders. Australia has one of the worlds worst rates of mammal extinctions, and the bilby project is seen as a vital part in protecting the nations fragile biodiversity. It is estimated that 1 million birds in Australia are killed each day by predators, including feral cats, wild dogs and foxes. The candidate U.S. President Donald Trump was widely expected pick as his new chief of staff is apparently out of the running for the high-profile White House job. Reports say Nick Ayers, who is currently Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, plans to leave the administration by the end of the year. Trump is said to be looking for someone who will remain in the White House at least through the 2020 re-election campaign. "I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause," Ayers tweeted, referring to Trump Make America Great Again slogan. With Ayers declining the job, reports say the president is now considering Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney, or conservative Republican congressman Mark Meadows as his new chief of staff. One of them - or maybe someone else - would replace John Kelly as the person who traditionally controls access to the Oval Office. Kelly is leaving by the end of the month, President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday. John Kelly will be leaving I dont know if I can say retiring. But, hes a great guy, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn. Asked if Kelly was forced out or if he resigned, White House economics advisor Larry Kudlow told Fox News Sunday "I don't know to be perfectly honest." Kellys successor is widely expected to be Nick Ayers, the young, politically savvy chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence. New staff Trump, before boarding Marine One, said he would announce his next chief of staff over the next day or two. Kellys imminent departure comes as no surprise. There had been speculation for months which had grown more intense in recent days that the former Marine general would soon exit amid a further chill between him and the president, a deterioration in a relationship that had never been described as overly warm. It would have been a bad fit for anybody. He was essentially tasked with mission impossible, said professor David Cohen, a presidential historian at the University of Akron in Ohio. Trump never gave him the tools to succeed in the job, in which the chief of staff is supposed to be empowered to speak for the president and to have unfettered authority in organizing the White House and instilling stability and order. The cause of the chaos is Donald Trump himself, who is never willing to be reined in by anybody, and considered Kelly and his predecessor, Reince Priebus, to be more staff than chief, said Cohen, who is writing a book about White House chiefs of staff. Although the Trump administration has a reputation for a higher rate of staff turnover than its predecessors, Kellys total time of 16 months in the job will not be unusually short in a high-stress position where two years is considered a decent run. Priebus lasted just six months. Theres a lot of burnout in the position, Cohen told VOA. More often than not the individual thats serving in that position cant wait to find a new position, in the presidents Cabinet or maybe simply retiring from the rigors of the White House and a presidential administration. The departing chief of staff, during his time inside the White House was a force for order, clarity and good sense, said outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican. He is departing what is often a thankless job, but John Kelly has my eternal gratitude. Kelly's service Kellys tenure has been the definition of selfless service and he served President Trump well from day one, Heritage Foundation Vice President James Jay Carafano told VOA, noting the administrations foreign policy that has been tough, focused, realistic and successful. A former high-ranking official from the administration of Barack Obama, Trumps predecessor, saw it differently. Kelly failed to contain or restrain the president, and supported and encouraged the abhorrent family separation policy as a deterrent to asylum seekers, said Jon Wolfsthal, a former senior director for arms control on the National Security Council. Kelly previously was Trumps secretary of homeland security, where his hard-line stance on immigration earned praise from the president. Whomever he chooses, Trump will soon have his third chief of staff in two years, a turnover rate for which he harshly criticized Obama in January 2012. Despite repeated calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for oil production to remain steady, the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with Russia and its allies, announced Friday they would cut their pumping of crude to reduce oil flows onto the global market by 1.2 million barrels of per day, a bigger-than-expected cut. OPEC officials say there was no political motive behind the decision, arguing an oil glut forced the move and that their decision was spurred by oversupply concerns and forecasts for lower demand next year as well as a surge of shale oil production in the U.S. Price slide Oil economists agree that a reduction is needed to stem a further slide in prices, which fell 30 percent in October, and OPEC's decision was praised by many market analysts. Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity markets strategy at BNP Paribas, told Bloomberg: "Given how much expectations were downplayed around the outcome of this meeting, this result comes as a welcome surprise. OPEC has given the oil market a rudder that appeared largely absent." Oil prices surged following the announcement, with a barrel of Brent crude jumping nearly 6 percent, to $63.11. But with the U.S. Senate determined to punish Saudi Arabia for the killing in October of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and prominent critic of the Gulf kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, some Western diplomats and analysts aren't so sure that the Saudi-led cut was without a political motive. They argue Riyadh's determination to force through a larger-than-expected cut was partly a warning shot in line with thinly veiled threats by Saudi officials to jolt the global economy, if the U.S. moves to impose sanctions on the kingdom for Khashoggi's brazen killing. Pledge on sanctions A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has vowed to sanction Saudi Arabia after a briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel convinced them the Saudi crown prince ordered the killing, which took place Oct. 2 in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he wanted to "sanction the hell out of" the Saudi government. "A cut in production is one thing, but this was much larger than was forecast; and the Saudis had to go out of their way to persuade Moscow to agree," a senior British diplomat said. Initially, the Kremlin refused to scale back its own output at the meeting in Vienna, and Russian envoy Alexander Novak had to rush back to Moscow for talks. On Friday, the Saudi and Russian envoys haggled in Vienna for two hours, consulting their governments by phone during the bargaining, OPEC officials said. Some analysts see the Russian agreement for the production cut as further evidence of the warming ties between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Saudi crown prince, who enthusiastically shared a high-five a hand slap at last week's Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires. In the run-up to the meeting featuring the OPEC countries and a so-called Russia-led super cartel of 10 oil-producing countries, including Kazakhstan, analysts had forecast that a muddled middle course would be plotted, with Saudi Arabia likely to be more cautious about defying Trump while moving to bump up prices. On Wednesday, the U.S. leader tweeted he hoped OPEC would "be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted." He added: "The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" In October as sanctions talk flared in Washington, Saudi officials warned that the Gulf kingdom could exploit its oil status to disrupt the global economy, if it wanted. The Saudi government threatened to retaliate against any punishment such as economic sanctions, outside political pressure or even "repeated false accusations" about the Khashoggi killing, although it walked back the threat subsequently following signs that the Trump administration had no appetite for imposing sanctions on the long-term U.S. ally. Saudi Arabia doesn't wield the same level of power on the oil market thanks in part to U.S. shale oil production as it did in 1973, when it triggered an oil embargo against Western countries for supporting Israel. However, it still wields enormous influence, analysts say. The U.S. is the third-biggest destination for Saudi crude. OPEC accounts for about one-third of global crude production. If the U.S. Congress decides to impose sanctions, the Saudis could react by reducing oil exports further and force prices to rise to $100 a barrel, some market experts said. Exemptions for importers U.S. officials said they had expected that OPEC would decide to cut production. They said that is why U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo granted exemptions last month for eight oil-importing countries to continue to buy oil from Tehran when announcing details of the reimposition of sanctions against Iran. This week, U.S. senators are due to take aim at the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen and will hold an unprecedented vote on ending U.S. support for the war. Washington is absorbing new revelations concerning the Russia probe revealed in court documents regarding U.S. President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign manager as well as his former personal attorney, both of whom have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal crimes and provided information to prosecutors. Trump himself continues to deny wrongdoing. None of the prosecutorial briefs made available to the public on Friday answer the core question of the Russia investigation whether Donald Trump colluded with Moscow to sway the 2016 presidential election. But they do contain a multitude of assertions. Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort of lying about interactions with a Russian operative as well as his contacts with Trump administration officials. The document is heavily redacted, suggesting more information will emerge. Separately, Mueller asserts that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen detailed Trumps business dealings in Russia well into the 2016 campaign, as well as Cohens repeated lies to congressional investigators in order to shield Trump from scrutiny. Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, said Cohen paid hush money to two women to suppress claims of sexual encounters with Trump. The brief states that Cohen acted at Trumps behest in violation of U.S. campaign finance laws. Trump himself did not seem troubled by the revelations. We are very happy with what we're reading, because there was no collusion whatsoever. There never has been. The last thing I want is help from Russia on a campaign, he said. The presidents take was not echoed by lawmakers of either political party. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal tweeted that prosecutors believe Trump participated in a felony that played a substantial role in his election. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, speaking on ABCs This Week, said Theres no way to spin this. This has not been a positive development for the people that are involved in this. Rubio added that the search for the full truth must continue. What we want for this country is all the facts and all the truth. Ive always supported the Mueller investigation and continue to do so, because I think its in the best interest of everyone involved, including, by the way, the president in many of these issues. Democrats concur. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said the Russia probe has entered a new phase. I think it is important for us to get the full report from the special investigator, but lets be clear: we have reached a new level in the investigation. The special counsel is starting to show his cards, and these are very serious allegations. This is a president who is now named as an unindicted co-conspirator, the allegation is he committed a least two felonies to try to manipulate the 2016 election, Murphy said, also speaking on ABCs This Week. Murphy is backing legislation that would make it harder for Trump to fire Mueller, who has led the Russia probe since May, 2017. A pregnant woman was among seven Israelis wounded in a drive-by shooting by a suspected Palestinian assailant outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. "Shots were fired from a passing Palestinian vehicle towards Israeli civilians who were standing at the bus station," the Israeli army said Sunday. The woman was said to be in critical condition. Her husband was slightly injured. Israeli forces at the scene fired at the car and are now looking for the attacker. The last deadly attack against Israelis in the West Bank was on November 26 when a Palestinian rammed Israeli soldiers with a car and injured three of them. The assailant in that incident was later killed by Israeli forces. Corruption costs the world economy $2.6 trillion each year, according to the United Nations, which is marking International Anti-Corruption Day on Sunday. "Corruption is a serious crime that can undermine social and economic development in all societies. No country, region or community is immune," the United Nations said. The cost of $2.6 trillion represents more than 5 percent of global GDP. The world body said that $1 trillion of the money stolen annually through corruption is in the form of bribes. Patricia Moreira, the managing director of Transparency International, told VOA that about a quarter of the world's population has paid a bribe when trying to access a public service over the past year, according to data from the Global Corruption Barometer. Moreira said it is important to have such a day as International Anti-Corruption Day because it provides "a really tremendous opportunity to focus attention precisely on the challenge that is posed by corruption around the world." Anti-corruption commitments To mark the day, the United States called on all countries to implement their international anti-corruption commitments including through the U.N. Convention against Corruption. In a statement Friday, the U.S. State Department said that corruption facilitates crime and terrorism, as well as undermines economic growth, the rule of law and democracy. "Ultimately, it endangers our national security. That is why, as we look ahead to International Anticorruption Day on Dec. 9, we pledge to continue working with our partners to prevent and combat corruption worldwide," the statement said. Moreira said that data about worldwide corruption can make the phenomena understandable but still not necessarily "close to our lives." For that, we need to hear everyday stories about people impacted by corruption and understand that it "is about our daily lives," she added. She said those most impacted by corruption are "the most vulnerable people so it's usually women, it's usually poor people, the most marginalized people in the world." The United Nations Development Program notes that in developing countries, funds lost to corruption are estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance. What can be done to fight corruption? The United Nations designated Dec. 9 as International Anti-Corruption Day in 2003, coinciding with the adoption of the United Nations Convention against Corruption by the U.N. General Assembly. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness about corruption and put pressure on governments to take action against it. Tackling the issue Moreira said to fight corruption effectively it must be tackled from different angles. For example, she said that while it is important to have the right legislation in place to curb corruption, governments must also have mechanisms to enforce that legislation. She said those who engage in corruption must be held accountable. "Fighting corruption is about providing people with a more sustainable world, with a world where social justice is something more of our reality than what it has been until today," she said. Moreira said change must come from a joint effort from governments, public institutions, the private sector and civil society. The U.S. Statement Department said in its Friday statement that it pledges "to continue working with our partners to prevent and combat corruption worldwide." It noted that the United States, through the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, helps partner nations "build transparent, accountable institutions and strengthen criminal justice systems that hold the corrupt accountable." Moreira said that it is important for the world to see that there are results to the fight against corruption. "Then we are showing the world with specific examples that we can fight against corruption, [that] yes there are results. And if we work together, then it is something not just that we would wish for, but actually something that can be translated into specific results and changes to the world," she said. VOA's Elizabeth Cherneff contributed to this report. Yemen's warring parties held the first direct talks in U.N.-led peace efforts in Sweden on Sunday to iron out a prisoner swap, one of several confidence-building measures intended to help launch a political process to end nearly four years of conflict. Since talks began on Thursday, U.N. officials have been shuttling between delegations from the Iranian-aligned Houthi group and the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. The first negotiations in over two years were convened amid pressure from Western nations, some of which supply arms and intelligence to Saudi Arabia and other members of the coalition. The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people and caused a major humanitarian disaster. Mediator Martin Griffiths opened the new round due to last until Dec. 13 by announcing a deal to release thousands of prisoners. The two sides met in a renovated castle outside Stockholm on Sunday to discuss implementation of the deal. The team from Hadi's government initially refused to enter the room, saying the Houthis needed to include more senior delegates, but the meeting went ahead, delegates said. "We are very optimistic about having a breakthrough on the prisoners issue ... we have exchanged some lists in the past but each side needs to update them," said Askar Ahmed Zayl, a delegate from Hadi's government. 'Baby steps' The parties have yet to agree on trickier issues such as re-opening Sanaa airport and a truce in the port city of Hodeidah, both held by the Houthis, both further confidence-building measures that are the focus of the talks in addition to a framework for negotiations. "We have three or four days. If we end up without any agreement then this round has failed," the Houthi's main negotiator Mohammed Abdusalam told reporters. "But if we have a draft on some general framework, the reopening of Sanaa airport, the prisoners release, keeping the central bank neutral and a de-escalation in Hodeidah... then this will be a good step to hold another round in one or two months." Griffiths praised the parties' "positive spirit" in engaging constructively and urged for calm on the ground in Yemen, where sporadic battles have continued in the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions, and other parts of the country. The war has pushed the impoverished Arab country to the brink of starvation and spawned the world's most urgent humanitarian crisis. Gulf Arab states are expected to discuss the war during an annual summit on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, which along with the United Arab Emirates leads the Western-backed Sunni Muslim military alliance trying to restore Hadi's government. A U.S State Department official said on Sunday the United States would continue to back the coalition after the Senate last month voted to advance a resolution to end U.S. military support for the war. One diplomat at the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity said the peace round could be considered successful if they resulted in agreements on the de-escalation of hostilities, on the prisoners swap and on a further round of consultations. "These are still baby steps. Just having them together in the same restaurant and getting them used to talk to each other is a big deal," the diplomat said. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Judith Ndlovu says Zimbabwe should severely punish people who rape children and perpetrate violence against women. She was speaking on the sidelines of an event in Sitezi communal lands, Matabeleland South, marking 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence.. (Video: Albert Ncube) Court filings Friday from prosecutors in New York and special counsel Robert Mueller laid out why Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trumps former personal lawyer, and Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, deserve prison time. The filings say Cohen made illegal hush money payments to two women Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, and former Playboy model Karen McDougal ahead of the 2016 election to keep them quiet about their sexual encounters with Trump. Federal prosecutors said Cohen made the payments in coordination with and the direction of Trump. The filings also disclose an attempt by a Russian to wield influence in the campaign. In one filing, Mueller details how Cohen spoke to a Russian who claimed to be a trusted person in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign political synergy and synergy on a government level. Trump has denied any collusion with Russia, and Russia has denied any interference in the U.S. presidential campaign. The filings also exposed lies told by Manafort during interviews with prosecutors and the FBI. Manafort told multiple discernible lies, the court documents said, including about his communications with a political consultant with alleged ties to Russian intelligence and about interacting with Trump administration officials after Manafort was indicted in 2017. While Trump Tweeted Totally clears the President. Thank you! after the court filings, the documents suggest that Trump may have known more about campaign and business contacts with the Russians than he has admitted. By tapping former Attorney General William Barr to head the Justice Department again, U.S. President Donald Trump has picked a highly experienced Republican lawyer who is not known as a partisan in the same vein as ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Barr, 68, served as first deputy attorney general and then as attorney general from 1989 to 1993 under the late President George H.W. Bush. While leading the Justice Department, Barr oversaw independent counsel investigations of Reagan and Bush White House officials, an experience his supporters say lends him the credibility to oversee Robert Mueller's independent probe of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Barr also has held what critics see as sweeping views of presidential power, however, and at times has expressed skepticism about past and present independent counsel investigations. Those views, along with Barr's critical statements about the Mueller investigation, are drawing scrutiny from congressional Democrats who worry about the independence of the probe under a new Trump-appointed attorney general. "There is no question William Barr is an experienced lawyer, having previously served as attorney general," California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. "However, there are concerns about his independence, given his expansive views of executive power and partisan statements about pardons, the Mueller investigation and Hillary Clinton." But supporters of Barr's nomination say those concerns are unfounded. "He's going to have a very deep respect and commitment to the institution of the Department of Justice," said Eric Jaso, a former federal prosecutor who is now a partner at the Spiro Harrison law firm. "I suspect that given his history and his reputation in Washington that he'll have a fairly hands-off, as appropriate, attitude toward the investigation." Barr was unanimously confirmed by a Democratic-controlled Senate in 1991 to be Bush's attorney general. If confirmed again, Barr will replace acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, whom Trump appointed last month after forcing out Sessions. Trump had repeatedly criticized Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, blaming that move for the eventual appointment of an independent counsel with a wide mandate to probe Trump's campaign and actions as president. Barr has spent most of his career in the private sector, with two stints at the Justice Department. While heading the Justice Department in the early 1990s, Barr oversaw two independent investigations. The first, a sprawling inquiry carried over from the Reagan administration, examined the Iran-Contra affair, a 1980s political scandal involving the secret sale of weapons to the Iranian government and transfer of the proceeds to the U.S.-backed Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua. The seven-year investigation, led by independent counsel Lawrence Walsh, led to the indictment of nearly a dozen people, including former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. But Barr remained harshly critical of what he considered Walsh's prosecutorial overreach. Iran-Contra probe criticism As Walsh recalled in a 1998 book about the investigation, Barr "believed some of our defendants should not have been prosecuted." "People in this Iran-Contra matter have been prosecuted for the kind of crimes that would not have been criminal or prosecutable by the Department of Justice, applying standards that we have applied for decades to every citizen," Walsh quoted from a December 1992 interview Barr gave. The second investigation was launched in the final weeks of the Bush presidency, when Barr appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether White House officials had violated the law in connection with searching Bill Clinton's passport files during the presidential campaign. Barr made the appointment under a now-defunct independent counsel law that he'd severely criticized. The inquiry concluded in 1995 without charges against any officials. Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official who is now a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative public policy group in Washington, said Barr's handling of the investigations shows "he's not going to favor either political side of the aisle." "I don't think anyone has claimed that either one of those investigations was improperly handled or somehow gave a pass to the individuals being investigated," von Spakovsky said. Barr has spent the past 25 years largely out of the limelight, working as general counsel for two large telecommunication companies GTE Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc. and as a lawyer for the Kirkland & Ellis law firm. A registered Republican, he's given to GOP candidates in recent years. While he has steered clear of overtly partisan attacks on the Mueller investigation, Barr has expressed views about the probe that echo those of Trump. After Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey in May 2017, Barr published an opinion piece supporting the controversial action. He wrote that Comey had "crossed a line" when he announced the outcome of the FBI investigation of Clinton's use of a private email server, in violation of Justice Department protocol. Barr was equally critical of Mueller's retention of several career Justice Department officials and other lawyers who had contributed money to Democratic campaigns. Trump often refers to these lawyers as "17 Angry Democrats." "In my view, prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party," Barr told The Washington Post last year. "I would have liked to see him have more balance on this group." Republican contributions Campaign records show that Barr has made campaign contributions to Republican Party committees and candidates in recent years, including $55,000 to the failed presidential campaign of Trump's rival, Jeb Bush, the elder Bush's second-oldest son. Campaign donations do not disqualify nominees. But generating controversy is Barr's support for the opening of an investigation into the Uranium One controversy, the allegation that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton facilitated the sale of an American uranium company to a Russian firm in return for donations to the Clinton Foundation. Barr told The New York Times last November that there were more grounds to investigate the Uranium One deal than alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which is at the heart of the Mueller investigation. "To the extent it is not pursuing these matters, the department is abdicating its responsibility," Barr told the newspaper. Despite vehement Democratic opposition to such an inquiry, the likelihood that the Justice Department, under Barr, would investigate the Uranium One deal and Clinton's use of a private email server has grown, according to von Spakovsky. U.S. health officials are concerned about the increasing number of American teenagers smoking electronic cigarettes, a practice commonly known as vaping. So many teenagers are taking up the habit that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is worried that it's become an epidemic. Lindsey Buckingham. Photo: Steve Granitz/Getty Images Consider the chain officially broken. Lindsey Buckingham has apparently settled his lawsuit against his ex-band, Fleetwood Mac. According to Lindz, he was fired over the phone by Stevie Nicks, from the band he helped bring to international acclaim. Buckingham then filed a breach of contract suit, as he had been scheduled to play a 60-show tour. Buckingham said, on CBS This Morning, that at last a settlement has been reached and that all parties are free to ahem go their own way. Weve all signed off on something, he said Im happy enough with it. Im not out there trying to twist the knife at all. Im trying to look at this with some level of compassion, some level of wisdom. He then twisted the knife a little by saying that Christine McVie emailed him and said she hates how hes been treated and that its all Stevies fault. She said, I believe deep in Stevies heart that she would like you to come home. Sure she did, Lindsey. Sure she did. . . , , , . - , - , , ... Resentment among temps about their status has boiled beneath the surface at NPR for years, but the tensions have begun to bubble up over the past several months. Some temporary employees raised complaints in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal involving Michael Oreskes, the former head of NPRs newsroom. Oreskes was accused by several women, including a then-temporary employee, of misconduct. Oreskes was forced to resign by NPR last year; several women said his behavior highlighted the vulnerability of temporary employees, who fear they could be blackballed for complaining or resisting an overly aggressive manager. Another exception is K. Alexander Wallace, a millennial who started on the board as an appointee, was elected in 2016 and has often voted with the board majority. He said that while he agrees on some issues raised by his board-member counterparts in their 20s, he has not agreed with some of their tactics. Still, in the city long considered the capital of dirt bike culture, the sport endures. And Young, an elementary school technology instructor and former chemical engineer, is tapping into that love as a platform for something bigger. Through her grant-funded B-360 program, Young is using bike culture to introduce more black children to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. At the same time, she hopes to decrease street riding in Baltimore and to challenge the negative perception of this popular hobby. William Thomas Layton, 32, of Largo, Md., is being held without bond in the Alexandria detention center in connection with the death of Diamond Moore. Authorities said Layton has been charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a violent felon and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. The senators interest in war powers dates to 2002, when, as lieutenant governor, he drove around Virginia and heard radio reports about Congress rushing to authorize war in Iraq before that years midterm elections, a move he said he considered a political stunt. A few years later, he read a report on war powers from the Miller Center at the University of Virginia and kept it in hopes of one day teaching a class on the subject. The Bundy family often says it will do whatever it takes to keep its cattle on public land, and the Nevada terrorism report saw that as a veiled threat of violence even if Cliven Bundy himself was not violent. Several individuals stated that they would not initiate any violent actions against BLM personnel, but they would defend themselves and return fire if fired upon, it read. Additionally, a couple of Mr. Bundys relatives stated that they would do anything asked of them, including taking up arms. 48 arrested at Yale protest over fossil fuel investments: Yale University police arrested 48 people who were protesting the Ivy League school's investments in fossil fuel companies and its Puerto Rico debt holdings. The arrests came during a sit-in demonstration Friday inside Yale's investment office as more than 300 students and community members rallied outside the building. Protesters demanded that Yale divest itself of endowment funds from fossil fuel companies because of concerns about climate change. They also said they wanted Yale to cancel its holdings in a fund that holds some of Puerto Rico's huge debt while the island struggles to recover from hurricane damage. Cardinal holds beatification ceremony in Algeria: A cardinal dispatched by the Vatican to Algeria held an unusual beatification ceremony Saturday for 19 monks, nuns and other Catholics who were killed during Algeria's civil war in the 1990s. It was the first such ceremony in the Islamic world, according to Algeria's religious affairs minister. It came after Pope Francis recognized all 19 as martyrs in January, paving the way for Saturday's ceremony in the western Algerian city of Oran. Beatification is a step in the process of declaring someone a saint. Those honored include seven French Trappist monks who were abducted from the monastery of Tibhirine, south of Algiers, in 1996. Soon afterward, their skulls were discovered nearby; their bodies were never found. A radical group was blamed for their beheadings, but some observers have suggested that Algeria's military was responsible. The Algerian president agreed to allow and co-organize the beatification, despite lingering tensions. The arrest was made on the same day that Trump and Xi met for dinner amid high-level trade and national security talks in Buenos Aires. An unnamed senior U.S. official with direct knowledge of the matter told The Washington Post last week that Trump learned of the arrest only after the meal had concluded and reacted with intense anger. That announcement closed out Kellys rocky tenure and ushered in a second straight messy chief-of-staff handover for the president, for whom the next pick will be the third to take on the daunting job in less than three years. Last year, Trump took to Twitter to announce Priebuss departure and Kellys arrival while aboard Air Force One, his outgoing top administrator having just left the plane. Uh-oh is right, Paul replied. Im concerned that hes been a big supporter of the Patriot Act, which lowered the standard for spying on Americans. And he even went so far as to say, you know, the Patriot Act was pretty good, but we should go much further. I personally think that if someone makes an error in filing paperwork or not categorizing, it shouldnt be jail time, it ought to be a fine, Paul said. He added that if campaign finance violations are aggressively prosecuted, were going to become a banana republic, where every president gets prosecuted and every president gets thrown in jail when theyre done with office. The Russian ambassador. A deputy prime minister. A pop star, a weightlifter, a lawyer, a Soviet army veteran with alleged intelligence ties. Again and again and again, over the course of Donald Trumps 18-month campaign for the presidency, Russian citizens made contact with his closest family members and friends, as well as figures on the periphery of his orbit. Some offered to help his campaign and his real estate business. Some offered dirt on his Democratic opponent. Repeatedly, Russian nationals suggested Trump should hold a peacemaking sit-down with Vladimir Putin and offered to broker such a summit. In all, Russians interacted with at least 14 Trump associates during the campaign and presidential transition, public records and interviews show. It is extremely unusual, said Michael McFaul, who served as ambassador to Russia under President Barack Obama. Both the number of contacts and the nature of the contacts are extraordinary. [Mueller flashes some cards in Russia probe, but hides his hand] As Robert S. Mueller III slowly unveils the evidence that he has gathered since his appointment as special counsel in May 2017, he has not yet shown that any of the dozens of interactions between people in Trumps orbit and Russians resulted in any specific coordination between his presidential campaign and Russia. But the mounting number of communications that have been revealed occurred against the backdrop of sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the U.S. presidential election, as Muellers prosecutors wrote in a court filing last week. The special counsels filings have also revealed moments when Russia appeared to be taking cues from Trump. In July 2016, the then-candidate said at a news conference, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, referring to messages Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton had deleted from a private account. That day, the Russians made their first effort to break into servers used by Clintons personal office, according to court documents. As Americans began to grip the reality that a hostile foreign power took active steps to shape the outcome of the race, Trump and his advisers asserted they had no contact with Russia. Two days after Trump was elected president, a top Kremlin official caused a stir by asserting that Trumps associates were in contact with the Russian government before the election. I dont say that all of them, but a whole array of them supported contacts with Russian representatives, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency on Nov. 10, 2016. The claim was met with a hail of denials. Hope Hicks, then Trumps top spokeswoman, responded, It never happened. There was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign. After Trump took office, in February 2017, he reiterated the denial. No. Nobody that I know of, the president told reporters when asked whether anyone who advised his campaign had contact with Russia. I have nothing to do with Russia. To the best of my knowledge, no person that I deal with does. It is now clear that wasnt true. Trumps oldest children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, interacted with Russians who were offering to help the Republican candidate. Ivankas husband, top campaign adviser Jared Kushner as well as Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort; his personal lawyer Michael Cohen; and his longest-serving political adviser, Roger Stone also had contact with Russian nationals. Veterans of past White House bids said that so much interplay with representatives of a foreign adversary is highly unusual. This is different in kind than anything I have ever heard of before, said Trevor Potter, who served as general counsel to Sen. John McCains presidential campaign in 2008. McCain, he noted, traveled the globe as a member of the Senate, but his contacts with foreign government officials generally occurred in consultation with the State Department and involved questions of policy not personal business or his own electoral concerns. The number of known interactions has grown since last year, when The Washington Post tallied that at least nine Trump associates had contacts with Russians during the campaign or presidential transition. At the time, then-White House lawyer Ty Cobb said, I think the American public can fully appreciate that those are isolated, obviously disconnected events, quite small in number for a presidential campaign. Trump attorney Jay Sekulow declined to comment on Sunday. The president has repeatedly denied that people close to him coordinated with Russia, tweeting frequently, NO COLLUSION! New court documents filed by Muellers prosecutors in the past two weeks revealed the Russian outreach was more extensive than previously known. In November 2015, Cohen spoke with a Russian national who claimed to be a trusted person in the Russian Federation offering the campaign political synergy and synergy on a government level, according to a memo filed by the special counsel Friday. [New Mueller filing says Trumps ex-lawyer Michael Cohen was in touch with a Russian seeking political synergy with campaign] The Russian national repeatedly proposed a meeting between Trump and Putin, prosecutors wrote, saying that a sit-down between the two men could have a phenomenal impact because there is no bigger warranty in any project than Putins backing. The details of the episode match descriptions of an interaction Cohen had at the time with Dmitry Klokov, a well-connected Russian athlete, which was first reported by BuzzFeed News. An Olympic weightlifter turned entrepreneur, Klokov sells training equipment, clothing and fitness programs worldwide from his base in Moscow. Asked on Saturday via a message to his Instagram account about his reported communications with Cohen, Klokov responded with three laughing-in-tears emoji and the words: This is someones nonsense. Klokovs wife reached out to Ivanka Trump in October 2015, saying she had connections in the Russian government and could help her father build a Trump Tower in Moscow, a project he had long sought, according to a person familiar with the interaction. [We will be in Moscow: The story of Trumps 30-year quest to expand his brand to Russia] Ivanka Trump did not know the woman but forwarded her contact information to Cohen, who later connected with Klokov, people familiar with the exchanges said. After an initial conversation, prosecutors said Cohen did not pursue a meeting through the Russian national because he believed he already had connections to the Russian government through a business partner. That partner, Russian-born developer Felix Sater, said in an interview that he had been unaware of Cohens contact with Klokov. Cohen, who had worked for Trump for a decade and urged him to run for president years before the celebrity mogul launched his bid in 2015, was focused on his bosss relationship with Russia from the campaigns earliest days. In September 2015, Cohen told Sean Hannity during an appearance on the Fox News hosts radio program that there was a better than likely chance that Trump and Putin would meet while Putin was in New York for the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly then underway. People want to meet Donald Trump. They want to know Donald Trump, Cohen told Hannity. Last week, prosecutors revealed Cohen admitted he conferred with Trump about the idea before reaching out to gauge Russias interest in such a meeting. The candidate and Putin did not meet at the time. Mueller said Cohen has corrected past misstatements about his outreach to the Russian government during the week of the United Nations General Assembly. Court filings provided no additional details about the outreach. The special counsel also revealed in recent weeks that Cohen communicated with the Kremlin about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen spoke by phone with an assistant to Putins spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, after asking Peskov for government help in propelling the project. Prosecutors called the real estate development pursued even as Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination a lucrative business opportunity that could have produced hundreds of millions for Trumps company, noting that it probably would have required Russian government help for completion. Mueller also indicated that his team has been gathering evidence about Manaforts interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian army veteran who worked for Manafort in the Kiev office of his political consulting company. Muellers team accused Manafort of lying repeatedly in interviews with investigators about his interactions with Kilimnik, who has been assessed by the FBI to have ties to Russian intelligence and met with Manafort twice during the campaign. Details about those alleged falsehoods were redacted from the filing. The Post has previously reported that Manafort asked Kilimnik to extend an offer of private briefings about the campaign to Oleg Deripaska, a top Russian businessman who is close to Putin. Deripaskas spokeswoman has said no such briefings took place. Some outreach came directly from the Russian government. Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak met several Trump advisers, including then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), at the Republican National Convention. Trump aide Carter Page has said he was greeted by Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich after delivering a speech in Moscow in July 2016. People close to Trump were twice offered damaging information about Clinton, a particular foe of Putin whom he blamed for fomenting protests against his regime while she was secretary of state. In June 2016, Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer, who he was told would provide dirt on Clinton. The meeting was arranged by billionaire Moscow developer Aras Agalarov and his pop star son Emin. The attendees of the Trump Tower gathering, which also included Manafort and Kushner, said lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya offered nothing helpful. But several attendees described to congressional investigators Trump Jr.s eagerness for the Russians assistance, according to transcripts of their testimony. In addition, Russians repeatedly suggested a meeting between Trump and Putin might be a good idea. Months after people familiar with the approach say the Russian weightlifter broached the idea of such a summit with Cohen, Ivan Timofeev, a director of a Moscow think tank with ties to the Russian foreign ministry, discussed a Trump-Putin meeting with George Papadopoulos, a Trump foreign policy adviser. A London-based professor also connected Papadopoulos to a Russian woman who the Trump adviser believed was Putins niece. Some of the interactions between Trump associates and Russians were low-level, speculative discussions. The kind of people we are talking about are not the kind of people you talk to about U.S.-Russia relations, the future of the START treaty and so on, McFaul said, referring to a landmark nuclear-weapons pact. But he said the Russians would have taken note of the willingness of Trump aides to engage. I think the Russians would nurture those contacts and see them as a way to establish relationships that could be useful for Putin and his government, he said. Anton Troianovski and Amie Ferris-Rotman in Moscow contributed to this report. I admire the heck out of the man, but I dont know his phone number, Ive never been to his house, I dont know his childrens names, Comey said though he later said he would bet my life that Bob Mueller will do things the right way, the way we would all want, whether were Republicans or Democrats, the way Americans should want. It is a struggle, Im not going to lie, said Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), who was a partner at a law firm before she came to Congress. Its worth it every day to be able to help my home district and to give the opportunities that I was so fortunate to have to the children of my district . . . but it is a sacrifice. Kabila was the great liberalizer and friend of the Western lending institutions, and the first to hold legitimate elections in the Congo, said Jason Stearns, director of New York Universitys Congo Research Group. But he ruled by fragmenting the country. I dont have to be strong, just stronger than everyone else was his method of staying in power, and the byproduct is constant conflict in regions of the country where challenges to his rule might originate. The pact, which seeks to reduce the root causes of migration while making it safer for people who choose to move across borders, was the result of a European push to avoid repetitions of the drama of 2015. That year, more than a million people streamed into Europe, often by foot and under painful conditions. By signing the pact, countries pledge to respect the human rights of refugees and economic migrants, reduce the detention of migrants and offer them basic social services. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The march was called by the U.K. Independence Party (UKIP), a once-ascendant movement now in decline, dominated by Euroskeptics and right-wing populists. They were at the forefront of the winning Brexit campaign two years ago, when they were led by radio show personality and Fox News contributor Nigel Farage, who was one of the first British politicians to meet with President Trump after his election. More than 150 babies and small children were accidentally locked in vehicles in the past 12 months, with temperatures soaring to potentially fatal levels, according to NSW Ambulance records. Even on an overcast day, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise quickly, NSW Ambulance's Peter Vaughan said: "A car that is locked up will hit 50 degrees Celsius quickly and hit over 70 degrees." Nearly all cases were accidental where parents quickly realised they had made a grave mistake and left their "most precious cargo in the back seat", said acting superintendent Vaughan. New automotive technology may address the problem, which safety experts say has got worse with keyless cars. A range of vehicle manufacturers, including Hyundai in Australia, have added rear seat reminders that trigger alarms, lights and other reminders. Fat Duck and the group's other UK restaurants are routed through a separate Nevis-based company and are also ultimately owned by Lowenthal Corporation. Detail about the Blumenthal-linked business network comes as leaked rosters reveal that chefs at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal regularly work 25 hours of unpaid overtime weekly. While a meal for two at his high-end Australian eatery can cost hundreds of dollars per head, payslips and other records indicate permanent mid-level skilled chefs could be earning, in effect, as little as $15 to $17 an hour, well under the award minimum. A Dinner by Heston Blumenthal spokeswoman said the company did not believe there were any underpayment issues to address but said it is now undertaking a "thorough review. Any issues uncovered would be "dealt with immediately, the spokeswoman said. The underpayment is similar to what was uncovered at Neil Perrys Rockpool Dining Group empire and at prominent chef Guillaume Brahimis restaurant businesses by investigations in The Sunday Age and Sun-Herald. Rockpool recently agreed to back pay staff $1.6 million after the investigation. That backpay covered just one year of underpayment. Heston Blumenthal with Neil Perry and Guillaume Brahimi. Credit:Simon Alekna The revelations through 2018 point to endemic exploitation in the Australian hospitality industry, and especially in upmarket restaurant kitchens. Even the restaurant industry association now concedes a widespread underpayment problem exists in the nation's eateries. Blumenthal, a regular on Masterchef in Australia, is famed for his "multi-sensory cooking and unusual food pairings such as white chocolate with caviar, bacon and egg ice-cream and snail porridge. The Michelin-starred The Fat Duck, the eatery for which he is best known, was voted the worlds best restaurant in 2005. Corporate records show that since it opened in Australia in 2015, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal has, on paper, been loss-making and has paid no company tax. In 2017 the business reported turnover of $15million but a loss of $308,526 after paying large "joint venture fees of $733,584. The year before, "joint venture fees" of about $800,000 were recorded as revenue, not as an expense. Dinner by Heston restaurant in Melbourne. Heston Blumenthal with chef director Ashley Palmer-Watts. Credit:Justin McManus Limited financial records show that parent company Tipsy Cake enjoys an interest-free loan of $750,000 from Crown Melbourne. It also has a separate, unsecured loan from a related company on Nevis that charges no interest and has no set repayment date. A Dinner by Heston spokeswoman did not directly answer a series of questions about the use by the group of tax havens or about its record of paying tax. The Caribbean island of Nevis is one of the world's most notorious tax havens. "The group operates internationally within an existing trading structure, in a way that allows the business to work efficiently in its chosen markets, she said. The spokeswoman said its Melbourne restaurant was "fully registered in Australia. She did not answer questions about why it was set up in Nevis. Accounting experts said the use of inter-company loans and shifting expenses to related offshore entities was a common tax avoidance tactic by multinationals. University of London tax avoidance expert, Professor Richard Murphy, said it was "utterly unacceptable in the 21st century to set up businesses through tax havens. "It is extraordinary that businesses and people in the public eye still think that it is acceptable to hide their affairs behind tax haven secrecy, he said. It is not illegal to set up a business operating in Australia in Nevis. Employees at the Australian restaurant are hired through the Nevis-based company, Tipsy Cake. Permanent chefs are paid for a 40 hour week, according to staff contracts obtained by The Age. However leaked rosters show permanent chefs are regularly rostered to work 60 to 65 hours. The chefs say they often work even longer than their rostered hours, sometimes in excess of 80 hours per week. A regular work day can start at 11am and end at 1am the following morning. United Voice secretary Jess Walsh said there was an industry wide ''scam''. Credit:Ken Irwin As a result, many chefs would be underpaid hundreds of dollars a week. Many of the staff are on temporary visas and from Asia and Europe. United Voice Victorian secretary Jess Walsh said there was an industry wide scam where staff work many more hours than they are actually paid. "You'll pay about $300 a head to eat at Dinner By Heston, Ms Walsh said. "Yet somehow, they cant find the money to pay their staff for all the hours they work. Were talking about low paid workers having to give their boss a Christmas bonus worth tens of thousands of dollars. This year United Voice set up its Hospo Voice offshoot to start organising hospitality workers. The Andrews government made an election promise to make wage theft a crime, punishable by up to 10 years jail. The laws are yet to be enacted. Loading The hospitality industry has a culture of long and unsociable hours, and the restaurant award allows management to "buy out" penalties and overtime for a 25 per cent higher hourly rate. However, workplace law requires that under any such buyout, permanent workers are still paid more than the award overall. Tax Justice Network Australia spokesman Dr Mark Zirnsak said that employees "should not be left guessing who their ultimate employer is. It looks very suspicious when a business is owned through a company in a secrecy jurisdiction like Nevis. He called on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) to undertake a thorough audit of the business. Nevis, part of the federation of St Kitts and Nevis, charges no corporate, withholding or capital gains tax for non-resident companies on their worldwide earnings. It has no public database of corporate records. The Fat Duck restaurant, west of London. Awarded world's best restaurant in 2005. The Dinner by Heston spokeswoman said Mr Blumenthal had sold his shareholding in his business more than a decade ago but remained its chef patron and "integral to its operation. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Christine James* was 17 when she met the man who would spend years treating her like his dirty little secret. At first, she was flattered by the attention of a Catholic priest: confused yet elated that such a figure could be drawn to her. Now, she realises she was his perfect prey: young and vulnerable, from a strict religious family where male authority was to be respected and feared. And in the hierarchy of her small-town church, there was no greater authority than Father Martin.* Christine was barely an adult when the priests attention switched from pastoral to sexual. With that, Father Martin - 11 years her senior - became far more controlling. Hed ask her to bring him lunch after Mass, then got her to lie down so he could rub himself against her. He got her pregnant during university, and then enlisted two fellow priests to help him convince her to have an abortion. The Forgotten Ones Credit:Richard Giliberto When she refused, they told her to go interstate, where hed continue to quietly visit her while she raised the baby alone, working as a housekeeper to make ends meet. Advertisement It wasnt until almost six years later, after she finally walked out, that Christine realised her "relationship" was in fact a violation that had changed the course of her life and left her psychologically scarred. I ended up disconnecting from my family and friends because it was such a big secret I had to keep, she says. I couldn't fulfil my ambitions because he didnt want me to get a better job, and I was totally dependent on him. "It had a devastating impact, and still does. While the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse shone a much-needed light on clergy assaults against children, countless adults who have also been the victims of sexual misconduct by priests say they are yet to be properly recognised. Survivor advocates call these people the forgotten ones. Some are women - or men - who have been sexually assaulted by clerics from whom theyve sought spiritual direction. Others spent years in apparently consensual adult relationships. However, at the heart of this debate is whether true consent is possible when theres such a disparity in power. The key question you need to ask is: where did these relationships form? Did the priest have some duty of care to these people - that is, did he have a pastoral responsibility? says Neil Ormerod, a recently retired Australian Catholic University theology professor. Advertisement That's the same question you'd ask of a social worker or a psychiatrist, all of whom have very clear ethical guidelines. Inextricably tied up with this is the Churchs own requirement for priests to remain celibate, and the shame and secrecy that is part of even an apparently consensual relationship. Research presented to the Royal Commission suggests that the number of women sexually abused by clergy is four times the figure for children. Yet The Age can reveal that in the Melbourne archdiocese, only 38 women have had their complaints against Church personnel upheld since 1996. It has paid out $1.5 million - roughly $39,400 per person. In the Archdiocese of Brisbane, 21 allegations of sexual misconduct involving Church personnel have been received and accepted as genuine, but no figures on compensation were given. The other metropolitan archdioceses - Sydney, Adelaide and Perth - refused to provide any information at all. But with the Church now claiming it wants to right the wrongs of the past, how must it respond to this particular group, who fall outside the Royal Commission child abuse redress scheme? And what does it mean for the vow of celibacy? One year after the Royal Commission handed down its final report - which called for celibacy to be optional after finding it was a contributing factor to abuse - should the Church finally take heed? Advertisement A fateful choice Celibacy was a voluntary practice of early Christian monks and some clerics, but not universally required of Roman Catholic priests until 1139. However, as the Royal Commission notes, mandatory celibacy (including vowed abstinence) is an unattainable ideal for many priests that leads to living double lives, and contributes to a culture of secrecy and hypocrisy. One priest privately told The Age that while he accepted it as part of his calling when he was ordained, as time went by it becomes quite a lonely existence. The issue of consent between adults muddies the waters even more. Take the case of Sacred Heart Mission founder Father Ernie Smith, who was stood down in February after the Melbourne archdiocese found hed broken his vows and had inappropropriate sexual relationships with various adult women. Months later, as The Age reports today, his family is fighting to clear his name and restore his legacy at the mission he helped create. Father Ernie Smith (right) founded the Sacred Heart Mission to help the vulnerable but was stood down for breaching his vow of celibacy. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer Yes, he was a priest, and he breached his vow of celibacy, and he admitted that, his niece Suzanne Pettersen says. But the Archdiocese made out like he was some kind of pedophile when he was in consensual relationships. On the other side of this complex debate are those who say that a minister of religion who engages in a sexual interaction with an adult is not only committing a breach of his vows, but an abuse of power. Advertisement According to Ormerod, author of the 1996 book When Ministers Sin, women who became involved with a priest were usually vulnerable, seeking spiritual guidance for problems in their life. Some felt flattered at first. But soon enough they were emotionally tied, often to the point of feeling trapped. Often they werent the only one the priest had chosen. One former nun was exploited by Melbourne priest Barry Whelan in the 1970s, a man she had met when she was a patient at St Vincents Hospital. Whelan retired in 2002 while facing a separate abuse claim that was later upheld. Another victim, Jennifer Herrick, was offered a confidential payout to settle a court action she launched against Father Tom Knowles and three senior members of his Catholic order, the Blessed Sacrament Fathers. Defrocked: Father Tom Knowles. Herrick was a shy 22-year-old with hip dysplasia when Knowles, then her family's priest, cultivated a relationship with her that went on for 14 years. But as she told The Age recently: Its not a relationship because consent is invalid. The responses of the churches needs to be more akin to responding to child abuse survivors, says NSW lawyer Peter Karp, who has represented Herrick and other victims. It is not just an adult with an adult. It is a priest in an elevated position with a parishioner who is vulnerable. And the church should be accountable for it." Jennifer Herrick, who was 22 when she was sexually abused by Father Tom Knowles. Credit:Tamara Dean Advertisement In one of Mitchelmore's focus groups, a man said, "Can't we outsource our government to New Zealand?" Morrison is the chief personal beneficiary of the latest leadership upheaval, yet he is also a victim of the syndrome at the same time. He is Australia's prime minister, and nobody cares. "The response," says Mitchelmore, formerly a Labor Party pollster, "was, 'What's the point? We're just getting on with our lives.' " And so we are, at every level. The live sheep export trade, for instance. This week the industry announced it was suspending itself for three months. With the government still flailing around trying to properly respond to years of scandals and failures, the exporters themselves said "Enough!" There won't be any live exports for the three months of the coming northern hemisphere summer, the chairman of the Australian Livestock Exporters' Council, Simon Crean, announced this week. Energy is another. After five years of failure, the government's latest attempt at a policy collapsed in the Parliament this week. It's not much of a policy, the so-called "big stick" to allow the forced divestment of electricity firms' assets if they don't set prices that the government likes. It's such an intrusive and arbitrary policy that even Labor disdained it as a "Venezuelan-style" intervention into the market. The government has allowed Labor to look more pro-business and more responsible than the Coalition. In the face of such absurdity and uncertainty, some big power companies are on an investment strike. The chairman of EnergyAustralia and former chair of the Business Council, Graham Bradley, said this week that the "big stick" would chill new investment in electricity generators. Flagging interest ... Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen "We are in desperate need of the certainty before EnergyAustralia can proceed with the investment in new capacity" to replace retiring coal-fired power plants like Liddell, Bradley told The Australian. In the meantime, Australians are "getting on with our lives", as Mitchelmore says, finding our own solutions. The number of Australian homes with solar panels on their roofs hit 2 million this week. Companies are doing the same. There was a massive increase in large-scale solar panel installations in the year to the end of October. Approaching tenfold in a single year a whopping 850 per cent, from 0.27 gigawatts to 2.3 gigawatts. Together with household solar, the percentage of renewable energy sources as a share of total energy sources connected to the grid reached 19.9 per cent. What an irony that investment in coal power is stalled and solar power is soaring under a prime minister famous for accessorising his parliamentary appearances with a big lump of black coal. After five years of Coalition failure to even produce a policy, Australians aren't waiting for the government a moment longer. Now that the government does't command a majority in either of the houses of federal parliament, the rest of the political system is moving around the government to impose solutions to other long-standing problems, too. This week we saw Labor collaborating with the crossbench members of parliament to put together a new system for moving asylum-seekers in need of medical assessment from overseas processing sites to Australia. To be fair to Morrison, he has taken steps in his brief tenure to get all the remaining children and families off Nauru and onto the Australian mainland. He said this week: "In the last three months I have taken 100 children off Nauru. There are 10 children on Nauru today." And the US is still in the process of screening and accepting its share. There is progress; it's just too slow for community tolerance. Again, where the government has taken too long to find a solution, others are mobilising to find another way. Loading The non-government forces in the House were ready to vote into law a bill that would allow offshore asylum-seekers, if assessed by two doctors as needing assessment in Australia, to be allowed to travel to Australia. The government claims that this is evidence that Labor wants to "start the boats again". This is not true. Labor suffered searing political pain after its bungling of border policy. Julia Gillard told me at the time that there were two reasons Labor lost its majority at the 2010 election under her leadership, forcing her into coalition with the Greens, according to Labor's own research. First was the leadership coup and the recriminations that followed, and second was Labor's failure to control the boats. Labor is determined not to allow a repeat. That's why under Bill Shorten it adopted the government's boats turnback policy. And it's why Labor insisted that this new bill, moved by the new independent MP for Wentworth, Kerryn Phelps, retain the key principle of ministerial discretion. That is, even if two doctors have attested that an asylum seeker needs to be medically assessed in Australia, the final decision rests with the minister for immigration. The minister can block any transfer on national security grounds. In effect, this is codifying what the Morrison government has been doing in any case. But Morrison doesn't want to let an opportunity to torment Labor pass by. He claims that this will be marketed by people smugglers as an opening of the border. And, in that, he may well be right. He seized on this to declare, rather excitedly, that "this is about Australia's safety and Bill Shorten is a clear and present threat to Australia's safety". But the rest of the Parliament, like most of the country, has run out of patience with the government, and is imposing its own solution. The government allowed Parliament to move into summer recess rather than allow the Phelps bill to pass. Over the break, the government will no doubt succeed in bringing the final 10 kids from Nauru to Australia. Meaning that no children will be in any offshore processing site. But when Parliament resumes in February, the Phelps bill will await nonetheless. A federal anti-corruption body is in the same category. The rest of the political system is ready to move to create a federal ICAC or IBAC-style body. The Greens first proposed this idea. Labor, seeking to fix its image problem after the Sam Dastyari case, decided to adopt it too. Only the government continues to hide behind the excuse that there is no corruption at the federal level, that it miraculously vanishes at the borders of the Australian Capital Territory. Canberra is protected by a magic force field of virtue, apparently. This is absurd. The independent MP Cathy McGowan has proposed a bill to create a national integrity commission. The details need work but it, too, ultimately will succeed if the government fails to act. The Parliament exists to solve problems, not host expensive parlour games. After five years, Australia has given up on the Coalition's ability to solve problems. Unless it radically rewrites its agenda in the new year as it approaches the election, the Morrison government will be left behind, allowing Labor effortlessly to position itself as the party of the future. The government's epitaph might well be the words spoken last week by Morrison's Minister for Financial Services, Kelly O'Dwyer that the Coalition is seen as "homophobic, anti-women climate-change deniers". And 2019 is almost upon us. Kuala Lumpur: Tens of thousands of Malaysian Muslims have rallied in Kuala Lumpur against any attempt to strip the ethnic Malay majority of its privileges. The rally on Saturday is the first massive street gathering since Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's alliance won a historic vote in May. A protester covering his face takes a part in a rally to celebrate the government's move to withdraw plans to ratify a UN anti-discrimination convention in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. Credit:AP The rally, backed by the country's two largest opposition Malay parties, was initially aimed at protesting a government plan to ratify a UN treaty against racial discrimination. Critics say that ratifying the treaty would end Malay privileges under a decades-old affirmative action policy. The plan to ratify was eventually abandoned, but organisers decided to proceed with what they called a "thanksgiving" rally. London: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to delay Tuesday's key parliamentary vote on her Brexit deal and head to Brussels next week to demand better terms from the European Union. The Sunday Times reported that "ministers and aides" are saying they expected her to announce on Sunday that she would delay the vote. It is widely expected she will lose and ministers are concerned that the scale of defeat would be such it could bring down her government. May will head to Brussels next week to make a final appeal to the European Union to improve Britain's exit deal from the bloc, according to the newspaper, after warnings from ministers that better terms were needed to win parliamentary support. London: French authorities boasted they had made a record number of arrests in Paris on Saturday, as they fought protesters for control of the streets. As evening fell, after hours of clashes between protesters and security forces, it appeared the authorities had gained the upper hand. But for several hours the protesters had wreaked havoc for the fourth weekend in a row, looting stores, burning cars and vandalising public spaces in the French capital. Authorities said there had been 125,000 demonstrators and 1385 arrests in France on Saturday with the action concentrated in Paris. SEARCH A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search. Come on, you know the feeling. The kids, the jobs, the stress, the chores, the pressures of juggling life and the holidays. A getaway is in order. Not the plan six months ahead, spend five figures, find someone to watch the dog and stop the mail kind of vacation but rather something simple, affordable and just that sweet day or two. The kind experts insist will more than benefit you, your job and your family. For anyone in Fairfield or New Haven counties, West Hartford is close enough, and far away enough, for a spa trip that includes sites and shopping. The downtown offers dozens of stores ranging from a landmark toy store to trendy boutiques. Nearby attractions include historic sites and a science center. And the citys tony, downtown boutique Delamar hotel offers traditional lodging as well as a welcome oasis with a bit of posh. If the name sounds familiar, thats because the brand has been well-established in Greenwich and Southport. We have a hotel that is not just for travelers who are visiting the area and need a place to stay, but for locals who want to spend a day or a weekend just to get away, said Daniel Coggins, regional director of operations for the Greenwich Hospitality Group, which owns and operates the fashionable hotel. We have a beautiful place, a spa that pampers, a wonderful restaurant and amenities that make a stay special and relaxing. Located in the downtowns Blueback Square, this 114-room, six-story hotel has valets out front to whisk the car away. Check in and sip a glass of champagne as a bellman brings you and your overnight bag to one of the hotels well-appointed rooms. The marble-floored lobby and decorative elements are a nod to the history of Connecticut. On the wall is work from artists including Amy Genser and Charles Patrick, as well as revolving displays provided by the New Britain Museum of Modern Art. Notice the Bluthner Player Piano and the artsy one-of-a kind foyer bench made of shiny quarters. The plush rooms and suites have marble bathrooms, lush linens, fluffy robes that beg to worn, and in-room amenities including boutique teas, coffees and chocolates that add to the decadence of the stay. The restaurant, Artisan, has quickly made a name of its own. The menu features seasonal items ranging from Wagyu burgers and lobster tagliatelle to artisan pot roast and Stonington scallops, under the watchful hands-on eye of Chef Frederic Kieffer. Artisans hand-painted murals are by Stockholm artist Jonas Wickman and has elements that celebrate Connecticuts tobacco farms and fields. The hotel is walkable to West Hartfords shops. Aside from chain stores, the downtown and its adjacent Blue Back Square has boutique clothing stores and the landmark Toy Chest, dubbed The Neighborhood Toy Store. The hotels spa packages includes 10 percent off purchases at two of downtowns most popular clothing and shoe stores, BK & Co. and Kimberley Boutique. When we were approached we felt why not do it, said boutique owner Kimberley Moster. Weve always had a very strong West Hartford Merchant Association and the hotel is a great addition to downtown. This just lets people know at the hotel that we are here and they might want to take a walk and see the store. The Delamar is pretty cutting edge and we see the kinds of people who stay there as the kind of people reflective of our customers, said BK & Co. co-owner Barbara Karsky. For sightseeing, the hotel offers free shuttle service to places like the Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House in neighboring Hartford, as well as the Bushnell or Wadsworth Atheneum. The Delamar is making it simple to plan by offering its Its About Me This Holiday package, a $309 deal that includes accommodations for two for one night, a hair wash and blowout with staff from the nearby Blo-Dry Bar, a manicure, and complimentary breakfast buffet, untl Jan. 31. The $339 Holiday Shopping and Spa Getaway package includes accommodations, complimentary breakfast, and a spa skin analysis and facial and is valid through Jan. 15. The second floor getaway-within-a-getaway touts the mantra relax, rejuvenate and restore. Dozens of mind-settling and body nourishing offerings include massage, nail, facial and hair services as well as its more sophisticated treatments at its on-premises Medspa. The point is, Connecticut is a small state and its not difficult to take advantage of a new location for a change. I think you can have a getaway, even if you stay in your own state and its just for the day, said Coggins. Come to use the spa for a day. You dont need to stay here, or you want an incredible dinner at Artisan or meet friends at our happy hour in the tavern. And one other benefit for last-minute shoppers is the chance to indulge. I never really thought of it until I met friends here for dinner and heard about the promotion, said New Haven resident Jan Thibeault. The present is for her but I plan to tag along. It will be a treat for both of us. MaryEllen Fillo is a freelance writer based in Connecticut. I love embracing the past, but also changing it a little, Amy Bilden says, in an artistic understatement. There is plenty of evidence in her studio at St. Philip Artists Guild in Norwalk that she changes it a lot. From a bookcase, she removes a ladys purse, the old-fashioned kind made of fabric like a tiny satchel. She opens it and removes an equally old pair of dark nylon stockings. The purse and the stockings both belonged to her grandmother, who lived in the tiny North Dakota town of Northwood (pop. 900) where Bilden spent the first eight years of her life and saw people could make whatever they needed to make. Suspended nearby is the abstract sculpture Bilden made in homage to her grandmother, using nylons and concrete. An array of nearly identical, drooping pieces, it suggests a queens breast plate adorned with cream-colored stones. Bilden says the sculptures pendulous shapes reminds some people of body parts, though opinion is divided on whether they are masculine or feminine. I just like the organic forms. They are like tear drops, she says. Its really intimate. You have this really strong material juxtaposed with the softness of nylons and yet they are able to contain it. The creation of this piece was physical process. It was very intense. It was almost like a performance piece or a dance. Bilden, who also has a dance background, would lug bags of concrete from Home Depot up to her second-floor studio where she would mix it, pour it into cups fitted with stockings and then whip the stockings. Id throw them like this, she says, raising her arms over her head, then swinging them down in a flaying motion. The momentum carried the concrete into the toe of the nylon. The force would create the tear drop shape. Then I would hang them on the wall to dry and it would seep and take on this kind of batik look. The sculpture was one of the pieces Bilden exhibited in the Silvermine Guild of Artists new members show in 2011. A few years later, in an exhibit that was a reward for winning a Connecticut Arts Fellowship grant, she almost literally dug up the past for a piece titled Mending Broken Limbs. It was a cascade of sun-bleached animal bones and sticks sanded to look like bones, topped with old papers rolled to look like roses. Another piece was a grid of 50 faintly colored mixed-media paintings, each slightly different, also bearing rose images, that corresponded with her grandmothers final days. In artist statements, Bilden has written that her work is about identity, gender norms and domesticity, its constant tasks and common materials. As different as one of her pieces may be from another, almost all involve repetitive work. Some early drawings began with thousands of tiny circles. It was almost like meditation, she says. A series of yarn sculptures began because, she says, I just kept going once she started knitting. Displayed rolled up, they are not recognizable as scarfs that grew and grew. Bilden likened them to tree rings and gave them timeline titles. She has created a separate portfolio category called Time for pieces she considers otherwise unthemed. Most are mixed-media paintings united, she says, by the time spent making; the time involved to be an artist. Now 36, Bilden followed an unlikely route to become a Connecticut artist. Her fathers family owns what remains the oldest pharmacy in North Dakota. When her parents, both teachers, moved to Miles City, Mont. (pop. 8,000), Bilden thought shed arrived in a metropolis. She soon realized it was legit cowboy country in the old badlands territory. In high school, she somehow started doing yoga on her own, watching a Rodney Yee tape. In college at the University of Montana, she concentrated on art and dance. Then in 2006 she went to India on a three-month artists fellowship. I wanted to try something completely different, and that was the most difference you could get, she says. It was there she did knitted sculpture and also learned to color her drawings with tubes of henna dye. She briefly returned home before coming to Connecticut, sight unseen, to take a job as a nanny that quickly became live-in position. She did her concrete nylons while still there, but soon after began teaching art at the Whitby School in Greenwich. In November, Bilden was in conversation with curators from the New Canaan Library about an upcoming exhibition. Her ideas to include some element of group participation were being influenced by her teaching. As a teacher, I like giving people the opportunity to create themselves and reconsider what theyre capable of, she says. I think weve almost gotten too isolated like, These are artists, they do art. Its compartmentalized. I think creating is a natural process. On a table in her studio, Bilden was experimenting with various forms of cut paper that might be a flame, a hand or a leaf. Cut paper pieces comprise another part of her portfolio, as do sculptures made from paper. Often the original paper she uses is not so much recycled as repurposed. One of her earliest pieces included prescription forms dating to the early 1900s pulled from the basement of the Bilden Pharmacy in Northwood, N.D. The rose flowers in Mending Broken Limbs were made from old phone directories, geologic survey maps and newspapers. Besides the role of artist, Bilden also was thinking about the materials an artist uses. I dont want to purchase anything, she says. Theres questioning about what an artist needs to fill the world with. Im definitely interested in using what already exists, but having a transformational quality about it. Joel Lang is a frequent contributor to Sunday Arts & Style. Long Beach typically updates and posts its coronavirus data to the city's website on Thursdays, but the release of new data may have been delayed because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Jim was a hard-working man who always had a smile for everyone When Serge Bazie and his wife, Julie, decided to leave Burkina Faso with their son to seek out a new life, they put one country ahead of any others Canada. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/12/2018 (1083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When Serge Bazie and his wife, Julie, decided to leave Burkina Faso with their son to seek out a new life, they put one country ahead of any others Canada. Bazie and his wife, larger now with two daughters who have been born here since they arrived, became Canadian citizens on Sunday at a special citizenship ceremony at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to mark todays 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Bazie family, who came here four years ago, were all smiles as they went to the front of the room to shake the hands of various special guests in attendance and then officially sign the citizenship documents. The children, nine-year-old Mathys, four-year-old Christine and two-year-old Meghan, all had Canadian flags they waved around. "Canada was at the top of our list to come to," Bazie said shortly after. "We knew Canada is the greatest place for families." The Bazie family were five of dozens of new Canadian citizens to receive their citizenship on Sunday. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Christine Bazie receives a flag from an RCMP officer. It also marked the first time the new Canadians sang O Canada as their national anthem. During the ceremony, 50 people from 19 countries said an oath and signed citizenship papers to become Canadian citizens. A video message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told them in both official languages: "Congratulations Canadians, and welcome home." The ceremony was presided by Suzanne Carriere, Canadas first Metis citizenship judge, who told the group that becoming a citizen is like what Sen. Murray Sinclair said about reconciliation: "I want to be your friend and I want you to be mine." Carriere said her family came here 300 years ago and, even though she was born here, she said "every day of my life, I feel thankful." One man who received his citizenship was cheered as he stepped to the front of the room to receive his certificate while wearing a Canada flag draped over his shoulders. JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS New citizens take an oath during a Canadian citizenship ceremony. Angela Cassie, who represented the museum at the ceremony, said she was born in Canada but her parents immigrated, so they took her to their citizenship ceremony when she was a child. "I dont remember the ceremony," Cassie admitted. "But for the children here, look at your mom and dad and say, Thank you. They have worked very hard to get here." Bazie and his family leave behind a landlocked country of 274,000 square kilometres and a population of about 20 million to one that is 9.98 million square kilometres second-largest in the world and a population of more than 35 million people. Bazie, who has a job with the federal government, said the family left the African country, formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta, not because they were being persecuted, but because he wanted a better life for his children. "Being a father and having a family is not just saying you have three kids or you have one kid," he said. "You want to make tomorrow better for them. I wanted my family to live in a great country where they can realize their dreams. "This is our opportunity." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/12/2018 (1084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Frozen Forks festivities Bundle up and head over to The Forks today for their Arctic Glacier Winter Park programming. Between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., take a ride on a horse-drawn wagon, enjoy Indigenous storytelling and bannock making, take a snow-sculpting lesson, or get down for an ice rink dance party. Women of the Fur Trade Winner of the Toronto Fringes "Best New Play" this year makes its way to Dalnavert Museum (61 Carlton St.) for a six-day run, beginning Tuesday. The subversive comedy, set in the 1800s, follows three women trapped inside a possibly haunted house inside a fort on the banks of the Red River. Tickets are on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested price of $25. Book seats at brownpapertickets.com. Merry military melodies Join the Royal Canadian Air Force Band at the Centennial Concert Hall Monday evening for their annual Christmas concert in support of United Way Winnipeg. They wont be the only ones taking the stage Manitoba-based country-music group Doc Walker will also make a special appearance. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $38. Jingle-bell rock Return to the Concert Hall on Wednesday for The Wizards of Winter, a family-friendly holiday rock opera featuring members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rainbow, and Alice Cooper band. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.; tickets range from $48 and $98. Geeky gifts The first-ever Winnipeg Geek Holiday Market, which promises the perfect gifts for the geek in your life, takes place today at the Platform Centre for Photographic & Visual Arts (121-100 Arthur St.). Vendors include jewellers, sci-fi and fantasy authors, illustrators and crafters. The market is open from noon until 5 p.m. Eat, shop and be merry Summer and the growing season are long gone, but the St. Norbert Farmers Market will be bustling Saturday for the annual Holiday Market. Eat, shop, and check out gift ideas from more than 60 vendors. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; admission is free. Get sweeping Hurry hard to the Granite Curling Club (1 Granite Way) for a casual Christmas bonspiel, hosted by November Project Winnipeg. Bring a team of three to participate in a round-robin curling competition or just show up on your own. Cost is estimated at $5 to $10 per person. The bonspiel runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by a party at The Common at The Forks. WASHINGTON - The FBI's counterintelligence investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia initially focused on four Americans and whether they were connected to Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers during hours of closed-door questioning. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 9/12/2018 (1084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Former FBI Director James Comey speaks to reporters after testifying under subpoena behind closed doors before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) WASHINGTON - The FBI's counterintelligence investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia initially focused on four Americans and whether they were connected to Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, former FBI Director James Comey told lawmakers during hours of closed-door questioning. Comey did not identify the Americans but said President Donald Trump, then the Republican candidate, was not among them. He also told the House Judiciary Committee that, contrary to Trump's claims, he was "not friends in any social sense" with special counsel Robert Mueller, who is now leading the Russia investigation. Trump has repeatedly portrayed the men as exceptionally close as part of a long-running effort to undermine the investigation and paint the lead figures in the probe as united against him. "I admire the heck out of the man, but I don't know his phone number, I've never been to his house, I don't know his children's names," said Comey, who added that he had "never hugged or kissed the man" despite the president's insistence otherwise. "A relief to my wife," he deadpanned. The committee released a transcript of the interview on Saturday, just 24 hours after privately grilling the fired FBI chief about investigative decisions related to Hillary Clinton's email server and Trump's campaign and potential ties to Russia. Comey largely dodged questions connected to the current Mueller-led probe, including whether his May 2017 firing by Trump constituted obstruction of justice. The Republican-led committee interviewed Comey as part of its investigation into FBI actions in 2016, a year when the bureau in the heat of the presidential campaign recommended against charges for Clinton and opened an investigation into Russian interference in the election. The questioning largely centred on well-covered territory from a Justice Department inspector general report, Comey's own book and interviews and hours of public testimony on Capitol Hill. But the former FBI chief also used the occasion to take aim at Trump's frequent barbs at the criminal justice system, saying "we have become numb to lying and attacks on the rule of law by the president," as well as Trump's contention that it should be a crime for subjects to "flip" and co-operate with investigators. "It's a shocking suggestion coming from any senior official, no less the president. It's a critical and legitimate part of the entire justice system in the United States," Comey said. In offering some details of the investigation's origins, Comey said it started in July 2016 with a look at "four Americans who had some connection to Mr. Trump" during that summer and whether they were tied to "the Russian interference effort." The campaign itself, he said, was not investigation at that time. He did not identify the Americans, though Mueller's investigation has made clear that by that time, there had already been outreach from Russian intermediaries to Trump associates including a 2015 encounter revealed for the first time in a court filing Friday. Also by that time Democratic email accounts had been hacked by Russian intelligence and a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, had been told that Russians had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of stolen emails. That October, the FBI obtained a secret search warrant to monitor the communications of a Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, on suspicions he was acting as a foreign agent something he has denied. Multiple Trump associates, including Papadopoulos, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, have pleaded guilty to lying about their interactions with Russians during the campaign and presidential transition period. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's foreign dealings, including to an associate the U.S. says has ties to Russian intelligence, has also attracted law enforcement scrutiny. Comey reiterated to lawmakers that it was the 2016 Papadopoulos encounter with a Russian intermediary in London that ignited the Russia investigation, rather than as some Republicans have maintained Democratic-funded opposition research compiled by a former British spy. "It was weeks or months later that the so-called Steele dossier came to our attention," Comey said. He said that by the time of his firing, the FBI had not come to a conclusion about whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia's efforts to sway the election. And he insisted that the FBI would recover from the president's attacks on the bureau. "The FBI will be fine. It will snap back, as will the rest of our institutions," Comey said. "There will be short-term damage, which worries me a great deal, but in the long run, no politician, no president can, in a lasting way, damage those institutions." Besides the questioning on Russia, Republicans lawmakers pressed Comey on the FBI's handling of an investigation into whether Clinton mishandled classified information on her private email server. Comey's July 2016 announcement that Clinton and her aides had been "extremely careless" but did not deserve criminal charges infuriated Republicans who contended that someone less powerful and well-connected would have faced prosecution. Under questioning from Rep. Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican, Comey reiterated that the FBI and Justice Department didn't have a prosecutable case against Clinton because they couldn't prove she wilfully violated the law by setting up the server. ___ Read the transcript: http://apne.ws/1fZwQyj Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides bandwidth infrastructure solutions for the communications industry in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company operates in six segments: Fiber Solutions, Transport, Enterprise Networks, Zayo Colocation (zColo), Allstream, and Other. The Fiber Solutions segment provides dark fiber, and fiber-to-the-tower and small cell mobile infrastructure services for carriers and other communication service providers, Internet service providers, wireless service providers, media and content companies, large enterprises, and other companies. The Transport segment offers lit bandwidth infrastructure solutions comprising wavelength, Ethernet, wholesale IP services, and SONET services through its metro, regional, and long-haul fiber networks for carriers, content providers, financial services companies, healthcare, government entities, education institutions, and other medium and large enterprises. The Enterprise Networks segment provides connectivity and telecommunications solutions comprising Internet, wide area networking products, managed products, and cloud based computing and storage offerings to medium and large enterprises. The Zayo Colocation (zColo) segment offers data center infrastructure solutions consisting of colocation space, and power and interconnection services to a range of enterprise, carrier, cloud, and content customers. The Allstream segment provides cloud VoIP and data solutions, such as voice offerings; and unified communications, as well as telecommunications services, including Ethernet, and IP/MPLS VPN solutions. The Other segment provides network and technical resources to customers in designing, acquiring, and maintaining their networks. Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Read More Nabors Industries Ltd. engages in the provision of platform work over and drilling rigs. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. The U.S. Drilling segment includes land drilling activities in the lower 48 states and Alaska, as well as offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The Canada segment consists of land-based drilling rigs in Canada. The International segment focuses in maintaining a footprint in the oil and gas market, most notably in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Kazakhstan, and Venezuela. The Drilling Solutions segment offers drilling technologies, such as patented steering systems and rig instrumentation software systems that enhance drilling performance and wellbore placement. The Rig Technologies segment comprises Canrig, which manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools. The company was founded by Clair Nabors in 1952 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Read More Wageworks Inc (NYSE:WAGE) issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November, 8th. The business services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.04. The business services provider had revenue of $115.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $117.09 million. Wageworks had a net margin of 2.17% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 2.95%. The company's revenue was up 30.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.34 earnings per share. View Wageworks' earnings history. 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. There is not enough analysis data for El Paso Electric. 3.9 Community Rank Outperform Votes El Paso Electric has received 256 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes El Paso Electric has received 192 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment El Paso Electric has received 57.14% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about El Paso Electric and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe EE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe EE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Zalando SE operates as an online fashion and lifestyle retailer. It offers a range of products, including shoes, apparel, accessories, and beauty products for women, men, and children, as well as free delivery and returns services. The company also sells its products through its Zalando Lounge; and brick-and-mortar stores in Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig, Hamburg, Hanover, MAnster, Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Ulm. It serves in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The company has a strategic partnership with Sephora SAS to create the online prestige beauty destination. Zalando SE was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Read More 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 Franklin Covey Co. engages in consulting and training in the areas of strategy execution, customer loyalty, leadership, and individual effectiveness. It operates through the following three segments: Direct Offices, Education Practice, International Licensees and Corporate and Other. The Direct Offices segment includes sales personnel that serve the United States and Canada; international sales offices located in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and Australia; governmental sales channel; and public program operations. The Education Practice segment includes domestic and international Education practice operations, which are focused on sales to educational institutions such as elementary schools, high schools, and colleges and universities. The International Licensees segment primarily comprised of royalty revenues received from these licensees. The Corporate and Other segment includes leasing operations, shipping and handling revenues, and certain corporate administrative expenses. The company was founded by Brent L. Bishop, Stephen R. Covey and Hyrum Wayne Smith in 1983 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. Read More Lincoln National Corp. is a holding company, which operates multiple insurance and retirement businesses through its subsidiary companies. It provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. The company operates through the following segments: Annuities, Retirement Plan Services, Life Insurance, Group Protection, and Other Operations. The Annuities segment provides tax-deferred investment growth and lifetime income opportunities for its clients by offering fixed and variable annuities. The Retirement Plan Services segment includes employers with retirement plan products and services, primarily in the defined contribution retirement plan marketplaces. The Life Insurance segment focuses on the creation and protection of wealth for its clients by providing life insurance products, including term insurance, both single and survivorship versions of universal life insurance, variable universal life insurance, and indexed universal life insurance products. The Group Protection segment offers group non-medical insurance products, which includes term life, disability, dental, vision and accident and critical illness Read More Carl Zeiss Meditec AG operates as a medical technology company in Germany, the United States, Japan, France, Spain, India, the United Kingdom, Turkey, North Africa, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Ophthalmic Devices and Microsurgery. The Ophthalmic Devices segment offers optical biometers, ophthalmic surgical microscopes, phacoemulsification/vitrectomy devices, intraocular lenses, and ophthalmic viscoelastic products for the diagnosis and treatment of ophthalmic diseases in the field of cataract and retinal surgery. This segment also offers optical coherence tomography devices, perimeters, fundus cameras, slit lamps, and therapeutic and refractive lasers for the diagnosis and treatment of various eye diseases, such as refraction, glaucoma, and other retinal diseases, as well as FORUM, an eye care data management system. The Microsurgery segment provides surgical microscopes and visualization solutions for neuro, spinal, dental, and plastic and reconstructive surgeries, as well as for ear, nose, and throat surgery; products for surgical treatment of tumors or vascular diseases, such as aneurysms; and INTRABEAM, a intraoperative radiotherapy device. Carl Zeiss Meditec AG serves ophthalmologists and optometrists, as well as physicians and surgeons in hospitals and outpatient surgery centers. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Jena, Germany. Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is a subsidiary of Carl Zeiss AG. Read More HFF, Inc. provides commercial real estate and capital market services to the consumers and providers of capital in the commercial real estate industry in the United States. The company offers debt placement services, such as construction and construction/mini-permanent loans, adjustable and fixed rate mortgages, bridge loans, entity level and mezzanine debts, forward delivery loans, and tax exempt and sale/leaseback financing to the owners of various properties comprising office, retail, industrial, hotel, multi-housing, student housing, self-storage, nursing homes, condominiums and condominium conversions, mixed-use properties, and land, as well as senior, independent, and assisted living facilities. It also provides investment advisory services to commercial real estate owners; and equity placement, as well as assists clients in the sale of their commercial real estate debt note portfolios. In addition, the company offers private equity, investment banking, and advisory services, including equity capital to establish joint ventures relating to identified properties or properties to be acquired by a fund sponsor; structured finance; institutional marketing and fund-raising services for public and private commercial real estate fund sponsors; advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, sales and divestitures, management buyouts, and recapitalizations and restructurings; and private placements of preferred securities. Further, it provides loan sales and commercial loan servicing to life insurance companies. The company was founded in 1982 and is based in Dallas, Texas. Read More Deutsche Post AG operates as a mail and logistics company in Germany, rest of Europe, the Americas, the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through five segments: Post & Parcel Germany; Express; Global Forwarding, Freight; Supply Chain; and eCommerce Solutions. The Post & Parcel Germany segment transports and delivers mail, letters, parcels, physical and hybrid letters, special products for merchandize, and registered mail to private and business customers. It also provides additional services, such as registered mail, cash on delivery, and insured items. The Express segment transport and offers time-definite international (TDI) shipments comprising urgent documents and goods. The Global Forwarding, Freight segment transports goods by air, ocean, and overland; and offers multimodal and sector-specific solutions. This segment's business model is based on brokering transport services between customers and freight carriers. The Supply Chain segment provides contract logistics solutions, including warehousing and transport services; and value-added services, such as e-fulfilment, lead logistics partner, real estate solutions, service logistics, and packaging solutions for various industrial sectors. The eCommerce Solutions segment provides parcel delivery and cross-border non-TDI services. Deutsche Post AG is headquartered in Bonn, Germany. Read More Daimler AG, together its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures passenger cars, trucks, vans, and buses in Germany and internationally. It operates through Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans, Daimler Trucks and Buses, and Daimler Mobility segments. The Mercedes-Benz Cars segment offers premium and luxury vehicles of the Mercedes-Benz brand, including the Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, and Mercedes-EQ brands; small cars under the smart brand name; and ecosystem of Mercedes-Benz under the Mercedes me brand, as well as vans and related services under the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands. Daimler Trucks and Buses segment offers its trucks and special vehicles under the Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, FUSO, and BharatBenz brands; and buses under the Mercedes-Benz, Setra, Thomas Built Buses, and FU brands, as well as bus chassis. The Daimler Mobility segment provides financing and leasing packages for end-customers and dealers; and automotive insurance brokerage, banking, investment, and fleet management services under the Athlon brand. It also sells vehicle related spare parts and accessories. Daimler AG was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany Read More Canadian Western Bank provides personal and business banking products and services primarily in Western Canada. The company offers current, savings, cash management, US dollar, and chequing accounts, as well as organization, strata solution/condo, general trust, and trust fund investment accounts. It also offers commercial lending and real estate, and equipment financing and leasing products; loans and mortgages; secured and unsecured lines of credit; registered retirement savings plan; consolidation, vehicle, and recreation vehicle loans; and credit cards. In addition, the company offers cash management services; life and disability insurance products; and ATM, mobile, and online banking services, as well cheque order services. Further, it provides investment products comprising guaranteed investment certificates, registered retirement income funds, tax-free savings accounts, registered education savings plans, and mutual funds, as well as personal and business planning services. Canadian Western Bank has a strategic partnership with Temenos AG to support small and medium sized enterprises with financial decision-making and enhancing their businesses. The company was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. Read More Earnings Growth Earnings for Esterline Technologies are expected to grow by 1.73% in the coming year, from $4.62 to $4.70 per share. Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market The P/E ratio of Esterline Technologies is 29.37, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 15.60. Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector The P/E ratio of Esterline Technologies is 29.37, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Aerospace sector average P/E ratio of about 21.04. Price to Earnings Growth Ratio Esterline Technologies has a PEG Ratio of 2.78. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued. 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. SemGroup Corporation provides gathering, transportation, storage, distribution, marketing, and other midstream services for producers, refiners of petroleum products, and other market participants. The company operates in three segments: U.S. Liquids, U.S. Gas, and Canada. The U.S. Liquids segment operates crude oil pipelines, truck transportation, storage, terminals, and marketing businesses; stores, blends, and transports refinery products and refinery feedstock through pipeline, barge, rail, truck, and ship; and operates a residual fuel oil storage terminal in the U.S. Gulf Coast. This segment has 18.2 million barrels of storage capacity on the Houston Ship Channel; and 7.6 million barrels of storage capacity at the Cushing Interchange. It also operates a 460-mile crude oil gathering and transportation pipeline system in Kansas and northern Oklahoma; 75-mile crude oil gathering pipeline system that transports crude oil from production facilities in the DJ Basin to the pipeline owned by White Cliffs Pipeline, L.L.C.; 2 parallel 527-mile pipelines that transports crude oil from Platteville, Colorado to Cushing, Oklahoma; 3 pipelines with an aggregate of 106 miles of pipe; 30-lane crude oil truck unloading facility in Platteville, Colorado; and crude oil trucking fleet of approximately 245 transport trucks and 235 trailers. The U.S. Gas segment provides natural gas gathering, processing, and marketing services. It operates 842 miles of gathering lines in Oklahoma; and a 53-mile high pressure gathering pipeline located in the STACK play. The Canada segment owns and operates natural gas processing and gathering facilities with approximately 530 miles of natural gas gathering and transportation pipelines in Alberta, Canada. SemGroup Corporation was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Read More 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 Vivint Solar, Inc. provides distributed solar energy primarily to residential customers in the United States. It owns and installs solar energy systems through long-term customer contracts. The company also sells photovoltaic installation products, as well as solar renewable energy certificates. As of December 31, 2019, it had an aggregate capacity of 1,294.0 megawatts covering approximately 188,300 homes. The company was formerly known as V Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vivint Solar, Inc. in April 2014. Vivint Solar, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Read More Intu owns and manages some of the best shopping centres, in some of the strongest locations, in the UK and Spain. Our UK portfolio is made up of 17 centres, including eight of the top-20, and in Spain we own three of the country's top-10 centres, with advanced plans to build a fourth. We are passionate about creating compelling experiences, in centre and online, that make our customers smile and help our retailers flourish. We attract around 400 million customer visits and 26 million website visits a year offering a multichannel approach that truly supports retail strategies. Our strategic focus on prime, high-footfall flagship destinations, combined with the strength and popularity of our brand, means that intu offers enhanced footfall, dwell time and loyalty. This helps our tenants flourish, driving occupancy and income growth. We are committed to our local communities, with our centres supporting nearly 130,000 jobs (representing about 3 per cent of the total UK retail workforce), and to operating with environmental responsibility. We have already met or exceeded a significant number of our 2020 environmental targets. Read More There is not enough analysis data for MedEquities Realty Trust. 4.3 Community Rank Outperform Votes MedEquities Realty Trust has received 224 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.) Underperform Votes MedEquities Realty Trust has received 126 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.) Community Sentiment MedEquities Realty Trust has received 64.00% outperform votes from our community. MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about MedEquities Realty Trust and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MRT will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MRT will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Previous Next Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC is a publicly owned hedge fund sponsor. The firm provides investment advisory services for its clients. It primarily caters to institutional investors which include pension funds, fund-of-funds, foundations and endowments, corporations and other institutions, private banks and family offices. The firm invests in equity and alternative markets across the world. It employs quantitative and qualitative analysis to make its investments. For its multi-strategy portfolios, the firm employs strategies like convertible and derivative arbitrage, corporate credit, long/short equity special situations, buyout investments, merger arbitrage, private investments, and structured credit. It also invests in real estate and traditional real estate assets including multifamily, office, hotel and retail, loans, portfolio acquisitions, loan pools, operating companies, structured debt products, public securities, and non-traditional real estate assets including gaming, distressed land and residential, cell towers, parking, golf, debt and senior housing. For private equity investments, it considers investments in a variety of special situations that seek to realize value through strategic sales or initial public offerings. The firm typically invests in the energy investments. It prefers to invest in United States. It also manages a buyout fund, Och-Ziff Energy Fund. Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC was founded in 1994 and is based New York City with additional offices in Houston, Texas, London, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Japan, Bangalore, India, Singapore, and Beijing, China. Read More Raymond James Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the underwriting, distribution, trading, and brokerage of equity and debt securities, and the sale of mutual funds and other investment products in the United States, Canada, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Private Client Group, Capital Markets, Asset Management, RJ Bank, and Other segments. The Private Client Group segment provides securities brokerage services, including the sale of equities, mutual funds, fixed income products, and insurance products to their individual clients; and borrowing and lending of securities to and from other broker-dealers, financial institutions, and other counterparties. The Capital Markets segment offers securities brokerage, trading, and research services to institutions with a focus on sale of the United States and Canadian equities and fixed income products; and manages and participates in underwritings, merger and acquisition services, and public finance activities. The Asset Management segment engages in the operations of Eagle, the Eagle Family of Funds, Cougar, the asset management operations of Raymond James & Associates, trust services of Raymond James Trust, and other fee-based asset management programs. The RJ Bank segment provides corporate loans, SBL, tax-exempt loans, and residential loans. The Other segment engages in private equity activities, including various direct and third party private equity investments; and private equity funds. Raymond James Financial, Inc. was founded in 1962 and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Read More 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.. iShares MSCI Thailand ETF's stock was trading at $63.83 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, THD shares have increased by 16.0% and is now trading at $74.03. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The following companies are subsidiares of Sysco: 2234829 Alberta ULC, 2234842 Alberta ULC, A. M. Briggs Inc., A.M. Briggs, Almacen Fiscal Frionet Caldera S.A., Almacen Fiscal Frionet Limon S.A., Appert's Foodservice, Arnotts (Fruit) Limited, Asian Foods, Bahamas Food Holdings Limited, Bahamas Food Services Limited, Brake Bros, Brake Bros Foodservice Ireland Limited, Brake Bros. Foodservice Limited, Brake Bros. Holding I Limited, Brake Bros. Ltd., Brakes Foodservice NI Limited, Buchy Food Service, Buckhead Beef Co., Buckhead Meat & Seafood of Houston Inc., Buckhead Meat Company, Buckhead Meat Midwest Inc., Buckhead Meat of Dallas Inc., Buckhead Meat of Denver Inc., Buckhead Meat of San Antonio LP, Buzztable Inc., CAKE Corporation, Central Seafood Co., Christys Wine & Spirits Limited, Clafra Aktiebolag, Colorado Boxed Beef Co - Specialty meat-cutting division, Corporacion Frionet Sociedad Anonima, Crossgar Foodservice, Crossgar Foodservice Limited, Crown I Enterprises Inc., Cucina Acquisitions (UK) Limited, Cucina Finance (UK) Limited, Cucina French Holdings Limited, Cucina Fresh Finance Limited, Cucina Fresh Investments Limited, Cucina Lux Investments Limited, Curleys Quality Foods Limited (Third Party), Davigel Belgilux S.A., Davigel Espana S.A., Desert Meats & Provisions, Distagro, Doerle Food Service, Doughtie's Foods Inc., Dust Bowl City LLC, Eko Fagel Fisk o mittemellan AB, Enclave Insurance Company, Enclave Parkway Association Inc., Enclave Properties LLC, European Imports, European Imports Inc., Figg Inc., Freedman Meats, Freedman Meats Inc., Freedman-KB Inc., Fresh Direct (UK) Limited, Fresh Direct Group Limited, Fresh Direct Limited, Fresh Holdings Limited, FreshPoint, FreshPoint Arizona Inc., FreshPoint Atlanta Inc., FreshPoint California Inc., FreshPoint Central California Inc., FreshPoint Central Florida Inc., FreshPoint Connecticut LLC, FreshPoint Dallas Inc., FreshPoint Denver Inc., FreshPoint Hawaii LLC, FreshPoint Inc., FreshPoint Las Vegas Inc., FreshPoint North Carolina Inc., FreshPoint North Florida Inc., FreshPoint Oklahoma City LLC, FreshPoint Pompano Real Estate LLC, FreshPoint Puerto Rico LLC, FreshPoint San Francisco Inc., FreshPoint South Florida Inc., FreshPoint South Texas Inc., FreshPoint Southern California Inc., FreshPoint Tomato LLC, FreshPoint Vancouver Ltd., Freshfayre Limited, Fruktservice i Helsingborg AB, GHS Classic Drinks Limited, Gilchrist & Soames Inc., Gilchrist & Soames UK Limited, Guest Packaging LLC, Guest Supply, Guest Supply Asia Limited, Guest Supply Singapore Pte. Ltd., International Food Group, Isakssons Frukt & Gront AB, J & M Wholesale Meats, J. Kings Food Service Professionals, J. Kings Food Service Professionals Inc., Kent Frozen Foods, Les Ateliers Du Gout, Liquid Assets Limited, M&J Seafood Holdings Limited, M&J Seafood Limited, Manchester Mills LLC, Mayca Autoservicio S.A., Mayca Distribuidores S.A., Menigo Foodservice AB, Mitshim Etatu Supply LP, Newport Meat Company, Newport Meat Northern California Inc., Newport Meat Pacific Northwest Inc., Newport Meat Southern California Inc., Newport Meat of Nevada Inc., North Star Holding Corporation, North Star Seafood, North Star Seafood Acquisition Corporation, North Star Seafood LLC, PFS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Palisades Ranch Inc., Pallas Foods, Pallas Foods Farm Fresh Unlimited Company, Pallas Foods Unlimited Company, Pauleys Produce Limited, Promotora del Servicios S.A. de C.V., Restaurangakdemien AB, Restaurant of Tomorrow Inc., Rohan Viandes Elaboration SAS, SMS Bermuda Holdings, SMS GPC International Limited, SMS GPC International Resources Limited, SMS Global Holdings S.a.r.l., SMS International Resources Ireland Unlimited Company, SMS Lux Holdings LLC, SOTF LLC, SYY Netherlands C.V., SYY Panama S. de R.L., Serca Foodservice, Servicestyckarna I Johannes AB, Servicios Ameriserve S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Guest Supply Trading Co. Limited, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Bianchi Montegut, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Boiseau, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) De Garcelles, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) J.D. Lanjouan, Societe Civile Immobiliere (SCI) Le Dauphin, Specialty Meat Holdings LLC, Stockflag Limited, Stockholms Fiskauktion AB, Supplies on the Fly, Sysco Albany LLC, Sysco Asian Foods Inc., Sysco Atlanta LLC, Sysco Autoservicio S.A., Sysco Baltimore LLC, Sysco Baraboo LLC, Sysco Bermuda Partners L.P., Sysco Boston LLC, Sysco Canada Holdings S.a.r.l., Sysco Canada Inc., Sysco Central Alabama LLC, Sysco Central California Inc., Sysco Central Florida Inc., Sysco Central Illinois Inc., Sysco Central Pennsylvania LLC, Sysco Charlotte LLC, Sysco Chicago Inc., Sysco Cincinnati LLC, Sysco Cleveland Inc., Sysco Columbia LLC, Sysco Connecticut LLC, Sysco Corporation, Sysco Corporation Director's Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Employee's 401(k) Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Executive Deferred Compensation Plan Trust, Sysco Corporation Good Government Committee Inc., Sysco Corporation Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Executive Retirement Trust, Sysco Corporation Supplemental Unemployment Benefits Plan Trust, Sysco Detroit LLC, Sysco Disaster Relief Foundation Inc., Sysco EI VI S. s.r.l., Sysco EU II S.a.r.l., Sysco EU III S.a.r.l., Sysco EU IV Capital Unlimited Company, Sysco EU IV S. s.r.l.., Sysco EU V S. s.r.l., Sysco Eastern Maryland LLC, Sysco Eastern Wisconsin LLC, Sysco Foundation Inc., Sysco France Holding SAS, Sysco France SAS, Sysco George Town II LLC, Sysco George Town Limited S. s.r.l.., Sysco Global Finance LLC, Sysco Global Finance LLP, Sysco Global Holdings B.V., Sysco Global Resources LLC, Sysco Global Services LLC, Sysco Grand Cayman Company, Sysco Grand Cayman II Company, Sysco Grand Cayman III Company, Sysco Grand Rapids LLC, Sysco Guernsey Limited, Sysco Guest Supply Canada Inc., Sysco Guest Supply Europe Goods Wholesalers LLC, Sysco Guest Supply Europe Limited, Sysco Guest Supply LLC, Sysco Gulf Coast LLC, Sysco Hampton Roads Inc., Sysco Hawaii Inc., Sysco Holdings II LLC, Sysco Holdings LLC, Sysco Indianapolis LLC, Sysco International Food Group Inc., Sysco International Inc., Sysco Iowa Inc., Sysco Jackson LLC, Sysco Jacksonville Inc., Sysco Kansas City Inc., Sysco Knoxville LLC, Sysco Labs Europe Limited, Sysco Labs Pvt. Ltd., Sysco Leasing LLC, Sysco Lincoln Inc., Sysco Lincoln Transportation Company Inc., Sysco Long Island LLC, Sysco Los Angeles Inc., Sysco Louisville Inc., Sysco Memphis LLC, Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Canada Inc., Sysco Merchandising and Supply Chain Services Inc., Sysco Metro New York LLC, Sysco Minnesota Inc., Sysco Montana Inc., Sysco Nashville LLC, Sysco Netherlands Partners LLC, Sysco North Central Florida Inc., Sysco North Dakota Inc., Sysco Northern New England Inc., Sysco Philadelphia LLC, Sysco Pittsburgh LLC, Sysco Portland Inc., Sysco Raleigh LLC, Sysco Resources Services LLC, Sysco Riverside Inc., Sysco Sacramento Inc., Sysco San Diego Inc., Sysco San Francisco Inc., Sysco Seattle Inc., Sysco South Florida Inc., Sysco Southeast Florida LLC, Sysco Spain Holdings SLU, Sysco Spokane Inc., Sysco St. Louis LLC, Sysco Syracuse LLC, Sysco Technologies Cayman Ltd., Sysco Technologies LLC, Sysco UK Holdings Limited, Sysco UK Limited, Sysco UK Partners LLP, Sysco USA I Inc., Sysco USA II LLC, Sysco USA III LLC, Sysco Ventura Inc., Sysco Ventures Inc., Sysco Virginia LLC, Sysco West Coast Florida Inc., Sysco Western Minnesota Inc., The SYGMA Network Inc., Upsys, Victua SAS, Walker Foods Inc., Waugh Foods, and Wild Harvest Limited. Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Centene: APS Parent Inc., AWC of Syracuse Inc., Absolute Total Care Inc., AcariaHealth Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #11 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #12 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #13 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #14 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy Inc., AcariaHealth Solutions Inc., Access Medical Acquisition LLC, Access Medical Group of Florida City LLC, Access Medical Group of Hialeah LLC, Access Medical Group of Lakeland LLC, Access Medical Group of Miami LLC, Access Medical Group of North Miami Beach LLC, Access Medical Group of Opa-Locka LLC, Access Medical Group of Perrine LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa II LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa III LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa LLC, Access Medical Group of Westchester LLC, Accountable Care Coalition Direct Contracting LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Chesapeake LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health 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L., Integrated Care Network of Florida LLC, Integrated Mental Health Management LLC, Integrated Mental Health Services, Interpreta Holdings Inc., Interpreta Inc., Iowa Total Care Inc., Kentucky Spirit Health Plan Inc., LBB Industries Inc., LifeShare Management Group LLC, LiveHealthier Inc., Louisiana Healthcare Connections Inc., MH Services International Holdings (UK) Limited, MHM, MHM Correctional Services LLC, MHM Health Professionals LLC, MHM Services Inc., MHM Services of California LLC, MHM Solutions LLC, MHN Government Services LLC, MHN Services LLC, MHS Consulting International Inc., MHS Travel & Charter Inc., MR Centrum Melnick s.r.o., MR Poprad s.r.o., MR Zilina s.r.o., Magnolia Health Plan Inc., Managed Health Network, Managed Health Network LLC, Managed Health Services Insurance Corporation, Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Maryland Collaborative Care Transformation Organization Inc., Mauli Ola Health and Wellness Inc., Medicina NZ spol s.r.o., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Michigan Inc., Meridian Management Company LLC, Meridian Network Services LLC, MeridianRx IPA LLC, MeridianRx LLC, MeridianRx of Indiana LLC, Michigan Complete Health, Mid-Atlantic Collaborative Care LLC, Nebraska Total Care Inc., Network Providers LLC, New York Quality Healthcare Corporation, Next Door Neighbors Inc., Next Door Neighbors LLC., North Florida Health Services Inc., Northern Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Novasys Health Inc., OB Care, OB Klinika, Ohana Health Plan Inc., Oklahoma Complete Health Inc., One Care by Care 1st Health Plans of Arizona Inc, Operose Health (Group) Ltd., Operose Health (Group) UK Ltd., Operose Health Ltd., OptiCare Health Systems - 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COLD BROOK- After an entire week of ceremonies and tributes, George H.W Bush has been laid to rest. As the country mourns the loss of a president, some are looking back on his life as a president and as a father. Jeff Hubalek joined the Navy in 1989 and served on the USS Belknap, a guided missile destroyer. During his time in the Navy he had the oppurtunity of a lifetime to meet President George H.W Bush. But he didnt just get to meet him, he got to shake his hand and posed for a picture. "As I approached George H.W Bush and he was getting ready to put out his hand to shake mine. He said hello sailor how are you, I said thank you sir pleasure to meet you. Being thousands of miles away and having a man like that, the president of the United States, It was truly amazing." said Jeff The President was onboard the ship during the Malta Summit of 1989 with then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. It served as George H.W Bush's home for the three day summit. While onboard the President interacted with the crew by eating dinner with them and even holding a church service. Even though having a sitting president onboard the warship was exciting, their was no room for any errors. Jeff tells us the crew had to be on their best behavior. "Everybody had to have their A game on, everything just had to be tip top shape." The summit would go on to be a historic meeting between the Soviet Union and the United States. But it isnt the summit that Jeff is going to remember. "That memory of him being onboard my war vessel the USS Belknap CG 26 Guided missile cruiser that will stand with me for as long as I live." Volunteers from the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross provided immediate emergency aid to six people after a fire Saturday morning on Prospect Street in the City of Oneida. The Red Cross provided financial assistance for necessities such as shelter, food and clothing to two adults and four children, ages 16, 14, 2, and an infant. Volunteers also offered emotional support and comfort kits containing personal care items and stuffed animals for the children. In the coming days, Red Cross staff and volunteers will remain available to help those affected by the fire as they navigate the road to recovery. The Red Cross relies on local donors to help families prepare, respond and recover from disasters in the Mohawk Valley. Visit: redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to donate to Disaster Relief and help people affected by disasters big and small. You can also help by volunteering with the Red Cross and responding to home fires and other disasters in your community. Visit: redcross.org/volunteer. Inlet, N.Y. - Inlet Police say a Western New York man was killed Friday night in a snowmobile accident. Police say 46-year-old Thomas Hetherington of Middlesex, New York, which is in Yates county near Canandaigua Lake, was killed when he failed to negotiate a curve and struck a tree. Police say it happened on a snowmobile trail on Browns Tract Rd. near Raquette Lake in Inlet. Police say some people Hetherington was riding with tried to come to his aid but were unsuccessful in reviving him. Police say Hetherington was transported by the Raquette Lake Fire Department using a rescue-boggan to Uncas Rd., where he pronounced dead by Hamilton County Coroner Donald Townsend. Police say the cause of the accident appears to be unsafe speed and icy trail conditions. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) -- The Lafayette Fire Department held its annual Shop with a Firefighter at the east side Meijer in Lafayette. More than 75 kids partnered with Lafayette firemen as they filled their carts with items. Shop with a Firefighter serves the purpose of making sure kids in the community have what they need for the colder season. Trent Richter, President of Professional Firefighters Local 472 has been apart of the event for 20 years. He said it's always great seeing the kids getting things they need. It tugs at the heartstrings, it really does.. there's times that you know you're doing the right thing when they're opening and get to see all the stuff that they can't probably get, their parents can't afford to get for them, said Richter. Richter said, not only do the kids take something away from the event but so do the firefighters. It's the good part of the job. We deal with a lot of tragedy and we only see people on their worst days and what this is, is to get to the kids on the good days, said Richter. The kids who participated are involved in a program called 'Christmas for All' through Faith Church. This year, firefighters spent a total of nearly $20,000 on the kids. All the money was raised through donations and fundraisers. The Lafayette Fire Department is the first to bring an event that's focused on kids in the community getting an opportunity to shop with a person in service. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) -- Kids of Tippecanoe County shopped with a cop at the West Lafayette Meijer. The event was hosted by the Fraternal Order of Police Logde #49, which serves all the officers in the Tippecanoe County area. Officers with Indiana State Police, Indiana Conservation, and Benton County Sheriffs Office also attended. 48 kids were paired with 60 officers as they shopped for clothing, winter gear and a toy for the Christmas. Alex Feistel, a detective with the Tippecanoe Sheriff's Office, said the event was created to not only provide kids with essential items, but also foster a positive interaction with law enforcement. Most of the time we engage with people on our day to day jobs, is not a positive way so this is our time that we can kind of engage with children and people in our community to show that, you know, we want to do well, said Feistel. Feistel has been apart of Shop with a Cop for the past four years. He said its not often that officers get to interact with the community outside of their jobs so events like Shop with a Cop are always great opportunities to shed a new lights on law enforcement to kids. Officers are just like their parents, we do jobs 9:00 to 5:00, but we like to help out on our off time and try to show them that we get along with them just as well as anyone else, said Feistel. He hopes that Shop with a Cop leaves a lasting impact on kids who participated. I remember even as a young kid myself, the engagement you have with people in uniforms and positions of authority, it leaves a mark on you, you know, and I hope this is gonna be a positive one they remember, said Feistel. The event is completely run by donations and volunteered time. Sponsors include Meijer West Lafayette, which held the event and gave monetary donations. Chick-Fil-A, which provided lunch for the kids to take home. Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, which provided coffee and donuts for the kids and officers. 9 Irish Brothers Pub, which hosted a Shop with a Cop fundraising event and donated portions of the businesses profit to the event. Industrial Federal Credit Union, which gave a monetary donation and Arconic Carriers Lafayette, which provided goodie bags for the kids. For the fourth consecutive Saturday, yellow vest (gilet jaunes) protestors demonstrated yesterday across France against the rightwing government of Emmanuel Macron. They did so in defiance of ominous threats of state violence and a massive mobilization of security forces. Clearly, the French Presidents attempts to end the protests, first by postponing the gas tax hikes that set the movement into motion and then by canceling them outright, failed. The demands being raisedfor social equality and against militarism and dictatorshipshow that this is a movement directed towards the defense of workers interests, not just in France, but also internationally. Yesterdays protests paralyzed France and large sections of Belgium. The Minister of the Interior reported that 125,000 yellow vests protested in France. In the major cities where demonstrations were organized most shops were closed. On Saturday evening, the Vinci highway network reported significant disruptions and slowdowns on over 20 highways, many of them as the result of yellow vest protests and barricades. Demonstrations took place in many cities, including Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, St. Etienne, Perpignan, Marseille, Avignon, Nantes, Brest, Quimper, Lille and Rennes. Some 400 people were arrested in Brussels during a yellow vests rally of 1,000 protesters. This is the second yellow vest demonstration in the Belgian capital, directed against rising fuel prices and the increased cost of living. The protestors are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel. Unrest has also spread to the Belgian provinces. We must take from the rich to give to the poor, a yellow vest nurse told the press. The French government hurled hysterical accusations against protesters descending on Paris, accusing them of preparing to slaughter (massacre) the forces of order. Police viciously attacked and repressed demonstrations in major cities, arresting almost triple the number of protesters as on the previous Saturday, December 1. Throughout the country, police arrested 1,723 people, a level that French Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner characterized as exceptional. Of these, 1,220 were ordered held in custody. Paris police headquarters announced that more than 1,082 people had been arrested, of whom more than 625 are being kept in custody. Clashes and confrontations between protesters and law enforcement broke out in the major French cities, including Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon and Toulouse. The police fired tear gas and flash balls to disperse the protesters, wounding over 100. In Paris and in Marseilles Old Port, security forces attacked protestors with armored vehicles and water cannons. In Paris, the police proceeded with extraordinary aggressiveness. To disperse the protesters early in the day, police mounted charges against peaceful demonstrators from the outset, before they could group together in a more powerful mass. Police attacked protesters on the Champs-Elysees and elsewhere in the city, surrounding and trapping peaceful protesters, and dispersing them with armored vehicles and mobile gendarmerie, including a mounted horse brigade. WSWS reporters interviewed people in Paris. Sylvie, from the Oise region of northern France, said, Every time that there has been anger, its because people can no longer provide for themselves. There is no right; there is no left. The unions have also taken us for a ride. We represent the people. We have the right to live decently, we have the right to be respected by those who are supposed to represent us. She added, We are also denouncing the 1 percent who take advantage of the 99 percent; we want it to stop. In fact, it is they who tax us, they are the ones who hold the wealth. Its modern slavery. Stephane told us: Macron very clearly showed where he was going, when he eliminated the tax on the wealthy and reduced my Housing Aid by 5. Is this democracy? No, we are now in a financial dictatorship. And I hope it will not become a military dictatorship. Shortly after being teargassed, the wife of a railway worker told the WSWS: Mr. Macron treats us with contempt. They surround us, they send us to the right, then to the left, and they gas us. She stressed that Macron no longer has any political legitimacy. We cannot even demonstrate peacefully anymore; the police force charges us and fires tear gas at us. I hope the people will rise up. Excuse me, but is this a way to treat people, with tear gas? Once again, the government has indicated that it intends to trample on the demands of the yellow vests and continue the austerity policy that has been rejected by the vast majority of the French people. During a very short press conference on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe stressed that there would be no change in government policy: Vigilance and mobilization remain in place, because thugs are still at work in Paris and in some provincial towns (...) In order to confront this day, we had to conceive an exceptional plan, with the extensive mobilization of the forces of the law and means to ensure their continuous mobility. It is necessary to reestablish our national unity, through dialogue, through work, through regroupment. The President of the Republic [Macron] will speak and propose (...) measures that will allow the French nation to find itself, he added. Rising anger among workers and young people in the face of official intransigence is developing into an open confrontation between the working class and the government, and towards a general strike. The main advantage the government enjoys at present is that, in this explosive situation, large masses of workers do not clearly see a revolutionary perspective. As they seek to fight against the government, they are confronted with Macrons support from the petty-bourgeois parties that for decades have posed as the left. Jean-Luc Melenchon is calling for respect for the police. Never deceive yourself as to your opponent. The handling of police forces is not the job of the police. It is the business of the politicians who give the orders. The duty of the police is to serve and obey. And the orders are political, tweeted the leader of La France Insoumise (LFI). This defence of the security forces and French state is provoking ever greater mistrust of, and hostility toward, the LFI among the yellow vests. On Saturday yellow vests in Flixecourt in the northeast announced that, in the name of political independence, they would distance themselves from LFI MP Francois Ruffin, who had declared himself to be on their side. Ruffin had said he wanted to serve as a bridge between the movement and the government. But this proposal stumbled on the hostility of the yellow vests to the union apparatus and their political allies such as the LFI. Francois Ruffin gave us very honest support, but we do not want to be taken over by the media or politicians. We are fighting for full political independence, even though, of course, we all have a political color, said Christophe Ledoux, one of the leaders of the movement in Flixecourt. This development underscores the need to build action committees, independent of the trade union apparatuses, to enable workers in struggle to coordinate their actions, and a Marxist vanguard that will enable workers to identify and thwart attempts by official circles to smother and strangle their struggles. Nacogdoches, TX (75965) Today Rain likely. High near 55F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Cyntoia Brown was only 16 when she was sentenced to life in prison, and the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled this past week that she will have to serve 51 years before she could be eligible for release. Brown was convicted of murder and robbery for killing 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen in 2004 after he solicited her for sex and brought her to his home. Brown claimed her actions were in self-defense because she was afraid Allen was going to kill her. Brown said she had run away from her adoptive family weeks before and was living with her 24-year-old abusive boyfriend known as Kut Throat. Browns lawyers alleged that Kut Throat raped Brown and forced her into prostitution, making her a sex trafficking victim, as she was not an adult at the time. Brown claimed that on the day of the murder, Kut Throat had hit her and insisted she go out and bring home money. According to Browns appeal, Allen picked Brown up at a Sonic drive-in and brought her to his home. The two got into bed after Allen showed Brown some of his guns, but Brown resisted him. When Allen reached under his bed, Brown thought he was going for a gun, so she pulled her own gun out of her purse and shot him. She then took money from his wallet, drove his truck to a Walmart, and left it there. She was later arrested. The lawyers also claimed that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome played a part in [her] actions on the night in question. Prosecutors argued, however, that Brown had gone to Allens home with the intention of robbing him. Brown was the subject of an Independent Lens documentary that aired on PBS in 2010. Stars such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West have been lobbying in protest of the life sentence, and her story has been shared across social media with the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown. Tennessee law has since changedprompted by Browns caseand minors can no longer be sentenced to life in prison, but that law, sadly, does not apply to Brown herself. She will have to wait until she is 67 before she can go before a parole board, unless outgoing Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam decides to grant Brown clemency by shortening her sentence. Browns case now will go before the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has requested the opinion from the Tennessee Supreme Court be shared with them. Good Morning America The verdicts in favor of Kyle Rittenhouse and against the men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery have shone a renewed spotlight on vigilantism and self-defense in America. While in many respects dramatically different, including their outcomes -- Rittenhouse was acquitted and the defendants in the Arbery case were convicted of murder -- both high-profile cases center on people who were armed and put themselves into potentially dangerous situations, fatally shooting people in the process and asserting that they did so in self-defense. According to experts and advocates, the landscape of self-defense laws in recent decades has shifted to a more expansive notion that includes the right not to retreat from danger. Courtesy Jim O'Connell When Jim O'Connell moved to New York City in 1997, he signed up with a new doctor who ordered a basic panel of labs for the then 38-year-old. When a test measuring his PSA (prostate-specific antigen) showed a slightly elevated number, O'Connell was sent to a urologist for further testing. "He did a biopsy, which involves removing twelve pieces of the prostate for examination, and it was quite painful," he recalls. The biopsy results showed no cancer, and for the next two decades O'Connell assumed he was cancer free, as he never missed appointments and regularly had his blood work done. Little did he know, subsequent doctors were not checking his PSAand the numbers were climbing. Here are 8 myths about prostate cancer every man should know. "There's been controversy about the PSA test and the validity of its use in detecting cancer," O'Connell says. "My doctors had changed a couple times, and when I realized the current doctor I had wasn't testing my PSAand the others hadn't eitherI just didn't feel comfortable with that." After a referral to a new doctor, O'Connell requested that his blood work include a PSA test. The results reveal O'Connell's PSA levels were sky higha marker of prostate cancer. O'Connell, 58 at the time, went to the same urologist he had seen for his initial biopsy; he also got a digital exam. This time, the doctor could feel nodules on his prostate, and the biopsy showed cancer in three of the 12 samples, even though he had none of the symptoms typical of the disease. The symptoms of prostate cancerhere are 5 signs men should never ignorecan include pain or difficulty when urinating, blood present in urine or semen, erectile dysfunction, pain in back, hips, or spine, and weakness or numbness of the legs and feet. "I was shocked. I kept telling myself it wouldn't be cancer, just like before, and then it was." O'Connell's doctors gauged the severity of his cancer using the Gleason Score10 indicates the most aggressive tumors: He got a seven, indicating he was at intermediate risk of having an aggressive form. Treatment options for prostate cancer include radiation, hormone therapy, surgery, and active surveillance. But men who get treatment don't necessarily live longer; here's what doctors haven't told you about prostate cancer. Men who get a Gleason score of six or seven have the option of "watchful waiting"that's where doctors monitor their symptoms and PSA levels; often, these men can live out their lives without surgery. O'Connell felt differently: "I opted for the surgery. I just wanted it out of me," he tells Reader's Digest. Before choosing his treatment, O'Connell interviewed four different doctors and a radiologist to gather opinions. He made his choice after meeting with Vincent P. Laudone, MD, chief of surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. "I immediately felt very comfortable with Dr. Laudone. I had robotic laparoscopic surgery on November 20, 2017, to remove my prostate. After that, it was just a matter of recovering." Although prostate surgery can lead to troubles with incontinence and erectile dysfunction, O'Connell says he manages well with Kegel exercises and a workout tailored to his physical recovery. He believes it's all worth it: "I'm cancer free todayso I'll take those things any day to be able to say that." Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men: One out of seven men will receive the diagnosis during their lifetime. While men of all ages can develop the disease, advanced age is the single highest risk factor. African-American men are at greater risk, as well as those who have a family history of prostate cancer. Read about the 7 surprising habits that could lead to prostate cancer. These days, 59-year-old O'Connell has his PSA level checked every six months. His new motivation is to not only appreciate life but educate others: "If you or a male family member isn't sure whether his PSA is being tested, ask. If I can help one person to not go through what I went through, or to catch it earlier, then it's all been worth it." (Photo: Illustration: HuffPost; Photos: Getty Images) Alex McNabb, a white supremacist podcaster who works as an emergency medical technician in southern Virginia, is under investigation by the states Department of Health, a spokesperson for the department confirmed to HuffPost. McNabb, 35, is a frequent co-host of The Daily Shoah, a popular neo-Nazi podcast. On the show he regularly tells stories about being an EMT, often referring to patients by racist slurs and comparing black patients to animals. An anonymous complaint was made on Nov. 26 against McNabb, who works as an EMT in Patrick County, according to Marian Hunter, public relations coordinator for the Virginia Department of Healths Office of Emergency Medical Services. Because its an open and active investigation, Hunter did not describe the nature of the complaint. His continued employment as an EMT, however, raises ethical and legal questions about whether an avowed racist and white nationalist can objectively make life-and-death decisions for patients of color, Jewish patients and other minorities, experts say. Anyone who is espousing this type of vitriolic racism on a regular basis it casts serious doubts on their ability to provide emergency medical treatment for someone who does not fit their criteria for an ethnostate, Keegan Hankes, senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told HuffPost. McNabb has not been charged with a crime and will not be suspended from his job during the states investigation, which could last up to 60 days. McNabb didnt respond to a HuffPost request Friday for comment about the investigation. In a recurring segment on The Daily Shoah, McNabb assumes a persona he calls Dr. Narcan. In these segments, he tells his co-hosts stories about being an EMT. He regularly refers to black patients as dindus, a deeply racist slur common among the alt-right. During a Nov. 8, 2016, episode, McNabb compared black patients to animals. The heat brings out the wild in the dindu, he said, adding that, as winter approaches, the animals go into hibernation and the ridiculousness of the [911] calls goes down. Story continues In an Oct. 4, 2016, episode, during a Dr. Narcan segment, McNabb referenced an apartment complex that houses people from all over Africa and West Africa. He said emergency workers called it Ebola Alley. He then called a black woman a Dinduisha and compared her to a shaved Harambe, referring to the famous gorilla. Its hard to find a dindu vein anyway, because theyre black, he said during the episode. He then told another story of an unruly young African-American male child running around an emergency room. As it turned out, this young African-American male was there to get blood drawn, so guess who volunteered to take his blood? he told his co-hosts, who laughed in response. Dr. Narcan enjoyed great, immense satisfaction as he terrorized this youngster with a needle and stabbed him thusly in the arm with a large-gauge IV catheter. Vickie Gendraw, pediatric phlebotomy coordinator at Tufts Medical Center, told HuffPost she was appalled at McNabbs story. Medical professionals, she said, should never, ever use large-gauge needles on a pediatric patient. Typically only small-gauge needles are used for children. Large-gauge needles, Gendraw said, tend to hurt, because the needle is large, and it bruises the pediatric patient. In a statement sent to HuffPost over Twitter, McNabb wrote that Doctor Narcan is a work of fiction. On the Nov. 30 episode of The Daily Shoah, McNabb said he didnt treat patients differently based on their ethnicity or religion. Its a professional duty, he said. You have a fucking duty, to go out there and give 100 percent on every single call. It doesnt matter what race or color or what situation it is. He added, I mean, no ones going to do something to put their job in jeopardy or do something that makes them look like an incompetent asshole. McNabb, who attended the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, has appeared on over 130 episodes of The Daily Shoah (shoah is a Hebrew word for calamity and is used most commonly to refer to the Holocaust), according to research from Megan Squire, a computer science professor at Elon University who studies the far right. Titles of these episodes include J.E.W.s Always Lie, Are You Ready For Some RaceWar? and BLACK ALERT! BLACK ALERT! He appears on many episodes alongside prominent neo-Nazi figures, some of whom have openly called for exterminating Jews and blacks. Among these guests were Andrew Anglin, Christopher Cantwell and Richard Spencer. In an article on the neo-Confederate website Identity Dixie, McNabb wrote that he would certainly never complain if 911 calls for crackheads and morbidly obese negresses had to be picked up by black EMTs. McNabb is an administrator of a Facebook group called The Final Solution to the Optics Problem, which features a Nazi flag as its banner image. The Final Solution is a reference to the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jews during World War II. The Optics Problem refers to an ongoing debate in alt-right circles on how best to expand their movement. McNabb also writes many blog posts on The Right Stuff, an alt-right website, in which he expresses vitriol against blacks, Jews, obese people and the queer community. The website Angry White Men, which monitors white supremacist figures, first reported on McNabbs position as an EMT earlier this year. McNabb who, unlike many in the white nationalist community, does not use an alias made posts on social media showing himself in an EMT uniform. Last week, McNabb posted to Twitter that he was aware of HuffPosts investigation into his work as an EMT. He also suggested HuffPost lodged the anonymous complaint with the Virginia Department of Health. HuffPost did not file a complaint. Alex McNabb, to my knowledge, is a paid employee with Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue, Steve Allen, Patrick Countys Emergency Services Coordinator, told HuffPost. EMT services in any given county often include a mix of volunteers and paid employees. HuffPost found no direct evidence that McNabb treats patients differently due to their race, religion or sexual orientation. Robert Veatch, professor emeritus of medical ethics at Georgetown University, told HuffPost that its only ethical to employ McNabb if it can be ensured that he doesnt act on his political beliefs. Even if one holds that the white supremacist has the right to his views, he does not have the right to act on them while in a public role such as an EMT, he said. Medical professionals on a battlefield, Veatch noted, are supposed to care for all casualties without regard to personal characteristics, such as loyalty to an enemy. Still, Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue would likely be within its legal rights to fire him. J.H. Verkerke, director of the program for employment and labor law studies at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the First Amendment in a situation like this, while protective of a persons hateful speech, doesnt necessarily protect that persons job. Racist comments about patients, Verkerke said, would give both public and private medical employers a pretty strong argument that those statements signal problems with care and reveal attitudes that are inconsistent with his duty of caring for patients properly. An employer, Verkerke said, could also argue that a medical professionals hateful statements could be viewed as disruptive to the workplace. The captain of the Jeb Stuart Volunteer Rescue, Derek Wagner, did not return repeated requests for comment regarding McNabbs employment. In a blog post, McNabb claimed that his captain, after a discussion with the lawyer representing their agency... did not see any reason to take action against me. Related Coverage White Supremacist Rep. Steve King Endorses White Supremacist Faith Goldy For Toronto Mayor DC Neo-Nazi Who Said Pittsburgh Victims 'Deserved' It Arrested; Has Deep Ties To 'Alt-Right' The Proud Boys Are Imploding Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) In a Mississippi town that has trouble conducting a city election without someone being accused of a crime, voter fraud charges returned on Thursday. Six people including an alderwoman and a school board member were arrested after being indicted on allegations of voting-related crimes in Canton that stem from a 2017 election. They face accusations that they bribed voters, improperly helped people fill out absentee ballots, voted despite being convicted of disqualifying felonies and voted even though they lived outside the city or voting district. The allegations come at a time that a disputed North Carolina congressional race is bringing attention to alleged election skullduggery nationwide, but they're nothing new for Canton and its 13,000 residents. Just north of Jackson, Canton is a predominantly African-American town known as the home of Nissan Motor Co.'s assembly plant and for a picturesque town square that has served as a movie location. But those attractions belie a reputation for contentious politics that regularly produce upheaval. Six people were convicted of voting-related charges after 2009 elections, while one was convicted after 2013 elections. Madison County Assistant District Attorney Bryan Buckley told the Madison County Journal that the investigation began after "voluminous" complaints about 2017's city election, and that more indictments are expected. Voter fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The highest-profile person indicted was 68-year-old alderwoman and former police chief Vickie McNeil, who's accused of four counts of voter fraud. She is alleged to have illegally helped people cast absentee ballots when she was running for re-election. McNeil declined comment to reporters after signing her indictment paperwork. She was released on $4,000 bail. But the heaviest charges are against 38-year-old Courtney Rainey, who is appointed to the city school board and is Canton's director of human and cultural needs. Rainey was indicted on 10 counts of voter fraud, two counts of conspiring to commit voter fraud, two counts of voting by an unqualified person and one count of intimidating a witness. Story continues The indictments allege Rainey paid four people for their votes in cash and one with a Walmart gift card. She is also accused of inducing a man named Donnell Robinson to vote even though he'd been convicted of a disqualifying felony, as well as twice voting illegally in Canton elections even though she no longer lived there. The indictment alleges Rainey then tried to get a woman Rainey paid off to change the story she had given to investigators. She's also accused of conspiring with another of the city's seven aldermen, Andrew Grant. Grant has not been indicted. A lawyer for Rainey didn't immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment Wednesday. Rainey is free on $15,000 bail. Both Grant and McNeil easily won both their Democratic primary and general elections in 2017, so it's unclear why their candidacies might have needed illegal assistance. All the city officials elected in 2017 are Democrats. "It's almost like having a family of seven and one member decides to do something that's not in the interest of the family," Mayor William Truly, a political ally of McNeil who watched her in court, told WAPT-TV. Desma King, a deputy Canton city clerk, was indicted on two counts of voter fraud. The 44-year-old is accused of illegally helping someone vote in the Ward 7 alderman's race even though the voter no longer lived in that ward. King is free on $2,000 bail and a lawyer didn't return a phone call and email. Donnell Robinson, a 52-year-old mentioned in the Rainey indictments, was himself indicted on two counts of voter fraud and two counts of voting by an unqualified person. He is accused of twice casting an absentee ballot in 2017 even though he was disqualified because of a 1995 conviction for receiving stolen property. He remained jailed Thursday. Jennifer Robinson, 45, is indicted on one count of voter fraud and one count of voting by an unqualified person for voting in the Ward 7 election even though she no longer lived there. She's free on $2,000 bail and a lawyer didn't return a phone call and email. Sherman Matlock, 44, was indicted on counts of voter fraud and voting by an unqualified person on charges that Matlock cast an absentee ballot even though disqualified by a manslaughter conviction. Matlock remained jailed Thursday. It is unclear whether Matlock or Donnell Robinson has an attorney. ___ Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy . ___ This story has been corrected to show that one defendant is a woman named Desma King, not a man named Desmand King. By Fanny Potkin and Adam Jourdan HONG KONG/SHANGHAI (Reuters) - At a closed-door security meeting of U.S. companies in Singapore on Thursday, one topic was high on the agenda: the arrest of a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei and the potential backlash on American firms operating in China. Officials from major U.S. companies who attended the event, a scheduled meeting of the local chapter of the U.S. Department of State's Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), voiced concerns about retaliation against American firms and their executives, two people with knowledge of the meeting said. A number of attendees said their companies were considering restricting non-essential China travel and looking to move meetings outside the country, one of the people added. Security executives for companies including Walt Disney Co, Alphabet Inc's Google, Facebook Inc, and PayPal Holdings Inc attended the meeting, according to the sources and a LinkedIn posting by one of the attendees. The companies all declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication. Following publication of this story, Google spokesperson Taj Meadows said in a statement that it misrepresents what happened at the meeting. He asserted that there was no discussion on the record or behind closed doors about the arrest of a top Huawei executive or about American companies operating in China. Meadows also said he was not at the meeting and could not say whether attendees discussed China travel informally. The discussions at the meeting underscore concerns rippling through U.S. businesses in the world's second largest economy, already facing a delicate balancing act amid a tense trade standoff between Washington and Beijing. The formal agenda for the meeting, held at Google's Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore, included presentations on economic crime and terrorism in the region. OSAC promotes "security cooperation between American private sector interests worldwide and the U.S. Department of State," according to its website. Story continues But informal conversations among attendees soon turned to possible risks in China prompted by the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer and "heiress" of Chinese telecom network equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, who was detained in Canada on Dec. 1. The news of the arrest was made public on Wednesday. Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was held at Washington's request as part of a U.S. investigation of an alleged scheme to use the global banking system to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran, people familiar with the probe said. The arrest has roiled global markets amid fears that it could further inflame the Sino-U.S. trade row. Risk consultants and analysts said that the arrest could prompt Beijing to retaliate in some form. "This will pressure a lot of Chinese officials to look strong in this dispute," said Nick Marro, Hong Kong-based Asia analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit, who added that technology companies were particularly at risk. "This could mean either taking a stronger stance on trade negotiations, or taking a stronger stance on U.S. tech firms in China right now." Asked whether there would be any retaliation against any foreign executives in China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday China has always protected the lawful rights of foreigners in China in accordance with the law. "Of course in China they should respect China's laws and rules." EARLY CHRISTMAS TRIP? OSAC says it is made up of 34 private and public sector member organizations. It lists its events on its website, including the Dec. 6 meeting in Singapore. There was also a separate listed meeting held in Shanghai on the same day. Prashant Nayak, Disney's Asia Pacific director of corporate security, posted about the Singapore meeting on LinkedIn, tagging other executives at Google, Facebook, Amazon.com Inc, Marriot International Inc, Microsoft Corp and others. Nayak did not respond to a LinkedIn message seeking further comment. The second person with knowledge of the event said the Huawei arrest and potential fallout was a hot topic at the meeting. A senior diplomat from the U.S. embassy in Singapore gave opening remarks, but an embassy spokesperson said she left before any discussion. Asia-based risk consultants said they had seen a rise in the number of clients asking about the Huawei issue and potential concerns related to the impact on U.S. firms in China. Jakob Korslund, CEO of Singapore-based consultancy Deutsche Risk, said his firm had received a number of enquiries in the last two days asking about the risks of travelling to China. "For a few we have advised postponing trips that were not time critical, telling clients to wait for the next few weeks to see the situation," he said. James McGregor, chairman of APCO Worldwide's Greater China region, said companies would likely err on the side of not sending executives to China for the time being. "It's all about avoiding risk, because what do you do if somebody is arrested?" he told Reuters, adding anxiety was also spreading among executives already in China. "People are joking about it a little bit and saying 'maybe I should take an early Christmas trip home'." (Reporting by Fanny Potkin in HONG KONG and Adam Jourdan in SHANGHAI; Additional reporting by John Ruwitch, Josh Horwitz and Brenda Goh in Shanghai, Cate Cadell in Beijing and Fathin Ungku in Singapore; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Muralikumar Anantharaman) A 26-year-old man is to be charged with the murder of Grace Millane, police said (Picture: PA) A man is to be charged with the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane, police said. New Zealand Police said a 26-year-old man has been speaking with officers in Auckland in relation to the disappearance of the 22-year-old, who went missing from a hostel in Auckland on December 1. He will remain in custody until Monday morning when he will appear in the Auckland District Court, police said. Earlier police announced that their investigation had become a murder enquiry, despite Graces body not being found, but Detective Inspector Scott Beard said they were determined to do everything we can to find her. Graces father described her as a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter (Picture: PA) Grace, who turned 22 on Sunday, had arrived in New Zealand on November 20 as part of a round-the-world trip. She had been in contact with her family nearly every day until December 1, the day before her birthday. MORE: Health Secretary warns more needs to be done to stockpile medicines in case of no-deal Brexit MORE: Mother and ex-partner jailed for brutal death of her three-week-old baby The last confirmed sighting of the 22-year-old was at 9.41pm the same day at the Citylife Hotel in central Auckland, when she was seen with a male companion. Graces father David Millane described her as a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-orientated daughter. Thousands of banner-waving Muslims dressed in white rallied in the Malaysian capital Saturday demanding protection of their rights, at a time of growing racial tensions in the multi-ethnic country. Big crowds gathered in downtown Kuala Lumpur, chanting "God is great" and waving banners that read "Long live the Malays", an AFP reporter said. Large numbers of police were on the streets and major roads were closed. Race and religion are sensitive in Malaysia, which is home to sizeable ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, and the Muslim Malay majority appears to be feeling increasingly insecure under a new government that is more representative of minorities. The rally was originally intended as a protest against a plan by the government, which took power in May after defeating the scandal-mired old regime, to ratify a UN convention which aims to eliminate racial discrimination. Authorities abandoned the plan after opposition from conservative politicians and Malays, who feared the treaty could erode privileges they have long enjoyed. But Muslim groups pushed ahead with Saturday's demonstration, which alongside the convention has become about the bigger issue of defending Malays' position in society and Islam. "I hope the other races don't challenge the rights of the Malays. As a Muslim, I want Islam to be the first (priority) in Malaysia," protester Arif Hashim, 26, told AFP. Authorities did not immediately have an estimate for the size of the rally, which is due to end at 6:00 pm (1000 GMT). Malays -- who make up some 60 percent of the country's 32 million people -- have been given substantial help, such as financial handouts, for decades but critics argue the system needs reform. The United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) -- a party that ruled Malaysia at the head of a coalition until its election defeat -- has backed the rally. Analysts say it is using the event to divert attention from its troubles. Story continues The party, long a champion of the Malays, has been engulfed in scandal and infighting since being ousted. Senior party figures, including disgraced ex-premier Najib Razak, have been slapped with corruption charges. Najib, accused over the plundering of state fund 1MDB, denies wrongdoing. Policies favouring Malays were introduced after riots between members of the Malay and Chinese communities in 1969 that left nearly 200 people dead. By Stephen Kalin RIYADH (Reuters) - A Gulf Arab summit called for regional unity as Bahrain and Qatar traded barbs over the Qatari emir's decision not to attend the gathering in Saudi Arabia on Sunday in a sign that a row between Doha and its neighbors is still festering. Qatar sent its state minister for foreign affairs to the annual one-day summit, which was overshadowed by the economic and diplomatic boycott of Doha since mid-2017 by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt over allegations Doha supports terrorism, which Qatar denies. "Qatar's emir should have accepted the fair demands (of the boycotting states) and attended the summit," Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said in a tweet. In response, Ahmed bin Saeed AlRumaihi, director of the information office at Qatar's foreign ministry, said: "Qatar can make its own decisions and had attended (last year's) Kuwait summit while the leaders of the boycotting countries did not." He later slammed the final communique for not addressing the boycott, which Qatar says aims to curtail its sovereignty. The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) summit of six member states was held as Riyadh faces international pressure over the Oct 2. murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's Istanbul consulate. Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened the gathering, urging fellow member states Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Qatar to maintain a united front against Iran and terrorism. "This requires all of us to maintain our countries' gains and to work with our partners to preserve security and stability in the region and the world," he said in a speech. The leaders sat around a table in awkward silence at the close before a bland final communique was read out, stressing the importance of maintaining GCC unity in the face of threats to regional stability and to meet economic challenges. The UAE will host the next summit in 2019. BITTER DIVIDE Doha last week abruptly announced it was exiting the oil exporters' group OPEC after 57 years to focus on gas, in an apparent swipe at the bloc's de facto leader Saudi Arabia.. Riyadh has resisted U.S. pressure to restore ties with Doha following Khashoggi's murder, an act that drew condemnation and scrutiny of the kingdom's assertive regional policies. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir reiterated in a press conference after the summit that Doha must meet the boycotting states' demands and that the dispute would not affect military cooperation. A U.S. State Department official on Sunday urged Gulf states to mend fences to confront Iran and enable a proposed Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) grouping the GCC, Egypt and Jordan. "We'd like to see that unity restored, not on our terms, but on terms of the countries that are involved," Timothy Lenderking, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs, told reporters at a security forum in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. Jubeir said proposals for MESA were being "refined" in coordination with the United States. "It is a work in progress that both sides want to succeed," he said. The boycotting states insist the row is not a priority for them while Doha says the dispute harms regional security. Kuwait's ties with Riyadh are also strained over control of shared oilfields in the so-called Neutral Zone, further weakening unity of the GCC which was set up in 1980 as a bulwark against larger neighbors Iran and Iraq. (Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell in Abu Dhabi, Tuqa Khalid in Dubai and Marwa Rashad in Riyadh; Editing by Ghaida Ghantous, Andrew Roche and Adrian Croft) The IDF has uncovered another Hezbollah tunnel dug from Lebanon, an announcement that came Saturday shortly after troops fired at suspected members of the Hezbollah terror group who approached the site of the IDF engineering work to thwart tunnels. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The find makes this at least the second cross-border tunnel discovered since the launch of Operation Northern Shield last week to expose and neutralize terror tunnels Hezbollah has constructed along the Israel-Lebanon border since 2006. IDF troops uncover another Hezbollah tunnel dug from Lebanon (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit ) IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told reporters the new tunnel runs into Israel but does not pose an imminent threat to Israeli communities. He said explosives were placed in the tunnel to prevent infiltration into Israel, adding that Israel holds the Lebanese government responsible for the activities and all Hezbollah violations. IDF soldiers operate on Israel-Lebanese border (: ") X Earlier on Saturday, IDF troops operating in the Rakefet enclave near the border, fired at three Hezbollah suspects who approached them in accordance with the rules of engagement. Conricus said Israeli troops crossed the fence into Lebanon but did not exceed the UN-established border demarcation, known as the Blue Line." He added Israeli forces also installed technological sensors to control a tunnel, noting the Hezbollah operatives made use of the bad weather in an attempt to probably take the sensors but fled after Israeli forces opened fire at them. IDF soldiers on Israel-Lebanese border (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit ) Lebanons state-run National News Agency, however, said the IDF soldiers shot into the air when they saw a Lebanese army patrol near the border demarcation. Israeli enemy soldiers shot into the air following their deployment near the Blue Line in Kroum al-Sharaqi region to the east of Meis al-Jabal village, NNA said. The Israelis were surprised, due to thick fog, by a routine Lebanese army patrol inside the Lebanese territories, it added. There were no reports of casualties. IDF soldiers (Photo: Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit ) Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Israels intention to foil the tunnels threat. Netanyahu vowed to continue efforts to prevent the establishment of an Iranian presence in Syria and to act against Iranian and Hezbollah aggression, a PMO statement said. It also said that Netanyahu and Putin agreed that mutual security teams will meet to discuss possible threats and Operation Northern Shield. UNIFIL Force and IDF soldiers (Photo: Avihu Shapira) On Thursday, the United Nations peacekeeping Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed the existence of a tunnel near the Blue Line, describing it as a serious occurrence. Asked what Israel expected UNIFIL to do, Conricus said: To go to the locations that we have singled out and pinpointed, to locate the tunnels and then to make sure that those access points are blocked from the Lebanese side. The situation has so far remained calm on both sides of the border. But the operation has brought renewed attention to a frontier across which Israel and the Hezbollah fought the Second Lebanon Waa in 2006. The first Hezbollah tunnel the IDF found near Metula came out of Kafr Kela, a Shiite village in southern Lebanon that the terror organization has turned into a military base. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The village, 3.5 kilometers in length, 1.5 kilometers in width, is home to some 10,000 people, most of them Shiite, and almost all of them farmers. But behind the surface hides a Hezbollah base, including about 20 arms depots, fighting positions both overground and underground, observation posts, and an advanced intelligence apparatus. At the south of the village there is a road along the Israel-Lebanon border. Observation points along this road are also used for rioting. (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office) Dozens of Hezbollah members live in the village among the civilian population. In a state of war, they would be reinforced by forces from Hezbollah's Special Forces unit Radwan, whose fighters are returning from at least six years of fighting in Syria with a lot of operational experience. Kafr Kela is not the only one. When the time comes, Hezbollah fighters stationed at villages along the Israel-Lebanon border will launch an assault against the Israeli communities on the other side of the frontier. Each such base has a commander and a headquarters. IDF forces uncovered tunnel on the Lebanon border (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office) The tunnel coming out of Kafr Kela was supposed to allow a Hezbollah vanguard of dozens of fighters to infiltrate the Metula area, take over the main roads and cut the city from help while the terror group's ground forces cross the border into Israel. Nevertheless, while the tunnels have tactical importance, there is a only a small number of them. Hezbollah has a plan of attack for every Israeli community along the border, and those can be carried out even without the underground element. IDF forces on the Lebanon border (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office) Hezbollah operations from Kafr Kelfa, for example, are meant to include rocket fire toward Metula, mortar shells, anti-tank missiles and of course a ground offensive. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has been talking about his plan to conquer the Galilee since 2011, and the IDF has been preparing accordinglyboth by gathering extensive intelligence on the terror group's operations in the border area and by building an obstacle including a wall in some parts, and the use of the natural bluffs in others, meant to hinder the Hezbollah forces while Israeli aerial force bombard them. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "Hezbollah has bolstered its offensive plans and is still developing them," said Lt. Col. Yiftach Norkin, the operations officer of the Galilee Division. "We're no longer talking about companies, but battalions with thousands of trained fighters preparing to infiltrate our territory under organized command and control, under fire and with the help of observation posts." "We're preparing with a strong defensive plan, which will take advantage of the fact these are large forces moving towards us," Norkin told Ynet. "We'll also want to attack the non-accurate heavy short-range rockets before they are launched." Hezbollah's elite tunnel unit Hezbollah's elite tunnel unit Rawdan is called after arch-terrorist Imad Mughniyah, nicknamed al-Hajj Radwan, whose assassination is attributed to Israel. The force, funded by Iran and led by Abu Ali Tabatabai, is a commando unit for Hezbollah, which recruits the best fighters and puts them through grueling training for covert missions. Lebanese youth aged 17-19 are recruited to the force without being told this is where they are going. Their training includes running and crawling in mountainous area, hand-to-hand combat, and the use of firearms. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly used advanced cybersecurity technology developed by the Israeli NSO Group and its subsidiary, Q Cyber Technologies, among others companies, to assassinate Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post reported on Friday. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter David R. Ignatius, an associate editor and columnist for The Washington Post, claimed in a comprehensive article that Israel had authorized the NSO Group to sell Saudi Arabia the "Pegasus" surveillance software, in exchange for Riyadh's cooperation in fighting Iran. Slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (Photo: EPA) According to the newspaper, Israel's declared purpose was to launch a cyber warled by one of the prime suspects in Khashoggi's murderagainst extremists and other Saudi dissidents. The Israeli spy software was used to keep track of Khashoggi's e-mail correspondence with a political exile named Omar Abdulaziz, who now resides in Canada. Abdulaziz and Khashoggi attempted to engage social media users against bin Salman, which made them a target for the Saudi crown prince. Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (Photo: Reuters) Last week, Abdulaziz filed a lawsuit against the NSO group, claiming its sophisticated spyware targeted him and helped lead to the killing of his friend, Khashoggi. The Saudi dissident is demanding NIS 600,000about $160,000in damages from the company, as well as an order preventing it from continuing selling Pegasus to Saudi Arabia. "There is circumstantial evidence pointing to a connection between Pegasus and Khashoggi's murder," Abdulaziz claimed. Documentation of Khashoggi arriving at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul (: ) X In addition, he added that the Israeli companies were negligent, and did not act in a reasonable manner. The Post reported that Q Cyber Technologies promised the Saudis access to six countries in the Middle East, and provided them with direct technical support while using the spy software. In response, the NSO Group said in a statement: "The company operates only under the security export rules, and with the guidance and supervision of all security elements. "NSO Groups' technology assists government and law enforcement bodies in fighting crime and terrorism. To this day, our developments have helped governments prevent suicide bombings, arrest drug lords and human trafficking networks, and retrieve kidnapping victims," the statement read. "Our software are operated exclusively by (government and law enforcement bodies), without NSO Group's involvement. Due to security reasons, we are unable to elaborate on whether a certain government is allowed to use our technology," the statement concluded. They survived the Europe of the Holocaust. But a recent rise in anti-Semitic acts in the United States has rekindled old fears: Should they again go into hiding, or should they instead reach out to share their experiences? Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Nearly all of them were children or adolescents in the early 1940s. They remember having their youth stolen from themby fear, by desperate flight, by separation from relatives, and in some cases by the Nazi death camps. If there was one country where they felt they were safe, it was the United States, where many of them have now lived for decades. Anti-Semitic graffiti on the New York Subway (Photo: Gregory Locke) They have, to be sure, heard the occasional anti-Semitic slight or perhaps seen a swastika daubed on a wall, but still they felt safean all-important word for them. Now, however, these survivorsseveral of whom came together in the Oheb Shalom synagogue in an affluent New Jersey suburb to celebrate Hanukkah and to mark International Holocaust Survivors Nightare deeply worried: Anti-Semitic acts in the US soared last year by 37 percent, according to FBI statistics. The October 27 slaughter at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a white nationalist has been charged with gunning down 11 mostly elderly Jews as they worshiped, greatly heightened those fears. Memorial for victims of Pittsburgh synagogue massacre (: AFP) "A crazy man listened to Trump," said David Lefkovic, 89, referring to the Pittsburgh shooter. As an adolescent in southwestern France during World War II, he was saved only by his blond hair from being snatched up in a round-up of Jews. Trump "calls anybody that he doesn't like 'weak'that's exactly Nazi language," said Adela Dubovy, who, as a six-year-old, survived the notorious Theresienstadt concentration camp. "You're weak, you're to be destroyed." 'It can happen again' "Before, they were hiding," Lefkovic said of America's anti-Semites. "It's now out in the open that it's okay to pick on the Jews all over again," said Hanna Keselman, who was born in Germany in 1930 and spent much of the war in France and Italy. The anti-Semites "are very strong, even in colleges," said Roman Kent, who survived life in camps including Auschwitz. "They should have people that are more intelligent." Holocaust survivors Roman Kent, right, and Hanna Keselman take part in a menorah lighting during the International Holocaust Survivors Night. (Photo: AFP) In recent weeks, anti-Semitic acts have taken place on the campuses of some of America's most prestigious universities, including Columbia and Cornell in New York state and Duke in North Carolina. Of the Pittsburgh massacre, said Kent, who took part in negotiations with Germany over compensation to be paid to Jews, "I'm afraid that it can happen again, and it will happen again." 'I don't want to live that way' Adela Dubovy said she has four grandchildren at various universities. She said she lives in a retirement homea "bubble" that insulates her to some extent. But she admits to being "scared." "Now I don't wear my Star of David. I tell my grandkids: Don't wear your kippah (yarmulke) in the streetyou don't want to be attacked," she said. Menorah vandalized at Michigan synagogue (Photo: WWMT) "I understand" the urge to be discreet, said Keselman, "but I would not tell my grandchildren that." "I don't want to live that way anymore... I did it. Enough of that." Boston Holocaust memorial vandalized (Photo: AP) When she traveled back to Italy, where her father was arrested and then killed, "I purposely wore a Jewish Star of David. I felt, 'This is me back, and I feel safe here.'" Today, said the soft-spoken 88-year-old, "I want to live free and open with everyone." White nationalists in Virginia Keselman, a painter, is not fond of public speaking, but she forces herself to meet with young people to keep alive the haunting memories that some people feel will be lost forever when the final survivors die. Roman Kent says he regrets that too few members of younger Jewish generations have picked up the torch. "If they would, then there would not be 60 or 70 percent that don't know the word Holocaust," he said. Indiana synagogue vandalized (Photo: Debby Barton Grant facebook page) A study published in April by the Claims Conference, the group behind the International Holocaust Survivors Night, found that 49 percent of America's young "millennial" generation could not name a single concentration camp. "I realize that I do make an impact on people who are not Jewish, because they come back and tell me they never realized a lot of things that were going on" during the war, said Keselman. "The problem," she added, "is that the people who want to hear the stories are not the people who would be behaving as anti-Semites." The second installment of $15 million in Qatari funds was delivered to the Gaza Strip through the Erez border crossing on Thursday evening, personally accompanied by Qatari Ambassador to Gaza Mohammed Al-Emadi, once again sparking criticism of the move in Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Critics say the manner in which the funds have been transferred into Gaza befits the mob rather than an international aid money transfer, with the money being brought into the strip in cash and stored in briefcases. But very few details regarding the transfer mechanism have been made public. The following detailswhich were cross-checked and corroborated with senior sources in Gaza, Qatar and Israelexplain how the mechanism works. Public servants in Gaza receive salaries (Photo: AFP) Overall, Qatar pledged to donate $150 million to the strip as part of what the Gulf nation calls the Qatar Development Fund. The first $90 milliontransferred in installments of $15 million per month over a six months periodis intended to pay the salaries of some 30,000 Hamas civil servants in the Gaza Strip, with each Hamas government employee receving $100-$1,600, totalling $10 million. The remaining $5 million fund a welfare program for 50,000 people defined as needy, with each person receiving a sum equivalent to $100. An additional $60 million$10 million each monthwould be used by Qatar to purchase fuel to restart Gaza's power plant and improve the supply of electricity. The civil servants eligible for the Qatari money are government officials who have been employed by Hamas in various civil service ministries (such as health, welfare, and treasury) after the terror group took control of the strip in 2007. Members of Hamas' security apparatus are not eligible for the Qatari-funded salaries, since they normally also serve in Hamas's military wing. Hamas civil servants in line to receive payments (Photo: Reuters) To ensure those eligible for the salaries are not involved in Hamas-led terror activities, Qatar forwarded a list with the names of all 80,000 eligible public servants to the Israeli government for approval. Following a thorough examination of the names, individuals ruled out by the Shin Bet were removed from the list. How the money will be distributed The funds are distributed to the general population through postal bank branches across the strip. Israel has indirectly demanded from Hamas to place strict securitysupervised by Qatari officialsaround all ten postal bank branches serving as distribution centers to avoid robbery. Distribution of Qatari money at Postal Bank in Gaza (Photo: AFP) Any civil servant or needy person eligible to receive the money is required to present an identity card, fill out a form and give their fingerprints. The exact amount each person is entitled to is noted in a reference provided by Qatari officials. Once all 80,000 forms are filled, they are photocopied and sent to Israel for additional examination. One photocopied document signed by a Hamas officialobtained exclusively by Ynetwas indeed accompanied by a fingerprint and a reference confirming the sum received. Photocopied document signed by a civilian Hamas official Some $186,000, which remained unclaimed, were deposited in a bank account belonging to the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza to prevent unauthorized use of the funds. Fuel transfer The $60 million worth of Qatari-bought fuel will also enter the strip in installments over a six months period. The Qataris initially planned for the Palestinian Authority to buy the diesel from Israel tax-free through the UN and then resell it to the Gaza power plant with a 65% tax and pocket the difference. The PA, currently overwhelmed by financial woes, would have turned a $39 million profit. But Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas refused to cooperate with Qatari authorities. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AP) As a result, Qatar and the United Nations signed an agreement under which the latter will buy the fuel from Israel and transfer it to the strips power plant. To ensure the high-quality fuel reaches its destination without being replaced on the way by Hamas with cheap contaminated diesel, the UN accompanies each tanker from the moment it enters Gaza through the Kerem Shalom border crossing and until it reaches the power station. Abbas tried to sabotage this move as well by putting pressure on the Israeli fuel companies and threatening to scrap agreements signed with the PA. Eventually, the UN signed a deal with a small Israeli company that has no contracts with the PA and was willing to sell fuel to Gaza. The fuel helped restart three out of the four turbines in the Gaza power station, which has significantly increased the supply of electricity in the coastal enclave. Gaza's power plant (Photo: AFP) Since the first installment of Qatari funds was delivered to the strip, various industries in Gazas economy have been revitalized, including the restaurant business and the hotel industry, while the overall purchasing power has improved. At the end of the day, what the Qatari money is really trying to buy is quiet, even if it is only for six months. No one knows what will happen afterwards, but six months is a considerable period of time that could lead to additional changeswhich could lower the flames under this pressure cooker called the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Sunday the appointment of Raja Za'atra as Haifa's deputy mayor, after the candidate has repeatadtly said Hamas and Hezbollah should not be considered terrorist organizations. "This morning I sought out Haifa Mayor Einat Kalisch in order to ask her to cancel the appointment of a deputy mayor who supports Hezbollah and Hamas, which have declared their intention to destroy the State of Israel," said Netanyahu. "This is unacceptable; therefore, I am convinced that it will not happen," concluded Netanyahu. The Israeli government sent an official letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel demanding Germany to halt its funding for the Jewish Museum in Berlin over an exhibition "that reflects the Palestinian-Muslim view on Jerusalem." Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Copies of the seven-page letter, which was published by the left-wing Die Tageszeitung newspaper, was sent to Merkel's office and to Germany's Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, rather than to the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, as accustomed in such cases. In addition to the Jewish Museum, the letter details about a dozen NGOs that are involved in anti-Israeli propaganda or support the BDS movementamong them the Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale, which allegedly hosts BDS supporters; Women Wage Peace; Bread for the World; Action Medeor; the Catholic Relief Services; and the Israeli +972 magazine, which accuses Israel of having an apartheid regime and is endorsed by the Heinrich Boll Foundation. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and PM Netanyahu (Photo: AFP) A spokesperson for the German government confirmed that Israel and Germany had discussed these NGOs' state funding in the past. The Jewish Museum said in a statement that "We believe open dialogue on controversial issues is crucial to allow (the museum's) visitors to form their own position on the matter and judge it for themselves." The Heinrich Boll Foundation rejected the Israeli government's accusations as "absurd," adding that "Unfortunately, Israel is applying increasing pressure on NGOs in Israel and in Palestine. The +972 magazine reflects pluralism, and Israel's demand constitutes an attack on prominent Israeli journalists." Meretz Chairwoman MK Tamar Zandberg (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office said in an official statement that "the prime minister has pointed out to various world leaders the issue of funding Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, which portray IDF troops as war criminals, support Palestinian terrorism and call for the boycott of the State of Israel. Israel will continue fighting these organizations." Meanwhile, Meretz Chairwoman MK Tamar Zandberg criticized Israel's demand. "While Netanyahu acts against the Jewish Museum in Berlin, he is aiding Hungary's anti-Semitic Prime Minister Viktor Orban in establishing a dubious Holocaust Museum that absolves Hungary from its part in the Holocaust. "This is only a fragment of the government's sick relationship with Nazis and anti-Semites. I fail to understand how the prime minister is capable of looking in the eyes of Holocaust survivors, after transforming the Israeli government into a government that lends a hand to Holocaust denial," she said. Pictures of IDF soldiers marking the borderline of an enclave located beyond the perimeter fence at the Lebanese-Israeli border were exposed by Lebanese TV channel Al-Manar on Sunday. The pictures, which were shot during Operation Northern Shield, were taken at close range by Hezbollah's terrorists. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Hezbollah associated channel claimed that the Lebanese army had raised the alert on the Israeli border, near the town of Meiss Ej Jabal, after IDF soldiers tried to mark the border in the enclave without the presence of Lebanese army personnel. IDF soldiers demarcating border According to the report, the Israeli soldiers retreated when the Lebanese soldiers approached. The IDF soldiers then proceeded to place steel border markers a few meters away from the perimeter fence. The pictures show that Hezbollah terrorists were very close to their Israeli counterparts, who apparently spent a long time on the ground in ambush before marking the enclave with the UN-established border demarcation known as the Blue Line" (the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel recognized by the United Nations after the IDF withdrew from Lebanon in 2000). Later on, a "team of geographic surveyors" of the Lebanese army arrived in order to closely examine the marking of the border. The first notable incident of the IDF's operation occurred Saturday when IDF troops, operating in the enclave near the border, fired at three unarmed Hezbollah operatives dressed in civilian clothing, in accordance with the rules of engagement. The IDF says the suspects were trying to steal tunnel detection equipment before fleeing back into Lebanon. There are several such enclaves along the 130 kilometers of the border with Lebanon, between Rosh HaNikra and Mount Hermon. The territory is under Israeli sovereignty, however; since these enclaves are located beyond the perimeter fence, the official borderline in these areas is unclearly defined and is subject to constant debate. From time to time, IDF troops conduct patrols in these enclaves, usually on foot, and covert activities. These enclaves may be the focus of yet another incident between the two sides, which, if it ends in casualties to Hezbollah or the IDF, could lead to a significant escalation. estimated by IDF officials . Thus, one can assume that a local incident or misunderstanding with Hezbollah is only be a matter of time, despite the growing presence of inspectors from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and IDF's assessments that the Shiite organization is still studying and examining the area and seeks no escalation. In light of IDF's increased and extensive activity on the border and its demand to operate against tunnels located on the Lebanese side, a presence of Lebanese troops in these enclaves can also result in a gunfire incident on the part of the Lebanese army, not necessarily on purpose or following instructions from higher command. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Sunday that Moscow opposed the American proposal to condemn Hamas at the UN because the proposal would only worsen the situation in Gaza and increase the security threat to Israel. " At the same time, we emphasize that Russia condemns all violent attacks against civilian population, including rockets fired at Israel," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Sunday ruled out the extradition of suspects in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, after Istanbul's chief prosecutor filed warrants for the arrest of two former senior Saudi officials. Turkish officials said last week that the prosecutor's office had concluded there was "strong suspicion" that Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and General Ahmed al-Asiri, who served as deputy head of foreign intelligence, were among the planners of Khashoggi's October 2 killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. "We don't extradite our citizens," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said when asked about the arrest warrants. He was speaking at a news conference at a Gulf Arab summit in Riyadh. Last month, the US Treasury sanctioned 17 Saudis, including Qahtani but not Asiri, for their role in Khashoggi's murder. The Saudi public prosecutor has said the order to repatriate Khashoggi came from Asiri and that a travel ban has been imposed on Qahtani. Jubeir declined to confirm or deny whether the men were currently detained, referring the question to the Saudi public prosecutor. The Lebanese army issued a statement Sunday regarding Operation Northern Shield. "In light of recent developments on the southern border, the army units deployed in the area carry out enhanced patrolsin coordination with United Nation forces operating in Lebanon." The Lebanese army added that the operations were carried out "in order to monitor the security situation in the Blue Line area. Our forces are fully prepared to deal with any emergency situation the might occur." At least seven people were wounded Sunday by gunfire shot from a passing Palestinian vehicle near Ofra Junction in the West Bank: a 21-year-old pregnant woman was seriously wounded; her husband and another victim were moderately wounded; and four 16-year-old teens were lightly wounded. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The shots were fired towards Israeli civilians who took part in a candle-lighting ceremony in memory of a car accident victim, at a bus station near the junction. IDF troops who were present nearby responded by firing towards the suspect vehicle, which fled. Shooting attack in Ofra (Photo: Magen David Adom) IDF troops are currently searching the area. The Commanding Officer of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brig. Gen. Eran Niv, is present at the scene. An initial investigation revealed that 15 minutes after the candle-lighting ceremony began, a Palestinian vehicle arrived at the entrance to Ofra, near the bus stop on Road 60. A terrorist who was sitting n the vehicle opened fire at the Israelis who were standing at the bus stop. An IDF force that was near the area, fired at the vehicle and apparently managed to hit the vehicle, before the terrorist managed to escape the scene. Shooting attack in Ofra X The report was received by an MDA team at 9:25pm. MDA paramedics with the assistance of the IDF Medical Corps, provided medical treatment to the victims, which were later evacuated to hospitals in Jerusalem. The pregnant woman, who was seriously wounded and suffered from gunshot wounds to her upper body, and another victim, a 21-year-old male who was moderately wounded, were evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Dr. Alon Schwarz, a trauma surgeon at Shaare Zedek Medical Center said that the doctors had delivered the young woman's baby, and admitted the baby into the neonatal intensive care unit. Since the young woman lost a lot of blood, the doctor added, her life is still in danger. The other victims, four 16-year-old teens who were lightly wounded, were evacuated to Hadassah Medical Center. MDA team at the scene IDF forces arrived in Silwad, a Palestinian town located nearby, and confiscated security cameras from local businesses. Silwan, which is affiliated with Hamas, is home to the Hammad clan a family from the West Bank who has one of the closest ties to the terrorist organization. Shooting attack in Ofra "We heard shooting and immediately ran to the Intensive Care Unit, we reached the scene and saw a 21-year-old female lying on the ground, conscious with a gunshot wound, and a 21-year-old male with a number of gunshot wounds to his lower body," said MDA EMT Benzi Glick and MDA Paramedic Betzalel Ben Hamu. "We provided them with lifesaving medical treatment and evacuated them to hospital while stopping the bleeding, and administering fluids and medications. The woman's condition was critical and unstable and the man's condition was moderate and stable. Assisted by the IDF Medical team, we treated another wounded male in moderate condition," they added. According to MDA Paramedic Shalom Galil, "four 16-year-old teenstwo girls who were fully conscious and two boys, with wounds to their limbs received initial treatment at the scene, and were evacuated by ambulances to hospital in light condition." Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) "Unfortunately, even after the terrible terrorist attack in the Barkan industrial area and after the attacks that followedthe attack at a bus stop outside the Samaria Territorial Brigade base, and the attack at Gitai Junction on Highway 5no retaliation was carried out by the security forces against the Palestinian Authority and the terror cells. The method of containment does not work, the Head of the Samaria Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, said in a statement. "I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also the defense minister, to order the IDF to retaliate against the Palestinian Authority and carry out an operation in the suspects' hometown. We have to deal with these murderous terrorists the same way we dealt with them as a small country. Now that we are a big and powerful countrywe are losing our deterrence, which brings about one attack after the other," he added. The Yesha Councilan organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank called on Netanyahu "to strengthen settlements' security, construction and regulation." The council asked to strengthen the hands of IDF soldiers and security forces, adding that the government should not cut down security measures in Jewish settlements. During his briefing to members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee last month, Shin Bet Director Nadav Argaman warned that the relative quiet in the West Bank is "deceptive," as "Hamas is trying very hard to carry out terror attacks in and from Judea and Samaria." Argaman went on to explain that "Over the past year, we were able to thwart 480 terror attacks, including 219 Hamas cells and 590 lone attackers. This is a very large number that is indicative of the terrorism bubbling under the surface." Expert Interviews with Kevin Turner. 10/12/2018 Dwelling values continue to fall across Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth in October, pushing the CoreLogic National Hedonic Home Value Index further into negative territory. Geoff White from CoreLogic joins us to look at each of the capital cities and the regions. Listen to the interview now: Transcript: Kevin: Well, dwelling values continue to fall across Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth in October, pushing the CoreLogic National Hedonic Home Value Index further into negative territory. Well have a look at each of the capital cities and look at the regions as well in this report. Welcoming in to the show, Geoff White from CoreLogic. Geoff, thanks very much for your time. Geoff: Thanks, Kevin. Kevin: Some sobering news for the cap cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, but Melbourne seemed to be suffering a little bit, oh no actually yeah, Melbourne a little bit more so in the quarter than Sydney. Geoff: Yeah, such right Kevin, over the last quarter Melbourne pipped Sydney by point one, so a negative 2.1% in Melbourne and Sydney negative 2.0. But over the course of the last year Melbourne is negative 4.7 compared to Sydneys negative 7.4 so Melbournes sort of had a bit of a delayed reaction to this adjustment in the market and these statistics seem to show that. Kevin: Even more sobering for investors too if you look at total return, coming back by 4.2% in Sydney. Its interesting to note, too, that the Brisbane market still, whiles no real growth reflected in these figures, its probably one of the most stable markets in Australia. Geoff: Yeah, thats right. Brisbane really hasnt changed all that much even over the year, I mean .4% but bearing in mind whats going in Sydney and Melbourne, thats pretty good. Also, Adelaides done very well as well where theres been some growth but nothing tips whats going on in Hobart, its just going from strength to strength with annually a 9.7% increase in Hobart. Kevin: While we had a good increase in Canberra for the quarter, its still annually its been about 4.3% but the other interesting point I wanted to pick up on and itd be interested to get your take on this too, Geoff, is Hobart. Weve heard a lot about the growth in Hobart and certainly in the last twelve months this report says 9.7% but I notice thats starting to slow down a little bit. Geoff: Yeah and I think thats probably in some ways thats a good thing because unsustainable growth, and it could be argued that it has been that over the course of the last few years, but certainly it has slowed in recent months. So we are not seeing the growth that we did see say six months ago on a month by month basis, so thats still showing positive and even in the last month it was .9%, so theres still growth in Hobart, but it has been slowed. And I think thats not a bad thing, to be honest, Kevin. Kevin: Continuing to look at the front page of your report, the highlights over the three months to October 2018, weve already said that the best performing capital was Canberra, 1.5%. Give me the weakest and other highest showings in the report, Geoff. Geoff: Yes, the weakest performing capital city has been Melbourne, as we said, with a negative 2.1%. On the yield side, weve seen Darwin showing the best yield and rents have been quite strong in Darwin and values havent been as strong so the rental yield in Darwin 5.7% and the lowest yield, Sydney, 3.2%. Sydney and Melbourne are very close in terms of yield and they are quite low so thats sort of the highlights over the last three months. Three months is a good yardstick to look at these because you start to see some trends. Thats in the latest report there, Kevin. Kevin: Yeah, and looking at Darwin you mentioned the best return, highest improver, thats on the back on the fact that it has the lowest median, I think one of the lowest medians, just slightly ahead of Adelaide, in Australia actually. Geoff: Thats right, median value in Darwin is 433,000 so rents are pretty good in Darwin if youre an investor. Youll get some yield there and your investment to buy into Darwin is not anything like the likes of Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane. Kevin: Yeah, and youd have to look at units if youre looking at Darwin of course with the median there of 312,000 and a return of 6.4%, thats a pretty good return. Geoff: Yeah it is, thats right, exactly. If youre chasing a good return on your investment you couldnt overlook Darwin as being one to look at and the capital growth probably will start to turn once theres more demand. Kevin: Absolutely, for sure. Lets have a quick look at the regions, some outstanding regions, and you and Ive talked in a separate show about Latrobe in Gippsland, and how thats a fairly consistent performer in the growth stakes. If you look at the regions overall, the top ten and the bottom ten, it always seems to come in the middle there with growth of around 9.2%. Geoff: Yeah, thats right. So the top ten range from 4.7% right up to 11.6 and Latrobe Gippsland sitting pretty much in the middle there at 9.2. Thats a good region and Geelong has also been very strong and thats had a- weve spoken about that market at 10.9%. Also, some would argue is not so regional nowadays, but Tasmania very strong in the regions as well. Thats just generally the demand in Tasmania. It is a lot of good news in terms of Tasmania, Victoria, and particularly some of the regions in New South Wales with the Hunter Valley and Richmond, Tweed, New South Wales, where theres been 4.8 and 5.1%. So yeah, there are some good stories there but weve also got the bottom ten, that dont look as pretty. Kevin: Yeah, well outback Queensland coming up by 11.1%. But just getting back to Tasmania for a moment, we mentioned earlier in this report that the Hobart market seems to be slowing down a little bit but its rippling out to the regions. If you look at the best performing regions, the top three are out of Tasmania. Geoff: Correct, thats right. And I think thats because capital cities just generally seem to push people into the regions based on affordability and the rest of Tasmania excluding Hobart has had 11.4% growth over the last twelve months. Thats a very strong number and Victoria second at 7.1%. Theyre the two regional areas of Australia that seem to be performing very well. Kevin: Well, there it is, thats the National Hedonic Home Value Index from CoreLogic and you can get a copy of that. Well make sure we publish that below this interview so jump down, have a look at that. Geoff White from CoreLogic, thank you so much for your time Geoff. Geoff: Thank you, Kevin, talk again soon. ................................................................................................................................................... News Miami, Florida - An owner of a now-defunct Miami pharmacy was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for his participation in a scheme that caused Medicare to pay $2.5 million in false and fraudulent claims for prescription drugs that were never purchased. 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 and Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement. Gregory Sanchez, 44, of Miami Lakes, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Ungaro also ordered Sanchez to pay $2,507,942 in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-conspirators, and to forfeit the same amount. Sanchez pleaded guilty in September 2018 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Sanchez was an undisclosed co-owner of Med Health Equipment, LLC (Med Health), which purported to operate as a pharmacy. Sanchez admitted that he and his co-conspirators used Med Health to fraudulently bill Medicare by submitting claims for prescription drugs that Med Health never purchased and never dispensed. To carry out the fraudulent scheme, Sanchez and his co-conspirators paid and caused the payment of kickbacks to patient recruiters in exchange for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries to Med Health. As a result of fraudulent claims submitted in connection with the scheme, Medicare paid Med Health approximately $2.5 million, Sanchez admitted. Five co-conspirators were charged separately in this case. Lazaro Perez, 55, of Miramar, Florida, and Maria Estrada, 40, of Doral, Florida, both additional co-owners of Med Health, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and were sentenced in April 2018 and August 2018 to serve 63 and 57 months in prison, respectively. Yulieth Dominguez Gonzalez, 40, of Miami, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive kickbacks and was sentenced in June 2018 to serve 21 months in prison. Rosa Menendez, 65, of Homestead, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced in October 2018 to serve 18 months in prison. Pablo Garcia Menendez, another co-owner of Med Health, was charged by indictment in February 2018 and remains a fugitive. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force under the supervision of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida. Trial Attorney David Snider of the Fraud Section is prosecuting 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. News Las Cruces, New Mexico - Gerald Castillo, Jr., 30, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Ruidoso, New Mexico, was sentenced Monday afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, to three years probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for assaulting a federal officer. On Aug. 3, 2018, Castillo pled guilty to a misdemeanor information charging him with assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer. Castillo admitted that on Feb. 24, 2018, he assaulted a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer by hitting the officers chest. According to court documents, Castillo assaulted the officer while attempting to flee from law enforcement following a bar fight on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in Otero County, N.M. This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Mescalero Agency of the BIAs Office of Justice Services, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorneys Las Cruces Branch Office. Latest News Cincinnati, Ohio - Laith Waleed Alebbini, 28, of Dayton, Ohio, was convicted Thursday for attempting and conspiring to join the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Todd Wickerham of the FBIs Cincinnati Division and other members of the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) announced the guilty verdict. U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice returned a guilty verdict today following a bench trial that started on Nov. 13, convicting Alebbini of one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, and one count of conspiring to do the same. Alebbini attempted and conspired to provide material support and resources to ISIS in the form of personnel, namely himself. Alebbini, a citizen of Jordan and a U.S. legal permanent resident, was arrested by the FBI on April 26, 2017, at the Cincinnati/Kentucky International Airport, as he approached the TSA security checkpoint. Alebbini waived his right to trial by jury, and the case proceeded to trial before the Court. The evidence at trial showed that at the time of his arrest, Alebbini had a ticket and boarding passes in hand for a flight to Amnan, Jordan, with a connection in Istanbul, Turkey. The evidence also showed that Alebbini intended to step off the plane once in Istanbul, forego the flight to Amman, and instead make his way from Turkey into Syria in order to join ISIS there. According to court documents and testimony, on April 20, 2017, during a six-hour conversation with a friend who tried to talk Alebbini out of traveling and joining ISIS, Alebbini told his friend: I did not say the Islamic State does not cut off heads. The Islamic State is the beheader and throat cutterI agree with you on that, but they still treat captives well. The captive, before he is beheaded, is treated well, but when its time to behead him, he will be beheaded.But the Islamic State is fighting a survival war. They ask people to migrate to the State. When migrants get therethey will assign them accordingly to adistrict where they will recruit them as inghimasi. I, cousin, want to go to be an inghimasi soldier. As explained at trial, an inghimasi soldier is a particularly lethal type of suicide bomber one who seeks to cause as much death and destruction as possible prior to detonation. Alebbini told a relative days later: I am now ready to migrate. In a message exchange on April 26, 2017, about an hour before Alebbini arrived at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky airport, another relative pleaded with Alebbini not to travel. Alebbini responded in three separate back-to-back messages: Do you think I am a criminal I am a terrorist I am mujahid. Attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiracy to do so, are each federal crimes punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. Any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Court scheduled sentencing for March 8, 2019. After serving his sentence, Alebbini will face deportation. Assistant Attorney General Demers and U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the JTTF, which includes officers and agents from the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Greene County Sheriffs Office, Oakwood Police Department, Dayton Police Department, Cincinnati Police Department, Colerain Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, University of Cincinnati Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, West Chester Police Department, and Cincinnati State Police Department. First Assistant Vipal J. Patel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace of the Southern District of Ohio, and Trial Attorney Justin Sher of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section prosecuted this case. Latest News Cape Canaveral, Florida - When traveling in space, astronauts experience physiological changes normally associated with aging, such as bone loss, muscle deterioration and altered immune systems. When the astronauts return to Earth, the changes often reverse. To better understand the relevance of the astronauts experience to human health both on the ground and beyond NIHs National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) partnered with the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory (link is external) (ISS National Lab) to send tissue chips, a research technology that reflects the human body, into space. The ISS National Lab and NASA partner to use the U.S. portion of the space station for research initiatives leveraging the unique microgravity environment in space. Wednesday, a set of tissue chips that model aspects of the human immune system will launch on SpaceXs 16th commercial resupply mission (awarded by NASA) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the ISS National Lab. The chip set is the first of several supported by the NIH that will travel to the ISS National Lab over the next few months. Led by NCATS through its Tissue Chips in Space initiative, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), developed the immune system chip to explore the relationship between aging and immune responses and to look for possible ways to slow the aging process. Research on the ISS National Lab is creating unprecedented opportunities for scientists to study microgravity-induced changes in human physiology relevant to diseases here on Earth, as well as to accelerate the development of translational technologies for earthly applications, said NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D., the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and NIH liaison to NASA. NCATS research carried on todays launch will not only contribute valuable knowledge on the aging process but also may reveal new approaches to ameliorating the effects of aging. Designed to work like human organs, tissue chips mimic living human tissues and cells. Each immune system chip includes three types of cells: a specific type of immune cell; cells from bone marrow, which make immune cells; and cells from the lining of blood vessels, where immune cells encounter infection. A few dozen of the immune system chips are traveling to the space station, where they will stay in an incubator. After two weeks, the chips will be frozen and preserved. Later, they will be transported back to Earth for analysis. By sending our immune chips into space, well be able simulate the aging process of the immune system and understand how it affects our bodys ability to repair itself as we grow older, said Sonja Schrepfer, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery at UCSF and co-developer of the immune system chip. We expect this research to give scientists new insights into the molecular basis for many human conditions, which in this particular project relates to how microgravity induces aging of the immune system that may lead to the development of novel therapies here on Earth, said Danilo Tagle, Ph.D., NCATS acting deputy director and associate director for special initiatives. NCATS is supporting this immune system tissue chip research through grant 1-UG3-TR-002192-01. Another launch, currently planned for March 2019, also from Cape Canaveral, will send kidney chips, bone and cartilage chips, and chips modeling the blood-brain barrier, which is a protective mesh of blood vessels and tissue that can stymie therapies from reaching the brain, to the ISS-NL. A planned April 2019 launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, will include a lung chip connected to a bone marrow chip, for studying infections. View the launch schedule (link is external) for the most up-to-date information. The ISS National Lab, NCATS and NIHs National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering announced awards (link is external) for additional Tissue Chips in Space research projects in October 2018 for future travel to the ISS National Lab. 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. Popular Ghanaian-born Nollywood actor, Emmanuel France, has disclosed that he lived with a ghost for three months at a point during his childhood. The well-known actor who recounted his weird experience with the said ghost, indicated that the person who was known to have died visited them in Nigeria from Ghana. According to Emmanuel France, he knew the person way back when the country was known as Gold Coast (now Ghana). Emmanuel France. Credit: Dailyviewgh.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Photos: Akufo-Addo, Afoko celebrate with Kufuor on his 80th birthday He added that the ghost, while spending time with them in Nigeria, even carried him in his arms one time. A ghost came from Accra and came and live with us for 3 months, and that ghost carried me, the actor recounted. The award-winning actor said the person who visited them had been declared dead long before his visit to Nigeria. Emmanuel France said the last the saw of the ghost was when it was announced that another person was coming to visit them from Ghana. READ ALSO: Breaking: Isaac Dogboe dethroned by Emmanuel Navarette The said ghost, according to the actor, woke up early on the day the second person from Ghana was to arrive and packed his stuff and left. Its not a story, its the truth. The day the man (the ghost) knew somebody was coming from the Gold Coast (Ghana), early in the morning, around 3am or 4am. he said he was leaving it was a bit surprising France disclosed. It is not a strange phenomenon when people claim to have seen a dead person. It is alleged that dead people sometimes appear to family members they love dearly for the last time after their death. Emmanuel France, though a Ghanaian, has lived most of his life in Nigeria and has carved a niche for himself as Nollywood's top actors and also prides himself among the most respected entertainers in the country. READ ALSO: Photo: Sarkodie reportedly goes into sachet water production Watch: Justice Story: The 'Untypical' Barber - Faces of Ghana| #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 Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. The Tel-Electric dam is expected to be torn down, eventually. BRPC Raises Concerns With Removal of Tel-Electric Dam Kenneth Egnaczak, on the right, weighed in on the matter saying the Tel-electric dam could power 70 homes if it is restored. PITTSFIELD, Mass. BRPC officials would like the state to consider reusing dams for power more often. The comment comes from the organization's review of the removal of the Tel-Electric Dam on Mill Street. In that long-awaited project, the state did not require that an alternative option of restoring the dam to generate power be explored. "We understand that the secretary has not required an analysis of hydropower as part of this project, however, we also take this opportunity to again petition the commonwealth to require an analysis of the potential hydro-electric generating power of dams when state agency actions are involved in dam repair/rehabilitation or dam removals -- particularly those that receive public funding," reads drafts of Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's comments on the environmental review report regarding to removal of the dam. "This is particularly important given the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision station that the commonwealth is falling short of meeting the mandates of the Global Warming Solutions Act." The 18-feet high and 40-feet wide dam has been in line to be demolished for a number of years. An inspection in 2000 found it to be a low-hazard dam in poor condition. It is attached to the Hawthorne Mill building and the state has pieced together more than $2 million to remove the dam. BRPC Commissioner Roger Bolton personally doesn't see how using that particular dam for hydropower makes economic sense, but he'd like to see BRPC reiterate to the state that hydropower should be considered. "The possibilities for hydro just aren't there," Bolton said of that project, leading to a split response on whether or not BRPC should include the comments regarding hydropower. Kenneth Egnaczak disagrees with Bolton's assessment. Egnaczak owns the Cheshire Harbor dam and brought it back into operation just a few years ago. He said the Tel-electric dam is the same size as his and can generate enough power for 70 homes. "They both have the same potential," Egnaczak said. Egnaczak expounded on the benefits of water, saying it continually offers power, unlike solar or wind that stops producing when the sun isn't shining or breeze isn't blowing. He added that there is still pollution being generated and dumped into the river and the dam is able to stop the sediments from continuing downstream until they can be cleaned out later. But he said state and federal officials haven't made it easy for hydropower generators as they have for solar or wind. While those projects receive tax credits and easy permitting, Egnaczak said it takes some nine years to get a dam up and running and is much more costly and regulated. He said most of the dams in the state were designed to produce power but only a small percentage of them still are. He added that new dam designs address concerns environmentalists have raised regarding the migration of fish and soil. As for the Tel-electric dam, Egnaczak said he's reviewed the inspection report and the dam doesn't have any structural issues. He said the grate at the bottom had failed years ago but that can be repaired. "It will not fall down," he said, praising granite and arched construction. The Environmental Review Committee also raised questions about the owner's responsibility. The Nash family owns and uses the Hawthorne Building but BRPC officials do not see where they are contributing to the project. "We are concerned with the apparent lack of financial commitment to the project from the dam owner who, like every other dam owner across the state, has a legal responsibility to maintain the structural integrity of their dam," read BRPC's comments. "The owner of the dam has apparently tried for years to convince the city of Pittsfield to accept ownership. The city has, however, dedicated a great deal of staff time and effort to the project, identifying possible funding sources, writing grants, and bringing the funding and technical assistance together and is continuing to 'fundraise.'" BRPC is using the state to ensure that the city has no liability while handling the work and to "get a financial commitment from the dam owner that would at a minimum cover the cost of reinforcing and stabilizing the foundation of the mill building that he owns." BRPC said the foundation of the building is deteriorating and the owner should be taking care of that at the time the dam is being removed. That led to further questions from Commissioner Mark Smith as to the future maintenance and ownership of areas around the dam after it is removed and where liabilities for the work done by the city lay. Planner Melissa Provencher said she was told there are provisions in the documentation to hold the city harmless but she didn't have the answer on future ownership. Provencher said she'd see to that information prior to the executive committee's vote on the comments. The ownership of the railroad bridge also raised concerns. Provencher said it isn't known who owns the bridge and that the abandoned structure is no longer part of the plans. It is set to stay where it is. Commissioner Edward Holub said the bridge is particularly an attraction for criminal activities. The organization Citizens for PCB Removal had previously written to the state about those concerns, questioning the city's plan to enhance public access to the river in that location while being blocked by private properties make it difficult for the city to police. Bolton didn't feel those questions were appropriately addressed in the plan. "The hope would be if it became a nice area, there would be good people there all of the time," Holub said. Despite some lingering concerns, BRPC is much happier with the latest plan than the prior one. In previous iterations, only a third of the 9,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from behind the dam were to be removed. Now, all of it is to be removed. "That was a significant concern of ours at the time," Provencher said. "The major change is they are no longer going to leave 6,000 yards to passively migrate downstream." The Board of Health asked to be informed of updates regarding camping activities at Bowe Field. Adams Board of Health Asks to Be Involved in Bowe Field Camping ADAMS, Mass The Board of Health asked to be notified about activities held at Bowe Field. The board met with Agricultural Fair organizers Charles Felix and Patricia Wojcik on Wednesday to discuss camping on the grounds and Felix said it would not be an issue to include the Board in their notice to other town departments. "We want to be on the same page with you guys with what we need to do and we like to send out a letter to the forest warden, the fire department, the police, and the ambulance service," Felix said. "We will add you guys so you know what is going on." Vendors often camp on the grounds during the fair but the field also serves as a campground during the Solid Sound and Fresh Grass music festivals held at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Felix said he already compiled a list of upcoming events at Bowe Field and would have informed the board in the past but was just never told by the town to do so. Board of Health member David Rhoads said this has been an ongoing issue in town. "This is a larger issue that we are dealing with quite often on the board of health," he said. "We are often the last to know and we are working on better communication with the town so everybody is informed." In other business, the Board met with local trash haulers to continue a discussion on recently accepted new regulations. One issue the haulers brought up was scrappers and permitting. Unlike the haulers, scrappers do not need to apply for a permit. "I think we are on the same page here we just want to see everyone have to follow the same rules we do," Paul Laliberte of PJ's Appliance & Trash Removal said. Rhoads said although he understood Lalibertes concern he said it really does not fall under the boards purview. "It is not a board of health issue," he said. "If it was a contaminated refrigerator with food in it then it would be but they do not run business they just run around and pick stuff up we can't regulate that." Laliberte said he thought there needed to be some kind of oversight and while he may properly discharge freon from a fridge and receive the proper permits before scrapping it, a scrapper might just toss it somewhere in town. "That is why we pay the scrap yard for that sticker," he said. "The guy that doesn't can pick it up and throw it up on East Hoosac St. and charge the person." The board said it would contact the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District for guidance and asked that if there is an instance of anyone polluting or taking scrap that does not belong to them that it is reported. "If there is an ongoing issue where someone is cutting into your business that should not be," board member Bruce Shepley said. "We should hear about that." Laliberte also had a recommendation for the town and suggested that they require residents to pay for a permit when renting a dumpster. "Thats what they do in a lot of other communities," he said. "It could be an income for the town." He added that often times the dumpster supplier takes on this fee and it helps dictate how long a dumpster can be left on the premise. Rhoads said he never heard of a dumpster permit but would look into it. The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has warned people using his pictures and those of his wife for various souvenirs being sold across the country to kindly desist from such act as he is not God, The Nation reports. Adeboye said this on Friday at the ongoing annual Holy Ghost Congress of the church holding at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The event brought together Christian faithful from 197 countries. It has been brought to my notice that people are using my picture and that of my wife on key holders, calendars, books and other souvenirs. This is wrong and anyone found with such materials should be arrested and reported to the police. I am not God. I did not send them. I have nothing to do with those materials. I am an ordinary man of God. God will never share his glory with any man. I am not ready to die. Devil, I am not ready to go, Adeboye declared. He noted that what they are doing can lead to serious trouble, not for them, but for him. If at any time, God is sensing that a man is trying to share his glory, the man is dead, Adeboye said, adding that whether the devil likes it or not, he is not going anywhere yet. He added that if you find anyone selling anything whatsoever with my picture or my wifes, report them to the police immediately. He noted that recently a woman bought a key holder with his picture and his wifes inscribed on it and gave it to her child and the child began to eat the key holder and in no time, the picture pasted on the key holder removed and surprisingly what they found was the picture of another tele evangelist, Prophet T. B Joshua. I know you all know what that means. Please stop and cooperate, he pleaded. He challenged the worshipers to continue to live their lives in accordance with Gods word. During the prayer session, wife of the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Folu Adeboye, lamented the spate of killings, occultism and wickedness being perpetuated by todays youth, saying it calls for national repentance and a conscious appeal to God for forgiveness, if Nigeria will ever be great again. Lagos state governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in recent chat, with journalists, spoke on a wide range of topics. During the chat, the three-time commission of Lagos, did clear the air on allegations by Governor Akinwumi Ambode, a day before the partys primaries, that ushered in Sanwo-Olus candidature In which, Ambode accused Sanwo-Olu of having mental illness and was arrested in the U.S for spending fake dollars. What will you say about Governor Ambodes statement regarding your mental health and allegation of spending fake dollars in the US? This is the umpteenth time I will be asked this same question and my answer has been the same. You need to know that during politicking, things happen and people say things they dont really mean all in the spirit of politics. They have to say it just to throw darts at the other person. Governor Ambode is someone I have great respect for. He is the Governor of the state. He is my Governor and he occupies the office I am aspiring to. I am in no way going to speak against that office or the person that sits in that office. Like I said before, it was all politics that went the wrong way. The simple answer is, none of those things happened. I have never been detained in the US or any country in the world. I did not spend fake dollars anywhere in the world and I am not that type of a person. I was still in the United States a couple of months back. I have never been to Gbagada General Hospital for any ailment. I dont have any medical record at the hospital. In fact, the two times I have even been to Gbagada General Hospital were to donate. One was on my birthday when I went around the wards to donate gifts. The second, I was on charity mission, looking out for those who needed help which I provided. That is who I am and who I will always be. I have done this in the last 5 to 6 years. Saudi Arabia air attacks on Al Hudaydah, western Yemen has killed 5 civilians and injured 5 others, Arab media reported. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Saudi Arabia air attacks on Al Hudaydah, western Yemen has killed 5 civilians and injured 5 others, Arab media reported. According to Al Mayadeen, the Yemeni Health Ministry announced on Saturday night that the US-Arab coalition attacked Al-Rabseh square, Al Hudaydah. Meanwhile, Spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said despite peace talks which are underway in Sweden, Saudi coalition conducted unprecedented attacks on Yemen. The Yemeni TV Channel 'Al-Masirah' announced that the recent Saudi air strike killed 6 people and injured 10 more. Earlier on Saturday, four Yemeni fishermen were killed in Saudis' attack on Al Hudaydah. 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 countrys 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. Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message expressed Irans support for the intra-Yemeni talks to resolve the 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, Zarif wrote on his Twitter account. /257 Vanguard PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday declared open the 2018 Africa Youth Congress Against Corruption, AYCAC at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. The Nation Ndume: PDP, others do not have the number to override Buhari NASS faces legal obstacleA fresh battle is brewing in the National Assembly between supporters and opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari following his rejection of the Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2018.Some Senators and members of the House of Representatives are plotting to override the Presidents veto.The plot was said to have been mooted after some of the anti-Buhari legislators got wind of the Presidents decision on Thursday. ThisDay The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has thrown its weight behind the decision of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) to adopt the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu disclosed this at a fund raising dinner of The Sun The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has moved to clear the air on persistent allegations raised certain sections of the media that monies and guns recovered from the robbery has gone missing, and also the suspicion that statement of the dead mastermind Michael Adikwu has gone missing. This was contained in a press statement marked Ref Guardian Amid calls by some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for it to sanction governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun of Imo and Ogun states, respectively, for engaging in anti-party activities, the ruling party has said it would not be stampeded to make any hasty move, but wait for the outcome of steps taken by the reconciliation committee Daily Times According to the Nutrition Consultant about 25 million children under the age of 5 are currently affected by malnutrition in the country, adding that the high prevalence rate of malnutrition has remained precarious in North east Nigeria. Speaking during a presentation at the Media dialogue with Journalists and interface with OAPs on Daily Trust Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf is the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State. In this interview, the 56-year-old graduate of Civil Engineering, who has held several political positions Tribune Immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, speaks on the chances of his party and how efforts are being made to restore peace, endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Partys candidate by South-East and South-West Supporters of Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, were arrested by police for allegedly pasting campaign posters in Lagos, according to latest reports. According to Sowore, he was informed by the DPO of Area F, that the Commissioner of Police, of the Lagos state, Edgar Imohimi, ordered the arrest. The SaharaReporters founder also revealed via a tweet on Sunday, that the Lagos state commissioner of police, has been reachable since. 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[pro_ad_display_adzone id=4] [pro_ad_display_adzone id=6] As the dust settles down from the plumes that was the G20, it is a good time to look back at that weekend (30 November 1 December 2018). The G20 leaders watered-down declaration was better than the APEC summit a few weeks ago, when the parties could not even commit to a common text. It marked no historic breakthrough though. This is how the G20 fared on some key topics: Climate Change: With the COP24 in Katowice within the sights of the leaders, the stress on the importance of climate change was not just underlined, but a highlighter was used too. The result: 19 out of 20 countries in the communique affirmed their commitment to the Paris Agreement. The lone stand-out, Trumps America, which had initiated the process of withdrawing from the Agreement. Trade: All participating leaders called for a reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that would be deliberated upon during the next G20 meeting in Osaka, Japan. NAFTA Becomes USMCA: The revised North American trading pact between the USA, Mexico and Canada was signed in Argentina on the side-lines of the G20 summit. Having committed to lambasting NAFTA, Trump could not but shower praise lavishly on the new agreement, though the US House of Representatives new Democratic majority have started to call for it to be changed. US-China Trade Standoff: Though details are yet hard to emerge on the TrumpXi deal, the ink of which has scarcely dried, it could be the one major positive issue that emerged from this G20 summit. The respite for the markets, however, has been short-lived at best. Further secrecy in revealing the finer details would hurt not just the US market, spill-over effects could be felt abroad too. The Prince Whom None Wanted to Be Seen With: In the aftermath of the gruesome murder of the Saudi dissident-journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the G20 family photos had the Saudi Crown Prince cutting a sombre figure. Turkeys Erdogan, under whose relentless pressure the issue has gone global, did laude the Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau for raising the issue in the formal meetings. Meanwhile, Frances President Macron had a conversation with the Prince that was caught on camera; Putin had his jovial tryst; while Britains May is said to have brought up Khashoggis murder during her bilateral sit-down with him. Other issues that were mentioned in the final communique include access to education, digitalisation, infrastructure, food security and gender equality, to name a few. Argentina set the bar low in terms expectations from the summit, which yielded hardly any changes to the world economic order. Nevertheless, as one former US National Security Advisor said, the world was still happy that no major damage was done by a wrecking ball. The event saw the participation of many Vietnamese enterprises specialising in producing agricultural products. In the framework of the event, representatives from the Trade Office had meetings and working sessions with those from the Senegalese Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry, as well as its Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to promote negotiations for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on industrial and trade cooperation between the two countries. A workshop to introduce the potentials of Vietnam-Senegal trade bonding was organised on December 4th, attracting over 250 enterprises from the West African country. Addressing the event, Vietnamese Commercial Counsellor Hoang Duc Nhuan updated participants on Vietnams economic development and proposed ways to enhance bilateral economic and trade links. Senegalese Deputy Minister of Trade Makhtar Lah said his country is working hard to promote reform and open its economy, improve the business and investment environment towards luring foreign investment, and realise its goal of become an emerging economy by 2035. According to Nhuan, trade between Vietnam and Senegal was USD70.17 million in 2017. Vietnams main exports to the country were rice, tea, coffee, peppercorn, vegetables, aquatic and industrial products, footwear and textiles. Nhuan added that at the meeting, the two sides agreed on the need to swiftly sign the MoU on trade and industrial cooperation, as well as ink agreements on double taxation avoidance and investment encouragement and protection to make it easy for their enterprises to expand investment and business collaboration in each others markets. They also stressed the necessity to promote the role of trade promotion and diplomatic agencies in supporting activities of their businesses. The Senegalese side called on Vietnamese firms to increase their investment in the West African nation, especially in processing farm produce. The Vietnamese side took the occasion to visit the International Fair of Dakar Senegals biggest trade event which sees the participation of some 670 domestic and foreign agencies and enterprises. It also met representatives from Senegalese importers and learned about the countrys goods distribution systems./. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at the Paris Peace Forum as part of the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day, in Paris, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2018. First it was French President Emmanuel Macron's moment to take on what politicians who wrapped themselves in the cloak of nationalism.And after other world leaders had their say on a historic Remembrance Day, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the fray, telling a Paris crowd that decaying trust among citizens in institutions will lead them to look for easy answers "in populism, in nationalism, in closing borders, in shutting down trade, in xenophobia.???THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Jean-Francois Badias Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Mostly sunny. High 63F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 27F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Korea Employers Federation headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul. / Yonhap By Nam Hyun-woo The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) has called on lawmakers to seek ways to slow the minimum wage rise and ease other labor-related rules they claim will further increase the burden on business. The lobby group representing management has submitted a 123-page document containing its members' opinions on bills to eight major acts. "Due to confrontational labor-management relations and the rigid employment system, the nation's economy is dragged down by high costs and low productivity," the KEF said in a statement. "Against this backdrop, those bills, which place extra burdens on firms, are dealing an extra blow to business sentiment." Those bills are related to issues including flextime, the minimum wage, safety regulations, corporate governance, scrapping the fair trade authority's exclusive rights to file complaints about antitrust cases, inheritance tax, employment insurance and profit sharing between large firms and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the document, the KEF has demanded that lawmakers extend the unit period of flextime. Currently, the law stipulates companies can apply such a work hour system for up to three months, but the KEF wants one year, pointing out that certain industries, including construction and broadcasting, required a longer period of core working time. Employers have been calling for the extension of the unit period, in a bid to maintain productivity under the country's 52-hour weekly working cap. The longer the period gets, the easier it is for companies to meet the average weekly working hours. But labor groups have been opposing the management demand, saying it is against the aim of the working hour cap. The KEF says members representing public interest at the Minimum Wage Commission should have more neutrality in their decision, and that the minimum wage should differ among various occupations, ages and regions. The commission, comprised of nine worker councilors, nine employer commissioners and nine public interest commissioners, sets the minimum wage for a year. Since the Moon administration took over, the country has been increasing the minimum wage rise to an average 9 percent each year. Over the inheritance tax, the KEF stressed "the country has one of the highest inheritance tax rates in the world," which can cause a national wealth flight by tempting companies to move outside of Korea. It urged lawmakers to cut the rate from 50 percent to 25 percent. "As the country's business environment becomes difficult, so does companies' business sentiment," the KEF said. "Legislation also should be done in a way to improve domestic firms' international competitiveness and reinvigorate the economy." Hong Nam-ki, finance minister nominee, takes questions from lawmakers at his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, Dec. 4. Yonhap By Park Hyong-ki Hong Nam-ki, the new finance minister, is about to face an uphill battle in trying to restore confidence in the economy amid forecasts of a global slowdown in 2019, analysts say. He is expected to officially start his job on Dec. 11, leading President Moon Jae-in's second economic team, which includes Kim Soo-hyun, the new policy chief at Cheong Wa Dae. This comes as the National Assembly's Strategy and Finance Committee endorsed Hong's nomination on Dec. 7, following his confirmation hearing three days earlier. It said in a statement Hong is fit to be the finance minister, given his experience in finance and his "clear view" that devising a policy spurring innovation should be given top priority. He also stressed the government's policy boosting wage growth backed by hikes in the minimum wage should be "readjusted and mended" in the face of an economic slowdown. However, some lawmakers said he has not provided a "clear plan" on how to change policies and pursue structural reforms. Analysts agreed Hong lacked a vision on how to steer the economy, mired in slow growth and unemployment, out of the doldrums. They said he should focus foremost on ways to revive corporate investment that can lead to job creation. However, this will not be easy considering the global economy is about to face a slowdown after reaching its peak in the third fiscal quarter of 2018, they said. "The country has missed the opportunity to grow this year, while the United States and Europe were growing," said Sung Tae-yoon, an economist at Yonsei University. "It won't be easy to restore confidence as those two are about to slow down in 2019." Therefore, the economist suggested Hong increase the administration's fiscal management amid global uncertainties, and focus on reviving corporate investment and jobs. Facility investment managed to rebound by 1.9 percent in October, according to Statistics Korea. It jumped 3.3 percent in September, after falling for six straight months. But the recent rebound was not driven by manufacturing expansion through equipment investment, but rather by companies increasing investment in logistics to meet their delivery orders from shipbuilding, the statistics agency noted. Hong had indicated the government's pro-labor policy is more about creating jobs for the unemployed so they can see their incomes grow, and this will, in turn, boost consumption. However, he agreed a 10.9 percent hike in the minimum wage in 2019 following a 16.4 percent increase in 2018 will further "shock the market." To this end, Hong added during his confirmation hearing that he will need to find more "reasonable ways" to increase the wage for 2020, which he signaled cannot be as high as the previous hikes. Nevertheless, the new finance minister pointed out that the income-led growth policy was important in the long term as it can help reduce inequality. "The income policy cannot guarantee a result in the short term. It will take some time to see its effect on the market," he said. Banks are reducing the number of workers amid a greater application of digital-driven technology. Korea Times file Major local banks have been offering or plan to offer voluntary retirement programs to their workers as part of restructuring efforts amid a greater application of digital-driven technology, industry sources said Sunday. Nonghyup Bank announced a voluntary retirement program last month. A total of 610 employees applied for the program, though the company has yet to decide its exact size. Last year, it let 534 go workers via a similar program. Nonghyup said the outgoing workers will receive severance pay plus up to 36 months of salary per person. In July, KEB Hana Bank cut 274 jobs, with all the outgoing employees serving at least 15 years. Shinhan Bank and Kookmin Bank also plan to carry out retirement programs. Details have yet to be released and consultations are under way between management and labor unions over possible programs, according to their officials. Such job cuts come despite solid earnings by lenders. Kookmin Bank reported 2.79 trillion won (US$2.48 billion) in net profit during the first nine months of this year, up 12.9 percent on-year. Shinhan logged a net profit of 1.92 trillion won, and Hana enjoyed 1.75 trillion won in net profit. "Rather than simply reducing costs and buttressing bottom lines, the job cuts are driven by the digitalization of the banking industry as a whole," a local bank official said. "They are also to hire new, young employees in order to improve their manpower structure and meet growing needs under the digital-based business conditions," he added. Shinhan Bank hired or plans to hire 600 employees this year -- a 20 percent rise compared to last year. Kookmin Bank is in the process of recruiting around 700 newcomers, with Hana Bank vowing to double the size of this year's recruitment to 500 employees, according to announcements made by the financial firms. (Yonhap) Models wearing new uniforms for the Coast Guard pose in front of Korea Coast Guard headquarters in Incheon on Nov. 26. The new uniforms were unveiled on the occasion of the relocation of Coast Guard 1 from Sejong City to the port city near the West Sea. / Courtesy of Korea Coast Guard By Kang Aa-young Fashion designer Kan Ho-sup, left, poses with Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Cho Hyun-bai, Nov. 26, after receiving a plaque of appreciation from the Coast Guard. / Courtesy of Kan Ho-sup For fashion designers, the civil service uniform project is like "summertime pork," a term Koreans use to describe a situation where those who do something very well gain very little. Just as pork is relatively less enjoyable in summer than in other seasons because it goes bad quickly due to high temperatures, those who design civil service uniforms are rarely complimented by their clients. If their finished work turns out to be a failure, however, disaster occurs they face a severe backlash from all stakeholders. The best-case scenario will be that their finished work gets approval without much fanfare. Fashion designer Kan Ho-sup likens his recent project to design uniforms for the Korea Coast Guard to a mission something akin to the summertime pork adage, although he didn't use the term. He said he heaved a sigh of relief after his project didn't create any unwanted controversies. "In a project like designing uniforms or other public service-related work, everybody has a say," Kan said in a recent Korea Times interview at his office in Seoul. "I mean not only those who are wearing them but also ordinary citizens, who appear not to be related to the uniform, make their own comments on it. The sources of their complaints vary. Some complain about the color, while some dislike the design." New uniforms highlight functionality and durability. They are blue to symbolize the seas surrounding the Korean Peninsula. The uniforms feature a line to reflect harmony and unity of the nation. The public's interest in civil service uniforms seems to come from their public nature. Uniforms, for many people, instill respect for authority or power. Clothing, including the police uniform, has been found to have a powerful psychological impact on those who see it. The uniform of a police officer, for example, conveys power and authority. Thus for the uniform designers, these factors are also important to consider. Kan, a professor of fashion at Hongik University in Seoul who also concurrently serves as creative director at high-end French fashion and leather brand in Seoul, said he had worked under immense pressure during the past year but felt extremely rewarded when his team eventually pulled off a nice job. Despite this, the fashion designer admitted working on a uniform project is a high-risk poker game for established fashion designers like him. "If things go badly, it hurts a designer's reputation," he said. "I am a very sensitive, meticulous person and if someone spoke harshly about my uniform project, I would feel extremely uneasy and uncomfortable. As a designer, my top priority is satisfying my clients. Those who wear my works are supposed to be happy with them and feel they are wearable." The new Coast Guard uniforms his team designed were approved and the Coast Guard will wear the brand-new design on the occasion of the relocation of its headquarters from Sejong City to the port city of Incheon. It took a whole year for his 18 member team including himself, to finish the project. Fashion designer Kan Ho-sup, left, poses with Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Cho Hyun-bai, Nov. 26, after receiving a plaque of appreciation from the Coast Guard. / Courtesy of Kan Ho-sup North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's Seoul visit seems to be not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when."Korea Times file photo By Park Si-soo North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's Seoul visit seems to be not a matter of "if" but a matter of "when." Various rumors have been swirling around in recent days, predicting the date of his visit, places to see and where he will stay, among other items on his "detailed itinerary" here. Despite repeated calls for clarification, however, Cheong Wa Dae has remained tight-lipped on the subject, even refusing to say "yes or no" when asked whether the visit will actually take place. Against this backdrop, a local newspaper has revealed what it claims are "fixed details" of Kim's Seoul trip. Under the MoU, the two sides will invest in aircraft to form a fleet for the new airline. According to Thien Minh Groups CEO Tran Trong Kien, the fleet will mainly consist of Airbus A320s and A321s, both short- to medium-range, narrow-body aircraft. AirAsia will own 30 percent of the new venture, the maximum allowed for foreign ownership of an airline under Vietnamese law, though the authority is considering lifting the limit to 49 percent. AirAsia expects the joints venture to focus on underserved routes connecting key cities including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while also flying to Southeast Asia, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan from HCM City, Hanoi and Da Nang. "We expect to enhance our contribution to Vietnams aviation and increase locals in one of the most promising markets in the region," AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said on the news website Nikkei. People pose in front of a giant poster of President Moon Jae-in and Nort Korean leader Kim Jong-un near Cheong Wa Dae, Dec. 7. / Yonhap No confirmation on date and how, but all possibilities open By Yi Whan-woo Cheong Wa Dae remained cautious on Sunday about mentioning North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's possible visit as speculation grew stronger that he may arrive in Seoul very soon. North Korea is also keeping quiet about its leader's possible visit. However, rumors are circulating that talks between the two Koreas about Kim's visit are entering a critical phase. On Sunday, presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan said there appeared to be "no sign of progress" regarding Kim's visit. "We have not heard anything from the North yet, and no headway has been made so far," Yoon said in a text message to journalists. Yoon still underscored that Cheong Wa Dae was "preparing for every scenario" in case Kim decided to come by the end of this year, as he promised during his September summit with President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang. The statement comes amid speculation that Sunday was the virtual deadline for Kim to confirm whether he will come or not to give the South time to prepare accordingly. After considering the calendars of both the South and North Korean governments, multiple Cheong Wa Dae officials deemed the last ideal timeframe for Kim's visit was Dec. 18 to 20. They said it would take at least 10 days to prepare for an inter-Korean summit and therefore receiving an RSVP from Kim by Sunday was critical. Despite such uncertainties, Cheong Wa Dae has been working with relevant ministries and also the National Assembly to welcome Kim, according to Seoul government sources. "We can't just wait and do nothing, considering that high-level and working-level meetings will be needed to discuss security, protocol, media coverage and other details," a source said. The source claimed the preparation was necessary, because even if Kim does not make it this year, he might come at the start of next year. Among Kim's possible stops are trekking Mount Halla and making a speech at the National Assembly. The possible trek is being reviewed by South Korea officials, in line with President Moon's announcement in October that he would bring Kim to Mount Halla if Kim visited the South. The idea of Kim delivering a speech at the National Assembly was raised by progressive-minded lawmakers, in response to Moon's speech before 150,000 citizens in Pyongyang during the September summit. "The National Assembly appears to be most appropriate place for Kim to share his thoughts with the South Korean public," a lawmaker said. Some sources said Cheong Wa Dae was considering taking Kim to areas where South Korea's rapid economic development could be seen, such as N Seoul Tower on the peak of Mount Nam in Seoul and the Samsung Electronics microchip plant in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae denied a media report that Kim would travel to the South from Thursday to Friday. The report came amid rumors that N Seoul Tower, an iconic landmark in Seoul, would take no reservations for sightseeing for Thursday and Friday. Talks about Kim's possible South Korea trip had been losing momentum due to lack of progress in denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington. The talks then gained momentum after Moon raised the issue during his Nov. 30 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina. An Izumo-class destroyer. By Lee Min-hyung Japan is on track to introduce a de facto offensive aircraft carrier by changing its description, because under its post-war Constitution the country is not allowed to operate warships with flight decks for attack aircraft. According to reports, the Japanese government is pushing ahead with its plan to retrofit its Izumo-class vessel by thickening its deck in a move to accommodate F-35B stealth fighter jets. But because the plan is an apparent violation of the country's pacifist constitution, Japan is seeking to change the description of the de facto aircraft carrier to a "multi-purpose operation destroyer." Tokyo claims the multi-purpose vessel is not aimed at possible military provocation, but to enhance the nation's defense capabilities in case of emergency. Defense Minister Minister Takeshi Iwaya also hinted at the possibility of retrofitting at least one of its two Izumo destroyers to enable F-35B jets to take off and land on the vessel. "It is desirable for us to use valuable equipment for as many purposes as possible," Iwaya told a recent press conference. The 27,000-ton Izumo-class vessel is 248 meters long and can accommodate 14 helicopters. The move is part of the ongoing arms race between Tokyo and Beijing. China recently unveiled its plan to introduce a third aircraft carrier, which Japan believes will pose a serious security threat across Asia. According to the Asahi Shimbun, it remains to be seen when Japan will be able to refit the Izumo-class vessel into an offensive aircraft carrier due to the Article 9 of the constitution. "The 248-meter-long vessel will be reliant on its complement of F-35Bs, exceeding the defensive nature as specified in the constitution," the paper said Thursday. "An issue on how to maintain compatibility of use with the war-renouncing Article 9 of the constitution will likely remain a problem with the Izumo-class vessel becoming a de facto offensive aircraft carrier, the first in the Japanese fleet," it said. Apart from the issue of domestic law, Tokyo's move will also likely face opposition from its neighboring countries despite the country's repeated claim that the retrofitting is for defense. This is because aircraft carriers are widely seen as attack weapons across the globe. The country is also known to be considering introducing about 100 F-35s in the near future, according to the Nikkei. If the country retrofits the vessel and introduces the jets, this would put Japan's aerial power on par with that of China. By Jung Hae-myoung Former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyun This captured image shows YouTube channel TV Hongka Cola featuring former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo. / Courtesy of TV Hongka Cola By Park Ji-won More South Korean politicians have been embracing YouTube as a means of communicating their "message" amid a quickly diversifying media landscape. Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the country's largest right-wing Liberty Korea Party (LKP), announced that he will open a YouTube account named "TV Hongka Cola" this month. It aims to release "opinionated content to balance" the media environment which he claims is favorable to the ruling party, he said on Facebook. He will release two news-related videos a week every Tuesday and Thursday from Dec. 18, that will possibly include livestreaming. His return to the political scene has been largely anticipated among critics since his resignation after the opposition party's crushing defeat in the June local elections. He was a vocal politician who vehemently stood against the ruling government. Some conservatives call him "cider" or "sprite" as a euphemism for his tart remarks that give them a feeling of relief, as those beverages help relieve indigestion. But not many expected he would open a YouTube channel as his next political step. Even before officially operating it, he has already attracted more than 2,000 subscribers. His online video platform venture is in line with the change in people's news consumption. YouTube, most used app in Korea YouTube became a popular tool for people of all generations to get information. As of August, YouTube was the most used mobile application by people of all ages, according to online marketing company Wiseapp. Another internet marketing company MezzoMedia released a survey in November that showed the majority of respondents said they watch less television than last year as they use other devices to watch video content. About 1,000 respondents aged between 15 and 59 participated in the survey from Sept. 20 to Oct. 1. Surprisingly, more people in their 40s use mobile devices to watch videos than TV, from this year. Those in their teens, or 35.7 percent, used YouTube for internet searches, while 33.7 percent used online search engines. Lawmakers are actively creating YouTube videos to promote their activities. Rep. Lee Un-ju of the Bareunmirae Party launched her YouTube account three months ago. She is known for her recent controversial remarks calling former President Park Chung-hee a genius, emerging as a popular conservative icon. She has about 47,000 subscribers. On the channel, Lee releases commentary videos over recent issues as well as videos of public broadcasting appearances or her political activities. Lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea celebrate the launch of its broadcast studio "SSM" at its headquarters in this Nov. 11, file photo. / Korea Times file Liberal civic groups rally at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Saturday, calling for the release of former Unified Progressive Party lawmaker Lee Seok-ki. / Yonhap By Kim Rahn Liberal and conservative civic groups held massive rallies in downtown Seoul on Saturday, one calling for the release of former progressive party lawmaker Lee Seok-ki and the other calling for the release of former President Park Geun-hye. A coalition of 56 civic groups demonstrated at Gwanghwamun Square in the afternoon, urging the release of Lee, a former lawmaker of the now-disbanded Unified Progressive Party (UPP), who was sentenced to nine years in jail on allegations of instigating a plot to topple the government in the case of war with North Korea. Their action came amid growing allegations that former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae, through the National Court Administration (NCA), used politically sensitive trials as bargaining chips in dealing with the Park government to curry favor for a new court of appeals to be established. In their investigation into the judicial power abuse scandal, prosecutors found evidence recently that the NCA meddled in the Lee case by having specific judges deal with it, along with many more politically sensitive cases. The groups claimed that to curry favor with the conservative Park administration, the judiciary under Yang disbanded the progressive party and arrested Lee unfairly. "Lee is the biggest victim of the judicial power abuse," the civic groups said, demanding those responsible be punished and that Lee be released. "Now is the time to eradicate 70 years of deep-rooted evil that has been caused by the division (of the Korean Peninsula)," said Lee Chang-bok, head of a civic group supporting the June 15 Joint Declaration signed at the first inter-Korean summit in 2000. The organizers estimated 20,000 people attended the rally. Before the gathering at Gwanghwamun Square, some of them also held a protest in front of the Supreme Court in southern Seoul, calling for Yang's arrest. Members of conservative civic groups demand the release of former President Park Geun-hye, who has been jailed for corruption, at a rally in front of Seoul Station, Saturday. / Yonhap The funeral hall for Lee Jae-su, former chief of now-disbanded Defense Security Command, Sunday. Military and political figures visited Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul to pay their last respects to Lee, who committed suicide on Friday. / Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung Conservative parties are stepping up criticism of the Moon Jae-in government over the death of former Defense Security Command (DSC) chief Lee Jae-su. The parties claim the government is carrying out a "witch hunt" investigation targeting ranking political figures of previous governments. Now-disbanded DSC chief Lee Jae-su committed suicide on Friday apparently due to pressure from an investigation. He had been questioned over allegations that he abused his power to conduct illegal surveillance of bereaved families of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. In a letter, Lee said he was involved in a complex political scandal even though he had lived a life of integrity during his military career. "Everyone says that the so-called targeted and excessive investigation is the wrong type of probe," former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn said Saturday while visiting the funeral hall in Seoul. "This is not the first time a suspect passed away during the prosecution's investigation, and it is regrettable that the investigation leaves much to be desired." Lee was under intense investigation, because the ex-military intelligence unit was suspected of establishing a 60-member taskforce to manage the aftermath of the disaster by trying to manipulate public sentiment. The prosecution indicted him for allegedly ordering DSC members to collect private information about the bereaved families and their political tendencies. Rep. Yoo Seung-min, a former co-leader of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, urged the incumbent administration to stop the abuse of political influence. "I hope the Moon Jae-in administration stops making political use of the prosecution," he said after sending a condolence message to Lee's family, Saturday. "I am confident that Lee is free from any of the allegations he was facing," Yoo said. The ongoing investigation pattern targeting ranking figures from previous governments should not continue any longer, he said. Yoo went on to underline the need for the prosecution to conduct a more careful and fair investigation without being swayed by political influences. "A number of military troops were sent for the search and rescue operation during the Sewol disaster, so the military intelligence unit had no choice but to work on the spot," Yoo said. "But when it comes to probing such a case, the prosecution should be extremely careful and never defame the military before finding clear evidence." Lee was found on Friday afternoon after jumping to his death in southern Seoul, four days after the Seoul Central District Court suspended an arrest warrant for him. South Korea's strict national security law is being challenged by a wave of activists showing open support for the upcoming visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Public rallies and exhibits praising Kim would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But that's now changing thanks to president Moon Jae-in's campaign to improve relations with Pyongyang. These young South Koreans are over the moon North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is planning a trip to Seoul. And to show their enthusiasm they're installing a public photo exhibition on the streets of the capital to welcome Kim to the South. But what they're doing here is actually illegal under South Korea's national security law. LEADER OF STUDENT GROUP, KIM HAN-SEONG, SAYING: "All the South Korean officials who recently visited Pyongyang are now praising Chairman Kim Jong Un. In this current situation, I think the law is meaningless." Since the National Security Act was passed in 1948 thousands of people have been jailed and even executed, most accused of spying for Pyongyang or even just having the wrong sympathies. Rights groups call it a relic of the Cold War that should be repealed. President Moon Jae-in hasn't gone that far but he has eased up on enforcing it as his government works to improve relations with the North and halt its nuclear weapons program. Only about 15 people have been charged so far this year compared to 129 people five years ago. But for some South Koreans it's not a welcome move...especially defectors who grew up under the Kim regime. NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR, SEO JAE-PYOUNG, SAYING: "North Korea hasn't changed at all. It's not willing to shut down its nuclear program and it hasn't stopped spying. We need the National Security Law to protect ourselves." A recent survey showed more than half of South Koreans want to keep the law. While North Korea takes the opposite view: state media this week saying now that relations between the Koreas are improving, there's no reason for it to exist. (Reuters) A students' committee holds a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Nov. 26, to welcome North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's expected visit to Seoul. Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed on the visit during their third summit in Pyongyang in September. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Chang Se-moon Will sex be more common in driverless cars? At least some studies speculate that to be the case, suggesting the likelihood that more people will die in clashes of driverless cars, a byproduct of artificial intelligence (AI). (The Washington Post, Nov. 13, A15) Besides more sex in driverless cars, one practical question that everyone is concerned about in AI relates to what types of jobs are likely to be replaced by machine learning. Machine learning is a sub-field of AI that could impact practically everyone in the labor market, including sex workers. Professors Erik Brynjolfsson of MIT, Tom Mitchell of Carnegie Mellon, and Daniel Rock of MIT made an interesting presentation titled "What Can Machines Learn and What Does It Mean for Occupations and the Economy?" that was published in the 2018 issue of the American Economic Association Papers and Proceedings (pages 43 to 47). Although the premise of the article is that rapid advances in machine learning will "generate significant economic value and transform numerous occupations and industries," authors state that the realized economic effects are small relative to the potential offered by the future of AI. The real concern is how machine learning will affect jobs. Citing a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, authors state that "about half of the work activities people perform could be automated with current technology." Although advances in machine learning are impressive, and automation is already having significant effects on many parts of the workforce, authors warn that "we are far from artificial general intelligence (AGI) which would match humans in all cognitive areas." This raises the question of which tasks are likely to be affected more by machine learning. After reviewing thousands of occupations, professors Brynjolfsson, Mitchell, and Rock find five occupations that are most as well as least suitable for machine learning. The five occupations most suitable for machine learning and thus are likely affected negatively by machine learning are: (1) concierges, (2) mechanical drafters, (3) morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors, (4) credit authorizers, and (5) brokerage clerks. Five occupations least suitable for machine learning and thus are likely to be affected little by machine learning are: (1) massage therapists, (2) animal scientists, (3) archeologists, (4) public address system and other announcers, and (5) plasterers and stucco masons. The three professors state that automation technology has historically been the key driver of increased industrial productivity, although the same automation technologies "have also disrupted employment and the wage structure systematically." Importantly, machine learning will affect "very different parts of the workforce than earlier waves of automation," and few jobs, if any, can be fully automated using machine learning. The professors conclude their study by stating that "Machine learning technology can transform many jobs in the economy, but full automation will be less significant than the reengineering of processes and the reorganization of tasks." The reality of AI on a global stage is a significant competition between China and the U.S. in AI research. In a review of a book titled "AI Super Powers" by Kai-Fu Lee, Emily Parker of the Washington Post explains the competition between China and the U.S. in battle for a lead in AI. (The Washington Post, Nov. 4, B7) At this time, Silicon Valley in the U.S. is ahead of China in AI. The Chinese approach of government subsidies, special developmental zones, and incubators, however, will eventually move it ahead of the U.S. as the global leader by 2030. Parker relates the chief concern of the book by Lee that "AI will exacerbate global inequality by putting disproportionate power in the hands of two countries, the United States and China." As to competition between China and the U.S., I am not sure what the real motive is in their attempt to stay ahead of the other. Apparently, issues of AI are not limited to elimination and restructuring of jobs. One of those issues could be related to military strategy. "During the past two decades, serial drones have transformed how the U.S. Air Force wages war, allowing it to surveil hostile territory and neutralize enemy targets without putting the lives of pilots at risk. Next, the Navy is hoping it can employ its own unmanned vehicles to clear mines, scout unfamiliar territory or wage anti-submarine warfare." (The Washington Post, Oct. 8, A23) When U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier this year that he was directing the Pentagon to establish a "Space Force" as the sixth branch of the U.S. military, the stakes of research in AI may have been elevated to another level. Many experts on national security and space issues are now worried about the beginning of a new, space-based arms race among China, Russia, and the United States. The only certainty in studies of AI may well be that we really have no idea of what the future holds for human beings. Chang Se-moon (changsemoon@yahoo.com) is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies. The photo shows Sully, the golden Labrador that worked as a service dog for late U.S. President George W.H. Bush, sleeping next to the president's coffin in Houston, Texas. Sully, that was named after U.S. pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger who safely made an emergency landing at the Hudson River in New York in 2009 and saved the lives of 155 people on the plane, was assigned to President Bush as a service dog early this year. /EPA-Yonhap By Joschka Fischer BERLIN With Angela Merkel having announced that she will step down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and not seek re-election as chancellor when her current term ends in 2021, Germany is approaching a watershed moment. Since 1949, the country has had only eight chancellors, which means that Merkel's departure will be anything but an everyday occurrence. Moreover, a change at the top in Germany is usually accompanied by broader political and social change. Merkel's decision was not entirely unexpected. Having elected her for the fourth time in September 2017, German voters were unlikely to give her a fifth term. People tire of leaders over time. Even without her recent announcement, it thus could have been assumed that Merkel's current term would be her last. But the ongoing transformation of Germany's domestic and foreign-policy position is more important than a change in leadership. International ruptures are shaking the very foundations of Germany's postwar democracy. Under President Donald Trump, the United States has repudiated the West and everything it stands for. On March 29, 2019, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union. And to the east, China has emerged as a new global power. More broadly, the world's economic center of gravity is quickly shifting from the North Atlantic to East Asia. The digital revolution, big data, and artificial intelligence are changing the way we work and live. And the EU's internal crises have not just continued but intensified, while chronic turmoil in the Middle East and Africa represents a persistent external risk to Europe's stability. These and other developments have shaken Germany's once-firm foreign-policy footing. For years, the country's economic model and security strategy have both centered around integration with the West and Germany's role within the EU. But today's challenges require a new strategic outlook. The question for the next chancellor will be: "Quo vadis, Germany?" Wherever Germany is heading, one thing is already clear: The transition from Merkel to her successor will bring about a far-reaching reorganization of the country's party system. For decades, the center-right CDU (in alliance with the Bavaria-based Christian Social Union) and the center-left Social Democratic Party have served as the two great guarantors of political continuity and stability. But, like mainstream parties across Europe, the CDU/CSU and the SPD are now in crisis. The SPD has lost so much support that it may not survive; and while the CDU/CSU is still the strongest single force in German politics, it is facing a deep structural challenge. Since 1949, the CDU/CSU's "sister-party" structure has routinely allowed it to secure the chancellorship as the largest party bloc in majority coalitions. But in an enlarged, reunified Germany with seven separate parties holding seats in the Bundestag, this arrangement no longer works as well as it once did. In the years preceding Merkel's first election as chancellor in 2005, Germany had been governed by a coalition comprising the SPD and the Greens (in which I served as vice chancellor and foreign minister). During that period, Germany underwent a painful adjustment as the welfare state was brought into line with the post-reunification realities of high unemployment and a new economic geography. At the same time, German foreign policy had to be adjusted to account for the country's new role in the context of the 1990s post-Yugoslav wars, and to address the threat of international terrorism after the attacks of September 11, 2001. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, reunification, and a period of high unemployment and seemingly endless reforms, Germans had experienced quite enough excitement. Merkel's chancellorship was meant to put an end to all of that. Cool pragmatism became the order of the day. With the economy booming, it seemed as though the sun was always shining and the skies were always blue. Hovering above it all was "Mutti" (Mommy), simply letting things take their course. German voters saw little reason not to elect her three more times. Now, the sunny days are gone. The emergence of a new global order presents policymakers and politicians with weighty strategic questions that cannot be ignored or deferred. Chief among them is what role Germany and Europe should carve out for itself in the years to come. A decade hence, where will we as Europeans stand, and what will we stand for? Merkel does not offer satisfactory answers to such questions. With her consummate pragmatism, she has become her own worst enemy. Even when she has made great indeed, historic decisions, they have been based on narrow, short-term political considerations. Merkel's phasing out of Germany's nuclear power plants, suspension of compulsory military service, and responses to the 2008 financial crisis were merely tactical moves. The one exception came in 2015, when she took a moral stand and opened Germany's doors to one million refugees. Merkel's approach to the financial crisis would turn out to be her biggest mistake. At the time, she opposed a joint European response, instead advocating national-level measures and mere coordination among eurozone governments. The entire European project has been off track ever since. Of course, Merkel will be remembered as the chancellor of the "peace dividend" and, possibly, as the last chancellor of the postwar (West) German party system. But Europe's persistent crisis will now form part of her legacy as well, and it will pose a difficult challenge to her successors. What comes next is anyone's guess. Much will depend on whether Germany, together with France, continues to pursue its European mission. Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister and vice chancellor from 1998 to 2005, was a leader of the German Green Party for almost 20 years. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). During his stay, Politburo member Vuong held talks with Secretary General of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Alvaro de Boavida Neto, and met with member of the MPLAs Political Bureau and First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Emilia Carlota Dias. On the occasion, the two parties signed a new cooperation agreement for the 2018-2023 period. At the meetings, both sides informed each other of the situation of their respective Party and country, while exchanging views on regional and international situations, as well as measures to intensify the relations between the two Parties and countries in the future. The Angolan leaders appreciated the visit, considering it as a milestone and a chance to boost the bilateral ties. Speaking of Vietnams role and position in the region and the world and its Doi moi (Renewal) achievements, they said Angola wants to learn from Vietnams experience in national building and development, as well as in Party building, corruption prevention and control, and personnel training. They suggested that both sides step up their collaboration in agriculture, health, education and training, and energy. For his part, Politburo member Vuong affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people always remember the support from the MPLA and the Angolan people for Vietnams past struggle for national liberation and its current nation building and safeguarding cause. He expressed his delight at the positive development between the two parties over recent years, which, he said, has contributed to fostering the traditional friendship and solidarity between the two countries and their people. Both sides agreed to make more efforts to effectively implement the freshly-inked cooperation agreement, with the focus on the exchange of all-level delegations, the sharing of information and experience, and the maintenance of coordination at multilateral forums. The Vietnamese Party official also met representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy and the Vietnamese community in Angola, during which he encouraged them to unite and exert efforts to overcome all difficulties in order to stabilise their lives, integrate themselves into the host country, and contribute more to the bilateral relations. The Party delegation also laid flowers on the Ho Chi Minh Avenue in Luanda and visited the Antonio Agostinho Neto Memorial to commemorate the late Angolan President. By Jason Lim George H.W. Bush was my first president as an adult, and I wasn't impressed. It felt like we were getting the second fiddle to the larger-than-life Ronald Reagan, a listless holdover from an analogue era struggling to understand the new digital age with MTV attention span. Perhaps it was inevitable that Bush lost to Bill Clinton after a single term. Clinton was charismatic, energetic and polished, everything Bush wasn't. Clinton spoke in sound bites; Bush was didactic. Clinton was slick; Bush seemed water-logged. Clinton was all about "It's the economy, stupid"; Bush was all about "That's complicated." Clinton was the crowning of the ascension of the Baby Boomers; Bush was a hold-over from the Greatest Generation. For most, being the U.S. President is the highpoint of one's professional and personal trajectory. After all, the position is not called the "leader of the free world" for nothing. For some, however, the presidency is seemingly just another bullet point on their resume as they grow in stature and respect in the years after the service on the strength of their character. Truman comes to mind. Jimmy Carter as well. And now, George H.W. Bush. Seeing the 95-year-old Bob Dole, his lifelong political rival who had been confined for years to a wheelchair, rising to offer one final standing salute speaks most eloquently to that character. As I grew older, I learned to appreciate the incredible leadership that Bush exercised as the Soviet Union imploded and the Cold War wound down. Transitions are often fraught with danger, especially when the country that's collapsing into chaos happens to have thousands of nuclear weapons and suddenly unemployed and desperate military. Navigating through such a monumental transition in such a mundane manner speaks silent volumes to the leadership of George H.W. Bush. He also marshaled the world against Saddam Hussein when Iraq invaded Kuwait. In a way, Bush was the last truly internationalist president, leveraging the U.N. as the original designers had envisioned: a multilateral moral and military bulwark against war, an artificial and desperate construct to cage the bellum omnium contra omnes that two World Wars had amply shown. His leadership shined here in what he didn't do rather than what he did. He didn't pursue Saddam Hussein to the end. He stayed within the confines of the original justification for the war. His wisdom, ironically enough, was tragically highlighted in hindsight when his own son invaded Iraq, killed Saddam, and unleashed what we know today. Listening to his son's eulogy, I was struck by the following passages: "One reason Dad knew how to die young is that he almost did it twice. When he was a teenager, a staph infection nearly took his life. A few years later he was alone in the Pacific on a life raft, praying that his rescuers would find him before the enemy did. God answered those prayers. It turned out He had other plans for George H.W. Bush. For Dad's part, I think those brushes with death made him cherish the gift of life. And he vowed to live every day to the fullest Dad taught us that public service is noble and necessary; that one can serve with integrity and hold true to the important values, like faith and family. He strongly believed that it was important to give back to the community and country in which one lived. He recognized that serving others enriched the giver's soul." This reminded me of what Jim Collins wrote in his original Harvard Business Review article (2001) describing the great leaders he researched. They had all undergone significant life experiences that may have triggered the recognition of impermanence and selflessness. "Darwin Smith fully blossomed as a Level 5 after his near-death experience with cancer. Joe Cullman was profoundly affected by his World War II experiences, particularly the last-minute change of orders that took him off a doomed ship on which he surely would have died Colman Mockler, for example, converted to evangelical Christianity while getting his MBA at Harvard and became a prime mover in a group of Boston business executives that met frequently over breakfast to discuss the carryover of religious values to corporate life." Perhaps these experiences lead to a sense of deep humility because you realize that there is nothing you can do to stop your own death. It is truly God's will that is allowing you to live on. You also recognize that your life is due to others with whom you build a pattern of relationships. You are not an island. These insights, once internalized, lead directly to those characteristics that mark great leadership, two of which are humility and service. George W. Bush ended his eulogy with the following words: "And we're going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity, and kind soul will stay with us forever. So, through our tears, let us see the blessings of knowing and loving you a great and noble man, and the best father a son or daughter could have." Whatever your politics may be, at the end of the day, a man's life is a success if his own children can say this about him. Jason Lim (jasonlim@msn.com) is a Washington, D.C.-based expert on innovation, leadership and organizational culture. A schooner in Japan circa 1900s. By Robert Neff An Ainu couple circa 1900s. Sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880, Captain Patrick Hodnett purchased a small schooner he christened Zephyr. It was his pride and joy and he often referred to it as his yacht. We already know that Hodnett found great pleasure in "running along an unsurveyed and unexplored shore" but these ventures weren't often prosperous. So, when he declared in the summer of 1881 that he was going on a pleasure cruise to the northern islands of Japan, we have to look at his "secondary object of surveying some sand banks, which [he] had heard were frequented by seals," as his primary purpose. In the 1880s, it was very common and lucrative for schooners operating out of Japan, Canada and the United States to poach seals in the northern Pacific. It was lucrative but dangerous. Russia, Japan, the United States and Canada all had conflicting claims and it wasn't uncommon for these schooners to be confiscated for poaching by one of the governments. Some schooners even carried several flags flying whichever nationality they thought would get them past the authorities. Throughout the latter part of July and early August, Hodnett and the Zephyr explored the coast along Hokkaido. On August 7 he visited the small island of Tomosiri to replenish his supplies. Taking with him some biscuits (which seems to have been his go-to gift) and rum, he made his way to a small Ainu hunting camp. The leader of the group, identified by a Russian infantry button that he wore on his mantle of sea-lion skin, invited the Irishman into the hut "the floor of which was strew with sea-lion skins, which served as carpets, chairs and beds all in one." While sharing the bottle of rum, Hodnett learned that the island had no seals only sea-lions, which had no commercial value. When asked what country owned the island, the Ainu all claimed, in Japanese, that the island had once belonged to the Japanese but now was part of Russia. He also learned that they were from Sakhalin Island (some 30 kilometers away) and that they often traveled to this island to hunt sea-lions for food and clothing. In his memoirs he mused: "Yet on this uninviting fare [sea-lion and salmon] they thrive and have limbs like small giants." Resupplied with fresh water, he gave them a small gift of rice (to supplement their "uninviting fare") and left them. An Ainu villager carries wood circa 1900s. For the next month, the Zephyr sailed around Sakhalin Island. Hodnett wrote: "All along the coast of Sakhalin, at intervals of about ten miles, are Russian posts, each guarded by about a dozen soldiers. At these stations the roving tribes halt and, when they can, barter their peltry for liquor. Then follow carousing and the dance." It was at these posts, where he frequently stopped, that the Russians "made no secret that they hoped for and expected the speedy annexation of that island, which the Japanese call also the Hokkaido, or Northern Gate to the Empire." They claimed that Sakhalin was too cold and once the European powers were distracted by some "grave international complication," Russia would seize the island. It is rather ironic, being Irish, that Hodnett believed Japan's best bet would be to encourage "respectable foreign immigrants," as well as Japanese, to move to the island and to "embody an efficient mixed foreign and Japanese militia; for all modern history teaches us that the liberty of no small and weak nation is secure, so long as Russian territory is within a short day's distance." In September the Zephyr arrived at Robben Island (Dutch for Seal Island but now known as Tyuleny Island) "a small flat islet, about one quarter of a mile long, 35 feet high and one hundred feet broad." According to Hodnett, it was covered with seals from June to November and was a very valuable site. Even though it was Japanese territory, Russia claimed it and "in 1851 had made a bogus sale or lease of the island" to the Alaska Fur Company. An Ainu hunter circa 1900s. Almost immediately the Zephyr was challenged by the Leon, a Russian schooner commanded by an American named Blair. The Leon was unarmed but not its crew. They were well equipped with rifles and ammunition and were tasked with preventing non-Alaska Fur Company ships from landing on the island. Hodnett was impressed with Blair, describing him as a "fine specimen of a sailor and a gentleman," but he was not going to allow Blair to prevent him from landing. He demanded to know if Blair had a commission from the Emperor of Russia and when Blair replied that he did not, Hodnett insinuated that the American was dangerously toying with piracy. Hodnett warned him that if the Leon encountered the British admiral and his fleet, things could go badly for the American. "He [the admiral] is not to be fooled with; and if he finds you at your present work, he's likely enough to hang you." For some time the two captains bickered back and forth and apparently Blair realized his position was rather tenuous. He offered gifts of furs if the Irishman would leave but Hodnett refused. He then offered him a map that showed the location of an island with more than 2,000 seals. In his memoirs Hodnett wrote: "I am not certain that he didn't try to persuade me that the seals would walk on board." Still, Hodnett persisted in his right to be able to land and hunt seals if he desired. This time Blair appealed to his good nature as the seals were breeding and if any of Zephyr's crew went ashore they would scare the bulls, who would crush the pups in their effort to flee. An Ainu gathers potatoes circa 1900s. By Wang Xingxing This year marked a period of great change on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea's economy and society displayed signs of renewed vitality. With coal exports decreasing, domestic electric power generation enhanced the reliability of the electric grid, reducing blackouts. Living standards improved indirectly as U.N. trade sanctions facilitated access to products usually marked for export in the past, such as seafood. The changes in North Korea are perhaps most apparent in Pyongyang fashions. Down jackets, feather dresses, and knitwear are popular products in Pyongyang's department store this winter. One might even have trouble distinguishing Chinese from North Korean women, if not for the distinctive badges complementing their apparel. North Korean men, on the other hand, favor grey, blue and dark yellow this winter. Public transport in Pyongyang is multiple. One can get around by bus, trolley or subway. The number of routs increased this year, and most major recreational facilities and landmarks are near to stations. People stand neatly in line while waiting for the bus, which can be packed like a can of sardines when getting on the bus because there are too many passengers especially during the rush hour. There are more than 2,000 taxies in Pyongyang, but they are available only to DPRK residents, not foreigners. In fact, North Korean taxi drivers will not pick up unaccompanied foreigners. Taxi fees are usually calculated in US dollars. Short rides cost about$2 or $3 and longer rides up to $4 or $5. Most taxi drivers are honest. They will return lost money or goods even late at night. They typically refuse tips, preferring a thankful letter. This kind of gratitude indicates credibility and integrity and is more respectable. Car breakdowns happen frequently, because many are quite old and rundown. One can discern the different uses for cars based on the background color of the license plate. For example, black plates titled with 727 mean cars used by army officials and tend to be of Chinese origin, with car brands like BYD or Haval. Occasionally one may catch a glimpse of luxury cars, such as a Mercedes-Benz, but even these are very old models that have all but disappeared in other countries. Much like a typical modern city, Pyongyang streets now glitter with images projected from LED screens. Although slogans relating to the "Juche Idea" remain pervasive, a new trend in using blue instead of red in the background demonstrates Pyongyang's efforts to integrate into the global community. This was especially apparent during the summit talks between President Moon and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang earlier this year. Meanwhile, a diverse array of advertisements has cropped up in shops and on the streets, proclaiming the desirability of drinks, fashionable clothes, and other products. One would once have been be hard-pressed to observe advertisements apart from those for cars and Taedonggang beer. There have also been changes in daily living. Fruit stands are ubiquitous in Pyongyang, Kaesong, and other big cities. Fruits, eggs and other non-staple food are sold in local markets, known colloquially as "Jang madang", which state-sanctioned merchants operate by night. Supermarkets and department stores welcome dollars, RMB, and euros as foreign exchange reserves. Electrical appliances such as TVs and mobile phones are sold in big stores. People can even shop online via mobile phone, although this is quite uncommon. However, hardship continues to characterize the daily lives of North Koreans. The sanitary conditions in the markets still need improvement. Imported food and other products for daily use are expensive and only available for the elite. The price of telecom data is especially high at the moment up to $15 per 50 megabytes and it is difficult for the average person to connect to the internet, with wifi hotspots forbidden. There is a striking versatility and respect for knowledge among North Korean workers. Most waiters working in a sizable restaurant, for example, have bachelor's degrees. This means a considerable availability of high-quality labor should North Korea open to foreign investment. Among top elite workers, conditions continue to be comparatively favorable. The government supplies professors at Kim Il-sung University with full-option apartments (not a policy extended to administration staff). For example, associate professors can attain a free 240 square-meter apartment on the busiest street in Pyongyang. Despite no experience studying abroad, many professors speak Chinese and English fluently. Even some foreign-language high school students speak fluent Chinese, albeit shyly. As a foreigner, it is very difficult to buy or procure academic materials. In fact, the selling of most publications to foreigners is prohibited, especially school textbooks. Even foreign students who have studied in the DPRK for many years are barred from accessing textbooks used by North Korean students. Exempted from this rule, however, are officially designated publications translated into English or Chinese, which introduce the Juche Idea, the DPRK's understanding of human rights, investment law, etc. Despite the apparent changes occurring in North Korean society, there is still a long way to go in terms of integration with the outside world. Light industry remains underdeveloped, for example, comparable perhaps to rural enterprises in China. This situation has only been exacerbated by U.N. trade sanctions due to North Korea's nuclear development. Nonetheless, the changes in North Korea suggest improvements on the horizon. The exterior of the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, where Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is being held on an extradition warrant, is seen in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, Dec. 8. Reuters Meng Wanzhou / Reuters China warned Canada on Saturday that there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, calling the case "extremely nasty". Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1 and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges that she covered up her company's links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions. The executive is the daughter of the founder of Huawei. If extradited to the United States, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge. No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday. In a short statement, China's Foreign Ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Meng to Canada's ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a "strong protest". Adam Austen, a spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Saturday there is "nothing to add beyond what the Minister said yesterday". Freeland told reporters on Friday that relationship with China is important and valued, and Canada's ambassador in Beijing has assured Chinese that consular access will be provided to Meng. When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest of Huawei's CFO, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing. By Jung Min-ho Japan is set to ban government use of telecom products from Huawei and ZTE over national security concerns surrounding the Chinese companies. Relevant government agencies will likely reach an agreement as early as Monday to ban the companies from taking part in government procurement, according to . Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the move was aimed at preventing cyberattacks and the leaking of confidential information. "Ensuring the cyber security of government agencies has become increasingly important. We will deal with the matter from various perspectives," he said. Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya also pledged efforts to ensure security. The move comes days after Meng Wanzhou, 46, the chief financial officer and daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver, from where she may well be extradited to the United States. She is suspected of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. The news has touched off a diplomatic firestorm between the two world's largest economies as well as their allies. In recent months, governments in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand have banned the use of equipment from the Chinese companies in their 5G infrastructure rollout. Other countries, including Canada, are considering the same move. Akaria Hanmi Board of Director Chairman Khalid Al Arfaj speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Samseong-dong, Seoul, Nov. 28. / Courtesy of Hanmi Global By Nam Hyun-woo A joint venture between a Korean construction management firm and Saudi Arabia's largest real estate development company is providing a model case for the two country's ties and successful localization in the Middle Eastern market. "The joint venture is the outcome of the good relations between Korea and Saudi Arabia," Akaria Hanmi Board of Directorb Chairman Khalid Al Arfaj said during an interview Nov. 28. "And it is a great success story resulting in a very solid engagement between the two companies and an example for other engagements that will come." Akaria Hanmi is a real estate project management firm jointly capitalized by Saudi Arabia's Al Akaria and Korea's Hanmi Global, possessing a respective 60 percent and 40 percent stakes in the joint venture. Real estate project management is a business which controls the various steps of a massive real estate development project, ranging from planning, engineering, construction and pilot operations done by various companies. Al Arfaj visited Korea for a board meeting of the joint venture in Korea. Al Arfaj said both Hanmi Global and Al Akaria decided to set up the joint venture due to the necessity for such a company, which is local but having international standards, so that it can handle increasing number of real estate projects carrying out by Al Akaria. Though the company just marked its first anniversary last month, it is already accumulating a successful track record, including a management order for the Al Wedyan Project in Saudi Arabia. The 17 trillion won ($15.36 billion) project is aimed at building a massive residential complex on a 6.99 square kilometer area located 20 kilometers north of Riyadh. Also, Akaria Hanmi will manage 13 construction projects across Riyadh and Jeddah. "It is difficult for a joint venture to generate profits in its first year, but Akaria Hanmi is expected to log 10 billion won in sales and 1.5 billion won in operating profit this year," a Hanmi Global official said. Al Arfaj attributed the success to the joint venture's characteristic as a local company having international standards. In Saudi Arabia, a joint venture with a foreign company can be recognized as a local firm when the Saudi firm has more than 60 percent stake in it. Also, at least 30 percent of employees of companies with 20 or more workers should be Saudi natives. Approximately 60 out of 150 employees of Akaria Hanmi are Saudi natives. "As Akaria Hanmi meets all those conditions, it is regarded as a local company but has international standards," Al Arfaj said. "We seek to be client's first choice among project management leaders and want to advance into other countries in the region." Sharp Aviation K President & CEO Paik Soon-suk speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the company's headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Nov. 28. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Airport service firm begins aircraft heavy maintenance for 3 LCCs By Nam Hyun-woo Air travel requires more logistical services than one may think. First, passengers need a carrier, which operates a plane you fly with, and then other service providers come next. They take care of aircraft maintenance work including fueling, cleaning, deicing, check-in, cargo handling, in-flight meals and other groundwork, necessary to ensure passenger safety and comfort. For these services, Korea's two full service carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, each run their own service firms -- Korea Airport Service and Asiana Airport, respectively -- but foreign carriers frequenting the country's airports and other domestic low cost carriers (LCCs) have to hire an outsourced service provider. And this is why Sharp Aviation K CEO Paik Soon-suk expanded his business to a "total aviation service firm," covering all segments of services surrounding a flight. "Air carriers want dedicated services in whichever airport they are in. Since we are not tied to a certain carrier, we can be a dedicated specialist for each of them, offering catered services," Paik said during an interview with The Korea Times, Nov. 28. "As long as Korea stays attractive to foreign visitors, the number of overseas carriers advancing to the country is bound to grow and our business outlook will also stay positive." Sharp Aviation K was established in 1964 as an online and offline general sales agent (GSA) for foreign airlines, representing their sales in Korea. Since hiring such a GSA costs lower than opening their own offices, careers usually use GSAs in countries in which they do not have a team or an office. Despite having a stable status as a GSA for more than five decades, the company opted to venture into the untapped business area 15 years ago in a belief that the number of carriers operating to and from Korea would grow exponentially. Since then, the company has been spending accumulated 150 billion won ($134 million) to incorporate other aviation service domains. "Back then, people raised questions about the sustainability of LCCs, but no one doubts about that these days," Paik said. "As the market grows, our airport service has become a unique business model in Korea. These days, revenues from airport service business is greater than that of our GSA business." Currently, Sharp Aviation K's domain is ranging from passenger handling, ramp and cargo handling, cargo terminal & warehouse operating, aircraft fueling, in-flight catering at Incheon Airport and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. It provides services at seven airports in Korea -- Gimpo, Incheon, Gunsan, Jeju, Gimhae, Daegu and Cheongju -- currently and will add two more local airports in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, and Muan, South Jeolla Province, next year. At those airports, the company serves 5 million passengers and 140,000 tons of cargo a year. It provide services for more than 30 carriers and logistics firms, including big names such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, KLM, Finnair, DHL and so on. "Approximately 100 foreign carriers operate to Korea and Korea has seven to eight LCCs, meaning we are targeting 110 firms," Paik said. "We are proud of our 15 percent market share because we started from the scratch without any helps from foreign companies." Since Korean Air is a member of SkyTeam Airline Alliance and Asiana Airline is a Star Alliance, Paik said Sharp Aviation K is mainly targeting members of One Alliance, one of the top 3 airline alliances in the world, though the company has contracts with some SkyTeam and Star Alliance members. "It is very important that we are expanding. The demand for our service is growing far faster than that of our capacity," he said. "Also, there are LCCs and cargo planes which will also ramp up demands for us." He stressed that Sharp Aviation K has its strength in costs, while providing the same quality services that its domestic rivals can offer. "It took more than 15 years for us to reach our current level of service," he said. "We are confident in our ability to compete with Korean Air or Asiana Airlines in terms of quality in every segment of airport services, while our team is more agile and nimble, having absolutely low expenses." Another point he underscored is dedication to each client. Since Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have their own aircrafts, 172 and 82, respectively, their priority has to be on their own planes, while Sharp Aviation K can send its team to each clients and have the team educated there, so that it can be "a specialist" for the carrier, he said. "Unless there is a special reason, it will be a good option for foreign carriers," he said. "They can expect the same as what their own employees do from our team. Also, it is a great advantage that they can sign just one contract for airport services in Korea, because we provide a full range of ground work." Sharp Aviation K employees check a T'way Air aircraft at a hangar at the Incheon International Airport, on Dec. 7. / Courtesy of Sharp Aviation K An E-mart store in Gangseo-gu, Seoul By Nam Hyun-woo Domestic discount chains and convenience store brands are pursuing mergers & acquisitions (M&As) to find a breakthrough in their regulation-tangled business environment. Industry analysts said Sunday they are doing so because the domestic market has already been saturated and the government is poised to introduce more regulations limiting the number of their stores. According to E-mart, it has recently decided to acquire U.S. food retailer Good Food Holdings for $270 million. It will be the company's first overseas M&A deal. Good Food Holdings has three fresh food and beverage brands under its wing Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres and Metropolitan Market and there are 24 stores in the western region of the U.S, E-mart said. Through those stores, Good Food Holdings reports average annual sales of 670 billion won ($597 million). "It will be a stepping stone for E-mart's soft landing in the U.S., using the firm's experience of running stores in the advanced market for nearly four decades." Prior to E-mart, CJ CheilJedang purchased privately held U.S. frozen foods firm Schwan's Company for $1.84 billion. Schwan's company has its own brands including Red Baron, Freschetta, MaMa Rosa's and Tony's pizza, as well as a nationwide distribution network in the U.S., including 17 factories 10 logistics centers. CJ CheilJedang said its access to Schwan's distribution network will be an opportunity for its existing U.S. business to expand further. Such moves are interpreted as the companies choosing to advance into overseas markets because of the harsh domestic business environment, which is expected to embrace more regulations next year. The government and lawmakers are preparing a set of regulations preventing brands to launch more large discount stores and forcing them to close their outlets four times a month, up from the current two times a month. A revision to the Distribution Industry Development Act containing such details is currently pending at the National Assembly, but is expected to be laid next year as the members of the Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee are positive about the revision. Franchised convenience store brands are also paying keen attention on the sale of Ministop Korea because it will be one of few remaining opportunities to bulk their business up in Korea. On Dec. 3, the domestic CVS industry introduced a "voluntary restraint agreement" which restricts brands from opening new branches closer than 50 meters to 100 meters from other brand name stores. This means that brands have a slimmer chance of growing their businesses by opening new branches, thus raising the importance of the Ministop deal. Though it is titled as a voluntary restraint agreement, the government and the ruling party provided their guidelines to the agreement. The bidding, which closed on Nov. 20, was participated in by Lotte, which holds 7-eleven through Korea Seven, Shinsegae, which has emart24 and a private equity. If Lotte acquires Ministop, it will add more than 2,580 branches to 7-elevens 8,870, rivaling that of industry leader CU with 12,370 and GS25 with 12,290. For Emart24, which has 2,520, it is also an important opportunity to expand its network. "With more regulations taken into effect, more retailers will try to turn their eyes to M&A deals so they can expand their business portfolio," an industry official said. Only moments after taking off from Jakarta, the pilots flying Lion Air 610 realized they were losing control of their 737 Max jetliner, the newest, most fuel-efficient and most automated version of the popular Boeing model. The jetliner unexpectedly pointed its nose down, sending it into a series of 26 dives at less than 5,000 feet. Toward the end, the pilot pulled back on the control yoke with all his might to bring the nose up, but the plane entered a death dive into the Java Sea. The crash, 11 minutes after takeoff, killed 181 passengers and eight crew members. The causes of the Oct. 29 accident are still being investigated by teams from Indonesia, Boeing and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. But the investigation is examining the role played by software intended to protect against pilot errors that have caused several deadly crashes around the world and whether the crew understood that system. When the aircrafts flight control system malfunctioned, the pilots had no clue that flipping a single switch in the cockpit would counteract the problem. They never pulled out of a mode of confusion and panic, said Hans Weber, a San Diego air safety expert and retired aerospace executive. As the aircrafts automated flight control system kept pushing the nose down, no matter how hard they tried to pull up, they didnt have enough leverage, he said. It seems crazy. Advertisement The accident involved many factors, including poor maintenance, inadequate pilot training and failure to report prior problems on the same aircraft, but the automated systems failure is a key focus of the investigation. Many of the questions about the accident may be resolved if and when divers recover the cockpit recording device from the ocean bottom. A second device, the flight data recorder, was found shortly after the crash. Traditionally, Boeing has been well known in the aviation world for a design philosophy that gives pilots significant authority over the aircrafts flight controls. By contrast, European manufacturer Airbus has highly automated its jetliners, limiting what actions pilots can take to adjust controls. But in an evolution of its normal practice, Boeing inserted in the 737 Max software that aimed to prevent pilots from pulling up the nose of an aircraft when they should push it down to counteract stalls and vice versa. Fatal crashes have occurred when pilots didnt heed stall warnings. In 2009, an Air France plane en route to Paris from Rio de Janeiro fell into the Atlantic Ocean after one of the pilots continued to pull the planes nose upward, despite multiple stall warnings. That same year, a twin-engine turboprop, operated by Colgan Air, crashed in Clarence City, N.Y., after the crew ignored stall warnings, killing 49. Engineers also redesigned the plane with bigger, more fuel-efficient engines that shifted the center of gravity forward, creating a potential for the aircrafts nose to pitch up after takeoff. Such a nose-high attitude can reduce the lift from the wings to the point that the aircraft literally starts to drop out of the sky. To safeguard against such a condition, the 737 Max software automatically adjusts what is called the trim or the fine adjustments on a planes rear stabilizer so that the nose could pitch down in certain conditions. The software was given the oblique name maneuvering characteristics augmentation system or MCAS. What Boeing did was take the pilot out of the loop, said Michael Barr, former director of USCs Aviation Safety and Security Program, which trains accident investigators. The concept was good, but the question is whether it was properly communicated to the pilots about what it is supposed to do and how it is supposed to work. Boeings viewpoint is that the procedure to handle a malfunction of the trim system did not change from prior generations of the 737 and that the ability of flight crews to disable the automatic trim is the same on its aircraft dating back decades. Since the accident, two airlines have placed sizable orders for the 737 Max, leading Boeing to believe that the accident will not tarnish the planes reputation. In a message to employees, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said the 737 MAX is a safe airplane. He denied media reports that we intentionally withheld information about airplane functionality from our customers and said the relevant function is described in the Flight Crew Operations Manual. We have not changed our design philosophy, Muilenburg told CNBC in an interview Thursday. These are airplanes that handled well in the control of the pilots. Theyre designed the same way our previous 737s are. But unions representing American and Southwest airlines pilots say they were unaware of the MCAS system before the Lion Air crash. American pilots who flew the 737 Next Generation aircraft, the prior model, were able to qualify to fly the Max by taking a 56-minute computer lesson to understand the differences between flying the two planes, said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Assn. and a captain. The MCAS system was not covered in that lesson. Proper functioning of the MCAS system depends on accurate measurements from outside sensors that report the angle at which the aircraft is flying whether it is cutting straight through the air or sliding at an angle. Its called the angle of attack. Those sensors on the Lion Air jetliner had malfunctioned for the previous two days. Maintenance crews thought they had fixed the problem but never got to the bottom of it. The serious problem should have been reported by Lion Air to civil aviation authorities around the world, but word was never sent out. The sensors were incorrectly telling the flight control computer the aircraft had a high angle of attack and was at risk of stalling. Seconds after the wheels left the ground, the pilots yoke began to shake, signaling the plane was flying too slow and the nose was too high. In error, the software automatically adjusted the stabilizer trim to point the nose down. Veteran pilots say the crew should have recognized something was causing what is known as runaway trim, in which the control system keeps increasing the trim an error that can be caused by as many as five conditions. The captain of Flight 610 was a 31-year-old who had just 6,028 hours of experience, few by U.S. standards. They had just taken off, and the stick was shaking, said Robert Ditchey, a former airline executive and a co-founder of America West Airlines. They should have known they were not stalling. You have all of the other instruments telling you that you are OK. You could look out the damn window. The stabilizer trim system is also controlled manually by large black wheels in the cockpit that the pilots can twirl around to adjust trim. An aircraft engineer said the pilots should have seen the wheels automatically spinning for as much as 10 seconds, which would have been a dead giveaway that the plane had entered a runaway trim condition. If the Lion Air pilots had figured out that the stabilizer trim was causing the plane to dive, they could have disabled the automated system with a simple switch on the center console or by manually moving the large trim wheels or by pushing a button on the trim wheels. Indeed, crews on the two prior flights on the same aircraft encountered the trim problem and simply shut down the system, avoiding any further risk, according to a preliminary accident report issued by Indonesian civil aviation authorities. John Cox, a veteran pilot and air safety expert, said the captain of the earlier flight dealt with the malfunction by turning over controls to the first officer early, so he could diagnose the problem. But on Oct. 29, the captain continued flying the plane well after takeoff. They are getting a cascade of fault messages, Cox said. The captain is hand-flying the aircraft and he is very close to task saturation, trying to figure out how these messages are connected and what is broken on the airplane. Weber said the accident was part of a culture problem, particularly among fast-growing Asian airlines, in which jetliners are operated as a computer rather than a machine controlled by hand. They are reluctant to fly the plane, he said. That cockpit culture was cited by many aviation experts in the 2013 crash of an Asiana jetliner in San Francisco that pointed out the weak manual-flight qualifications of the crew. As the latest crash investigation proceeds, airlines are moving to strengthen pilots understanding of the new software. In the U.S., the MCAS system was a hot item during a recurrent ground school training session that occurred this week for American Airlines pilots, union official Tajer said. Theres no question theres all hands on deck to make sure this never happens again and pilots are aware of the aircraft they take command of, he said. Clearly, we embrace technology but not when its done in the absence of knowledge and without the pilot understanding it. In the event that the technology fails, we are the last line of defense. ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com samantha.masunaga@latimes.com Twitter: @RVartabedian, @smasunaga During the trip, PM Hun Sen had talks with PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. He had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association and attended a business forum of the two countries. He also laid a wreath at the Monument to War Heroes and Martyrs and paid tribute to late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh at his Mausoleum in Hanoi. At the meetings, the two sides highlighted that Vietnam and Cambodia boast friendly neighbourliness and traditional cooperation and stood side by side in the struggles for national independence. This relationship is a precious common asset of the two peoples, therefore it needs to be treasured and developed unceasingly for the sake of future generations. They agreed to hold activities in both countries to mark the 40th anniversary of the victory over the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime (January 7, 1979) in order to educate young Vietnamese and Cambodians on their countries traditions. The leaders also agreed on major orientations for the promotion of bilateral ties under the motto sound neigbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability. They were unanimous in further enhancing defence-security cooperation to firmly safeguard each countrys peace, security and stability, while persisting in the principle of not allowing hostile forces to use a countrys territory to harm the others security, and coordinating closely to fight crimes and ensure security along the whole shared borderline. The two sides will step up collaboration in education, training, capacity building, agro-forestry-fisheries, culture arts, and people-to-people exchanges. They will also effectively keep dealing with outstanding problems, according to the leaders. Vietnam and Cambodia will work towards the signing of two documents to officially legalise the completion of 84 percent of the border demarcation and border marker planting in 2019, thereby helping to build a border of peace, friendship, cooperation and development. The countries will also increase coordination to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese-Cambodians livelihoods and ensure their legal status. Regarding regional and international matters, both sides shared the view on the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability in the region. In the immediate future, they will work closely together in 2020 when Vietnam will hold the ASEAN Chair and Cambodia will host the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit. On the occasion, PMs Hun Sen and Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a joint press conference and witnessed the signing of five cooperation documents, namely a government-level MoU on the Vietnam-Cambodia transport cooperation strategy for 2018-2025 with a vision to 2030; MoUs on the completion of negotiations on a border trade agreement and educational cooperation; the minutes on the completion of 84 percent of the border demarcation and marker planting work in the field and future plans for the work; and an agreement on the implementation of a project using Vietnams non-refundable aid for Cambodia to build various items in the community-based voluntary drug detoxification centre project in Preah Sihanouk province. For residents of Thousand Oaks, the past month has felt like the longest in city history. The Los Angeles suburb awoke on the morning of Nov. 8 to news that a dozen people had been gunned down at a local bar. The next day, fires sent people fleeing from their homes. Then came the funerals for those lost, sometimes with multiple services in one day. On the one-month anniversary of the shooting, officials and residents here say they are still grappling with the tragedys aftermath, especially as developments emerge. On Friday, police revealed the news that the officer killed at Borderline Bar that night was wounded by the officer he stormed the bar with. Many people in Thousand Oaks say they feel buoyed by the community solidarity that has surfaced in recent weeks; its not difficult to spot a Borderline Strong T-shirt around town. Yet the horror of the massacre still looms large, even for those not directly affected. Advertisement Owen Roberts, 20, says he is struggling with the idea that the name of his hometown might evoke the same feelings as Columbine. Before the shooting, Roberts had to explain where Thousand Oaks was 40 miles northwest of L.A., he would say. Now I say Thousand Oaks, and the only response I get is, Im so sorry, said Roberts, a student at Santa Monica College. I feel like the community was robbed of some sort of a peacefulness that itll never get back. The pain of the 12 lives cut short at Borderline is palpable at a makeshift memorial that has formed outside the bar. The street corner lined with crosses is piled knee-high with bouquets of lilies and roses. The air smells of overripe fruit from the aging petals. The tribute has grown so much over the past month that it now occupies the entire sidewalk, requiring visitors to stand in the street to look upon the pictures of those lost. Many say the outpouring of support has made them hopeful. They believe the strong community bond was bolstered in part by subsequent fires that forced neighbors to help one another as they evacuated and sought shelter. Since the back-to-back disasters, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for affected families. Some in town now sport tattoos of cowboy boots or hats, in honor of Borderlines country theme. Parents of the young people who died at Borderline have shown up at funerals for other victims they didnt know, just to demonstrate their support. Out of this tragedy weve become friends with folks we never knew before, Pastor Rob McCoy said during a church service Saturday in Thousand Oaks for two young men killed at Borderline. At the joint funeral for 21-year-olds Blake Dingman and Jake Dunham, family described them as close friends who loved dirt biking, cars and escaping to the desert on the weekends. Dunham, who had hemophilia and lost sight in one eye as a child, didnt let obstacles stand in his way, friends said. Dingman was a warm goofball, the friend who would pick you up at 3 a.m. when your car broke down. Blake and Jake were always the life of the party, the ones doing the dumbest and the craziest stuff, said Dingmans mother, Lorrie. As we have tried to wrap our heads around all of this, and put this tragedy in perspective, we have struggled. Vanessa Guzman from Palmdale takes photographs at the growing memorial at Moorpark Road and West Rolling Oaks Drive in Thousand Oaks near the Borderline shooting scene. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Elle Welch, who was raised in Ventura County, said the Borderline shooting feels particularly jarring because the gunman grew up in the area, which considers itself not just safe but also tight-knit. To have one of our own turn against us in such a heartbreaking, horrible, evil way, I think really rips through our community, Welch, a 43-year-old paralegal who lives in Oak Park. Yet, in the past month, she has seen neighbors hosing off one anothers houses to save them from flames. Some places in town had to begin turning away donations because they received so many, a reminder that the region is a place where we all stay together and stand together, she said. Something like a shooting is not going to take this away from us, Welch said. In Lisa Renshaws cul-de-sac in Newbury Park, the tragedy has had an unexpected outcome. She and her neighbors used to drink margaritas together every weekend, but that fizzled out when Donald Trump was elected president, said Renshaw, 60. No one wanted to argue about political differences, she said. Now, however, the sense of community has returned, with cocktail Saturdays becoming a possibility again, said Renshaw, a molecular biologist at the biotech company Amgen. I think it was kind of a slap in the face for us to remind us who we are and what we need to do to get back to that place, she said. Many say they are holding their loved ones closer as they continue to grieve alongside families who are not so lucky. On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered in Simi Valley to remember Sean Adler, a 48-year-old bouncer at Borderline who was killed in the shooting. Instead of the traditional black garb, many guests donned Hawaiian shirts, which Adler liked to wear. Friends described Adler as a hard worker and a prankster. With his wife and two sons, he liked to cook and concoct extravagant desserts, including something his son Derek called diabetes Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal with melted marshmallows and caramel. Derek, 12, told the audience that as a high schooler in Simi Valley, Sean Adler drove to the mountains at 4 a.m. to pack the bed of his truck with snow. He then started a snowball fight at school. But then it got kind of out of control and then he hit the vice principal in the head, said Derek, eliciting laughter from the room. Derek spoke alongside Riley, his best friend, who called Adler his second dad. He said that Adler helped him deal with bullies when he was younger. Even though Sean could be as rough as a rhino, he could also be as soft as a teddy bear, he said. He really helped me stand up to them when I didnt even know that was possible. Dylan, Adlers older son, lovingly described his father as a man with a big personality. When Dylan hated school, his dad helped him work through what he found challenging. He sat down and listened to him. He knew how to make someone feel better, the 17-year-old said. Nobody knew how great of a father he was except me and him, said Dylan. soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com Twitter: @skarlamangla The sky was tombstone gray last week when 200 people gathered to honor the lives of 1,457 people they did not know. It was L.A. Countys annual ceremony marking the burial of unclaimed remains, and this year, a few dozen of the deceased were children. County records offered only minimal information about the deceased. Most of the children died the day they were born, others were several months old. Brian Elias, chief of operations for the L.A. County Medical Examiner-Coroners department, told me some of the children were abandoned or born to transients who cant be tracked down. In other cases, theres a back and forth as parents try to raise funds for burial, and the county keeps remains for three years before going ahead with burials. Ive dealt with families that have had difficulty with the combination of grief over losing a child and not having the resources for services, said Elias. When I left the ceremony, I called Magda Maldonado, director of Continental Funeral Home in East Los Angeles. She told me last year that roughly half her clients have trouble paying mortuary and cemetery costs, and many of them find that its cheaper to fly bodies to Mexico for burial. Maldonado called me back on Thursday and said a family from La Puente had just lost a 10-year-old son and was planning a fundraiser to bury him. Hector and Maria Torres and their daughter Jocelyn, 21, were remarkably composed when I met them at Continental on Friday morning, just 24 hours after the death of Matthew Isiah Torres. But that would not last. The family had lived a relatively comfortable life, even if Marias income as a hotel clerk and Hectors job driving trucks for a disposal company barely covered the bills. Everything changed in October of 2016. I went to school to pick up Matthew, and he was limping when he came out, said Maria, who figured her extremely active child had fallen or bumped into something. Matthew said he didnt know what was wrong and insisted he was fine. But the pain in his right knee didnt go away, so Maria took him back to the doctor for X-rays that showed an abnormality. After a biopsy a week later, Matthew, 8 at the time, found out he had bone cancer. On my 40th birthday, he started chemotherapy and he fought very hard, said Maria, unable to hold back tears. A knee replacement was one option, but that would involve multiple surgeries and the disease might persist. Even as a baby, he was so independent and so strong, Jocelyn said of her little brother as her father fought tears. Jocelyn, Hector and Maria Torres of La Puente at Continental Funeral Home in East L.A., making arrangements for Matthew Torres, who died this week at the age of 10 after two years with cancer. Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times The family asked Matthew what he wanted to do. He chose amputation. As a mom, I wanted to see my baby whole, said Maria. I wanted to see him the way he was born, with two legs and a full life. Matthew said he didnt want to have to keep going back to the hospital and he stuck with his decision. We are so blessed to be the parents of a very unique individual, said Maria. When she and her husband were working, before Matthew got sick, Jocelyn looked after her little brother. I was like his second mom, and ever since he was a baby he wanted to sleep in my bed, said Jocelyn. Mom and Dad would work long hours and come home at 7, 8, 9 at night. I would get out of school and find my way to him, and he was my best friend. Five days after his amputation in early February of 2017, Matthew, whose sport was jujitsu, had to find new ways to stay busy. His mother bought him a remote control truck and his friend Junior from across the street would come play with him. A week after the amputation, a scan turned up cancer in Matthews lungs. On his 9th birthday in July of 2017, he was in the hospital, completing chemotherapy treatment and celebrating with red velvet cake. In the weeks that followed, the familys hopes rose. Matthew was recovering nicely and the cancer appeared to be in retreat. But three months later, it was back in his lungs. Matthew said he was not going to let the next round of chemo take his hair, so he took a pair of electric shears and shaved it off himself. This was not easy for him. He had thick dark hair and he took care to make sure to maintain it just so. On a video of the clip job, his nervous laugh can be heard. He would not submit to cancer, said Maria. Always, he would take control. Matthew taught himself to swim and learned how to ride a bike with one leg. His buddy Junior kept coming to play with him, and the boys didnt let Matthews illness get in the way of their fun. He was optimistic the entire time. He never had a why-me phase and he never complained about anything, said Jocelyn. He would always smile and laugh and make other people laugh, and he never felt sorry for himself, said Maria. As difficult as this last year was for him, you would never be able to tell he was going through this torture, Jocelyn said, convulsing in tears. Maria quit work to care for Matthew full time and make doctor and hospital visits, and Jocelyn got a job at InNOut to help pay bills. Hector Torres kept working until two months ago, when he tore a knee ligament at work and went on disability. Hectors Kaiser plan covered the bulk of Matthews medical bills, but the familys savings dwindled to nothing. Every time Matthew got a scan, the cancer had spread. Lungs, hips, his other knee, his ankle. In September, it went to his brain and a tumor was surgically removed. The family decided not to subject him to any more tests or hospital visits, and Matthew didnt ask why. In the last week, he called Junior to come play with him and the family heard the boys laughing in Matthews room. He called Marias godson over to watch a video with him and then they took a nap together. It was grace and courage all the way the through. The brave little boy was quiet on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning, at 11:15, the suffering was over. On Friday, while the family filled out paperwork at the mortuary, Magda Maldonado took me into her office and showed me a wall-board with the names of all the recent deceased. The list included 33 people who had been unclaimed by relatives, friends or anyone else this years. Hospice agencies had asked Continental to handle the bodies, and Maldonado said they were cremated and will be laid to rest in one of the upcoming annual county burials in Boyle Heights. She said 33 was the highest number ever for her mortuary in a single year. In California, wealth and poverty coexist like nowhere else in the nation, and for far too many people, death brings yet another bill too big too handle. Maldonado said fundraisers are common among those who come through her door. They are determined not to let their loved ones pass the old and young alike without the dignity of proper burials. The Torres family picked out and will pay for a $1,550 casket for Matthew. Hector Torres is the cousin of a man married to one of the Maldonados, and Continental will cover the mortuary costs. But the family was on the way to the cemetery Friday to make arrangements that may cost as much as $10,000, and the family is planning a food fest and silent auction to help cover the costs. Jocelyn left college to help care for her little brother. She said that in the hospital, she was moved by how compassionate and helpful Matthews nurses were, and she intends to become a pediatric oncology nurse. She left no doubt that she will be a good one. Hector and Maria seemed to find some strength in talking about Matthews embrace of life and his courage in facing death. They fought tears, but they smiled a lot too and held each others hands. In a week in which 1,457 poor souls were buried alone, but for the strangers who paid their respects, Matthew Isiah Torres was at least surrounded by family in his final hours. He was known; he was loved; he will be remembered. Get more of Steve Lopez's work and follow him on Twitter @LATstevelopez While President Trump continues to assert his innocence despite investigations moving closer to him, and to berate his accusers, both foes and allies nonetheless are grappling with a looming question: If what prosecutors say is true, what then? Allegations in court filings last week, if borne out, would constitute an impeachable offense, said the incoming head of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, on CNNs State of the Union program Sunday. But the New York Democrat quickly sounded a cautionary note: That doesnt mean his newly empowered party would actually seek to impeach the president. Nadler joined other lawmakers on Sundays television interview programs in citing the need for greater clarity to emerge from the wide-ranging Justice Department investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is looking into Russias interference in the 2016 presidential campaign and whether Trumps team coordinated with the Russians. A separate federal case in New York also focuses on Trump associates. Advertisement Despite the bipartisan calls for the process to play itself out, however, members of both parties suggested that the latest court documents marked a distinct milestone in the presidents deepening legal woes. Lets be clear: We have reached a new level in the investigation, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said on ABCs This Week. In a filing in New York, federal prosecutors asserted that shortly before the 2016 election, Trump directed Michael Cohen, then his personal lawyer and fixer, to arrange hush-money payments to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in an attempt to conceal extramarital affairs. Both women said they had sexual liaisons with Trump more than a decade ago, and prosecutors say the payments were intended to short-circuit any harm to Trumps presidential bid. Meanwhile, Muellers investigators wrote in their filings of previously undisclosed contacts between Russians and Cohen, including one at Trumps direction. That marked the latest challenge to Trumps long-standing denials of any collusion. Allies continued to defend the president, although at least one prominent Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, warned that Trump could imperil himself even further if he moves to pardon his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. Speaking on ABC, Rubio said he would advise strongly against such a pardon. I believe it would be a terrible mistake, he said. Pardons should be used judicially. Theyre used for cases with extraordinary circumstances. I havent heard that the White House is thinking about doing it. I know he hasnt ruled it out. Manafort was convicted on eight charges of tax evasion and bank fraud related to his previous work in Ukraine. After pleading guilty to two charges of conspiracy and agreeing to cooperate, he repeatedly lied to Muellers investigators after agreeing to cooperate, the special counsels team said. He faces a heavy sentence for the crimes. Nadler said on CNN that details in last weeks court filings suggested that Trump was at the center of a massive fraud perpetrated against American voters. They would be impeachable offenses, Nadler said. But he said of the alleged illegal hush-money payments, Whether they are important enough to justify an impeachment is a different question. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with the Senate Democrats, pointed out on NBCs Meet the Press that an impeachment is very different from a criminal prosecution. If such proceedings were initiated against Trump, he said, at least a third of the country would think it was just political revenge. King described impeachment as a last resort but said the filing in the Cohen case implicated the president in committing a felony. The key phrase for me is directed by President Trump, he said. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a frequent ally of the president, played down the hush-money payments, suggesting that campaign finance violations were largely a technicality. If were going to prosecute people and put them in jail for campaign finance, were going to have a banana republic, he said on Meet the Press. In January, control of the House along with its key committee chairmanships and subpoena powers will come into Democrats hands in the wake of their partys midterm election gains. Democrats have accused their Republican counterparts of serving as a bulwark for Trump, ensuring a lack of congressional oversight and executive accountability. The new Congress will not try to shield the president, Nadler said. Another incoming committee chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), called the extent of Trumps potential legal exposure breathtaking. Though Justice Department guidelines rule out the indictment of a sitting president, Schiff, a former prosecutor, said there was a very real prospect that Trump could be indicted as soon as he leaves office. Speaking on CBS Face the Nation, Schiff said Trump may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time. He added, however, I think we need to see the full picture to determine whether impeachment proceedings would be warranted, let alone other measures. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, claiming in a tweet Saturday that the latest court filings in fact vindicated him. That prompted head-scratching among legal experts, including the lawyer married to White House aide Kellyanne Conway, George Conway, who said the prosecutors assertions posed a significant new legal threat. On Sunday, Trump was back to raging on Twitter at a familiar target, former FBI Director James B. Comey, whose firing by Trump in May 2017 led to the appointment of Mueller as special counsel. Without providing evidence, the president accused the ex-director of lying to Congress during testimony last week. His Friday testimony was so untruthful! Trump tweeted. This whole deal is a Rigged Fraud headed up by dishonest people who would do anything so that I could not become President. laura.king@latimes.com @laurakingLAT Wisconsins Democratic Gov.-elect Tony Evers said Sunday hes not optimistic that outgoing Gov. Scott Walker will veto bills approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature that would limit the new governors power. Speaking on NBCs Meet the Press, Evers said he talked by telephone with Walker recently and appealed to him to veto the legislation, but that Walker was noncommittal. Evers, who will be sworn in Jan. 7 after narrowly defeating the two-term Republican last month, said Wisconsin voters did not elect him to fight over administrative powers with the GOP legislative majority. He said the lame-duck legislation approved by lawmakers after an all-night session last week gets us off to a bad start. And I think thats a mistake. But well continue working to get the people of Wisconsin to convince Scott Walker to think about his legacy and make sure that he vetoes this language, Evers said. Advertisement Walker has indicated that he generally supports the legislation though his office late last week said only that he was reviewing it. Walker has six days after the bills are delivered to him to either sign them into law, allow them to become law without his signature or veto them. He may also be able to line-item veto portions of them, depending on how they are drafted and whether they spend money. If Walker signs the bills, lawmakers can decide when the state can withdraw from lawsuits, and Evers would have to request permission to adjust programs that are run jointly with the federal government, such as Medicaid. The GOP measures also would empower legislators, not new Democratic Atty. Gen. Josh Kaul, to decide whether to withdraw Wisconsin from a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act. The bills also could make it harder for Evers to renegotiate a $3-billion subsidy spearheaded by Walker for a Foxconn Technology Group manufacturing facility in southeastern Wisconsin. If you look at this package of legislation, the Legislature is trying to say, You have to get our permission to do stuff. Were your supervisors, Lester Pines, a Madison attorney who frequently represents Democrats, has said. The Legislature is not the supervisor of the governor. A lame duck joins a crowd Tuesday at the Capitol Rotunda in Lansing, Mich., to protest far-reaching GOP legislation that would restrict the new Democratic administration. (Robert Killips / Lansing State Journal) Evers said Sunday that if Walker had won, We wouldnt be sitting here talking about this today. The incoming governor said the GOP moves are directly related to a Democrats win. Though Evers has said he might have to sue unless Walker vetoes the legislation, he said he is not making any promises one way or the other. I need to stand up for the people of Wisconsin, Evers said. A Walker spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday. In neighboring Michigan, where a Democrat also won the governors office this year, Republicans are considering proposals to strip campaign-finance oversight from the new Democratic secretary of state. With a Democrat poised to take control of the attorney generals office, lawmakers also want to take authority to intervene in lawsuits. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said Sunday he hadnt decided if hell sign or reject controversial bills from the Republican Legislature in the days before Democrats get control of major statewide offices in Michigan. During her 2017 confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said teachers may need guns, citing an elementary school that had grizzly bears nearby. The comment, understandably, elicited groans. But perhaps DeVos was on to something. Although there is no rationale for guns in the classroom, in Wyoming or anywhere else, there is indeed something stalking our public schools, and teachers should be armed accordingly. Let me explain. I am a new public school teacher. The charter elementary school where I work, while pedagogically inspiring and impressively staffed, is a reflection of our education system as a whole: sedulous people stretched too thin; classrooms with too many bodies; little, if any, funding. Talented young people have stopped seeing education as a long-term career goal. Advertisement My day starts at 6:30 a.m. I prepare for two hours before students arrive, as I wont have a break all day. I have a 40-minute lunch, but more often than not this small window is spent counseling an emotionally challenged student or hastily putting supplies out for the end of the day. I have no classroom help; I did have an aide for one hour a week, but that position was recently cut altogether. I have 27 students, including seven with either IEPs (Individualized Education Plans for special needs students) or 504s (behavioral plans for other state-identified disabled students). I am expected to adapt lessons to accommodate each of them while also supporting my other 20 students, all of whom have needs of their own. I have 27 papers, 27 quizzes, 27 projects, 27 small group assignments to grade weekly. I frequently pay for school supplies out of my own pocket including pencils but my salary is nominal. I have an advanced degree and I can barely pay my rent in Los Angeles. I live, truthfully, paycheck to paycheck. In case youre wondering: I am a good teacher. Room to grow, yes. Experience to garner, absolutely. But I am dedicated and passionate about childhood education. (On top of teaching, I host a childrens storytelling podcast.) And yet I cannot help but ask myself, daily, how so many people do this job. If someone as committed as I am to children and education is drowning in expectations, crying at night, falling prey to monthly illness due to lack of sleep, who does survive this business? I recently posted on social media a droll comment about the 27 report cards I was expected to write (one per child, five sections per report, four subsections per section, each requiring written comments to boot), yet with no paid work hours allotted to the task. The amount of affirmative responses I received was staggering. Colleagues and fellow teachers from past lives chimed enthusiastically, PREACH! and I feel your pain, too. And, my personal favorite, So sad. So insane. So accurate. Why has this been allowed to become the norm? The high-stakes testing. The poor wages. The cramped classrooms. The asks are too large. The needs, insurmountable. Even for young and energized teachers like myself, it is too much. Visit the Instagram account @bored_teachers for an unending, but accurate, supply of grievance content. This is the bear dangerously circling our schools. Despite decades of good intentions, policy changes enacted from either end of the political spectrum have failed. Today we have a profound disconnect between the Betsy DeVoses of the world policymakers, conservative and liberal alike, who have not spent time working in a classroom and the people who are actually in the trenches. Exasperated, this year hundreds of thousands of teachers protested, rallied or walked off the job in West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona and Washington. Unionized teachers in Los Angeles may strike in January. The common refrain: We cant take it anymore. Some small victories were won and 177 current teachers were energized to run for state legislatures but nothing near the level of systemic change thats needed. The whole education enterprise seems under threat. Turnover continues to climb as teachers burn out and leave the field. According to a 2016 study, Compared to high-achieving jurisdictions like Finland, Singapore, and Ontario, Canada where only about 3% to 4% of teachers leave in a given year U.S. attrition rates are quite high, hovering near 8% over the last decade, and are much higher for beginners and teachers in high-poverty schools and districts. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Talented young people have stopped seeing education as a long-term career goal. Who goes to college looking for a 60-hour-a-week job that might require a second job to keep mouths fed and electricity bills paid? Apparently, very few people at all. At California universities, enrollment in teacher preparation programs is down 20% from five years ago, and 70% from 2002. Schools are now in a vicious cycle. They cannot maintain enough qualified teachers, so districts hire underprepared candidates and wind up with overcrowded classrooms, which leads to frustration and turnover, which in turn threatens funding, causing schools to flounder, perpetuating low interest in entering teaching, and so on. This is the menacing and localized peril to schools. In lieu of literal weapons, teachers must be given the time and the tools to defend themselves and their classrooms from these unremitting threats. While students should be at the forefront of our thinking on public education, we simply cannot fix this systemic catastrophe without first arming teachers with what they need. Perhaps, to start, a few damn pencils. Natalie Babcock is in her second year of teaching elementary school in Los Angeles. She previously worked in early childhood education in the Bay Area. She also hosts Small Tales, a storytelling podcast for children. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook In 1982, my mother and I watched a wind-driven wall of flames descend a Malibu hillside toward our rented bungalow. Lucky for us, firefighters stopped the flames at the far edge of the asphalt road, just yards away. Ive since seen that same hillside burn four times. My childhood home in Santa Barbara, perched atop the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains with jaw-dropping views of the Channel Islands, burned to the ground in 1991, along with its entire neighborhood. In 2007, my stepfathers house in Malibu was incinerated by a brush fire fanned like a flamethrower by fierce Santa Ana winds. Those houses were rebuilt, using the same materials. When the next fire comes, they will probably burn again. We live in denial about the fact that most of California is a fire landscape. After the horrific loss of life and property in 2017 and 2018, we have to ask: Can we learn to live with fire? Will we restructure our communities to accept fire as something as inevitable as sun and rain? Building charming wooden houses among the trees as we like to do (see Topanga Canyon, Big Bear, Big Sur, Marin County, etc.) is a cultural hangover from wet Northern Europe, but totally inappropriate here. Our vegetation evolved to stoke flames: Much of it is referred to as pyrophytic, literally fire-loving, because the plants make themselves more flammable in order to encourage fire as a means of reproduction. Even coast redwoods have evolved to resprout after their trunks are burned because fire is present even in the rainforests where they grow. Clustering together into safer, more defensible communities would also allow people to shelter in place, as thousands did at Pepperdine. Advertisement The hardened masonry towns of the fire-prone Mediterranean are a much better model: Residences are clad with stone or stucco, roofed with tile, without deep eaves that can catch embers, and frequently clustered together to form a united front against both fire and human invaders. In the Woolsey fire in Malibu, such structures, both free-standing houses but especially stucco-and-tile roofed condo or townhouse complexes most built over the objections of neighbors worried about too much density in their rural-feeling city fared much better than their wooden neighbors. The key to fire survival is, in fact, planning for wind. Although defensible space and fire-resistant landscaping are important, no amount of brush clearance can prevent wind-carried embers from igniting susceptible buildings. With winds like Santa Anas roaring and humidity low, embers frequently can travel a mile through the air out ahead of the fire line and land on a house. Burning houses ignite their flammable neighbors in turn, leading to the kinds of nearly unstoppable structure-to-structure firestorms seen in Santa Rosa, Paradise and parts of Malibu. The Pepperdine University campus, explicitly modeled by architect William Pereira after the fire-hardened, pedestrian villages of Patmos, Greece, is an example of fire-conscious architecture and landscape design. Even though flames of the Woolsey fire ate up the surrounding hillsides, burned into parts of the campus, and actually blackened walls in numerous places, the university escaped essentially unscathed. Its buildings constructed with steel frames, concrete, stucco, tile roofs, no exposed wood, no deep eaves to catch flying embers occupy just 330 of the campus 830 acres and are clustered around paved plazas and lawns. They embody the architects vision of tightly knit buildings and protected open spaces. Since its construction in the early 1970s, the campus has survived six fires. Pereira crafted a master plan for the development of Malibu in 1965 along the same principles, calling for clustered houses surrounded by expansive natural preserves. The plan, commissioned in secret, was never made public, much less implemented, and Malibus hillsides and canyons were developed piecemeal and haphazardly, ignoring the reality of fire. If the plan had been used, many of Pepperdines neighbors might have fared better. Cities have learned in the past and changed when they rebuilt. The white villages of the Mediterranean, which evolved their defenses over millennia from simple wooden antecedents as the region was deforested and fire became endemic, offer one such example. After the Great Fire of 1666 destroyed London, timber buildings were banned. After Chicago burned in October 1871, losing 17,500 buildings and one-third of its wealth, new kinds of fireproof construction, including safety elevators and low-cost steel frames, allowed it to rebuild, upward, and the skyscraper was born. Neither city has suffered large conflagrations again. In California, changing our building types will help. As important is de-incentivizing scattering homes across high-hazard zones. That would include shifting the true cost of providing utilities, services and even firefighting, now subsidized by the more centralized majority, to those who choose to live in isolated locations. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Clustering together into safer, more defensible communities would also allow people to shelter in place, as thousands did at Pepperdine during the Woolsey fire. That would mean avoiding the dangers of crowded evacuation routes as tragically seen during the recent Camp fire, when hundreds of people had to abandon their cars on choked roads and flee on foot. Native Californians for at least 10,000 years used fire as a tool to manage the land, and, by burning frequently and in small patches, to limit the severity of unintentional wildfires. With more fireproofed and denser, semi-urban spaces, well be able to welcome fire back into our midst, in the form of managed (controlled is a bit of an overreach) burning. This is easier done in the forested landscapes of the north, where low-intensity undergrowth burns are possible, than in the dense chaparral of the south, and we may in fact be forced to retreat from some of the most fire-prone landscapes of Southern California. But if were to survive in an overheating California, we will have to become a fire-embracing society, no longer a fire-denying one. Wade Graham is the author of American Eden, a cultural history of gardens in America; Dream Cities: Seven Urban Ideas That Shape the World; and Braided Waters: Environment and Society in Molokai, Hawaii. He teaches urban and environmental policy at Pepperdine University. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook President Trump upended decades of U.S. policy that started with Richard Nixon when he declared that the goal of the United States was no longer energy independence but rather American energy dominance. This wasnt Trumpian hyperbole. Few policies have been pursued by the administration with more cohesiveness, zeal, and success or with more potential to yield great and lasting harm. Trump has unleashed a massive, untethered expansion of oil, natural gas and coal production, designed to make this country the worlds foremost dirty energy powerhouse. The policy not only worsens catastrophic climate change, it pushes the U.S. into a small and increasingly isolated club of autocratic regimes intent on maintaining a global commitment to fossil fuels. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke laid out Trumps energy policy in Secretarial Order 3351: Achieving American energy dominance begins with recognizing that we have vast untapped domestic energy reserves. For too long America has been held back by burdensome regulations on our energy industry. The Department is committed to an America-first energy strategy. Trumps policy brings the U.S. into a small and increasingly isolated club of autocratic regimes intent on maintaining a global commitment to fossil fuels. Advertisement Michael Nedd, then the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management, put it more succinctly: We want to make the BLM a better business partner for the oil and gas industry. Just four days after his inauguration, Trump fast-tracked the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Within four months of its being operational, in June 2017, North Dakota reached an all-time record high of producing wells, followed less than one year later by the highest daily oil production in the states history. In Trumps first six months in office, expansive orders and rule changes across federal agencies resulted in a virtually frozen regulatory process, with nearly 300 federal regulations specifically related to energy production and environmental protection affecting public health, worker safety, tribal sovereignty and the climate rescinded, withdrawn, or otherwise stalled by mid 2017. Nor did the administration stop there. The Environmental Protection Agency undid the Clean Power Plan and eliminated rules that regulated coal ash waste, required oil and gas companies to report and repair methane emissions, and limited toxic emissions from major industrial polluters. The EPA also took its climate change website offline, and Trump revoked several Obama-era executive orders on climate change. Congress opened up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Interior Department issued the first-ever oil production permits for federal waters in the Arctic. Ultimately, the plan is to open virtually all federal waters to oil and natural gas production. The department also rescinded rules that made offshore operations safer, put in place after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. On coal, the Interior Department lifted a moratorium on new leases on federal lands, and by the end of 2017, six straight years of decline in U.S. coal production was reversed. Early this year, the BLM changed its oil and gas leasing policy to limit public comment and environmental reviews, accelerate permitting, and expand leasing making six times the amount of public land available compared to two years ago. As a result, the number of oil and natural gas wells on lands administered by the Interior Department increased by an astounding 85% from 2016 to 2017. With the onslaught of new activity, a BLM official in New Mexico admitted that his team lacks the resources to enforce the rules that remain, and locals report increasing violations that include oil spills. Lawsuits and concerted organizing have limited some of the administrations actions, but failed to halt the effects of its energy policy.Under Trump, the U.S. has broken its own record for the highest amount of oil and natural gas ever produced in, and exported out of, the country. The International Energy Agency recently predicted that the U.S. is on track to produce half of the worlds total oil and natural gas output by 2025. At the same time, the president has failed to deliver on the promised benefits of American energy dominance. Instead of lower costs for U.S. consumers, the price of gasoline has been rising since 2016, and Thanksgiving drivers paid the highest pump prices in four years. After falling for two years, the price of electricity in 2017 was the highest in nearly 20 years, with 2018 on track to surpass it. And in place of freedom from dependence on foreign oil, U.S. imports of oil and natural gas are on the rise. Instead, Trump has ushered the United States into a new oil bloc. Now, the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia not OPEC dominate global oil supply. Energy strategist Julien Lee predicts that the actions of Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman will determine the future course of oil prices. Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion Trump has prioritized alliances with these oppressive, autocratic regimes, which are aggressively undermining global action on climate change. They wanted a more fervent partner in their struggle to save fossil fuels, and Trump has obliged them, not least by withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate accord. The White House is forcing the United States into greater dependence on fossil fuels, just as the worlds preeminent climate authority, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has made clear how crucial it is to give them up. In its latest report, the IPCC calculates that humanity has only 12 years to act or pass a point of no return. We simply cannot allow Trumps destructive policy to succeed. Antonia Juhasz is an energy analyst, author and investigative journalist. Her most recent book is Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill. @AntoniaJuhasz Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook To the editor: Who knew? Faith-based genital mutilation, a medieval practice embraced by some Christian and Islamic sects, persists throughout the world and even in parts of the United States. This misogynistic atrocity was contrived solely to deprive young females of the potential to enjoy sexual relations, and not for any plausible health benefits. The root problem is that many religions originated within patriarchal societies. Thus anthropomorphic deities invariably were designated as male, yielding organized religions headed by men obsessed with exerting control of womens bodies. If God were a female, mutilation of females genitalia would be unheard of. Advertisement Edgar M. Martinez, Orcutt, Calif. .. To the editor: Too bad the federal ban on female genital mutilation has been ruled unconstitutional. But take heart: The federal government can still end this faith-based travesty by having the Internal Revenue Service revoke the tax exemption of any faith group that abides genital mutilation. This punitive approach historically has helped discourage civil rights violations. In 1976, the IRS revoked the tax exemption enjoyed by evangelical campus Bob Jones University because of its ban on interracial dating. Years later, the university rescinded that odious policy to regain its exemption. Theres nothing like the threat of taxation to make religious groups rethink perverse precepts. Robin Groves, Pacific Palisades .. To the editor: I entirely agree with your editorial calling on states to ban female mutilation, but it doesnt go far enough. States should ban male genital mutilation also known as circumcision as well. Routine male circumcision is a barbaric practice that started for the same reason as female genital mutilation: Religious and tribal leaders wanted to discipline people to follow their ideas of sexual morality by altering their bodies to reduce the pleasure of sex. Both women and men should have the equal right to go through lives with their bodies, including their sex organs, in the form that nature made them and millions of years of evolution perfected them. Mark Gabrish Conlan, San Diego Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook As Novembers election results become clear, so does a new California conundrum: Voters may like the top-two primary which doesnt guarantee any political party a spot on the fall ballot but a lot of them skipped last months contests in which the only choices were candidates with the same party affiliation. It was not a lack of enthusiasm for the election. The percentage of registered voters who turned out was the highest for a regular gubernatorial election since 1982. Final results, expected later this week, will show about 12.7 million ballots cast statewide. But some races were left blank, in what elections officials call an under-vote. The reasons vary some voters get confused or forget, and others simply dont like either of the two contenders. A review of results from all 20 statewide races eight constitutional offices including governor, the U.S. Senate and 11 ballot propositions found three races were passed over by millions of voters. In each, both hopefuls were Democrats and the under-vote was substantial. Advertisement Californias new Legislature will look a lot like the old one and thats just what voters ordered Most glaring is a comparison between the total number of votes in the races for governor and lieutenant governor. Only 2% of California ballots didnt have a selection in the governors race won by Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, while 18% nine times as many skipped voting for or against Lt. Gov.-elect Eleni Kounalakis. In all, more than 2 million voters declined to pick the person who replaces the governor in the event of death, resignation or when he travels outside California. Sure, the job doesnt have much political sizzle. But in 2010 and 2014, 95% of all ballots had a selection for lieutenant governor. Even in this years June primary to winnow the field there were votes on almost 92% of ballots. Simply put, a sizable number of California voters were less enthusiastic by the fall. Things werent much better in the U.S. Senate race won by Sen. Dianne Feinstein over fellow Democrat Kevin de Leon, where there was an undervote on about 13% of the ballots. Thats only slightly better than the percentage of ballots left blank for the intraparty U.S. Senate election in 2016. Historically, the statewide race most skipped is for superintendent of public instruction, the only one where candidates dont list their political affiliation. Through the years, as many as one in four ballots have left this race blank this year, though, 83% of participating voters weighed in. That might be because of massive campaign spending from charter school advocates in a losing effort for Marshall Tuck against the ultimate winner, Tony Thurmond. No other statewide race received votes from fewer than 91% of ballots cast in November, even those for less prominent posts or overlooked ballot measures. And so the question is whether a lack of sharp contrast candidates who clearly seemed different from each other may explain the lack of interest. Supporters of the top-two primary promised more competition and more voter interest. Early in the governors race, there was buzz that a second Democrat, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, could end up on the fall ballot alongside Newsom. But the final results suggest more voters, ostensibly led by Republicans, might have left the race blank. Partisanship is not everyones cup of tea. More than one-fourth of all California voters have declared themselves no party preference in their registration. But parties remain a key part of the voting experience. In races where voters seem to know little about the candidates, party affiliation serves as a hint to the persons ideology and, even after efforts to limit the influence, still drives turnout. john.myers@latimes.com Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast The event was attended by former President Truong Tan Sang, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong, and Japanese businessmen and people living in the southern hub. Consul General Kawaue Junichi highlighted the Emperors contributions to deepening the sound relations between Japan and Vietnam. In 2018, the two countries have organised numerous activities to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the diplomatic ties, including events in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding localities. Consul General Kawaue Junichi thanked the local authorities and agencies for their sentiment, support and cooperation, and said he hopes to receive the citys continued support and collaboration in developing the ties between Japan and Ho Chi Minh City, therefore contributing to promoting the relations between the two countries. Chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong congratulated Emperor Akihito on his 85th birthday, and highlighted the ties between the city and Japan, especially in 2018. Japans total investments in Ho Chi Minh City exceeded US$ 4 billion in 2018, making the East Asian nation the fifth highest investor among 100 countries and territories investing in the city. More than 1,200 Japanese businesses have opened offices and factories in the city. Bilateral trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Japan reached US$ 5 billion in 2017. In the first half of this year, the city welcomed nearly 300,000 Japanese visitors. The same day, the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Association (VJFA) of Ho Chi Minh City held a get-together to mark Emperor Akihitos 85th birthday. One of the many reasons were lucky to live in Los Angeles is the variety of cuisines available. Not only can we get Thai food whenever we want, we can get food from different regions of Thailand. Take for instance the brand-new restaurant Thai Me Upp in a mini-mall on Pacific Avenue in Glendale. They have not only your classic Bangkok-style Thai with the flavors youve come to know and love like lime, mint and peanut, but they serve northern regional Thai food as well, featuring earthier flavors like Indian spices and braised meats. Thai Me Upp is a small, 12-seater restaurant with cool, modern design touches. It gets busy at lunch (11 to 2 weekdays) when they offer their $6.95 meal. The day I went, I felt very sorry for the one hostess/waitress. She couldnt get to all the tables and everyone was calling to her to bring this or that. It was like she was having a terrible waitressing dream (which former servers tell me is quite common). She didnt seem to care all that much though. It took a full 15 minutes for me to even get a glass of water. If youre running in for a quick lunch, be warned. If youre patient, though, you get a sizable meal for your $6.95. It starts with simple chicken broth soup, an egg roll, salad with peanut dressing and rice. They might be out of something, in my case the Coriander Chop. I opted for the Chicken on Fire instead. It was a full half chicken marinated in lemongrass and coconut milk, then grilled to an almost crispy finish. It was not fiery in any way but it was satisfying, especially with the grilled veggies alongside. My lunch mate tried the homemade Panang Curry bumped up a notch with their much-touted 12-hour brisket and braised yucca. I cant say the brisket was mind-blowing but the panang was thick and delicious. Ordering again for dinner takeout, the online form wasnt working properly. I called instead but they wouldnt accept my online-only discount coupon. They gave us free dumplings instead. That was nice. Our order otherwise was perfect and they were good enough to speed it up since my husband was already en route. As far as appetizers go, or tapas as they call them, the Sate is yummy ($7.95). The skewers of chicken, pork or filet mignon are marinated in Indian spices and served with Massaman peanut sauce and cucumber salsa. The egg rolls and fried dumplings are nothing special I wouldnt bother with those as appetizers. Go instead for the Sai Uau, a specialty of northern Thailand ($6.95). An herbaceous chicken sausage infused with red curry and aromatics, it is dense, meaty and packed with the scents of garlic, ginger, galanga, lemon grass and chile. The Ob Woon Sen was one of our favorites ($11.95). These glass noodles with XO sauce, shrimp onion, and mushroom also had tasty celery that you dont often see in Thai food. Seems theres a Chinese influence here as XO (ex-oh) is a classic Chinese sauce found in Biang Biang noodles made with dried seafood, peppers and ham. We didnt try the Pad Thai or Tom Kha soup, our standard go-to Thai dishes, but theyre probably good. We did get the Larb, though, and it was another favorite ($8.95). Ground chicken with a zippy chili-lime sauce tasted great piled into the accompanying lettuce leaves. Their desserts look fun and unusual. The Thai ice cream sandwiches are made with Hawaiian sweet bread, condensed milk, sweet beans and preserved fruit. Beverages are unique as well chrysanthemum ice tea and seasonal vinegar drinks. For something a little different but still familiar, try Thai Me Upp. -- What: Thai Me Upp Where: 818 N. Pacific Ave., Glendale When: Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. except Saturday (4 to 9:30 p.m. only); closed Wednesday Prices: tapas, soup, salad, curries, chefs specials, $4.25 to $16.50 Contact: (818) 696-1277; www.thaimeuppla.com -- LISA DUPUY welcomes comments and suggestions at LDupuy@aol.com. Can you feel your toes? Marion, our German guide scream-shouted at me over the howling polar winds blasting us. Youd better change your socks. I don't want you to get frostbite. I nodded and headed to my dog team. I was on Day 5 of a weeklong dog-sledding expedition, and our group was stranded, frozen in the ice in the middle of a massive lake somewhere north of Kiruna, a small mining town about 125 miles inside the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland. I had grown up reading The Call of the Wild, by Jack London, and I had always dreamed of going on a dog-sledding adventure. I had spent the better part of the last year researching and planning this trip, and now here I was, thousands of miles from home, in subzero temperatures, and the word frostbite had just been dropped casually. I was definitely out of my depth. The walk back to my sled was not easy. Although the ice was frozen solid, the weather in the first few weeks of last December had been unseasonably warm. This created a condition in which ice water pooled on top of the lake ice, which was then covered by a layer of snow. With every step, my boots would crack through the snow, then sink through 18 inches of freezing cold water that flooded them. Step-crunch-sploosh, step-crunch-sploosh. At this point, I couldnt feel my feet, let alone my toes. As I neared the sled, my team of four Siberian huskies jumped up happily and started barking and howling. They were ready to go. (Lou Spirito For The Times) Sorry guys. I said, as I unzipped my bag. Were gonna be here awhile. I started digging through the underwear, thermals and flannel shirts I had carefully packed earlier that day, trying desperately to find a pair of dry socks. I pushed aside the Crocodile Dundee-style hunting knife I had bought for the trip. It was 8 inches long, with a gnarly-looking blade and its own holster. Id nicknamed it The Widowmaker. Just in case I get frostbite and have to cut off a toe! I had said to my friends back home while I was showing it off. Ha, ha. I said. Ha, ha, ha, my friends replied. The joke didnt seem quite as funny now. Now here I was in the middle of nowhere, about 1,500 miles from the North Pole, facing the reality that I might lose some toes. At this point I had been through my bag twice and somehow, inexplicably, could not find my socks. How did I get here? I wondered. No Titanic View from the rear. As we wait to climb a hill, our guide makes adjustments to another guest's sled at the front of the group. Scott Fritz Logistically, the how was easy. I had flown from LAX to Stockholm Arlanda Airport (transferring at Londons Heathrow). After spending the night and the better part of the next day wandering around the picturesque alleys in Gamla Stan (Old Town), I boarded an SJ overnight train at Stockholms Central Station, bound for Kiruna. Fifteen hours later, I arrived in Swedish Lapland. At first glance, Kiruna looked like something out of an 80s Bond movie. The town was industrial, with what appeared to be huge refineries everywhere, and was covered in snow. Although it was almost 10 a.m., the sun wasnt up. I arrived just as the polar night was beginning, so the sun never rose above the horizon. Each day we had about four hours of a gorgeous blue twilight before being plunged back into darkness. A dog handler from Jukkasjarvi VildmarksTurer, the company guiding the expedition, picked me up at the train station. After a short drive through town, we arrived at base camp, a sprawling complex of shared cabins and kennels for several hundred howling, perpetually excited huskies. By evening, everyone in our group had arrived. There were three women from Germany, one from Ireland, a chef from Switzerland and myself. After we got to know one another over homemade chili, Marion, our guide, walked us through all the horrifying ways we could lose limbs by acting stupid on our sleds. My team of dogs for the week. From left: Luis, Kaja, Omna, and Sunny. The dogs are affectionate, and it's easy to form a bond with them as they work to pull you through the wilderness for the week. Scott Fritz I dont want to see anyone doing the Im the king of the world! crap from Titanic, she said, raising her arms over her head and pantomiming Jack. Every year, some idiot does this, loses his balance and falls off the sled. Then I have to go chase down his dogs. No Titanic. Solemnly, we all vowed there would be no Titanic reenactments. The next morning we were awakened by the excited barks and howls of the dogs. After a quick breakfast, the guides took us to our sleds, where they introduced us to our dog teams and showed us how to harness them to our sleds. After loading our gear and receiving some quick instructions on how to steer the sled with our body weight, we were off. For the next week we spent our days dog sledding through the rugged countryside. At night, we stayed in rustic cabins that lacked electricity and running water. We chopped our own wood, drew our own water and took care of the dogs as if they were our own. Our daily schedule was straightforward: Wake up, feed the dogs, eat breakfast, pack our sleds, harness the dogs, then spend four to five hours sledding through spectacular forests and crossing frozen rivers and lakes. Sometimes we would hit deep snow and have to push our sleds as the dogs strained and jumped to pull us through. While staying overnight at one of the cabins, we discovered a previous guest had built an igloo. Scott Fritz At night, after we arrived at our cabin and fed the dogs, we ate fantastic traditional Swedish meals prepared by Marion. Some of the cabins had wood-fired saunas, so we were able to relax and shower. We would often go entire days without seeing any other people, and the remoteness of the area meant there were no cell signals or internet. The temperature, on average, hovered around 14 degrees, but we were wearing thermal jumpsuits and insulated boots and mittens issued to us by the tour company, so the cold wasnt much of an issue. At least, it wasnt an issue until the day we got stuck on the lake. Rescue and rewards By now we had been frozen in place for more than an hour, and it was starting to get dark. The temperature dropped to 4 below zero and the wind started to howl. Marion brought me a fresh pair of socks from her sled and some plastic bags to line the inside of my boots. Hey, Katharina. If things get really bad, we need to make a pact not to eat each other, I said to one of the German women after Marion walked away. Katharina was too cold to appreciate my dark humor. Then as the last of the twilight faded, we heard engines roaring, and as we looked across the lake, we saw snowmobiles bee-lining toward us. Marion had used a satellite phone to call for backup, and two guides had come to rescue us. Working quickly, one guide pulled our sleds free and knocked the ice off them while the other plowed a path for us out of the slush. The dogs jumped and barked and pulled, towing us to safety. Once we made it to shore, the snowmobiles departed, tearing across the lake and leaving us alone in the wilderness. We rode silently in a line, just the jangle of the dogs harnesses and the quiet shoosh of the sleds runners gliding across the snow. Above us, the Northern Lights appeared and slowly grew more intense, carving long, greenish streaks across the sky. The Northern Lights over base camp just outside of Kiruna. It had always been a life goal of mine to see them, and they turned out to be one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed. Scott Fritz As our group rounded a curve, I looked ahead and saw our cabin for the night. The dogs seemed to recognize where we were too, and they picked up their pace. It takes a certain mindset to visit Swedish Lapland in the winter. Its dark, cold and remote, and the trip isnt for everyone, but theres something to be said for embracing the adventure, the otherworldly nature of traveling here. The people are warm and inviting, and the scenery is unparalleled. We pulled up to the cabin and I braked, then anchored my sled. I couldnt feel the toes on my left foot and my face was covered in ice, but I was having the time of my life. If you go THE BEST WAY TO KIRUNA, SWEDEN From LAX, United, Air Canada and British offer connecting service (change of planes) to Stockholm. Restricted round-trip airfare from $1,104, including taxes and fees. SAS flies round trip from Stockholm to Kiruna several times a week. For the more adventurous, you can take the SJ Rail overnight train from Stockholm to Kiruna. Sleeper cabins are shared on the 15-hour ride. Sleeper cabin tickets start about $190 round trip. THE TOUR Jukkasjarvi VildmarksTurer provided all dogs, sleds, winter gear and cabins for the trip. I paid about $1,800 for my expedition. March is the best time to go. The worst of the winter weather has passed, and the days are getting a little longer, meaning more time sledding in daylight, and clear night skies to watch the Northern Lights. WHAT TO BRING Because your sled is being powered by four dogs, you are limited in what you can bring and it must fit into a small duffel. Youll need thermal underwear, warm clothes to wear under the thermal suit, clear goggles, at least two pairs of gloves (one pair should be junky for working with dogs), soap and toiletries, many pairs of socks (I bought double-layered socks at REI, and they worked well), hand warmers and a camera. You will also need warm, casual clothes for hanging around the cabin at night. If you can grow a beard, you should do that. Otherwise bring a face shield. Last but not least, you will need a headlamp and lots of extra batteries. The cabins do not have power, so theres no place to charge batteries, etc. Bring at least two backups. Support our journalism Please consider subscribing today to support stories like this one. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Already a subscriber? Your support makes our work possible. Thank you. travel@latimes.com @latimestravel A cardinal dispatched by the Vatican to Algeria held an unusual beatification ceremony on Saturday for 19 monks, nuns and other Catholics who were killed during Algerias civil war in the 1990s. It was the first such ceremony in the Muslim world, according to Algerias religious affairs minister. It came after Pope Francis recognized all 19 as martyrs in January, paving the way for Saturdays ceremony in the western Algerian city of Oran. Beatification is a step in the process of being declared a saint. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, celebrated Saturdays Mass at the Notre Dame de Santa Cruz basilica as the popes special envoy. Those honored included seven French Trappist monks who were abducted from the monastery of Tibhirine, south of Algiers, in 1996. Soon afterward, their skulls were discovered nearby; their bodies were never found. A radical group was blamed for their beheadings, but some observers have suggested Algerias military was responsible. Advertisement The Algerian president agreed to allow and co-organize the beatification events in Algeria, despite some lingering tensions over the deaths. Algerias religious affairs minister, ambassadors from several countries and other foreign dignitaries attended the event. A moment of silence was held for all the victims of what Algerians call the black decade, when some 250,000 people were killed as the army fought an Islamist insurgency. The ceremony also honored 99 imams killed in the fighting. The bishop of Oran, Jean-Pierre Vesco, also took a moment to honor the Algerian driver of a bishop who was killed in an attack in the city in the 1990s. Pope Francis invited a crowd of about 30,000 faithful in St. Peters Square Saturday to give a round of applause to the newly beatified in Algeria. These martyrs of our times were faithful announcers of the Gospel, humble builders of peace and heroic witnesses to Christian charity, the pope said. He added that their courageous witness is a source of hope for the Algerian Catholic community and a seed of dialogue for the entire society. Francis added his wish that the beatifications would be a stimulus to build together a world of brotherhood and solidarity. Armenians are set to vote in a snap parliamentary election Sunday that is expected to cement the rule of the new prime minister who spearheaded the massive protests earlier this year that forced the resignation of his predecessor. The charismatic 43-year-old Nikol Pashinian, who took office in May, pushed for the elections in a bid to win control of a parliament that was dominated by his political foes. Pashinian, a former journalist turned politician, has tapped into public anger over widespread poverty, high unemployment and rampant corruption in the landlocked former Soviet nation of 3 million that borders Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran. His fiery rhetoric and easy style have helped boost his popularity. Opinion polls have indicated that Pashinians My Step alliance is set to sweep the vote, while the Republican Party that controlled the old parliament is trailing far behind. Advertisement The protests in Armenia erupted in April when Serzh Sargsyan, who had served as president for a decade, moved into the prime ministers seat, an action seen by critics as an attempt to hold on to power following a constitutional reform that had shifted most power to the prime ministers office. Thousands of protesters led by Pashinian thronged the center of the Armenian capital, forcing Sargsyan to step down days later. The former president has kept a low profile and his Republican Party has largely remained on the defensive, reluctantly submitting to Pashinians demand to hold early parliamentary elections. During the monthlong campaign, Pashinian has blasted members of the old elite as corrupt and pledged to revive the economy, create new jobs and encourage more Armenians to return home. We have carried out a political revolution, and now we must make an economic revolution, Pashinian said on a recent campaign trip. We set big and difficult goals and we will achieve them, because we are a powerful, victorious free and happy nation. The Republican Party shot back at Pashinian, criticizing what it described as his populist statements and divisive rhetoric. Pashinian has been unable to solve social problems, so he has turned to making shows, snapped Eduard Sharmazanov, a Republican Party member who served as deputy speaker. On Friday, an Armenian court put former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in custody on charges linked to a police crackdown on a 2008 protest. Kocharyan rejected the charges, calling them a political vendetta by Pashinian, who staged the 2008 postelection protest. The Republican Party denounced the ex-presidents arrest as an attempt by Pashinian to create an atmosphere of fear and to pressure political opponents. Armenia has been weakened by an economic blockade stemming from the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a six-year separatist war in 1994. Both Azerbaijan and Turkey have closed their borders with Armenia over the conflict, cutting trade and leaving Armenia in semi-isolation. The country has direct land access only to Georgia and Iran. About one-third of Armenias population has moved to live and work abroad and remittances from those who have left account for about 14% of the countrys annual GDP. Armenia is highly dependent on Russia, which provides loans and serves as the main source of imports and the top export market. Russia has a military base in Armenia and sees relations with Yerevan as strategically important. Pashinian has pledged to maintain and strengthen ties with Moscow. The Kremlin, which resented the protests that swept out unpopular leaders of other ex-Soviet nations in the past, has responded calmly to the abrupt change of power and has sought to establish a dialogue with Pashinian. Armenias commitment to strong strategic relations with Russia is intact, said Armenias Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan. We may have varying approaches to various issues, but strategic partners are strategic partners. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Rohingya Sympathisers Open Letter to Union Home Minister Honble Home Minister, We understand from news reports that under instructions from your Ministry, the intelligence agencies, have prepared a State-wise list of several organisations and individuals, who are sympathetic to the Rohingya refugees in India and are providing assistance to them. According to the news story published in The Pioneer (November 19), the list includes the names of a former Ambassador, top lawyers, civil society members and a professor of a renowned university as well as organisations like the Delhi-based Working Group on Alternative Strategies, Bondi Mukti Committee, Kolkata, Kerala Muslim Culture Centre and Amnesty International, India and several others. Honble Home Minister, we are sympathisers of the Rohingyas. They are the most persecuted community in the world. Thousands of people around the world express sympathy with the Rohingya community as they have been subjected to massacres, rape, torture, confinement in concentration camps and denial of health care, education and employment by the military junta of Myanmar and the current government under Aung San Suu Kyi. Several governments around the world, Nobel Laureates like Mairead Maguari of Northern Ireland, Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, Amartya Sen and Irans Shirin Ebadi, civil society organisations and the UN Fact Finding Mission have concluded that the Rohingyas are the victims of an ongoing genocide. In 2016, twelve Nobel Laureates in an open letter to the UN Security Council in December of 2016 requested intervention to end human crisis in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. We may add that earlier, the UN SGs Special Adviser for Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, had also called for an impartial investigation into the violence in Arakan/Rakhine State. While a few thousands of Rohingyas are in India, there are more than a million in Bangladesh. In addition, hundreds of thousands of the members of this persecuted community are scattered all over the region of South-East Asia and South Asia. The systematic persecution of the Rohingya ethnic community has been going on since the 1970s. In 1977 the military junta began Operation Nagamin or Dragon King. In the name of screening the population for foreigners and relocation of Muslim villagers, the Army carried out widespread looting, rape, arson and the desecration of mosques. As a result of continued assaults by the Buddhist vigilante groups and Myanmar Army, which has been described as slow burning genocide, more than half-a-million Rohingyas were already out of their country by 2017 when Myanmars military, on the pretext of retaliating the attack by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, launched a massive reign of terror which led to one of the most catastrophically fast refugee exoduses in modern times. More than 780,000 Rohingya Muslims had to flee Myanmar to Bangladesh. The widespread, systematic, pre-planned burning of tens of thousands of Rohingya homes and other structures in Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Rathedaung townships of Rakhine State by the military, Border Guard Police and vigilantes across northern Rakhine State from August 25 until at least October 2017 has been documented and analysed by many independent civilian groups, governments including the USA and the UN. The UN Independent Fact Finding Mission, in its report to the UN Security Council, has called for the investigation and prosecution of Myanmars Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and his top military leaders for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. You are aware that Myanmars military dictatorship had stripped the Rohingyas of their citizenship by enacting a new citizenship/nationality law in 1982. This law violates the long established globally accepted norms of nationality and a series of international legal instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There is abundant evidence that the Rohingyas were living in Arakan even before the arrival of the Buddhists in Rakhine. However, moving away from history, let us point out that there is no getting away from the fact that no state can render stateless, as a matter of policy, people born in its territory under the UN Charter. If a person is born on the territory of a country, and has no other legal citizenship, then they must be given citizenship by that country. The Rohingyas are Burmese by birth and, according to international law, it does not matter where their distant ancestors might have come from. And no amount of history, factual or fabricated, can change that basic fact. No amount of history can then justify any attempt at ethnic cleansing. Honble Home Minister, the entire world knows that Rohingyas are victims of an ongoing genocide. Yet, your Junior Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed that since the Rohingyas were illegal migrants they could be deported. Raj Dharma, which you claim to be following, dictates that you must protect the oppressed and the vulnerable. Yet a letter issued by your Ministry said: Illegal migrants are more vulnerable for getting recruited by terrorist organisations. ... Infiltration from [Myanmars] Rakhine state ... into Indian territory, especially in the recent years, besides being [a] burden on the limited resources of the country, also aggravates the security challenges posed. Is it not the duty of the state to guard the vulnerable against the unscrupulous and are we such a small country that we cannot accommodate 40,000 refugees? Though the Rohingyas do not live in refugee camps. The Indian state, unlike a much poorer country Bangladesh, has never bothered to provide the Rohingya refugees with any economic assistance. The Rohingyas, living in India, work for their living, thus adding to our gross national income. Instead of protecting the Rohingya refugees, it appears that you are allowing the anti-Rohingya sentiment to grow. In 2017, in Jammu, where about 5500 Rohingyas were living, leaders of several Hindu groups aligned to your party, the BJP, began a campaign to expel Rohingyas from the region. Like the Buddhist extremists of Myanmar, they put up posters naming Rohingyas as Bangladeshi Muslim migrants, connecting up with long-standing prejudice against Bangladeshi migrants in Assam and the North-Eastern States. They threatened a campaign to identify and kill Rohingyas if the government did not deport them. [Also] in September 2017, Rohingya refugees living in Rajasthan were asked to leave. Since the publication of the report in The Pioneer there have been several calls on the tweeter and internet for action against the sympathisers of the Rohingyas. The Rohingya sympathisers are being called pseudo-seculars and liberals, and have been falsely blamed for demanding that the government provide the Rohingyas with a home and other necessities. Already there are calls for arresting and prosecuting the Rohingya sympathisers for supporting terrorists and killers of Hindus and Buddhists. Several BJP leaders have been saying that Rohingya Muslims should not live here and nor should those who sympathise with them. We wonder what will be the next step of your Ministry. Will you prepare a case against the sympathisers of Rohingyas like that in which several academics, poets, writers, lawyers and human rights defenders are being persecuted for alleged links with the Maoists in the Bhima-Koregaon case? Last year in August (2017), when human rights groups condemned the government for seeking to deport the Rohingyas, Minister Rijiju had claimed, India is the most humane nation in the world. Millions of refugees live in India. There is no other country in the world which hosts so many refugees. Yes, Honble Home Minister, that is the glorious tradition of our country. We have never turned people back to where they would be tortured, raped and killed. That is the essence of our ethos. Yours sincerely, Tapan Bose , Filmmaker, Delhi; Anand Patwardhan , Filmmaker, Mumbai; Rita Manchanda , Researcher, Author, Delhi; Sumanta Banerjee , Author, Cultural Historian, Hyderabad; Bharat Bhushan , Editor, Columnist, Delhi; Sahana Basavapatna , Lawyer, Bengaluru; Nandini Sundar , Academic, Author, Delhi; Farah Naqvi , Author, Journalist, Delhi; Arundhuti Dhuru , Feminist, Social Activist, Lucknow; Sandeep Pandey , Social Activist, Writer, Lucknow; Jawed Naqvi , Writer, Journalist, Delhi; A.K. (Dunu) Roy , Social Activist, Writer, Delhi; Dinesh Mohan , Academic, Author, Delhi; Alok Rai , Academic, Allahabad; Om Prakash Mishra , Academic, Kolkata; Sushil Khanna , Academic, Kolkata; Ranabir Samaddar , Academic, Kolkata; Pradip Bose , Academic, Kolkata; Gautam Mody , General Secretary, New Trade Union Initiative, New Delhi; Ravi Himadri , Director, Development and Justice Initiative, Delhi. November 26, 2018 Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Arrest of Urban Naxals decried at Public meeting in the Capital A public meeting was held at the Constitution Club on Saturday, December 1, 2018 to discuss the worrisome trend of anti-terror laws being used to stifle democratic dissent by harassing civil rights lawyers, poets, writers. The meeting was called by the group of petitioners who had approached the Supreme Court in the matter of the arrest on August 28 of persons alleged to be urban Naxals (Varavara Rao, Sudha Bharadwaj, Gautam Navlakha, Arun Fereira and Vernon Gonsalves). Their petition, supported by more than 30 senior lawyers affiliated to the Supreme Court, was eventually rejected. Four of the five accused are currently in jail in Pune while the fifth (Gautam Navlakha) is continuing to fight a legal battle for his liberty. The charges are quite dramatic, including a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister with arms and ammunitions smuggled in from abroad, but have not yet been supported by any credible evidence. The police claim to have some incriminating letters, but they have not produced them in court. The gross mismatch between the seriousness of the allegations and the slow pace of investigation suggests that the authorities are more interested in harassing the accused than in proving their case. Prof Romila Thapar (Professor Emeritus at JNU, and the first petitioner in the Supreme Court case) introduced the subject. Others who spoke included rights activist Aruna Roy, senior journalist N. Ram and leading public interest lawyer Prashant Bhushan, Prof Zoya Hasan (retired Professor of Political Science at JNU), Vrinda Grover (eminent lawyer), Bhasha Singh (well-known journalist) and Anirban Bhattacharya (student activist). Introducing the discussion, well-known historian Romila Thapar recalled that dissent and diversity of views were common in Indian history and were considered quite normal. She stressed that dissent is not an act against the state but an essential aspect of any democray. Noted public interest lawyer Prashant Bhushan said that it is a complete perversion of our system that people can be locked up for having dissenting views. He emphasised that we have to fight against unconstitutional laws like the UAPA, NSA, AFSPA, law of sedition and criminal defamation that are being used to suppress dissent and intimidate political opponents. We have to fight to repair our institutions and to get rid of communal poison. Deploring the lack of independence in much of the media today, senior journalist N. Ram recounted the recent use of an unknown provision of the lawArticle 124Aagainst a Tamil magazine Nakkeeran. He said that the case for freedom of speech had to be made much stronger than simply liberal ideas so that they include notions of justice. He called for an educational campaign that would link the freedom of speech to the importance of dissent and protest. Stressing the importance of the Supreme Court petition for the media, well-known journalist Bhasha Singh reminded the audience of the change in the tone and tenor of reporting on the arrests of the alleged urban Naxals after this petition. The prefix alleged was suddenly remembered and inserted where before the states accusations were taken at face value. The case and the unprecedented award of house arrest forced the media to rethink its role. Young activist and scholar Anirban Bhattacharya said that those in power have a three D strategydivide, divert and demonise. He said that various invented terms like anti-national and urban Naxal are being used to pursue this strategy and a big effort is needed to detoxify our society. Targeting of free speech on such a scale has not been seen since the Emergency, according to the eminent political scientist Zoya Hasan. What sets this regime apart from previous ones is its focus on inventing internal enemies. The aim here is not to target real enemies of the state but to deligitimise dissent and to disenfranchise minorities and vulnerable groups. That is why this regime is more dangerous than the previous ones because it is trying to build a majoritarian state. Rights activist Aruna Roy said that in her travels across the country in recent times she had been struck by the popular opposition to the arrest of the alleged urban Naxals. She said that the government and ruling party is attacking activists of various kinds precisely because these activists are able to expose the hollow claims of the regime. All the speakers expressed grave concern at the misuse of special laws for muzzling dissent and suppressing democratic rights. They highlighted the need to make the state accountable for its actions and for ensuring that the protections offered by the law were not denied. They also strongly condemned the selective use of the state machinery and draconian special laws by those in power to wage war against their political opponents. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Asia-Pacific and Indo-Pacific: Indian Dream versus the Indian (...) by Shrabana Barua With the rebalancing of the Asia strategy of the Trump Administration, Indo-Pacific as a term began to overlap with that of Asia-Pacific. Though broadly both these terms roughly point to the region east of the Indian subcontinent and beyond, there are fundamental differences between the two that India should not overlook. While Asia-Pacific has an economic overtone to it, Indo-Pacific has evolved within a strategic context and can be said to be a concoction mostly of the West that is rather politically motivated. With these distinctions in mind there are opportunities and challenges for India at both the economic and security levels. Interestingly the China factor has influenced the shaping of interactions in both senses. But while Indias dream in the Asia-Pacific is one with wings, its involvement in the Indo-Pacific is a fairy-tale aiming to be a reality in the 21st century. Asia-Pacific and Indo-PacificTug of Word The Asia-Pacific region refers to that part of Asia which lies in the Pacific rim along with what is known as Oceania, that is, the western Pacific countries. There is no specific number to enumerate the states that comprise the Asia-Pacific. The countries in this region have engaged with each other at various levels bilaterally or multilaterally. So has India. But the most prominent interactions within and without the region have been that at the economic level. This is a feature of the Asia-Pacific that distinguishes it from the Indo-Pacific, a word increasingly used today. The Indo-Pacific refers to the littorals of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The term is widely used to emphasise the growing importance of the blue economy and has a strategic ring to it. India does not fall within either the Asia-Pacific grouping nor is it the torch-bearer of the Indo-Pacific vis-a-vis China, as most confuse it to be. To borrow the words of Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Indo-Pacific as a term only linguistically, recognises Indias centrality1 in the contem-porary order. Indo-Pacific is indeed an evolving geo-political constellation. In a piece titled, Indo-Pacific vs Asia-Pacific: Contending Views?, Alan Chong and Wu Shang-Su trace the idea of the Asia-Pacific back to the World War II era when the decolonisation process found manifestations of solidarity in ideas like Pan-Asia, Asian Relations Conference and the like.2 The West, on the other hand, attempted to connect itself to the Asian continent through groupings like the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) and South-East Asian Treaty Organisation (SENTO) that reflected some sort of an Indo-Pacific alignment in the 1950s. However, the authors are of the opinion that it is Asia-Pacific that has the prospect of assimi-lating the Indo-Pacific within its fold in future. The reason is the developmental roadmap projected by China in the 21st century.3 Indias policy towards its east has been hinged on its two decade-old Look East Policy announced in 1992. From the early 1990s with the opening up of the Indian economy New Delhi fostered positive relations with many countries. It was also the time when Asia-Pacific got its economic identity with the formation of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 1989. The Asian Highway Project, commissioned in 1992, further increased the trans-Asian network in the region. These initial developments shaped the kind of link India had with what is referred to as the Asia-Pacific, a term that has crystallised over time. Interestingly, it was not China that shaped the nature of these developments but Japan. Fearing an economic overtake by this overly industrialised country, the countries in the Asia-Pacific region felt the need to collaborate for harnessing their trade and economic energies in the 1980s. This can be contrasted with the fact that today it is China that has become the catalyst in shaping many of the economic and security groupings in the region, including that of being the reason for a shift in emphasis from the term Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific. In any case it is important to discern between the two words for it implies more than a bare tug of word for the region. China as a Catalyst China has risen to the helm of power politics in the world through its economic dominance. Though the pace of its economy has slowed in the last few years as compared to Indias, it has proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Xi Jingpings One Belt One Road (OBOR), which too has undergone a change in nomenclature to be referred to as Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has thrown the gauntlet right at the Wests doorsteps and spread its nets across land borders upto the marine territory. The belligerence of China in the South China Sea has pushed not just the Phillipines or Japan to pull up the ante but the ripples in the water have created discomfort in places far beyond the oceans reach. Chinas promotion of the maritime silk road (MSR), its investments in building the Gwadar and Humbantota ports, operation of its naval bases in Djibouti and many such activities seem to curb the Mearshimerian idea of stopping power of the water.4 This has caused nation-states to think of securitising the trade and economic lanes not just through land but talk about the need for establishing the blue economy and protecting it. When Barak Obama made pivot to Asia a major part of his foreign policy and set up the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) excluding China, it was evident what international politics would look like in the coming times. The new world order, as analysts point out, is to take shape in the East with China and India as major players. India took timely note of this and jumped into the great game to make the best of the situation. With Trumps post-pivot vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific, Indias role has been made even more vital with alignments that go beyond the economic to the security realm. The formation of the Quadrilateral in 2017 with the USA, Japan, India and Australia is one such example that has already begun to define the essential features the term Indo-Pacific will come to associate itself with. Weaving the Asia-Pacific Dream with an Economic Thread However, Indias consciousness of this shift to the region and the maritime waters lying to its east is not a sudden realisation. The Indian Maritime Doctrine acknowledged the fact that there was a shift in global maritime focus from the Atlantic-Pacific combine to the Pacific-Indian5 in 2004. India has involved itself with the Asia-Pacific in more ways than one. Yet, Indias aim to not just Look East but Act East remains at best a rudimentary roadmap, albeit a promising one. For one, its relationship with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) group has progressively grown over the decade. The dialogue partnership of 1992 between India-ASEAN was upgraded to summit level partnership in 2002 and to strategic level partnership in 2012. The year 2017 marked the 25th, 15th and fifth anniversary of these partnerships respectively. Not just this, the invitation to the ASEAN member-nations by Prime Minister Modi to attend Indias 69th Republic Day celebrations in January 2018 was a show of the deepening friendship between India and the ASEAN at a holistic level. Particularly at the economic level, in the last ten years trade with the ASEAN grew from $ 47.5 billion in 2008 to $ 70 billion in 2016-17.6 Similarly, India has signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with many of the ASEAN nations and is currently negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that has the potential to upgrade the economic scenario not just for India but the Asia-Pacific at large. One opportunity that India can pursue in this context is to press for a trade in services agreement that seems to be an untapped arena of economic engagements. Indias trade deficit with China today stands at a whopping $ 51 billion that cannot be decreased by dilly-dallying with rules in the goods sector alone. Indias service sector has a big market and is rapidly growing, more than that of Chinas worldwide that India should aim to target. Indias proposal at the WTO regarding its stand in trade in services agreement is only a step to begin with in this field. Another challenge is that Indias observer status at the APEC has not gone anywhere towards a full-time membership of the economic grouping. In 2015 India showed renewed interest for a comprehensive involvement but without much success. A March 2016 report by the Asia Society Policy Institute, titled Indias future in Asia; the APEC opportunity,7 made an argument about the benefits of India becoming a part of the APEC. At the same time it cited Indias lack of support in the APEC, a big trade deficit and also non-progressive domestic economic reforms as problems India faced in this context.8 These challenges have to be heeded to more seriously than ever before to achieve better economic integration in the Asia-Pacific. The China factor undoubtedly has been a challenge for India in the region. Yet Indias induction into the Shanghai Cooperation Organi-sation (SCO) in June 2017 (along with Pakistan) is a sign that opportunities and challenges are going to be two sides of the same coin. It is due to the hegemonic tendencies of China that India has been courted to be part of a larger power play at work in the region, notwithstanding Indias own calibre as an emerging power in the world of globalisation and democracy. Indo-Pacific and the Strategic Ball Game So what does the trend of using the term Indo-Pacific over Asia-Pacific imply for India? Does it mean Indias importance in the region has increased with Trumps endorsement of the Indo-Pacific? The answer is a yes and a no at the same time. The fact that India made its niche in the world as a growing economic power precedes Trumps rather overemphasis on the Indo-Pacific vis-a-vis Asia-Pacific. Yet it does not need a specialist to bring to light that with India being drawn into the political ball game in the Indo-Pacific, its policies, both economic and security, will be under scrutiny of the West and East alike. The evolving idea of the Indo-Pacific is rather politically construed, unlike that of Asia-Pacific. Security and strategic connotations overpower those of economic engagement and integration. It may not be true that formation of the Quadri-lateral is comparable to a NATO-like group in the East to counter China. But it cannot be denied that Trumps Indo-Pacific dream was drawn to counter Xis China dream.9 This implies that any move in the Indo-Pacific region is likely to be compartmentalised into a either with us or against us framework of the Bush era.a This is also tantamount to the fact that India has to stay self-motivated to focus on its individual progress through the various economic forums it has been associated with in the region while remaining a prominent force behind the development of South Asia in its immediate neighbourhood. Power politics is driven by national interest and that is a truth surfacing through the thumping protectionism that seems to mould the economic order today. With the announcement of Trumps America First, policy this trend has indeed bounced back in theory and practice. But economics alone is an inadequate tool of diplomacy. It is said that diplomacy should be backed by credible military might. Indo-Pacific is home to six nuclear countries and has the two largest armies in the world within its ambit. It is important to keep up with this reality as well. India has developed its maritime muscles in the last few years keeping in tune with the manoe-uvres in the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has conducted various exercises with countries like Singapore, Australia, the USA and many other states (Malabar and Milan are two such examples). Evidently none of these are conducted with China. So far it seems that the Indo-Pacific narrative has been built to oust China, brewed by Western propaganda and supported by players in the region. It is a narrative that paints China as the villain while India as one that needs to come to rescue the place of its devil in its shining armour. India seems to love this fairytale and rightly so. But speculations bring out contrasting tales as well, about the Indo-Pacific being a trap laid by Washington to stifle the rise of both China and India in Asia.10 It is important that India should be aware of its role at this stage of international politics and act with prudence to turn the tide of Indo-Pacific into a gainful reality in the 21st century. Footnote a. After the 9/11 attack George W. Bush sent out a strong message in November 2001 saying that in the war on terror, there was no place for neutrality with the phrase: You are either with us or against us. A similar attitude was held by the USA during the Cold War that divided the world into two power blocs. References 1. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, The Shangri-La moment, The Indian Express, New Delhi, June 6, 2018, p. 12. 2. A. Chong and W. Shang-Su, Indo-Pacific vs Asia-Pacific: Contending Views?, RSIS, February 28, 2018 at https://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/cms/co18034-indo-pacific-vs-asia-pacific-contending-visions/#.WutN24huZPY (Accessed on June 3, 2018.) 3. Ibid. 4. John Mearsheimer, The Tragedy of Great Power Politics, New York, 2001. 5. Rukmani G., Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi at https://idsa.in/askanexpert/Indiasapproach-towardstheIndoPacificregion (Accessed on May 31, 2018.) 6. ASEAN-India Relations at http://mea.gov.in/aseanindia/20-years.htm (Accessed on June 3, 2018.) 7. Rani Singh, Whats Stopping India From Joining The Asia-Pacific Economic Forum? at https://www.-forbes.com/sites/ranisingh/2016/03/17/whats-stopping-india-joining-the-asia-pacific-economic-forum/#6f208e515dad (Accessed on June 4, 2018.) 8. Ibid. 9. Patrick M. Conin, Trumps Post-Pivot Strategy, The Diplomat, November 11, 2017 at https://thediplomat.com/2017/11/trumps-post-pivot-strategy/ (Accessed on June 3, 2018.) 10. Global Times, China, as quoted in The Indian Express, New Delhi, June 4, 2018, p. 11. The author is a Ph.D scholar, Diplomacy and Disarmament Programme, Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Deconstructing the Politics of Renaming Renaming cities and places is nothing new in world history. The socio-political context of its happening is important. Catherine Epstein in her book, Nazi Germany: Confronting the Myths (Wiley Blackwell, 2015), drew our attention to what happened in Poland under Nazi occupation: Throughout Nazi-occupied Poland, Poles were deemed to be second-class persons... They lost all property rights and were subject to a special, stringent criminal code... Nazi policies in western Poland offer a primer for ethnic cleansing. Immediately, the Nazis removed all Polish signs and inscriptions. They renamed cities, towns, villages and streets. Rulers of different countries have their own modalities of governing their territories and populations. The politics of renaming is being practised in some BJP-ruled States in India. Recent months have witnessed name changes or such proposals for Allahabad, Mughalsarai and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The latest addition is the proposal to rename Ahmedabad as Karnavati in BJP-ruled Gujarat. What is common in this politics of renaming is the replacement of names carrying the signature of Muslim heritage by Hindu religious names and icons. Regarding the renaming of the city of Allahabad as Prayagraj, Alok Rai, a son of the soil, reminded us: It is true that the name Prayag antedates the city of Allahabadbut Prayag is merely a place, the riverbank where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet. This confluence has been sacred to Hindus from ancient timesbut it is still not a city. It is at best a pilgrim settlement, home to pandas and their prey... This city (Allahabad) is, we know on credible evidence, of medieval origins, and grew to affluence with the peace and harmony that was guaranteed by Akbars fort, overlooking the great waterway that carried the agricultural produce of the Doaba to distant markets. (The Indian Express, November 5, 2018) Similar is the story of renaming Ahmedabad as Karnavati. To put it in the words of Sharik Laliwala (The Wire, November 9, 2018), Karna-vati, the site of an erstwhile city supposedly near Ahmedabad, derives its name from Karnadev Solanki (a Chalukya dynasty ruler), whereas Ahmedabad is named after Ahmad Shah I, the founder of Ahmedabad city and the most well-known king of the Gujarat Sultanate... Tommaso Bobbio in his recent work, Urbanisation, Citizenship andConflict in India: Ahmedabad 1900-2000, writes that historical sources and chronicles of the city (Karnavati) are vague and (do) not allow us to ascertain either the dimension or the exact location of Karnavati. The recent history of Ahmedabad including the anti-Muslim pogrom in the city should be kept in mind in understanding the politics of renaming. When the American-born historian, Howard Spodek, who first visited the city in 1964 and made Ahmedabad his second home, was asked to comment on the title of his recent book, Ahmedabad: Shock City of Twentieth-Century India, he said: How could I end my book without mentioning the riots that left almost 1,000 dead in Ahmedabad at the turn of the century?... This pogrom, one of the worst in India since independence, made Ahmedabad a shock city for India, in both senses of the word. (livemint, August 10, 2012) A violent paradigm of governance went side by side with the politics of renaming in UP. The Yogi Adityanath Government came to power in the State in March, 2017. Let us see how is the State being governed under his leadership: Over a thousand encounters in a year. Thats the record in Yogi Adityanaths Uttar Pradesh. Since March 2017, 49 persons have been killed in over 1100 encounters, more than 370 have been injured and over 3300 arrested across the State... (The Hindu, March 31, 2018) The PUCL filed a petition in the Supreme Court alleging that the incidents of encounter killings (are) taking place in the State in blatant violation of Rule of Law, legal and constitutional protection available to the citizens, under Article 21 of the Constitution. (Live Law.in, July 2, 2018) The proposal for renaming the iconic Mughalsarai Junction railway station as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction was given by the Yogi Adityanath Government, which was later approved by the Centre. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, an ideologue of the RSS and co-founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the forerunner of the BJP, was found dead in mysterious circumstances near the Mughalsarai station in 1968. The BJP President, Amit Shah, inaugurated the renamed station in August, 2018, and said: Today is a very big day for the Bharatiya Janata Party as Mughalsarai station, where Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya was killed, has today been named after him. (The Economic Times, August 5, 2018). The most spectacular instance of renaming is Yogi Adityanaths pre-Diwali announcement that Faizabad district would henceforth be known as Ayodhya. He also announced that Ayodhya will have its own airport named after Lord Ram and a medical college named after Rams father, King Dashrath. He said: We all know that all Ayodhya has is this temple. People come here to worship Lord Ram and no one else. There was a temple, there is a temple and there will always be one. No one doubts this. (The Indian Express, November 8, 2018) The Faizabad district comprises the twin towns of Faizabad and Ayodhya. The land question in Ayodhya is yet to be settled in the court of law, and it carries contested religious meanings. The latest development in the Supreme Court on the issue is as follows: After the Uttar Pradesh Governments plea for early hearing of appeals challenging the Allahabad High Court order in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, the Supreme Court...ordered listing of appeals before an appropriate bench in the first week of January 2019 to fix a date for hearing. (The Indian Express, October 30, 2018). We do not know how the Supreme Court and constitutional experts will respond to the proposal of Yogi Adityanath, renaming the Faizabad district as Ayodhya. However, there is no doubt in our mind that renaming of cities and places in contemporary India has deeper implications for the emerging character of our polity. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Human Rights: Basic Issues / Not Sorrow but Atonement From N.C.s Writings Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 every year commemorating the day, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To mark the occasion we are reproducing the following article N.C. wrote twentysix years ago. Human Rights: Basic Issues The governments decision to set up a National Human Rights Commission is a significant indication of its being able to read the signs of the times. The Prime Minister has made the eloquent claim about his governments commit-ment to upholding human rights: We must send a clear message that we do not tolerate violation of human rights. He at the same time conceded that there is need to identify the weaknesses, the gaps between pronouncements and action, and between legislation and its implementation. There is a veritable wave on the global plane today for the assertion of human rights. This is part of the democratic upsurge on a world scale. Long before the present ground-swell for human rights in many parts of the world, it is worth recalling that our country has had a long tradition of struggle for human rights. Before independence, this was known as the movement for civil liberties. In fact, this was an offshoot of the freedom struggle, because one of the tenets of the Indian independence movement was that it never deviated in its commitment to democracy, and therefore, its leaders upheld civil liberties. In the thirties, Jawaharlal Nehru himself was once the President of the All India Civil Liberties Union. This was not a party outfit of the Congressits separate identity was always respected just as it could attract many personalities of a liberal disposition who would not toe the Congress line at that time. The Civil Liberties Union survived after independence, though its complexion was perceptibly changed by then; the ruling Congress establishment lapsed into inactivity, while the radical and Left critics of the government became more prominent in it, and only a handful of liberals who could keep their rapport with the radical activists, only they stayed on in the Civil Liberties Union. Chakkarai Chettiar, a grand old liberal from the South, was its last President, sometime about 1950-51. After that the organisation was hardly heard of, and it ceased to be even a letter-head organisation. With the promulgation of the Constitution and the setting up of elected governments both at the Centre and the States, the impression went round that a civil liberties organisation would have little to do in the new democratic dispensation ushered in by the new Constitution. This was not a very far-fetched impression, particularly in the first two decades after independence. There prevailed in the country what can be termed as the Nehru stamp on our political functioning, and this spread over the entire public life. Cases of repression were few and far between in that period. The scenario changed to a large extent after that period. Roughly it was from the mid-sixties that one could discern a perceptible change. An important area of conflict could be identified in the rural sector. Roughly this was the period of the Green Revolution. Alongwith increased food production, the Green Revolution brought about a significant change in agrarian relations. The increased food production as a result of the new agricultural technique set by the Green Revolution was not evenly distributed. It was cornered by the rich farmer community who owned the land and had the means to exploit the new facilities offered by the intensive cultivation prescribed by the Green Revolution. At the other end, the poor peasant and the agricultural labourer were reduced to the category of wage-earners. The old feudal relations were replaced by the more palpable class antagonism of the modern market. Clashes and tensions spread in many parts of the countryside. This was the objective backdrop of the wave of militant activism in the rural sector, symbolised by what has come to be known as Naxalism. The rich farmer, more powerful than his effete zamindar predecessor, could afford to keep his armed gang in place of the old lathials, and the militant activist also resorted to the guninspired at the beginning by Maos teachings and clung on to them even when Maoism was dethroned on its native soil. It is worth recalling that about this time, a Union Home Ministry in-house survey of the new surge of armed conflicts in the countryside delivered a very significant warning that the Green Revolution might turn red. At the national political level, the scene had changed considerably by then. The old monolith of power that the Congress had been at the time of independence was broken. The party began to lose power in different parts of the country, and with the onset of the seventies, the party itself got split. Followed a new phase of lacerated politics, in which all sorts of permutations and combinations among political parties led to almost chronic instability. Regional parties got an opening and the entire political spectrum became a veritable mosaic of motley combinations. The inexorable climax was reached by Indira Gandhis imposition of the Emergency, when democratic liberties were snuffed out and for the first time since independence, an authoritarian rule emerged in this country. The Emergency itself was the barometer of the political insecurity that gripped Indira Gandhi, and it meant the total suppression of all civil liberties. Human rights became an anathema for the new establishment. The experience of the Emergency made large sections of public opinion aware of the need for a movement of civil liberties and democratic rights, and the collapse of the Emergency provided the necessary fillip for such a movement. That was how there came up immediately after the 1977 general elections, a whole host of organisations and initiatives among political workers, social activists, lawyers, journalists and among the youth which led to the formation of active human rights organisations in this country. It was due to this new awareness in concerned sections of the public, coupled with an alerted press, that many of the blatant violations of human rights got exposed. The exposure of the killing of activists in custody with the pretence of their being victims of encounters with the police got widespread publicity and in some cases even judicial strictures. The barbarous torture of suspects in police lock-up; the inhuman incarceration of undertrial prisoners for years, sometimes for decades; the infamous Bhagalpur blindingsall these and many other forms of atrocity, the climax reaching with the pogrom of the Sikh community in November 1984all these could be highlighted in a systematic manner through the services of human rights organisations. With the proliferation of social evils like dowry deaths, caste oppression and the revival of some of the superstitious practices, the role and responsibility of the human rights movements have grown tremendously in our country. With the spread of violent confrontation between militant groups and the armed forces of the state involving largely police and para-military forces apart from the Army at some places, new challenges confronted the human rights organisations. These armed confrontations have international dimensions as in the case of Kashmir and Punjab. Naturally, in such confron-tations innocent people become the victims in many cases. This raises a very complex question before the human rights activist: should those who observe no human rights principles in dealing with their adversaries in open armed combat, be entitled to the protection of the human rights movement? In other words, should human rights be extended to those who in practice violate human rights in dealing with their adversaries? This is a question which baffled many a society over the centuries. Much can be said in favour of it or in opposing it, and such debates can go on endlessly until the cattle come home. There is the more fundamental question which has confronted many all over the world. In a society where there is blatant inequity, and a large section of the population is condemned, for no fault of their own, to a life of persecution and constant deprivation, would not any talk of defending human rights be reduced to a luxury of the rich and the powerful? The Black in the USA or South Africa, the Harijan in India, or the underdog in any of the developed societyis he or she not entitled to the Right to be Human before one talks of human rights to them? But there is another way of looking at the same question: if human rights are enforced and democratic liberties ensured, that itself helps to a large measure, the fight against social injustices. One hopes that the National Human Rights Commission, when it is set up, will take up its mission with such basic issues in mind, and not reduce itself to a post office for complaints and grievances. (Mainstream, October 3, 1992) The following piece, which was published as Political Notebook in Mainstream (December 12, 1992), is being reproduced on the twentysixth anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6 this year. Its significance is heightened due to the renewed offensive of the Hindutvavadi forces to build a Ram Mandir at that very spot where the Babri Masjid stood before it was razed. Not Sorrow but Atonement The vandalism that brought down the Babri Masjid structure on December 6 will remain a Black Sunday in the annals of independent India. Like the insensate violence of fratricidal communalism of the partition days that culminated in Gandhijis killing fortyfour years ago, the demolition of the Babri Masjid will remain a symbol of shame for the nation, and particularly for the majority community which permitted a bunch of blackguards to pose as its guardian and get recognised as such. While anger and anguish over this ghastly incident have overwhelmed millions in this country, there is no escape for certain elements in public life from being held responsible for this despicable act. The BJP and RSS leaders who backed the so-called Dharma Sansad issuing the fatwa for the kar seva have to unequivocally own up the guilt for having collected such a huge number of people around the disputed area by whipping up raging frenzy which was beyond control. And the BJP bosses, who had been campaigning in support of the kar seva, were found to have beaten a retreat when the mob was actually demolishing the mosquean ignominious commentary on both their capacity and courage. Those who incite a crowd and lack the guts to face and halt it are unworthy of claiming to be leaders. Their moral posture, which they flaunt as part of their Hindutva, should have the honesty to offer public apology for this shocking abdication of responsibility on their part. The BJP leadership is accountable for the grave misconduct on the part of the Uttar Pradesh Government which the party was running. Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was giving assurances to the Central Government and the Supreme Court which turned out to be thoroughly bogus. If he had any idea about the importance of the commitments he had made to the Supreme Court, he should have anticipated the grave risk he was taking in handling an unmanageably massive crowd, which by its very nature was beyond any discipline. Instead of asking for more Central force, Kalyan Singh was protesting against the despatch of whatever the Union Home Ministry had despatched as a matter of precaution. The point to note is that the BJP Government in UP, like the rest of the BJP-VHP-RSS combine, was trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hound. They were stoking the frenzy for kar seva all over Uttar Pradesh and beyond, while at the same time assuring the judiciary, the Parliament and the public that the disputed areas would not be touched as per the Supreme Court directive. Not only that. In the critical days after the National Integration Council meeting on November 23, the senior BJP-RSS leaders were working out some settlement terms with the Central Government. The terms of these negotiations, which the present writer can vouch for, were, firstly, the Babri Masjid disputed structure complex would be adequately protected until the dispute is settled by dialogue or due process of law, and the UP Government would invite the Centre, if it so desired, to send its force to reinforce the State Governments security arrangements. Secondly, there would be no kar seva in violation of law. Thirdly, the Centre would make a one-point reference to the Supreme Court under Article 143 and the Courts opinion would be accepted as binding by both the Centre and the UP Government as also the BJP-RSS combine. Fourthly, the Centre would express its support for expeditious disposal of the case about the disputed plot now pending before the High Court. As these terms were hammered out, an impression prevailed on the eve of December 6 that perhaps the crisis was on the way of being defused. In fact, the BJP-RSS leaders were expected to persuade the Dharma Sansad not to precipitate the crisis. The question now arises whether the BJP-RSS leaders were diabolically agreeing to these terms while preparing for the demolition of the Babri Masjid; or, were they themselves outstripped by the blitz attack of the mob? The fact that Advani resigned from the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, coupled with RSS leader Rajendra Singhs statement that the vandalism on December 6 was a grievous setback for the Ram temple cause, might be put up by them in their defence that they were themselves overtaken by the developments. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that before the bar of public opinion in India and abroad, the BJP-RSS combine has no option today but to acknowledge their guilt for the heinous act of violent destruction. It is not just a question of owning up moral responsibility, but substantive responsibility for whipping up frenzy and then giving in to mob-violence and thereby desecrating their commitment before the highest court of law and the supreme tribune, that is, Parliament. The BJP leaders have to bear in mind that the rule of law has to be respected if they do not want to put their party outside the pale of law and the Constitution. More than once during these crisis days, the BJP spokesmen have talked about the majesty of law, and now they themselves connived, if not were actively involved, in the blatant defiance of the Consti-tution. The pulling down of the Babri Masjid structure is not just a matter of religious frenzy, but the blatant assault on the rule of law and civilised conduct of public affairs. Here is the essence of their guilt. In the history of contemporary India, this is how terrorism has crept into politics. Whether it is the Akali Party or the Asom Gana Parishad, one finds the moderate parliamentary leaders using the rowdy terrorist groups as their battering ram against the adversary and in course of time, they themselves become the captive of the militants, as many of the distinguished Akali leaders have become today in Punjab politics. What has happened at Ayodhya looks like the curtain-raiser of the very same type of political adventurism coming over to the BJP. The RSS leaders may have survived the stigma that stuck to them after Gandhijis assassination, but there is grave doubt whether they can come out of the present crisis intact. The more mature among them would soon have to make their choice here and now. Looking at the predicament facing the Congress and its government today, there is little doubt that public opinion has already marked out those in power as being guilty of dereliction of duty. There is no room for passing the buck to the UP Government, since it was as much the Centres solemn charge to protect the Babri Masjid structure. It was all the time given out that the Centre was on the alert even while the talks for a settlement were continuing. When para-military forces were sent, one can very well ask, why were these not sent in adequate strength, at least to guard the disputed structure? Even if a fully equipped Army unit had been posted to guard the disputed structure, it would have acted as a deterrent, and the shame of the Indian state not protecting a place of worship of its citizens would not have come upon our country. This is the simple charge of any government claiming to rule from New Delhi as the guardian of a secular state. The Prime Minister himself had made the solemn commit-ment on August 15 in his Red Fort speech saying that the mosque would be protected as much as the government would like the proposed temple coming up. In this context, this writer needs to acknow-ledge in all honesty the validity of the criticism voiced by some observers that the Centre dithered in imposing Presidents Rule in UP immediately after the NIC meeting when the kar sevaks were yet to gather. Hindsight makes it clear that such a pre-emptive strike might have averted the tragedy of December 6. At the same time, such an action of dismissing an elected government could have been misconstrued at that stage as a partisan move with poor legitimacy. The exploitation of religious sentiments for political purpose has become the bane of Indian politics over the years. The opening of the lock at the Babri mosque complex and the subsequent permission of shilanyas on the disputed spot were done by the Congress under Rajiv Gandhi to collect Hindu votes. The passing of the Muslim Womens Bill in the wake of the Shah Bano case was done by the Congress to gather Muslim votes. If the Janata Dal took the help of the BJP to form its government at the Centre, the Congress too did not hesitate to vote along with the BJP to oust the same Janata Government at a moment when the Janata Dal fell out with the BJPs clamour over the same Babri Masjid issue. Even the Left in the late sixties did not have any qualms to form coalition governments with the Jana Sangh at the State level. The cumulative effect of this exploiting religious faith for electoral gains today is that the BJP leadership at this moment, instead of being branded as having violated the tenets of the Constitution, is regarded by the large body of Hindus, particularly in North India, as being heroes who have dared to defy the law to uphold the urge for Rams temple. With nobody having a clean hand on the issue of pampering to communalism, the BJP-RSS combine has been able to go so far in initiating a totalitarian communal approach as could be seen from their moves to change names of places and rewrite textbooks apart from the ghastly deed at Ayodhya. This multipronged communal approach can hardly be halted by mere seminars on secularism, but only by launching a nationwide mas movement for Hindu-Muslim amity, which alone can provide the surest guarantee for genuine secularism in the country. While swift administrative action to halt communal violence is imperative at the moment, the building of communal amity on sound footing can come only through relentless mass campaign. All parties will have to unequivocally abjure the slightest communal bias in political life with relentless vigilance. This applies equally to all communities, as is brought out by the ugly demonstrations in the Jamia Millia over the secular stand of a distinguished scholar. Hollow men do not make History, but unmake it. Indian nationalism shall not endure by preaching hatred and deceit and disdain between brother and brother. Out of the ruins of the Babri mosque must rise the shining mansion of communal harmony. We, each one of us, have to pledge ourselves as our brothers keeper. What we need today is not sorrow but atonement. (Mainstream, December 12, 1992) Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Indian Constitutional Courts and SecularismII by Irfan Engineer The first part of this two-part article appeared in last weeks Mainstream (December 1, 2018). This is the second and concluding part. In the previous issue of Mainstream (December 1, 2018) we briefly outlined the tension between rights of denominations or any sections thereof under Article 26 of the Constitution to manage their own affairs in matters of religion, and to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purpose on one hand and rights of all persons (individuals) under Article 25 to profess, practice and propagate their religion on the other: whether the right of dissenting individuals within any denomination to practice, profess and propagate their religion is superior, or that of the denomination or any section thereof to establish and maintain their religious institutions and manage their religious affairs. The denominational rights may require curbs on the freedom of individuals. We also noted that the Indian state after independence ushered in legislations to bring in social reforms, albeit very gradually, including opening up temples of public character to all sections of Hindus, regulating secular and financial activities associated with religious practices, and reforms within family laws through legislative process. In this part, we would examine how the judiciary reconciled the conflicting claims to fundamental rights by individuals and denominations. The Indian Constitution categorises freedom of religion in two partsone granted to individuals to practice, profess and propagate, and the other granted to the denominations or sections thereof to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes, and to manage their own affairs in matters of religion. Both freedoms are necessary to properly enjoy the right to religious freedom. However, the latter category of freedom requires some regulation of right to practice religion while accessing institutions established and maintained by religious denominations. Likewise, the denominations have been given certain rights to manage religious affairs which may require regulation of the right of an individual to practice her/his religion. Denominations claim right under Article 26 of the Constitution to impose certain traditions, customs, rituals, manner of worship, appearance and behaviour on individuals accessing the institutions established and maintained by them, thereby curbing the rights of individuals to practice their religion. By standardising and resisting any changes in the traditions, customs, rituals etc. denominations willy nilly create silos with the religio-traditional boundaries well guarded. The institutions run by the denominations do adopt and admit changes in rituals, customs and traditions, but the changes are controlled by the denominational leadership. For example, the e-aartis and acceptance of donations through modern money transfer methods etc. while the individual person claiming right to practice and profess religion seeks to negotiate these traditions, maintain fluidity, adopt to and is open to changes according to her requirement and rationale. The judiciary followed the principle of harmonious interpretation to give maximum effect to rights under both the Articles. They have refrained from viewing fundamental rights in isolated silos and water-tight compartments. All freedoms are necessary for giving effect to constitutional provisions and they complement each other. In Rustom Cavasjee Cooper v. Union of India case, the Constitutional Bench of eleven judges held: [I]t is now settled doctrine that the fundamental rights contained in Part III are not, as it has been said, water-tight compartments... One freedom shades into and merges with another. Fairness as a guarantee against arbitrary state action influences the content of the procedure for the deprivation of life under Article... The freedoms which we possess and those which we exercise are not disjunctive parts, separate from each other. Individuals in society exercise not one but many of the freedoms. An individual exercises a multitude of freedoms as a composite part of the human personality. A single act embodies within it the exercise of many choices reflecting the assertion of manifold freedoms. From this perspective, it is but a short step to hold that all freedoms exist in harmony. Our freedoms are enveloped in the womb created by the Constitution for the survival of liberty. The principle of interpreting fundamental rights harmoniously to give effect to all rights requires that rights of the denominations to establish and maintain religious institutions and manage their own affairs in matters of religion under Article 26 cannot be treated as superior to the rights of individuals to practice and profess their religion under Article 25. Such an inter-pretation has to be rejected. In the Shayra Bano case where triple talaq was held to be invalid, the majority judgment was not persuaded by the plea of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board that right to freedom of religion meant that such form of divorce should be held as valid under the sharia law for all members of the community. Essential Religious Practices Article 25 (2)(b) of the Constitution permits the state to bring in laws providing for social welfare. The freedom of religion is subject to these powers of the state. Indian secularism therefore requires social welfare. Although The Maharashtra (Eradication of Black Magic, Evil and Aghori Practices) Act has not so far had to suffer the constitutional challenge, it would be protected under Article 25(2)(b). Similarly, religion-based family law reforms to achieve gender justice are also protected from the constitutional challenge under the same provision. The Abolition of Sati Act too is protected. How-ever, under the ruse of social welfare, the state cannot reform religion beyond recognition. The courts therefore evolved the principle of essential practices of religion. The essential part of a religion means the core beliefs upon which a religion is founded without which there is no religion. The Supreme Court in the Shirur Mutt case held, for the first time, that what constituted an essential part of a religion should be ascertained with reference to the tenets and doctrines of that religion itself. It held: In the first place, what constitutes the essential part of a religion is primarily to be ascertained with reference to the doctrines of that religion itself. Religious practices often accumulate superstitious beliefs that may be extraneous and unessential accretions to religion itself. Unless such practices are found to constitute an essential and integral part of a religion, their claim for protection as essential practices may necessitate careful scrutiny by courts. In N. Adithayan v. Travancore Devaswom Board and others, the Supreme Court laid down parameters of what constitutes an essential practice of a religion in the following words: The legal position that the protection under Article 25 and 26 extend a guarantee for rituals and observances, ceremonies and modes of worship which are integral parts of religion and as to what really constitutes an essential part of religion or religious practice has to be decided by the Courts with reference to the doctrine of a particular religion or practices regarded as parts of religion... Denomination The rights under Article 26 to establish religious institutions and to manage their own affairs in matters of religion accrue to denominations or sections thereof. However, the moot question is: who constitutes a denomination? The priests of Sabrimala also claimed to be a denomination and therefore claimed protection of their right to manage their religious affairs and maintain their religious institutions under Article 26. The Supreme Court in S.P. Mittals case, as well as in Shirur Mutts case, defined religious denomination as under: The words religious denomination in Article 26 of the Constitution must take their colour from the word religion and if this be so, the expression religious denomination must also satisfy three conditions: (1) It must be a collection of individuals who have a system of beliefs or doctrines which they regard as conducive to their spiritual well-being, that is, a common faith; (2) common organisation, and (3) designation by a distinctive name. The Supreme Court, on the above criteria, did not accept the claims of Swaminarayan Sampraday, Anand Marg, Auroville and various other temples and sub-sects to be denominations. Therefore the religious leadership maintaining these religious institutions could not claim denominational rights to exclusively maintain them and resist necessary regulations by the state through legislative actions. The Indian constitutional secularism is interventionist secularism requiring the state to play a role of neutral arbiter during conflicts between religious communities but also intervene and bring about gradual reforms for social welfare to ensure Constitutional objective of equal citizenship and inclusion of all sections of Hindus inside Hindu religious institutions of public character. In promoting reforms for social welfare, the state has the mandate to reform only economic, financial, political and other secular activities associated with religious practice. The state cannot reform or restrict practices which are essential and integral to the religion. The state will ensure religious freedom of individuals to practice, profess and propagate their religion, as much as religious freedom of denominations and sections thereof to establish and maintain their religious institutions and manage their own affairs in matter of religion. It is this latter constitutional mandate requiring the Indian state to provide for gradual social reforms that are being resisted by the orthodox and fundamentalists. The BJP wants the state to don the mantle of reformist state as far as Muslims are concerned and the BJP-led government argued before the Supreme Court to invalidate triple talaaq as unconsti-tutional and is pushing a legislation to ban triple talaaq. However, as far as the Hindu community is concerned, the BJP wants to arrest any reforms. Recently the BJP President, Amit Shah, in one of his public speeches, said that courts should desist from giving verdicts that cannot be imple-mented. By implication, the courts should first embark on the inquiry as to what could be implemented and then give its verdict. Court verdicts are on the basis of the Constitution of India, particularly the fundamental rights of the citizens, rule of law, justice and fairness. Do we want such an India where courts do not follow these noble principles and give judgments on communal basis and on the basis of faith alone? Whose faith then will be upheld when there are conflicts about what faith is? That of the mighty? (Concluded) (Courtesy: Secular Perspective) The author is the Director, Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > Elections Diminish Democracy! by L.K. Sharma Large hoardings in Jaipur, the capital of one of the five poll-bound States in India, call upon the voters to celebrate the democracy festival tyohar, the Hindi word for a religious festival. The Election Commissions messages are not needed because the poll-related celebrations are in full swing. Campaigners hired on daily wages go around waving party flags and shouting slogans. The festive spirit is reflected in the viral videos of drunken men unable to hold the party flags properly, shouting incoherent slogans. Distribution of currency notes and liquor by the candidates is not uncommon. Election-eve promises sway the voters but liquor is quicker. In a viral audio of a telephonic conversation, a known party leader promises more money and liquor for distribution in response to a demand by the local organiser. In this season of fake news, the viral videos or sound files are hard to verify. The democracy festival (also called utsav) coincided last week with six festivals associated with Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam. These were dedicated to Guru Nanak, Prophet Muhammad and Hindu Gods waking up from sleep. Devout Hindus celebrated the second Diwali (Festival of Lights) of the yearthis one named Diwali of Gods. There was a wedding anniversary of a sacred plant to the God turned into a stone. And there was a holy day dedicated to gooseberry! The tourists got the impression that in India any time is festival time. Many festivals memorialise the eternal war between Gods and Demons, the good and evil. This evocative theme is adapted by rival candidates to project their electoral battles. The religious festivals strengthen the belief that mythology is history. In the newer New India, this belief is tapped by the Hindu nationalists for their political campaigns. So, for example, the devout masses led by political leaders have decided where and when Lord Ram was born. The modernist political leaders had managed to restrict the jurisdiction of faith till the Hindu nationalists burst on the scene demolishing a mosque in 1992 and demanding the construction of a Ram temple on the ground that it was precisely on that plot of land that Lord Ram was born. It was a brilliant idea to polarise the Hindu voters. The demand for building the Ram temple there leads to mass mobilisation before every election and this is precisely what is happening now in the run-up to the provincial elections in five States. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modis Hindu nationalist party came to power in 2014, faith has intruded in the political arena with great force. Secular politicians are branded sickular. The BJP President, Amit Shah, declares that law courts should pass judgments that are implementable. He said this after a law court asked a temple to allow the entry of young women. The Hindu nationalist party organised a protest against the Leftist State Government that is bound to implement the judgment that has hurt Hindu feelings. Politics is now all about feelings! Faith takes precedence over the Constitution and court judgments. Seers and saints wearing saffron robes issue calls supporting the BJP and warning against foreign religions. Of course, the reformist Hindus shun orthodoxy and traditions that impinge on the rights of women or lower castes. They dislike vulgar displays, loud noises and chaotic exuberance that mark some religious festivals. Similarly, elections are coming! is an announcement that makes the peace-loving people a bit anxious. Some almost dread the democracy festival. A poet says if there are tensions on the border, it is election time in India! A musician has popularised on YouTube his songs denigrating democracy. The intrusion of religion into politics is becoming the new normal. In a lecture on democracy, independent TV anchor Ravish Kumar says politics dies as religion enters it. Political violence used to be limited in scale, but violent language has overwhelmed politics. Politics is distorting language. Ravish Kumar warns that lies demolish democracy and pave the way for dictatorship. Violence and fear disempowers the voters. These kill democracy within the individual. He tells a gathering of students that democracy in India has entered a most disgraceful phase. Condemning the attempt to marginalise Muslims in politics, he wonders how any party can completely ignore such a large section of society while fielding candidates in an election. Stray violence on the polling days apart, at times public property is destroyed by the fans of an aspiring candidate who is denied the partys ticket. This happened in Bikaner, a city in Rajasthan. The report of this violence also included a reference to the past when the citys political culture was harmonious. The candidates opposing each other used to have dinner together from the same plate. And two politiciansone Hindu and one Muslimwere happy to be popularly known by each others surname affixed by their constituents! Reports appearing during an election campaign dishearten democrats. The Hindi newspapers of Rajasthan print the lists of dagi (tainted) and bagi (rebel) candidates after the tickets are distributed by the parties. Commentators total up the costs of conducting elections and the annual expenditure on the elected legislators. It comes to a staggering amount. And these paid representatives are charged with doing nothing since the parliamentary proceedings are disrupted frequently. Some commentators conclude that democracy be damned! The impact of democracy on urban planning is one topic that gets little attention. The erstwhile rulers built well-planned cities that stand out in sharp contrast to the unregulated ugly colonies that have sprung up in the past few decades. The siting of slums and the encroachment on public lands is linked with the creation of vote-banks. The powerful lobby of real estate developers in league with politicians have managed to destroy some beautiful cities. Newspapers report the rising proportion of the super-rich candidates. The acquisition of wealth by the candidates since their earlier electoral victory has to be made public. The people infer from the published data that politics is a good business. The role of money in the election keeps expanding. Poll campaigns have become prohibitively expensive. Leaders of some small parties are accused of selling the party tickets to the rich businessmen who aspire to become law-makers in order to promote their commercial interests. The demonetisation of high-value currency notes by the Modi Government was supposed to have restricted the spending power of the political parties depending on unaccounted money. TV anchor Ravish Kumar had hoped to see election campaigns in which the party leaders will have no money to travel by helicopters or cars or even to print the election manifestoes! Nothing of that kind has happened. Political financiers have appeared in full force and in many cases, they select the partys candidates for elections. Many candidates are tainted by criminal cases against them. The candidates may face charges of rapes, domestic violence, corruption, inciting sectarian violence and even murder. The newspapers routinely publish the names of the candidates facing criminal complaints. In some elections, more than 30 percent of the candidates are thus tainted. But their record is ignored by the political parties if they are considered capable of winning. In many cases, the voters, impressed by the candidates money and muscle power, ignore his reputation. A large number of candidates lack proper academic qualifications. The data on their academic background perhaps makes people question about the use of literacy. The commentators criticise the system that prescribes no academic qualification for law-makers but lays down the minimum qualification for a government employee who merely carries files from one room to another! Having high academic qualifications is no advantage in politics. For this situation, the voters are to be blamed. Generally, the people seem to prefer an ill-educated street-smart candidate rather than an educated professional. The latter is unable to manipulate people and is prone to make politically damaging statements. The ordinary people are unable to relate to him just as he cannot relate to them. The trend is set to continue since the ruling party under Narendra Modi has been damning the intellectual class and undermining institutes of higher learning that encourage questioning and breed dissent. The past few years have seen the political class losing respect. Vicious personal attacks on each other during the poll campaign bring political leaders down in public esteem. There are no role models left which makes competent and honest persons stay away from politics. So, the democracy festival, like some religious festivals, calls for celebration as well as a wake-up. The din and false propaganda associated with prohibitively expensive election campaigns disheartens democrats. Elections diminish democracy. This is indicated by anecdotal evidence and academic studies. Only recently in Open Democracy, Prof Gunvald Nilsen wrote about the slow-motion suffocation of the worlds largest democracy set in train by the ruling BJP in 2014. Political coercion and cultural nationalism are joined at the hip in the BJPs authoritarian populism, he says. As with policing of activism and dissent, the making of a cultural and religious Other is a profoundly violent affair. There have been comments on the emergence of the Republic of Fear in which democracy has no future. Those forecasting the slow death of democracy in some countries write about the erosion of civil liberties in democratic countries, dominant role of money power in influencing election results, rising tide of populism, spreading the cancer of divisive politics, growing appeal of nationalism, misuse of religion in political campaigns and the entry of fools and fanatics in the political arena. Press freedom is subverted not by an official fiat but by threats and incentives to the media moguls. Politically activated state-supported bands of hoodlums silence dissenting intellectuals and independent journalists. Mobs of vigilantes appear time and again to do a political partys dirty work. Coming to the current poll season in India, one observes the democratic spirit vanishing from the outwardly impressive exercise of the voting power by the masses. Weird reports come from the five States that are going to elect the provincial governments.The Chief Minister of a poll-bound southern State boasting of a technology hub seeks Divine help for his victory. Seventyfive Hindu priests conduct a special worship to improve his electoral prospects. The Chief Minister does not want to depend entirely on the poll strategists and mined data. Of course, help is also sought from the newspapers and TV channels dealing in paid news, consultancy services and experts in electoral behaviour of Hindu castes and sub-castes. The leaders of a party that aims at uniting Hinduism deftly divide the castes and sub-castes for political advantage. Newspapers publish extensive caste data related to voters and candidates. The caste combinations become critical in political calculations. A candidates electoral prospects improve if his caste dominates the constituency and if his leader is able to exacerbate inter-caste animosity and rivalry. The stakes in these State elections are high because in a few months the Prime Ministers party will face the national elections. His ruling party wants to see how effective Hindu nationalism will be in the State elections. The contentious and sensitive issue of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya has been revived before the elections. That demolition of the mosque there in 1992 was followed by sectarian killings and thus tensions have risen in the town again. The Hindu agitators mobilised by the extended political family of the ruling BJP are asking the Modi Government not to wait for the Supreme Court judgment in the land dispute case and instead pass a law for building the temple. They threaten to build the temple themselves! The agitation is expected to take an interesting turn just before the national elections next year. The ruling party mobilised Hindu priests and heads of religious institutions who at a mass meeting voiced their full-throated support to the Prime Minister. Some astrologers have let social media broadcast their forecast that Modi will be the Prime Minister again after the 2019 elections. The Prime Ministers party has used the religious card to polarise the Hindu voters. The secular parties opposing him feel trapped because they have been branded pro-Muslim. To counter this charge, they play the soft Hindutva card. They do not wish to go down fighting for the principle of secularism enshrined in Indias Constitution and in their own DNA. Opportunism is adopted by all parties and candidates as the key principle in politics. The external pulls and pressures make the selection of candidates for fighting elections even more difficult. The complexity of the exercise can be gauged by raging controversies, scuffles between the rival factions and midnight conciliatory meetings in the homes of the mediators. Opportunism enlivens the poll season generating newspaper headlines about a host of party functionaries switching their political loyalties and crossing over to the opposite camp. These are no isolated cases. A heavy cross-traffic mark the days during which political parties announce their candidates. Some are denied tickets by their party and others leave the party because they calculate that their party is unlikely to win this time. The candidates, who are denied the party ticket, promptly announce that they would fight as Independents. Some of them are immediately fielded by the opposition party because of their ability to win! Every party faces a million mutinies by their disgruntled functionaries. Newspapers publish long lists of the rebel candidates with their photographs. The party managers try to woo back the influential rebels. A few withdraw their nomination as Independents and return to the party fold in the hope of getting the ticket in the next elections! Some rebel candidates are won over with offers of an office in the party in lieu of the ticket for fighting the election. There can be no better evidence of the end of ideology. The candidates who won the last elections on the secular platform are busy this time inflaming passions in the name of Hindu religion. Some, who won the last elections by playing the Hindutva card, now display their new-found belief in secularism! The determination to win the elections at any cost leads to inflammatory statements designed to create mass hysteria. Unholy and illogical alliances are formed and dissolved for political convenience. Very often the people vote for one kind of government but get a very different one because of the post-election deals struck between the rival parties. In a fluid political situation, a dozen elected legislators can frustrate the plan of the largest party to form the government. They are called king-makers. The voters expect a lot from political leaders but have also come to realise that they would get nothing. They go looking for a messiah before every election and get bewitched by a populist promising economic nirvana. It was always not like that. The newly independent India won admiration when it gave the voting right to every adult. Those tracking the progress of democracy in India should interview the political activists above 90 years of age. One such retired leader told a Jaipur daily that during his days, the lists of candidates used to be finalised in the modest State party office and no more than two or three cases would be referred to the party High Command in New Delhi! Now the State units of all political parties have been disempowered! The candidate selection drama takes place in New Delhi, giving sleepless nights to the party leaders and to the aspiring candidates. There was a time when groups within a party would hold meetings and pick the name of a candidate through consensus. Their leaders will then approach the person and persuade him to fight the election! Several such instances are recalled by the veterans. An old-timer in Jaipur says in an interview that he did not have one hundred rupees to buy the partys form for applying for the ticket and thus there was no question of his fighting the election. His party workers asked him to seek nomination and paid for the form. The party chose him, and he won the election. This was the political scene in 1977! The veteran recalls the days when every party used to field candidates with a record of work. The applicants dedication and commitment used to matter, not his wealth. Then, one had to be persuaded to fight the election; these days aspiring candidates fight and kill to secure the party ticket! The budgets for fighting elections used to be tiny and the party manifestoes that became irrelevant over the years were read with care. Any candidate defecting from one party to another before or after the election was considered a dishonourable character. Now a defector does not lose face and even wins due to his influence or wealth and the voters caste-based loyalty. For him his partys ideology was never of any use. The veterans lament the decline of the spirit of democracy. They suggest that the pillars of democracy have somewhat eroded and find the current democratic scene dismal. The standards of parliamentary debates have fallen abysmally low just as public discourse on politics has got vitiated. Rising intolerance has made reasoned debates impossible. Civil political leaders have become rare. The two House of Parliament frequently witness shouting matches and walk-outs and disorderly scenes have become routine! At the slightest provocation, some honourable members may rush towards the Speakers chair or throw an offending piece of paper. They do not fear the voters watching their antics on the TV. Old records of the proceedings will testify to what can be called the golden era of Indias parliamentary democracy. A veteran recalls past incidents such as one in a State Legislative Assembly when the Speaker responded to a critical reference about him by leaving his chair gracefully and saying that he has lost the confidence of the House. The member went to him, apologised for his remark and requested him to go back to his Chair and the proceedings were resumed. That was the democratic India that was! (Courtesy: Open Democracy) The author is a senior journalist and writer who worked in India and abroad (notably Britain) in several major newspapers. Now retired, he is a freelancer. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2018 > India in Peril EDITORIAL Today is December 6, 2018. On this day twentysix years ago to build a temple to mark the birthplace of Ram, a mosque was destroyed by deceit, as the founder of this publication wrote on December 19, 1992, thirteen days after the Babri Masjid was razed at Ayodhya, highlighting the false assurances given before the nation by the BJP leaders that the mosque would not be harmed. Indeed the Parliament, nation and people at large were deceived as the plan to pull down the mosque was kept a closely guarded secret. This incident evoked condemnation both within the country and abroad, but the most eloquent denunciation of this perfidious act came from none other than the then President of the Republic, K.R. Narayanan, who minced no words to describe the Ayodhya sacrilege as the greatest tragedy to have overtaken the nation since the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Incidentally, December 6 also happens to be the day on which the architect of our Constitution, Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar, breathed his last in 1956 and the nation observes this day as Mahapari-nirvan Diwas in homage to his memory. What happened on that day in 1992 was also an assault on the Constitution drafted by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, whom the BJP is now seeking to appropriate, as it amounted to a direct assault on secularism, a policy-perspective embodied in the basic structure of that document. Today the scenario is far worse than the situation that prevailed in 1992. At that point of time the Hindutvavadis were certainly on the rise but they had not yet captured the seat of power at the Centre. Despite all its limitations the Union Government, then run by the Congress, had failed to protect the Babri mosque but thereafter it took such steps like removing from power the UP Government controlled by the BJP. Currently both the Centre and the State of UP are under BJP rule and the environment at Ayodhya is being vitiated by the mobilisation of Hindu supremacists to buttress the demand of constructing a Ram temple on the spot where the Babri mosque stood till December 6, 1992. But now none is focussing attention on how abominable the act of dismantling the mosque was. Not only that. The ground situation in UP has worsened such that in an atmosphere of impunity the cow-vigilantes have been emboldened to not just attack but even murder a police Station House Officer in the States Bulandshahr district. The mob attacked the SHO (who was also the officer investigating the incident of lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri village in 2015) with a blunt instrument and then shot him dead. This incident shocked the nation but the UP CM, a full-throated defender of cow-vigilantes, the gau-rakshaks, did not find time to either visit the victims family or attend his funeral busy as he was in trivial programmes. Unequivocally decrying the UP Government for showing commitment to cow protection on the one hand and impunity on the other, The Indian Express editorially observed: The message is clear: There is support for vigilantism if it serves the larger political goal. To allow such an extreme form of majoritarianism to cause havoc is to invite allround disaster. Unless secular democrats of all hues unite to fight tooth and nail and defeat this majoritarian onslaught, India would soon lose its identity, image and status that we had proudly displayed since our independence in 1947. Make no mistake: India is truly in peril. December 6 S.C. This content is from: Features Owen Tse and Anna Mae Koo of Vivien Chan & Co outline the enforcement options an IP owner has in China, focusing on the benefits of administrative actions such as AIC complaints and Customs recordal Stocks Selloff Boosting Gold The recent stock-market selloff is persisting, fueling mounting worries among investors. The intensifying volatility and lack of a quick rebound higher is strangling euphoric sentiment, spawning self-reinforcing selling pressure. Scoffed at a few months ago, the notions that a young bear market is underway and a recession looms are gaining traction. The great beneficiary of this ominous stock-market downturn will be gold. Gold has always been an essential asset class for prudently diversifying investment portfolios. Uniquely it tends to rally when stock markets weaken, offsetting some of the losses in typical stock-heavy portfolios. Gold acts like portfolio insurance, usually soaring when stock markets plunge on unforeseen news. All throughout history, wise investors have recommended everyone have 5% to 10% of their portfolios in gold. But like insurance in general, the important role gold plays in portfolios is gradually forgotten when it isnt needed. Just a few months ago, the US stock markets seemed invincible. The flagship S&P 500 broad-market stock index (SPX) had powered 333.2% higher over 9.5 years by late September. That made for the 2nd-largest and 1st-longest stock bull in US history! Investors were convinced that would last indefinitely. The SPX had surged 9.6% year-to-date by that latest peak, while gold had slumped 7.3%. Thus investors felt no need to allocate virtually any capital to gold, they were and are radically underinvested in it. This is especially true of American stock investors, who were wildly optimistic after long years of big stock-market gains. Their effective portfolio exposure to gold was vanishingly small back in late September. The 500 elite stocks of the SPX had an extreme collective market capitalization way up at $26,141.4b as that topping month waned. It is interesting contrasting that with the physical gold bullion holdings of the worlds dominant gold exchange-traded fund, the American GLD SPDR Gold Shares. GLD has long been the go-to destination for American stock investors looking to allocate capital for gold exposure in their portfolios. At the end of September as stock euphoria peaked, GLDs total holdings were merely worth $28.4b. That implies American stock investors were running trivial gold allocations around 0.11%! Thats on the order of only 1/50th the minimum 5% thats been universally advised for centuries if not millennia. So its not much of a stretch to argue American stock investors had zero gold exposure, they were effectively all-out. The sharp stock-market selloff in the few months since those halcyon all-time record highs has surprised most, but it shouldnt have. As Q418 dawned, something ominous happened that was unprecedented in stock-market history. The US Federal Reserve upped its quantitative-tightening campaign necessary to start unwinding its $3625b of quantitative-easing money creation over 6.7 years to its terminal velocity. October 2018 would be the first month ever to see the Feds monetary destruction ramp to a staggering $50b-per-month pace. And even to unwind just half of the Feds radical QE, QT would have to keep on destroying $50b per month of QE-conjured money for 30 months! At the end of September when the SPX was just 0.6% off its all-time record high, I explained all this in depth warning it was this bulls death knell. And indeed within a week of Fed QT going full-throttle, the SPX started to slide. There was no way QE-levitated stock markets could ignore QT obliterating that QE money. Every daily selloff since had its own unique story and specific drivers, which I discussed and analyzed in our subscription newsletters. These all added up to enough selling to spawn an ongoing stock-market correction, an SPX selloff exceeding 10%. Blame it on Fed QT, stock-market bubble valuations, mounting US-China trade-war threats, Republicans losing the House, or whatever you want, but by Black Friday the SPX had fallen 10.2% over 2.1 months since that euphoric record peak. The stock markets staged some sharp rallies within that span, but they quickly fizzled proving to be dead-cat bounces. This recent action is ominously looking very bear-market like. We cant know for sure whether the long-overdue new bear market driven by epic record Fed tightening is indeed upon us until the SPX falls 20%+ on a closing basis. This recent correction would still have to double to hit that bear-market threshold. But gold has certainly been the main beneficiary of the recent stock-market weakness. Investors are starting to remember the ages-old wisdom of diversifying into gold. This weeks chart looks at the US-dollar gold price superimposed over the SPX during the past 4 years or so. Despite gold being forgotten in recent years as the stock markets surged ever higher, it remains in a young bull market. And that was spawned by the last set of back-to-back corrections in the SPX, which catapulted gold sharply higher. Were likely on the verge of another stock-selloff-driven major gold upleg! GLDs physical-gold-bullion holdings held in trust for its shareholders reveal how American stock investors feel about gold. This past spring they started slumping as gold was sold to move even more capital into the lofty US stock markets. For 5 months in a row ending in September, GLDs holdings retreated as investors dumped GLD shares faster than gold was falling. By early October GLDs holdings hit a 2.6-year low. I penned a whole essay on this stock-euphoria-driven gold exodus in late September, explaining why it was happening and why it was likely to soon reverse. And that shift in gold-investment sentiment began the very day the SPX started plunging in mid-October! Up until October 9th the stock markets looked totally normal, the SPX had only drifted a trivial 1.7% lower from its peak. Everyone remained wildly bullish. But something snapped on October 10th, that fateful day the SPX plunged 3.3% out of the blue on no catalyst at all. Heavy technically-motivated selling accelerated led by the market-darling mega tech stocks. For years investors had believed them bulletproof, their businesses so good they could weather any stock selloff or economic slowdown. Fears surged on the worst SPX down day since back in early February. That very day American stock investors started returning to gold. They poured capital into GLD shares so aggressively they forced a major 1.2% holdings build. GLDs mission is to track the gold price, but it has its own supply-and-demand profile independent from golds. So when GLD shares are being purchased faster than gold is bought, GLDs share price threatens to decouple to the upside on that excess demand. So GLDs managers must vent that differential buying pressure directly into the physical gold market in order to equalize it and maintain tracking. They do this by issuing enough new GLD shares to satisfy all the excess demand, and then plow the cash proceeds into gold bullion. Thus rising GLD holdings show American stock-market capital is flowing into gold. That proved to be GLDs biggest build in 6.7 months. That fateful day proved a major inflection point for both near-record US stock markets and the extremely-unpopular gold. As the SPX continued to weaken over the next couple months, GLD continued to enjoy modest builds on investment gold buying. By late November GLDs holdings had climbed a considerable 4.5% over 6 weeks. That has helped push gold 5.5% higher since its mid-August lows, a solid young upleg. Odds are that gold buying via GLD by American stock investors is only beginning. The longer this stock-market weakness persists, the deeper their worries will grow. And the more their stock-heavy portfolios bleed, the quicker they will remember they shouldve allocated 5% to 10% to gold. Once gold investment demand is kindled by falling stock markets, it tends to balloon dramatically and take on a life of its own. Golds young bull market today that was forgotten this summer began as 2016 dawned. Much like this year, in the first half of 2015 the US stock markets were powering to dazzling new record highs. Since it seemed like stocks could do nothing but rally indefinitely, gold was forgotten and shunned. It slumped to a brutal 6.1-year secular low by mid-December 2015, with investors really wanting nothing to do with it. But their ironclad euphoria started to crack soon after the stock markets corrected. In mid-2015 the SPX finally suffered its first correction in an incredibly-extreme 3.6 years after being levitated by relentless Fed money creation from its third quantitative-easing campaign. Gold caught a bid on that 12.4% SPX selloff over 3.2 months, but then faded again into the expected first Fed rate hike in 9.5 years in mid-December. Then the SPX fell into another 13.3% correction over 3.3 months into early 2016. Seeing menacing back-to-back corrections after long years without one really deflated gold-suppressing stock-market euphoria. So in early 2016 American stock investors began prudently rediversifying their stock-dominated portfolios into gold. That birthed todays gold bull, and the gold-buying momentum fed on itself to drive a powerful upleg. Gold went from being left for dead in mid-December 2015 to surging 29.9% higher in just 6.7 months solely on American stock investors returning! This is no generalization, the hard numbers prove it without a doubt. The worlds best gold fundamental supply-and-demand data comes from the venerable World Gold Council. It releases fantastic quarterly reports detailing the global buying and selling happening in gold. Gold blasted higher on SPX weakness in Q116 and Q216. According to the latest data from the WGC, total world gold demand climbed 188.1 and 123.5 metric tons year-over-year in those key quarters. That was up 17.1% and 13.2% YoY respectively! But the real stunner is exactly where those major demand boosts came from. It wasnt from jewelry buying, central-bank buying, or even physical bar-and-coin investment. In Q116 and Q216, GLDs holdings alone soared 176.9t and 130.8t higher on American stock investors redeploying into gold after back-to-back SPX corrections. Incredibly this one leading gold ETF accounted for a staggering 94% of overall global gold demand growth in Q116 and 106% in Q216! So theres no doubt without American stock investors fleeing into gold via GLD this gold bull never wouldve been born. Gold was holding those sharp gains throughout 2016 until Trumps surprise presidential victory unleashed a monster stock-market run on hopes for big tax cuts soon. Gold was pummeled in Q416 as American stock investors pulled capital back out to chase the newly-soaring SPX. That quarter total global gold demand per the WGC fell 103.4t YoY or 9.0%. GLDs 125.8t Q416 holdings draw accounted for 122% of that! Golds fortunes are being driven by American stock investors collective buying and selling of GLD shares. And nothing motivates them to redeploy capital into gold to diversify their stock-heavy portfolios like major SPX selloffs. Recent months one has already proven serious enough to rekindle differential GLD-share buying. And as H116 proved, once investors start driving gold higher its rallies tend to become self-feeding. The more physical gold bullion American stock investors buy via GLD shares, the more gold climbs. The higher gold rallies, the more investors want to buy it to ride the momentum and chase its gains. So buying begets buying, driving gold higher fairly rapidly. And when stock markets are sliding, gold is often the only asset class rallying. That makes it even more attractive to investors getting pounded by sliding stocks. This latest SPX correction is even more damaging to sentiment because it is 2018s second one. Back in early February the SPX plunged 10.2% in 0.4 months, which started to crack sentiment. Back when this gold bull was born it was the second of back-to-back SPX corrections that proved the coup de grace in hurting stock-market sentiment enough to unleash a reallocation into gold. This scenario is playing out again. Provocatively seeing the three major US stock indexes suffer two 10%+ corrections within any single calendar year is itself a super-bearish omen. 2018 joined 1973, 1974, 1987, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2008 as the SPXs only other dual-correction years. Those coincided with a 48.2% SPX bear, a 20.5% single-day SPX crash, another 49.1% SPX bear, and a third 56.8% SPX bear! All three bears triggered recessions. This stock-market weakness isnt only likely to persist, but the odds really favor it snowballing into another major SPX bear market. Gold investment demand will naturally surge as stocks burn, fueling a strong bull market. Golds 29.9% gain over 6.7 months at best so far in this bull is nothing. Golds last secular bull from April 2001 to August 2011 saw it soar 638.2% higher! Golds gains as the SPX rolls over should be massive. With a trivial 0.1% portfolio allocation to gold, what happens to gold prices if American stock investors just return to a still-immaterial 1.0%? Thats still way under the 5% to 10% recommended in normal times, and plenty of great investors believe 20% gold allocations are necessary during stock bears. Golds upside from here with virtually-zero US-stock-market capital allocated to it is vast. And it could accelerate rather fast. The timing of this current SPX correction is likely to magnify bearish psychology. It has occurred entirely within Q418. The SPX exited Q318 just 0.6% off its record peak from a week earlier. So I suspect a lot of American retirement investors have no idea just how much carnage their precious capital has suffered. When they get their quarterly statements from their money managers in January, they could really freak out. Even worse, far too much of this retirement capital was allocated to the market-darling mega techs which were the biggest holdings across most funds. Their losses have far outpaced the SPXs. As of that latest correction low on Black Friday when the SPX was down 10.2%, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Facebook, and Netflix had collapsed 25.8%, 26.4%, 10.8%, 19.9%, 39.4%, and 38.2% from their all-time highs! The mega techs that nearly single-handedly pushed the SPX higher for years averaged 26.8% losses, or 2.6x the SPXs! When investors who dont closely follow the stock markets figure that out next month, the investment demand for rallying gold ought to explode. The first half of 2019 has a setup much like H116, where gold essentially powered 30% higher. A similar upleg from mid-Augusts lows isnt a stretch at all. Another 30% run from $1174 would leave gold at $1525. And once gold climbs decisively back over its bull-to-date high of $1365 from early-July 2016, investment interest and demand will soar. Just like the mega tech stocks, the higher gold prices the more investors want to buy it. A mere 16% gold upleg off Augusts lows, or another 10% higher from this weeks levels, would near that psychologically-huge bull breakout! All investors should always have 5% to 10% of their investable capital allocated to gold. But almost none do today as a long-overdue bear market fueled by epic record Fed QT looms. If you dont have that core gold allocation, you need to get it in place before stocks fall much farther and gold surges much higher. The gold miners stocks will greatly leverage golds gains too, their leading index soared 182.2% largely in H116! Absolutely essential in bear markets is cultivating excellent contrarian intelligence sources. Thats our specialty at Zeal. After decades studying the markets and trading, we really walk the contrarian walk. We buy low when few others will, so we can later sell high when few others can. While Wall Street will deny the coming stock-market bear all the way down, we will help you both understand it and prosper during it. Weve long published acclaimed weekly and monthly newsletters for speculators and investors. They draw on my vast experience, knowledge, wisdom, and ongoing research to explain whats going on in the markets, why, and how to trade them with specific stocks. As of Q3, weve recommended and realized 1045 newsletter stock trades since 2001. Their average annualized realized gain is +17.7%! Thats double the long-term stock-market average. Subscribe today and take advantage of our 20%-off holidays sale! The bottom line is this stock selloff is boosting gold. Flagging gold investment demand turned on a dime when the stock markets started plunging in mid-October. Gold has rallied on balance since as American stock investors start redeploying capital. Their buying alone via GLD shares was fully responsible for golds sharp 30% upleg in 2016s first half. That followed the last back-to-back corrections in US stock markets. And between record Fed tightening running full-throttle, continuing dangerous bubble valuations, and the mounting trade wars, this recent stock selling is likely to persist on balance. So gold investment will look far more attractive. Coming from virtually-zero gold portfolio allocations, investors have massive buying to do. The higher they push gold, the more other investors will chase it. Especially as US stock markets weaken. Adam Hamilton, CPA So how can you profit from this information? We publish an acclaimed monthly newsletter, Zeal Intelligence , that details exactly what we are doing in terms of actual stock and options trading based on all the lessons we have learned in our market research. Please consider joining us each month for tactical trading details and more in our premium Zeal Intelligence service at www.zealllc.com/subscribe.htm Questions for Adam? I would be more than happy to address them through my private consulting business. Please visit www.zealllc.com/adam.htm for more information. Thoughts, comments, or flames? Fire away at zelotes@zealllc.com . Due to my staggering and perpetually increasing e-mail load, I regret that I am not able to respond to comments personally. I will read all messages though and really appreciate your feedback! Copyright 2000 - 2018 Zeal Research ( www.ZealLLC.com ) 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Beijing has summoned the US ambassador and lodged a strong protest over the detainment of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, China's foreign ministry announced, adding that Washington should withdraw its arrest warrant. Any further measures will depend on the next steps taken by the US, Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told the ambassador, Reuters reports. Meng was arrested while changing planes in Vancouver on December 1. She now faces possible extradition to the United States over allegedly lying about her company's ties to SkyCom, a company that tried to sell US-manufactured technologies to Iran despite sanctions. Also on rt.com China warns of serious consequences if Canada doesn't release detained Huawei executive The ministry's announcement comes just one day after it warned Canada of serious consequences if it fails to release Wanzhou. If extradited to the US, Meng would face charges of conspiracy to defraud numerous financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years. Although her arrest has only just taken place, it has emerged that Meng's alleged wrongdoings date all the way back to 2013, leading many to speculate whether her detainment may be a sneak attack by the US amid a growing trade war between Washington and Beijing. Like this story? Share it with a friend! Plans for a Chinese brides dream wedding, as marvelous as her groom can afford, may have to be put on hold. Authorities say that extravagant and pricey ceremonies do not fall in line with national moral values. The government is concerned about rising bride prices in particular a goodwill gesture between the two families, when the grooms family pays a dowry to their future relatives. Another issue is that couples invite celebrities and influential people to their big day to show off in front of guests. To battle such practices Chinas Ministry of Civil Affairs convened a special meeting in Jinan, Shandong province, last week, where officials from various parts of the country ruled that marriage etiquette needs to be reformed. Instead of lavish parties, authorities want to encourage people to celebrate the event in a more traditional and thrifty way. Moreover, the weddings should better reflect the countrys values and goals, and implement the leaders political ideology, known as the Xi Jinping Thought. Marriages can be a great financial burden and sometimes the grooms family can land themselves in serious debt. Prices reportedly start from 100,000 yuan (around $14,500), with some costing vastly more. Last year, an 18-year-old girl in Chinas eastern province of Fujian received 2.88 million yuan ($400,000) as a gift for her engagement, according to CGTN. However, initiatives targeting centuries-long traditions have already sparked a public backlash. An earlier move targeting traditional burials and promoting cremation as the only method of disposal of bodies enraged locals in Jiangxi province in July. People were even trying to stop the ordered destruction and seizure of coffins by climbing inside of them, but were forcefully pulled out. For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section The skill of handwriting has become obsolete in the age of smartphones, with many children losing it entirely. Ohio lawmakers have now passed a bill to develop a course that would teach children how to write in cursive. The Ohio Senate passed a bill on Thursday compelling the state board of education to develop a curriculum that would include teaching children from kindergarten up to 5th grade how to handwrite. According to the legislation, known as House Bill 58, schoolchildren should develop the ability to print letters and words legibly by grade three and to create readable documents using legible cursive handwriting by the end of grade five, that is, when they are 10 or 11 years of age. Also on rt.com Woefully uninformed: 81% of Americans under 45 would fail basic US citizenship test The bill was originally introduced in the Senate in February 2017, but faced unexpected opposition from some lawmakers who argue that the skill is no longer relevant and that the bill should be watered down. Read more The version of the bill passed this week no longer obliges teachers to include handwriting lessons in their curriculum, making it optional. Proponents of the measure argue that handwriting should not belong to the dustbin of history, since it improves cognitive ability in children. Co-sponsor of the bill Rep. Andrew Brenner pointed to studies that have shown that learning how to write in cursive helps students learn how to spell and read, especially children with dyslexia. Moreover, kids who cannot write in cursive are likely to lack the ability to read it and therefore will not be able to decipher historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence. Our history is all written in cursive, Rep. Marilyn Slaby said. The bill still has to be greenlighted by the Ohio House of Representatives before it can be signed by the governor. Ohio is not alone in its quest to bring cursive back to schools. In November, Illinois lawmakers overrode Gov. Bruce Rauners veto and voted in favor of mandating cursive instruction in public elementary schools. Similar laws have been passed in other states. Learning cursive was compulsory for US schoolchildren up until 2010, when a new educational standard was introduced that no longer requires children to learn handwriting. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Russia's Defense Ministry has released footage of Su-25 and Su-34 jets flying together in a tight formation. The video shows the planes from the front, giving viewers a glimpse into the cockpits to watch Russian pilots at work. The footage shows the pair of planes Sukhoi Su-25 close air support and Su-34 bomber flying together. READ MORE: Spy plane up close: WATCH Russian surveillance jets perform flawless maneuvers in new video The video is shot from another aircraft, flying ahead of the two. It captured the finest details of the flight jets' rudders moving, chassis extending and even the planes' crews at work. The video was shot during the first flights of the new training season, when commanders of Russia's air units decide on the training programs for the pilots. The so-called commander flights gives them an opportunity to show off their skills and decide on a couple more tricks to throw into the training course. The pilots are honing their skills flying over terrain, lacking any distinguishable landmarks, in varying weather conditions, as well as focusing on a blind landing when a pilot sets his course relying solely on the plane's avionics. Although the two Sukhoi planes flew in good weather, its hard to tell where the flight took place given the barren landscape shown in the video. Like this story? Share it with a friend! The US won't budge to growing pressure to stop supporting the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, a high-ranking State Dept. official said. According to the UN, the conflict led to the largest humanitarian crisis of our time. Obviously there are pressures in our system to either withdraw from the conflict or discontinue our support of the [Saudi-led] coalition, which we are strongly opposed to on the administration side, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arabian Gulf Affairs Timothy Lenderking said on Sunday, cited by Reuters. The official added that the support for the coalition is necessary, and discontinuing it would be sending a wrong message. This echoed the words of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who earlier argued that withdrawing military assistance to the Saudis would cause "immense damage" to US interests. Lenderking made his remarks at a security-themed event in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, which is a part of the devastating bombing raids in Yemen. He blamed Tehran for causing chaos in the small Arab nation, saying that a future Yemen must be free from an Iranian-backed threat to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The high-ranking State Department official stood by backing the coalition's military efforts just two days after the UN Refugee Agency announced that the conflict kills or maims on average 123 civilians a week. Since the Saudi led-intervention, Yemen has plunged into what the UN calls the world's largest humanitarian crisis with 75 percent of the population in need of aid. At least 16,000 civilians were killed during the war, and 2.3 million were displaced. The Saudi blockade of Yemeni ports caused cholera outbreaks and put millions on the brink of starvation. Also on rt.com 5 reasons the nightmarish war in Yemen should never be forgotten (PHOTOS, VIDEO) Washington's military aid to the Saudis has met some resistance at home as a number of lawmakers urged President Donald Trump to pull out from the conflict. Last month, the US Senate voted to advance a bill, effectively ending US involvement. Lawmakers have also been incensed at the Saudi rulers since the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi back in October. Despite all that, the White House continues aiding the Saudis as Riyadh remains one of its top arms buyers and an important ally in the region. President Trump did vow to inflict a severe punishment on Riyadh if it is found complicit in Khashoggi's death and even placed sanctions on 17 Saudi officials in connection with the case. However, it would be foolish to scrap $450 billion worth of contracts and investment deals with the kingdom, Trump stressed. Explaining his decision not to cut ties with the Saudis, Trump went to great lengths to praise Riyadh as a valuable partner in maintaining regional security and the fight against Iran. He also pinned the blame on Iran for the bloody proxy war in Yemen. The US president said that it would be particularly wrong to ditch the $110 billion of lucrative arms deals with the kingdom because otherwise the contracts will be picked up by Russia or China. READ MORE: All US presidents kowtow to Saudi Arabia Trump is just honest about it (VIDEO) Just a week after Trump declared that the US will stand with Riyadh, the Pentagon gave the greenlight to a $15 billion deal to sell 44 THAAD air defense systems to Saudi Arabia. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story! Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, Dean Johnson, dean of the School of Business and Economics, and colleagues examine the challenges and opportunities amongst future business leaders racing toward the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Firms exist to provide goods and services to benefit society. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, these goods and services will be deeply intertwined with new technologies. And while each iteration of technology-infused goods and services might be provocative or fascinating on the surface, the successful business leader of tomorrow will look past a new technologys hype to ask, Whats behind this and how can I leverage it to solve a business or social challenge? Consider Uber, Google Maps and intelligent highways. These GPS-derived innovations offer rich and lasting human and economic implications. Even in traditional manufacturing environments, sensor technology can be used to track and improve quality, reducing waste and revolutionizing the auditing process. Research tells us that technology whose popularity trails off, tend to be the innovations which offer meaningful solutions and opportunities, says Russ Louks, professor of practice in the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech. In the future, Michigan Techs intensive effort to uncover new discoveries must be matched by an exhaustive sprint toward economic applications benefitting society. Race to Market For much of our nations modern history, our prosperity can be attributed to our ability to harvest economic benefits from research. The countrys leadership in this arena, however, is at stake. While American universities tend to focus diligently on early-stage research and development, others have shifted to focus on accelerating late-stage innovation. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) forecasted that in 2018, China would invest up to twice as much as the US in late-stage R&D spending. The report highlights lithium-ion batteries, notebook computers, and photovoltaic cells and panelsamong othersas examples of products created with technologies that were invented in the US, but largely industrialized elsewhere. In this competitive landscape, the window of time to move through R&D to analyzing for commercial potentialand from concept to conceptmust shrink. And whoever moves fastest will win. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Michigan Tech must set the pace, by working with governments, partnering universities and the private sector. Teaming together, we can reap economic benefits from early R&D by completing the conversion into viable economic goods and services. To apply science for human and economic impact, Michigan Tech must expand connections to government and industry with an explicit focus to produce economically viable research and entrepreneurially minded students. The Agile Entrepreneur With Innovation Shore as our training ground, Michigan Tech continues to be on the leading edge of developing entrepreneurs. Our partnership and close proximity to the MTEC SmartZone business accelerator provide space, mentoring and resources to help turn student ideas into startups. On campus, the Office of Innovation and Commercialization ensures healthy funding for technology commercialization and business development. The Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship, a collaboration between Pavlis Honors College and the School of Business, reimagined campus pitch competitions to become a series of workshops and events, to better guide and support students through key phases of innovation and business development. Whether through startup entrepreneurial firms or innovation centers embedded in mature firms, the rapid conversion of technology is key for the delivery of goods and services in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Transferable skills, such as leadership, problem-solving and communication, will remain critical to retain employment viability. However, the nimble entrepreneur who combines these skills with a relentless focus on transforming technology into scalable commerce will be in the greatest demand. There are multiple paths to becoming an adept entrepreneur, but two of the most reliable regimens are to be a business student with a deep appreciation of technology or be an engineer with a business underpinning of marketing research, financing and business plan development. "Small business owners and entrepreneurs will need to accelerate their learning to keep pace with rapid advances in technology. This commitment to learning and adopting new technology positions individuals to lead and remain relevant in their marketor even disrupt an industry. Through this process, many reinvent themselves or their business models regularly with the goal of staying in front." Shane Jacques, Senior Business Consultant, Small Business Development Center, Michigan Tech The Dual-Sport Business Leader The Fourth Industrial Revolution will demand business-savvy engineers and tech-savvy business leaders. To prepare business students for audacious change, the School of Business and Economics is undertaking sweeping transformations from hiring to curriculum. The creation of a minor in business will appeal to STEM students of all disciplines preparing for a workplace culture of risk-taking, collaboration, economic value creation and speed. Were introducing a new masters degree in engineering management that builds on industry demand for professionals with strong communication and technical skills in both business and engineering realms. New courses are being developed, including emerging technologies, risk management and financial technology innovations, and were looking for new faculty with strengths in both STEM fields and business experiences. "Combining business with science, technology, engineering and math will be critical, and will continue to give business professionals, innovators, and entrepreneurs of all disciplines the edge required to move forward." School of Business and Economics, Michigan Tech Mari Buche , Associate Dean,School of Business and Economics, Michigan Tech 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. WALLINGFORD The school board is reviewing several multi-million dollar plans that would restructure the town's middle and high schools. No matter what option the board chooses, the Town Council will be the body to appropriate funding. Vincent Cervoni, Town Council chairman, said Thursday that hes reviewed the six preliminary options presented to a school board subcommittee last month, thought not in great detail. I have to imagine that it would be a concern for us about that level of spending, he said. Estimated costs to the town after state reimbursement run from about $77.6 million to $117.2 million, depending on the scope of the option. Consultants from Milone & MacBroom conducted a facilities study and made recommendations that include reconfiguration, reorganization and consolidation. The school board operations committee is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the options. Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said earlier this week committee members may narrow the options at the meeting, although they dont have to. Cervoni said that the last major projects of appreciable size was a multi-school roofing project. Questions at that time mostly focused on the necessity of the work, but Cervoin said restructuring four schools presents a broader range of issues. I think this is much more complex than repairing decaying roofs, he said. The school board still has a lot of discussions and work to do before a proposal comes to the council, and Cervoni added that its too early in the process for him to favor a plan. Town Councilor Jason Zandri said he attended the options presentation meeting last month. The board is making good progress, he said. At the end of the day, I dont have any issues following through with what the board recommends, but (the town council) will have its own questions. Zandri agreed with the school boards decision to take the status quo option off the table, and said he understands concerns about shrinking enrollment. I have to believe that what comes up as an eventual choice is going to take that into consideration, he said. Consolidating schools options have drawn criticism from some residents. A Facebook group that allows parents opposed to building consolidation to connect and share information has drawn nearly 400 membersin two weeks. Ive learned that this process has only just begun, said Elisa Allardice, group administrator. If it ends up that the board is seriously considering closing schools, then Im sure many people will speak up." One of the Facebook groups moderators, Shannon Sorvillo, created an online petition that has gathered about 960 signatures from those opposed consolidation and in favor of options that renovate buildings instead. The consultants six options are: 1. Maintaining the status quo and addressing the capital needs of all schools with no changes to current programming. Estimated cost: $15.6 million for capital needs and $1.5 million in security upgrades. 2. Renovating the high schools as new, with potential design improvements, and addressing the middle schools capital needs. Estimated cost: $128 million, with the town paying $77.6 million after state reimbursement. 3. Renovating all schools to create pathway programming. Dag Middle School and Lyman Hall High School would offer science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, agricultural science, manufacturing, construction, business, and law themes. Moran Middle School and Sheehan High School would offer arts, audio/visual technology, communications, medical and human services themes. Estimated cost: $196.5 million, with the town paying $117.2 million. Cross-town transportation would cost an additional $525,000 to $900,000. 4. Creating townwide schools. Moran would house grades 5 and 6, Sheehan grades 7 and 8 and Lyman Hall grades 9-12. Dag would house central office staff, special education, and alternative and adult education. Estimated cost: $209.2 million, with the town paying $114.4 million. 5. Creating one middle school and two themed high schools. Dag would house offices like in Option 4 and Moran would remain a grade 6-8 middle school. Sheehan and Lyman Hall would be renovated and offer specific programming, like option 3. Estimated cost: $185.2 million, with the town paying $107 million. 6. Creating single townwide middle and high schools. Dag would have offices like in option 4, and Moran would be returned to the town. Sheehan would serve grades 6 through 8 and Lyman Hall would remain a high school. Estimated cost: $119.6 million, with the town paying $59.9 million. Sunitha natti By Express News Service HYDERABAD : Alarm bells have gone off on the fiscal deficitwhich breached FY19s target within six monthsforcing the Ministry of Finance to deploy an emergency rescue act. Rating agencies are certain the target will be breached, but the government is out to prove them otherwise, with officials scurrying cash chests of departments to trouser a mix-and-match fiscal suit. Amid lower-than-budgeted tax and non-tax revenue, everyone expects the government to cut capital expenditure (capex), but Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ruled it out, while Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Garg maintained that the deficit target will be met. So far, facts and fortune arent in the governments favour, with indirect taxes and non-tax revenue falling by the wayside. Despite efforts, aggregate indirect tax collections grew by a pedestrian 4.3 per cent in the first six months as against a mighty 22.2 per cent projected growth. GST collections missed the previous years target, yet are estimated to grow by 67 per cent to Rs 7.4 lakh crore. Until now, the revenue run-rate leaves a lot to be desired. Non-tax revenue is pegged at Rs 2.4 lakh crore, but is likely to disappoint, led by weak divestment proceeds, whose target is set at Rs 80,000 crore, but only Rs 15,000 crore has come in till October. In FY18, disinvestment proceeds, for the first time, not only met the target, but also crossed the estimate. The government had high hopes on Air India stake sale, which was shelved as there were no takers and fresh efforts to dispose of it in bits and bobs could fetch little. Excise duty cuts on fuel prices could put pressure as the Centres revenue will decline by Rs 10,500 crore, 0.05 per cent of GDP, between October 2018 and March 2019. As if the uncertainty on revenue collections isnt enough, tax cuts for small businesses and a relatively high MSP for farmers ahead of the 2019 general elections is likely to strain the fiscal sources. Given revenue is weak, the obvious option is to slice capex, as we have seen in the past. For instance, in FY18, capex was cut by Rs 36,000 crore, prompted by a shortfall of Rs 50,000 crore on account of GST. But this fiscal, experts say even a capex cut may be insufficient to offset revenue losses. Curtailing expenditure isnt the preferred fiscal path and the concept of a fiscal straitjacket constraining expenditure and borrowing to reduce deficit may not be advisable in a country that has excess unutilized capacity. The government is also insisting ministries, departments and PSUs return all unspent cash, besides, of course, higher dividends. The government borrowings have been cut short by `70,000 crore, which is welcome, but finding this elsewhere could prove to be a challenge. The issue of raiding RBIs reserves appears tempting, but such a move could dent its credibility. In June, 2014, presenting the NDA governments first full budget, Jaitley styled himself as a fiscal hawk and over the past four budgets, projected that his was a party to be remembered as the custodian of fiscal rectitude. Past years saw deficit targets breached, but that didnt spook rating agencies or investors. For instance, FY18 deficit was 30 bps higher than the 3.5 target. Until now, Jaitleys experiment in fiscal prudence tested a hypothesis if you could course your way to growth by shrinking deficit. It may have worked, but for demonetisation, GST, and higher crude prices. The trilemma, collectively, is threatening to make a weak economy further sick. Typically, when tax revenue crawls, instead of running, public spending should be financed by debt. Also, given the election year, governments tend to discard the fiscal straitjacket, but Jaitley and his men are adamant on sticking to the script. Will they take recourse saying its OK to live with the ballooning debt just for a while, until tax revenue plays catch up? We shall know in February. One may wonder why the obsession with 3 per cent deficit target? Its because a staggering 97 per cent of our debt is raised internally, meaning borrowed via government securities, etc. A lot of this money comes from household financial savings. As per estimates, household savings to GDP was 10 per cent and foreign inflows 1.5 per cent. Deficit target The 2019 fiscal deficit target has been pegged at 3.3 per cent of GDP, or I6.24 lakh crore, but credit rating agencies estimate the deficit at I6.67 lakh crore, or 3.5 per cent of GDP Gurbir Singh By Express News Service Niranjan Hiranandani, who first introduced Mumbai to luxury apartments and grand lifestyle buildings with chandeliered 50-feet high lobbies, has just been declared Indias 6th wealthiest builder by the Grohe Hurun Report. He has personal assets worth Rs 7,880 crore. The endorsement hasnt cramped his affable style, and he continues to do what he likes bestrepresent the industry. Becoming President of the realtor association, National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO), last September, has made that task easier. This writer first ran into Hiranandani two decades ago, when builders in Mumbai, facing extortion gangs, had all gone underground. Nobody spoke to the media. Niranjan Hiranandani, a prominent face then too, was also among those who had a posse of police guarding their every movement. Yet he never baulked from returning calls to comment on housing and construction. For harried Mumbaikars facing pot-holed roads and crumbling infrastructure, Hiranandani thinks ache din is still very much on the agenda. There is 210 kilometres of Metro Rail on track; the cross-harbour sea link has finally started; an alternative airport at Navi Mumbai is finally on, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is running a war room to ensure all this becomes reality, Hiranandani says. On the national level too, Hiranandani believes the Modi government is on track for its Housing-for-All-by-2022 programme; and thinks the new, scaled-down housing shortage number of 12 million units can be met. The government sanctions for homes and subvention of `1.5 lakh crore are in place, urban development minister Hardeep Puri has assured me, he says. Facts, however, run contrary to his optimism. The latest CRISIL Report figures say the Central government has, in the last 3-4 years, sanctioned 6.7 million homes but has been able to complete only 1.2 million units so far. Hiranandani also conceded that the Smart Cities slogan was an overkill, creating aspirations that could not be met. The concept of creating smart cities is a bit of an overstatement; we should limit ourselves to creating the first step of good infrastructure in cities, he explained. What does he feel about the consumer perception of the industry? Droves of Delhi buildersthe promoters of Amrapali, 3C and Unitech, among othershave been arrested for failing to deliver. Isnt the housing market taking a hit because of their illegal activities? Noida is the big problem, he concedes. There are 2.5 lakh units up without takers; 90 per cent of the money is collected and there is no delivery; and 40 per cent has been spent. Builders have not paid for the land to the UP government. Two-thirds of those stuck are investors. It is for Noida that RERA was brought in; and RERA doesnt work there. There seems to be no solution. The NAREDCO president, however, feels that there are other reasons than a few fly-by-night builders that are dealing body blows to the housing industry. The GST regime, for instance. GST has changed everything. There is no market for under-construction flats as there is 12 per cent GST. Once completed, there is no GST. But surveys on unsold stock are misleading and overstated. Once occupation certificate (OC) is given, these properties sell, Hiranandani says, adding: It is not as bad as it seems. I have sold more commercial stock in the last three years than I have in the previous 14.But behind all his brave postures, one can see the realtor is worried. He concedes there is a slowdown and blames financial and banking policies that are restricting growth of credit in the system. There were serious speed bumps we faced in 2017demonetisation, RERA and GST. We were just coming out of the crisis, and then IL&FS happened. Credit is what drives growth. But with the IL&FS crisis, funding to the non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) was choked. Builders, whose funds are escrowed for each of their projects, draw money from NBFCs, and that line being cut off has meant all-round slowdown. RBI has to find a solution. At this rate, affordable housing targets too will just remain on paper, he warns. But Hiranandani is the eternal optimist. He says the industry is finding a way out through consolidation. Builders in trouble are allying or selling out to those who have deeper pockets. DLF is back in business by selling its non-core assets. A builder in the eastern Mumbai suburbs has just given over three projects to competitors to complete. Growth has always been, and will be cyclical, he concludes. By PTI NEW DELHI: Amid growing demands for farm loan waivers, Niti Aayog Member and agriculture policy expert Ramesh Chand said he is not in favour of debt waivers as this help only a small fraction of farmers. The country recently witnessed agitations by farmers in key farm states in support of their demands ranging from farm loan waiver to clearing of dues by sugar mills and higher prices for crops. "The biggest problem with loan waiver is that it will benefit only a small fraction of farmers...I am not at all in favour of loan waiver," Chand, who has been involved in policy formulation for the last 15 years, told PTI in an interview. He also observed that in poorer states only 10-15 per cent of farmers are benefited from loan waiver as few number of farmers get institutional loans in such states. When asked about implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, he said Narendra Modi-led NDA government has implemented most of the recommendations of the Commission. Chand further said the minimum support price (MSP) on various farm produce cannot be raised beyond a point it is not supported by the demand side factors as it would become too distorted and unaffordable for a large section of the society. While the Swaminathan committee has suggested the MSP should be fixed on C2 (production cost definition) plus 50 per cent, the government has adopted A2+FL (actual cost plus the value of family labour) and a 50 per cent increase over A2+FL to provide a reasonable margin to producers. He said one also has to look at the demand-supply factors while deciding on raising MSPs. "A large number of suggestions of Swaminathan Commission have been implemented. Only one demand which comes, again and again, is that MSP should be 1.5 times the cost of the C2. "...I am in favour of enhancing the income of farmers but to enhance the income by only giving them the price by government, which is not reflected in the demand of the society can have very adverse fiscal implications because many a consumer would not be able to buy such produce and it will end up in mounting public stocks," the noted agriculture economist argued. "Cost of such stock and interest thereon will rise, so it becomes so costly," he added. Further, if MSP is too high compared to open market price, the export will suffer and the country will become attractive for import from many countries. According to Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), C2 is the most comprehensive definition of the production cost of crops as it also accounts for the rentals on owned land and interest on fixed capital assets over and above A2+FL. The Swaminathan Commission was tasked with finding solutions to the problems faced by farmers. The commission submitted five reports between December 2004 and October 2006. Chand also said he expects that the country's farm production will increase by about 4 per cent in the current fiscal. The agriculture sector growth has been very good in 2016-17 and 2017-18. In one year, it was 6.3 per cent, in the other year, it was 3.4 per cent. "Even this year(2018-19) in the second quarter, it is 3.8 per cent which is not a bad growth for the agriculture (sector). Maybe at the end of this year, we will have agriculture sector (growth) something close to 4 per cent," he remarked. Asked why onion prices are crashing and farmers are not getting good prices for their produce, Chand said, "If you do not have a storage capacity for onions then you will find that this kind of things will happen." Noting that our agriculture production has changed in the last 10-15 years but our markets are not evolving, he said, "new production scenario is a scenario of surpluses ... markets should now prepare themselves to handle surpluses. "That will not happen if regulations are not changed, if the infrastructure is not built, we will keep crying about these things," Chand insisted. By Express News Service KOCHI: The Smart City Innovation Lab, which is formed with the technical support of German-based Fraunhofer Society will be officially launched on Monday. The lab is formed to help implement the projects under the Centres 100 Smart City Mission. Through the Innovation Lab, Fraunhofer has committed to support the city in preparing the technical and financial feasibility reports for selected sectors, identify the funding partners for projects to execute pilot projects and capacity building of staffs to replicate the innovative models in other parts of the cities or in other cities. As part of the Smart City Innovation lab, the Fraunhofer team has reached Kochi on Friday and will be in the City till December 12. A technical workshop as part of the Innovation lab launch was also held on Friday. Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) managing director A P M Mohammed Hanish suggested that inclusive housing, environmental degradation and canal management, building energy-efficient communities and urban risk resilience are some of the critical sectors where Kochi city would like to have technical hand-holding from the Fraunhofer society. The workshop also discussed various city-specific topics including Solid and Liquid Waste Management, Mobility, Energy Efficiency, Housing of weaker sections and Canal rejuvenations. Damian Wagner, Senior Project Manager Smart Cities, Fraunhofer, Thomas Schlegl, Head of Department Energy System Analysis, Fraunhofer, officials of Kochi Corporation, GCDA, Kochi Metro Rail Limited, and other Fraunhofer representatives attended the day-long workshop. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: After the exit polls predicted a fractured mandate in Mizoram, the focus is suddenly on a retired IPS officer who had worked with former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It was learnt that the ruling Congress is mulling to go the distance to keep Lalduhoma, the retired IPS officer, in a good humour. As per the exit poll projections, his Zoram Peoples Movement (ZPM), which is a conglomerate of some smaller regional parties, is likely to get between three to eight seats. Altogether 37 people had contested as Independent candidates under the ZPM banner. In the 40-member Mizoram House, a political party will need at least 21 seats to get the simple majority. However, the exit polls predicted that neither the ruling Congress nor the states principal opposition party Mizo National Front (MNF) would reach the halfway mark of 20 seats. A Congress insider said if the polls throw up a hung House, the party might even go to the extent of sacrificing the Chief Ministers seat to garner the support of Lalduhoma for the formation of a coalition government. The Congress is wary of a possible BJP-ZPM-MNF government in the state and it wants to keep the BJP out of power at any cost. Mizoram is the last Congress-ruled state in the Northeast. There are reports that the Congress and the MNF have already started sending feelers to the ZPM chief. He, however, denied having been approached by any. No. Nobody has approached me yet. These are issues which the political parties usually discuss after the election results are out, Lalduhoma told TNIE. During poll campaign, he had asserted that the ZPM would not align with any political parties as it would be able to form the government on its own. Lalduhoma is a known party hopper. After quitting his career in police service, he had joined the Congress in 1984 and was appointed as the vice chairman of Mizoram State Planning Board. The same year, he got elected as an MP. However, he formed the Mizo National Union which was later merged with the Mizoram People's Conference. In due course, he joined the MNF but broke away from it to form the Zoram Nationalist Party. In 2003, he was elected to the Mizoram Assembly. By PTI MUMBAI: Sara Ali Khan, whose debut film "Kedarnath" has been banned in Uttarakhand, is "disheartened" by the move and says the idea behind the film is "not to divide but unite people". The film, set against the backdrop of the natural tragedy in the temple town of Kedarnath, is a love story of a Hindu girl (Sara) and a Muslim porter (Sushant Singh Raput). Those seeking ban on the film have accused it of hurting Hindu sentiments and promoting love jihad. ALSO READ: 'Kedarnath' movie review "The dream was that I could pass on this story to some people. We shot the film in Uttarakhand, we stayed there for 40 days, I have best memories of my career there. It is very disheartening to not give back to them because they have given me so much. And that is the only real regret," Sara told PTI. The young actor was unable to understand the reason for the ban on the film and said she has a different view on "caste and religion". "I don't consider ethnicity, religion, caste as markers and consider them as divisive. I don't think the film does either. The film is not about dividing you, it rather calls for coming together. I don't know how people are feeling hurt. I don't think they have seen the film." ALSO READ: Seven districts in Uttarakhand ban Abhishek Kapoors film Kedarnath Sara, however, said she respects the concerns and as an actor all she can do is give her 100 per cent to the film. "I have to respect that thought process as well. As an actor none of this in my hands. The only thing that is in my hands is to perform the given role, which I have done to my best. There is an element of regret that I can't share it (the film) with people who have shared their lives with me," she said. The film, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, released on December 7. It made Rs 7.25 crore on day one. Sara's work in the film has been appreciated and the 23-year-old said she has read almost all the reviews and is happy that people have been kind to her. "You can't distinguish me from 'Kedarnath'. But if people say 'Kedarnath' is waahiyad (pathetic) I would not be happy as it is my first film." ALSO READ: 'Kedarnath' director Abhishek Kapoor urges Uttarakhand government to lift 'ban' Growing up with actor parents, Amrita Singh and Saif Ali Khan, Sara witnessed success and failure from close quarters, which helped her learn that both need to be taken with a pinch of salt. "Every Friday is going to be different and this Friday has been very good for me, I deserve to celebrate that. I deserve to smile and be happy. I also need to understand that the next Friday might be different. "I have to stay grounded and be real and continue doing my best. The reviews, opinions, comments will keep coming and going, I have to do my best." Sara's next release is "Simmba" opposite Ranveer Singh. The film, directed by Rohit Shetty, will hit the theatres on December 28. By IANS MUMBAI: "Kedarnath" director Abhishek Kapoor has urged the Uttarakhand government to lift a ban on the movie. "I plead with the Uttarakhand government to please lift the ban on my film 'Kedarnath'. It is an attempt to bring peace, harmony and healing to the people of this country. Please don't deprive us of this opportunity," Kapoor tweeted. While there has been no official ban on the film by the state government, it wrote to all district magistrates about the film and the controversies surrounding it. ALSO READ: 'Kedarnath' movie review The decision followed a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that reviewed a report submitted by a committee headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj. The government asked the district administration to take a call on their own and left it to their discretion whether or not the film should be released in their respective jurisdictions. Following which Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Tehri, Nainital, Almora and Udhamsinghnagar banned the film. ALSO READ: Seven districts in Uttarakhand ban Abhishek Kapoors film Kedarnath The Hindi film, with the 2013 flash floods in Kedarnath as the backdrop, was being opposed by the right-wing activists from the day its shooting began in the hill state and they alleged that it hurt Hindu sentiments and promoted the idea of "Love Jehad". The film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan, was shot extensively in Triyuginarayan, Gaurikund, Soneprayag, Rambada, Kedarnath and Chopta, and it had to face protests even then. The Uttarakhand High Court on Thursday refused to ban the film and asked the petitioners to approach the District Magistrate with their complaints. On its opening day, the movie garnered Rs 7.25 crore in India. By ANI MUMBAI: 'Saath Nibhana Saathiya' fame Devoleena Bhattacharjee has denied being detained in connection with the death of a Mumbai-based diamond merchant Rajeshwar Udani. The actor, popularly known as Gopi Bahu, and politician Sachin Pawar on Saturday appeared before Pant Nagar Police station to record their statements in connection with the death of a businessman in Navi Mumbai. In addition to this, some media reports asserted that she was arrested by the police. Today, the actor's advocate, Falguni Brahmbhatt, issued a statement denying the arrest reports. "Some media houses have published a false story that in the said case my client has been arrested without verifying the facts and its authenticity which has not only tarnished her (Devoleena Bhattacharjee) image and caused humiliation to her but it has caused a Hindrance and Prejudice in the entire case because of the inappropriate media reports," the statement read. "You are therefore called upon to refrain yourselves from publishing such articles without verifying the facts. If you fail to do so and in case any such articles get published henceforth, my client will be compelled to take appropriate legal action against those who do so," she concluded the statement writing. Udani, 57, was reported missing by his family on November 29, while his body was recovered on Friday. By IANS MUMBAI: Filmmaker Aditya Dhar, who is making his directorial debut with his film "Uri: The Surgical Strike", has said that his film hasn't shown Pakistanis in poor light and he hoped they too will appreciate the movie. Aditya was interacting with the media to promote the movie here on Saturday. "Uri: The Surgical Strike" is based on the 2016 Indian Army's surgical strike on terrorist camps in Pakistan in retaliation for the terror attack on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. WATCH VIDEO: 'Uri The Surgical Strikes' trailer Asked if his film would be released in Pakistan, he said: "It doesn't bother me. I have made this film for our country, citizens of this country and our Army. If Pakistani audience trusts us and if they will watch the film, they will realize that we haven't spoken anything negative about Pakistani citizens. "Whatever statement we have made in this film is about terrorism. If they realize that we are only fighting against terrorism and not against any country or its citizens, then they will really appreciate the film." The trailer of "Uri: The Surgical Strike" crossed 13 million views on social media within four days of its release. ALSO READ: Made 'Uri' for Indian Army not for political parties, says Aditya Dhar Aditya said: "I never expected such overwhelming response to the trailer. It's amazing, wonderful and great. "I hope people come to theatres to watch the film and appreciate it. I want the audience to realize how much sacrifice the Indian Army does for the citizens." He added: "I have made this film only to pay tribute to the Army." The film will see Vicky Kaushal playing the role of an Indian commando who is involved in the 2016 surgical strike. It also stars Yami Gautam. It also features Kirti Kulhari and Paresh Rawal in lead roles. Produced by RSVP movies, "Uri: The Surgical Strike" will hit the theatres on January 11, 2019. Akram Mohammed By Express News Service Two-and-a-half millennia ago, the basic tenets of a democratic society were laid down by the Greeks. The civilisation of the day was home to several firsts both in terms of societal change and intellectual endeavours that altered the course of history. Athensna Rajyaadalithatranslated as Governance in Greeceis an effort by seasoned politician A H Vishwanath to look at how the Greek democratic system worked and the lessons we can learn from it in a period when democratic ideals are under threat. The second book by the JD(S) Karnataka state president is also a study at the significance attached to the polling process that helped the system prevail over other systems of administration across the globe. Soon, he will present the book at the Hellenic Parliament in Athens. Vishwanath explains that the book was commissioned by the Greek government as part of its project to have books on the history of Greece and democracy in all the languages in the world. Earlier, I had written a book on the British Parliament. I had visited London and studied the history of the first Parliament in the world at Westminster during my tenure as a Member of Parliament for five years, representing the Mysuru-Kodagu constituency. During my term, I decided to conduct a contrasting study on two of the renowned parliamentary systems of the world, he says. The book was titled The Talking Shop and detailed the evolution of the British parliamentary system, the role of the Speaker and the rules of debate. After writing the book, I sent copies to several democratic countries in the world, due to which a copy of the same is in the Westminster Library. Representatives in Greece were also given a copy of the work following which they approached me to pen a book on Greece and its democratic traditions, explains Vishwanath. Following the invitation by the Greek government, Vishwanath visited Athens and was provided with all amenities to aid his research. While his first book came during his tenure as a Congress MP, his second came out after joining JD(S) and being elected as its state president. One of the most important aspects that has been highlighted in the book is related to the importance among Greek citizens regarding the democratic process. Noting that both an Upper House and Lower HouseHouse of Lords and House of Commons in Britan and Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in Indiawas first introduced in Athens, he explains the rituals observed by Greek voters when democracy was taking its baby steps. Their voting process was a religious ritual. Elaborate traditions were followed. A day before polling, all the voters were to fast for a day. On the day of the voting, they had to take a bath, perform prayers and line up to cast their votes. Rocks were the first ballot papers with large earthern pots as ballot boxes, he says. While voting elected people to the Assembly, there was also a system to nominate people to another house of representativeswhat is the Rajya Sabha or Legislative Council in India today. Washermen, goldmsiths, professors, priests, doctors etc. were nominated so that citizens from all walks of life were represented, he adds. Voting or matha-daana, he says, was termed so because of the meaning in the word. While matha-daana means charitable donation of vote to one person, the word has lost meaning today as it has turned to matha-kraya vikraya or the buying and selling of votes. This is one of the contrasts I have explored in the book as the sanctity of the democratic process is on a decline, he rues. If we compare democracy 2,500 years ago to the democratic systems today, it is clear that the dedication that Athenians and other Greeks had for democracy is non-existent today. We have to change the way elections are held. The sanctity of elections is gone and corruption is corroding the system. But in ancient Greece, they voted without any influence or recommendations, corruption or anything else. That is the lesson we have to learn now, before the best governing system in the world perishes, he adds. By IANS KATOWICE: A smart campus cloud network -- a set of guidelines for starting climate action -- was launched at the ongoing UN climate action summit in this Polish city to make the university campuses green, an official associated with the project said on Sunday. ALSO READ | India, China could gain massive health benefits by tackling climate change: WHO The Climate Neutral University Campus was launched along with a toolkit and water guidelines at the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP24, TERRE Policy Centre for the smart campuses Chairman Rajendra Shende told IANS. The kit and the guidelines that are meant to initiate the actions on the campus are part of the tool-box for similar actions for clean energy, waste management, sustainable transport and afforestation. The results of the activities in the campus would be shared through cloud network with other universities in the network and linked to UN's Sustainable Development Goals, he added. India-based TERRE Policy Centre is a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organisation dedicated to sustainable solutions to developmental imperatives. "The smart campus cloud network is a bespoke approach to empower and support students and faculty to begin action on climate change urgently," UN Global Compact's former senior advisor Frederick Dubee said. Speaking at the launch function, Dubee said the smart campus cloud network, supported by the Unesco, leverages an asset to address the climate emergency. Cornell University-US student Zeyu Hu presented his university's sustainability achievements. By sharing the successes and challenges through the cloud network, the campuses would generate positive competition. "Campuses are the right places to trigger the emergency actions laid out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report of 1.5 degrees Celsius," Shende told IANS. "Campuses would not only make youth Sustainable Development Goals ready but would also make them climate-resilient," he added. Shevlin Sebastian By Anita Dube was chatting with some artists in Kuala Lumpur recently when one of them asked her, Have you heard of Pangrok Sulap? The curator of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale shook her head. She was then shown a video where a collective of artists in their 20s, staying in the state of Sabah in Malaysia, put together a unique art form. First, they carved words and images in reverse onto a wooden board. Then they put rolling ink on it, followed by placing cloth or paper and dancing on it. The group finally pulled away the paper or cloth to reveal a beautiful illustration. It was fantastic. I got so excited [seeing it], says Dube. Not surprisingly, Pangrok Sulap have been invited to participate in the fourth edition of the Biennale at Kochi (December 12-March 29, 2019). More than 100 artists will take part, from countries as diverse as Lebanon, Japan, Vietnam, Cuba, South Africa, French Guyana, Poland, Spain and Israel. The event, however, has avoided the power centres of the West, such as the UK, USA, and Europe. I wanted to give a chance to those who are on the margins of international art, Dube shares. And as the first woman curator, it is no surprise that more than half the artists will also be women. They dont get as many opportunities as the men. So, I wanted to correct that, she quips. The theme is Possibilities of a Non-Alienated Life. Dube arrived on it after prolonged thinking,The first question I asked myself was who is my primary audience? Is it the one percent that goes to Venice, Sharjah and the Kochi Biennales? Or is it the six lakh spectators who came to the last edition with no stake in culture except for a thirst for aesthetic knowledge? Dube realised that she needed to showcase accessible artwork for the majority. But this years Biennale will also see visitors becoming participants. Apart from the exhibition area, Dube is setting up a pavilion where anybody can come and speak, show a film clip, or have a discussion. You could even sing a Malayalam song. I am hoping conversations could develop, and arguments could be had, adds the 60-year-old curator. Since April 2017, Dube has been continuously travelling to different countries. I have met so many interesting artists, and Ive had enlightening conversations with them. It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, she shares. Dube believes these encounters will change her art in some way. I will have to re-evaluate my work. If you are a writer and you read a great novel, then you know where you stand. On the trends in international art these days, she says, There are so many more forms such as performance art and installation art. But perhaps the hottest trend right now is social practice. The artists are active as social beings like Pangrok is. Meanwhile, Dubes profession as an artist or curator was not preordained. She grew up in Lucknow and was one of four children of a doctor couple. In fact, her father, Dr PC Dube, was well known as the Head of the Department of Surgery in King Georges Medical University in Uttar Pradesh. Both her parents ran a 10-bed nursing home. While art didnt run in her family, Dube felt its stirrings within her. After completing a masters degree in History from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi, she went on to study Art History at MS University, Baroda. I started to visit art exhibitions while I was in college. I wrote poetry as well. But when I touched clay and wood, I knew that I had found my destiny, shares the artist who made her mark through sculpture, photography, video and installation art. Is Dube nervous about how people would react to her selections for this years Biennale? I can only do what I can do. And I think I have done my best. You cannot please everybody. There will be some people who might not like my choices, but I dont mind at all, she answers with confidence. G Parthasarathy By One of the ironies of Partition is that while virtually the entire Sikh population of the subcontinent lives in India, after having been brutally forced to leave Pakistan, the Sikh religion itself was born in what is now the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The revered founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak, was born in Nankana Sahib and died at Kartarpur Sahib, in what is now Pakistan. Kartarpur Sahib is located barely 10 km from Indias international border with Pakistan. Sikh massacres also took place during the reign of the Mughal Emperors, Jehangir and Shah Jahan. The martyrdom of the fifth Sikh Guru, Arjan Dev, occurred during this period. The Gurdwara Dera Sahib in Lahore commemorates the spot where Arjan Dev died in 1606. Devout Sikhs were distressed by the Partition, as it denied them access to three of their holiest shrines: Nankana Sahib, Dera Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib. The most famous Sikh shrine in India is the Harmandir Sahibthe Golden Temple in Amritsar. Pakistan pondered over how to use its Sikh shrines to convey that Sikh beliefs were closer to monotheistic Islam and at variance with polytheistic Hinduism. Pakistans diplomatic missions encouraged Sikhs in the UK, Canada, the US and Australia to visit their gurdwaras and to convey to their brethren in India that they were being discriminated against. But it was military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq, who supplemented this with a policy of promoting visits by Indias Sikhs to Pakistans gurdwaras. These pilgrimages have been used to incite and promote disaffection amongst Sikhs in India. Political blunders by India enabled General Zia to foment and promote disaffection in the Sikh community. Sikh pilgrims were subjected to a constant Pakistani propaganda barrage, claiming exploitation by treacherous Hindus, while adding that as a monotheistic religion, Sikhism was closer to Islam, than Hinduism. But, despite these developments, the Sikh community has remained a pillar of strength in secular, democratic India. Responding to calls from the Sikh community in India, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee personally took up the issue of opening the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, where Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life, for Indian pilgrims in 1999. The Pakistan army had then strongly opposed this idea. But Imran Khan, duly encouraged by Army Chief General Bajwa, grandiosely unveiled plans to open the Kartarpur border for pilgrims from India on November 27. Nevertheless, Pakistan continued to sponsor and promote cross-border terrorism in J&K and across the Punjab border. All this is accompanied by large-scale drug smuggling, aimed at undermining the will and resilience of people in Punjab. Given its own internal economic crises, political frailties and diplomatic isolation, Pakistans grandiose plans to promote discontent and religious divisions in Punjab can be contained, by vigilant management of border areas in Punjab. Delhi has enough time to prepare to meet challenges of cross-border terrorism posed by Pakistan, while also devising measures to reciprocate appropriately within Pakistan. dadpartha@gmail.com Ravi Shankar By The process of conquering the past has claimed stellar scalps like Aurangzeb, Jawaharlal Nehru, et al. Obviously, with enthusiastic support from the masses. But no revolution gets historical legitimacy without validation from the intelligentsia. Sadly it is not trendy for the Indian elite to champion the cause of a vast section that comprises both Hindus and Muslimsfarmers. Gohatya evokes more fury than the suicides of over 12,000 farmers every year. Perception decrees that the intelligentsia is urban. The unintended backlash of both the Green Revolution and liberalisation was surplus and mechanisation that undermined farmers incomes. Farm loan waivers by poll-affected parties do not bring real change. Needed is an impartial opinion leadership that highlights agrarian distress in post-Independence India. During the colonial period, it was the Indian intelligentsia that took up the cause of farmers and famine-affected. Dadabhai Naoroji, the first Indian MP in the British Parliament, damned colonial greed for causing famines. Indian agriculture had prospered during Mughal times. But the British weaned production patterns away from food crops to cash crops, thus destroying self-sufficient farming communities. To support the cheap textile industry of England that sought a market in India, the high-quality Indian handloom industry was hobbled. Riots ensued. The Indigo Revolt of 1859 had the full backing of the Bengali intelligentsia, which campaigned for the farmers through the media, pamphlets and protests. From the 1870s-1880s, Indian intellectuals like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and R C Dutt supported the anti-Zamindari Pabna Agrarian Leagues. The intelligentsia of Maharashtra supported peasants during the Deccan riots. The elite upheld subsequent agrarian causes like the Ekta movement in 1921 and Bardoli satyagraha headed by Sardar Patel. It were the women of Bardoli village who gave him the title of Sardar. If the BJP is to rescue farmers, forget loan waivers and subsidies. Reconquer the past in a different manner. Restore modular farming communities that once used indigenous seeds and practices for both food and cash crops. Set up an indigenous Farming Commission that will operate single window markets and restore soil quality. Break the back of the fertiliser lobby to shift agriculture from synthetic to zero-budget natural farming. Along with the Nehru Memorial, bring nationalism to agriculture. Since Indira Gandhi destroyed powerful political leaders with agricultural bases, farmers have no strong lobby in government. Independent kisan leaders are not effective enough. Farmers are votes. But they are Indians too. They need erudite champions to articulate their cause instead of rabble-rousers mouthing slogans. Express News Service By NEW DELHI: BJP chief Amit Shah on Saturday said that there would be election for the post of the party president after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Addressing a conclave organised by a Hindi daily in New Delhi, Shah said the party had extended his term as party president by six months as workers were preoccupied with elections. "Once the 2019 Lok Sabha elections concludes, there will be election for the party president as per the Constitution of the BJP. There will no change in the Constitution," he said, asserting that the party would retain power in the three BJP ruled states Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which went to the polls Friday. He also ruled out running for the Prime Ministerial post in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying "There are at least 15 leaders in the party who are senior to me. I don't look at such a possibility." Sources said Shah has called a meeting of all office bearers on December 13 to take stock of the December 11 verdict, and to brainstorm on strategies for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP would contest on the planks of development and Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but noted that the PV Narasimha Rao government had attempted the Ordinance route on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, but it had been set aside by the Supreme Court. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said a large number of Muslim women are likely to go to Haj without Mehram (male companion) next year. At a meeting with representatives of organisations, Naqvi said the Haj Committee of India has received more than 2,23,000 applications till now for the next years pilgrimage. Incidentally, women comprise about 47 per cent of the over 2.23 lakh applications. Haj applications, which began on Nov. 7, will be accepted till December 12. Naqvi said that more than 2,000 women have applied to go for Haj in 2019 without Mehram with the number likely to go up. In 2018, for the first time, the Centre had lifted the ban on women going to Haj without Mehram, which led to about 1,300 women going on the pilgrimage on their own. They had been exempted from the lottery system and more than 100 women Haj coordinators and Haj assistants had been deployed to assist the Indian women pilgrims. This year, a record number of Muslims 1,75,025 from India performed Haj and that too without any subsidy. Naqvi said that making the Haj process completely digital has helped in making the entire process transparent. For Haj 2019, about 1,36,000 online applications have been received and the online portal for Private Tour Operators (PTOs) is already operational, the minister said. While on one hand, the portal has ensured transparency in the functioning of PTOs, on the other hand it is very beneficial for the pilgrims as they get all the necessary information, he said, adding that the new policy for the PTOs is also likely to be chalked out this year. Naqvi said the government, in coordination with Indian Consulate in Jeddah and various agencies in Saudi Arabia, is working to ensure safety and better facilities for the pilgrims. The bilateral Haj agreement between India and Saudi Arabia is likely to be signed soon, Naqvi said. With Agency inputs By PTI NEW DELHI: Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat Saturday said the international community knew about the role of Pakistani terrorists in the Mumbai terror attack and that India did not want anyone's acknowledgement about it. The Army chief's comments came when asked about reported remarks of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that the 2008 Mumbai attack was "an act of terrorism" and that resolving the case was in Pakistan's interest. Khan's comments during a media interview was seen as an indirect acknowledgement of involvement of Pakistani terrorists in the attack. "International community knows who did it. But even without it, we knew who did it," Gen. Rawat said on the sidelines of an event when asked about Khan's reported comments. The Army chief, however, said acceptance by Pakistan about the 26/11 terror attack was good. He further said, "We know who did it. I don't think we have to get anymore statement from anybody." READ HERE | How the secret operation to shift Ajmal Kasab for hanging unfolded Asked about comments by former Northern Army Commander Lt General (retd) D S Hooda that the "hype" around the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launchpads along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir was unwarranted and that it is not good when military operations get politicised, Gen Rawat said the remarks were an individual's opinion. At the same time, Gen Rawat said, he respected Lt Gen (retd) Hooda's words. As Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen (retd) Hooda was involved in the planning and execution of the surgical strikes. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: As the D-Day for the proposed meeting of anti-BJP parties at the national level is nearing, Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu is leaving no stone unturned to make it a success by ensuring that all those whom he had met in the recent past with anti-BJP platform as an agenda, make it to the meeting on Monday. However, it is learnt that the chances of Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attending the meeting in Delhi on December 10 are bleak. Naidu, who was busy with campaigning for Maha Kutami, along with AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, in the just concluded elections in Telangana, is said to have shifted his focus to non-BJP meeting. READ | Battle against Centre not to gain political mileage, says Chandrababu Naidu Incidentally, the meeting will be held a day before the election results of five States, which went to polls, are out. The TDP chief is learnt to have spoken to several leaders of various national and regional parties in the last few days to garner their support. However, TDP leaders privy to the party affairs, have expressed doubts over Mamatas participation in the meeting. She is one of the promoters of the exercise of uniting all anti-BJP forces at the national level. We are sure that she will definitely attend the meet, asserted a TDP leader. However, at the same breath, he said if Mamata does not attend the meet, it should not be seen due to political reasons. READ | Mehbooba Mufti may attend non-BJP meet on December 10 Naidu who invited leaders from Congress and several non-NDA parties for the meeting in the past few days, had reportedly got consent from them. The latest addition to the list is PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, sources said. Speaking to TNIE, AP TDP president and Energy Minister K Kala Venkata Rao said the proposed meeting on Monday is not having any specific agenda. Save Democracy - Save Nation from the clutches of BJP is the single slogan for uniting all the anti-BJP forces and after the meeting, the future course of action will be chalked out. Asked whether Mamata, BSP chief Mayawati and others, whom Naidu met earlier, will attend the meeting, Kala exuded confidence that most of the leaders will turn up. By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in style quintessential to him sprang yet another surprise by arriving for the Janakrosh rally organised by party rebel and younger brother Shivpal Yadav, who recently floated Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) (PSP-Lohia) here on Sunday. The SP patriarch, thus. triggered another series of speculations in the political circles. Moreover, Mulayams younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav also attended the Shivapals rally. Mulayam presented a mixed picture of SP and PSP by sporting a red cap, the colour associated with SP, and a red-yellow-green scarf of the PSP-Lohia at the rally. Speaking at the rally, Aparna said that the rally was a testimony to the fact that lion (referring to Shivpal) should not be hurt. When Netaji was hurt, he turned into a politician par excellence, now lets see what chachaji does, she exclaimed. Launching an attack on the government, Aparna said everyone youth, farmer and labourer were dissatisfied by the present dispensation as they were not getting their due. She exhorted the gathering to think twice before casting vote in 2019 and make a proper selection of leaders. While responding to a query over Mualayms participation, Shivpal had remained tight-lipped on Saturday saying it would be good if he attended the rally else he (Shivpal) wont mind. As per the sources, no invitation had been sent to Mulayam for the rally. Last month Mulayam had skipped his birthday event organised by Shivpal in Saifai. Workers from all 75 districts have converged at Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan to attend the Janakrosh rally. The rally aims to target both the SP and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Hoardings and banners with slogans Taiyaar Hai Hum (We are ready) and Shivpal Hain Bemisal (unparallel Shivpal) dotted the roads in Lucknow. After the year-long feud, Akhilesh took reins of the party deposing Mulayam and sidelining Shivpal leaving him sulking. Shivpal first floated the SSM and then registered a political party with the name of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) with the Election Commission (EC). Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Three Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, including a 14-year-old local boy, were killed and five security personnel injured in an 18-hour-long gunfight with security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar on Sunday. DIG central Kashmir V K Birdi said a joint contingent of J&K Police, CRPF and Army on Saturday evening laid siege in Mujgund area, around 12 km from Srinagar, after receiving input about the presence of militants there. As security men were advancing, they came under heavy gunfire from the militants hiding in the area. The troops returned fire, and an encounter followed, Birdi said. ALSO READ | Two Lashkar ultras, one from Zakir Musa outfit gunned down in J&K encounters #JammuAndKashmir: Three terrorists have been neutralied in Mujgund encounter in Srinagar. 5 security personnel have been injured. Weapons and other warlike stores have been recovered. Search operation is underway. (visuals deferred by unspecified time). pic.twitter.com/m3qC862ZGv ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2018 The exchange of gunfire between militants and security forces continued throughout the night. A police official said the militants were highly trained and kept changing their location. They kept moving from one house to another during the encounter. However, the security men kept track of the militant and engaged them in the gunfight, he said. The operation ended on Sunday afternoon. The five injured security personnel, including three policemen, an army man and a CRPF jawan, have been hospitalised. Sources said security forces blew up at least five residential houses in the area to get to the militant. Authorities suspended mobile internet services in Srinagar on Sunday. Sources said the 14-year-old deceased militant is Mudasir Rashid Parray from Hajin area in Bandipora district. The two other slain militants are reportedly Pakistani nationals. Clashes broke out in Hajin village after receiving the news of Mudasirs death. The youth of the area pelted stones at security forces. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: The doctor daughter of a retired inspector general (IG) of Bihar police allegedly committed suicide on Sunday by jumping down the 14th floor of an apartment building in Patna a day before her wedding with an IAS officer posted in the state. The body of Dr Snigdha Sudhanshu was found in a pool of blood on the campus of Udaygiri Apartments under Kotwali police station minutes after she allegedly jumped down the 14th floor in the morning. The dead girl, in her mid-20s, was identified as the daughter of retired police IG Sudhanshu Kumar, who lives in Patnas Patel Nagar, said police. Dr Snigdhas wedding with IAS officer Mahendra Kumar, currently posted as the district magistrate (DM) of Kishanganj in Bihar, was scheduled to be held in Patna on Monday. Her engagement ceremony was conducted in the city on Saturday. Several IAS and IPS officers were among the guests who had arrived in Patna to attend the wedding. Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide. A forensic sciences team has collected samples and police are looking at every possible angle. No suicide note was recovered from the spot, but her phone has been found, said Patna SSP Manu Maharaaj. Dr Snigdha, who had acquired her MBBS degree from Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna and was pursuing her MD course in Kolkata, had allegedly come with a small plastic stool in her car to commit suicide. She apparently climbed atop the boundary wall on the roof with the help of the stool and jumped down. Police dropped a human dummy from the 14th floor to recreate the scene of her fall. She had apparently conducted a survey of several tall buildings in Patna to choose the most suitable for her alleged suicide. Her car driver, Krishna Yadav, said she had visited Udaygiri Apartments a few days ago and had also made similar unexpected visits to some other tall buildings in the city in the past few days. A security guard at Udaygiri Apartments, the tallest residential building in Patna, said she did not sign on the register and rushed into the building, saying she had to meet a resident of the 14th floor. By PTI PATNA: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday accused the BJP of pursuing a politics of "hate and lies" and stressed on the need for ousting it from power at the Centre. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who is also the party's in-charge for Bihar, alleged that in Delhi - which is ruled by his party - "names of about 30 lakh voters half of whom are from UP-Bihar have been deleted from the electoral roll at the behest of the BJP". "Where will the disenfranchised voters of Delhi go. Are they Bangladeshi infiltrators. Amit Shah indulges in rhetoric on the issue of illegal immigrants and in practice his party has been pitting people of one region against the other", Singh said in response to a query on the BJP chief's recent remark "India is not a dharmshala" in the context of the National Registry of Citizens in Assam. The Bulandshahr incident in which two people died in mob violence in the district following an alleged cow slaughter, is another example of BJP's politics of "hate and lies", he said. The BJP has made the construction of Ram temple such a big issue while in Kashi (Varanasi), dozens of temples of various gods have been razed for development projects, he said. "I am going to bring a private members' bill in the Parliament, on behalf of my party, seeking restoration of all the temples of Shiva, Krishna and Ganesha etc. in Kashi", he declared. "It is essential that the nation acts and the party is ousted from power. Our assessment is that the results of assembly polls in four states will be a huge setback for the BJP and set the tone for the Lok Sabha polls next year", Singh added. Replying to a query, he said "as of now, AAP is not the part of any political formation. Though our moral support is there to all efforts aimed at defeating the BJP". He also said the party plans to contest about 100 seats across the country in the general elections but did not divulge details. By PTI MUMBAI: The body of a 22-year-old man was found Sunday at the same place in a village in Maharashtra's Solapur district where his wife was killed by her parents two months ago in a suspected "honour killing" case, police said. The incident came to light this morning at Salagar Budruk village near Mangalvedha town when a passer-by found the body of a man in a farm, which was later identified as that of Srishail Chanappa Birajdar, an official said. This was the same place in the farm, where Srishail Birajdar's 22-year-old wife Anuradha Birajdar was killed allegedly by her parents and last rites were performed hurriedly to destroy evidence, he said. It is not yet clear whether he committed suicide or was killed, the official said, adding the exact reason of Srishail Birajdar's death will be known only after a post-mortem is conducted. The police have called Srishail Birajdar's family members from their native place in Karnataka, he said. They have requested the police not to remove the body from the spot till they arrive there, the official said. As of now the police have registered an accidental death case at the Mangalvedha Police Station and a probe is underway, he said. Srishail Birajdar's father was a farm labourer who worked at a farm owned by Anuradha Birajdar's father Vitthal Birajdar (55), the official said. Srishail Birajdar used to often visit the farm and over a period of time, he fell in love with Anuradha Birajdar, who was a medical student, he said. Srishail Birajdar and Anuradha Birajdar left their homes and got married at Sindagi in Karnataka on October 1, the official said, adding the woman's parents were angry over the alliance and did not approve it. On October 2, Anuradha Birajdar came to her uncle's residence in Borale village, he said. Her father took her from Borale to their residence in Salgar Budruk on October 4, saying she has to appear for her oral exams, he said. The same day she was allegedly killed by her parents, who cremated her body hurriedly, he said, adding it appeared to be a case of "honour killing". During the investigation, it was found that Anuradha Birajdar had written some notes in which she had expressed threat to her and Srishail Birajdar's life, he said. On the complaint of her uncle, the police had arrested Anuradha Birajdar's father and her step-mother on murder charges, the official said. By PTI PUNE: NCP president Sharad Pawar Sunday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of giving "false" promises to the Maratha community over the issue of reservation in government jobs and education. Pawar cited a reported statement of BJP chief Amit Shah and asked Fadnavis if he will defy his party chief in granting quota to the influential community. The NCP leader said Shah's had recently remarked, while opposing quota to a minority community in Telangana, that the Supreme Court has set a limit of 50 per cent on reservation. The SC limit will be breached when the Maratha reservation is implemented in the state. He was speaking at a congregation of NCP workers and office-bearers here. Pawar said Fadnavis had asked people to celebrate for his government passing a law on 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community. But Shah, according to Pawar, said at a rally in Telangana that any quota beyond the SC-set limit will not stand in court. "When the president of the party (BJP) says it (more than 50 per cent quota) cannot stand in court, why are you giving false promises to the people of Maharashtra?" Pawar said while hitting out at Fadnavis. The former Union minister said people in Ayodhya are upset over the decision to take over buildings located near the disputed site in the temple town. "People are saying they are not opposing construction of a (Ram) temple, but are complaining that in the name of temple, there is an attempt to destroy everything," Pawar, talking about pre-poll unity of opposition, said importance will have to be given to regional parties on the basis of their strength in their respective states while deciding on seat sharing. An alliance of opposition parties is "inevitable" if the BJP is to be ousted from power, Pawar added. By PTI MUMBAI: Police Sunday questioned model-cum-television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee in connection with the killing of a diamond trader, an official said. The trader, Rajeshwar Udani, 57, a resident of suburban Ghatkopar, had gone missing on November 28. His decomposed body was found at Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district Friday, police had said. Police Saturday arrested Sachin Pawar, a former personal assistant of a Maharashtra minister, and Dinesh Pawar, a suspended police constable who was earlier arrested in a rape case. They were Sunday remanded to police custody till December 14, a police official said. Police suspect that the trader was killed over a monetary dispute and for having a roving eye for a female friend of Sachin Pawar, the official said. Bhattacharjee, who is known for her role as Gopi Bahu in the popular Hindi serial "Saath Nibhana Sathiya", was questioned Saturday, he said Sunday. She was allowed to go after questioning, the official said without elaborating. Meanwhile, Bhattacharjee took to Twitter to explain her position. "Hello friends thanks for your love and caring. I am safe and home and there is nothing to get worried about. It was an investigation as I know the person who got killed an official statement has been already given by the department. All is well (sic)," she tweeted. Hello frens...thanks for your love & caring..I am safe & home nd there is nothing to get worried about..It was an investigation as I know the person who got killed..an official statement has been already given by the department..All is well!!:) Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@Devoleena_23) December 8, 2018 Police are interrogating several persons in connection with the case. According to police, Udani's son had lodged a missing complaint at the Pant Nagar police station in Ghatkopar on November 29 when his father did not return home. During the probe, it came to light that an unidentified body has been found in Panvel, about 60 km from Mumbai, police had said, adding that it was later identified as that of Udani's. Post-mortem revealed fractures at several places in the body and death by strangulation. Sachin and Dinesh were booked under the Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping) and 120b (conspiracy). Shankkar Aiyar By When it comes to band-aid economics and accountancy, governments are at their creative best. Some years back, writing on the woes of the power sector, this column had pointed out that governments for years had been deluded that there can be a market of sellers without buyersgiven the bankruptcy of SEBs. We are now witnessing to a new paradoxit seems it is possible to sell and encash without selling! The modus operandi is simplelocate a government-owned enterprise and direct/force it to buy the governments stake in another government-owned enterprise and pay the governmentPeter buys PSU, pays Paul to plug the hole. The process delivers a corollarythe government can sell an enterprise and continue to own it. Consider the latest transactionif it can be called that. On Thursday, the government informed that public sector Power Finance Corporation would be buying the governments 52.63 per cent stake in public sector Rural Electrification Corporation and pay the government the value realised, which is estimated to be between Rs 12,000 crore and Rs 15,000 crore. PFC was set up in 1986 to fund energy infrastructure and listed in 2007. In March 2018, its reserves were Rs 37,221 crore, and cash of around Rs 4,600 crore. Theoretically, it has the money to shop. At the same time its loan book of Rs 2.4 lakh crore includes 9.67 per cent NPAsRs 25,076 crore or nearly half of the Rs 51,995 crore in loans to private sector outfits are classified as stressed. That, though, wont detain the sale. In 2017, the government directed public sector oil giant ONGC to buy public sector HPCL and collected Rs 36,915 crore. It didnt matter that ONGC had to borrow to complete the deal. Last year, the government also listed insurance companies GIC and NIA and collected Rs 17,357 crorethanks to the munificence of Life Insurance Corporation, which bailed out both the issues. Indeed, LIC is the chosen white knight of the governmentthis year, its shopping cart has IDBI Bank, which has the highest NPAs of all banks. The template is now entrenched in the public finance management practicesstrip cash from productive public sector entities to bridge the gap between revenues and galloping expenditure. The government has a rich toolbox to leverage cash out of central public sector enterprises, including block deals, dividends, bonus and exchange traded funds and buybacks. Typically, buybacks are deployed by cash-rich companies with a widely held shareholding to increase share value. Buybacks by PSUs are essentially cash transfers to government. Between 2014-15 and 2017-18, the government extracted Rs 29,791 crore in buybacks. This year, the target is around Rs 15,000 crore. So whats happening to disinvestment as originally conceived and coined by John Maynard Keynes? To start with, the department of disinvestment is now known as the Department of Investment (not disinvestment) and Public Asset Management. The official definition of strategic disinvestment is the sale of substantial portion of the government shareholding of 50 per cent or more along with change in management. This is yet on paper. Besides the renaming of the department and the issue of 12 different notifications since 2016, little has moved. Disinvestment continues to be tactical and consanguineous. In 2017, the government listed 24 entities for strategic disinvestmentonly one disinvestment went through, that of HPCL, which was bought by ONGC. The story of Air India is well-knownthere were no takers for the whole entity and the spin now is that it will be sold in parts. Similar is the saga of Pawan Hansinterestingly, the government did try to offload its 51 per cent equity on ONGC. The conundrum continues. This year the government will sell ITDCs Patliputra Hotel in Patna to the Bihar government for Rs 13.005 crore, has announced the takeover of HSCC by NBCC for Rs 285 crore, and will divest its holding in Dredging Corporation of India to Vishakhapatnam Port Trust, Paradip Port Trust, JNPT Mumbai and Deendayal Port Trust in Kandlaall autonomous bodies of the government of India. The government has argued that these transactions were outlined in Budget 2017 and aim to strengthen CPSEs through consolidation, mergers and acquisitions and integration across the value chain. In itself the generalisation of the idea in an era of competition is troubling. Be that as it may, what is the so-called synergy between LIC and IDBI Bank? Or between HSCC and NBCCone is under the health ministry, and the other under the ministry of housing and urban affairs? The linkage between the logic of integration and the reality of transactions is at best tenuous. Indeed, if value chain integration through consolidation is the aim, why not merge BSNL and MTNL, or BHEL and NTPC along with Coal India or the multitude of PSEs under the Railways? It is arguable that state-owned enterprises are necessary to promote national objectives. However, tactical thinking on a strategic sector will deliver neither tactical nor strategic advantage. shankkar.aiyar@gmail.com T J S George By Is editing babies in the womb the next big thing? A Chinese scientist who claimed the first embryo-engineered birth said the babies he produced would get neither HIV nor Alzheimers. The implication is that you can have children made to order as per your taste and preferenceschildren with blue eyes and blonde hair, or with pointed nose and African curls, children who are not anti-nationals. The age of designer babies is upon us. Or should we call them superbabies? It was at a conference on gene-editing that Chinese researcher He Jiankui said he had helped make the worlds first genetically edited babies. He had altered embryos for seven couples and one had produced twins. He said his aim was to generate a trait that would ensure HIV-resistant babies. Fellow gene-editing specialists at the conference were the first to condemn him for doing what they described as monstrous and unconscionable. Among the critics were Chinas own scientists. More than 100 of them issued a statement calling the birth of the edited babies madness. Chinas health authorities ordered a serious investigation into the matter, followed by a ban on gene editing. But how authentic is this official reaction? While most countries have banned gene-line engineering, China has promoted research in the area. It is known to have built the worlds largest DNA database. Chinas political leadership is open about its eagerness to be the world leader on every front. Besides, the concept of superbabies is not new. It has had its day in countries as different as Hitlers Germany and Lee Kuan Yews Singapore. The Nazis had an active programme to encourage the birth of Aryan babies from racially pure couples. Hitlers ruthless bodyguard cum secret service called SS was in charge of the programme. They raised a special organisation for the purpose called Lebensborn, Fount of Life, in 1935. Pure Aryan women, even if unmarried, were encouraged to give birth anonymously. Orphans considered racially proper were adopted by the state while abortion was encouraged when babies were likely to be handicapped. Unfortunately, none of this helped Hitler in the end. Singapores approach was different. Lee Kuan Yew was alarmed when a trend of qualified men marrying downward surfaced in his island nation. It led him to warn that levels of competence will decline, our economy will falter, and society will decline. It was a clear case of over-reaction, but the all-powerful prime minister proceeded with firm action. A platform called Social Development Unit was set up in 1988 and it arranged love cruises, tea dances and bowling clinics to encourage college-educated men and women to marry. An official of the Unit put it rather bluntly: If you want to produce geniuses, you have to get a graduate man to marry a graduate girl. The Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore published a booklet titled Living and Loving urging young people to give dating a try. Did Singapore get a generation of geniuses? No sign of it yet. We should not hasten to criticise politicians who have these fancy ideas. For a long time now the scientific community has been working at gene editing and often with success. By 2015, the Harvard Medical School had developed a new technology for editing DNA. That years May-June issue of the MIT Technology Review had a cover story with the title we can now engineer the human race. The customary attitude in this matter is that meddling with human genes is irresponsible, unsafe and morally wrong. Some say these experiments are premature. Some try to sound rational and say that gene manipulation is possible, but of no practical use. One scientist put it this way: Can you do it is one thing. The most important question is Would you do it? Why would you want to do it? What is the purpose? Such questions were raised by Einstein, too, but the atom bomb was exploded, forcing the scientist to concede that politics was more difficult than physics. In the US, a commercial biotechnology company was formed in 2011 with scientists participation to let parents decide when and how they have children and how healthy those children are actually going to be. The die is cast. China knows it and will make every move to ensure its position up front. India also puts genetic engineering high up in the academic area, but only to get longer-lasting tomatoes and golden rice. It would be great if we could develop technology that produces humans with an aversion to using religion as a political tool. Prabhu Chawla By Democracy is the science of insulation and adulation. It is also the art of prediction and valediction. It gives opportunities for deception in perception. The real winners are eclipsed while the gods of politics are extolled. Fall guys are chosen to insulate failed icons from ignominy. Its the player who wins the battle, but the medal goes on the chest of a non-playing captain or a kingpin sitting on the sidelines. Come December 11, voters of the great Indian Republic will witness sycophancy and chicanery in all its dubious glory. Prime-time slanging matches between ill-informed party spokespersons and their intellectual sidekicks already show security nets being raised in anticipation around their supreme leaders, who are considered infallible deities. The fight for Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram was between the BJP and the Congress. Their leaders are adored by their respective addicts as harbingers of victory, not defeat. Telanganas incumbent chief minister is reputed to be a leader who hasnt tasted a major defeat. Highly moderated and sensitively crafted opinion polls and exit polls have given their verdict with formidable riders that alter the final outcome. A peep into possible verdicts and the implications for parties and their leaders: If the BJP gets a renewed mandate for the fourth consecutive term in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh plus a second term in Rajasthan, the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the God Who Never Fails will be further strengthened for 2019. Party boss Amit Shah would be hailed as the champion who habitually snatches victory from the jaws of defeat. BJP leaders would go to town hailing their perfect chemistry for defeating incumbency. Because the majority of sitting MLAs would have won, the saffron High Command will get the glory for selecting the same bunch. Party leaders would hold a loud burial to the Oppositions claim that Modis personal image has been dented. Instead of giving credit to the local leadership and chief ministers, spin masters and propagandists would exploit all platforms available to credit the prime ministers personal credibility and convincing campaign style with swinging the voters again in favour of the BJP. After 2014, the BJP couldnt get a fourth term in any state except Gujarat. The win was Modis and Modis alone. This time, the performance records of Vasundhara Raje, Raman Singh and Shivraj Chouhan would be acknowledged as contributory factors for the record-breaking victories, but Modi will get all the kudos as the ace pilot who pulled them out of turbulent weather. Though all three will retain their chairs, Modi and Shah will emerge even more powerful to decide their future and reorganize the BJP for the final war next year. A clean sweep will elevate Shah to Badshah and Modi to Majestic Magician. The wins will be projected as an endorsement of NaMos method and mission. However, the three CMsparticularly Raje and Chouhanwould become more assertive and may not sign on the dotted line laid down by New Delhi. Alternatively, if the BJP loses in all the three states, there will be mayhem in the party. Modi and Shah would be shielded from the fallout, while the axe predictably falls on the local satraps. The spoxes would blame 15 years of incumbency and the failure of the chief ministers to take remedial measures. Moreover, Delhiwallas will lament that the CMs were given unfettered freedom to select candidates, frame election strategies and choose their own election machinery. For the first time in four years, the size of their photos on publicity material such as hoardings and posters was much bigger than that of Modi and Shah. The whipping would also signal the downfall of the second-rung leadership that could pose a threat to Central leaders. In the past four years, all CMs were willingly accepting instructions, guidelines and even directives from Delhi. A debacle would spell political sunset for their careers. The Assembly poll results are a question of survival for not just the Congress but also for Brand Gandhi. It is for the first time after becoming the party president that Rahul Gandhi is leading his partys push in so many elections. A victory in BJP-ruled states would catapult him to the perch of an alternative leader in the making. Though anti-incumbency would be the real reason why the Congress won and not a positive wave for the party, the triumph would be sold as a sign of the growing political market for Brand RaGa, which has faced much ridicule over a decade. If the Congress scores a triple victory, he would be repeating his mother Sonias performance in 2004, when she led it to form the government at the Centre after trouncing the NDA led by the formidable Atal Bihari Vajpayee. RaGa has yet another advantage. In all the five states which voted, the Congress lacks powerful local leaders who enjoy state-wide popularity and acceptability. While Ashok Gehlot has the maximum personal following in his state, Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath are struggling to establish themselves. Pilot and Kamal Nath enjoy a positive reputation because they have been mostly away from their states. Congress leaders give RaGa credit for minimizing inter-group rivalries and deploying cadres of young and bright party workers from other states to raise votes for the party. December 11 will decide whether he successfully completes his tortuous journey from a minimum leader to a maximum one. Then only would he be in a position to engage with non-BJP parties as a Gandhi with a market and not just a name tag. If the Congress flops in the three BJP-ruled states where it expects to win, the blame would fall on infighting in the party and a fund crunch. It will also accuse The Election Commission of fixing the EVMs in the BJPs favour so that RaGa doesnt earn the epithet of a leader who leads but rarely wins. Not just victory is at stake here, but the future of individuals is in the reckoning as pedestals will either be shaken or cemented more. The poll results will also redefine the cartography of Indias rajneeti. Traditionally, state elections are not national influencers, but the winds which would flow from central and north India would definitely affect the political ecosystem of Indian democracy. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Sending out a strong message regarding its intent on waiving farmers loans to the tune of Rs 49,000 crore, the state government handed over debt-free certificates to 477 farmers on Saturday. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is under fire from farmers and the opposition over the delay in implementation of the scheme, handed over the certificates to 100 farmers in Doddaballapur while Cooperatives Minister Bandeppa Kashempur handed over certificates to 377 farmers in Sedam in Kalaburagi district. The loan waiver was announced to help farmers suffering due to consecutive droughts. Now, by implementing it, we have effectively answered those who were trying to create confusion among farmers, Kumaraswamy said hitting out at the opposition which had questioned the governments commitment to implementing the scheme. The delay in implementation of the scheme was one of the major issues BJP was planning to take up during the winter session of the legislature. Reassuring the farmers of implementing the scheme across the state, the CM hit out at nationalised banks and the central government. Despite holding 10 rounds of meetings with them, the nationalised banks are not cooperating with the state government. Even the central government has not responded to our appeal, Kumaraswamy said. The 477 farmers who were given debt-free certificates on Saturday had availed loans from cooperative societies and nationalised banks. In November, the government had started with implementation of the project on a pilot basis in the two taluks of Doddaballapur and Sedam. In Sedam, Kashempur said the CM has kept his promise of waiving farm loans. The government has released Rs 800 crore till November-end for waiver of loans from cooperative societies. All the announced loan waiver will be completed by July-end next year, the minister said. The certificates given to farmers on Saturday were signed by the managers of respective banks and the farmers will be eligible for fresh loans. Most farmers like Kallappa, who received a debt-free certificate from the CM at Doddaballapur, will apply for fresh loans. I had taken Rs 80,000 loan from a cooperative society and today I got debt-free certificate. Now, I will apply for Rs 2 lakh loan again for agriculture purpose, he said. Antony Fernando By Express News Service NAGAPATTINAM: Yaemmaa... The vehicle has come. Go fast. Else you may miss the cotton (euphemism for sanitary napkins) again. There is no fresh water today to wash the wet (stained) clothes, a woman rushed her teenage daughter, as the villager who gave this reporter a lift stopped in front of her hut in Pazhayatrankarai on Friday evening. At a distance, people were queuing up behind a mini-container truck to get the relief materials distributed by a volunteer group. Aaathae, they said they have run out of candles. Ask the children to start their homework before it gets dark, another woman told her mother-in-law. Over 20 days after Cyclone Gaja struck the Tamil Nadu coast, the residents have learnt to live without electricity the storm felled virtually every tree, and power line and pole in its path. Pazhayatrankarai, part of Thalaignayiru in Nagapattinam district has only one straight rocky road, that branches off from the NagapattinamVedaranyam road. The village is 3km to the west of the Bay of Bengal. Houses, amidst paddy fields and prawn farms, are situated on either side of the Pazhayatrankarai road. People from a Most Backward Caste live to the front while those from a Scheduled Caste community live towards the back of the village. Dalit villagers saw that MBC residents access most of the relief materials, greeting the vehicles bearing necessities at they enter Pazhayatrankarai Road. Fewer vehicles reach the Dalit side of the village. There are a few hand pumps seen in the village, but the proximity to the sea has made the groundwater saline. Power is required to operate the fewer borewells seen in the front side of the village. Villagers said a water tanker came once a week. We had toilets in few of the houses, with thatched roofs. They became messier after the cyclone, with saline water rising in the toilets. Now, everyone has to do with open defecation, said M Vijay. Most of the villagers work as labourers in the paddy fields and prawn fields. As the sun slowly sets, women and some young girls go, in groups, towards a more isolated part of the village, with water bottles and sanitary napkins in hand. They will have to finish defecating or urinating before we walk a kilometre to the primary school in the village to sleep. It gets uncomfortable for them when there are men from the other community, less familiar to them around. There are lights outside the primary school powered by generators. This makes it further embarrassing for the women to heed natures call in a corner nearby, said P Sathiyamurthy. The children are seen studying and doing their homework with light from solar lanterns, and a handful of candles. As the clock hand nears eight, the villagers finish dinner, quickly wash utensils and start walking, in groups, towards the primary school to spend the night. Some begin to charge their mobiles phones at junction boxes plugged into sockets in the school powered by a generator. The two communities retired for the night separately in the same school. The village does not receive newspapers. Now, without television or radio, gone with the cyclone, their only source of information about the outside world is via social media accessed through the mobile phones of the youngsters. At the village of Vellapallam in Thalaignayiru block, where 90 per cent depend on fishing for their livelihood, by 10.30 pm half the residents are asleep. The women and children sleep inside the community halls, while some men sleep outside. A few fishers were finding it hard to sleep. The depression is making us more restless than the lack of electricity. People in the Northern side of the district, have started fishing again while we are still worried about whether we will get the compensation we demanded for our boats. It is hard to sleep with so many thoughts running through the mind, said N Anjappan, a fisher representative. Not a single boat was deemed seaworthy after the cyclone. Vellapallam villagers have all of the beach on which to defecate in the morning. After 20 days without power to pump water to fill buckets in toilets, they have made their peace with open defecation. I have seen at least three cyclones in my life, and the Tsunami. But, this disaster has taken us back to how life was in the 1960s when we did not know what having electricity was like. I am only sad the younger generations have to endure, what I endured as a child, mused 70-year-old A Ponnusamy from Pazhayatrankarai. 25 held for skirmish with police, minister Nagapattinam: Twenty-five people were arrested on Friday night in connection with a fight that broke out between police and cyclone-affected residents near Vedaranyam last month in the aftermath of Cyclone Gaja.In one incident that took place near Thalaignayiru on November 18, Handlooms and Textiles Minister OS Manian was confronted by agitated persons. According to sources, the minister tried to leave the place on by hitchhiking on a motorcycle. Near Thalaignayiru, he was given a chase by people on motorcycles and eventually stopped. An argument broke out between the minister and affected people that turned ugly with police having to come in to pacify the angry residents.On Friday, a video surfaced where Manians car is seen mobbed by people and a bearded man is seen trying to hit the ministers SUV with a sickle in hand. According to sources, the incident happened near Kameshwaram on November 18. Manian escaped unhurt as his driver drove him to safety. The suspect Funk Raja surrendered to police on Friday evening. Cases have been registered in Thalaignayiru and Keezhaiyur police stations with more arrests likely. Prasanta Mazumdar By GUWAHATI: Its an annual cultural carnival in the picturesque Kohima hills that aims to showcase the rich heritage and culture of the Naga tribes. Over the years, Nagalands annual Hornbill Festival has gained global fame that attracts tourists from all corners of the world. But the colourful festival, it seems, is losing its lustre, thanks to infrastructure blues tourists face. This year, the festival is getting flak over shoddy planning and the states crumbling infrastructure. Both domestic and foreign tourists have been complaining about bumpy roads and fleecing hotels and cabs. Worse, theres nobody to address their problems and grievances. A change in the schedule of events led to more brickbats, particularly from budget tourists. Conceived as a major event nearly two decades ago, replete with a tourist village in 2003, the necessary infrastructure or capacity-building never really took off. Hotels are known to have duped tourists, while transportation remains a headache. Hi, this is Justine and I am giving you some feedback on the Hornbill festival. Information that is available about the festival for an independent traveller is actually very little information. You have a website for the festival. Nobody replies to emails. My husband, I and another foreigner come and spend money in your lovely region and you are not really making it easy for anybody, a livid foreign tourist says in an audio which has gone viral. First time at the festival. Excellent show; loved every moment. Only felt that local transport to commute to the festival is tough. No taxis available, Ayu Chakhroborti from Kolkata wrote in the visitors book. Festival is fantastic but very difficult to attend and enjoy the festival due to poor communication, i.e. bad condition of road wrote Somnath Gorain from West Bengal. But some, like Guwahati-based journalist Karishma Hasnat, are willing to make allowances. The colours and vibrancy associated with Nagaland, the different tribes and their unique ways, the fun and festivities everything is so alluring that anyone would like to come back despite the bad road conditions, she says.The fest indeed succeeded in showcasing the culture that the people of Nagaland take pride in, concurs Lt Cdr Nikhil Fernandez. Cornel Hinders from The Netherlands wrote two interesting lines: India should leave Nagaland to the Nagas. It doesnt belong to them. The travails for the increasing number of tourists begin as soon as they arrive in Dimapur, thanks to the roads. From there, the road to Kohima is still being converted into a four-lane, and tourists cannot escape the bumpy and dusty ride to the capital town. And in Kohima, hotels have arbitrarily hiked tariffs, while cab drivers charge as per their whims. Public transport to go to the festival site, Naga Heritage Village at Kisama, located some 12 km away, is abysmal at best. Hornbill appears to have become a festival for the rich. Reacting to Justines charges, Nagalands Tourism department said it responds to every single email sent to its website www.tourismnagaland.com. But an email which this correspondent had sent to the website seeking information on the festival went unanswered.The tourism department also claimed that bus services were in place and a helicopter service was introduced at a subsidised rate. Tourist Police were available all the time even beyond Kohima to drop tourists at their destinations as the festival was being held at different locations including Dimapur where music and bamboo carnival were held. We regret our shortfalls but hope that all will look at the positive aspects and have a Happy Hornbill, the department said .Organised by Nagalands Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, the Hornbill Festival showcases a confluence of cultural displays under one roof and encourages inter-tribal interaction and promotes cultural heritage of Nagaland. It is named after hornbill which is part of the folklore of most Naga tribes. Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: Union Home minister Rajnath Singh, while speaking in Jaipur on Sunday, said if Pakistan was not able to handle the fight against terror in the country alone, then they could ask for help from India. He added that no major terror incident had occurred in the country under the Narendra Modi government. Terrorism has decreased and it remains limited to Jammu and Kashmir, he added. Commenting on Pakistan prime minister Imran Khans remarks that both countries have to take steps to come out of a bygone era and that Kashmir is a common issue between both nations, Rajnath said the issue was Pakistan. I want to tell the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, that if Pakistan can take help from the United States to fight the Taliban, then it can also seek help from India to combat terror, he said. READ| Rajnath Singh announces special women safety feature in pan-India emergency app He also said, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and it is not a matter of controversy. The issue is of terrorism. Pakistan can discuss it with us. The government has started a political system in Jammu and Kashmir, said Rajnath adding that as far as terrorism is concerned, there is no doubt that Pakistan is a sponsor. I do not claim that terrorism has stopped. But, during the last four-and-a-half years, there was no major terrorist attack during Modi jis tenure. Terrorism has remained limited to Kashmir only and the situation is improving there too. In the last 4 years, there has been a reduction by 50-60 per cent in incidents related to Naxalism. It had spread to 90 districts and is now limited to just 8-9 districts. In 4-5 years, this problem will also end completely. He also lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his comment on Saturday that PM Modi did not understand the essence of Hinduism. Hinduism should not be connected with any sect, caste and religion. It is a way of living life and it is a human religion. What will they [Congress] teach us about Hindu and Hinduism? They have called Lord Ram a fictional character in the affidavit submitted in Supreme Court in Ram Setu case in 2007, he said. His cabinet colleague Smriti Irani also hit out at Rahuls comments while she was speaking at an event in Udaipur. Where was the Hindu in Rahul Gandhi when the Congress submitted an affidavit that Lord Ram does not exist?.. she asked? She was referring to a controversial petition submitted to the Supreme Court in 2007 which said there was no scientific evidence to prove the existence of the Ram Setu as a man made bridge. By PTI KATHMANDU: Nepal's Parliament on Sunday endorsed the appointment of former law minister Nilambar Acharya as the country's next ambassador to India. There is a provision in the Constitution that the names of ambassadors should go through the parliamentary hearing committee once they are nominated by the government at the recommendation of the Constitutional Council before formally being appointed by the president. The committee endorsed the names of Acharya, Udaya Raj Pandey, Anjan Shakya and Krishna Prasad Dhakal, as Nepal's envoys to India, Malaysia, Israel and the UAE, respectively. The names of the four proposed ambassadors will now be forwarded to President Bidya Bhandari for formal appointment. While responding to questions in the parliamentary committee, Acharya said that although there is an open border between Nepal and India, the "hearts of the two countries are yet to be opened". There is a need to create an environment of confidence as some kind of suspicion still persists in bilateral relations, he said. Acharya, a former minister for law and justice, said he will tell the Indian leadership that Nepal's relationship with China does not affect its ties with India. He said an ambassador must be able to convince states that a nation's relationship with another nation is not at the expense of its ties with other countries. By PTI MATHURA: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said ending terrorist activities was a pre-condition for any dialogue with Pakistan as its "dual" role is unacceptable to India. "Promoting terrorist activities and entering into a dialogue for peace cannot run together," he said, when asked by reporters to explain why India is avoiding any dialogue with Pakistan. He said either Islamabad should stop aiding terrorist activities or express its commitment against terrorism with assurance that it would not allow it to grow in Pakistan. "If it finds difficult to control terrorist activities, why it is not seeking help from its neighbour India?" he asked. "If a crusade against Taliban can start in Afghanistan with the help of the US, why not commence a similar action in Pakistan? the home minister asked. ALSO READ | Rajnath Singh offers help to Pakistan to deal with terrorism On the outcome of election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana, he said, "Prayas to Bhartiya Janta Party ka yahi raha hai ki hame kamyabi mile, milni bhi chahiye yeh vishwas hai, parinam ki pratiksha kijiye (Efforts of BJP has been to win, we are confident of that, wait for the results)". He disapproved that the election in the five states was a semi-final for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, adding that "final is final". He refused to comment on involvement of an army personnel in Bulandshahar incident on the plea that it was a state subject and the Yogi Adityanath government is looking after that. On the Ram temple issue, he said, "everybody wants majestic temple of Ram in Ayodhya". Terming the culture of India as the best one, Singh said people feel the strength of "spiritual power" during their visit to India. The minister said, since Lord Ram adopted values, he is worshipped, while Ravan failed to get an inch of that level, as he neglected values, even though he was more equipped with knowledge, wealth and power. Singh advised the degree recipients to have broad thinking as it would not only prepare a platform for "sukh (pleasure)" to them, but their action would turn welfare-oriented. Copy Editor/Entertainment Editor Frank Pieper is a copy editor and entertainment editor at The News-Gazette, and the author of Frank's Faves and Frank's Weekend Faves. His email is fpieper@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@frp308). Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy with occasional showers this afternoon. High 46F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 27F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Reporter Noelle McGee is a Danville-based reporter at The News-Gazette. Her email is nmcgee@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@n_mcgee). Secretary for the Environment KS Wong will lead a delegation to attend meetings in Guangzhou tomorrow. In the morning, Mr Wong and Guangdong's Department of Ecology & Environment Director-General Lu Xiulu will co-chair the 18th meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development & Environmental Protection. In the afternoon, Mr Wong will also co-chair the fifth meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production with Guangdong's Department of Industry & Information Technology Director-General Tu Gaokun. Before the meeting, they will officiate at the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme presentation ceremony. Mr Wong will return to Hong Kong that evening. Secretary for the Environment KS Wong (right) and Guangdongs Department of Ecology & Environment Director-General Lu Xiulu co-chair the 18th Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development & Environmental Protection meeting. The 18th meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable Development & Environmental Protection was held in Guangzhou today. Secretary for the Environment KS Wong and Guangdong's Department of Ecology & Environment Director-General Lu Xiulu co-chaired the meeting. The meeting reviewed the progress of environmental collaboration in 2018 between the two sides. Both sides noted that progress was smooth in environmental work, including improving the air quality in the Pearl River Delta region, protecting the water environment and enhancing co-operation in forestry and marine resources conservation. They also endorsed the work plan for 2019 and agreed to prioritise ecological and environmental protection in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The number of applications for the departments first aid course has dramatically increased after Anyone was introduced. Fire Services Department Acting Superintendent Chou Wing-yin (left) said the department supported the creation of Anyone, who has starred in three videos so far. Superintendent Suki Ng (centre) said Anyone will co-operate with the newly established Community Emergency Preparedness Division to promote the message of safety. The character of Anyone was inspired by the Fire Services Departments "Press to shock - Save a life" poster for the Public Access Defibrillation Course, which features a blue cartoon character. Anyone, the Fire Services Departments new character who dons a blue full-body spandex suit to promote first aid, has taken Hong Kong by storm. The departments Acting Superintendent Chou Wing-yin and his team created the character. They wanted to use an unexpected and humble way to promote cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automated external defibrillators. Mr Chou said he was inspired by the departments "Press to shock - Save a life" poster for the Public Access Defibrillation Course, which features a blue cartoon character. The public feedback for that cartoon character was unexpectedly positive, which encouraged Mr Chous team to create a real-life character to further promote first aid. He said the team initially thought of using a fluffy costume for the character, but since the costume prevented the use of fingers for CPR demonstrations, they opted for the full-body blue suit. Mr Chou said they had the full support of the department in creating Anyone, who has starred in three videos so far. One of the videos was based on a true story of a young father who was saved two years ago. Mr Chou said he hopes the video could inspire people to be brave and give aid to those in need. Mr Chou who was also the scriptwriter and director, and the camera operators, lighting technicians, film editors and even the actors starring as Anyone are all paramedics. Superintendent Suki Ng added the number of applications for the departments first aid course has dramatically increased after Anyone was introduced. She said the hit character will co-operate with the newly established Community Emergency Preparedness Division to promote the message of safety. We know the public likes (the) Anyone concept very much so we will still use this concept because this is a very good concept to say Anyone is all the citizens in Hong Kong. (Whoever) is brave can stand up, you can help, you can save people. Secretary for the Environment KS Wong (centre) and Guangdongs Department of Industry & Information Technology Director-General Tu Gaokun (back row, fourth right) attend a ceremony to commend 153 companies for pursuing cleaner production. The Hong Kong-Guangdong Joint Working Group on Cleaner Production held its fifth meeting in Guangzhou today. Secretary for the Environment KS Wong co-chaired the meeting with Guangdong's Department of Industry & Information Technology Director-General Tu Gaokun. The working group reviewed the work progress in 2018 and agreed on the 2019 work plan, which focuses on the continuous promotion of the use of cleaner production technologies to reduce volatile organic compounds. A presentation ceremony for the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cleaner Production Partners Recognition Scheme was also held to commend 153 companies for pursuing cleaner production. Click here for details. As the JSC we have done all that is required of us in terms of the Constitution which states that after the interview we submit three names to the President for him to consider before naming the Prosecutor General designate before swearing in. THERE is alleged abuse of donations at Mpilo Central Hospital if the disappearance of an assorted goods given out by a United Kingdom based philanthropist is anything to go by. What looks like a serious scandal has been unearthed at the hospital after a consignment of donated goodies allegedly vanished with sources at the institution saying the unaccounted donation may just be a tip of the iceberg. The gross lack of accountability and mendacity at one of the biggest health institutions in the country was laid bare after goodies donated by United Kingdom-based philanthropist Mr Dumisani Moyo in September allegedly, could not be accounted for and the hospital failed to give a satisfactory answer when quizzed by Mr Moyo on why they were not using the donated goodies. Mr Moyo adopted and renovated Ward B6 of the hospital at a cost of $90 000 but on his return two months later he found the ward in bad shape with some goods either missing or not being used in the ward. He also said he was asked to pay for labour for the renovations and later found out that all the renovations were done by the Government under the Department of Public Works. I decided to come back to Zimbabwe and do a clean-up of the same ward I adopted but what I saw was very disappointing, the ward was very dirty yet I donated chemicals for them to use specifically for that ward. The place was not clean at all. Even just sweeping and mopping with clean water was going to be better but that was not the case, said an agitated Mr Moyo. He said he handed over the cleaning detergents for the hospital to manage but this was not done as evidenced by the untidiness in the ward. Mr Moyo left a donation of cutlery which included 48 dinner plates, 48 spoons, knives and forks but said he was shocked when he arrived at Mpilo last week to find patients in the adopted ward using disposable plastic spoons and old dinner plates with none of the donated cutlery anywhere near the ward. Another issue that shocked me was that the linen I donated was also not there, patients were using old, dirty and torn linen and when I asked, I was told that it was locked up in the linen stores and they could not access it. I did not donate these things for them to be locked up, the patients need to be in a clean environment with clean linen but I am surprised they have not been given their things to use, he added. He also told Sunday News that the patients did not have wheelchairs to use yet he brought in two new ones recently. A disgruntled Mr Moyo said accountability was key when dealing with goods donated to the vulnerable people in hospitals. There is a need to change mindsets about how we carry out our business, accountability is key when dealing with things that are donated to the patients, people are trying to help the Government by bringing in some of these donations so those who receive must also ensure that the goods are kept safe, he said. Mr Moyo said he was unable to get an audience from the chief executive officer of the hospital, Mr Leonard Mabandi, as he was away. He, however, said there might be need to launch an investigation into the matter to ensure that the patients get their dues. Nonetheless Mr Moyo still poured in more donations last week during a clean-up exercise he did at the hospital. He brought floor polish, floor stripper cleaner, Handy Andy, Sunlight liquid, sweeping brooms, mops, mutton cloths, Jik, surgical gloves, notice boards and various other cleaning detergents that were used for the clean-up. He also said he was not pointing fingers at the institution but said he did not get satisfactory answers when he made various inquiries to officials he met during the clean-up exercise. However, officials from Mpilo defended themselves saying the goods were not locked in the storerooms as earlier on told Mr Moyo but have been sent for engraving and marking. We have sent the cutlery for engraving and the linen for marking so that when they go for cleaning they are returned to the correct ward and to also ensure that they are not stolen. It is not like the donations were misplaced or anything, said the official who declined to be named. Mr Moyo said he was not going to stop donating towards the institution. I am still going to remain in good standing with Mpilo besides this hiccup, I pledged to assist and that is what I will do. There is a need for the corporate world and individuals to aid hospitals to complement Government efforts because we all use these facilities one way or the other, he said. He further said he was hosting a fund-raising dinner for the renovation of the paediatric ward at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) next week. I am still going on with my work of raising funds for hospitals and this time it is going to UBH childrens ward where I seek to also renovate and assist them where they need help. In this respect I will have a fundraising dinner next week at a local hotel and I am hoping to have various companies, stakeholders and individuals respond towards this worthy cause, said Mr Moyo. Sunday News Thank you very much to the Government for honouring our father. Were very much humbled and touched by what youve done for us. Our father was a simple man. He got doctorates and had travelled all over the world but at the end of the day he was just a simple man. If you look at the house he built here, its big and bold. But if you take a closer look youll realise that its a home that was meant to accommodate everybody. It wasnt for just the four Makhurane siblings. Its a home that belonged to everyone, said Mr Makhurane (Newser) With Kevin Hart out as Oscar host over his homophobic tweets, actor/rapper Nick Cannon has a question: What about Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman, and Amy Schumer? TMZ reports that Cannon began Friday by tweeting something Handler posted in 2010: "This is what a f*g bird likes like when he flexes." Writes Cannon: "Interesting. I wonder if there was any backlash here..." Cannon also managed to dig up a choice Silverman tweet"I dont mean this in a hateful way but the new bachelorette's a f****t"and this winner from Schumer's Twitter feed: "Enjoy skyfall f*gs. I'm bout to get knee deep in Helen Hunt." Cannon writes, "I'm just saying ... should we keep going???" story continues below No word from the female comedians, but when a Twitter user said Cannon should check out his own tweets, he fired back: "Nope!! You know I've been saying f**ked up s**t since twitter started! I dont play that politically correct bulls**t! F**k politics!! Only Truth!" And an earlier Cannon tweet may just back him up: "If your best joke includes 'gay' or 'f****t' you should be kicked off Twitter this ain't the 3rd grade! #notaninsult #lackofcreativity." E! Online notes that Cannon has sparked controversy before, leaving his host job at America's Got Talent in 2017 after saying NBC execs thought he'd "disparaged their brand" with racial jokes, and posting a pic of himself in whiteface in 2014: "It's even funny they're using this term 'whiteface,'" he said. "...I was doing a character impression. Blackface is about oppression." (Read more Oscars stories.) (Newser) "Totally cleared"? That was President Trump's take on news about sentencing recommendations for his ex-attorney, Michael Cohenbut Kellyanne Conway's husband sees it his own way, reports the Huffington Post. To recap: "Totally clears the president. Thank you!" the president tweeted after federal prosecutors said Cohen should receive substantial prison time despite his cooperation. But Conway's husband, George Conway, has a different take: "Except for that little part where the US Attorney's Office says that you directed and coordinated with Cohen to commit two felonies," he tweeted Friday. "Other than that, totally scot-free." story continues below The Washington Post notes that Conway went on to post other tweets, including a satirical headline from the Onion"Giuliani Insists Breaking the Law Not a Crime"and a headline from the Nixon days, "President: 'I'm not a crook,'" along with a comment from presidential historian Michael Beschloss: "What's old is new again." Conway's tweetstorm arrived on the heels of a sharp comment from the president's son, Eric Trump, earlier this week: "Of all the ugliness in politics, the utter disrespect George Conway shows toward his wife, her career, place of work, and everything she has fought SO hard to achieve, might top them all," he tweeted. Eric's missive followed Conway's suggestion that the president may have been involved in witness tampering. (Read more Kellyanne Conway stories.) (Newser) A Texas man telling kids Santa Claus isn't real got his comeuppance Saturday when he got arrested. Aaron Urbanski, 31, and two other men were protesting outside St. Mark United Methodist Church of Cleburne during a Breakfast With Santa event; they were asked "multiple times" to leave church property, law enforcement authorities say. Two of them did, but Urbanski allegedly refused. One attendee tells NBC DFW the men asked her, "Do you let your kids believe in a fake Santa or do they know who Jesus is?" and when she confronted them about not ruining Christmas, "They started to shout out that Santa was not real and that I was wrong for teaching them that." story continues below The men "were upset that the folks there were lying to the children about Santa," an officer says, per Dallas News. "Dont Mess With Santa!" wrote the Cleburne mayor in a Facebook post. "While I understand folks right to protest, Cleburne loves Santa and those protestors who were naughty and broke the law when they trespassed were arrested promptly. Guess they wanted coal in their stockings to go with a court appearance." Urbanski was charged with criminal trespass. (A substitute teacher ruined Santa for these kids.) (Newser) That Jared Kushner has close ties to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman isn't a bombshell revelation. But the New York Times has a lengthy story explaining how that relationship came to be, finding that the Saudis identified Kushner more than two years ago as their best chance to gain leverage in the White House and then began "wooing" him. A Saudi delegation close to the prince visited the US in November 2016 on a fact-finding mission of sorts and later put together a slide presentation. One slide read: The inner circle is predominantly deal makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner." They also knew Kushner badly wanted to help broker a deal between Israelis and Palestinians, and the Saudis promised to help. story continues below That led to a series of private, informal calls and texts between Kushner and bin Salman, or "Jared" and "Mohammed" as they called each other. It paid off early for the Saudis. Kushner engineered a face-to-face meeting between the prince and President Trump by getting him invited to a formal lunch at the White House, a feat the newspaper describes as "bending protocol" because it's the kind of treatment reserved for heads of state. The Times quotes three former senior US officials who say worries grew that Kushner would be manipulated, leading to enforcement of a rule that an NSC official be present on all calls between them. Even so, the informal chats have continued, even after the death of Jamal Khashoggi, per the Times. In fact, the story says Kushner gave advice to the prince on damage control. Read the full story. (Read more Jared Kushner stories.) (Newser) North Carolina is hunkering down for another big storm, and more than 100,000 of its residents are without power and hundreds of flights have been canceled as Winter Storm Diego rolled through on Sunday, reports CNN. Another 100,000 have lost power in South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. American Airlines canceled 1,100 flights out of its Charlotte hub on Sunday, which will have ripple effects on connecting flights, reports USA Today. Some 300 flights have been canceled on Monday. "This storm comes at a time of year when North Carolinians are usually hearing carols about snow, not actually seeing it. But this time, the real thing is headed our way and North Carolina is getting prepared," said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in a statement. story continues below About a foot of snow is expected in southern and central Appalachia, notes CNN, though totals could top 20 inches by Monday. "Snowfall amounts in some locations will likely exceed a foot and result in several days of difficult or impossible travel, extended power outages, and downed trees," the National Weather Service said. (Read more severe weather stories.) (Newser) The Vatican has an unusual dilemma after nearly all the nuns in a tiny French religious order threatened to renounce their vows rather than accept the Holy See's decision to remove their superior. The sisters argue that the Vatican commissioners sent to replace their superior general, the niece of the order's founder, have no understanding of their way of life or spirituality. The church's conclusionin a summary of its investigationis that the Little Sisters of Marie, Mother of the Redeemer are living "under the tight grip" of an "authoritarian" superior and feel a "serious conflict of loyalty," reports the AP. The standoff marks an extraordinary battle between the Vatican and the 39 nuns, most in their 60s and 70s, who run homes for the aged in rural western and southern France. Their threat comes at a time when the Catholic Church can hardly spare them, with the number of sisters plummeting. story continues below The unlikely revolt had been brewing for years but erupted in 2017, when the Vatican suspended the Little Sisters' government and ordered the superior, Mother Marie de Saint Michel, removed. The Vatican says local church investigations in 2010 and 2016 found excessive authoritarianism in her rule and serious problems of governance. As the standoff escalated, 34 of the 39 nuns issued an extraordinary declaration last month saying they had no choice but to ask to be relieved of their vows. "We are not making this sacrifice lightly," they wrote. "We wish to remain in total communion with the church but we cannot signify more clearly, or more painfully either, our incapacity in conscience to obey what we are commanded to do." Their plight has garnered sympathy. A French support group claims to have 3,900 signatures for a petition demanding the immediate restoration of the order's central government. Read more here. (Read more Vatican stories.) (Newser) Sen. Cory Booker tested the political waters Saturday for a possible presidential run, displaying his warm and inclusive style in New Hampshireat a time when many Dems are feeling combative, the New York Times reports. "This country has enough hate, enough bigotry, enough anti-Semitism," he tells a crowd of Democrats celebrating the midterms in Manchester. "What we need now is courageous actors who call to the conscience of our country a higher moral imagination, who call for a revival of civic grace." Chatting up voters at a house party in Nashua, the New Jersey senator says he gets the desire for an aggressive candidate to oppose President Trump. But "it's just not who I am, and I will continue to try to be as fearlessly authentic as I can." story continues below But he's also a strategist. During the midterms, the 49-year-old spoke in 24 states while stumping for over 40 candidates and raised more than $7 million for liberal campaigns and causes, his aides say. Back in New Jersey, Politico notes, the governor signed a bill letting Booker run for senator and president at the same time. And people seem interested: The fire marshall had to limit access to his Manchester speech Saturday, moving people to a nearby room. He's widely expected to run but says he won't decide for about a month, ABC News reports. So will his style work in an age of Democratic "resistance"? "You cannot lead the people if you do not love the people," Booker says. "Love is not a soft word. It is hard." (Sen. Bernie Sanders also says he might run.) (Newser) With prosecutors saying President Trump arranged illegal payments during the 2016 campaign, Rep. Adam Schiff adds a thought: "There's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice Department may indict him," he says on CBS' Face the Nation, per Slate. "That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time." The Democratic congressmanwho's likely the next House Intelligence Committee chairmansays the next president could face a big decision: "The bigger pardon question may come down the road, as the next president has to determine whether to pardon Donald Trump." For more Sunday chatter: Meng Wanzhou: "He did not know," White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow says on Fox News Sunday about Trump's knowledge of the Huawei CFO's arrest, per the Hill. "Regarding the Huawei prosecution, let me just say that's a law enforcement action, primarily Department of Justice." story continues below Wisconsin : "The entire thing is a mess," says Governor-Elect Tony Evers on NBC's Meet the Press about GOP legislation to limit his power, per NBC News. "It's a hot mess. And I believe [Gov. Scott Walker] should veto the entire package." : "The entire thing is a mess," says Governor-Elect Tony Evers on NBC's Meet the Press about GOP legislation to limit his power, per NBC News. "It's a hot mess. And I believe [Gov. Scott Walker] should veto the entire package." William Barr : "I haven't made a decision yet on him, but I can tell you the first things Ive learned about him being for more surveillance of Americans is very, very troubling," says Sen. Rand Paul on Meet the Press about Trump's pick for attorney general, per the Washington Times. : "I haven't made a decision yet on him, but I can tell you the first things Ive learned about him being for more surveillance of Americans is very, very troubling," says Sen. Rand Paul on Meet the Press about Trump's pick for attorney general, per the Washington Times. Mueller probe : Prosecutors "better have more than one witness on this because if you're shooting at the president of the United States and the only bullet in your gun is Michael Cohen, well I think that's a problem," says ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on ABC's This Week, per the Hill. But "when prosecutors sound that definitive they've got more usually than just one witness." : Prosecutors "better have more than one witness on this because if you're shooting at the president of the United States and the only bullet in your gun is Michael Cohen, well I think that's a problem," says ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on ABC's This Week, per the Hill. But "when prosecutors sound that definitive they've got more usually than just one witness." Impeachment : "My concern is that if impeachment is moved forward on the evidence that we have now, at least a third of the country would think its just political revenge and a coup against the president," says Sen. Angus King on Meet the Press, per NBC News. : "My concern is that if impeachment is moved forward on the evidence that we have now, at least a third of the country would think its just political revenge and a coup against the president," says Sen. Angus King on Meet the Press, per NBC News. Manafort : "I think it would be a terrible mistake if" Trump pardoned Paul Manafort, says Sen. Marco Rubio on This Week, per Politico. "You know, pardons should be used judiciously. They're used for cases with extraordinary circumstances." : "I think it would be a terrible mistake if" Trump pardoned Paul Manafort, says Sen. Marco Rubio on This Week, per Politico. "You know, pardons should be used judiciously. They're used for cases with extraordinary circumstances." 2020 Dems: "...I think in 2020 we need a candidate who is 100% authentic, who is tough, and who can challenge this president on both domestic policy and foreign policy and I'm simply going to make sure that we have a candidate that fits that bill," says Sen. Chris Murphy on This Week, per the Hill. On the lighter side, Robert DeNiro's return to SNL as Bob Mueller was "awkward." (Read more President Trump stories.) (Newser) Authorities are investigating the dissemination of anti-Semitic pamphlets in Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including the one in which a gunman killed 11 people in a synagogue in October, the AP reports. A spokesman says police and the city department of public safety "are taking this matter very seriously and will follow every investigative avenue." Police said Sunday morning the material was found in neighborhoods including Squirrel Hill, where a gunman entered the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27 and killed 11 people in the deadliest attack on Jews in US history. story continues below A man who authorities say raged against Jews during and after the shooting has pleaded not guilty to numerous murder and hate crime charges. Police say "such hate-filled material" will not be tolerated in the city by residents, city officials, or law enforcement. (A Jewish nurse treated the synagogue gunman, choosing to "show him empathy.") Like the country as a whole, Bahrains parliament and politicians are also getting more youthful. People of Bahrain, in the recently concluded election, voted into office, for the first time in the history of the Kingdom, more young minds than ever, a welcome change in the Kingdoms parliamentary work. The elections to the 40 member council which wrapped up last week contributed in creating an assembly with 25 per cent members being under the age of 40, especially with the arrival of 10 young deputies. This was the natural result of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas support, Ibrahim Al-Nafi, a newly appointed deputy told the Tribune. The leaders of the United States, Japan and India met jointly for the first time and called for open navigation in Asia. The three leaders -- US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe -- met on the sidelines of the summit of the G20 economic powers in Buenos Aires. With the meeting lasting around 15 minutes, the three-way summit was more about symbolism than planning strategy, but it comes as all three share concerns on Chinas rising clout. Japan and India both have longstanding territorial feuds with their neighbour, while Trump has been pressing China hard on trade and reiterating concerns over Beijings assertive posture in the dispute-ridden South China Sea. Japan, the US and India share fundamental values and strategic interests, Abe said. By having three of us working together, well bring more prosperity and more stability in the region, as well as globally, he said. Modi noted that Japan, America and India made out the acronym Jai -- Hindi for long live. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement that the summit reaffirmed the importance of the free and open Indo-Pacific vision for global stability and prosperity, and pledged to deepen trilateral cooperation. Chief Kingsley Uju Chima, a House of Representatives Candidate on the platform of Action Alliance (AA), says candidates of the party and President Muhammadu Buhari will sweep the polls in Imo in 2019.Chima, a former Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations to the Imo State Government and 2019 All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency, said that the people of Imo will vote for personalities and not party.He made the declaration at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos on Sunday.Newsmen report that the Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Acho Ihim had on Dec. 7 led 18 out of the 25 Lawmakers in the house to defect from their former parties to the AA.This followed the picking of the AA governorship ticket in Imo by Mr Uche Nwosu, the Son in Law to Gov Rochas Okorocha and APC governorship aspirant in the state.Chima explained that those who joined AA were aspirants from the APC and PDP who needed a platform to realise their mandates.The 2019 general elections will be determined by the people. They know the pedigree of these candidates who have related closely with them and will not abandon them, having been the ones who supported that they seek an alternative platform to run.We are convinced that none of us will lose to any other party or candidate in clean, fair and free elections, he said.He said that AA candidates were not only canvassing for votes for themselves but were also urging their supporters to support the re-elecrion of the president Bihari.This is why you will see the Nwosu campaign banner with the picture of Buhari. We support the presidents re-election and I know we will win all other parties candidates in Imo, the candidate said.He noted that those who grew APC in Imo in spite of the odds faced by its founders in the state to make the party acceptable to the people were the ones that are in AA.We are the APC structure in Imo. Unfortunately, those who masterminded and orchestrated the refusal of tickets to deserving members failed to realise that without the crowd there is no party.It is not name that makes a party strong but the members and their supporters. These are the people that will ensure our victory in 2019, he further said.The house of representatives candidate added that if the party had not issued automatic tickets for sitting Lawmakers and had allowed the members to freely decide their candidates, the outcome would have been accepted and all aspirants would have worked for whoever emerged.As it is we are working to win in AA but without jettisoning our support for the President, chima said.He alleged that some of the new entrants in the APC were moles who joined to destroy it.We will not allow then destroy Imo and its people, he added.Chima,however, urged INEC to ensure that the 2019 elections were credible to make it acceptable to participants and Nigeria as a whole. President Muhammadu Buhari, Sunday in Abuja, said that the involvement of African youths was critical to winning anti-graft battle in the continent.President Buhari stated this while declaring open the 2018 Africa Youth Congress Against Corruption, AYCAC, at the old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa.The President who was in January 2018 nominated as the African Union Anti-corruption champion, advised the youth to rise up to the occasion in order to check the rising trend of corruption in the continent.According to him, winning the fight against corruption was very much in the hands of the youth.He said, The anti-corruption year of the African Union has been long and demanding. The year has also been filled with sharing of great lessons, promises and inspirations as well as some success stories on our journey to winning the fight against the evil of corruption.I am therefore very pleased that with your support, we have kept faith with the African people, particularly our Youth gathered here today.Throughout this year, we have focused the strategy for Africas structural transformation on strengthening our collective anti-corruption fight.As African leaders, we made history in adopting this theme in January 2018 in Addis Ababa and openly debated and evaluated our strategy in Nouakchott last July. And today in Nigerias capital with our Youth, we are rallying against this once-hidden taboo and hydra-headed challenge that freezes our aspirations and dents the hopes of our youth for a newly emergent Africa.During the mid-year summit of the African Union Assembly, African Heads of State and Government adopted the Nouakchott Declaration on the Anti-Corruption Year, to serve as a roadmap in the fight against corruption over the coming years.The Declaration reiterated that corruption is not only an African phenomenon but a global one, especially when we consider Illicit Financial Flows where Africa, regrettably is in fact a net creditor to the world.To the young people of Africa, this fight against corruption is yours to lead and to win in order to reverse the negative trends of corruption and its implications for Africa.The Youth of Africa must pool their energies to effectively ensure that our natural and mineral resources remain on the continent for value addition, job and wealth creation as well as to create affordable health-care and quality education for our people. Winning the fight against corruption is very much in your hands!Of particular interest to the youth, as reflected in the Nouakchott Declaration, is the emphasis on the imperative of investing in the demographic dividends through anti-corruption, education and sensitization campaigns, targeting young people as a means of bringing about behavioral change.The President also called for the introduction of anti-corruption curriculum and campaigns in schools.He said, I thereby encourage young Africans, to use this Declaration as motivation to achieve greater resource investment in developing anti-corruption curricula and anti-graft campaigns in schools, businesses and the general public space.African Youth must remain the front and centre of restoring traditional African values of probity, integrity, honesty, diligence and hard work. It is only when the youth drive this change, that corruption will be eliminated.He said as a buildup to the youth congress, he was briefed by the African Union Commission on the African Governance Architecture (AGA)-organized Regional Youth Consultations, dedicated to the Anti-Corruption theme of the year.I am pleased to learn that the youth regional consultative forums were informative and rewarding for the over 600 young people from across the continent who sharpened their strategies and skills to fight corruption, he said.President Buhari further said that youth meetings serve as vital platforms for young people to engage.He described the Congress as a grand rallying point to catalyze policy and practical action against the vice of corruption.We must listen to the perspectives of the African Youth and engage in frank and honest conversations. Communication, upwards and sideways can only be ignored at a price.I am most pleased to observe that this Abuja Congress will take adequate stock of policy and institutional mechanisms in the fight against corruption as well as the role of technology amongst others.I am confident that you will give due support to the continental strategies to: stem illicit financial flows out of Africa; expedite stolen assets recovery and return; strengthen the capacity of national anti-corruption institutions; explore the link between corruption and conflicts; strengthen oversight by citizens on budget performance, President Buhari said.He advised the Congress to strongly advocate the universal signing and ratification of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption by all Member States of the African Union.At the end of your deliberations in this Congress, I am confident that you will come up with an Agenda for Action on Winning the Fight against Corruption that will serve as the rallying cry of the African Youth towards a corruptfion-free Africa. Strive for an Agenda for Action that will be results-oriented and serve as a roadmap for our continent, he stated.He further said, I believe that as we wind up the African Union Anti-Corruption Year, the young people across the continent remain the cornerstone of shaping the future of the fight against corruption. While our symbolic year may be ending, our campaign must not end, for our common future is even brighter.As Africa promotes regional integration and global prosperity, corruption remains a major stumbling block to the realization of the seven (7) aspirations of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).We must therefore fight it from all angles and avenues without ceasing. And only a united front led by the African Youth can change this present narrative to a great story of African transformation.Recall that when President Buhari took over the mantle of leadership in 2015, fight against corruption was one of the three main cardinal points of his administration.Speaking at the occasion, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said that the level of corruption in Nigeria and Africa as a whole was unacceptably high.The EFCC said urgent action was needed to tackle the menace headlong.He stated that since the President was nominated as the African champion against corruption, he has displayed and will continue to display unwavering fight against corruption in Nigeria.He listed some of the measures taken by the Buharis administration to fight corruption to include whistle-blower policy, Treasury Single Account (TSA), Bank Verification Number (BVN).The government, he said, has embarked on continuous audit to ensure public funds are spent judiciously.To take anti-corruption battle to the next level, he said that the support of youth was critical.Magu said Nigeria will never shed the mandate given to it by the people to fight corruption, adding that the administration will continue the battle until corruption is wiped out.The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami said that youth being the future leaders of Africa must go all out against corruption.Youth must see fight Against Corruption as an obligation and a task that must be achievedWithout killing corruption, there will be no sustained development in the continentCorruption is an injustice to the state, youth, children, women, aged, Africa and Africans. It is a breach of the human rights of Africans which must be rejected vehemently. Transactional middlemen such as -lawyers, bankers, government officials must be tackled.Magu said that corruption is injustice against Africans and must be resisted vehemently.The time to kill corruption is now, he added Happy with President Muhammadu Buharis refusal to sign the 2018 electoral bill, purportedly awash with loopholes, Mrs Lauretta Onochie, Social media aide to Buhari, Sunday alleged that the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other PDP stakeholders had plotted to use the electoral bill if signed to rig the forthcoming 2019 elections.She argued that the senate headed by Dr Bukola Saraki of PDP, intentionally replaced Counting and Announcing with only Announcing, in the new electoral bill, and noted that such smart move would only endanger the countrys democracy.According to her, why would counting be omitted in the election process? Electoral umpires can announce any figure to favour whoever pays them well, she said.Recall that Buhari had given reasons why he declined assent to the bill. According to him, (Buhari),I am declining assent to the bill principally because I am concerned that passing a new electoral bill this far into the electoral process for the 2019 general elections which commenced under the 2015 electoral act, could create some uncertainty about the applicable legislation to govern the process.Any real or apparent change to the rules this close to the election may provide an opportunity for disruption and confusion in respect of which law governs the electoral process.This leads me to believe that it is in the best interest of the country and our democracy for the national assembly to specifically state in the bill that the electoral act will come into effect and be applicable to elections commencing after the 2019 elections.In view of the above reason therefore, Lauretta Onochie via her facebook handle opined;THE PDP RIGGING PLANPres. Buhari came to governance through the popular will of the people of Nigeria who used the Card Reader to put a stop to his years of winning Presidential elections and never announced winner.He loves the Card reader. We love the Card Reader.What they did was to cleverly replace COUNT & ANNOUNCE, with only ANNOUNCE in the new electoral bill amendment which portends grave danger for the progress our electoral process made in 2015.It means COUNTING of our votes will no longer be necessary in 2019. Electoral umpires could announce any figure to favour whoever pays them well.They also want political parties to have the ability to merge 21 days to the election instead of the Current 90 days. Its a recipe for disaster.Its disgraceful that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is pushing for our President Buhari to sign the flawed document that would ensure our disenfranchisement, and then enthrone manipulation of number of votes or in one word, RIGGING.But Pres. Buhari will always protect the interests of NigeriansIts unfair to Nigerians that the goal posts are being shifted in the dying minutes of a match.Thank you great President and Vice President too, the defenders of our nation, for spotting the pitfalls.God Bless NigeriaLauretta Onochie@LaurestarAGAIN, to cleverly replace COUNT & ANNOUNCE, with only ANNOUNCE portends grave danger for the progress our electoral process made in 2015.It means COUNTING of our votes will not be necessary in 2019.Its disgraceful that Atiku Abubakar is pushing for our disenfranchisement pic.twitter.com/ok5aAycskU Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) December 8, 2018POVERTY ALLEVIATION Continues:Vice Presido @ProfOsinbajo takes #TraderMoni to Ipata Market, Kwara State.We must CONTINUE to support Nigerian traders to have a better standard of living.BUT greedy and self-centered Dr. Bukola Saraki, says Give me & friends too or scrap it! pic.twitter.com/Nl46NZLkHz Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) December 8, 2018 The executive director of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSME) Nevine Gamea has said that Egypt will ink a 45-million-euro loan deal with the European Union by the beginning of 2019. In press statements on the sidelines of Africa 2018 forum, Gamea said the deal underscores the EU's continued commitment to supporting small enterprises in Egypt. Egypt has also signed a 15-million-euro grant with the EU to support infrastructure development in six governorates, including Assiut, Giza, Sharqiya and Port Said, she added. Gamea also said that the MSME's CEO will now be appointed by the prime minister for a four-year term. She said that the MSME has achieved great success with the projects it has funded, adding that it bankrolled 160,000 projects over the past six months and created 305,000 jobs. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt signed on Sunday a 229-million-euro deal with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to improve sanitation and community infrastructure in the Nile Delta, the EIB announced in a press statement. Signed on the sidelines of the Africa 2018 economic forum in Sharm El-Sheikh in the presence of PM Mostafa Mabdouly, the initial agreement on the deal was reached in October during a visit by Egypt's Investment Minister Sahar Nasr to Luxemburg. The Egyptian cabinet officially approved the deal in November. "The EIB continues to support a sustainable, modern economy in Egypt and to reinforce its economic resilience," said EIB president Werner Hoyer, adding that the total EIB financing agreements with Egypt since 2012 have reached 5 billion euros. The first agreement signed is a 214 million loan to the Kitchener Drain de-pollution project, the 69-km-long agricultural drainage canal spanning across the governorates of Kafr El-Sheikh, Gharbiya and Daqahliya in the Nile Delta region. Approximately 6 million people are expected to benefit from improved and new sanitation and solid waste services as a result of the investments, the EIB said. The EIB also said that the deal is a good example of multilateral cooperation as it is part of an integrated de-pollution project comprising a number of investments financed by the EIB, the European Union's Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in wastewater and sanitation, solid waste and drain rehabilitation a first of its kind in Egypt. The EIB also signed a 15 million grant agreement on Sunday with Egypt's Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA). The grant is funded by the European Union under the NIF. The new signings bring EIB's total finance agreements in Egypt in 2018 to 800 million euros for transport, energy, small and medium enterprises, microfinance, water and wastewater sectors. Search Keywords: Short link: The government took steps to amend Egypts 2014 mining law some weeks ago by sending an amended version of the law to parliament for approval in answer to calls that had long been made by investors in the sector. The legislative measures are being taken to adopt amendments aimed at increasing mining revenues and achieving a balance between the state and investors, Tarek Al-Molla, minister of petroleum and mineral resources, said during an industry conference in November. The mining law of 2014, which replaced an earlier 1956 law, has failed to attract investment into the sector as the government had intended, Centamin Egypt manager Youssef Al-Rajhi told Al-Ahram Weekly. The companys subsidiary Pharos Gold Mines (PGM) has the right to explore, develop, mine and export gold at the Sukkari gold mine in Egypt. The 2014 law was based on making money, not encouraging investors, Al-Rajhi added. Former minister of petroleum and mineral resources Osama Kamal told the Weekly that the ministry had been wrong to treat mining companies like petroleum companies. Since the 1980s, the state has been implementing an oil-and-gas-style production-sharing agreement in the mining sector under which mining companies enter into joint ventures with the state. Kamal said that this system was not used in the rest of the world and that the fundamentals of the mining industry differed from those of the petroleum sector. In the mining sector, initial investments cannot necessarily be recouped by operating companies, especially if the minerals and ores discovered cannot be economically extracted and exploited. Mining projects need expertise to explore soil formations bearing metals. Millions could need to be injected to find out if there was a project in a certain area or not, Al-Rajhi said. He said that PGMs initial expenditures had amounted to $80 million to determine if there was sufficient gold in the Sukkari mine to justify further mining. Kamal said companies should be allowed to acquire the rights to land without first obtaining exploration licences. They should be able to pay royalties on its use of the land regardless of the metals and minerals discovered. They should also pay taxes on the quantity of metals or minerals produced regardless of the prices at which their produce is sold. The royalties and taxes should be spelled out in the executive regulations of the law and not in the law itself so they could be adjusted easily, Kamal said. A change in the law would take time, whereas executive regulations can be modified more easily by the cabinet. Mohamed Hanafi, head of the Metallurgical Industries Chamber at the Egyptian Federation of Industries, said that the Mineral Resources Authority should be a technical authority and not one that shares the ownership of companies and profits with investors. The authoritys main responsibilities should be to provide investors with metallurgical maps, follow up on the way mines are exploited and managed, and ensure that minerals are not being over extracted or depleted. The current law allows two companies to work in the same mine, with each extracting a different kind of metal. However, Hanafi said this was a major hurdle that caused problems for investors. He said that the fact that the state enters into joint ventures with companies in projects allows for the Central Auditing Agency to interfere in the activities of the mine, affecting management efficiency. Hanafi supported the suggestion that investors should pay high fees to the state after the recovery of their investment, but he said that investments were not injected in one batch, making it very difficult to prove their size. Another solution was that investors should pay 30 per cent of their profits to the Ministry of Finance, as other mines do around the globe. Sami Al-Rajhi, the founder of Centamin Corporation, said that any mining project was based on long years of accumulated experience in different parts of the world. Some ideas were the secrets of the profession, which was why other countries give investors the right to the land chosen. In Egypt, it could take a month before the notification of acceptance, opening the door to corruption, Al-Rajhi lamented. He said that in other countries there was no limit to the areas that investors could obtain, and there were no limitations on the period in which mining could take place as long as the investors fulfilled their legal obligations. Kamal believes the whole sector needs an upgrade and not just the law. He said that since the Geological Survey Authority had become affiliated to the Mineral Resources Authority its role as a research and technical body that works on drawing up maps and outlining Egyptian metal and mineral wealth had diminished, leading to information scarcity regarding the mining potential of the country. He suggested that the GSA be reinstated as an independent research body and encouraged the establishment of value-added industries around extracted minerals. There should be an integrated master plan for the mining industries for 20 years, Kamal added, with this allowing Egypts mineral needs to be estimated and whether they needed to be produced locally or procured from abroad. For example, he said, instead of exporting crude phosphates at prices ranging from $80 to $120 per ton, Egypt could purify and wash them, adding 25 per cent to the price. Kamal said there should be a vision to develop the sector and to complete geological studies and modern maps of Egypts metallurgical and mineral wealth. The Egyptian deserts should be studied geo-physically and geo-chemically, he said, and the results of such studies fed into databases and made available to investors. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Mining demands Search Keywords: Short link: 09/12/2018 - Many countries have made important improvements in integrating immigrants and their children into the labour market and day-to-day life of their country. However, many challenges remain and much of the potential that migrants bring with them remains unused, hampering both economic growth and social inclusion, according to a new joint OECD-EU report. Settling In 2018: Indicators of Immigrant Integration finds that the proportion of highly educated immigrants has grown in virtually all OECD and EU countries, rising by 7 percentage points over the past decade in both areas. At the same time, in all countries, most immigrants express a strong sense of belonging to their host-country, with more than 80% reporting feeling close or very close to this country. Countries have made important improvements in their policies to foster the integration of immigrants and their children into education, the labour market and the social life of their country, said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to maximise the still untapped potential of migrants to contribute economically and socially to their recipient countries. Making immigrant integration work is absolutely vital for our economies and societies as a whole, said European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos. We need to make sure that all those who have a right to stay and live in our societies, become full and equal participants. Not only on paper but also in reality. Despite some improvements, immigrants have often not managed to translate higher overall education levels into better labour market outcomes. Immigrants relative poverty is also today more widespread than a decade ago, further widening the gaps with the native-born. Around 14% of all foreign-born people in the EU report facing discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, nationality or race. The report also notes that almost a third of non-EU migrants in Europe state that most inhabitants of their neighbourhoods share their ethnic background. Educational attainment levels and outcomes of youth with immigrant parents have also increased in most countries over the past decade both in absolute terms and relative to their peers with native-born parents. This is evident in better educational outcomes and higher resilience at age 15, in lower levels of school dropout rates and higher educational attainment. However, immigrant children continue to lag behind their peers with native-born parents, notably in Europe, while the reverse is the case in only a few non-EU OECD countries such as Canada. While immigrant men have a 3 percentage points higher employment rate than native-born men across the OECD, immigrant women have a 1 percentage point lower rate than their native-born peers, amounting to a full 6 point gap in Europe. Gaps between immigrant and native-born women are especially wide in Belgium and France, at 14 percentage points, and in the Netherlands, at almost 17 points. When employed, immigrant women are also more often in part-time and low-skilled jobs notably in Southern Europe (except Portugal), as well as in Chile, Korea and Slovenia, where over 30% of employed immigrant women are in low-skilled jobs. Following an overall increase in their share over the past decade, women now account for the majority of immigrants living in OECD and EU countries. The report also finds that the widespread inactivity and part-time employment of immigrant women is often involuntary, more often than for their native-born peers. Settling In 2018: Indicators of Immigrant Integrationpresents a detailed international comparison of the outcomes of immigrants and their children and their evolution over time, for all European Union and OECD countries as well as selected G20 countries. 74 indicators cover key dimensions of integration, including employment, education, housing, health, civic engagement and social inclusion. There is a special focus on young people with immigrant parents and on gender issues. The report is available at http://www.oecd.org/migration/indicators-of-immigrant-integration-2018-9789264307216-en.htm. For more information, journalists should contact the OECD Media Division (tel. + 33 1 45 24 97 00). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The study found that migrants, have a greater life expectancy than residents of host countries and were less likely to die of illnesses such as cancer and heart disease Migrants tend to be healthier than the residents of wealthy countries they travel to, such as the United States, and often help fight diseases by becoming healthcare workers in those nations, according to a study . Populist arguments that migrants pose a health risk and a burden to health systems are myths used to drive anti-immigrant sentiment, the report published by University College London and the Lancet medical journal concluded. The two-year study found that migrants, in general, have a greater life expectancy than residents of host countries and were less likely to die of illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. They were, however, more prone to diseases such as hepatitis, HIV and tuberculosis, but tended to spread those infections among immigrant communities rather than the general population, the study found. Our analysis suggests that migrants are healthier, migrants contribute positively to the economies of host countries, and in wealthy countries like the United Kingdom and United States, migrants constitute a large portion of the health workforce, said Ibrahim Abubakar, chair of the UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health that carried out the study. The report, which looked at 96 studies and 5,464 mortality estimates for more than 15 million migrants, found inconsistencies between migrant groups. Mortality was lower, for instance, among migrants from east Asia and Latin America than the general population of six European host countries studied. However, it was higher among migrants from north Africa and eastern Europe. In too many countries, the issue of migration is used to divide societies and advance a populist agenda, Lancet Editor Richard Horton said in a statement. Migrants commonly contribute more to the economy than they cost. The results were based mainly on studies of migrant health in wealthier countries, due to a lack of data on low-income and middle-income countries. As a result, the study may not reflect the health of immigrants in those poorer countries that are the most popular destinations globally for migrants, the report cautioned. Search Keywords: Short link: 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 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 percent 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 Search Keywords: Short link: Associated Press An Amazon Prime Air drone sits idle in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos might have underestimated regulatory obstacles and privacy concerns when he told CBS' "60 Minutes" in 2013 that his company would be making drone-borne deliveries within five years. 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. A flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elikplim Lorlormavor Agbemava, has pulled out of the race and has declared support for former President John Dramani Mahama. In a statement, the Lawyer by profession said "I know this is very much unexpected. However there is much wisdom in taking this decision. It is also in line with the majority of the views in our great party that he is the best person to lead us into battle come 2020. Below is the full detail of the press statement. PRESS RELEASE 07/12/2018 I wish to announce that after much soul searching, prayer and consultations with well-meaning Ghanaians, loved ones and family I have decided to abate my push for the presidency come 2020 and throw my weight behind His Excellency John D. Mahama. I know this is very much unexpected. However, there is much wisdom in taking this decision. It is also in line with the majority of the views in our great party that he is the best person to lead us into battle come 2020. Beyond that, our own future vision and ambitions must be anchored on a broad-based support that will make it easy to unite the party when it is time for us to lead. In the circumstances, I will not be picking up nomination forms by the deadline set by the National Executive Committee. I encourage my campaign team and all supporters to submit to the vision of the GO4JM Campaign for total and a resounding victory of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2020. I will like to thank God for His direction at every step of the way and express my profound gratitude to the National Council of Elders, the National Executive Committee, Friends ( far and near) #FriendsofEli2020 and my entire family for the various roles played in this short but momentous campaign to lead the youth of GHANA into a prosperous future. The future is bright and we will lead at Gods appointed time. SIGNED: ELIKPLIM L. AGBEMAVA ItIsPossible Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video R2Bees in a latest interview have revealed how much they were paid for their first ever show in Cape Coast. The award winning duo reminiscing on the beginning of their career revealed they were paid 4 million Ghana cedis for the group to perform to their hit single Yawa Girl in Cape Coast. I remember our first show was at Cape Coast and it was with Shatta Wale but then he was called Bandana and we were paid 4 million Ghana cedis PaeDae told Joy FM. Thats when we realized we had to to take the music thing serious. Yawa Girl was hard but we decided to do more commercial songs. Source: YFM 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 parkade and entrance to the former home of Victory Church in downtown Penticton is now closed to the public If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here PM stresses importance of preserving state institutions, keeping them away from disputes [09/December/2018] SANAA, Dec. 9 (Saba) - Prime Minister Dr. Abdulaziz bin Habtoor on Saturday expressed on Saturday the hope that everyone seek to preserve all institutions and structures and keeping them away from all disputes. This came in delivered speech to attendee at a ceremony, under the slogan "work together to ensure that the country is not left behind", organized by the Ministry of Transport and the General Authority for Civil Aviation and Meteorology on the occasion of the International Day of Civil Aviation. He pointed out at the outset the importance of this occasion, which represents a confirmation of the global commitments in the field of civil aviation and the evaluation of the institutions for the level of its overall performance and achievements. He pointed out that respect for constitutions, laws and institutional construction at the level of the world is one of the most important factors of stability and success of all institutions and achieving these high levels of development. "I hope that our institutions and structures, which the states of US-backed Saudi-led aggression coalition seek to destroy and empty them from within, will be preserved because we are all concerned with this matter so that they can continue to play their valuable role in the post-aggression phase," he said. "We must constantly review our stance in order to preserve the institutions and take into account their relations and activities at the international level," he said, noting the neutral national dimension of the Civil Aviation and Meteorological Authority of Yemen. The Prime Minister referred to the consultations hosted by the Swedish capital Stockholm and the points discussed, including the resumption of reception of Sanaa International Airport for commercial aviation. He stressed the readiness of the airport technical and security to receive all aircraft .. "I appreciate in this context, the continuous effort of the Ministry of Transport and the Aviation Authority to repair any damage caused by the raids of aggression on the infrastructure of the airport and ensure readiness to receive aircraft at any moment," he said. AA Saba SRC Chief holds Saudi-led coalition responsible for Saturdays crime in Hodeidah [09/December/2018] SANAA, Dec. 9 (Saba) -Chief of the Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC) Mohammed Ali al-Houthi has condemned the genocide committed by the aggression coalition' mercenaries against civilians at al-Rabsa roundabout in Hodeidah. The death toll from coalition-backed militias bombing at Doar-Rabsa area of Hodeidah city on Saturday rose to six, while 12 others wounded, mostly children and women. Al-Houthi said that in the time when consultations continue in Sweden amid an international atmosphere of peace, the US-Saudi-UAE aggression coalition and its allies in Yemen refuse In a stubborn way all initiatives to stop fighting by intransigence on the table and on the ground. The latest crime is a message expressing the negativity, recklessness and chaos of the US-Saudi-UAE aggression and its allies, he affirmed. . Al-Houthi added : I strongly condemn the deliberate bombing of civilians, and we regret that crimes committed the coalition which contradict all laws and charters of the United Nations, continue." At a time when the world is moving to support peace and sending positive messages, and shows great sadness about the tragic effects of aggression and blockade on the Yemeni people, this crime came as a serious attempt to obstruct peace talks held in Sweden. Al-Houthi praised the efforts made by the Sweden state the UN envoy and other peace campaigns. He called on the Gulf Summit to be held today in order to adopt a rational stance, in which the regimes involved in the aggression should announce that they would halt committing massacres and crimes in Yemen. AA Saba A Pakistani commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit and two of its Kashmiri militants were killed by the Indian forces in an 18-hour-long gun battle that ended on Sunday here in the outskirts of the Jammu and Kashmir capital, police said. The police identified the two Kashmiri militants as Mudasir Parray and Saquib Mushtaq, both hailing from Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipore district. The third militant was identified as Ali Bhai, who is a resident of Pakistan. "All the militants belonged to the LeT militant outfit," a police officer said. An Indian soldier, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper and three policemen were injured late on Saturday, hours after the encounter broke out around evening in the Mujgund area following a tip off about militant presence. The operation stretched for hours as militants kept on changing locations during the gunfight within the cordoned off area, a police officer explained. Four residential houses were also damaged during the operation. Civilian protesters clashed with the security forces the moment the gun battle ended on Sunday forcing authorities to suspend mobile Internet services in Srinagar district. Meanwhile, a Hizbul militant's close associate was arrested in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. A total of 10 militants, including a Taliban key commander Mawlawi Nasratullah, were killed in Afghanistan's Faryab province on Sunday, an army spokesperson said. The security forces, acting upon an intelligence report, attacked a Taliban gathering in Dawlat Abad district in the wee hours of Sunday, killing 10 rebels on the spot, Xinhua news agency reported. According to the official, 15 more insurgents have been arrested in the ongoing operations. Nasratullah was an important Taliban commander in Faryab province and his elimination could prove to be a major setback to the insurgents in the area, the official said. Taliban militants have not commented yet. The death of Jeremiah Malaki Tauiliili is tragic. Every time a precious life is lost, regardless of the circumstances, it pains very deeply. Why? We believe that one life lost is one too many. Which is the tragedy of Mr. Tauiliilis death. At 24 years young, a promising Civil Engineer career at the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure and a child to raise; he had his whole future ahead of him. But all that changed on Friday night, two weeks ago, when he was at the Edge Bar on the Marina at Matautu Wharf. What transpired that night, and what led to him being hospitalisedwhere he eventually diedwe dont know. According to Police officers though, Mr. Tauiliili was involved in a fight where he was allegedly knocked out. The Fire Emergency Services Authority was called and he was taken to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital. Mr. Tauiliili later slipped into a coma and his condition deteriorated before he passed away on Wednesday. At this point, we want to offer our deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Tauiliili. We cannot imagine the pain and suffering they are going through, but we pray that the comforting spirit of God will help them, during this difficult time. Since the news of his passing, there have been many stories making the rounds in the cyber realm. We are not going to talk about them here. Suffice to say some of them are interesting, some colourful while others are malicious and ridiculous. But those are the dynamics in this free world we live in today, where social media has given people the freedom to say whatever, whenever, wherever. We dont want to dwell on that. Whats important is to find out the truth about that happened to Mr. Tauiliili. Like everyone else, at this newspaper we want the people responsible for his death to be found, their motives uncovered and that they are held accountable. In other words, we want the truth, nothing but the truth. In the pursuit of the truth though, especially in relation to a criminal matter, there are processes to follow and laws that must be observed for everyoneeven in the performance of our role in reporting the news. People are innocent until they are proven guilty and we must allow justice to take its natural course. The facts are Mr. Tauiliili is dead. As of yesterday, the Police had arrested and charged three men. On the front page of your newspaper today, these men are identified along with what charges they face. Whereas Robert Ash faces an assault charge in relation to a separate incident in the lead up, Herman Westerlund and Suapaina Savaiinaea are charged with manslaughter. They are scheduled to appear in Court on Monday 17 December and Tuesday 18 December 2018 where a date will be set for the hearings. In the meantime, the Police Commissioner, Fuiava Egon Keil, has assured the public that they will do what is necessary to get to the bottom of it. When we are done with the investigation, we will do what is necessary, Fuiava said. The investigation dictates what we do, so when the investigation is completed, we will act appropriately. Well thats reassuring amidst everything that has been happening. So lets wait and see. Lastly, let me say something about the Samoa Observer, since we too have copped a lot of flakincluding threats to our lives and propertiesover this incident. The truth is that one of our colleagues, Mr. Ash, been implicated in the Police investigation. On the paper you are reading, Mr. Ash and Mr. Westerlunds photos are on the front page with the story. We were not able to find a photo of Mr. Savaiinaea last night but when we do, we will publish his too. We want you to know we have absolutely nothing to hide. Its just that unlike those gutless faceless ghosts, who attack people with such malicious allegations while hiding behind their keyboards, we have rules to follow. As responsible citizens of Samoa, we are accountable to the rule of law. We respect it too including the work of the Police, the legal profession and the Judiciary. Let me assure you this again, our dear readers, we are here to tell the truth. And we will do that within the confines of the law - including finding out what happened to Mr. Tauiliili and how he died. That is our promise and we will not shy away from it even when it involves our own people. We have been doing this for years, even when it comes to our families and the few friends that have been daring enough to stand by usand we will continue to do it as long as we are in this business. No matter what. Today, lets think about peace, compassion and love, not hate, anger and bitterness. Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless! Re: China demands release Interesting arrest if Trump was not aware of it. Especially interesting as it happened while he was dining with Chinese president Xi. Who signs off on its go ahead is not known but the State Dept? Bolton was aware it will happen but it seems he forgot to warn the President (bye Bolton). Wall St. shaken so badly and as in the past, trade wars always end up in a real war. Administrative state/deep swamp is said to be behind this to embarrass Trump. Is someone ever going to bring deep state/IC to heel? I.N.L. Sister Emanuela Betham yesterday celebrated 60 years serving as a Sister of the Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (S.M.S.M.) Marist Missionary life. A church service was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church at Mt. Vaea yesterday evening to commemorate her achievement, which was attended by members of the S.M.S.M. sisters, families and friends. Sister Emanuela thanked God for giving her the strength to continue on with doing his work. Sixty years have passed and yet it feels like it came across so quickly, which is why I acknowledge God for the gift of life and to be able to serve him still," she said. I am also grateful to my S.M.S.M. family and also to the love and support from my own family and how they have been supportive of my work ever since I chose this life." I think that I am still around because I am surrounded by so much love and care from everyone." The 82-year-old, who is the daughter of Gus Victor and Sesilia Betham from Aleipata and Leone, is currently on a mission. In religious life there is no such thing as retirement, we keep serving God in whatever stage or condition we are in, but only when He calls us and so I will be waitingbut in the meantime I work for him." At the moment I am still doing a bit of spiritual religious education and mission up at Moamoa Theological College." But most importantly I am working on the history of the SMSM sisters in Samoa, when they came in Apia in 1864, she said. Sister Emanuela said her project is half-way done but she plans on giving it some time. Dedicating her life to becoming an educator and Sister of the order of S.M.S.M. at the age of 19, she entered the convent in 1955 and has served in Europe including Rome as well as the U.S. In 1969 she became the Principal of the St. Marys College. The Malua Theological College yesterday saw the passing out of 21 graduates with diplomas and bachelors in theology and divinity. Rev. Elder Tavita Anesone led the celebration with a service at the Jubilee Church at the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa headquarters in Malua. And he was joined in the celebration by the Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu and Lady Iliganoa Sapolu, Members of Parliament, and Government officials who were among hundreds of families, friends and well-wishers who gathered to witness the occasion. The vice-principal of Malua Theological College, Rev. Alesana Eteuati, congratulated the graduating class of 2018 for all the work that they put into their studies. Hard work pays off. To the principal of the Theological College, elders and leaders of the church, the graduating class have successfully completed their journey in theological studies, he said. Graduating students Kilepoa and Tolusiamupini Ioane were thankful the journey was over. We are fortunate that while it has not been an easy passage in the last four years, but we managed and this was not without difficulty. Thanks to our families and friends for their support, said Mr. Ioane. Students graduating with a diploma in theology include: Atapa Lau, Fas Lekisa, Koroseta Tavita, Oli Levi and Peia Lesatele. Those with a bachelor in theology are: Aneteria Ulutui, Elekana Lealiifano, Esera Jr Esera, Faalefu Tumutalie, Charlie Banse, Faauli Maiava, Kilepoa Ioane, Fauena Leilua, Onosai Nofoaiga, Harry Cowley and Sunita Nua. While recipients of bachelor in divinity include Bismark Tamati, Leuelu Setu, Keresoma Seuala and Desmond Toleafoa. From Australia, Harry and Vii Cowley have so much to be thankful for, as they are following in the footsteps of their parents. Mr. Harry told Sunday Samoan it has always been his dream to preach the word and serve God and his people through the church. Malua Theological College was established in 1844 with the main objective of teaching and educating local students, to enable each village in Samoa to eventually have an educated pastor as its spiritual leader. Promoting education through a bookshop was the inspiration behind the establishment of the Samoa Stationery and Books on December 8, 2008. Ten years after its opening, the company has successfully opened seven stores locally and abroad, including Samoas first ever megastore in Togafuafua. The company president and Chief Executive Officer, Tofilau Fiti Lafaele-Leung Wai, said the hard work is now paying off. All the glory is to God, for it has not been a smooth journey. But when we see the development of life through the products we sell, the people we employ, the contribution to schools, donations to non-profit organisations and I can say it is all worth it and hard work does pay off, she said, in an interview with Sunday Samoan at her Moamoa residence. Stories play a vital role in the growth and development of children, and those books are a useful source of information and that good reading skills are important for success in their future lives, which has always been my foresight for our children. The daughter of the Late Fuimaono Lafaele Vito and Nino Tofilau Stanley, Tofilau is married to Tuatagaloa Aumua Ming Leung Wai and they have four boys: Joshua, Alrod and twins Elisha and Elijah. A strong Christian, Tofilau credited her faith in God for overcoming various challenges over the last decade. It is never easy managing branches all over Samoa and of course overseas. But when time gets tough, I always pray and it brings peace, and of course my day is back to normality, she added. A lawyer by profession, created the bookshop and stationery company out of passion for educationand with no skills in running a business. The company started at Tamaligi and was relocated to Lotemau in 2009. Due to the high demand from the public for innovative electronic products SSAB set up its first electronic store on the ground floor of Ming and Hana building in 2010. The following year, residents of Savaii were persistent in their request for SSAB to have a branch, despite all odds and limited stock we had to open Savaii we didnt in 2011, she added. Tofilua then told the story of a Savaii teacher who came all the way from Savaii to purchase a stapler. So this teacher, caught the bus to the wharf in Salelologa, caught the ferry to Mulifanua then caught another bus to reach a store to purchase a stapleran everyday necessity when you are a teacher. And this story depicts the difficulty of our Savaii people to get school supplies hence opening the branch in Saleloloiga. Samoas first ever Megastore, which also serves as the company headquarters was opened in 2012. Two years later a Copy Centre was opened at Vaivase, followed by SSAB Pago in Iliili, American Samoa in 2015 and SSAB Sei Oriana in Auckland, New Zealand. Due to the high demand from Savaii for printing and internet services, another branch was opened there. During the course of the interview in Moamoa, her twin sons came running and jumped onto their mother, showing their homework on phonics. Turning to this reporter, Tofilau said: I have not seen them in three daysthat is the sacrifice I have to make to ensure the business flows smoothly. She then revealed how she put her family plans on hold to focus on growing the business. In 2012 my husband and I agreed to have more children, but when the time came for the plan, I opted to focus on the business and put my family on hold. However, as my plans are not of Gods, not long after I was blessed to be pregnant and lo and beholdnot one baby but two and they are a blessing indeed. They keep me grounded, Elisha and Elijah, who are very energetic and happy twin boys, she said, smiling. Tofilau also acknowledged the support of her husband. Behind every successful woman is a supportive husband. They are the push you need in life, and for Minga very humble personI can say I am blessed with a great man. I never looked at puffy men, I was attracted to the quiet and humble guy, who is the pillar in our family, and which is why our foundation is solid, she added. Going back to the success of her company, Tofilau said to date they employ close to 200 staff. I have a great team of people who are highly intelligent, we consult, brainstorm on our market, how to attract customers, bringing down quality products at good prices. We also fellowship within our team, we have a prayer room, I can confidently say our work environment is quite healthy. I am a firm believer that success comes when our team, prays and fellowship together, she added. Asked about the monetary value of their donations to the not-for-profit-organisations, Tofilau declined to say how much the company has donated. As I said education is the drive behind SSABs establishment, hence investing in scholarships. Aside from our reading programs, our social groups also donate to Mapufagalele the Home of the Elders, pediatric, the pensioners and sports, she said. Earlier this year, Tofilau won three awards at the annual International Samoa Business Network 2018 Awards in Auckland, New Zealand. The awards include the Peoples Choice Award, Samoa-based Business of the Year Award, and the Businesswoman of the Year Award. The plans for 13 districts in Samoa were launched recently during the National Beautification awards prize-giving at Tooa Salamasina Hall. According to the Minister of Women Community and Social Development (MWCSD), Faimalotoa Iemaima Kika Stowers-Ah Kau, the plans will contain each districts development framework which will promote the betterment of all citizens. These plans include education, health, economic development of families, combatting climate change, and ending violence against women and children within villages and families. These are the 13 districts that have launched today their plans: Vaimauga Sasae, Aleipata Itupa i Lalo, Aleipata Itupa i Luga, Aiga i le Tai, Safata Sisifo, Gagaifomauga 1, Faasleleaga 4, Vaisigano 2, Gagaemauga 2, Vaisigano 1, Alataua i Sisifo, Gagaemauga 3, Gagaifomauga 2, she added. Faimalotoa said 13 district plans have been launched with the rest to be finalized and launched early next year. We have gathered here this morning to celebrate the end of another years work. It has been a great year for some of you, who have successfully achieved some key milestones, as we are about to witness this morning. You have all been working so hard to respond to the different demands you have faced throughout the year. I commend the effort and drive of some of the village representatives in supporting of the district development planning program. Preparing the district plans for districts is one of the roles of our Ministry, with the support of other government ministries together with development partners, she said. She also added that the Government leads this initiative through MWCSD, but they are only able to successfully complete this with everyones support and cooperation. We have covered 26 constituencies so far and two have taken the lead in officially launching their district plans, and these are Lefaga and Faleaseela and Vaimauga i Sisifo No. 1, she added. According to CEO of MWCSD, Afamasaga Faauiga Palepua Mulitalo, after the plans are launched, districts will then use them to seek assistance in order to meet their needs. And the Ministry will also help out in facilitating assistance to respond to the priorities of the districts that will be in the plan. There has been sponsorship from the Australian Governments Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the United Nations Development Programme in Samoa has indicated its interest in supporting this programme. BEIJING (AP) China launched a ground-breaking mission Saturday to land a spacecraft on the largely unexplored far side of the moon, demonstrating its growing ambitions as a space power to rival Russia, the European Union and the U.S. A Long March 3B rocket carrying a lunar probe blasted off at 2:23 a.m. from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province in southwestern China, the official Xinhua News Agency said. With its Chang'e 4 mission, China hopes to be the first country to make a soft landing, which is a landing of a spacecraft during which no serious damage is incurred. The moon's far side is also known as the dark side because it faces away from Earth and remains comparatively unknown. It has a different composition than sites on the near side, where previous missions have landed. If successful, the mission would propel the Chinese space program to a leading position in one of the most important areas of lunar exploration. China landed its Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit," rover on the moon five years ago and plans to send its Chang'e 5 probe there next year and have it return to Earth with samples the first time that will have been done since 1976. A crewed lunar mission is also under consideration. Chang'e 4 is also a lander-rover combination and will explore both above and below the lunar surface after arriving at the South Pole-Aitken basin's Von Karman crater following a 27-day journey. It will also perform radio-astronomical studies that, because the far side always faces away from Earth, will be "free from interference from our planet's ionosphere, human-made radio frequencies and auroral radiation noise," space industry expert Leonard David wrote on the website Space.com. It may also carry plant seeds and silkworm eggs, according to Xinhua. Chang'e is the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology. China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, making it only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so. It has put a pair of space stations into orbit, one of which is still operating as a precursor to a more than 60-ton station that is due to come online in 2022. The launch of a Mars rover is planned for the mid-2020s. To facilitate communication between controllers on Earth and the Chang'e 4 mission, China in May launched a relay satellite named Queqiao, or "Magpie Bridge," after an ancient Chinese folk tale. China's space program has benefited from cooperation with Russia and European nations, although it was excluded from the 420-ton International Space Station, mainly due to U.S. legislation barring such cooperation amid concerns over its strong military connections. Its program also suffered a rare setback last year with the failed launch of its Long March 5 rocket. Forget what the climate change skeptics are sayingit is real and already affecting millions of lives on the planetincluding the Pacific Islands. In America authorities put the death toll from the devastating fires in California last month at 85. Americans most infamous climate change skeptic, US President Donald Trump, blamed the states forest management practices and brushed aside climate change, despite the US Government-funded Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) warning Americans in its National Climate Assessment to brace themselves for the worstless than a week after Trumps comments. In Australia, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pointed the finger at climate change, for over 100 bushfires that raged in northern Queensland over the last 3-4 weeks. The Australian Federal Government then announced an inquiry into land clearing laws following the bushfires, and just like Donald Trump, Prime Minister Scott Morrison blamed the Australian states land clearing practices! Here in the Pacific Islands, there are coastal and island communities around the region who have reported unprecedented heat wave levels in recent weeks, making life difficult and uncomfortable for vulnerable members of the community. According to the US Governments National Climate Assessment, Pacific island communities can expect to grapple with the usual climate change impacts: rising sea levels, weird rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, and extreme temperatures. There will also be implications for supplies of island drinking water. Rising temperatures in the region could also have implications for food security. And yes it is tough trying to sway public opinion, in a world filled with individuals and organisations, who are championing causes that will directly impact or have a detrimental effect on the lives of Pacific Islanders including Samoans. But why throw in the towel when the future wellbeing and prosperity of our people are at stake? Therefore, we can only hope that Samoas high level delegation to the Katowice climate change conference (COP 24) in Poland from December 3-14, garners support from other Pacific Island nations and the international community to be our voice. We note the push for 1.5 degrees and the warning that the level of impacts associated with 2 degree warming versus a 1.5 degree warming are severe. The risks to marine biodiversity, fisheries, and ecosystems as well as their functions and services to humans are greatly reduced at 1.5C compared to a 2C world; once we pass 1.5C the risk of passing critical thresholds leading to irreversible multi-metre sea level rise increases considerably which would be catastrophic for Pacific island nations and territories and; at 1.5C some coral reefs will be able to adapt, while at 2C their chances of survival are next-to-none. This will have significant impact on this line of defense for islands and coastal communities, stated the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPRE) in a statement released from Poland. Last month the United Nations reported that G20 countries account for around 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Australia and Indonesia are among the G20 economies within the region that will fall short of meeting their emission control targets in 2020. It is time for common sense to prevail and for the worlds biggest carbon emitters to make a firm commitment at the COP24 towards reducing their emissions. Australia and Indonesiaas member states within the Pacificshould do the right thing and start moving towards reducing their emissions. What do you think? Have a lovely Monday and God bless. Popular Apia night club Edge Marina View has been temporarily closed. A manager of the club, who asked not to be named, told Samoa Observer that the club has been closed for staff safety reasons. The closing of the club comes a week after the death of 24-year-old Jeremiah Malaki Tauiliili, who was allegedly assaulted on the premises on November 30 and went into coma, before he died five days later. It is understood the club was closed to the public last Friday. The club owners later issued a statement, passing on their condolences to the family of the Jeremiah Malaki Tauiliili, and stating that they do not condone violence, harassment and vulgar language. The club owners also expressed concern at what they described as misleading statements on social media, and harassment and vulgar language targeting their staff. The Ministry of Police recently issued a statement to warn against the increasing number of threats made on social media in relation to the incident. There have been a lot of speculations and threats made on social media. Samoa Police Service urges the public not to take the law into their own hands but allow the law to take its course. Threats to any person(s) or damages to properties as a result of such actions is a criminal offence, stated the police. The Edge Marina View-Bar & Casual Dining won the Best Bar and Hangout award at the Samoa Tourism Excellence Awards last year. Speeding has allegedly led to another vehicle crash and injuries to three pedestrians, including a three-year-old girl, who is in a critical condition at the Motootua hospital. The traffic accident at around 2pm yesterday occurred when a speeding taxiwhich according to eyewitnesses was in a race with another vehiclehit three pedestrians on Levili road and landed in a nearby restaurant. It was heading towards Apia Park when the accident occurred. The cars were racing. The taxi struck the three-year-old girl and the other two people. Due to the strong impact, the girl flew and landed about 15 meters from where the incident occurred, the taxi then spun around and rammed into the BBQ place. We quickly rushed to the girls aid and wave down another taxi to take the pedestrians to the hospital, said Malie Alesana, who was at the scene when the accident happened. Mr. Alesana told Samoa Observer that members of the public rushed to the sceneand they were able to calm them downas they waited for the Police to arrive. The driver of the taxi, which is owned by the 4 Corners Taxi service, was taken into custody by the Police. This newspaper was unable to get an update last night on the condition of the three pedestrians in the hospital including the girl, who were hit by the taxi yesterday. The accident made a substantial damage to the BBQ restaurant, which is located at the intersection into the Apia Park stadium. The restaurant owner Victor Vaouli said his business is new and the damage will have an impact on their future operations. This has a huge impact on our family business which is fairly new and we just invested in a new grill, he said. The University of South Pacifics Telefoni Retzlaff Memorial Prize, for the top Samoan law student of the year, has been awarded to Fuamata Fuatino Sialaoa. Fuamata, 25, works as a law clerk in the Office of the Attorney Generals commercial and international division, and graduated last Friday with a bachelor degree in law from the USP Alafua Campus. Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Fuamata said she assumed it was a mistake, when she saw her name on the program to be the recipient of the prestigious prize. And became overwhelmed with emotion when she was called to the stage to receive the award. I honestly could not believe it at first until the lady waved to me to come up on stage. The moment was surreal! she said. When asked why she chose to study law, Fuamata said she started watching law and courtroom TV drama such as Crime and Investigation, Suits and the movie Legally Blondwhich spurred her interest in law. Fuamata initially pursued arts, while attending Samoa College, and continued at the National University of Samoa. After receiving her foundation arts degree, she hoped to complete a bachelor in law, but was advised that the NUS no longer offered scholarships for law studies. I did not know how I was going to afford school without a scholarship, she added. But her father, Reverend Sialaoa Fotuogaiuteine, was determined to ensure she followed her dreamand made it possible for her to enroll with the online law study programme of the USPwhile working fulltime. It was a challenge studying while working fulltime, added Fuamata, but with the support of her parents and understanding workmates and CEOwho gave her day-offs to study and sit for examsshe was able to complete her studies and fulfill the course requirements to graduate. Reverend Sialaoa Fotuogaiuteine and his wife Milovale Sialaoa Pagamalie served the Methodist Church in Manono Uta, and despite their financial challenges, they gave priority to their daughter and her studies. Fuamata lost her father on March 17 this year, after he suffered a stroke and passed on a week later after being in coma. I was really affected in school as well as my job, but I managed to pull through because my dad wouldnt have wanted me to give up. Losing him was a motivation and encouragement for me to do better, she added. While grateful for all the support of her family and office colleagues during her studies, she gave glory to God for her achievements and said she dedicated it to her father. Fuamata resides in Vaitele Fou along with her siblings Sione Sialaoa, Micheal Anesone Sialaoa and Siieleele Sialaoa. For now, she prefers staying close to family, where she feels more at home, as she strives to contribute to the development of the country. Families and friends of Sister Emanuela Betham gathered on Saturday evening to commemorate her 60 years of service in the order of Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary (SMSM). Sister Emanuela, 88, dedicated her life to being an educator and Sister of the order of SMSM at the age of 19 and entered the convent in 1955. The daughter of the late Gus Victor and Sesilia Betham from Aleipata and Leone, she has served in Europe including Rome as well as the United States of America. She was also the St. Marys College principal in 1969. One of Sister Emanuelas nieces, Pauline Ott-Fepuleai, said she had always looked up to Sister Emanuela as a role model. I have always known that her aim and goal was to serve God, whenever I would talk to her she reminded me of Gods blessings and mercy. She upheld values that suited her calling. When I was at the age of 10, she was in Rome for seven years and then I asked my grandmother which is her mother, Sesilia Betham, mama what is Sister Emanuela doing and she told me that she was a treasurer for the SMSM community in Rome, she said in an interview with Samoa Observer. Pauline said her parents have been the number one supporters of Sister Emanuela, when she made the decision to serve and dedicate her life to God. But it was also the same case for the whole familywe gave her the support whenever she would need it. Blessings come from taking care of our elders, but there are only two nuns in our family and the other one was my mothers sister, but she passed away a few years back. Apart from us being her family, Sister Emanuela has always had a special place in her heart for her SMSM family; she made us feel that her spiritual family is just as important as her biological family, she added. A representative from the order of SMSM, Sister Losalia, congratulated Sister Emanuela. She is a truly strong person at that age but still goes on with her work serving God. We are very happy with a milestone she has achieved and even though our work is not easy but we are well aware that it is all worth it in the end. It is all for Gods glory and praise but also helping others in finding their way to Him, she added. Sister Vitoria Mauu, 50, who has served for 25 years as a sister from the order of Missionary Sisters of Faith, said she admires Sister Emanuela. I am currently teaching alongside Sister Emanuela at Moamoa Theological College and she is teaching spirituality. And I really admire her, due to the long journey that she took and looking at the invitation, it said 1958. I told the other sisters that I was not even born yet when she made her vows. Looking at her, she is full of knowledge and inspiration not forgetting the sacrifice but she still has that kind of spirit. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand police said Sunday they found a body they believe to be that of missing 22-year-old British tourist Grace Millane. Police said the body was in a forested area about 10 meters (33 feet) from the side of the road in the Waitakere Ranges near Auckland. Tourist Grace Millane has been missing since Dec. 1, and failed to contact her family on her birthday Dec. 2. On Saturday, a 26-year-old man was charged with murder in her case after he was detained for questioning. He is due to make his first court appearance on Monday. Millane was on a planned yearlong trip abroad that began in Peru. She arrived in New Zealand last month and was last seen entering a central Auckland hotel with a man on the evening of Dec. 1. Detective Inspector Scott Beard told reporters near the crime scene in the Waitakare Ranges that police believe Millane's body was taken to the area in a rental car that was later left in the town of Taupo. Police spent several hours searching the area, which they cordoned off and where they put up a tent, before making the announcement. "This area was identified late last night as a location of interest as a result of our investigative work," Beard said. "I can now advise that a short time ago, we located a body, which we believe to be Grace. A formal identification process will now take place, however, based on the evidence we have gathered over the past few days, we expect that this is Grace." Millane's father David Millane traveled from Britain to New Zealand last week. "It is an unbearable time for the Millane family, and our hearts go out to them," Beard said. Before she vanished, Millane had been staying at a backpacker hostel in Auckland, and she left some of her belongings there. Beard said she met a man for a couple of hours on the evening of Dec. 1 before surveillance cameras showed them entering the CityLife hotel at about 9:40 p.m. Her family was surprised and worried when she didn't contact them on her birthday or get in touch over on the days that followed. After arriving in New Zealand on Friday, David Millane spoke with media. "Grace is a lovely, outgoing, fun-loving, family-oriented daughter," he said, adding that she was usually in touch with her family every day. "She arrived here on the 20th of November, and has been bombarding us with numerous photographs and messages of her adventures," Millane said. "We are all extremely upset, and it's very difficult at this time to fully describe the range of emotions we are going through." BEIJING (AP) China summoned the U.S. ambassador to Beijing on Sunday to protest the detention of an executive of Chinese electronics giant Huawei in Canada at Washington's behest and demanded Washington cancel an order for her arrest. The official Xinhua News Agency said Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng "lodged solemn representations and strong protests" with Ambassador Terry Branstad against the detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Meng, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran, was detained on Dec. 1 while changing planes in Vancouver, Canada. The Xinhua report quoted Le as calling Meng's detention "extremely egregious" and demanded the U.S. vacate an order for her arrest. It quoted Le as calling for the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrong actions" and said it would take further steps based on Washington's response. The move followed the summoning of Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over Meng's detention and a similar protest warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released. The Canadian province of British Columbia said in a statement Sunday it cancelled a trade mission to China because of Meng's detention. The announcement came amid fears China could detail Canadians in retaliation. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns over its ties to the Chinese government. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information. Meng's arrest has threatened to increase U.S.-China trade tensions and shook stock markets globally last week. But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," downplayed the impact of the arrest on trade talks between the two countries aimed at defusing the tensions. "It's my view that it shouldn't really have much of an impact," he said. Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that Chinese pressure on Canada's government won't work. "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide," Paris tweeted in response to the comments from Beijing. A Canadian prosecutor urged a Vancouver court to deny bail to Meng, whose case is shaking up U.S.-China relations and spooking global financial markets. Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained at the request of the U.S. during a layover at the Vancouver airport on the same day that President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed over dinner to a 90-day cease-fire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce. The U.S. alleges that Huawei used a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled American banks about its business dealings in Iran. The surprise arrest raises doubts about whether the trade truce will hold and whether the world's two biggest economies can resolve the complicated issues that divide them. Canadian prosecutor John Gibb-Carsley said in a court hearing Friday that a warrant had been issued for Meng's arrest in New York on Aug. 22. He said Meng, arrested en route to Mexico from Hong Kong, was aware of the investigation and had been avoiding the United States for months, even though her teenage son goes to school in Boston. Gibb-Carsley alleged that Huawei had done business in Iran through a Hong Kong company called Skycom. Meng, he said, had misled U.S. banks into thinking that Huawei and Skycom were separate when, in fact, "Skycom was Huawei." Meng has contended that Huawei sold Skycom in 2009. In urging the court to reject Meng's bail request, Gibb-Carsley said the Huawei executive had vast resources and a strong incentive to bolt: She's facing fraud charges in the United States that could put her in prison for 30 years. The hearing will resume Monday. Huawei, in a brief statement emailed to The Associated Press, said that "we have every confidence that the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will reach the right conclusion." Canadian officials have declined to comment on Chinese threats of retaliation over the case, instead emphasizing the independence of Canada's judiciary along with the importance of Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said Canada "has assured China that due process is absolutely being followed in Canada, that consular access for China to Ms. Meng will absolutely be provided." "We are a rule-of-law country and we will be following our laws as we have thus far in this matter and as we will continue to do," Freeland said Friday. While protesting what it calls Canada's violation of Meng's human rights, China's ruling Communist Party stands accused of mass incarcerations of its Muslim minority without due process, locking up those exercising their right to free speech and refusing to allow foreign citizens to leave the country in order to bring pressure on their relatives accused of financial crimes. The party also takes the lead in prosecutions of those accused of corruption or other crimes in a highly opaque process, without supervision from the court system or independent bodies. Civil rights lawyer Monica Montgomery, one of three new members joining the San Diego City Council on Monday, says its time for new perspectives and policies at City Hall on neglected neighborhoods, racial profiling and many other issues. Montgomery, who will be the nine-member councils only attorney, says she wont accept any excuses from city officials for longstanding policies that havent gotten satisfactory results, especially in the low-income areas she will represent. Many expect Montgomery, a liberal Democrat, to immediately become a formidable presence because she knows the ropes as a former City Hall staffer, she has a keen intellect and she is highly energetic and committed. Her upset last month of Council President Myrtle Cole, despite strong opposition from labor and no council incumbent having lost a re-election bid since 1992, has been nearly universally praised as a remarkable achievement. Advertisement Montgomery, 40, says she plans to bring to the council the same energy, determination and commitment to social justice that she has displayed since battling with leadership at Bonita Vista High School as a student in the 1990s. School officials banned students from wearing bandannas based on concerns about gang activity at the mostly white school, where 3 percent of the students were black including Montgomery. They said it was OK for the goth kids to wear their stuff because it was a form of expression, but if we put a bandanna on, we were a gang member, Montgomery recalled this week. I told the vice principal it wasnt fair. Montgomery then attended historically black Spelman College in Atlanta, where she was exposed to elements of racism in America she had been unfamiliar with growing up in San Diego. I think it ignited something in me, being immersed in the history of things I hadnt known about, said Montgomery, who was also diagnosed with an auto-immune disease while in college. The newcomers Going through that really helped me have empathy for anybody struggling with anything, she said. All of these things made we want to have government work for the people. Thats arguably the ideal perspective to represent Council District 4, which covers the low-income neighborhoods of southeastern San Diego that lack crucial infrastructure and amenities such as supermarkets and full-service restaurants. I am going to try and try until the community gets the things it wants and needs, Montgomery said. Shes already begun the fight before even taking office, successfully lobbying last week to delay approval of a business park in her district that would be exempted from a federal requirement to create at least 72 local jobs. Quality local jobs, she says, are key to boosting the districts demographics and attracting the kinds of amenities that residents have craved for many years. Montgomery said she plans to study the federal requirement, which is based on the project getting a grant, and see why city officials think the waiver is warranted. This would lead to an additional development in our community that is not balanced, she said. Other such developments, she says, are the many low-income apartment complexes recently constructed or in the approval pipeline. Montgomery said the district also needs more commercial and industrial projects for a stronger jobs base and contends the areas proximity to downtown should make it relatively easy to attract such projects. I am all for affordable housing, but we need a balance, she said. You cant tell me a shovel-ready property thats 10 minutes from downtown is that hard. I wont believe it. Montgomery will be working from a position of power on the council, where Democrats will have a 6-3 supermajority thanks to Dr. Jen Campbells victory last month over Republican incumbent Lorie Zapf of Bay Ho. The council offices are nonpartisan but many votes follow along party lines. Going from a 5-4 majority to a 6-3 majority allows Democrats to override vetoes by Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer on contentious issues. It also allows them to retain a majority on issues when one Democrat sides with the Republicans. Support from labor unions tends to tie council Democrats together, so some have expressed concerns the Democratic majority might be less united because labor backed the opponents this fall of Montgomery and fellow newcomer Vivian Moreno. But Montgomery said she doesnt think that will be a significant issue. I believe the six Democrats that sit on the council now have a desire to see the city do better than what its doing, she said, adding that she has no plans to be vindictive toward labor. My people hurt that way, and that is not what they signed up for when they voted for me. I will not lead that way. Another priority for Montgomery will be racial profiling, which spurred her decision last year to resign as Coles policy director and challenge the re-election of her former boss. She made that decision after Cole made comments seeming to condone some forms of racial profiling, saying blacks frequently shoot blacks. A recent San Diego State study found that blacks and Hispanics get searched more often after getting pulled over by San Diego police. I look forward to talking to the chief and officers, particularly in southeastern San Diego, Montgomery said. The goal is eventually it will be gone and everyone will be treated fairly and equally by the police. Councilwoman Georgette Gomez of City Heights, who is expected to be voted council president by her colleagues on Monday, said she expects Montgomery to make an immediate impact. We have some work to do on racial profiling and shes hopefully going to be very instrumental in that, Gomez said by phone. I think shes also going to be a strong advocate for a community thats been underserved. Gomez said the experience of Montgomery (who was a staffer for Mayor Faulconer and interim Mayor Todd Gloria in addition to Cole) and her legal experience will also make a difference. I think being a lawyer will be really helpful knowledge to bring to the dais, Gomez said. And she definitely has a strong policy focus and understanding. Montgomery was born in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of southeastern San Diego and has lived most of her life in that general area. She has two younger brothers. After leaving City Hall, she worked for the American Civil Liberties Union as an attorney, focusing mostly on bail reform. She also worked as an attorney before coming to City Hall, helping families avoid foreclosure during the Great Recession. Montgomery now lives in Skyline Hills. She attends New Seasons Church in Spring Valley and said she considers religion an important element of her life. She is a voracious reader and enjoys sharing quality time with those close to her. I love hanging out with friends and family because that is where the nurturing comes in, she said. City Council members receive an annual salary of $75,000 plus benefits, and that salary will double over the next few years under a ballot measure that passed last month. The new council members are scheduled to be sworn in at 10 a.m. on Monday at downtowns Golden Hall. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Vivian Moreno, one of three new members joining the San Diego City Council on Monday, will bring to her new job eight years of experience at City Hall, expertise in border issues and a commitment to the basics. Moreno is replacing her boss for the last eight years, termed-out Democrat David Alvarez, and she plans to continue much of his work on solving the citys housing crisis and helping Otay Mesa blossom into an economic catalyst for the region. Im going to stick to the basics, Moreno said. Infrastructure and housing are going to be my two priorities. Moreno, 36, will be working from a position of power on the council, where Democrats will have a 6-3 supermajority thanks to Dr. Jen Campbells victory last month over Republican incumbent Lorie Zapf of Bay Ho. Advertisement The council offices are nonpartisan, but votes often break along party lines. Going from a 5-4 majority to a 6-3 majority allows Democrats to override vetoes by Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer on contentious issues. It also allows them to retain a majority on issues on which one Democrat sides with the Republicans. Support from labor unions tends to tie council Democrats together, so some have expressed concerns the Democratic majority might be less united because labor backed the opponents this fall of Moreno and fellow newcomer Monica Montgomery. But Moreno said she doesnt think it will matter much, because she doesnt have any ill will toward her new colleagues over labor opposition to her candidacy or the county Democratic Party endorsing her opponent, Antonio Martinez. I dont think any of them had anything to do with labor or the party not supporting me, Moreno said. Councilwoman Georgette Gomez of City Heights, who is expected to be voted council president by her colleagues on Monday, said she expects Moreno to hit the ground running because of her experience as an Alvarez staffer. Shes aware of how the building (City Hall) works in terms of solving issues related to the community, Gomez said. Moreno, Gomez and Montgomery, who will represent the citys three most economically blighted districts, also will likely work together to bring about long-needed change, Gomez said. We have an opportunity to create a strong alliance that will move resources and lead to policies that will lift of our communities that need more attention, she said. The newcomers Moreno said she plans to cooperate with the council Democrats, but will remain focused on always doing whats best for the residents of District 8, which includes Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. Moreno served as Alvarezs lead staffer on border issues, so the city wont miss a beat with her taking over, she said. Critics say Alvarez failed to deliver on promises to create an economic engine in Otay, which has by far the most acres of available industrial land in the city. But Moreno said Alvarez, with help from her as a staffer, laid crucial groundwork that has set the stage for that transformation. That groundwork includes the states first Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, which will help fund roads and utilities needed in Otay, and the Cross Border Xpress, a pedestrian bridge connecting to Tijuana International Airport. The council also recently approved the Metropolitan Airpark, which will significantly upgrade Otays Brown Field, and a plan to build 4,200 affordable homes there. Otay Mesa is the future of San Diego, Moreno said. It will allow residents in the South Bay to stop driving an hour and a half for jobs in Sorrento Valley and Kearny Mesa. Another crucial project in the area is the proposed widening of La Media Road, which is near the international border, from two lanes to five. Moreno said she plans to lobby for federal and state funds for such projects because they help solve state and federal issues. Another example is Harbor Drive, which is the main route taken to Naval Base San Diego at 32nd Street. We have a lot of federal issues in our district and a lot of statewide issues in our district, and I think they need to be fixed with federal and state funds, she said. San Diego does not apply for enough federal and state grants. It makes no sense that the city is supposed to foot the whole bill. Moreno said securing federal and state funds for such projects will free up more local money for infrastructure projects in her district, especially parks. We have a lot of promised parks and I want to make sure they come to fruition, said Moreno, noting that will become more crucial as the city enters budget-cutting mode after years of spending increases. Moreno said she also wants to be accessible to her constituents, encouraging them to call her office any time they see a pothole or other problem. Ive always been like a public servant at heart, she said. Im kind of a fixer. Those traits developed during her humble childhood in the South Bay, where her mom slowly rose from a crew member at Jack in the Box to a regional manager for a franchisee. The No. 1 thing I got from my mom was to get an education and you will be set for your life, said Moreno, who has an older and younger brother who both served in the U.S. Navy. She attended Southwestern College and then transferred to the University of California San Diego. The first time I went to UCSD was the first time I had ever stepped foot on a university campus, so driving up in my little Geo Prism I remember crying, Moreno said. I was thinking of what my family had to go through. That includes her grandfather, who came to the U.S. as a bracero, a Mexican laborer allowed into the country for short stints as a seasonal agriculture worker. We have a very strong work ethic in my family, Moreno said. I feel it is a privilege and an honor just to walk into City Hall and for me to have had the opportunity to run for City Council, win or lose. Moreno narrowly beat Martinez, a San Ysidro school board member who had support from labor and the county Democratic Party. She won by less than 500 votes out of 30,000 ballots cast, getting just under 51 percent of the vote. She lives with her dog in San Ysidro, where she bought a condo last spring. Her hobbies include horseback riding, walks on the beach and traveling. She has visited 23 countries, many by herself. She said her favorites have been Vietnam, Belize and the city of Prague in the Czech Republic. She is also close to her family. I see my mom almost every day, she said. My whole family is super awesome. They are the ones who will be there if everything comes tumbling down. City Council members receive an annual salary of $75,000 plus benefits, and that salary will double over the next few years under a ballot measure that passed last month. The new council members are scheduled to be sworn in at 10 a.m. on Monday at downtowns Golden Hall. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick As donations like shoes and bottled water poured into El Barretal shelter in Tijuana on Saturday, some Central Americans migrants had only flimsy flip-flops for shoes. Others reported having to drink water from puddles in the muddy streets surrounding the shelter. Inside, donated sleeping mats were piled nearly to the ceiling, and stacks of bottled water and diapers everywhere were slowly being sorted by federal volunteers. Everything is stockpiled in there, said Joshua Sanchez, a 27-year-old migrant from Honduras. Theyre not passing out the supplies to help people. Theres a lot of clothes and a lot of shoes inside there, and people out here are still suffering. Joseph Huizar, who identified himself as a federal volunteer at El Barretal, said the accusation was absolutely wrong, and that items were being distributed as quickly as possible, after volunteers verified a person asking for a particular item actually needed it. Advertisement If someone comes and asks for a new tent, we have to first go and check, Do they need a new tent? so they dont take those items and try to sell them on the streets, Huizar said. But everything in here is going to those in the caravan. Meanwhile, Border Angels, a San Diego-based nonprofit, led a caravan of 40 cars jam-packed with donations from their headquarters in Sherman Heights across the border and into Mexico on Saturday. Called the Caravan of Love, the group of more than 100 volunteers brought diapers, clothes, new shoes, and hygiene items to three different locations where migrants are sheltering in Tijuana. Javier Escobedo of San Diego, and his son Sebastian, 7, load their car with donated items for Central American migrants as they and about 100 other Border Angels volunteers participate in the Caravan of Love. (Hayne Palmour IV/U-T) One of the leaders of Border Angels, Leti Guzman, negotiated with Mexican federal police and those running the El Barretal shelter to allow the volunteers to distribute their donated items directly to the migrants. Our volunteers came here so they could interact and fill a need, and they want to be able to hand these items to the person in need themselves, she explained. The outpouring of support for the migrants surprised even leaders with Border Angels, who were not expecting people to show up by the hundreds with thousands of donations on Saturday morning. Its very good. You know, love is an action, not just a word, said Enrique Morones, who founded the migrant advocacy group. Morones said people came from as far as England to greet the caravan with love and to show they are welcome. Even in our darkest moments, you still see these bright lights, he said, thrilled by the turn out. The Border Angels already led two Caravans of Love to distribute donations, but this one had an especially high participation. Early Saturday morning, Jose Castanieto dropped off items at the Sherman Heights Community Center after traveling to Tijuana with Border Angels last week. Castanieto couldnt attend for the whole day Saturday but he was still bringing items to donate at the Border Angels headquarters because he said his experience last week opened his eyes to the enormous need. I saw how much people need these things, especially after the rain. There are not enough tents and sleeping bags. It just made me full of empathy. It was really humbling, Castanieto said. Families involved their children in the charity work. Kids as young as 7 spent the afternoon hauling crates of water and boxes of diapers into El Barretal. Sebastian Escobedo, 7, from San Diego accompanied his mother, father and grandmother on the trip. Today is about other people and charity to the shelter, Sebastian said. For those who cant afford these items. Passing out the donated items hit a snag midday when Mexican authorities stopped all charity groups from distributing their donations on the streets outside El Barretal. Here is the problem, explained Huizar from inside the packed storage room where donations were quickly piling up. If you bring shoes for only one person, and everyone needs shoes, then they are going to be breaking down my door and hang me. We have to distribute this stuff in an orderly way. Capt. Luis Maya with the Mexican military said every single donation was being tracked and accounted for, which could slow the process of distribution, but was necessary for accountability. We are here to help, Maya said. We are going to pass these items out, and the best way for people to help is to bring the donations to this central location so we can distribute them based on need. After concerns were voiced about donations being stockpiled, Huizar said the shelter started staffing the storage room with volunteers from the caravan, so they can help keep track of the operations. The best observer is them, Huizar said. Jorge Ramirez and Alex Hernandez with the Tijuana Calvary Chapel Pedregales weighed their options on how to best distribute donations collected by their church. I think maybe they dont want the migrants to get too comfortable here, Ramirez said, looking at a huge stack of sleeping mats. Its sad because people have such big hearts, but by bringing all this stuff, they may not actually be helping, he said. Ultimately, Ramirez decided to bring the donations into the federal storage room and let the shelter leaders distribute it. Thats our best bet right now, is to just do what they ask and try to trust them, he said. Mirna Quintanilla, a migrant with the caravan, said seeing the outpouring of support and donations from Border Angels and other charity groups had a bigger impact than just the face value of the items donated. Were used to being without things, Quintanilla said, her voice cracking. What were not used to is seeing so many people here to help us. For me, right now, what I need is to hear from my daughters, and no one can give me that phone call. But to see this she said. This means a lot. Contributor Wendy Fry can be reached at wendym.fry04@gmail.com. A man who had just crossed illegally into the U.S. in Calexico drowned in a canal Wednesday night, according to the Border Patrol. Agents saw the man enter the U.S. with two others about 9 p.m. a couple of miles west of the Gran Plaza Outlets in Imperial County, officials said. The other two men swam across the All-American Canal and were apprehended immediately. Agents noticed the third man struggling to stay afloat and were unable to rescue him before he drowned, Border Patrol said. Agents with the Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue unit responded to recover his body, but the heavy rain and low visibility made the conditions too dangerous. The search resumed the next day, and the body was found about 10 a.m. Thursday. Advertisement The mans identity and nationality have not yet been determined. The two men he crossed with are from El Salvador. Authorities did not say if they were part of the migrant caravan that is camped out along the California-Mexico border. kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com Its unknown how many if any of the Central Americans who trekked to Tijuana eventually will win asylum in the United States. But this is known: while awaiting their fate, caravan members are in dire need of food, shelter and medical aid. Their situation is critical, very bad, said Leticia Martinez Hermosillo, development manager at the International Community Foundation. Some agencies providing assistance: Al Otro Lado. Based in Los Angeles and Tijuana, this legal aid groups Border Rights Project helps asylum-seekers navigate the process. Advertisement Donations: alotrolado.org/take-action/donate/ Border Angels. At the San Diego charitys Target and Walmart gift registries, donors can buy everything from tents to underwear that will be delivered to the migrants. Target: target.com/gift-registry/giftgiver?registryId=34756a86c0874cf0ac91f1fc38fa0306&lnk=registry_custom_url Walmart: walmart.com/lists/view-events-registry-items?id=d34e0e24-e379-4cfa-bb68-87580d189f91 Cruz Roja Mexicana. The Mexican Red Cross is supplying food, personal care items and baby supplies to the migrants. Donations from the U.S.: First Choice Bank, account number 1109180, routing number 122244922. International Community Foundation. The National City nonprofit has raised more than $70,000 for Casa del Migrante Tijuana, Espacio Migrante and other Mexican agencies helping the migrants. Donations: donate.icfdn.org/npo/border-fund Checks can be mailed to: International Community Foundation, 2505 N Ave., National City, CA 91950. Minority Humanitarian Foundation. Established to help Christians and other minorities fleeing Iraq, the San Diego organization has made regular deliveries to migrants in Tijuana. Donations: minorityhf.org San Diego Rapid Response Network. A coalition of human rights and service groups helps migrants who arrive at shelters in San Diego. Donations: GoFundMe Dr. Jennifer Campbell, one of three new members joining the San Diego City Council on Monday, will bring to City Hall the perspective of a scientist who avoided politics most of her life despite coming from a heavily political family. Campbell, 73, knocked on doors as a toddler for President Harry Truman, spoke to President John Kennedy on the phone when her mom was his consultant and marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, D.C. But despite that legacy and being cousins with high-profile political consultant David Axelrod, Campbell said she steered clear of politics because its a dirty business until shortly after she moved from Pittsburgh to San Diego in 2007. The newcomers And even then, she worked mostly behind the scenes with nonprofit advocacy groups and the local Democratic Party until she joined the Clairemont Town Council in 2014 and then decided to run for City Council in 2017. Advertisement Her council race appeared to be an uphill climb because she was challenging incumbent Republican Lorie Zapf of Bay Ho, and an incumbent hadnt lost a council race in San Diego since 1992. Campbell pulled off the win, which gives Democrats a 6-3 supermajority on the council that will allow them to override vetoes by Republican Mayor Kevin Faulconer on contentious issues. The council offices are nonpartisan, but votes often break along party lines. Increasing the edge from 5-4 to 6-3 allows Democrats to retain a majority on issues on which one Democrat sides with the Republicans. We want to be collegial and work with the other party, but we do have a big majority and we want progress and we arent going to let anything stand in our way, Campbell said. Her priorities will be homelessness, the citys housing crisis and crafting new regulations for short-term vacation rentals, after the city had to retreat this fall from an ordinance Campbell supported. Everything is really tied together -- homelessness, short-term vacation rentals and the housing affordability crisis, she said. Theyve been discussed and money has been spent on research reports for decades. Now its time for action. To Campbell, solving the housing crisis means more high-rise projects along transit lines and major roads, which can be particularly controversial in her District 2, which includes Point Loma, the citys beaches and a slice of western Clairemont. We need more housing, but we dont want to turn San Diego into Manhattan or Los Angeles, she said. I dont think its a conflict. I think its a challenge and we will be able to meet it. She said one key will be sending the message to developers that they cant build projects only geared for the upper middle class. Developers will understand they need to take into consideration the middle class and the lower rungs of the economic ladder when theyre building housing, she said. Councilwoman Georgette Gomez of City Heights, who is expected to be voted council president by her colleagues on Monday, said Campbell will fill a crucial void on the council as a scientist and a doctor. I hope she will raise more awareness about the importance of reducing health impacts related to policy, Gomez said. I think thats something that has been missing. That expertise will also matter as the council faces more challenges related to climate change, especially increased wildfire risk and rising sea levels that threaten Ocean Beach and Mission Bay. Climate action is the biggest thing facing the entire planet, said Campbell, praising the citys climate action plan and vowing to make sure its fully funded. We have to be a beacon for the rest of the country and the rest of the world. Gomez said shes pleased that Campbell is more of an outsider than the rest of the council. Shes someone who has been very active at the community level and Im looking forward to having that type of energy, Gomez said. Shes not someone who comes from the political circle. Having a new fresh voice is very important. Campbell, who like Zapf lives in the Bay Ho section of Clairemont, said another reason she didnt enter politics earlier was her other passion. I always felt a call to public service, but I got very interested in science and medicine, she said. She grew up in the blue collar neighborhoods of Denver and Colorado Springs, which exposed her to racial diversity and the importance of getting an education. We didnt have much money, but we were very rich in our heritage and our values, she said. We learned to be loving and tolerant of our fellow citizens. Campbell left Colorado for George Washington University in the nations capital, but dropped out to get married and raise children, and then moved to Pittsburgh when her husbands company transferred him there. When her children were old enough to start school, she resumed college at the University of Pittsburgh and switched her focus from history to science. She then completed medical school at the university and launched a family practice. Her marriage ended during medical school and she later realized she was gay. She began visiting San Diego in the winters and eventually moved here permanently in 2007 when the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine hired her to lead their doctoral program, which includes acupuncture. She slowly became active in local politics behind the scenes and was then recruited in 2017 to run against Zapf in a district that had been steadily shifting left, politically. My mother was a great political activist and she taught us politics, Campbell said. I was knocking on doors for Harry Truman at age 3 and one of my first memories is listening to his inaugural address on the radio. Despite that, Campbell decided when she was young that politics wasnt her kind of business because it was too cutthroat. But then she saw the heavily Democratic voter registration in District 2 and how the district had voted on gay marriage and marijuana legalization. She then sought counsel from Axelrod, who told her to run and that her mother would have told her the same thing. Campbell said she had also been inspired to become more involved in local politics by the deadly Hepatitis A crisis in San Diego, which was exacerbated by increasing homelessness. We need to get people housed no matter what part of the spectrum they are on economically, she said. City Council members receive an annual salary of $75,000 plus benefits, and that salary will double over the next few years under a ballot measure that passed last month. The new council members are scheduled to be sworn in at 10 a.m. on Monday at downtowns Golden Hall. david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Clarificatory Statement re: submission of funding proposals for projects to the DBM 12/8/18 Saw a news item today quoting the House Majority Leader, saying that "all senators, except Panfilo Lacson, submitted funding proposals for projects to the DBM." I did not. Perhaps, Rep. Andaya forgot that I'm still a senator, hence, I was not in his radar. Press Release December 9, 2018 Senate panel pushes for 'National Rotary Day' every Feb. 23 The Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development has reported out a measure declaring February 23 of every year as a special working holiday in recognition of the Rotary Club of the Philippines' commendable efforts and service. Senator Leila M. de Lima, Committee Chairperson, has submitted for plenary debate her Committee Report No. 519 which seeks to declare February 23 of every year as a special working holiday to be known as "National Rotary Day Act." "For almost 99 years now, the Rotary Club of the Philippines has provided socio-economic programs and services for the well-being of the Filipino people and the development of the country," she said. "The selfless services it has offered to the Filipinos is worth recognizing and should not go unnoticed," she added. The Rotary Club of the Philippines is a local chapter of Rotary International in the Filipino community which is known to be the first Rotary Club in Asia, focusing on promoting peace, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, helping grow local economies and fighting diseases. It has been widely recognized for helping victims battle with the crippling disease polio by giving vaccinations in the Philippines. Since it began its effort to eradicate polio in the country in 1979, the organization has successfully reduced polio cases by 99.9%. The Senator from Bicol lauded Rotary Club for living up to its motto of "Service Above Self" through different activities, including vocational services, done not only in the country but also abroad. "The Rotary Club's dedication towards selfless service is indeed commendable. That's why I have high hopes that my esteemed colleagues help the National Rotary Day Act be passed into law," she said. Despite her continued unjust detention by the vindictive Duterte regime, De Lima has remained very active in drafting legislative measures, maintaining that no amount of bogus charges filed against her can prevent her from stepping up her role as a duly-elected Senator of the Republic. The New Zealand Shareholders Association is hoping that financial institution software provider Finzsoft will come clean at the annual shareholders meeting about squabbles both at board level and between the owners of its largest shareholder. Silverlake HGH owns 85.5 percent of Finzsoft and Finzsofts managing director Andrew Holliday owns 49 percent of Silverlake, although Holliday told Finzsofts board in September that he wants to sell his Silverlake stake. NZSA notes that Finzsofts board hadnt thought that fact was material until the stock exchange operator, NZX, informed it otherwise. Malaysia-based and Singapore-listed software company Silverlake Axis owns the other 51 percent of Silverlake. It appears Holliday and the Malaysian company have had a falling out. Independent chair Brent Impey and the other independent director, Paul Cook, who have been on the board since December 2011, plan to step down at the annual meeting in Auckland on Friday, Dec. 14. Last month, NZX took the unusual step of putting Finzsofts shares in a trading halt because of its concerns about Finzsofts disclosure. Normally, its a company itself that asks for a trading halt. A group of minority shareholders owning 8.7 percent of Finzsoft has also requested an apparently redundant special meeting to vote Impey and Cook off the board and to appoint three new directors. Finzsoft announced in July that Impey and Cook were leaving. We hope that the meeting will provide more background to the reasons behind this as it appears that there have been tensions at board level, NZSA says in advice to members. If this was the case, it will have created difficulties for the company and potentially have impacted on its operating performance. Finzsoft says the three resolutions calling for new directors are materially identical to the resolutions that the board proposes to put to a shareholder vote at its upcoming annual meeting and that the three proposed directors who are the subject of the requisition notice were very recently nominated as directors by the minority shareholders. NZSA says these are interesting governance developments but it notes that one of the three proposed new directors, Tracey Berry, is no longer available to stand. As it seems she may have qualified as an independent director, and Finzsoft needs a further independent director, we are curious to know what changed, the association says. The company has said it is looking for another independent director. The other two new directors are Robert McKinnon and Helen Hatchard. McKinnon will be the sole independent director NZX listing rules require at least two independent directors but Hatchard wont be independent because she is the chief executive of the Police and Families Credit Union, one of Finzsofts customers. NZSA is opposed to Hatchards election to the board. While Helens experience in banking and finance is appropriate and she would add welcome gender diversity to this board, we are concerned that, as the chief executive of the Police and Families Credit Union, Helen has a conflicted customer relationship with Finzsoft. NZSA says it will vote its proxies in favour of McKinnon, who has been both Westpacs and Commonwealth Bank of Australias chief information officer and is currently a director of AMP Capital Funds Management and AMP Investment Services. The association also notes that Simon Scott, who was appointed as an alternate director for Holliday on Oct 10, is also a representative of a Finzsoft customer. Scott is an executive director and chief executive of First Credit Union and a director of First Insurance. While clearly Scott and Hatchard are supportive of Finzsoft, it would be highly unusual to have representatives of two important customers participating in board activities, it says. Finzsoft shares closed at $1.86 last week, valuing the company at $16.4 million, and have fallen 25.6 percent year-to-date. (BusinessDesk) Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: Greenfern Industries Limited (NZX: GFI) Releases Interim Results Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Limited (NZX: HLG) Announcement of Final Dividend 26th November 2021 Morning Report EROAD Limited (NZX: ERD) Accelerates Towards Next Phase of Growth Green Cross Health Limited (NZX: GXH) REPORTS STRONG HALF YEAR PROFIT OF $9.7M Stride Property Ltd & Stride Investment Management Ltd (NZ: SPG) Placement Size Increased Following Strong Demand General Capital Limited (NZX: GEN) Announces Very Strong Growth 25th November 2021 Morning Report Gentrack Group Limited (NZ: GTK) Annual Results for the Year Ended 30 September 2021 Pacific Edge Limited (NZX: PEB) Results for Six Months Ended 30 September 2021 Arabs in talks with US for security pact, Saudis say Riyadh, Dec 9 (AFP) Dec 09, 2018 Arab countries are in talks with the United States for a new security agreement to protect the Middle East from "external aggression", Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday. "The aim is to achieve security arrangements in the Middle East that can protect the region from external aggression... and strengthen relations between the United States and the countries of the region," Jubeir said. The Saudi minister was talking at a news conference at the end of a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh. Asked about reports of talks on the creation of an Arab-American military alliance against Iran, he said: "Talks are continuing between the United States and the Gulf states around this question and ideas are being drawn up". "It's a work in progress and the two parties want to see it happen," said Jubeir, adding that the alliance would include Egypt and be called the Middle East Strategic Alliance, or MESA. Media reports have indicated in recent months that an Arab-American anti-Iranian alliance could emerge, and that it would be similar to NATO. We will soon know if that space would be restored by the Courts ruling on the dissolution matter that is now before it. Valliant advocacy efforts are being made to lose sight of the constitutional forest by interpretively magnifying a few self-serving and half-grown trees. Rajan Philips argued by Rajan Philips ( December 9, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) President Sirisena is playing a desperate game of bluff and brinkmanship. He is bluffing when he gives deadlines to resolve the current state of legal non-government and the standoff between himself and the legislature. And he is daring the UNP to dump Ranil Wickremesinghe as party leader. Anyone of the 225 legislators other than Ranil Wickremesinghe is acceptable to him as Prime Minister, but not Ranil Wickremesinghe even if he were to demonstrate unanimous support in parliament. The brazenness of this unconstitutional assertion has shocked even those who genuinely want Ranil Wickremesinghe to make way for a new UNP face in national politics. Even among non-UNPers there is a feeling that Sirisena deserves to be impeached. The JVP has said as much. Who would have thought that the least feudally ranked among modern Lankas elected political leaders would turn out to be the worst embodiment of crassly native intransigence in the exercise of power? Many of us applauded the rise of Sirisena as the common presidential candidate in November 2014 and his convincing election victory in January 2015. We called it a sign of Sri Lankas egalitarian maturity and a sign of the generous space for democratic mobility within the Sinhalese political society. The President has now insulted and injured everyone who supported him to win the election, and is now relying on the corrupt support of everyone who massively insulted him as a candidate and wanted to injure him politically and otherwise. The mutuality of shamelessness is what binds those who are now insisting on the premature dissolution of parliament to cover up the mess they unnecessarily created. Perhaps it should not be surprising that President Sirisena has still not realized that his insistent hatred for Ranil Wickremesinghe has only helped the latter to solidify his support within the UNP. This should have been quite apparent after the No Confidence Motion fiasco in June. But the President has learnt nothing from it and still thinks he can break up the UNP as payback for RWs machinations to keep the SLFP divided between the Rajapaksa and the Sirisena factions. In the end, Sirisena has only helped to energize the UNP base for the first time under Ranil Wickremesinghes leadership. Neither dissolution nor impeachment Cynical and sinister machinations always backfire in electoral politics. Both Wickremesinghe and Sirisena should have learnt that lesson after their debacles in the February LG elections. But they have not. It is the continuing cat and mouse game between the two that provoked Sirisena to fly off the handle and precipitate the current crisis. Mahinda Rajapaksa must be ruing the moment he decided to go along with Sirisenas harebrained scheme, whatever might have been the urgency to governmentally intervene in the criminal investigations targeting the members of his family. Politically and legally, MR is in a much weaker position than even when he was defeated in the January 2015 presidential election. The Presidents uninformed disregard for the constitution has made quite a few old schoolers to think that he deserves to be impeached. The question, however, is not whether Maithripala Sirisena deserves to be impeached. It is whether the country deserves the avoidable agony of an impeachment process. Political mistakes are better left to be punished by the people in an election rather than involving the institutions of government to adjudicate on them. Starting an impeachment process now will be no less counterproductive than the presidential overreaches to fire a sitting Prime Minister, appoint another without majority support in parliament, and prematurely dissolve parliament to cover up his tracks. In fact, the call for impeachment would be no different from the current calls for immediately dissolving parliament. It is quite remarkable that otherwise (hopefully) responsible people do not think of the unintended consequences when insisting on a certain course of action in politics. The supporters of the Rajapaksas who insist on an immediate election presume that the Mahinda magic will work this time and give them a parliamentary majority. Then everything would be normal, in their scheme of things. What if there is a hung parliament just as there is now? What if they lose? Does the country have to start all over again and replay the current standoff between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe? Equally, impeaching the President, even if it were to be feasible, is not going to find an easy way out of the current deadlock. The President is safe for now because there is no chance of securing the requisite two-thirds majority to pass an impeachment resolution, although an impeachment process could be started with a simple majority. The TNA has given the President the assurance that the TNA MPs will not support the impeachment of the President. That makes it almost impossible to even start an impeachment process unless the UNP-UNF and the JVP combine their votes in parliament. Impeachment could only happen if Sirisena were to sufficiently annoy Mahinda Rajapaksa and the latter decides to strike a friendly deal of the devil with Ranil Wickremesinghe to join forces and throw out the bum of their common nemesis. While that would be high noon drama, it is not going to help this country and its institutions mature politically. Thankfully, the prospects for impeachment are a long shot. The vicious triangle The great irony of the current situation is that none of the three central actors deserve to be in their current positions for a day longer. But the country cannot get through the mess they have collectively created without involving them in the cleanup. We are stuck on a vicious triangle of intransigence. The courts have called into question the legality of Mahinda Rajapaksa being Prime Minister. He is abiding by the courts interim ruling but is appealing the ruling to the Supreme Court. The apex court apparently has no judges to hear the appeal, and Rajapaksa is not willing to vacate his position. He has indicated that it is up to the President to remove him, but left it open whether or not he will accept such dismissal. The President has stopped talking about Mahinda Rajapaksa. No one knows whether they are still talking to one another. The President is only talking about Ranil Wickremesinghe, aside from taking ill-advised pot shots at judges. He is insistent with constitutional ignorance bordering on native arrogance that he will not appoint RW as PM no matter what. For their part, the UNP-UNF forces are digging in and insisting that the only MP in the current parliament with majority support to be PM is Ranil Wickremesinghe. There is also the assertion that this is no time for constitutional compromise but to fight for constitutional principles. No one knows how to operationalize these principles. The Parliament has quite rightly shown the President that he cannot appoint as Prime Minister an MP who does not have majority support. But there is no apparent way for parliament to force the current President to re-appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. And Ranil Wickremesinghe has not gone to the Courts to direct the President, because there is apparently no violation of his fundamental rights in not being appointed PM. It seems easier to prove that Mahinda Rajapaksas status as Prime Minister is illegal, than to make Sirisena appoint a legal Prime Minister. Perhaps more public pressure on the President, especially red-light warnings from those who are sensitive to market and financial vicissitudes, might have some impact. The Presidents brinkmanship is to mount a counter-pressure on Ranil to step down. He would have had some chance of success if he had consistently complained about Ranil Wickremesinghe, directly to the people and over the heads of the MPs. The only reason he did not do go directly to the people is because his hands have not been as clean as he pretends they are, and he was keen to show that he could beat Ranil in his own game. His actions on and since October 26 have just about ruled out that possibility at all. A principled compromise On the other side, Ranil Wickremesinghe is not the spotless constitutional white knight to deliver us from any and all Sirisena-Rajapaksa evil. Politically and electorally, he is better off where he is now than if he were to revert back to his status as PM and a truncated UNP-only government. A reinstated Ranil-as-PM led government will be a recipe for a UNP disaster in the next elections that are likely to take place sooner than they are currently due in August 2020. Mr. Wickremesinghe is quite right in asserting that a parliamentary election could be held only following a resolution by parliament with a two-thirds vote approval. He has thrown the challenge to Mahinda Rajapaksa to bring a resolution to that effect in parliament. In fairness, the question to Mr. Wickremesinghe is why he wouldnt stroll half-way down the aisle and extend the assurance that the UNP will support such a resolution provided the elections are held under a strictly neutral caretaker government without either MR or RW as caretaker PM. That would be a principled constitutional compromise. The first step in implementing the compromise is of course the reinstatement of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. But the reinstatement must be qualified by the assurance that RW will remain as PM only until parliament passes a resolution with two-thirds majority requesting the President to finally, still prematurely, but consensually dissolve parliament. The resolution itself will be the mother of all deals, stipulating the framework for a caretaker government and the dos and donts to be honoured during the election by all involved in the caretaker government. Unfortunately, there is no Sobitha Thero to mobilize public opinion and force the three political antagonists to reach a principled compromise to break the current deadlock and dissolve parliament in the proper way and within the framework of the Constitution. The only constitutional citadel left is the judiciary. The Courts cannot and must not do what Sobitha Thero could have done. They can only make sure that there is enough constitutional space for principled compromises to be made without frequently involving the judiciary. It was this precious space that was violated by the Presidents overreaching dissolution decree. We will soon know if that space would be restored by the Courts ruling on the dissolution matter that is now before it. Valliantadvocacy efforts are being made to lose sight of the constitutional forest by interpretively magnifying a few self-serving and half-grown trees. Like patriotism before, it is the notion of sovereignty that is the ultimate refuge of every constitutional scoundrel. But where is the peoples sovereignty without the constitution that enshrines it? When a president violates the constitution, he is alienating the peoples sovereignty. It would be adding injury to insult to allow the president to ask the people to be a party to that violation in the name of their sovereignty. Harvey J. Schramm, Attorney at Law May 20, 1938 December 6, 2018 Son of the late William and Frieda K. Gross Schramm, and brother to the late Michael Schramm and Larry Schramm. Harvey graduated Washington University Law School with the highest academic honors possible. He had extensive trial experience, having been a prosecutor for 3 years for St. Louis County before being appointed by the Governor as a Judge at the St. Louis County Courthouse, where he served for 8 years. He continued in his private law practice for over 35 years. Harvey served in the U.S. Army 1960 to 1961, excelled on the rifle range, and served in the Active Army Reserves. He had a deep and patriotic love of America. Harvey was active and well known in the Jewish community, having been President of the St. Louis Chapter of Bnai Brith and he was on the Board of Directors for quite some years of the American Jewish Congress. Harvey supported United States economic and military aid for Israel. Harvey had immense interest in Cardinal sports, WWII history, politics, current events and all religions (including Catholics, Protestants, Evangelicals, etc.) He had a photographic memory, remembering details and could quote word for word what he read. Graveside service Monday, December 10, 11:30am at Bnai Amoona Cemetery, 930 North and South Road. Donations in Harveys memory may be made to the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 10 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146 for its subsidiary Jewish Family and Childrens Service. A RINDSKOPF-ROTH SERVICE Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mark Ellwood (Bloomberg) Sun, December 9, 2018 07:02 1084 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e13ff48 2 Lifestyle Christmas,Holiday,Christmas-card,Christmas-tree,Christmas-gift Free Too many to-do lists and obligations, not enough eggnogChristmas is coming. If youd like to remedy that imbalance, throw some well-earned money at the problem and consider outsourcing the holidays to the experts, from wrapping gifts to trimming trees, from cooking turkeys to addressing cards. You deserve it. Designing and Addressing Holiday Cards Bernard Maisner trained as a fine artist at Cooper Union in Manhattan before turning to custom social stationery 20 years ago. He offers an off-the-peg line at Bergdorf Goodman alongside one-off designs. Any such bespoke clients can also hire him to address their envelopes, with various script styles that range from classic to flourished. Of the Loeffler family, for whom he has created custom holiday cards for many years, Maisner says,We always meet in person at their home in New York and sit down for a creative discussion, often over a glass of Champagne. The most recent design was a complex, hand-assembled card engraved in two colors with an interactive, spinning arrow; Maisner hand-addressed each of the 300 envelopes accompanying the card, using the Loefflers favorite purple ink. Card design and production, from $2,000 for 100 cards and envelopes. The spinner card, as described, cost $12,000 for 300 cards and envelopes. Envelope-addressing, from $3 per line. Decorating Your Tree Every Christmas tree selected and decorated by interior stylist Erin Swift and her Holiday Workroom team is one-of-a-kindeven when a client orders many for the same home. Thats what happened last year, when they installed eight individually themed trees in a mansion in upstate New York, all in one day. It was even tougher to transport a 10-foot fir through the streets of Soho and via a tiny elevator to the loft of an art-loving client who wanted a tree that played off a favorite artwork: a giant day-glo piece by Robert Swain, whos known for trippy, Pantone-like contact sheets. Swift festooned the custom tree with 2,000 lights and 500 ornaments, each painstakingly color-matched to the blues and pinks in Swains artwork. Neatness freaks need not fret, as Erin Swift will tackle both artificial and real trees. For the latter, Swift recommends the premium Balsam Hill to minimize needle-dropping. From $1000 per tree. Gift Wrapping Remember Candy Spellings notorious gift-wrapping room? If you have neither space nor inclination to install one of your own, hire Mia Canada. The Atlanta-based entrepreneur of Thats a Wrap! has spent the past eight years wrapping gifts year-round. An event planner by training, a local malls urgent last-minute request for gift-wrapping service changed Canadas career. After a few hours poring over YouTube videos and some competitive shopping to see the standard set by Macys and others, she landed Candy Spellings dream job. Her team of a dozen works with corporate and private clients across the country; the gifts onscreen in Mark Wahlbergs new movie, Instant Family are Canadas handiwork. I have one client who insists on waiting until the last minute to have them wrapped, because he doesnt want the family to find them. And its well over 100 gifts because its a huge family, she says. So, each year, were traditionally wrapping them well into Christmas morning. We have to dress as elves in case the children find us placing them under the tree. Prices vary, from $10 for a one-off gift to $125 per hour for larger projects. Cooking Dinner Christmas is one of the busiest periods for Dante Giannini of Farm to Fork. The former private chef for Jimmy Buffett now runs a company with 15 Michelin-level kitchen vets on its roster. They have been hired out by the likes of Paul McCartney, Debra Messing, and David and Lauren Lauren. He and his team are often tapped by clients who are juggling two Christmases. One is a very, very successful real estate agent who has her own celebration at her house in Bronxville for family, but also hosts an open-house/holiday party for clients at a home nearby, Giannini tells Bloomberg. I have two chefs collaborate on that, and she goes back and forth between them. Another family splits the day between both sets of in-laws, who live two blocks apart on New Yorks Upper East Side: The same chef cooks a traditional, roast-driven lunch at one home around 4 p.m. before decamping with the family to the other apartment, where he preps an Italian-style feast thats heavy on fish and pasta. Gianninis crack kitchen team isnt limited to working in New York. One festive client whisked him off to Saint Barts for Christmas and New Year, bringing all his ingredients by helicopter and storing them on a refrigerated cargo barge. Plated dinners range from $100 to $225 per head, plus servers and bartenders Read also: Five Christmas feast destinations in Jakarta Playing Santa Tim Connaghan is the Ari Emmanuel of the North Pole, running the countrys largest Santa-for-hire agency. He personally understands the gigs requirements, having channeled his inner St. Nick for the first time in 1969 while in Vietnam: sporting a foamy, white beard made of Barbasol, he handed out gifts to his fellow soldiers. For 18 years, he has been hiring out Santas via his agency, supplying them to more than 1,400 events annually for malls and corporate and private clients. His roster of Santas undergoes full background checks and wears custom-made suits, boots, belts, andmost importanta tug-proof, all-natural beard. Rural Santa fees start at $75 for a 30-minute visit and rise to $200 per hour in cities and $350 per hour in New York Absolutely Everything Else Think of Lindsi Shine and her team at Insider NYC as real-life elves with the power to work magic. Every year, theyre the behind-the-scenes team for a slew of VIP clients. They work on everything from holiday cardsshe estimates they handle around 5,000 every yearto gift-buying, for which Shine produces an exclusive, in-house version of the Neiman Marcus catalog, filled with impossible-to-find treats. She estimates that they spend around 20 percent of their time during the holiday season handling decoration, from sourcing a local tree-trimmer for a clients second home in Aspen, Colo., or stepping in to help during an emergency. Last year, a client had bought a new house in Pebble Beach [Calif.], and we had two hours to get a tree for him when he asked, Shine tells Bloomberg by telephone from her New York office. So we persuaded the local Pottery Barn to take it off the floor and deliver it to their house. The stores lead decorator went with it so he could put everything back on the tree exactly as it was. Even better, in January, Insider NYC will happily tackle the hassle of returning all of those unwanted gifts. Initial subscription: $750 per month for 5 hours, with additional hours charged at $150 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dave Clark and Matthieu Demeestere (Agence France-Presse) Tervuren, Belgium Sun, December 9, 2018 15:04 1084 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e1483b8 2 Art & Culture Africa-Museum,Belgium,Museum Free Belgium's Africa Museum reopened on Saturday after a five-year restoration to repackage its looted treasures with a critical view of the country's brutal colonial past. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo hailed a "historic moment" and said it would open "a new chapter" in Belgian-African relations. The reopening of the former Royal Museum for Central Africa in the Tervuren Palace outside Brussels comes amid a renewed European debate about returning stolen artefacts. Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron agreed to return 26 cultural artefacts to Benin "without delay", a move likely to put pressure on other former colonial powers to return African artworks to their countries of origin. Macron said the decision should not be seen as an isolated or symbolic case and proposed a conference in Paris next year to discuss an "exchange policy" for African treasures. "Restitution should no longer be taboo," De Croo said on Saturday adding, however, that any returns should be dependant on certain conservation conditions being met. "It is clear that this implies a respectful attitude on the part of the African authorities with regard to this artistic heritage," he said. Before it closed for refurbishment in 2013, visitors to the Belgian museum were greeted by a statue uncritically depicting white European missionaries "bringing civilisation to Congo". The museum's research team insists the exhibits will now take a much more critical approach to the depredations of King Leopold II and his agents in Congo. With the help of multimedia displays and detailed captions, visitors will be encouraged to take a critical view and to see colonialism through African eyes. Read also: Black heritage museum, 'crucible of creativity', opens in Dakar The museum's academic experts say there is no attempt to cover up the past, but rather to use the collection of 125,000 ethnographic objects more educationally. Despite the new approach more in keeping with Belgium's multicultural present, the revamp has not been without controversy. Activists are demanding a proper memorial to seven Congolese who died in 1897 after being brought to Belgium as living exhibits. They are buried near the Tervuren estate. Paula Polanco told AFP her group, Intal-Congo, wanted them to be recognised as "victims of a colonialist crime". Belgium's current king, Philippe, meanwhile declined an invitation to the reopening. The Belgian colonies, run as a private royal estate by Leopold II, covered lands now included in independent Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These countries have suffered a turbulent modern history and for European experts, in DR Congo's case at least, lack premises to properly house a national history collection. DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila, however, has said he plans to formally request the return of art and records before his country's own museum opens next year. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, December 10, 2018 03:03 1083 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e154324 1 Health big-toe-arthritis,high-heels,health Free Eliza Carbonell blames her love of high heels for her development of what is called big toe arthritis, a condition that can cause a lot of pain. Even years later, after receiving treatment, the pain is still present and she has problems moving her big toe. I see these beautiful young women destroying their feet. said Carbonell, who had to undergo surgery due to her constant use of high heels, according to CBS Miami. I wouldnt want other women to suffer the way I have. The issues that come along later in life arent worth it, its really not worth it, Carbonell was quoted as saying. Doctors warn their patients against the dangers of wearing high heels, despite most women owning at least one pair. The type of walking hinders you in other ways, Carbonell explained, adding that alongside the pain in her big toe, it causes lower back problems, all due to the posture heels cause and how they force you to walk; lest you fall over. City life can also be taxing for high-heel-wearing women, depending on where they need to walk. Read also: New Jakarta sidewalks friendly for high heels, not wheelchairs Carbonell opted for surgery to relieve her pain, which unfortunately led to further problems that required three more surgical operations. She limped when she walked, and was traumatized by how badly the surgery went--which ended with her toe joint being unintentionally fused, making it completely immovable and causing her great pain. I guess I was very vain when I was younger and I was always in high heels, to the point where I would go to school in heels, go to university in high heels, go to work in high heels, Carbonell said. Read also: Pressure on girls for perfect body 'worse than ever', says Orbach Its this area [pointing at the first joint of the big toe] that is particularly affected by this. Thats when we really start talking to the patients about adjusting shoe wear, said Amiethab Aiyer, foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon and orthopedic surgeon with University of Miami Health System. Aiyer is currently using the new Cartiva implant in surgeries for big toe arthritis, if changing footwear from heels to something else does not alleviate the condition. Cartiva implants are made from the same material used to make contact lenses. They are durable, slippery and behave similarly to cartilage. The advantage with the Cartiva is the pain relief lasts for close to five years. Aiyer explained, People get between five and seven degrees more motion at the end of the surgery. Most of the 2 million people across the United States alone suffering from big toe arthritis are women, and the condition can occur to varying degrees and pain. [Doctor Aiyer] recommended I do this joint fusion and the technology is nowhere, Carbonell said. Depending on the stage of the disease has really sort of dictated how we treat this. Doctor Aiyer explained, With lower stages or earlier grades, predominantly when there is a big bone spur on the top, you can make an incision on to the top of the big toe and remove the bone spur all the way to actually gluing the join shut and fusing the toe when its really bad arthritis. Carbonell said her right toe was still swollen, but she was overall pleased with the surgery results. She now wears flat shoes and tries to warn others about the pain she suffered. (acr/mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, December 10, 2018 05:02 1083 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e154336 1 Health social-anxiety,mental-health,anxiety,health,#health Free The ability to make new friends comes naturally to most. But for some, its not so easy. Making small talk with strangers can be difficult, but if you are finding yourself beginning to have physiological reactions of feelings of nervousness, you could be suffering from social anxiety. Several psychologists have said social anxiety could be preventing you from enjoying life to the fullest. Among other things, relationships and your career could especially be affected. Read also: Seeing intimacy through the glass of anxiety Social anxiety is just a normal part of life said professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Debra Hope to Health. Health points out that simple methods such as listening to your favorite song, getting extra sleep and avoiding caffeine for the time being should alleviate nerves. Contrary to popular beliefs, it is not just people with clinical depression or clinical anxiety that should be working on their mental health. A persons mental health can change depending on their emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, all of which depend on a persons experiences. Read also: 5 apps for better mental health However if your nervousness results in such things as canceling a job interview, or avoiding conversation entirely, it could be classified as a clinical problem, according to Health. Like most human disorders, there could be a hereditary element to social anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health in the United States. A guide that clinicians use to diagnose mental illness, called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, defined social anxiety as a disorder that includes significant fear or anxiety when faced with social situations, or a situation associated with performance. The standard measurement of time avoiding such situations is at least six months to determine a diagnosis of social anxiety. If you had positive interactions with peers at a young age, you were less likely to develop social anxiety, according to Denver-based clinical psychologist David Shanley as reported by Health. Youre going to develop a social anxiety disorder from that avoidance of confronting the thing that maybe could have been overcome, Shanley said, referring to the avoidance of social situations. Shanley further explained that each person was different and could suffer from social anxiety to varying degrees. Some people might have a few close friends, some people might have no close friends, and some might have acquaintances but have trouble taking acquaintances to close-friends level, he was quoted as saying. In simple terms, Shanley puts it, Its a fear of rejection of humiliation of failure or looking like an idiot. However, social anxiety can reveal itself even in positive situations, such as receiving an award, according to Hope. Receiving praise or an award can make people who suffer from social anxiety fear that there is a high expectation they cant live up to. (acr/mut) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Natalie Obiko Pearson and Kevin Orland (Bloomberg) Sun, December 9, 2018 18:31 1084 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e14f5aa 2 Business Huawei,US-China,trade-war,Canada,Iran,Iran-US,Meng-Wanzhou Free China has threatened Canada with grave consequences if a top executive at Huawei Technologies Co.is not immediately released, calling her arrest as she changed planes in Canada unreasonable, unconscionable and vile in nature. In its first move since Meng Wanzhou was arrested Dec. 1, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng summoned Canadian ambassador to China John McCallum to urge the immediate release of Huaweis chief financial officer, the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement Saturday. Le told McCallum that the arrest was a severe violation of a Chinese citizens legitimate rights and interests. The move ignored the law, and Canada should be held accountable if Meng was not immediately released, Le said in the statement. Mengs arrest, on allegations that she committed fraud to sidestep sanctions against Iran, has become a flash-point in trade tensions between the US and China, roiling markets. On Friday, the US began a market-shaking case against the Chinese telecoms giant in a Vancouver courtroom, alleging that Meng had hidden ties between Huawei and a company called Skycom that did business in Iran, said a lawyer representing Canada during the court hearing. Canada is presenting the case on behalf of the US, which wants to extradite Meng. Meng, 46, daughter of Huaweis founder, is spending the weekend in jail after a decision on whether to grant bail was not reached. The case will continue on Monday. We will continue to follow the bail hearing, Huawei spokesman Glenn Schloss wrote in an emailed statement. We have every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion. Meng was charged with conspiracy to defraud banks and should not be granted bail because she may flee, Crown attorney John Gibb-Carsley said during the court hearing in Vancouver earlier on Friday. Banks in the US cleared money for Huawei, but unbeknownst to these financial firms, they were conducting business with Skycom in contravention of the sanctions, the lawyer said. In her dealings with the banks, Meng hid ties between Huawei and Skycom, when in fact Skycom employees worked for the Chinese telecom-equipment giant, Gibb-Carsley added. He noted that some Skycom workers used Huawei email addresses and employees in Iran used a different set of stationary depending on whether they were doing Huawei or Skycom work. The Crown attorney argued against granting Meng bail because shes so wealthy that she will easily be able to pay whatever is required and then flee. Since learning of the investigation into her alleged activities, Meng has avoided the US and other Huawei executives have stopped traveling to the US, he added. To feel the pull of bail, we are in a different universe in this case, he said. Mengs defense lawyer David Martin said the evidence presented doesnt prove she broke either US or Canadian law. US sanctions law is complex, has changed over time, and there are exemptions for telecom equipment in the countrys Iran sanctions, Martin argued. A major pillar of the US case is a misrepresentation that Meng allegedly made to a US bank in 2013, referred to as Financial Institution 1. Martin identified the firm as HSBC Holdings Plc, but he disputed the US allegation that Meng misrepresented anything to that financial institution. HSBC has rich experience in trade compliance, he added. Meng was arrested in Vancouver at the behest of US authorities. She was flying from Hong Kong to Mexico with a stop in the Canadian city. Meng spends two weeks a year in Vancouver, her family owns properties in the area, and she has a 16-year-old son at school in Boston. Martin, her lawyer, said she would never breach a court order on bail because that would embarrass her father and China. Meng Wanzhou or Sabrina Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei. (Courtesy of Huawei /huawei.com) The case has hit markets already hammered by months of rising trade tension between the worlds two largest economies. The move has especially enraged China, which called for her release. Meng is one of Chinas most prominent businesswomen. She is the daughter of Ren Zhengfei, the founder of Huawei, a national champion at the forefront of President Xi Jinpings efforts for China to be self-sufficient in strategic technologies. While the US routinely asks allies to extradite drug lords, arms dealers and other criminals, detaining a major Chinese executive in this manner is unusual. The alleged transactions involved more than $100 million between 2010 and 2014, according to US evidence filed with the court in Vancouver on Friday: During a meeting with HSBC, Meng used PowerPoint slides for a presentation that included several misrepresentations. She allegedly said Huawei operated in Iran in strict compliance with applicable laws and sanctions, although Skycom was using the U.S. financial system to conduct prohibited Iran transactions. Meng stated Huaweis engagement with Skycom was a normal business cooperation, when Skycom was in fact entirely controlled by Huawei. Thumbs up Meng entered the courtroom in downtown Vancouver at 10:25 a.m. local time, wearing a green sweatsuit and accompanied by her lawyer. She sat at the back of the courtroom in a clear plastic cubicle. About 100 people looked on from the public gallery. She gave a thumbs up to her lawyer before proceedings began. Throughout the hearing, Meng sat in the back of the courtroom mostly still, occasionally leaning toward her interpreter. At one point, the interpreter stepped forward to ask the judge to ask everyone to proceed slowly so she could keep up. The judge agreed. The hearing in Vancouver is the start of a long legal process in Canada that could end with Meng being sent to the US to stand trial. Even though the North American neighbors have a longstanding treaty governing extradition, it can take months, even years, for a defendant to be handed over, if at all. Should a judge agree to extradite Meng, she would have multiple chances to appeal the decision. With assistance by Christian Berthelsen, Josh Wingrove, Nate Lanxon, and Rachel Chang Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, December 10, 2018 08:01 1083 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e147d0a 1 National Jokowi,development,infrastructure,human-rights,Human-Rights-Day,human-rights-activists,environment,Kendeng-farmers,Kulonprogo,Kertajati-Airport Free Indonesia is an increasingly dangerous place for people defending the environment and their land, activists have claimed, with recent data showing environmentalists being the most persecuted activists over the past four years. According to Protection International Indonesia data, about 80 percent of cases of human rights violations against activists and rights defenders from 2014 to 2018 involved environmentalists, many of whom have been sent to jail on what activists believe are dubious or legally flawed charges. During this period, the group recorded at least 104 cases of rights violations involving environmentalists and people defending their lands. By comparison, only 10 cases involving antigraft activists were recorded during the same period, and only 11 cases involving environmental defenders from 2010 to 2013. Activists have pinned the blame for this spike on the ongoing development drive, including in infrastructure, of President Joko Jokowi Widodo, saying that the Presidents development policies lack environmental and human rights perspectives. The Jokowi administration has allocated 410.4 trillion (US$28.2 billion) for infrastructure development this year. The figure is more than twice the budget allocation in the 2014 state budget (about Rp 177 trillion) under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos administration. Jokowi, who is seeking reelection next year, has also been touting infrastructure development in his election campaigns. Protection International Indonesia recorded that at least 89 environmentalists were imprisoned for their activism during the last four years, making alleged criminalization by state actors the most common form of human rights violation against activists. This number includes four residents defending their lands in Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta, against the development of an international airport compound and six others in West Java also fighting for their land against another airport development. Six people from Mount Kendeng in Central Java who have been fighting against cement factories are also in the list. The 14 people from the three different cases all faced criminal charges as a result of their protests, the list shows Another recent example was the sentencing of Heri Budiawan, also known as Budi Pego, to four years in prison for spreading communism. The activist was arrested in September 2017 for allegedly displaying a banner with a hammer-and-sickle logo during a protest against gold mining activities in Tumpang Pitu, a mountainous area in Banyuwangi, East Java, that is believed to be prone to environmental degradation. Tumpang Pitu had been designated a protected forest area, but on Nov. 19, 2013, then forestry minister Zulkifli Hasan, now the Peoples Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker and National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman, issued a decree changing the status of 1,942 hectares of protected forest to production forest in Tumpang Pitu, paving the way for mining operations to begin. Other than being criminalized, environmentalists have also been facing intimidation and violence. In September 2015, a 52-year-old farmer named Salim, or Kancil, was beaten to death by a group of people in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict, Pasirian district after co-arranging a protest against invasive sand-mining in his village. The protest halted the quarrying and blocked dozens of trucks transporting the sand. Protection International Indonesia director Damairia Pakpahan said economic development that disregarded environmental aspects was the main reason behind violations of the human rights of environmentalists. They only pursue profits without caring about the environmental rights, Pakpahan told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. She argued that neither the government nor corporations followed universal human rights standards in development, as the nation had yet to draft a legal instrument to outline such standards. Our law enforcement officials have no clue about environmental rights, let alone have an awareness about human rights, she said. Other than environmentalists, human rights defenders, labor activists and womens activists are also still facing the same risks. Protection International Indonesia has recorded a total of 145 violations against those activists since 2010. There are some names like Eva Bande, Mama Aletha Alomang, Mama Aletha Baun, who are womens human rights defenders and also environmentalists. Pakpahan said that clear legal policies regarding activism were badly needed. At the very least, she said, the government should educate officials about the rights of activists as stipulated in the current legislation. For example, there is already legal protection for environmentalists as stipulated under Article 66 of the 2009 Environmental Law. However, criminal charges against environmentalists still occur in Indonesia. National Commission on Human Rights commissioner Beka Ulung Hapsara said that the policies should not only protect activists, but also citizens who fight for their rights. Citizens who fight against these [abuses] have also experienced various violations. Law enforcers also play a role in this because they often make accusations without looking at the context, he said. With regard to the environmentalists, he said the government should formulate a national standard of business and human rights as a reference for law enforcers and developers, including state-owned enterprises. The commission also suggested that the government establish a special agency to resolve agrarian conflictswhich often lead to human rights violationsto better protect both citizens and environmentalists. The law enforcers should be on the same page as us [] so that violations against them will not happened again in the future, Hapsara said. (ggq) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Seto Wardhana and Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Bogor Sun, December 9, 2018 14:22 1084 ab327006fac3d4a4e8af45a51b005070 2 Politics First-Family,Jokowi,Iriana-Joko-Widodo,Kaesang-Pangarep,Gibran-Rakabuming,Kahinyang-Ayu,Bogor-Palace Free Over the years, the family of President Joko Jokowi Widodo has been known for leading a modest lifestyle, keeping their daily lives private and staying relatively far from the countrys political sphere. On a rare occasion on Saturday, however, the countrys First Family sat down together with journalists and provided a glimpse into the family, most of whose members have preferred to take the path of entrepreneurship rather than following in Jokowis footsteps in politics. Jokowi and First Lady Iriana, together with their oldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka and his wife Selvi Ananda, as well as their son Jan Ethes Srinarendra, took a morning walk before the meeting around the Bogor Palace complex in West Java on Saturday. Caption/Description: President Joko Widodo sit during their workout session in Bogor Palace, West Java, saturday, December 8, 2018. (JP/Seto Wardhana) Daughter Kahiyang Ayu, her husband Bobby Nasution and their daughter Sedah Mirah Nasution, also joined the occasion. Its hard for us to get together like this [] because each of us has their own routines and activities, Jokowi told reporters, However, I am thankful that [the children] are already independent and on their own. While Iriana is mostly seen accompanying Jokowi in his presidential duties, their sons, Gibran and the youngest Kaesang Pangarep, have been busy managing their own culinary businesses and opening up new branches in cities across the country. Work apparently comes first for the children of Jokowiwho also ran a furniture business before he joined the governmentincluding for Kaesang, the tech-savvy first son and the owner of his own banana fritters brand Sang Pisang. The 23-year-old was the only member of the family who was missing on Saturday because he had left for Makassar, South Sulawesi, early in the morning for the opening of an e-sports competition and the launch of a new outlet, Jokowi said. It cannot be negotiated, work is number one, he said. The media-shy Gibran, who founded a catering business named Chilli Pari in his hometown of Surakarta, Central Java, established and currently manages the highly popular chain of martabak (sweet pancake) Markobar restaurants. Bobby, a native of Medan in North Sumatra, manages his own coffee shop brand, Kopi Jolo. Together with Kaesang and Gibran, they launched in May their Kedai Rakyat (Peoples Food Joint) outlet in Medan, marking the expansion of their culinary business footprint in the country. Caption/Description: President Joko Widodo accompanid by first Lady Iriana accomoanied by first son and daughter in law, Gibrang Rakabuming(R)-Selvi Ananda(2nd R) and grandson Jan Ethes walking together during their workout session in Bogor Palace, West Java, saturday, December 8, 2018. (JP/Seto Wardhana) Gibran opened up and said that Jokowi raised his children with strict principles, such as to be responsible in education and to be independent, while giving them the freedom to do what they wanted to. While acknowledging that many people would always see him and Kaesang as the Presidents sons when they ran their businesses, Gibran pointed out that he and his sibling did not carry Jokowis surname and they did not live under their fathers shadow. [Kaesang and I] demanded to be our own persons, Gibran said, We built our own names without affiliation to our parents, although its inevitable that people will always associate us [with Jokowi]. While we consider [Jokowis name] a bonus, both of us still work hard, he said. When asked about following Jokowis footsteps as a politician, Gibran and Bobby suggested that they would focus on their business first, while Kahiyang said that she had no interest in getting involved in politics. The family also addressed negative comments attacking Jokowi, who is currently juggling his presidential tasks with his campaign for reelection in 2019, with Gibran saying that such comments had circulated ever since his father had first served as Surakarta mayor in 2005. When there is negative comment, the family must not be reactive, Gibran said, We dont need to react because to do so would make the hoax go even more viral. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Nusa Dua, Bali Sun, December 9, 2018 Indonesia is working on involving the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and other regional organizations in the development of an open, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific, which will be discussed at an international forum hosted by Indonesia next year. However, challenges still remain on how best to engage with the organization, as the current discourse on the Indo-Pacific has put a strong emphasis on political-security matters. The Foreign Ministrys director for Asia-Pacific and African intra-regional cooperation, Andre Omer Siregar, said that Indonesia, as part of the current troika of IORA leaders, wanted to continue to facilitate dialogue among the organization's member states. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sun, December 9, 2018 19:25 1084 75e76da2d15e495661b6357e2e150f3f 2 National Nduga,Papua,shooting,separatists,military,TNI,National-Police Free A spokesperson for the Indonesian Militarys (TNI) Cendrawasih Military Command, Lt. Col. Dax Sianturi, denied reports that a joint team of military and police personnel involved in a rescue mission to save victims of recent mass shootings in Nduga, Papua, had carried explosives or fired guns during the process. Its fake news, he said on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co. He said the helicopter utilized to carry dead bodies on Dec. 2 was a logistics carrier. It was not an assault vehicle. So how could we use bombs? he said. Tabloidjubi.com reported that four civilians were shot dead when security personnel tried to retrieve the bodies of construction workers of state-owned company PT Istaka Karya that had been shot by an armed group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM). Samuel Tabuni, a youth leader, said his relatives were shot by the security personnel. Two in Mbua, Two in Yigi. They were shot during the rescue process, said Samuel as quoted by tabloidjubi.com. After rescuing victims and civilians, the joint security team is still looking five construction workers who remain missing. Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ahmad Kamal said PT Istaka Karya recorded 28 workers in the camp in Yigi district, where the killings took place. At least 16 died during the attack by the armed group that was led by Egianus Kogoya. Among the casualties was an employee of the Papua road project. Seven workers were found alive, three of whom are injured and receiving treatment at Caritas Timika Hospital. A member of the polices Mobile Brigade is also being treated at the hospital for injuries. Dec 08 2018 7:05 pm Agudath Israel of America congratulates President Trump on his nomination of William Barr to serve as the next Attorney General of the United States. From 1991 to 1993, Mr. Barr served as Attorney General in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, and Agudath Israel had occasion to work closely with him on issues of concern to the Orthodox Jewish community. He proved himself to be a great champion of religious liberty, as he took a leadership role in protecting the civil rights of Orthodox Jewish communities that were encountering harassment and discrimination. The relationship between Mr. Barr and Agudath Israel was highlighted at the organizations 70th anniversary dinner in 1992, when the Attorney General was feted with Agudath Israels Humanitarian Award. We are delighted that President Trump has nominated Bill Barr to become the next Attorney General, said Rabbi David Zwiebel, Agudath Israels executive vice president. As we can attest through personal knowledge, he is eminently qualified to fill this important post. We look forward to working closely with him when he assumes his office just as we did during his first tenure as Attorney General a quarter of a century ago. Dec 09 2018 12:25 pm By Baruch Rivlin. Last Monday, a New Jersey Senate committee approved bill S-2703 which would legalize the possession and use of marijuana adults 21 and over. The bill, sponsored by Senator Nicholas Scutari and Senate president Steve Sweeney, has support from Governor Phil Murphy, who sees marijuana legalization as being a social justice issue. Legalizing marijuana in New Jersey, although controversial and not without inherent risks, is a positive step in the right direction. There are multiple reasons we should all be thankful for Democrats pushing this agenda item towards passage, but I will only focus on one. My reasoning to support marijuana legalization is related to our civil rights. The Constitution demands that everyone in the nation, regardless of color, creed, race, or religion, be treated with equal amounts of respect and judicial fairness. Because the Constitution stipulates this, minorities have for over a century found refuge within Americas borders. When Jews were being killed by the thousands in pogroms sweeping Europe, Jews residing in America found themselves living in relative safety and harmony with their non-Jewish neighbors. The United States of America provided a place of refuge, a place where Jews could practice their religion openly and freely, at times when millions of Jews were being slaughtered by Germany, and tens of thousands oppressed in Soviet Russia, many of them imprisoned in Russian gulags. So, what does this have to do with marijuana? Well, throughout history, there is a near-direct correlation between the overall civil rights attitude in a country to how Jews in said country are treated. The fact is that laws and actions targeting individuals using or in possession of marijuana have unfairly targeted the black population. A report showed that an African-American using or in possession of marijuana is 2.8 times more likely to be prosecuted for marijuana possession than a Caucasian, even though the usage rates are similar. An arrest and conviction for marijuana possession, even though it is just a minor transgression, can have a severe impact on ones family life and career, making it even harder for those arrested to gain upward mobility in life. African-Americans, unjustly targeted in the war against a comparatively harmless substance, have found themselves on the short end of the civil rights stick. This not only suggests that marijuana laws were enacted with racist intentions in mind, but also reflects more broadly on the overall state of civil rights in America as it pertains to blacks and other minorities, such as Jews. When laws aimed at harming specific segments of the population are reversed, the targeted community gains, and so does every other individual who is a minority. We should be grateful for the Democrats attempt to decriminalize marijuana use and possession. It is both a Constitutional issue and a civil rights win for many of us. (TLS welcomes your opinions by sending them to letters@thelakewoodscoop.com) It is not uncommon for students or young people to want to spend their gap year or summer holiday volunteering on a project abroad. Volunteer programmes abroad, also called "voluntourism", are advertised with benefits such as enriching the student's CV and providing an opportunity to travel while making a meaningful impact. click of a button. capitalised on and it is easy to see why, with many people willing to pay up to $1000 designed to benefit Today, volunteer experiences are available to students at theThe increasing demand for voluntourism experiences ison and it is easy to seewith many people willing to pay up tofor a single week of volunteering - excluding travel costs. However, many volunteer-tourism experiences arethe volunteer first and foremost. Image credit: Alexandr Podvalny on Unsplash Very few people who travel to poorly developed countries realise the true impact of their visit. The reality is that as well-intentioned as the volunteer is, undertaking a volunteer-tourism program often causes more harm than good to disadvantaged communities by perpetuating a range of socio-economic issues. Firstly, the majority of volunteers are unskilled young people, who, although they may be in the process of training and studying, have little to offer to the communities for the short period of time they are there. When it comes to building a school or health centre , counselling children, or rehabilitating endangered wildlife, students are largely unqualified. travelling organisations behaviour organisations commercialised more By Chloe Wray & Zoe Fruchter wraychlo@grinnell.edu fruchter@grinnell.edu The Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) will receive their Certificate of Representation from the National Labor Review Board (NLRB) this week. The Certificate of Representation will be granted after the College did not object to the Nov. 27 election which showed that of the student-workers who voted, 84 percent supported being covered by the union. The College stated its intent to appeal the decision to hold the election in a Nov. 28 Special Campus Memo, stating [The College] will continue to appeal the decision by the regional director of the National Labor Relations Board regarding this election We think it is important for the full NLRB to hear and consider further the Colleges concerns, and we expect to file this appeal soon. Upon UGSDW receiving their Certificate of Representation, the College has 14 days to file a request for review with the NLRB. To break down the appeal process, The S&B spoke with Elizabeth Newman 08, a practicing employment and civil litigation lawyer in Cincinnati, Ohio who supports the unions right to organize. To be clear, she is not licensed to practice law in Iowa and is simply a vocal supporter. With Newmans insight, The S&B navigated the logistics of NLRB legal proceedings. What happens when the College appeals? The College will be appealing to the NLRB for judicial review of whether or not student-workers are recognized as employees under the National Labor Relations Act. This appeal is not for the election results. If the Colleges request for review is granted, the NLRB will hold a hearing to determine whether the Board members will uphold the Regional Directors decision in favor of the union or overturn it. The National Labor Relations Board consists of Chairman John F. Ring, William J. Emanuel, Marvin E. Kaplan and Lauren McFerran. Chairman Ring, Kaplan and Emmanuel were all appointed by President Donald Trump, while McFerran is left over from the Obama era. The fifth seat on the Board is currently vacant, giving the Trump-appointees a 3-1 majority. The new members made it pretty clear that this [student-worker rights] was an issue that they planned on reviewing and theres no reason to think that they wont overturn the precedent on which the regional director relied in ordering the election, said Newman. In overturning the Regional Directors decision in favor of the union, the Board would also overturn the national precedent relating to the employment rights of student workers, established in The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York and Graduate Workers of Columbia GWC, UAW, Case 02RC143012. This decision would effectually revert precedent in this area to Brown and UAW AFL-CIO, Case 1RC21368 (2004). The ruling in Brown determined that student-workers were not employees due to the primarily educational and not economic relationship they held with the University. If the Board rules in favor of the College and determines that student-workers are not employees, the union could potentially appeal to the 8th circuit Federal Court of Appeals and beyond that, the Supreme Court. However, judicial review, including the initial proceedings at the national board level, is an often lengthy and expensive legal process that would be extremely difficult for the undergraduate union leadership team to undertake successfully. I think the union knows that it is in everyones interests for them to withdraw the petition if the board grants review. If they drop out then this whole process should stop, Newman said. A few student unions have withdrawn their petitions to avoid the current labor board because they knew that it was hostile to them. What happens if the College does not appeal, or the NLRB declines to review the decision? Even if the College does not appeal or the NLRB does not grant a review of the Regional Directors decision and the union is allowed to retain their Certificate of Representation, UGSDW may nonetheless face another judicial hearing. Employers will refuse to bargain to prompt an unfair labor practice charge and that is a way to get judicial review of the election, Newman said of alternate strategies the College could use to direct appeal. In a Nov. 12 special campus memo, the College wrote that they would willingly bargain with the union if the vote to expand passed, despite their continued opposition to the unions efforts. However, the College is currently refusing to bargain with the union, as stated in a Special Campus Memo on Nov. 28, and reaffirmed in an email from College President Raynard Kington to union advisor Cory McCartan 19 on Dec. 4. Unfortunately, as Grinnell already communicated, the College has concluded that we legally cannot bargain or discuss a framework agreement with UGSDW while our appeal is pending before the NLRB, wrote Kington in the memo. The union contends in a Dec. 5 press release that this claim is completely and laughably false. Last month, Proskauer Rose, the Colleges legal representative, established collective bargaining between Columbia University and its graduate students while an appeal to the NLRB was still pending. The unions only recourse against the Colleges silence would be to file an Unfair Labor Charge for the Colleges refusal to bargain. This charge would be investigated by the Regional Director of the NLRB and possibly filed to the national board. Such a filing could lead to an NLRB hearing in which the Trump-appointed majority could reverse Columbia if the Board holds that students are not employees and thus cannot be bargained with. Grinnell: Think National, Act Local While the union debate has consumed Grinnells campus, the conflict ties in to a larger societal and legal shift to disempower unions. In late June of this year, the Supreme Court, which has only become more conservative with the installation of accused sexual assailant Brett Kavanaugh this October, limited the rights of unions to collect dues from non-members in Janus vs. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. In the Trump era, there is less faith in the branches of government, so people are organizing their own groups to marshal whatever power they have. I think its working to a degree, but its scary [for] unions on the margins, that the courts can still destroy them. Because [a union] is still going to come up against the very forces that may have triggered organization in the first place, Newman said. The S&B will continue to provide updates on the status of the appeal process. MBABANE As it keeps spreading its wings, more jobs are created. This is none other than Linac Investments. On Thursday, Linac Investments opened yet another fully fledged OK Foods retail shop at Mathangeni, Matsapha. The shop is trading as OK Foods Mathangeni. The shop, which was officially opened by the Minister of Commerce Industry and Trade Mancoba Khumalo, brings the number of fully-fledged OK shops under Linac Investments to seven. According to Linac Investments Executive Director Lincoln Motsa, the opening of the shop created 70 jobs. He went on to disclose that the company now employs about 500 emaSwati. The others are employed at OK Foods SouthGate (Ngwane Park), OK Foods Manzini (President Centre), OK Foods Mhlaleni, OK Foods Logoba, OK Foods Mbabane and OK Foods Kwaluseni. Motsa went on to tell the Times SUNDAY that the newly opened shop had all service departments which are Fruits and Vegetables, Deli, Bakery and Butchery. He further said the advantage of the OK Foods Mathangeni was that customers would be given Loyalty Cards through which they will save money each time they buy at the shop. He said each time a customer buys; he/she saves 1.0 per cent of the total purchase. Meanwhile, Motsa thanked emaSwati for their unwavering support ever since he ventured into the retail business. He attributed his success in business to the support he had been afforded so far. I salute the spirit of emaSwati and I am happy that they are increasing the Buy Swazi mantra. He said it was the support of local businesses by emaSwati that would alleviate poverty and create wealth. Motsa said the support of local businesses would go a long way in stimulating the economy because the money will circulate locally. MBABANE Dr Edmund Mazibuko, the Registrar of the Examinations Council of Eswatini, has a lot of explaining to do. Parents of pupils enrolled at Masibekela High School want him to clarify how pupils who sat for the 2017 Form V final examinations were scored on the Agriculture subject because of reports that the learners papers got lost and were never marked. The parents became emotional on Thursday during the schools end-of-year meeting when Principal Enock Dlamini reported to them how the Exams Council hid the issue from him until he discovered from secondary sources that there was an anomaly in the pupils results. The Times SUNDAY has learnt that Mazibuko was this week summoned to the Ministry of Education and Training to explain what happened to the pupils exam scripts and how learners were scored in the absence of the papers. This was after this publication ran an article on November 25, 2018 exposing the disappearance of the scripts and stating that there was compelling evidence to suggest that the 2017 Form V final examination results were not a true reflection of the pupils performance. given false grades It was reported that the pupils were unknowingly given false grades for the subjects whose scripts were never marked because they got lost under mysterious circumstances. On Friday, this publication had an interview with Mazibuko, who conceded that at least eight components of the exam papers got lost and were never recovered. By components, he was referring to Paper I, II or III of a particular subject. The papers did arrive here at council, but they then got lost as we couldnt locate them when time for marking came, he said. He said there was evidence in the form of CCTV footage showing that the papers arrived but there was none to show how they disappeared. By Trend Iranian President Hassan Rouhani predicted a deluge of drugs, refugees and attacks on the West if U.S. sanctions weaken Irans ability to contain them, Reuters reports. I warn those who impose sanctions that if Irans ability to fight drugs and terrorism are affected ... you will not be safe from a deluge of drugs, asylum seekers, bombs and terrorism, Rouhani said in a speech carried live on state television. Separately, Foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted as saying that the United States is selling more arms into the Middle East than the region needs, making it a tinderbox. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran in May and reimposed sanctions on Irans vital oil industry last month. Drug trafficking is a serious challenge for Iran as it borders Afghanistan - the worlds largest opium producer - and Pakistan, a major transit country for drugs. We spend $800 million a year to fight drugs which ensures the health of nations stretching from of Eastern Europe to the American West and North Africa to West Asia. Imagine what a disaster there would be if there is a breach in the dam, Rouhani said. In 2012, Iran accounted for two thirds of the worlds opium seizures and one fourth of the worlds heroin and morphine seizures, a U.N. report published in 2014 showed. We have been just as determined in the fight against terrorism ... sacrificing hundreds of valuable troops and spending millions of dollars annually, Rouhani said. We dont expect the West to pay their share, but they should know that sanctions hurt Irans capacity to fight drugs and terrorism, Rouhani added. Iran, a key supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in Syrias civil war, has sent military advisers as well as materiel and regional Shiite militias to fight militant groups. In Iraq, Iranian-backed militias and their Iranian advisers helped Iraq defeat Islamic State. Economic terrorism means creating horror in a country and create fear in other countries that intend to invest (there). Americas withdrawal from the (nuclear accord) is undoubtedly a clear example of economic terrorism, Rouhani told a meeting of heads of parliaments of China, Russia, and four other countries. More than 700,000 undocumented Afghans have returned from Iran this year as the Iranian economy tightens, according to data from the U.N.s migration agency, and Iranian media said some Afghans were seeking to enter Turkey to reach Europe. Zarif warned about the dangers of large U.S. arms sales in the Middle East, where Irans regional rival Saudi Arabia is a major buyer of Western weapons. The Americans have turned the region into a tinderbox. The level of arms sales by the Americans is unbelievable and much beyond regional needs and this points to the very dangerous policies followed by the Americans, IRNA reported Zarif as saying. I work at McDonalds and Im currently in school for network security, my co worker asked me if I could take a look at her "laptop" to see what the issue was. She said that it told her to insert a book disk everytime she turned it on. So I assumed that she somehow went into the BIOS and changed the boot priority, and messed something up. She gives me it, and when you turn it on, you're prompted to enter in a password that leads you straight into the bios. You don't see an ASUS logo or anything. Once in the BIOS, you don't have access to everything either. You can only access certain things. I can't access the boot priority, can't change anything. I've tried all solutions online, but can't seem to find any. Any thoughts or troubleshoot solutions I should try? Oman Cement Company (OCC), a cement manufacturing firm, plans to go ahead with the establishment of an integrated cement project in the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with an investment of around $212 million, said a report. This follows the companys board approval for the venture, the partly state-owned listed company revealed in a filing to the Capital Market Authority (CMA) last week, added the Oman Daily Observer report. OCC is going ahead alone in the development of a cement plant in Duqm, a departure from an earlier strategy to set up the project in joint venture with Raysut Cement Company, the sultanates largest cement producer. The company also revealed that the projects implementation process is being finalised by the company and shareholders will be informed of the progress in due course. Two cranes provided by Saudi Arabia, have arrived in Aden and Mukalla ports in Yemen. The cranes have been funded by the Saudi Fund for Development, through Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operation Support Center, said a Saudi Press Agency report. This grant comes as part of the comprehensive humanitarian operations plan in Yemen, which supports the United Nations Humanitarian Response Plan in Yemen 2018. Two cranes will be installed in Aden Port and one in Mukalla Port. The 10th anniversary of the Austrian-Turkmen society was celebrated in Ashgabat with a gala concert of the Turkmen-Austrian symphony orchestra Galkynysh (Revival) directed by Professor Wolfgang Harrer. Young Austrian musicians, winners of music contests who perform in leading Viennese orchestras arrived in the Turkmen capital to participate in the concert. The orchestra performed the compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven, Camille Saint-Saens, Cesar Franck, Johann Strauss, Nury Kalmamedov and other composers. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 China wants fair polls in Bangladesh Dhaka, Dec 8 ( UNI) Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Zhang Zuo on Saturday hoped that the next national election in Bangladesh, scheduled for 30 December, will go very well and smooth, saying that China will deepen its ties with Bangladesh on all fronts. We hope, youll have a very smooth election. Bangladeshis and political parties can have that (well and smooth polls), he told reporters after attending Cosmos Dialogue on Bangladesh-China relations in the city. The Chinese ambassador, who attended the dialogue as the chief guest, said the two countries will further deepen political, economic and people-to-people relationship. China will remain a development partner of Bangladesh, he said. On Rohingya issue, he said China wants to play a constructive role in this regard. Cosmos Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bangladeshi conglomerate Cosmos Group, hosted the symposium titled Bangladesh-China Relations: Prognosis for the Future at a city hotel. Experts from both Bangladesh and China attended the symposium and assessed the Bangladesh-China relationship in the present context and identified the challenges and opportunities. Chairman of Cosmos Foundation Enayetullah Khan delivered the welcome speech. Principal research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore and a former adviser to Bangladeshs previous caretaker government Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury chaired the session. The symposium was part of the Cosmos Foundations Dialogue series, in which a high-level expert panel was tasked with tackling a particularly pressing issue of the day, followed by the participation of an informed and engaging audience. Bangladesh suspends entry of travelers from South Africa over new COVID-19 variant 27 Nov 2021 | 10:41 PM Dhaka, Nov 27 (UNI/Xinhua) Bangladesh on Saturday suspended entry of travelers from South Africa amid the spread of a new variant of COVID-19. see more.. Indian IT major HCL opens new facility in Colombo, to accommodate 4,000 employees 27 Nov 2021 | 10:40 PM Colombo/New Delhi, Nov 27 (UNI) Leading Indian IT firm HCL Technologies (HCL) opened its new facility in the Sri Lankan capital at the state-of-the-art Cinnamon Life complex. The new facility will be HCL's largest in Sri Lanka, accommodating 4,000 employees. see more.. South Africa to share Omicron strain samples with foreign biosecurity bodies - Official 27 Nov 2021 | 9:38 PM Johannesburg, Nov 27 (UNI/Sputnik) - South Africa will share the samples of the new Omicron coronavirus variant with biosecurity agencies of other nations, the director of the country's Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation, Tulio de Oliveira, said on Saturday. see more.. Two workers die in accident preparing Spanish stadium for cup game 27 Nov 2021 | 9:32 PM Madrid, Nov 27 (UNI/Xinhua) Two workers have died at the La Solana football ground in the town of Marchamalo in central Spain after an accident as they were preparing the ground for a Copa del Rey knockout game next Tuesday. see more.. Lavrov describes Kazakhstans switch to latin-based alphabet as countrys sovereign right Moscow, Dec 9 (Sputnik) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Kazakhstans switch to a Latin-based alphabet was a sovereign right of the country, and it was not for Moscow to comment on that. "This is a sovereign decision of Kazakhstan and its leadership. If it feels that it is in the interests of the people of Kazakhstan, we cannot make any comments in this regard. It is your sovereign right," Lavrov said in an interview with Kazakhstans Khabar Agency. In Otober 2017, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree on the Kazakh alphabets gradual switch from the Cyrillic script to a Latin one by 2025. Gao, Nalo visit under-construction Greenfield Airport project 27 Nov 2021 | 9:55 PM Itanagar, Nov 27 (UNI) Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Tapir Gao, who is also a member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Civil Aviation, along with the states Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Nakap Nalo on Saturday visited the under-construction Greenfield Airport at Hollongi near here to take stock of its work progress, official sources said. see more.. Experts suggest a comprehensive ban on Tobacco advertisement, single stick of cigarettes 27 Nov 2021 | 9:52 PM Sambalpur, Nov 27 (UNI) Experts at a workshop on tobacco control among youth suggested to raise permissible legal age of sale of tobacco products to 21 years, adopt comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and promotion and ban on sale of single stick of cigarettes/bidis Representatives from National Service Scheme (NSS) of over 17 universities and youth leaders from universities and colleges from across Odisha, participated in the workshop organized by Sambalpur University . see more.. Naveen announces coffee plantation over additional 5000 hectares of land in Koraput 27 Nov 2021 | 9:51 PM Bhubaneswar, Nov 27 (UNI) With Koraput coffee creating a new brand in the coffee market, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced to bring additional 5,000 hectares of land under coffee plantation in Koraput district. see more.. LF announces its list of candidates for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls 27 Nov 2021 | 9:50 PM Kolkata, Nov 27 (UNI) The Left Front has announced its list of candidates for Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) polls and stuck to its Assembly poll strategy of fielding young faces and women. see more.. Jolly Calle, A Swedish Tale of Being Happy Within and Without Adapted from the Swedish Folktale written by Helena Nyblom. There was once a young man called Jolly Calle, who really couldn't help being happy. Although he was poor and orphaned, he did not want pity. On the contrary, he was quite pleased with his lot in life. If someone thought Algonac and Clay Township have joined the growing number of local governments across the state passing measures to keep marijuana-related businesses from opening in their communities. We need to protect our city, and I believe right now thats what were doing, Algonac City Council member Corey Blair said. Under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, communities that do not wish to allow marijuana businesses must act to prohibit them. It is a reversal of the way marijuana businesses have been treated under the states medicinal marijuana law. Local governments that did not want dispensaries or other related businesses opening in their communities did not need to take any action to exclude them. Only communities wishing to allow marijuana-related businesses had to pass opt-in measures. The Clay Township Board of Trustees and Algonac City Council both adopted measures prohibiting the establishment of marijuana businesses under the act, which legalizes recreational use for adults and establishes a framework for taxing marijuana sales. The law went into effect Dec. 6. With specific regulations governing retail sales, production and distribution expected to take a year or more to finalize, uncertainty is driving local leaders to support opting out of the law despite financial incentives for communities that allow marijuana businesses. As much as the city council would not want to prohibit any new businesses from coming into our city, we need to understand that there is a very grey area here, at least currently, Blair said. This lets us opt out for now, and as the regulations change the ordinance can be changed, as well. In Algonac, the emergency ordinance prohibiting marijuana-related businesses passed with a 6-0 vote. Council member Helen Meldrum was absent. The Clay Township ordinance also passed with unanimous support. Clay Township Supervisor Artie Bryson raised other concerns about the promises being made to communities that decide to allow marijuana-related businesses under Proposal 1. Everyone says it is going to be a windfall of cash for the municipalities, Bryson said. Not so much for the locals. The law lays out a division of tax revenues generated by legal marijuana sales which includes a 1.5 percent for communities that are home to marijuana businesses. Supporters of the proposal pointed to the $247 million in marijuana tax revenues Colorado collected in 2017 as the potential benefit of the new law, but the proposal set the tax rate for Michigans recreational marijuana sales at 16 percent. Colorado imposes a 30 percent tax on pot sales. That lower tax rate weakened the incentive for communities to allow marijuana businesses. The money that were going to get back is so miniscule compared to what communities in Colorado and Washington have seen, Marine City Mayor Dave Vandenbossche said. Marine City took a different approach to the same uncertainty, delaying action until more information becomes available. At their Dec. 6 meeting, the city commission discussed the implications of legalization and the potential tax incentives for allowing marijuana-related businesses in the community. Attorney Robert Davis outlined the state of the law so far, including the aspects of operation that cities can and cannot regulate. The state has one year from today to develop and implement and accept applications for these types of facilities, Davis said. Although he urged the city to get out ahead of the regulatory framework by deciding their position well in advance of that one-year deadline, he did not present the issue as requiring immediate action. He provided a draft prohibition ordinance to the commission but also discussed the potential decisions involved in allowing marijuana businesses in the city. I do think were going to get more information in the new year as the new legislature is seated, Davis said. That information may be cause for further action in communities that passed preemptive prohibition ordinances. Like the Algonac City Council, the Clay Township Board signaled a willingness to revisit the prohibition as more information becomes available about how the marijuana industry will be regulated in Michigan. I dont have a lot of confidence in the state coming up with good rules and guidelines in the near future, Bryson said. Until there is a more definite set of rules in place, maybe we can bring it back to look at it then. As the regulatory framework becomes clearer, local leaders may face increasing public pressure to allow marijuana businesses. Voters in all three communities approved Proposal 1, with 56 percent approval in Clay Township, 60 percent in Algonac and 61 percent in Marine City. Colleen Kowalewski is a staff writer for The Voice. She can be contacted at 586-273-6197 or ckowalewski@digitalfirstmedia.com. By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 08, 2018 | 10:12 AM | PADUCAH Superior Care Home, an independently owned and operated provider of skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care in Western Kentucky, brought home some awards during a recent state conference. The Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities (KAHCF), the long-term care industrys leading advocacy group in Kentucky, held its annual conference on November 13-15, in Louisville. The conference concluded with its annual Awards Dinner. Superior Care Home Nursing & Rehabilitation was presented with three top awards for their outstanding commitment to quality care and leadership in the industry. Superior Care was designated as BEST of Kentucky-Top Nursing & Rehabilitation. A recent community event held during National Nursing Home Week was given top honors for BEST Public Relations/Community Event Award. The Director of Nursing for 41 years, Doralyn Warren, was also honored as the BEST Director of Nursing in the state of Kentucky. We are excited to receive these BEST in Kentucky honors, and we are proud of the commitment our care team brings every day, shared Helen Sims, CEO/Owner. Our Director of Nursing, Doralyn Warren, has also been a leader in the nursing profession at the district and state levels and is so deserving of this honor. By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 09, 2018 | 11:13 AM | GRAVES COUNTY Another telephone scam has been reported in Graves County. According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, the scammer calls an individual and tells them they have an active warrant for their arrest in Graves County. The scammer falsely identifies himself by stating that he is a Graves County deputy sheriff and actually uses the name of an actual deputy from the sheriffs office. The scammer then goes on to say that the warrant can be taken care of if the individual will deliver payment over the phone. This is typically done by using some type of money card purchase at local stores. According to police, the number the scammer is calling from is 270-356-8168. If you call this number back, you reach an automated answering system at the "sheriff's department." The answering system has a very in-depth message with many options from which to choose. The Graves County Sheriff's Office has no such line. If you contact the Graves County Sheriff's Office, you will always get a live operator or be re-directed to the voicemail of a live person. If the Graves County Sheriff's Office does contact you over the phone about an outstanding warrant or any other matter, they will never ask for any type of payment. Bonds on warrants can only be paid through the Graves County Jail or the Graves County Circuit Court Clerks Office. If you receive one of these scam phone calls, please disconnect immediately and contact the sheriffs office at 270-247-4501. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Motorists urged to secure vehicles and hide valuables away in bid to reduce crime this Christmas This article is old - Published: Sunday, Dec 9th, 2018 Motorists are being urged to ensure their vehicles are secure and valuable items are not left on display in a bid to reduce crime in the build-up to Christmas. The warning from North Wales Police comes off the back of a series of thefts from insecure vehicles in the Caernarfon area. Now North Wales Crime Prevention Officer Norman Hughes is urging members of the public to double check their cars and vans before they leave them unattended. He explained Its about educating vehicle owners. It is not uncommon during busy periods such as Christmas for this to happen and opportunist thieves will be aware of the fact especially when items are left on display. It only takes seconds to double check that your vehicle is locked, windows are tightly closed, and that valuable items are either removed or hidden out of sight. Thefts from vehicles is a long standing problem and will continue until owners take personal responsibility of their possessions. We are committed to preventing crime, which means fewer victims. If you have any information relating to vehicle crime please contact North Wales Police on 101 or contact the control room direct via the online webchat system. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. Pupils air environmental concerns to North Wales AM This article is old - Published: Sunday, Dec 9th, 2018 Plastic waste and traffic congestion in Llangollen were high on the agenda when primary school pupils met with regional Assembly Member Llyr Gruffydd last week week. Members of the School Council, Eco Council, Road Safety Group and Welsh Language Charter group at Ysgol y Gwernant, Llangollen, invited Mr Gruffydd for a meeting to discuss their concerns. Mr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymrus North Wales AM, gave a brief presentation of his work as an Assembly Member before listening to the pupils. The pupils of Ysgol y Gwernant were intelligent and eloquent, with a real concern about current affairs and issues. The waste and damage caused by Single-Use Plastics was a real worry for them, said Mr Gruffydd. They were interested to hear that Plaid Cymru on Denbighshire Council are running a campaign to make the county a Single-Use Plastic-Free Council and theres a strong local campaign in Llangollen as well. We agreed to write to the Welsh Government and Denbighshire County Council expressing their concerns. They also had concerns about the congestion and safety on Castle Street. This has been an ongoing concern for some time and its obvious that it impacts on the quality of life of people of all ages in the town. I know that the Town Council has an initiative to try to tackle this and the County Council has allocated some funds to this end, but its obvious that the children in the area feel that something should be done soon. Its always a pleasure to talk to children about the issues that affect them. Far too often adults carry a lot of baggage with them and can make matters unnecessarily complicated. It was refreshing to hear the views of the younger generation. Even though they arent eligible to vote yet, Im there to represent them as much as everybody else in the area. Ysgol y Gwernant is an excellent school and they obviously take their responsibilities seriously. There was a lovely environment there and it was a real pleasure to visit. PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) - An Air Force base that is recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Michael could be getting 72 new fighter planes. The Panama City News Herald reports that three squadrons of F-35 fighter jets are expected to come to Tyndall Air Force Base by 2023. Each squadron has 24 planes. U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn tells the News Herald that the number of new airmen coming to the base is unknown but it could be more than 2,000 airmen. The Category 4 hurricane heavily damaged Tyndall Air Force Base Oct. 10. Tyndall was evacuated before the storm and personnel have been returning over the past several weeks. Dunn says the F-35 jets are a fifth-generation fighter aircraft and "more capable electronically" than other aircraft. ___ Information from: The (Panama City, Fla.) News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.) GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida fire Marshal's office is investigating a fire that broke out Friday night in Greensboro. Authorities say it destroyed an auto service shop on 10th Street. The Greensboro Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call about a building engulfed in flames late Friday night. The Sheriff's Office said the state fire Marshal's office is now in charge of the investigation. Greensboro Fire said at this time the investigation remains open and ongoing. A final determination into the cause, nature and origin of the fire remains under current investigation. According to Greensboro Fire, damages sustained from the fire were estimated at around $75,000. GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - Authorities say Flat Creek Road has been closed due to flooding that appears to be washing away the road. According to the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office the Flat Creek Road between I-10 and Greensboro Highway has been closed due to flooding. Deputies say the road appears to be washing away down by the creek. The Chattahoochee I-10 exit is not accessible from Chattahoochee unless coming from Greensboro side. Authorities are not sure when it will reopen. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) Tallahassee Police have identified the person who assaulted a 10-year girl at Fun Station as a 14-year-old boy. TPD said the boy assaulted the girl while she was playing laser tag with friends on the night of Nov. 30. The 14-year-old has not been identified. No other details are being released at this time. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) Tallahassee police have released a photo of a man accused of attacking a 10-year-old girl during a birthday party at Fun Station. The child's family told WTXL the man grabbed the girl while she was playing laser tag with friends on Friday night. She was able to pull away, but the man reportedly slapped her in the face and called her the "N" word and the "B" word. The family did not want to talk on camera about the incident. But family friend Tracey Davis said they want the man held accountable. "It's not okay to slap somebody's child. It's not okay to call a child those type of words. It's just not okay," said Davis. It's not okay to hit somebody's child and get away with it and walk off and have nothing done. I think he needs to be arrested, and he needs to understand what he's done to that child." WTXL also reached out to Fun Station about the incident. The general manager sent this statement: "Fun Station is aware of the incident that took place Friday night and is assisting TPD with video and images of the people involved. Anyone with helpful information is invited to contact TPD directly as their investigation continues." Tallahassee police say this is an open and active investigation. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department is looking for a man who assaulted a child at Fun Station while playing laser tag. TPD's Juvenile Services Unit is investigating a battery that happened on Nov. 30 at Fun Station. TPD said the suspect is believed to have battered a child while playing laser tag. If you have any information on the suspect, please contact TPD at 850-891-4978. In a statement, Joe Pulte, General Manager at Fun Station said: "Fun Station is aware of the incident that took place Friday night and is assisting TPD with video and images of the people involved. Anyone with helpful information is invited to contact TPD directly are their investigation continues." A Syrian Kurdish woman cries as she hugs the tombstone of a slain Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter at a cemetery in the northeastern city of Qamishli on Dec. 6, 2018. (AFP photo) ANKARA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Neither of the peace processes for Syria were successful because of refusal by Damascus, the U.S. Special Representative for Syria, James Jeffrey, said here on Friday. He elaborated on U.S. call for the Astana process - the three-way negotiations between Turkey, Russia and Iran - to be brought to an end after a joint meeting with Turkish officials where efforts for political solution of Syria issue were also discussed. "It's our strong belief that it is the regime (of Syria). It's not Astana or Sochi process, not Russians, not Iranians. It certainly isn't the Turks, they have taken very good position ... But at the end of this period, we have to ask the question, what is next?" he added. Washington had "no problem" with Astana and Sochi processes as they aimed "deconflicting the military situation in Syria," Jeffrey said. His criticism was about tasking new appointed UN representative for Syria with a constitutional committee that was pledged to be formed till the end of December. UN Special Envoy for Syria, Steffan De Mistura, is due to give his final report to the UN Security Council on Dec. 14 as Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen has been named to succeed him. "Nobody has been successful. We expect the UN to explain why all of these efforts were failed. We think the answer is the total refusal of the regime of Damascus to move to the slightest degree to respond to the urgent appeals of the entire international community," said Jeffrey. Jeffrey was referring to a recent round of Astana talks last week which failed to form a Syria constitutional committee. Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, criticized Jeffrey's statement, saying it was "wrongful" and "unfortunate." "If the ceasefire in Syria is still preserved even due to violations, if today we can still talk about a political process, if we discuss about the constitutional committee, there are achieved thanks to Astana process and Sochi," Cavusoglu said on Dec. 5. He noted that Turkey never allowed Astana and Sochi platforms to become an alternative to Geneva process. The Astana process was launched by Russia, Iran and Turkey in the Kazakh capital Astana in January 2017 to bring all warring parties in the Syrian conflict to the table to find a political solution as a complementary part of the UN sponsored peace talks in Geneva. The most significant outcome was the establishment of four de-escalation zones in Syria. Idlib, the last stronghold of the opposition, is one of the "de-escalation zones" in Syria. The other three have all been violated. The Russian-sponsored Sochi conference in January, 2018 brought the opposition groups, Syrian regime and guarantors of Astana process together. A decision was taken to form a committee to make a Syrian constitution with the efforts of UN special envoy for Syria, but he was not able to realize the committee mainly by the objection of the Syrian government. The constitutional committee is expected to include 150 members, equally divided into three groups, one chosen by the government, the second by the opposition and the third by UN special envoy for Syria. The regime is objecting the third list that the UN is tasked with to include civil society representatives, religious and tribal leaders, experts and women in the committee. Mistura on Friday said he is seeking to help get an agreement with Syria on the final names that needed on the list for the constitutional committee. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 01:34:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) militants managed on Saturday to push back the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from a key town in eastern Syria after months-long battles, a war monitor reported. With the bad weather conditions in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour Province in eastern Syria, IS militants launched a counter-attack against the SDF in the town of Hajin, capturing much of the town from the Kurdish-led forces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The IS counter-attack killed 56 IS militants and 44 SDF fighters, the watchdog said. Over the past two days, the SDF, backed by the U.S.-led airstrikes, had already captured 70 percent of Hajin, the most important IS stronghold on the eastern bank of Euphrates River in eastern Deir al-Zour. However, the intensity of mines planted by the IS made it difficult for the SDF to hold their positions in the town despite the heavy shelling and airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, according to the London-based watchdog. A day earlier, state news agency SANA said the intense U.S.-led airstrikes destroyed the only hospital in Hajin and killed eight civilians. The U.S.-led coalition has been targeting the last vestige of IS territory on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour as part of the support to the Kurdish-led SDF militia. The SDF, with the backing of U.S.-led airstrikes, launched a campaign to defeat the IS on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River since Sept. 10. A total of 849 IS militants and 508 SDF fighters have since been killed, according to a report released by the Observatory on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 02:14:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close AMMAN, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Saturday warned against any decline in international aid to support the Syrian refugees and their host countries. The warning was issued by Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi during his meeting with EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides in the capital Amman. It is essential to provide Jordan with needed support to help the kingdom overcome the burden of hosting 1.3 million Syrian refugees, around 90 percent of whom live outside refugee camps, Safadi said. The only solution to the Rukban camp for Syrian refugees, which is located in the Syrian territory, is to secure their safe return to their cities and towns, the minister noted. He said the international community should shoulder its responsibilities in the issue of Syrian refugees. Meanwhile, Safadi reiterated the need for a political solution in Syria that ensures the unity of all Syrians and the territorial integrity of the country. Discussions also focused on regional issues including the need to end the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory on the basis of the two-state solution that leads to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. For his part, Stylianides voiced appreciation for Jordan's efforts and services provided for the Syrian refugees. Jordan is a strategic partner of the EU in the region and the EU will continue to support the Arab kingdom, the EU official said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 02:44:38|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Libyan navy on Saturday said 10 illegal immigrants were rescued and two bodies were recovered on a wooden boat that had carried 22 in total off the country's western coast. "A 6-meter long wooden boat lost at sea for 12 days has been found. The boat had carried 22 illegal immigrants who departed from the city of Sabratha," the Libyan navy's information office said in a statement. "There were 12 on the boat when it was found: two dead and 10 alive. The surviving illegal immigrants, including one woman, were rescued by the police and a red crescent team," the statement added. The navy statement did not reveal details about the fate of the rest who were on the boat. Libya, particularly the western region, is a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe, due to the insecurity in the country since the fall of the late leader Gaddafi's regime in 2011. Smugglers take advantage of the state of chaos in Libya to send thousands of illegal immigrants in rickety boats to Europe, many of whom drown on the way. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 03:49:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin delivers a speech during the third annual gala and award ceremony of the CGCC-Houston in Houston, Texas, the United States, Dec. 7, 2018. Bilateral economic cooperation between the United States and China was emphasized by political and business leaders at a gathering Friday evening in Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. More than 300 officials and business executives of Chinese and American companies attended the third annual gala and award ceremony of the China General Chamber of Commerce-Houston (CGCC-Houston). (Xinhua/Liu Liwei) HOUSTON, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Bilateral economic cooperation between the United States and China was emphasized by political and business leaders at a gathering Friday evening in Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. More than 300 officials and business executives of Chinese and American companies attended the third annual gala and award ceremony of the China General Chamber of Commerce-Houston (CGCC-Houston). Delivering a speech, Chinese Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin said China and the United States are going to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. "Facts have proven that cooperation is the best option for both sides, and win-win can lead to a better future," he said. He also encouraged the Chinese business community in the United States to expand their business and fulfill their social responsibilities. David J. Firestein, president and CEO of George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations and inaugural executive director of China Public Policy Center in the University of Texas at Austin, said his organizations want to "advance a constructive vision for the relationship that is focused on action solving real problems." "Despite real differences, the United States and China actually do have much in common and much to work on together," he said, adding the business community in the United States and China are going to lead the way to get U.S -China relationship "back to where it needs to be for both countries to proper and benefit from it." At the gala, PetroChina International (America) Inc. won the Outstanding Member Award. Ernst & Yong and Sanhua international Inc. shared the Outstanding Community Champion Award, while China Communications Construction (USA) Inc. and Satellite Petrochemical USA Corp. were named the Most Influential Company of the Year. Before the gala, "Better Angels", a documentary produced by American and Chinese filmmakers, was screened. Directed by Oscar-winning director Malcolm Clarke, "Better Angels" features stories of several Chinese and American individuals who it called "accidental diplomats." Founded in 2005, CGCC has been recognized as the largest and most influential non-profit organization representing Chinese enterprises in the United States. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 05:00:06|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Protesters of the "yellow vests" clash with police during a demonstration in downtown Brussels, Belgium, Dec. 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan) BRUSSELS, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Around 450 people have been temporarily detained here on Saturday after police forces clashed with around 1,000 "yellow vest" protesters who turned violent. Six people have been arrested, according to the federal prosecutor's office. Earlier in the afternoon, Belgian police confronted hordes of yellow-vested protesters who were calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel and attempting to enter the European quarter of Brussels. Police used pepper spray on a small group of men who threw street signs, bottles and other objects as they tried to break through a barricade near the European Parliament. Walking behind a banner marked "Social Winter Is Coming", the protesters chanted "(French President Emmanuel) Macron, Michel, resign!" Throughout the day, Belgian police resorted to firing tear gas and water cannons at protesters near government offices and parliament. The protesters allegedly threw paving stones, fireworks, flares and other objects at police. The area where European institutions including the offices of the European Commission and the European Parliament are located was sealed off as a precautionary measure. Saturday's protest is a spill-over of the "yellow vest" movement in France which originally started as a protest against planned increases in fuel prices but has since morphed into a mass protest about multiple economic and social issues. Over the past weeks it has spread to neighbouring countries including Belgium and the Netherlands. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 06:30:27|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close ALGIERS, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative will prompt Algeria to increase and upgrade its transport logistics platforms to benefit from the expected growing traffic from global trade, said experts and authorities Saturday. The initiative was in the center of discussions at the Third International Symposium on Trans Logistics, Transit and Storage of Goods opened Saturday in the Algerian capital city of Algiers. Experts and authorities at the meeting agreed that the main challenges confronting Algeria after joining the initiative are speeding up the process of developing and modernizing transport logistics platforms and reducing transport costs of goods to make them more competitive in foreign markets. In his opening notes at the conference, Algerian Transport and Public Works Minister, Abdelghani Zalene, said that the Algerian government has engaged in building more transport logistics platforms, using the huge investments in infrastructures, equipment and human resources. The government's strategy aims at interconnecting all transport logistics platforms together, to facilitate the transport of goods and ultimately reduce the transport costs from the current 35 percent to 15 percent by 2025, he added. He further said that "we are glad to join the initiative, in which China will share its experience and know-hows with the African continent, including Algeria, as part of a global developing process." For his part, Abdelaziz Saoudi, a senior official at the Highway Management Company, hailed the Belt and Road Initiative as an "integrated approach gathering countries with a population of over 4 billion people, and over 60 percent of the world's GDP." Saoudi noted that thanks to the initiative, Algeria has been constructing mega infrastructure projects that are expected to attract global containers traffic, including its 1,200-km East-West highway, the trans-Saharan road, the North-South highway, and the central mega port of El Hamdania in Tipaza province. However, economist Abdelmalek Serrai suggested that the authorities need to "redouble efforts in building more transport logistics platforms and modernizing the existing ones in a bid to make them fit to attract maritime containers traffic heading towards African countries, while offering modern logistics platforms, either railways or roads." Director General of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) in Algeria, He Huaidong, said that the Belt and Road Initiative offers opportunities for communities around the world to develop their economies through win-win processes. He noted that CRBC has contributed, so far, to building mega infrastructure projects in several African countries that will help boost local economies, calling on Algeria and its bordering nations "to come together around a united strategy to facilitate the movement of goods and people across their borders, to benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative." This year celebrates the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Algeria and China. China has been the major economic partner of Algeria in the last five years, with the bilateral trade volume reaching some 9 billion U.S. dollars a year. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 06:35:28|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Eric J. Lyman ROME, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The 500th anniversary of the death of Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci is causing an unexpected turf war between the two countries the artist called home. Italy and France, the two neighbors in Europe have been known in recent years for clashing over policies on migration, populism, economics, and their roles in the European Union. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini even traded barbs recently about what's going on in the other country. Now, the two countries are at odds over which of them should celebrate the anniversary of the death of da Vinci, the famed painter, sculptor, writer, inventor, scientist and mathematician. The polymath's full name, Leonardo da Vinci, is Italian for "Leonardo from Vinci", named after the town where he was born in 1452, just outside Florence in what is now Italy. He died 67 years later in Amboise, southwest of the French capital of Paris where he lived for three years. Eight of da Vinci's 15 known masterpieces are in Italy. But Louvre owns five of his paintings, more than any other museum. Among them is the "Gioconda" -- best known as the "Mona Lisa" -- the most famous of da Vinci's works. It is the Louvre that first planned to commemorate the 500th anniversary of da Vinci, who died in 1519. A year ago, the world's largest museum struck an agreement with the Italian government for several of da Vinci's works housed in Uffizi Galleries in Florence and elsewhere in the country to be loaned to it for a special exhibit to mark the quincentennial. The event is scheduled to open on Oct. 24, 2019. But the new Italian government, in power since June, wants to renege on that agreement. "The deal with the Louvre is unfair, unbelievable," said Lucia Borgonzoni, an under-secretary with Italy's Ministry of Culture. "I respect the autonomy of museums, but national interests cannot be put in second place. The French can't have everything. Why don't they loan us the 'Mona Lisa' instead?" The agreement was struck by Dario Franceschini, minister of culture from 2014 until earlier this year. In return, the Louvre promised to loan Italy several paintings by another Renaissance master, Raphael, in order to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his death, in 2020. But Borgonzoni scoffed at that idea: "Most of Raphael's paintings are already in Italy," she said. Borgonzoni said the ministry only became aware of the agreement between the two countries after it began organizing its own celebrations for the anniversary of da Vinci's death. Luca Martucci, a tourism industry consultant and commentator about the clash over da Vinci's works, agreed with Borgonzoni's views on the topic. "Look, Leonardo was Italian," Martucci told Xinhua. "Italy has to learn to market itself better. The anniversary of Leonardo's death could attract many tourists to Italy. I respect the French, but Italy cannot just hand that kind of an event away." Luca Desiata, an art curator and a former professor of art management at Rome's LUISS University, said the decision over whether or not museums should loan each other paintings should not be made based on politics but rather on what is best for the paintings themselves. "The fact is that these highly important, 500-year-old paintings should not be moved," Desiata said in an interview. "A museum can simply not run the risk that the works could be damaged during transport." Those in favor of the loans note that "Annunciation", one of the masterpieces in the Uffizi Museum painted by a young da Vinci and his teacher Andrea del Verrocchio, was loaned to the Tokyo National Museum in Japan in 2007. At that time, dozens of Italian art patrons chained themselves to the gates of the Uffizi in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the transfer. The museum's director at the time spoke out against it. But in the end the loan was completed without incident. Eike Schmidt, current director of the Uffizi Galleries, said the museum is mulling the possibility of loaning the French museum several Leonardo drawings and perhaps some of his minor works, but was against loaning "Annunciation" or the two other major da Vinci works to the Louvre. Schmidt, a German national, told journalists last month that in 2017, when the three works were moved up one flight of stairs in the Uffizi, so many precautions were taken that it seemed like "an expedition up Mount Everest, or a trip to the moon." He said the paintings were "far too fragile" to be shipped to France. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 07:00:31|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel announced on Saturday that the Flemish right-wing party N-VA has quit the 'Swedish' coalition after disagreement concerning the United Nations Global Migration Compact. Michel held a press conference on Saturday following threats from Bart De Wever's N-VA to leave the government if the prime minister maintained his decision to join other heads of state in Marrakech, Morocco. The 'Swedish' coalition includes the liberal parties (MR and Open Vld, blue), the Flemish nationalist party (N-VA, yellow) and the Flemish Christian Democratic party (CD&V, a cross), hence the reference to the Swedish flag, which consists of a yellow cross on a blue background. The prime minister said he "took note of the departure of the N-VA from the 'Swedish' majority" and announced that he will replace the outgoing ministers with two secretaries of state. "A formal decision was taken in June," said Michel about Belgium's commitment to the UN international collaboration on migration. "I engaged our country based on this decision at the UN forum. In the parliamentary debate on Thursday, it was voted by a very large majority to follow this international cooperation," he added. "I thank the N-VA ministers for the gigantic work done in the interest of Belgium (...) I will appoint two secretaries of state to replace the government ministers." Supported by other coalition parties such as the MR, the CD&V and the Open Vld, the prime minister has made the decision to continue to support the UN's proposed pact on migration. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 08:04:56|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close Employees are seen at the rebel-held Sanaa International Airport in Sanaa, Yemen, on Dec. 8, 2018. A Yemeni government official said on Friday that a number of conditions should be set for the reopening of the Sanaa International Airport. On Thursday, local media reported that senior Houthi leaders threatened to fully close the Sanaa airport, considered a crucial humanitarian aid gateway and used for the delivery of urgent aid, if their demands are not met. (Xinhua/Hasan Bamashmous) Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 10:10:57|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close YANGON, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A stake driving ceremony has been held in Manaung township, Myanmar's Rakhine stake to build a solar power plant which can supply 24-hour electricity to more than 1,000 households, Myanmar News Agency reported Sunday. The first-phase project was launched on Saturday by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, Rakhine state government and the POSCO Daewoo Corporation of South Korea with the attendance of Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu. The 2.5 million-U.S. dollar project, funded by the South Korean company under its corporate social responsibility scheme, is targeted to be completed by May 2019, Minister of Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing was quoted as saying. More loan is being sought to implement the second phase of the project, which is a diesel and energy saving hybrid system to supply power to 49,000 more households in 57 villages in the township. The third phase is to supply power to the remaining villages in Manaung township. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 10:41:03|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Saturday warned against the closure of Sharara oil field forced by protesters, saying it will harm economy. "National Oil Corporation (NOC) condemns the actions of the Al-Sharara oil field Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), which this morning facilitated a protest at the field and threatened employees to shut down production. NOC and local operator Akakus warn of the devastating consequences of a shutdown, to both the southern region and the wider Libyan economy," NOC said in a statement later on Saturday. The closure of the oil field would cause a decline in Libya's daily oil output by some 315,000 barrels, while another oil field with a daily output of 73,000 barrels has already been closed. The closure means a daily loss of 32.5 million U.S. dollars, said the statement. The oil company expressed deep concern about the "behavior of the PFG at Al-Sharara and those individuals and groups exploiting the suffering of southern Libyans for personal reward." "We strongly condemn this illegal act and warn all parties of the consequence of their actions," said NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla. A group of protesters, who called themselves "Anger of Fezzan (southern Libyan region)," earlier on Saturday forced the closure of Sharara oil field in southern Libya, demanding better conditions, including rebuilding towns affected by armed conflicts and providing liquidity for local banks in the south that lack funds, local media reported. The Sharara oil field, some 750 km southwest of the capital Tripoli, is the largest oil field in Libya. It boasts a daily output of 270,000 barrels of crude oil, more than a quarter of Libya's daily oil production. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 11:01:08|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Borussia Dortmund have emerged as the front-runners to sign highly rated Brazilian midfielder Pedrinho. The German club's representatives have held negotiations with Pedrinho's agent, Will Dantas, and are expected to make a formal offer for the 20-year-old Corinthians player within days, according to Brazilian press reports. "Things will happen when the moment is right," Pedrinho told the Uol news service. "I have spoken with my agent. They are big teams that are interested and you dream of playing with them but for now my focus is on Corinthians." Barcelona and Real Madrid are among a host of other clubs linked to the left-footer, who can play as a No. 10 or in a wide role. Pedrinho, whose contract with Corinthians expires in December 2020, has made 46 Brazilian Serie A appearances for the Sao Paulo club since his 2016 move from Vitoria. Borussia Dortmund currently lead the Bundesliga standings with 11 wins and three draws from 14 matches. The team from western Germany hold a nine-point lead over second-placed Bayern Munich. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 11:16:13|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A floral extravaganza ended Saturday in South Africa's resort town of Parys with Chinese elements being the highlights of the gala. The Free State Madeira Flower Festival, featuring exquisite performers, floats and giant flowers puppets, attracted thousands of visitors from all parts of South Africa and abroad. A special Chinese Cuisine Night, hosted by the Chinese Consulate-General in Johannesburg and local enterprises and communities, was an eye-catcher of the two-day festival. Presented at the event were Various Chinese foods, traditional songs and dances from both countries, Chinese martial arts and a spectacular fireworks show. Cultural communications will take on a bigger role in developing bilateral relations, promoting mutual understanding and trust and building bridges of friendship and cooperation, said Chinese Consul General in Johannesburg Ruan Ping. "To make the South African culture a part of the Chinese people's life and to have the Chinese culture understood and adopted by the South African friends are the theme of this Chinese Cuisine Night," he noted. It is the second time that a fully-fledged, massive flower parade has taken to the streets in Parys, according to the organizer. The festival is a joint venture between the governments of the Free State and Portugal's Madeira Island. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 12:31:23|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were injured in a bomb blast in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi late Saturday, local media reported. According to reports, the blast took place near a religious ceremony being held in the Gulistan-e-Johar area of Karachi, the provincial capital of southern Sindh province. Local Urdu TV channel ARY News reported that some miscreants riding a motorbike threw cracker bomb near the venue and fled away. The ceremony was organized by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a political party mainly based in Karachi. MQM-P's spokesperson Aminul Haq told local media that six party workers were injured in the attack, but the party's leaders remained safe in the attack. Following the explosion, security personnel cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to arrest the culprits. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital in the city, where two of them were said to be in a critical condition. No group or individual has claimed the attack yet. Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and directed hospital authorities to provide the best medical treatment to the injured people. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 12:36:24|Editor: Li Xia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 persons, including seven women and two minors, were killed and three others injured in a road mishap in India's southwestern state of Maharashtra, local media reported Sunday. The accident happened in the state's Chandrapur district when a truck rammed into a van carrying the victims late on Saturday night. The ill-fated van was carrying 15 passengers on the Korpana-Wani road. A one-year-old minor escaped unhurt, said local media reports. The injured were admitted to a local hospital, a police official reportedly said, adding that the truck driver fled the scene. Further details of the mishap are awaited. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 13:26:31|Editor: Yang Yi Video Player Close CHONGQING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers are searching for five crew members who went missing after their freighter capsized in a section of the Yangtze River near Wanzhou, Chongqing Municipality, Saturday evening. The accident occurred at about 7 p.m. Saturday. The Yangtze Waterway Bureau and the municipal maritime safety department have sent a team to site of the accident to help with the search and rescue efforts. Cause of the accident is under investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 14:31:38|Editor: Chengcheng Video Player Close GHAZNI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least nine militants have been killed and 15 others arrested as government forces targeted Taliban hideouts in Dehyak district of the eastern Ghazni province on Saturday, spokesman for provincial government Aref Nuri said Sunday. The operation, according to the official, was launched in Sulimanzai village where a gathering of Taliban insurgents was underway, killing 14 insurgents on the spot. After the attack, the security forces arrested 15 suspected insurgents and sent them to concerned authorities for investigation. Meantime, Taliban unseen spokesman Zabihullah Majahid in contact with media has confirmed the operations but said all those killed in the raids were civilians, a claim rebuffed by Nuri, saying all the 14 persons killed during the operations were Taliban fighters. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 15:26:47|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A research center for national park planning has been established in an effort to facilitate the protection of China's nature reserves, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. The research center is located in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, and will be run by the Kunming Prospecting and Designing Institute of the administration. Chief economic engineer Zhang Hongwen of the administration, who doubles as the director of the national park management office, said it was very necessary to set up such a research center, given the need to improve the professional and scientific nature of national park construction and management. With more than 70 researchers specialized in zoology, botany, wetland and nature reserve protection as well as landscaping, the institute has been dedicated to national park research since the 1990s. Its research team has engaged in national park research, resource surveys and overall planning Since 2015, the institute has participated in the design and the early-stage surveying of some 20 national parks in Yunnan, Hainan, Shaanxi, Fujian, Sichuan, Hubei, Shanxi, Jiangxi provinces and Tibet Autonomous Region. Zhang said urged the researchers at the newly established center to stay on top of the needs of China's national park development and conduct in-depth studies on the theories, technical methods, policies and specific practices concerning national park development. China piloted 10 national parks across the country in 2016, some protecting endangered species, some for environmental protection and others dedicated to preserving historic sites like the Great Wall. Under a plan released in 2017, China aims to set up a batch of national parks and form a unified management system by 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 16:16:56|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The 31st fleet from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy has left the port city of Zhanjiang in south China's Guangdong Province for the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia to escort civilian ships. Composed of a landing vessel, a missile frigate and a supply ship, the fleet started its mission Sunday morning. The fleet has 700 officers and soldiers, dozens of special operation soldiers and three helicopters on board. The Chinese Navy began to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia in December 2008. In the past 10 years, the Chinese Navy has sent out 26,000 officers and soldiers, escorted 6,595 ships and successfully rescued or aided more than 60 Chinese and foreign ships. The navy also carried out various other missions, including the evacuation of Chinese nationals from war zones in Libya in 2011 and Yemen in 2015, the search and rescue for the missing Flight MH370 and supplying fresh water to Maldives. People work in a marble and granite factory in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) CAIRO, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- In Shaq al-Thu'ban vast marble and granite industrial cluster near Egyptian capital Cairo's Maadi district, about 40 Chinese and Egyptian cooperative granite factories and 30 marble factories have significantly contributed to boosting the industry in the most populous Arab country. The cluster, which is one of the largest in the Middle East, extends over hundreds of thousands of square meters and hosts hundreds of granite and marble factories and workshops. The industry has further grown over the past decade, with Chinese businesses holding partnerships with their Egyptian counterparts in the well-known cluster. The growing number of Egyptian-Chinese factories in the cluster led to the establishment of China in Egypt Stone Material Association (CESMA), which holds training for Egyptian workers and technicians to be familiar with the Chinese machines and the best ways to increase production. Al-Reda granite factory, one of the largest in Shaq al-Thu'ban with an area of about 15,000 square meters, is an example of the fruitful Chinese-Egyptian partnership in the industry. "The Chinese brought advanced machinery, technology and relevant accessories to this factory in win-win cooperation with its Egyptian owner," said Li Xin, CESMA's deputy chief. A forklift runs in a marble and granite factory in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) "The factory has 28 granite cutting machines that came from China three years ago in addition to a large granite polishing machine. This multiplied production and increased quality," Li told Xinhua inside the large factory. More than 80 percent of the workers in the factory are Egyptians, with a few Chinese technicians who handle the necessary maintenance for the machines and help their Egyptian colleagues with their operation. Ahmed Mokhtar, an Egyptian sales manager in his 20s, said that the entrance of Chinese machines in the industry helped provide more granite production at cheaper prices in the Egyptian market. "In the past, granite used to be large plates but the new cutting machines made it thinner with smaller sizes, which is cheaper and more convenient for customers," Mokhtar said. Mokhtar added that sales of Al-Reda factory have mounted to about 60,000 meters of granite per month. A few kilometers away from Al-Reda, El-Fayrouz marble factory stands on some 8,000 square meters as another model for such cooperation between Egyptian businessmen and Chinese counterparts. People work in a marble and granite factory in Cairo, Egypt, on Dec. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) The factory has 60 workers including 55 Egyptians and five Chinese responsible for technical and managerial work. "We have been working in this factory for five years and our partnership is beneficial to both sides," said Luo Zhiping, manager of El-Fayrouz factory. Luo noted that the Chinese partners brought seven brand new marble gang saw machines and five block cutting machines to the factory that increased production and improved quality. Most of the marble produced by the factory is exported to China, according to the CESMA. Amer Eid, an Egyptian worker, is in charge of the block cutting machines that prepare and resize raw blocks before going through the gang saw machines. The 35-year-old man commended the advanced technology of Chinese machines and their constant maintenance which saves time and money as well as makes work more comfortable and productive. "We as workers like working with the Chinese because of their diligence, commitment, productivity and appreciation of workers," Eid told Xinhua at El-Fayrouz marble factory. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 18:27:11|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have cracked a serious criminal case involving 10 suspects who gathered crowds for illegal demonstrations and assaulting the police in early October in the eastern province of Shandong. Police have charged the suspects with obstructing official business, intentional injury, disrupting public order and causing disturbances. The incident, which took place from Oct. 4 to 7 in Pingdu City of Shandong, saw some 300 people gathered on a local square and some 60 assaulted the police and smashed a police van and three civilian vehicles for about 11 minutes. The rioters used wood sticks, sledgehammer handles, pickaxe handles and dry powder fire extinguishers during the riot. A total of 34 policemen and others were injured during the disturbance, and over 100 business outlets were forced to close, according to authorities. Police later found that the suspects used the Internet and telephones to gather the crowds in the name of "military veterans." They tried to gain support by spreading fake information of being "beaten" by local authorities. Some of the suspects have been detained or imprisoned in the past for obstructing official business, causing disturbances, drug abuse, theft and swindling. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 19:12:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces killed six al-Shabab militants during a joint security operation in Basra, southern Somalia, on Saturday night. "A security operation carried out by the security forces in the Basra area killed six al-Shabab members, and the head of the group was arrested," the National Intelligence and Security Agency said in a statement. The security agency said the militant group was planning to launch an attack in Mogadishu and its environs. The move came as Somalia and African Union peacekeeping troops intensify their onslaught against the al-Qaeda affiliated group in south and central Somalia. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 20:02:24|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close URUMQI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region installed 50 "sleep pods", providing a more comfortable way for passengers to snooze. The sleep pod, 2 meters long, 1.1 meters wide and 1.5 meters tall, allows users to lie flat on a cozy sofa with dimmable lamps, a micro USB and a de-noising stereo. Half an hour costs 25 yuan (about 3.6 U.S. dollars) and users can sleep for at most two hours in the sleep pod. Users simply need to scan a QR code with their phone to pay the fee. The sleep pod creates a more private rest space for transit passengers and those taking early morning flights, said the airport. Sleep pods were launched in China in 2009 and the idea is becoming popular among airports in many Chinese cities and regions. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 20:07:27|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Photo taken on Dec. 6, 2018 shows a shovel truck clearing debris in the old city of Mosul, capital city of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh. A year has passed since Iraq announced full liberation from the Islamic State (IS) militant group, but Iraqis are still desperately struggling to restore their normal life amid lackluster reconstruction process. In Mosul, life restoration is running faster in the eastern side, which witnessed fewer battles than the western side. Defiant residents in Mosul have never lost hope in their efforts to rebuild their beloved home city. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) MOSUL, Iraq, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A year has passed since Iraq announced full liberation from the Islamic State (IS) militant group, but Iraqis are still desperately struggling to restore their normal life amid lackluster reconstruction process. In Mosul, the capital city of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, life restoration is running faster in the eastern side, which witnessed fewer battles than the western side. In one of the fiercest battles since World War II, IS extremists stayed holed up in the narrow alleys of Mosul's Old City center, where they booby-trapped buildings and planted a large number of roadside bombs. The battles killed thousands of innocent people, with dozens of thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed, including the iconic al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning minaret. Nevertheless, defiant residents in Mosul have never lost hope in their efforts to rebuild their beloved home city. Sabhan, 47, a resident in the Old City in western Mosul, returned to home immediately after the defeat of IS militants in July 2017, as his house was only slightly damaged in the battles. "I am repairing the damage step by step whenever I can collect some money, and many of my neighbors are also doing so," Sabhan told Xinhua. "Many families are unable to return because they need compensations from the government. They lost their jobs and savings during the years of displacement when the IS took control of the city after 2014," he noted. Muthanna Fadhil Younis, 37, is one of those unable to return to home in the old city because he lost his job of fixing refrigerators and washing machines, in addition to the expensive treatment for his two daughters who suffer from kidney disease and malnutrition. "There were no food, no medicine, no milk for infants. My youngest daughter was born in 2015. I was almost lost her because she was very weak because of malnutrition," Younis said. IS extremist militants "left us dying by diseases, hunger and bombing and ... prevented us from leaving our homes to safety with the Iraqi security forces," he added. Younis is now working as a wireman and lives with his family in a small cold rented house in the eastern side of Mosul. Like many other traumatized people in Mosul, Younis is yearning to return to his destroyed house. However, he cannot afford to rebuild it. At a small coffee shop in the Old City of Mosul, a group of men were exchanging views on the corruption issues in the slow reconstruction process. Reconstruction "will continue slowly because there is no genuine sign for serious efforts to rebuild the city because of corruption," said Abu Mohammed, a member of the group. On Thursday morning, shove-trucks came for the first time to begin removing debris from the site of the ancient Great Mosque of al-Nuri, which was destroyed in the middle of 2017 during battles to dislodge IS militants from the Old City center. "Removing the debris was preceded by checks to defuse bombs possibly planted by IS militants," Ahmed Ghazi, an officer from the engineering force of the army's 16th Division, told Xinhua at the scene. In April, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and UNESCO signed a partnership agreement to rebuild the historic mosque, which was erected in 1172 along with its famous leaning minaret, which gave the city its nickname "al-Hadbaa," or "the hunchback." The al-Nuri mosque is of great symbolic value, as it was where the IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his cross-border caliphate in Iraq and Syria in his sole public appearance in July 2014. "The reconstruction of this mosque (al-Nuri) is an important step that would give people hope, as the reconstruction of the historic al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning minaret would encourage tourism, hence providing jobs for residents," said Jamal al-Mosuli, who lives in an old house near al-Nuri Mosque. Abu Ahmed Dha An-Noon, another resident of Mosul, also sees a "positive sign" for a serious start to rebuild the mosque which is part of the identity of Mosul, the second largest city of Iraq. "So far, nearly 30 percent of the residents have come back, but with the rebuilding of the mosque, I believe the rate will increase to 70 percent," Dha An-Noon told Xinhua at the scene. Back in 2014, the IS militant group announced the establishment of a Caliphate over a large swathe of territories across Iraq and Syria. Since then, the Iraqi forces backed by an international coalition fought three years of fierce battles to free the country from the extremist militants. On Dec. 9 of 2017, then Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, officially announced the full liberation of Iraq from IS militants. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (L), Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh (C), and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (R) on Dec. 9, 2018, inaugurate a Chinese-contracted major road project as the Ethiopian government aspires to connect strategic towns in western Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde) JIMMA, Ethiopia, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday inaugurated the Chinese-built Jimma Industry Park in Ethiopia's western town of Jimma, some 350 km west of the capital Addis Ababa. The three leaders also on Saturday laid the corner-stone for another Chinese-contracted major road infrastructure project as the Ethiopian government aspires to connect strategic towns in western Ethiopia, including the historic town of Jimma, with Agaro and Dedesa towns. Ethiopia's Ahmed, speaking after the industrial park launching and road project commencement events, said that the two development projects showcase the Ethiopian government's strong commitment to transforming the Jimma town and its surroundings in particular and Ethiopia in general toward industrialization. Jimma Industrial Park, built by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), is expected to host investors in light manufacturing sectors, mainly agro-processing, textiles and apparel products. Stretched on 75 hectares of land, the industry park hosts nine manufacturing sheds. Ahmed said that the Jimma industry park will help western Ethiopia become one of Ethiopia's industrial powerhouses. The industry zone, he said, as the latest addition to Ethiopia's huge industrial park development ambitions, would help local community members particularly the youth to get highly needed job opportunities. Noting that foreign companies are approaching the Ethiopian government to invest in the Jimma industry zone, Ahmed urged local community members to strive with government efforts in protecting and benefiting from the industry park. Lelise Neme, CEO of Ethiopian Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC), said that the industry park's strategic location would benefit not only the local community but also Ethiopia's economy in general. The industry zone, which has now become the sixth operational industry zone in the East African country, would help the socioeconomic condition of Jimma town and its surroundings, Neme said. Wen Yingzheng, general manager for CCCC East Africa, told Xinhua that the designing and construction of the project took nine months. "We did our best, and we are glad that a high quality industry park was completed in such a short time," he said. In October, Ethiopia had also inaugurated Adama Industrial Park. Located some 74 km southeast of Addis Ababa, the Adama industrial park was also built by a Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC). Both Jimma and Adama industrial parks are part of the Ethiopian government's grand plan to transform the now largely agrarian country into an industrialized middle-income economy by 2025. The Jimma-Agaro-Dedesa road project was contracted by China Railway Construction Company-21 Group (CRCC-21). The 79 km road project has a budget of 1.3 billion Ethiopian birr (about 46 million U.S. dollars). CRCC-21, which has previously completed two other road projects in Ethiopia, pledged to create as many job opportunities for local community members as possible. Speaking to Xinhua, Zhuang Jidong, president of CRCC-21, said the road project will be completed within 3.5 years. "We will mobilize all resources that are available to finalize the project in time and up to the standard," Zhuang said. "Our presence in this country gives us lots of opportunities to contribute to Ethiopia's development as well as to further strengthen the partnership between China and Ethiopia," he added. The long-awaited road infrastructure, upon completion, will play a key role in the development of the east African country in general and the area in Oromia regional state in particular, according to Lemma Megersa, president of Ethiopia's largest Oromia regional state. Jimma town and its surroundings are known as the major source of Ethiopia's major export commodity coffee, and the road projects are expected further spur the chain of coffee trading in Ethiopia. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 20:22:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RIYADH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi arrived in Riyadh on Sunday for the one-day Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Heading a government delegation, Al-Muraikhi was received by his Saudi counterpart Nizar bin Obaid Madani, SPA said. The 39th session of the GCC Supreme Council, an annual gathering of leaders from the six member states, is expected to focus on security issues, including the Yemeni war and Iran's activities, as well as latest regional and international political developments. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 20:37:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DUBAI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum headed on Sunday a delegation at the 39th Summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held in the Saudi capital Riyadh, official WAM news agency reported. Earlier in the day, UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash expressed his hope for "a successful Gulf summit" under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, praising GCC fellow member state Kuwait for its efforts in bringing the council members together. The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. Notably, a delegation led by Qatari State Minister for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi arrived in Riyadh for the meeting despite the absence of the Qatari emir. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have been imposing a diplomatic and economic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations that the tiny gas-rich Gulf country supports terrorism and interferes in their domestic affairs, which Doha has repeatedly denied. Qatar announced last week its decision to withdraw from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from Jan. 1, 2019, a move seen as a challenge to the Saudi-dominated oil cartel. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 21:07:39|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday headed to Belarus for a three-day visit at the invitation by his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, official SUNA news agency reported. Accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers and businessmen, al-Bashir will discuss with Lukashenko means of developing political and economic ties between the two countries, particularly the manufacture of agricultural machinery, SUNA said. The two leaders are expected to sign a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding to reactivate bilateral cooperation. Al-Bashir will inaugurate the Sudanese Embassy in the Belarussian capital of Minsk during the visit. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 21:37:45|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A survey reported in China Youth Daily showed that 60.4 percent of the respondents consider cities featuring environmental protection and cultural soft power development most attractive. Some 58 percent of the 2,014 respondents prefer cities which encourage citizens to make innovations and start businesses and support small- and medium-sized companies. Another 51 percent of those surveyed are attracted by "smart cities," which are driven by information technology, and around half of the respondents said they like open and inclusive cities. Around 53 percent attributed cities' development to favorable locations, and 49.7 percent regard innovation the main driver of a city's development. Hu Xiaowu, vice dean of the Institute of Urban Sciences, Nanjing University, said a well-developed city should have innovative and far-sighted policies, effective implementation and high-quality public service facilities, according to the report. Meanwhile, 83.6 percent of those surveyed said their hometowns are becoming more and more appealing. Professor of Renmin University of China Yao Yongling suggested that cities should find development paths suitable to their own conditions, the report said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 21:42:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close RIYADH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, asserted on Sunday the dedication of his country to continue defending the Arab and Islamic causes in the international level, Saudi Press Agency reported. He said that Palestine would continue to be the top cause for Saudi Arabia as it strives for the legislative rights of Palestinians, including an independent state with the East Jerusalem as its capital. He addressed at the 39th meeting of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), calling on the international community to take up its responsibility to protect Palestinians from the aggressive practices of Israel that are provocative to Arabs, Muslims and peace lovers. The Saudi leader accused Iran of interfering in the internal affairs of regional countries, urging for unity to protect the Gulf achievements. He also revealed that Oman will hold the next 40th summit. Kuwait was the last country to host the summit in December 2017, in which the leaders affirmed dedication to reinforce the role of the council in safeguarding the regional achievements and meeting the inspirations of citizens. The GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 21:42:48|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi official said the continuing political row in Iraq is thwarting the reconstruction process in Iraq as it gives negative messages to the international community that their funds are not safe. "The donor countries and investors will not provide funds for reconstruction in the light of the incomplete government formation and the persistence of political differences," said Mustafa al-Hiti, head of Iraq's Reconstruction Fund for Areas Affected by Terrorist Operations (REFAATO), in an interview with Xinhua. Hiti's comments came a year after the Iraqi former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the full liberation of Iraqi territories from the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants. Reviewing the background of the troubled reconstruction process in Iraq, Hiti said he and some other Iraqi officials attended in February an international conference in Kuwait for reconstructing areas affected by anti-IS military operations. "The prevailing view about Iraq was that it is marred with corruption, political and sectarian conflicts and has no peaceful delivery of power," Hiti said. "The taxpayers in all countries do not want their money to go to a country where people are fighting each other, but to be used in projects that serve people," he added. After the May 12 parliamentary elections, the world is waiting for a change by a new government, "but the formation of the government did not complete yet," the Iraqi official warned. He attributed the delay in payments by world donors to the political row among Iraqi factions, which almost paralyzes the government performance. "There must be a complete government. Without a government tasked with running the funds (of the reconstruction process), the international community cannot provide such funds," Hiti noted. In February, neighboring Kuwait held an international conference attended by more than 70 states and about 2,500 companies to mull ways to rebuild Iraq's economy and infrastructure as it emerged from a devastating war with IS militants, who seized almost a third of the country before being routed. Before the Kuwait conference, the Iraqi government said more than 88 billion dollars is needed for reconstruction after nearly three years of war against the IS, but the pledges of funds dwarfed to 30 billion dollars at the end of the conference, mostly in the form of loans, credit facilities and investment. Iraq frequently complained that the funds allocated for REFAATO is far from enough for the reconstruction of Iraq. "Therefore, 40 percent of Iraq which was under IS control cannot be rebuilt with such little money. For example, we have 147,000 damaged housing units, 50 percent of which are totally damaged," Hiti explained. According to Hiti, REFAATO is implementing 743 projects, including 499 funded by the federal government and the rest depending on international loans and funds. These projects were very important and effective to help the displaced return to their homes, to reduce the number of the homeless to fewer than 2 million, he said. Established in 2015, the REFAATO aims to coordinate international organizations and Iraqi governments for reconstruction operations in areas liberated from IS militants. In June 2014, the IS group took control of large swathes of territories in western and northern Iraq, or 40 percent of the country's land in its peak. However, the Iraqi forces, backed by tens of thousands of Shiite and Sunni volunteers, known as Hashd Shaabi paramilitary units, as well as the U.S.-led air support, managed to dislodge IS militants from their strongholds across the country. On Dec. 9, 2017, al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from IS militants after Iraqi forces re-captured all areas once seized by the extremist group. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 21:42:49|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- On Saturday evening, Samuel Odhiambo received a "strange" distress call from a friend, who had taken his family for an outing at a mall east of Nairobi. "I am stranded. Please come and bail me because it's been an hour of waiting and Mpesa is not working," his friend told him. The friend had taken meals at a restaurant and his children had played at the kids' park with the bill coming to 6,000 Kenyan shillings (59 U.S. dollars). However, when he went to pay, the system was not working. "He paid the money but the message to confirm the transaction did not come, therefore he could not be allowed to leave," recounted Odhiambo, an accountant, who drove to the mall and paid the money. Many Kenyans were in a similar situation at various establishments that include bars, supermarkets, fuel stations, agency shops and hotels across the east African nation as the mobile money service experienced downtime. Those who had fuelled their cars and attempted to pay through mobile money could not leave. Similarly, those who had consumed food at hotels, reached onto their mobile phones to pay and had to wait for hours at the facilities unless they paid cash. It was a nightmare for those who had withdrawn money at agents and could not leave because of lack of a transaction completion message to allow the agents give them money. The outage was for over three hours. Mpesa, run by Safaricom, is Kenya's leading mobile money service, with over 24 million people using the service out of the 30 million subscribers, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya. Between April and June, Mpesa users transacted 14.6 billion dollars, most of which was person-to-person transactions, the latest data from the regulator showed. Therefore, any slight delay in the service affects millions. "I bought fuel for my car using Mpesa and transactions are not going through. I am now stranded at this petrol station for an hour hoping things work out," recounted Mathews Kamala on Twitter, where hundreds shared their frustrations. "I am being held at this hotel because I have paid by mobile money and transactions are not going through. What is the problem?" asked Vivian. For Brian Muinde, the embarrassment at the cashier after shopping a trolley full of goods and failing to pay using his phone would linger in his mind for some time. "It was a big lesson for me. People who were paying in cash looked at me, annoyed that I was wasting time at the till. I opted to return the goods to the shelves and walk out," he said. Safaricom, in a statement on Saturday evening, attributed the downtime to database degradation. "We regret to notify our customers and partners that Mpesa services are currently unavailable due to database degradation, leading to loss of service," CEO Bob Collymore said. "Our engineers are working to restore service as soon as possible," he added. In a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon, Safaricom said Mpesa services resumed late Saturday night but outage reoccurred on Sunday morning but was resolved in about half an hour. "Our engineers are working with officials from both the Central Bank of Kenya and Communications Authority of Kenya to ensure continuity of services," the telco said. Henry Wandera, an economics lecturer in Nairobi, said the events that followed the downtime show how mobile money is key in the lives of Kenyans. "The system is at the heart of the lives of Kenyans and the country's economy. Kenyans have become comfortable using mobile money that a good number don't carry cash anymore, but such experiences are the reason cash remains king in Kenya's financial system even as people embrace mobile money," he said on Sunday. The National Treasury, in a report last year, said the ubiquitous nature of mobile money in Kenya should be regarded as a "fiscal risk" to the country's economy due to its extensive inter-linkage with payment systems in different sectors. Enditem Photo taken on Dec. 6, 2018 shows several children playing at the edge of the ruin site of al-Nuri Mosque in the Old City of Mosul, nothern Iraq. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) MOSUL, Iraq, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A year has passed since Iraq announced full liberation from the Islamic State (IS) militant group, but Iraqis are still desperately struggling to restore their normal life amid lackluster reconstruction process. In Mosul, the capital city of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, life restoration is running faster in the eastern side, which witnessed fewer battles than the western side. In one of the fiercest battles since World War II, IS extremists stayed holed up in the narrow alleys of Mosul's Old City center, where they booby-trapped buildings and planted a large number of roadside bombs. The battles killed thousands of innocent people, with dozens of thousands of buildings damaged or destroyed, including the iconic al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning minaret. Nevertheless, defiant residents in Mosul have never lost hope in their efforts to rebuild their beloved home city. Sabhan, 47, a resident in the Old City in western Mosul, returned to home immediately after the defeat of IS militants in July 2017, as his house was only slightly damaged in the battles. "I am repairing the damage step by step whenever I can collect some money, and many of my neighbors are also doing so," Sabhan told Xinhua. "Many families are unable to return because they need compensations from the government. They lost their jobs and savings during the years of displacement when the IS took control of the city after 2014," he noted. Photo taken on Dec. 6, 2018 shows a shovel truck clearing debris in the Old City of Mosul, northern Iraq. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Muthanna Fadhil Younis, 37, is one of those unable to return to home in the old city because he lost his job of fixing refrigerators and washing machines, in addition to the expensive treatment for his two daughters who suffer from kidney disease and malnutrition. "There were no food, no medicine, no milk for infants. My youngest daughter was born in 2015. I was almost lost her because she was very weak because of malnutrition," Younis said. IS extremist militants "left us dying by diseases, hunger and bombing and ... prevented us from leaving our homes to safety with the Iraqi security forces," he added. Younis is now working as a wireman and lives with his family in a small cold rented house in the eastern side of Mosul. Like many other traumatized people in Mosul, Younis is yearning to return to his destroyed house. However, he cannot afford to rebuild it. At a small coffee shop in the Old City of Mosul, a group of men were exchanging views on the corruption issues in the slow reconstruction process. Reconstruction "will continue slowly because there is no genuine sign for serious efforts to rebuild the city because of corruption," said Abu Mohammed, a member of the group. On Thursday morning, shove-trucks came for the first time to begin removing debris from the site of the ancient Great Mosque of al-Nuri, which was destroyed in the middle of 2017 during battles to dislodge IS militants from the Old City center. "Removing the debris was preceded by checks to defuse bombs possibly planted by IS militants," Ahmed Ghazi, an officer from the engineering force of the army's 16th Division, told Xinhua at the scene. In April, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and UNESCO signed a partnership agreement to rebuild the historic mosque, which was erected in 1172 along with its famous leaning minaret, which gave the city its nickname "al-Hadbaa," or "the hunchback." Photo taken on Dec. 5 shows an Iraqi girl standing in front of her rented house in Mosul, northern Iraq. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) The al-Nuri mosque is of great symbolic value, as it was where the IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his cross-border caliphate in Iraq and Syria in his sole public appearance in July 2014. "The reconstruction of this mosque (al-Nuri) is an important step that would give people hope, as the reconstruction of the historic al-Nuri Mosque and its leaning minaret would encourage tourism, hence providing jobs for residents," said Jamal al-Mosuli, who lives in an old house near al-Nuri Mosque. Abu Ahmed Dha An-Noon, another resident of Mosul, also sees a "positive sign" for a serious start to rebuild the mosque which is part of the identity of Mosul, the second largest city of Iraq. "So far, nearly 30 percent of the residents have come back, but with the rebuilding of the mosque, I believe the rate will increase to 70 percent," Dha An-Noon told Xinhua at the scene. Back in 2014, the IS militant group announced the establishment of a Caliphate over a large swathe of territories across Iraq and Syria. Since then, the Iraqi forces backed by an international coalition fought three years of fierce battles to free the country from the extremist militants. On Dec. 9 of 2017, then Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, officially announced the full liberation of Iraq from IS militants. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 22:02:53|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- German carmaker Mercedes-Benz will recall 1,621 automobiles in China over incorrect software coding of the panoramic sunroof, according to China's market regulator. From Dec. 7, the Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. began recalling 1,501 vehicles manufactured between April 19 and Sep. 7. The recall involves C-Class and GLC SUV models. Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd. started to recall 120 imported GLC SUVs manufactured from Jul. 26 to Sept. 22 on the same day, according to the State Administration of Market Regulation. When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, the force to initiate a pinch response may go beyond the required limit because of incorrect software coding of the sunroof, causing an increased risk to safety. The company will subsequently update the panoramic sunroof software of the affected automobiles. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 22:12:54|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CAPE TOWN, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Calls emerged on Sunday for electricity utility Eskom to provide clarity over the re-implementation of power cuts that have gripped the country for more than one month. Especially for the past week, load shedding was upgraded from Stage 1 to Stage 2, the most serious load shedding this year. Stage 1 load shedding allows for up to 1,000MW of the national load to be shed once a day, while Stage 2 calls for 2,000MW to be rotationally shed nationally at a given period. There have been conflicting reports surrounding the current crisis -- ranging from state capture and a lack of coal to allegations of irregular tenders and Eskom's use of companies that are unable to provide the services Eskom so desperately needs. On Sunday, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) urged Eskom to provide clarity with regards to the many theories, explanations and excuses provided by Eskom "during these very dark days." Eskom has been accused of signing behind-the-door tender agreements with companies linked with the controversial Indian Gupta family which allegedly colluded with senior government officials in looting from state-owned enterprises, known as state capture. Gupta-linked companies are blamed for the shortage of coal which Eskom heavily relies on for power generation. "For the sake of clarity and transparency, the DA calls on Eskom to provide a list of all the companies it has taken action against with regards to incorrect tender processes," said Natasha Mazzone, DA spokesperson on state capture. The DA also calls on Eskom to inform South Africans whether it has applied for any urgent interdicts to stop contracts which result in coal shortages, Mazzone said. Eskom, which provides more than 95 percent of electricity consumed in the country, implements load shedding rotationally as a last resort to protect the power system from a total collapse. Earlier this week, the DA launched a petition with the aim of breaking monopoly on electricity generation to allow independent power producers to play a role. Eskom has proven that it is incapable of delivering power to South Africans within its current operational model, and it has proven so time and again in many different ways, Mazzone said. For example, money for plant maintenance was re-directed toward Gupta-linked firms in 2015, resulting in new and higher upkeep costs in 2018, he said. Poor project management at Medupi and Kusile, two major stations, also doubled the costs of the building process, Mazzone said. The underlying problem, regardless of the current crisis, is that the structure of Eskom inevitably needs to change, he said. Eskom is an entity which finds itself in a state of complete collapse and the only thing that can save it is if the entire structure changes, Mazzone added. All these problems highlight the serious corruption and irregularities at the state-run parastatal, Mazzone said. "South Africans deserve clarity and honesty with regards to this crisis," he said. International ratings agencies have warned that Eskom is a risk to the health of South Africa's economy. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 22:38:52|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close A survivor of the Nanjing Massacre Ai Yiying (C) burns incense for victims during a commemorative activity in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Dec. 9, 2018. The Nanjing Massacre took place when Japanese troops captured the city on Dec. 13, 1937. Over six weeks, they killed 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers. Ai Yiying's mother and her three children escaped the massacre and fled to a refugee zone. Ai's father, uncles and a cousin were killed by Japanese soldiers. In February 2014, China's top legislature designated December 13 as the national memorial day for victims of the Nanjing Massacre. (Xinhua/Sun Can) Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 22:43:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close PARIS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron told his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump not to interfere in French internal affairs after Trump had taken a fresh swipe on twitter at "Yellow Vests" demonstrations, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said on Sunday. "I say to Donald Trump and the President of the Republic also told him: we do not take part in American debates, let us live our life of nation," Le Drian told RTL radio, Le Monde newspaper and LCI. Commenting on "Yellow Vests" protests, some of which turned violent, Trump on Saturday tweeted "Very sad day and night in Paris." "Maybe it's time to end the ridiculous and extremely expensive Paris Agreement and return money back to the people in the form of lower taxes?" he wrote. Earlier this week, Trump, via a series of tweets, had mocked Macron over retreating on a fuel tax plan with which he targets to protect environment and speed moves to fight global warming. In recent television interview, the French president stressed "I do not do policy or diplomacy via tweets, comments," in response to Trump's tweets last month in which he mocked Macron for falling approval ratings and criticized his recipe for Europe's defense cooperation and global trade. "... I will not have a debate with the president of the United States through tweets, " he said. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-09 23:48:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close by Murad Abdo ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Yemen peace talks sponsored by the United Nations continued for the fourth consecutive day in Sweden in an attempt to make a breakthrough in Yemen's complicated issue. It focused on the humanitarian issues, including exchanging the war prisoners between the warring factions. However, no discussions will be conducted between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government delegation or the Houthi representatives regarding ending the country's conflict through signing a political agreement at the recent time, according to analysts. The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, recorded the first positive step and succeeded in bringing the two delegations together around one table during the opening ceremony of the consultations in Sweden. During the opening ceremony, the UN envoy declared that the two-warring sides reached an agreement on exchanging war prisoners and detainees, but provided no further details. Yemeni President's Advisor, Mohammed al-Amri, said in a previous interview that "the Houthi delegation had provided a list of some 3,000 prisoners including those rebels captured by the government forces." While the government negotiating team submitted a list that included about 1800 prisoners held in the Houthi-controlled jails in Sanaa, the president's advisor said. Sources of the government delegation in Sweden confirmed to Xinhua that most of the discussions concentrated on implementing the prisoners exchange agreement. Representatives from two-warring sides submitted lists that include their prisoners' names, the political detainees and the jailed journalists to the UN envoy, the sources said. The execution of the prisoner swap deal between the two warring rivals in Yemen will be assigned to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Marwan Damag, a member of the government negotiating team in Sweden, said that "it looks like it is possible to make progress in the prisoner swap deal that may lead to further achievements." Damag demanded that "the Houthi rebels should release all the political detainees and prisoners without exclusion and declare the fate of those missing persons including the journalists." Some Yemeni analysts believe that the UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden will progress and make a slight breakthrough but in the humanitarian issue only. Ali Alfakih, a political analyst and writer, said that "the peace talks taking place in Sweden will succeed in opening new passages for delivering humanitarian supplies and preventing the destruction of Hodeidah." But there are no obvious signs to achieve a real agreement in order to end the years-long military conflict due to several reasons including the recent tense military situation on-ground, he said. Other Yemeni experts think that solving the country's complicated issue is mainly linked to the desires and interests of the regional countries. Musa Alyaa, an expert in the international development, said that "the country's complicated crisis will not be solved easily through conducted talks between weak local factions in Sweden." The local Yemeni factions only execute the orders coming from other regional countries and won't be able to take decisions to stop the war without consulting their regional allies that have the upper-hand, he said. Yemen's Foreign Minister, Khaled Yamani, who is leading the government negotiating team in Sweden, demanded the Houthi rebels to completely withdraw from the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and hand over their weapons. Observers argued that the Houthis will not accept to give up their arms and preconditions indicate all parties still don't have goodwill to reach a peace deal. The UN-sponsored peace talks to build confidence between the Yemeni warring parties kicked off Thursday in Sweden in the first step to resume the political process which ceased in 2016. "We must act now before we lose control of Yemen. Let's not give up despite the challenges we may face. I am sure we will deliver the message of peace," Griffiths said. The talks are expected to last for about a week, depending on the consultation's progress, according to Hanan Eldawadi, chief public information officer at the UN Office of the special envoy of the secretary-general for Yemen. The Yemeni warring parties have held several rounds of peace talks since the conflict began after Houthis seized power in late 2014. However, all talks collapsed and failed to achieve a political agreement, leading to more violence. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-10 00:23:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close A central delegation receives warm welcome at the airport in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dec. 9, 2018. The delegation, led by Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), arrived here Sunday to attend festivities marking the 60th anniversary of the region's founding. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) NANNING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- A central delegation led by China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Sunday arrived in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to attend festivities marking the 60th anniversary of the region's founding. The central delegation presented the region with souvenirs, including a plaque with an inscription by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. It reads "building magnificent and beautiful Guangxi, jointly realizing the dream of rejuvenation." Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, unveiled the plaque, alongside with Lu Xinshe, secretary of the CPC Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee. Xi cares much about people from all ethnic groups in Guangxi, said Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice premier, when addressing the unveiling. Xi's inscription expressed his good wishes to and high expectation on Guangxi, and will inspire the Guangxi people to work in unity and forge ahead to enter the moderately prosperous society together with the rest of the country, Sun said. Wang met with representatives of military forces stationed in the region, armed police forces, and officials of political and legal affairs there. He also met with retired officials and people of various ethnic groups and from all walks of life, and extended greetings to them on behalf of the central delegation. In the evening, Wang and other delegation members joined about 900 locals at a grand gala, which presented a feast of dancing and singing. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-10 01:08:26|Editor: ZD Video Player Close "Yellow Vests" protesters confront police near the Arch of Triumph in Paris, France, on Dec. 8, 2018. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon at "Yellow Vests" protesters marching in Paris on Saturday in the fourth week-end action despite President Emmanuel Macron's series of concessions. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen) PARIS, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- With his approval ratings in low record, French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing a strong response to "Yellow Vests" protests against soaring living costs, government officials said on Sunday. "The President of the Republic will ... make important announcements," government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told LCI television. "We must respond to the anger of the moment that we have heard and understood, with strong measures, and also never give up the long time (answers)," he said. "However, not all the problems of the "Yellow Vests" protesters will be solved by waving a magic wand," he added. In an interview to RTL, Le Monde newspaper and LCI, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said "President Emmanuel Macron will speak and send a strong message to the nation." But he did not give details on the planned measures and the exact time of Macron's speech. Facing his worst street challenge, the French president is expected to reach out to nation "early next week" on television to try to convince people to keep faith in him to restore economy and handle social strains. "I think this is what the French people want, they want answers. The president will send the message to the French that he is listening to their anger and that new solutions have obviously to be found," Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said earlier this week. Created on social media, "Yellow Vests" movement, referring the high visibility vests drivers keep in their cars, has lured people of all ages and backgrounds. With no leader, it had turned into a bigger protest denouncing a squeeze on household spending, high living costs caused by Macron's fiscal and economic policy which they say favors the rich. Some of them asked Macron to step down. In his last speech on Nov. 27, Macron said "I understand this rancor ...What has been said needs to be heard more deeply, society needs solutions...," refusing "to set up a two-speed France where the most modest will have to pay more..." Since then, he offered a series of concessions that began with a review the rate of tax on diesel and petrol every three months to take into account changes in global prices. Failing to quell the anger, he capitulated this week over plans for higher fuel taxes, his major U-turn since he took office. For now, the protest shows no sign of abating. Protesters still demand concrete moves, notably a rise in minimum wage and lower taxes. Offering more concessions, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Thursday said he was open to new "measures that will help raise the pay of those on the minimum wage without doing excessive damage to our competitiveness and businesses." "The President of the Republic has to make other concessions on his own governance. It's something we've been hearing for a month...There is something broken between the President of the Republic and a segment of voters," said Bruno Jeudy, a political analyst. "His speech will be decisive to know if there will be an "Act V" (fifth wave of protests,)" he added to BFMTV news channel. Staging the fourth weekend protest in a row, 136,000 "Yellow Vests" turned out across the country to denounce Macron's leadership which according to them, aims to court big business and do little for lowest-paid workers. According to the Interior Ministry's figures, 2,000 individuals had been detained countrywide, with 1,700 remaining in police custody. A group of masked people wrecked havoc in Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon where they set scores of vehicles ablaze, damaged public properties and looted shops. Police fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse the troublemakers. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-10 02:08:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Sunday condemned security guards' threats to forcefully shut down a southern oil field. "A group of so-called 'civilians' (30th Light Infantry Battalion) attached to the Petroleum Facilities Guard have physically threatened Al-Sharara oil field's employees to force them to halt operations," NOC said in a statement. Local production has now continued without interruption thanks to the courage of local staff, the statement added. The corporation warned on Saturday that closure of the oil field would cause a decline in Libya's daily oil output by some 315,000 barrels, while another oil field with a daily output of 73,000 barrels has already been closed. The closure means a daily loss of 32.5 million U.S. dollars. A group of protesters, who called themselves "Anger of Fezzan (southern Libyan region)," earlier on Saturday forced the closure of Sharara oil field in southern Libya. They demanded rebuilding towns affected by armed conflicts and providing liquidity for local banks in the south that lack funds, local media reported. Al-Sharara oil field, some 750 km southwest of the capital Tripoli, is the largest oil field in Libya. It boasts a daily output of 270,000 barrels of crude oil, more than a quarter of Libya's daily oil production. The field has been attacked by militants several times and was once shut down by protesters. Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-10 05:04:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- At least six Israelis were injured in a Palestinian drive-by shooting attack in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Sunday night, Israel's army said. The incident took place at a road junction near the Israeli settlement of Ofra, north of Ramallah. Israel's emergency medical service said that one of the injured is a 21-year-old pregnant woman who sustained "critical injuries" and was rushed to a hospital. Another 21-year-old man sustained shooting injuries in his lower torso, according to a statement released by the emergency service. Additionally, two 16-year-old girls and two boys at the same age sustained injuries from shrapnel and were evicted to a hospital, the statement said. Video footage released by Ofra's security personnel showed a white car slowing down near a bus stop as a man sitting near the driver pulling out a gun and shooting at people waiting at the bus stop. A military spokesperson said that "shots were fired from a passing Palestinian vehicle towards Israeli civilians who were standing at the bus station." Troops who were guarding the bus stop "responded by firing towards the suspect vehicle which fled," the spokesperson said, adding that a manhunt was launched. The incident was part of a wave of attacks by Palestinian individuals, which include knife stabbing, shooting, and car-ramming attacks, usually carried out against soldiers, police officers and settlers.